CH 17

「Ollie-sama, let’s go.」

「Yes. Let’s go together.」

Since we were in public, Nathe also addressed me and I put on my mask as an aristocrat.

However, I was somewhat happy to be able to be by Nathe’s side as a friend in this way. Fortunately, with me being there for Nathe, the harassment of Nathe is slowly subsiding.

I have heard that the Prince’s group think I am up to something, though. If I really wanted to undermine someone in the first place, I would do it in a more aristocratic way… I wonder if it’s because I come up with this kind of thinking that I was called “villainesses” by the Crown Princess.

I thought so, but after all, royalty and nobility have a dark side to them.

「Maybe I’m not a very good judge of character after all.」

「Ollie can’t have a bad personality! It’s only natural for an aristocrat to have that kind of mindset in the first place. Besides, I am sure that there are no innocent people in the world. But rationally, if they really wanted to crush me, they could have those horrible thoughts and actions… Whoa, it’s scary…」

「There should be no conspicuous behavior in the academy because of the servants who serve the academy, but since the Prince is concerned about Nathe, we should be properly careful because the rogues could do terrible things to you.」

「Yeah… I’ll keep that in mind.」

「Of course, not all aristocrats are like that, but you never know what a cornered person will do.」

I have lived my life as a Duke’s daughter, so I know the other side of being an aristocrat.

I have almost been targeted by kidnappers as the Duke’s daughter before. That’s how I’ve seen the ugly side of people.

I thought Nathe would be disillusioned to see me like this, but perhaps because she had experienced so many things in her life as a commoner, she said,「That’s just the way it is.」

I haven’t been able to see Ihmut much since I started staying with Nathe as much as possible. However, from time to time, Ihmut contacts me via Miloda.

He was told that he would meet his “destiny” as the Crown Prince had said, so he did not approach her openly to avoid more complications.

But I do see Ihmut with the commoner children, so I think he was working on something.

But even after all this contact, the Prince and his group are still running amok, whether they think I’m a “villainess” or not, or whether they want to think I am.

Or perhaps they are so stubborn that they want to believe that I am a “villainess” or a “bad girl”?

He kind of looks at me like he wants to believe me when it comes to the prince, and then he says,「I’m not going to be fooled by an evil woman like you」and I wonder why.

I enjoyed being able to spend the few remaining days of my school life with Nathe.

The harassment has ceased to some extent, and I am simply enjoying the atmosphere of being able to spend my school life with Nathe in a somewhat normal way.

However, the harassment has not yet stopped, so of course, I am still vigilant.

But since the harassment had ceased outwardly, I was a bit distracted.

Then it happened. I was spending time with Nathe at the school, spending long vacations with her, and having a good time. It was in the midst of all this that it happened.

Nathe and I were about to go down the stairs.

Nathe walks next to me.

Nathe smiles and calls out to me,「Ollie-sama.」Nathe’s smile has a kind of charm that makes people feel relaxed, and I thought that this is what makes Nathe so attractive and well-liked by people.

「Nathe was…」

When I was about to speak to Nathe, Nathe’s body suddenly fell.

Nathe looks surprised. Without thinking, I took Nathe’s hand. I took Nathe’s hand as she was falling and pulled her to my side.

It was not something I did with the intention of doing so. My body was moving on its own.

And then I see Nathe thrown up on the stairs and slumped down. I fall just like that.

「Ollie!!」

Nathe, who had slumped down, exclaimed.

I was falling down

「Ollie!!」

And the next thing I heard was Ihmut’s voice.

I felt the sensation of someone supporting me, and I lost consciousness just like that.