CH 9

My face heated up to Emilia’s extravagant complement… However, why do I feel like she is just faking it?

“I see that lady Emilia is agreeing to help me?”

“Of course I am! Princess, you are so cool! To think that you are searching for the criminal  despite your blindness. I can’t help but admire you, Princess!”

After giving praising comments like every time, Emilia dropped her tone. 

“Where did you leave the stamp?”

“I think it was around the wrist.”

“Hm, so it’s the wrist… More than that, how awful his Highness was! The accident happened because his Highness wasn’t with you at that time! You are too kind to him, Princess Alicia!”

“You…think so?”

“Yes I am!”

I was taken back by her sudden straight comment. Maybe because they are close with each other, the more strict they can think of each other the better, but why did this make me uncomfortable…

When I felt like I couldn’t continue on with the conversation anymore, Karl, who seemed to be in a good mood, came closer to me. 

“Alicia! We finished the charity booth near the school’s gate! The event is not planned so I thought everyone would notice if we did it there.”

“Really? That’s great!”

I was so happy that I took Karl’s hands and held it tight, then swung up and down. Facing me, Karl talked to me in a serious voice.

“If this worked out, it could leave a big impact on the academy.”

“Eh?”

“To be honest, until now, the open campus was only being held to entertain the students and the nobles. And to give and to give this event a social dimension is a first for this community, no one ever did that? We need to thanks Aramic for this great idea.”

“Yes, we should!”

Agreeing with his words, I faced Karl and gave him a smile.

Not so long after, I went and stood at the booth that everyone had already prepared before. To express my gratitude, I gave everyone who donated my best smile and shook their hand. We didn’t notice but when we did, there was already a long line of people waiting in front of the booth. 

I felt like an idol. 

“We appreciate your warm support. Thank you so much.”

I don’t know how many people I shaked hands with, but I didn’t feel anything, even a little bit of heat when I held their hand tight. 

We stood by the booth, shaking everyone’s hands until the end of the open campus day. However we couldn’t catch any suspicious individuals in the end. 

“You worked hard. Are you alright?”

Karl gave me a cold drink to me who finally had a minute to catch some breath. We couldn’t figure out anything, even a little bit of information regarding the criminal. On the other hand, the amount of money we collected was beyond our expectations. 

“It’s my first time doing a shaking hand event.”

As I playfully answered back, Karl suddenly roughly grabbed my hand. Uh? Was he angry?

At that moment, because I was shaking hands with a lot of people, my hands got red but that little bit of heat on my hand soon disappeared.

“You are always reckless. If you shake hands with that amount of people in a short time, of course your soft hands would become swollen.”

“Thank you, Karl. It feels good.”

To Karl who was getting grumpy because he worried about me, I closed my eyes and gave him a smile to show my gratitude. 

“I don’t have a say in this, don’t I? You won’t listen to what I say anyway. I casted healing magic and sterilization spells on you so you will be alright now.”

“Sterilization?”

“Of course it’s a must!”

“Ah,…yes…”

Feeling like I shouldn’t ask anything further, I obediently stayed still, receiving his treatment. Karl seemed to get that I understood his worries, he returned to his usual self. 

After feeling better, I tightly held his hand and together, we reviewed the whole situation again. 

“So in the end we couldn’t figure out the criminal…”

“Yes, I don’t think the bad guy who assaulted you would have a kind heart to participate in this kind of event.” 

Karl regretfully sighed. 

Not far away, I heard sir. Aramic’s voice and other people’s footsteps were coming closer. 

“They’re here! Karl! Princess Alicia!”

“Aramic! What is going on?”

“What are you talking about? Of course all of us are here to make donations!”

After finished what he said, Aramic put some money inside the donation’s box.

“Alright then, I will receive the honor to shake the Princess’s hand as a reward, will I?”

“Of course! Thank you so much for your donation!”

I stood up, took sir Aramic’s hand and shook it happily.

“Come on! Aren’t you guys also going to make a donation? Erick! Mikhail! Emilia!”

“Uhm”

“Of course.”

“Yes!!”

The three of them input the money to the box in order, then after that, they moved and stood in front of me.

My body naturally reacted and grabbed their hands.

“Thank you for your support!”

“Ah..”

“Yes! We made it! Isn’t it great, princess Alicia”

Sir Erick was so shy that he couldn’t properly reply to me. Compared to him, lord Mikhail was thinking so positively, he even shook my hands up and down several times.

“You too, lady Emilia. Thank you for your support!”

“It was my pleasure, princess!”

Emilia then squeezed my hand, I gave her a handshake and also touched her wrist like I did with everybody else. 

“?”

“Princess Alicia, what’s wrong?”

Even after she let go, I froze in a shaking hand posture. Her wrist was hot.

“Stamp..?”

I was stunned. 

Emilia then lowered her head, in a small voice that only I could hear, she softly spoke to my ear. 

“Princess, how about you stop playing around and return back to the original plot?”

After saying that, Emilia distanced herself from me and went to where sir Aramic and everyone’s voices direction.

I was left alone. Shocked by her words, I couldn’t move an inch but stood there. 

What did she mean? What is the original plot? 

I squeezed my hands tight, remembering the feeling I felt when I shook her. 

I certainly felt the heat, but it was so small and blurry that I couldn’t bring myself to make the decision. And there was something off that made it different from the one I usually made. But the familiarity of the stamp when it recognised me was there. However, Karl, who was standing beside me did not say a thing. If Emilia was the criminal then he would have noticed the light and told me right away. 

I impatiently called him.

“Karl, just now… did you see the light?”

“Eh? Emilia? No, there was no light. I would know immediately because your stamp would shine bright. What’s wrong with Emilia?”

“No, it’s nothing… Maybe I was mistaken.”

Because I’m blind so there is no way for me to confirm things. Karl even said that there was no light… So I was… wrong?

It was certainly a really light heat, I must be mistaken. 

Without any satisfactory explanation, the first day of the charity event ended just like that. 

After we returned to the villa, I couldn’t feel the stamp’s reaction anymore from the usual kind Emilia. However, instead, I felt something similar to a trace left behind where I first touched her. 

No way… That sweet and innocent… Emilia?

I can’t believe it!

However it didn’t lighten up, so I must be mistaken…

With those confused feelings, I continued to participate in the charity, carrying out my duty to shake hands with everyone who made a donation like yesterday. 

The time limit for catching the criminal was until the second day’s midnight, there was so little time for me to think. 

I certainly felt the trace of Emilia’s stamp, the thing she told me before was suspicious but there was no supported proof to point out that she was the criminal. The most important thing was that Karl didn’t see any light, and I couldn’t bring myself to think that a person like her would do something so awful. 

I couldn’t help but want to search for more. 

As my mind was full of those thoughts, I stood in front of the door inside the head building. I did my best to knock on those thick doors even if I couldn’t see anything.

“Come in”

I could hear a voice which belonged to a middle aged lady and after that the door automatically opened. The room I went to was the office of the academy rector. 

“Pardon me.”

I straightened my back, lifted my head up and walked in. 

“Are you the lady of the Holstein Duchy house?

“Yes, I am.”

I got nervous at her simple question, and had a hard time to swallow

“I heard you are looking for me?”

“Yes, I would like to talk to you about something.”

“Go ahead.”

“…Please let me enroll to study here!”

I went straight to the main topic, what I was here for. After a short silence, the rector finally  replied quietly  to me.

“Your enrollment has already been decided and we informed you of the final result 3 years ago already.”

“You have. However, I am here to ask you again.”

“…I also heard that someone assaulted you yesterday. You experienced something so horrific here but still want to study in the same place? Let me hear your reason.”

“That’s the reason! I want to catch the criminal. It was a shame that I couldn’t figure out the criminal in these two days. But I have a trace which can lead me to the criminal. I just want a little more time.”

“Only for that?”

At her cold voice, I pushed myself to continue.

“I also want to study magic. I want to make friends. At the open campus event this year, I understood that if I kept staying inside the Duchy residence, I would wear myself out. 3 years ago, I thought going to school was just a normal thing. However, now I really want to study magic with everyone else, and learn more about its connection here.”

“Is that so”

The lady didn’t move at my answer, but at that moment someone else knocked on the door behind me.

“Excuse my rudeness.”

“Karl?”

Hearing his voice, my body reflectively turned back to face the door. This is my own problem, and I surely told him that I will have a talk with the academy rectorf alone. He must have been worried and decided to come.

“It’s  about her enrollment. She has my recommendation.”

“Your highness Karl?”

“It is because, I believe she is worthy to become one of the students of our academy. Despite her blindness, she always gives her best. To be honest I still have my worries of her being attacked again, so she is not the only one who wants to find the criminal. Not to mention that even when she was in that bad state, she opened a charity to support the unfortunate children.”

“The charity that everyone was talking about …was lady Alicia’s doing?”

“Yes! She came up with the plan, we only helped. The whole idea belongs to someone else, but making the donation successful was Alicia’s achievement.”

I realized Karl, who was coherently speaking in front of me, was not the usual Karl I knew . I would like to learn more about him at school. 

When I thought about that, the rector who was deep in thought finally replied.

“About the plan you made… It worked as the amount of donations received was important. Moreover this received a lot of compliments from the participants.”

“Eh?”

Her comment was so sudden that it surprised me. However, she then sighed deeply.

“Lady Alicia, can you take responsibility for your actions?”

“Of course! There are times that I still need the help of my personal maid, but I would never cause troubles to other students!”

“Right now we do not yet have any information regarding the one who attacked you. Of course our side is also working on the search, and we are looking more closely at the security problem too. However there is no warranty for your safety for now.”

“Yes! I promise not to be alone. I will firmly follow the rules.”

“I see… I cannot deny a person who made the charity booth a success, am I?”

I swallowed my saliva again. 

“However, you cannot enroll in our academy as a student right now. How about enrolling as an auditing student?”

“You say…as an auditing student?

“Yes, that’s right. You still need to pass the enrollment test, however if you pass you can take any classes you want.”

After thinking for a while, I understood what she said but not all of it. Karl then tapped my shoulder and gave me the explanation.

“Alicia, just like what the rector said. Auditing students need to take the enrollment test, but after that you can choose whatever classes you like. And you don’t have to take tests like other students. However, there will be no graduate certificate. The system was created for foreign students who come here for a limited time. I think it fits you the best.”

Now that he explained, I indeed have 3 years blank, even if I enroll here as a normal student, I wouldn’t have enough credits to graduate. 

I was so sure in my heart and made a decision.

“I see …, I don’t mind becoming an auditing student! Whatever, please allow me!”

I deeply lowered my head towards the direction I believed that it was where the rector   was sitting. After a little silence, I was surprised by her gentle voice, which contrasted with the one I heard from the beginning.

“I understand. Then let’s quickly finish all the paperwork. Bring me the passed result test then I will accept you in our academy. I’m looking forward to seeing you as a student here.” 

First I have to pass the enrollment test , I accepted her offer to become an auditing student. 

ーーーー

Tikki：Finally something is happening!!!!

I really want to see how she is gonna fight against Emilia… I really just hope that Karl will trust her and that there will not be misunderstanding… Because then I don’t care!!!!! Let’s abandon Karl if he doesn’t trust her XD

Heaven: I’m exciting too T.T I have 0 trust on Karl right now because he said he has no interest in rumors before (҂◡̀_◡́).

I’m like, Alicia is blind and being surrounded by those fake ladies and you didn’t even care? lol my rants… forgive me XD

First I have to pass the enrollment test, I accepted her offer to become an auditing student. 

After exiting the rector office, like usual, Karl took my hand and escorted me back.

“Karl, Thank you so much. Honestly, I didn’t think you would come for me. I’m grateful and happy.”

“You firmingly told me that you are going by yourself. However, when I thought about the rector and how strict she is, I couldn’t help but worry about you.”

It was true that I planned to go by myself at first, however I was pressured by the atmosphere around the rector. At that moment, I don’t know if I could have spoken well if I were alone. I stopped and turned to Karl, bowed my head in gratitude.

“I don’t know how to thank you enough. If you hadn’t come, my voice wouldn’t have been recognised.”

“There is no such thing. The donation plan that you thought thoroughly was truly wonderful. I just thought Alicia might not know how much impact you left on us, so I just came and told her about it.”

“Still, thank you. Karl.”

Karl said shyly, “I just did what I thought was right” and changed the subject. 

“By the way, what are you going to do now?”

“Well, passing the examination is my first priority. But I will also continue looking for the criminal. Of course I also want to learn more about magic. In the end, I couldn’t make it to the public session. However it will be a different story if I become an auditor! Just imagine, me being able to take as many classes as I want~”

After all, I can go to school. That’s enough to make me happy!

“Yes, if you become one, you can get into as many classes as you want regardless of your academic ability. And I would be at ease when I know you can take the same classes as me.”

Karl said that and clasped my hand tightly. I smiled and gripped his hands back.

“Yes, I am sure it will be fun with you.”

I hurried back to the room mommy was resting in and told her about what happened and also about me staying  at school to be an auditor. 

“My goddess! It’s dangerous! Are you aware that you haven’t caught the criminal yet?”

As expected, mommy was opposed to the idea. But it didn’t stop me, I told her that I already obtained permission from the academy rector and nothing can take away my wish to study magic. Karl joined me in persuading her. 

When both of us asked, she reluctantly agreed. While saying “I can’t help it” and left the room saying that she will go to the office and ask the rector to change the transfer examination to an oral one.

Certainly, the examination usually takes place in written form. Even if I want to pass the test with a perfect score, how am I supposed to read the questions written on paper?

I appreciated what mommy did and promised to do my best. 

After barely passing the oral examination, my transfer was officially recognised and the date was decided. …I’ll do my best!!

I clenched my hand and was full of motivation. 

~~ A girl named Emilia~~

“Emilia is really a wonderful girl!”

Emilia Fredcécht was the third daughter of a local baron. The Fredcécht family, though low rank, could live comfortably in its own way without any excessive extravagance. 

Growing up in such a house,  she suddenly remembered her past life one day. 

In her past life, she was a normal 27 year old woman, who worked as an office worker in Japan. Her hobby was reading, no, more like she was addicted to it. She read all types of books and web-novels. Among that, she was especially fond of a particular novel about the main character being reborn in a different world.  

The novel was set in middle Europe with high level civilization and magic as a twist, the reincarnated heroine uses the knowledge of Japan and starts her wonderful life. The heroine’s name was “Emilia”, the same name as her, as she was glad that her memory of the previous life was back.

This world is certainly similar to her favorite novel. Not to mention despite the period dresses, there are motorcycles used as horses, and the carriage is in the shape of a pumpkin and floating with the help of magic. It is indeed a strange world of mixed cultures and times but so magical. 

Emilia wondered if she was reborned as the heroine “Emilia”. To be sure, she decided to re-create the first chapter of the novel where the heroine invented ‘trump’ as Triumph in previous life and made a name for herself. 

It started as a trial, but the product did indeed become a hit in this place where only few entertainment exists. Since then, Baron Fredcécht’s wealth and fame built up at once, and received a lot of support from high society nobles. 

The Fredcécht family also took a turn, as they drowned in the power of money, they began to live a life of waste and spend money like water. The once closed, humble and modest family changed completely in a short time. Emilia was devastated, but decided to use her past memories and continued with her inventions to fill  her loneliness. However, each of her achievements were announced as the Fredcécht family’s invention and being used in business without her consent. From there onward, more than enjoying living here, Emilia was eager to make her life the same as in the novel. 

As the heroine of the story, Emilia acts like ‘Emilia’, from her way of thinking, how she walks, and even the way she eats. 

She followed the story line, and her invention rose from ‘trump card’ to a mechanical pencil then camera. Magic exists in this world, so it isn’t that hard to make it if you already have an idea. As a result, her family became richer and she was able to enter the most famous academy of the empire. Emilia felt like she was in heaven at that time. Despite her family making her promise to keep inventing even if she goes there, Emilia was happy. That was because she will meet the characters in the story there. Among them, her favorite was Prince Karl. 

The 5th Prince, Prince Karl was a tragic prince, who was really talented but far in the order of succession to the throne, sold-off to the villain, the Hostaine Duke family as a son-in-law and married his only daughter who was ugly and selfish. From an early age, he was called the useless being of the Royal family, he was told that it was unnecessary for him to do his best in study, with the fiance who was famous for her bad deeds, he couldn’t bring himself to raise his head…

Prince Karl possesed red eyes, black hair that is considered as a royal beauty unique trait. Contrasted with his beautiful face, his subtle build is strong and majestic as a leopard. He always had a straightforward, calm demeanor and his dark red eyes only further enhanced the mystery surrounding him.. His character is like a dark hero in any story. 

The past life of ‘Emilia’ fell deeply for both  his appearance and story-line. 

The main story started when Prince Karl and the villainess broke apart. 

One day, the Duke’s daughter held a grudge against the school for being ‘attacked’. Although she was not seriously injured, she lost her temper and forced a lot of innocent students, one after another, to leave the school. 

The Prince, who witnessed everything, resisted the villainess for the first time. With this accident, he began to rethink his current position and the life that he had given up on. He broke off his political engagement without love, believed in his own abilities, and challenged his brother, who was the Crown prince, to compete for the throne. 

The ‘Emilia’ from the novel, started to fall in love with Prince Karl when he saved her from being unfairly expelled from school. After that, with her past knowledge, and together with his Highness’s friends, created a strong force and pushed Karl to the throne. Of course, for a happy ending, she married him who successfully succeeded to the throne at the end. For the record, the villainess got severely punished, her family and herself lost their noble title and met a tragic end. 

Emilia thought the story had been going correctly according to the plot lines, and everything would unfold at the academy. However, when she entered school, everything had not been going as well as expected. 

Not to mention that the villainess, Duke Holsten’s only daughter, had not even enrolled here.

(Huh? I can’t believe that there aren’t enough characters…)

Moreover, Karl didn’t seem to be dissatisfied with being the fifth prince, nor did he have an outcast atmosphere like described. On the contrary, he declares that he will support the royal family from the standpoint of the Duke, looking after his brother. 

Emilia was at a loss. 

In order to find out his true intention, she used the plots as confidential information and provided it to him. In fact, she tried to get closer to Karl, but the result ended up as being taken in as a candidate for his close aides to support his brother in the future.

( Why? Why? Why doesn’t he fall in love with me?)

She thought this wouldn’t be enough and thought about using the social society to make pressures. She started to spread the rumor about her and Karl throughout the continent, even to the deepest part of the Royal capital. Finally, the villainess, Alicia, appeared. 

Emilia was elated when Karl told her that his fiance was coming. The fireworks went off inside her head. She was excited for the long awaited villainess, but again, she was disappointed. After all, Karl was crazy about Alicia, and she was  blind, which was a  setting that was not in the original story. 

( How useless!)

The most annoying thing was even though the accident happened, Alicia didn’t go off as the original story. Is everything going to peacefully end just like this?

Moreover, in the story, it was ‘Emilia’ who arranged the donation event to attract Karl’s supporters but the villainess took over the role. Alicia was supposed to be a hindrance to the donation event, and her action would highlight her arrogance and selfishness. And everyone would feel sympathy for ‘Emilia’, who took the brunt. The story event ended plainly with Alicia’s boring detective game.  

Alicia said she marked the criminal’s wrist, but nothing happened when she touched Emilia’s. In the first place, the place that she left the mark was not the wrist, but her elbow. 

Emilia couldn’t stop her frustration and resentment towards Alicia, who didn’t follow the story. 

Then Alicia and Karl came to Emilia’s booth and played an archery game. When Alicia called the bow “a gun”, Emilia was shocked. When Karl returned the bow and arrow, Emilia was stunned and speechless. 

(Gun!?)

In this world, we call it “bow and arrow”.

No matter how you look at it, it was nothing but a bow and arrow. The one who invented this might have been transmigrated, but right now it goes by the name bow and arrow. 

“That’s why the story is so messed up! There is another reincarnator…”

Emilia glared at Alicia who was happily choosing the gift with Karl as she pushed away the bow. Originally, the simulation booth was invented by ‘Emilia’. Of course her idea was based on the shooting booth from previous life, but it didn’t exist in this world, so Emilia received a lot of  praise for this. 

When Emilia opened the booth, among the booths which only sold food which already existed in this world, her booth was the only place that did games, providing people with entertainment. The booth was a success and seeing everyone’s faces brighten up, Emilia was really pleased. 

However…

Emilia looked at Alicia who had received the stuffed toy as a gift. 

“If she’s a reincarnated child, it’s not surprising that the story changed.” 

Emilia enjoyed her life as the heroine of her favorite story, so she doesn’t want to stop. 

Attacking Alicia was a part of the story. Of course in the original story ‘Emilia’ was not the one who did it, but another student who resented the tyranny of the villainess. However in reality, Alicia was not hated by anyone because she doesn’t go to school. So Emilia had no choice but to attack Alicia like the plot. 

There was no guilt because she was overwhelmed by the joy of knowing the story would proceed as it was supposed to. To Emilia, ‘Alicia’ and ‘Karl’ are just characters. So there is no need to be scared of getting hurt. 

Back to the original plot, the villainess got angry and blamed Prince Karl. She made a fuss saying that the accident happened because of the prince’s lack of security. When the prince saw her doing that, he got tired and that was the opportunity for the heroine ‘Emilia’.

“But she’s still trying to change the story? This is my story..! How dare she!?”

Emilia’s position as the heroine of the story was being threatened.

“Gosh! The whole story is a mess! What the hell does she want to do? The villainess, Alicia!”

Now, Emilia wondered what to do with Alicia, who interrupted her story. 

Emilia wants to enter Karl’s love road, but that requires him to resist the villainess due to her evil deeds. She approached Alicia to see what kind of person she was, but it was no good. Just a little bit of good words, she turned out to be so kind that Emilia was in disbelief. 

You can’t call this villainess! 

Or is she acting?

A plot change of story? 

What the hell do you want?

Like replacing the heroine?

One after another, anxiety welled up in Emilia’s heart.

Not to mention, Alicia was not even a student of this school, she was expected to return to the Duchy after the Open Campus event ended. It will be difficult for Emilia to get involved with Alicia outside of school. Until this moment, Emilia was sure that Alicia would not start anything if she leaves. 

(“Because the main story happens at school, I need to somehow do something before she returns!”)

Emilia was having a hard time thinking that this was impossible, up until yesterday when she received good news from Karl.

“Alicia has been admitted to the academy as an auditor! This might be confusing but I’d like to ask for your help.”

Karl bowed to everyone, asking them to support her. 

Emilia cheerfully replied “Yes” but couldn’t stop her face from twisting in an evil smile.

(“Now all the characters are here. I can now finally modify the story as it should be from now on.”)

With this, at last Emilia breathed a sigh of relief.