CH 86

A single pretty flower walks inside Berne Nobles’ Academy. Regardless of class or grade, the boys’ eyes were captivated by her beauty like a peony when standing, like a peony when sitting, and a like lily flower when walking.

“Woah~…… she’s such a beautiful girl, isn’t she……?” a male student said, his eyes locked on her. “Her blond hair flows so smoothly just by walking, and those big, pale blue eyes. Her dress is also of incredibly high quality. I definitely want to make that girl mine.”

“Idiot! Don’t you know who that is? That’s the girl from the margraviate…” another boy said as he elbows the first to shut him up.

Still, the first male student didn’t stop talking.

“Huh? And what about that? Why is such a beautiful and cute girl treated like this? Are the other girls jealous of her? I would definitely prefer someone like her to the daughter of Duke Bayen, you know…” he said.

“Bah! Shut up already! If anyone hears you, my head will fly off, too!”

The first male student staring at the girl knows that, too. Most of the male students think that Flora of the House Carruthers is more beautiful and cute than Helene of House Bayen. But this is not modern Japan. They don’t live in a society where it’s easy to say which idol is cute or which girl is your favorite.

Regardless of gender, no matter how ugly they are or if there is an age difference, it is normal to have to smile and praise your partner before getting married. A good-looking son of a low-ranking aristocrat might marry a high-ranking aristocrat’s older widow.

The important thing for aristocrats is not the appearance or style, but the power of the House. If you want to enjoy love and a physical relationship with someone who is young and good-looking, you can take a mistress outside the union. Marriage should be for the benefit of the family.

That said, the Carruthers Margraviate, said to be the highest among several margraviates, has no problems in terms of family status, financial strength, or military strength. Rather, it would only be nobles who jumped at the idea of a marriage proposal with House Carruthers.

Only this time, the other party in the situation was terrifying. House Bayen, who mediates between the Kingdom of Ploiss and the Principality of Aust and suppresses other hostilities from the south, has too much influence. If the daughter of House Carruthers gracefully withdrew herself from her engagement, she wouldn’t have to face this kind of harassment, and it’s probably because of her family’s intentions that she cannot, but it’s still such a pitiful state of affairs.

“Pardon?”

And while the two of them pondered about the unfairness of the world, someone called for their attention.

“Excuse me,” that person said.

“Huh?!” both the boys yelled, panicking.

It was Flora, daughter of Margrave Carruthers, and the person they were thinking of just now.

Perhaps she heard their discussion just now? From the point of view of the two student’s parents, as the boys were members of Class 4, the Bayen Duchy is an existence far above the clouds that they cannot resist. However, it can be said not only for House Bayen but also for House Carruthers. Compared to the strength of these two boys’ families, Carruthers would wipe them off the map with a mere wave of their hand.

If someone listened to their conversation and heard they were being insulted, it would be a big deal within their Houses. Even the daughter of House Carruthers who’s being bullied would still be able to destroy these two. However, their worries were unfounded.

“Here, you dropped this,” Flora said.

“Ah, oh, thank you very much,” the second of the boys said.

He was the one who had reprimanded his friend while he was waxing poetic about Flora’s qualities and before he knew it, he’d dropped his handkerchief. Flora picked it up and he took it back from her.

“You’re welcome,” Flora said.

As the beautiful girl turned around and left with a smile, the first boy stared at her back and spoke again:

“Haa… she’s so cute, after all… if she wants to cancel her engagement with Prince Ludwig, will she marry me, instead?” he asked.

“Shut up, dumbass!” the second student cried.

With his handkerchief back, things seemed to return to as they were before.

“I won’t tell anyone else,” the first said. “I won’t say this to anyone other than you.”

“No! That’s not it! Flora will be my wife!”

“…… Huh?”

As the first student thought he was being told to stop talking about his favoring Flora in a public place, he couldn’t catch up with what his friend said just now, and tilted his head in confusion.

“Flora is a real angel! Did you see that smile just now? That smile was right at me! Haa… Flo-raaa…!”

“…………”

The first Flora fan was unable to do much of anything for fear of the inevitable backlash. However, if he whispered, “I was the one who fell in love with Flora first!”, he thought it would cause confusion and increase the bizarre negative tension building up, so he decided to keep silent.

XXX

When a certain duo walks through the 2nd year school building, the crowds of students break like a wave. Even though it was just before lunch when the hallways were densely packed, it seemed as if the path would naturally form before these two.

“Aaah! Prince Ludwig is so-ooo wonderful,” a girl swoons.

“I want Lord Rutger to just grab me and take me,” another goes.

The two walking down the path were Ludwig, Third Prince of the Royal Family of Ploiss, and Rutger, son of Duke Kreff, and both were greeted with passionate, desiring, inappropriate cheering wherever they went.

“Hey! Look! It’s Prince Ludwig!” someone yelled.

“Why are Prince Ludwig and Lord Rutger going into the 1st year building!?”

Even though it was lunchtime, the two of them headed there, instead. Heads turn and follow the two as they move.

“I wonder if they have some business with Lady Helene?”

“Right? I don’t think they’d be there for anything else.”

“Shhh! Lady Helene has stood up!”

The two entered the 1st year building and then into Class 1. When they wandered around looking for their target near the entrance, the eyes of the surroundings gathered on them. However, for Ludwig and Rutger, such gazes are a daily occurrence, so they do not pay attention to them. No, they weren’t even aware that they were the focus of attention.

Meanwhile, one of the female students who was seated stood up and headed before Ludwig. As expected, if Ludwig or Rutger came before them, they would pay attention to her.

“Good day, Prince Ludwig and Lord Rutger,” Helene said. “If you wished to see me, you could have just asked and I would have come to you. I’m not against you two visiting the 1st year building personally, but it causes too much commotion.”

And as Ludwig and Rutger heard all that from Helene, they said…

“Oh, I see…” Rutger said. “If you say so, that might be true. Thank you for your advice…. um, what’s her name again…?”

“Goodness, Rutger!” Ludwig yelled. “How rude! You’ve met this girl a few times already, haven’t you? I believe… a Marquis’s daughter, Helen, yes?”

Despite having scolded Rutger, Ludwig himself stares at Helene’s face and recalls vague memories to try and find a name that seems to fit the best. But, he was wrong.

“Hah… I’m happy to hear you’ve remembered me, though my name is Helene,” Helene said.

“Mm,” Ludwig said. “We have important business. Our apologies for blocking your passage. Don’t mind me and Rutger. Pass right beside us, Helen.”

And at that, both Ludwig and Rutger moved to the side of the door. Helene casually corrected them about her name but Rutger and Ludwig barely paid attention and didn’t even notice that.

The air inside the room freezes. This treatment of Ludwig and Rutger towards Helene. And it’s impossible that they don’t even remember the name of Ludwig’s first marriage candidate. In other words, everyone here understood what was happening.

“Oh! Prince Ludwig, there she is,” Rutger said. “It’s the Country Girl.”

“Ooh! Flora!” Ludwig said.

Leaving behind the trembling Helene, Ludwig and Rutger headed for Flora, who had opened a textbook and held it up to hide her face. There is not a trace left of Helene in their minds.

All the students who remained in the class were startled. If you look at Ludwig and Rutger, who leave Helene behind and happily go to Flora, the winners and the losers were far too obvious.

“I’m sorry for intruding on you without making an appointment, Flora,” Ludwig said. “I believe it’s impolite to make such an offer so suddenly, but how about having lunch together regardless? I’ve summoned the court chef for you, Flora. It might be a nuisance, but what do you think?”

“Yes, it would be a nuisance,” Flora said, shutting the book obscuring her face and speaking as if she’d given up.

“I see. I’m so glad to hear you… huh?” Ludwig said.

Ludwig, who never even dreamed of being rejected, finally realized what Flora said and froze. As expected, Rutger can only be dumbfounded and then pout.

“I said, it would be a nuisance. Don’t you understand this commotion you’ve caused?” Flora said. “Prince Ludwig and Lord Rutger, you two are people who have tremendous influence in this country. Other people will be inconvenienced because of your mere presence. Please be aware of your positions.”

The classroom quiets down at the scene. The shock was greater than the fact that Helene had been ignored and left where she was standing. Who in the world would be able to say this much to the next king, Third Prince Ludwig? No one could even utter a word towards her stern attitude, completely different from the usual flamboyant and floating Flora.

“He-Hey! Country Girl!” Rutger yelled. “That’s rude to Prince Ludwig!”

And after a long pause, it was Rutger who finally started to make his move. Or should we say Rutger just tried to make his move? Or was it too late for his usual bullishness? Flora was unmoved by the outburst.

“Rude? If a vassal’s words of advice are said to be disrespectful, you are welcome to behead me any time you please,” Flora said, bowing her head like she was submitting to execution.

“Uuu…” Rutger choked.

Neither Ludwig nor Rutger had ever seen Flora so clearly angry, so they didn’t know what to do.

“Rudeness is when you respond dismissively to a woman who approaches you and calls you two by name, who you then treat with disregard, who you also called by the wrong name, and who you didn’t even notice that error and correcting you,” Flora snapped. “Her name is Helene von Bayen of a duchy, not Helen of a marquisate! You may accidentally get someone’s name wrong, that’s not rude. But it is not disrespectful to ignore a woman who’s corrected you and act like you didn’t even notice her!?”

“…………”

Ludwig and Rutger said nothing. There is nothing wrong with Flora’s words. Flora said what exactly everyone knew to say but no one could say.

“I’m sorry Helene. Please forgive me,” Ludwig said after he turned around from Flora, went back to the entrance, put his hand to his chest, then bowed.

Rutger came a little later. “Me as well… my apologies. I shouldn’t have forgotten your name and heard you from the beginning.”

If you’re sure met before, but going something like, “What was your name again?” may be rude to the other party. But if you don’t even remember her name, it’s even ruder to pretend to know. If you had forgotten their name, you should have apologized and asked them again.

“No… please don’t worry about it…” Helene said.

But, with that forced smile, it was obvious that Helene didn’t really mean it. Normally, if Ludwig and Rutger personally apologized to her, that would be the end of it. As a daughter of a high-ranking aristocrat, she is unable to express her inner dissatisfaction.

However, Rutger didn’t even remember her name, and even Ludwig, whom she had met once as a candidate for marriage, mistook her name. It must be quite a shock for the daughter of Duke Bayen. Even if she wasn’t angry, she wouldn’t recover quickly from this.

“Prince Ludwig, why don’t you have lunch with her instead as a means of apology?” Flora said.

She had walked up behind them with a brisk, noisy trot.

“But today’s lunch is only for three people…” Ludwig said.

The court chef is only expecting to cook for three. They had only planned for Ludwig, Rutger, and Flora. If there are no extra ingredients, it will take time to prepare them now. However, as Flora glared at Ludwig, his shoulders trembled.

“Helene, what do you think? As an apology for earlier, would you like to have lunch with me and Rutger? Let’s talk for a while,” Ludwig said.

“Yes… I humbly accept,” Helene said.

She has no choice. When she glanced at Flora, she smiled. The three of them headed to the 2nd year cafeteria for lunch, and Flora headed toward the 1st year cafeteria.

It was late at night when the school had already closed for the day, and the usual quintet who were bullying Flora were gathered in a mansion. Lined up and standing still, the five were breaking out into cold sweats.

“She’s going to be there forever because you lot aren’t strong enough! Hurry up and get her out of my sight!”

“I-I beg your forgiveness…” says one of them.

She is Sophie of Marquis Arnhardt, ranked 5th among the 1st year students, but even she has to bow her head in intimidation.

“I was humiliated like that because of you all!”

“Hiii…!”

A cup is slammed to the floor and spills its contents. Crash, the broken cup is an expensive one, made of the ultra-premium, highly-transparent glass that’s becoming all the rage these days. Houses that have members who can recklessly break such things in anger are few.

“I’ll remember this! Flora Charlotte von Carruthers!”

Her dark blond hair seemed to melt into the darkness, and her brown eyes were burning with anger and hatred.