Chapter 6

When I turned to the direction of the laughter, there stood three girl students as if they had staged a formation.

“Hmph~ This is simply intolerable.”

On the left was a girl with beautifully adorned hair tied in a ponytail with a butterfly-shaped pin. I couldn’t remember her full name, but she was known among the crowd as ‘Miu.’

“Hee~ The dignity of the garden is going downhill.”

On the right was a girl with orange bobbed hair, also decked out in a fancy headband. I knew her as ‘Jury.’

And…

“Isn’t that right, Lady Elconja?”

As the two clung to her, eagerly listening for her opinion, there was a girl resting her chin on a fluffy fan with one elbow propped up. She let out a laugh straight out of a painting of a noblewoman.

“Oh—hohohoho! Of course! It’s truly galling—hohoho!”

She sported a red rose-shaped crystal tiara on her head, and her golden rolled hair swirled about like it was doing a duet with the red ribbons draping down. And in those tousled locks, her crimson eyes gleamed with fierceness.

Underneath her school uniform’s short sleeves, she wore white silk arm sleeves, and at her fingertips, she always held a black fan, making her a pretty standout character.

Following Rusika Rafisle, she was the second antagonist who always found a way to pick a fight with me at the Academy.

As the daughter of the prestigious Elconja family, who was not to be outdone by the Bruerd family, she was also the Academy’s official number three on the ranking list.

The ‘Golden Crystal,’ Seldienne Elconja, was right there.

“…”

A moment of silence ensued as the attention in the garden shifted instantly to the three of them.

I greeted the girls, who had made their dramatic entrance as if it were a play, wearing a bemused expression.

“W-well, you’re full of energy today, Seldienne.”

“What?!”

At that, the followers flanking Seldienne exploded in indignation.

“How dare a commoner speak the name of Lady Elconja so carelessly! Outrageous!”

“It seems the common folks don’t even learn how to properly address noble ladies?!”

I shrugged my shoulders casually, unfazed.

“Why all the fuss? I just called her by her name.”

“Rude!”

“Dirty-minded!”

This pattern was becoming all too familiar.

As the two of them glared daggers at me with their fur bristling like wildcats, Seldienne snapped her fan shut with a classy smile.

“Everyone, please calm down. Getting angry over a commoner’s insensitive remarks is unbecoming of a noble, don’t you think?”

“Indeed, Lady Elconja!”

“That’s a very wise statement!”

Seldienne twisted her wrist, pointing the fan towards my face.

“I can’t recall giving you permission to use my name, but consider my indulgence an act of grace. You should show your gratitude, alright?”

“Uh, thanks.”

As I replied with a deadpan expression in 0.1 seconds, one of Seldienne’s eyebrows twitched.

Her gaze shifted from my face down to the cooler bag I had with me, and she smirked as if finding it amusing.

“Hmph, looks like you’ve brought the poor commoner’s food again?”

“It’s not poor! It’s enough for two of us!”

“It’s not about quantity! I’m talking about if it fits the elegance of this garden that nobles use!”

“As long as it’s tasty, who cares?”

“Cough…!”

As I nonchalantly brushed off the conversation, Seldienne bit her cherry-red lower lip in frustration.

“Fine! Your baseless arguments are irrelevant to me!”

“So can I leave now? Is this over?”

Without waiting for an answer, I turned to head towards the garden entrance.

“Wait!”

Seldienne popped her black fan open dramatically, stopping me in my tracks.

“You can’t just stand by and allow such disgraceful behavior to happen in this holy Academy!”

“Disgraceful? What are you talking about?”

“Right here, in broad daylight, going against the natural order of things between nobility and commoners! How could such a relationship exist?!”

“…”

“As long as I, Seldienne Elconja, have my eyes on you! A relationship that disrupts the Academy’s order can never be accepted!”

“Kya, you’re so impressive, Lady Elconja!”

“Ah, it’s blinding!”

As her followers praised her with wide eyes, Seldienne tossed her head back and laughed, raising her nose high.

“Oh—hohohoho!”

“Hmm… Is that so.”

Truly, she was a noble lady who consistently cried for classism.

For some reason, my face felt warm with embarrassment, but the funny part was that nobody around made any move to stop or refute her.

With the noble families inheriting powerful magic for generations, while commoners have a slim chance of awakening magic, the student ratio at the Academy is about seven nobles to three commoners.

So, commoners like me, weak in strength and numbers, often found ourselves entangled in such absurd situations within the narrow walls of the Academy.

Having dealt with such nonsense for so long, these comments felt more like banter to me now, and my mental state had become quite tough, yet objectively, it was clearly unfair.

If I were alone, I would have just let it slide.

But I always had a dependable ally nearby who could smooth things over.

“Lady Elconja.”

“Huh…?!”

Her laughter abruptly halted at the gentle voice calling out to her.

“I have just two questions I’d like to ask.”

Taking a step forward with a benevolent smile and shimmering silver hair was Tirisia Bruerd, ranked the number one in the Academy—my ex-girlfriend.

As soon as she stepped in, the entourage flanking Seldienne instinctively took a step back, as if respecting a higher being.

Tirisia smiled sweetly and spoke in a tone usually reserved for children, directing her question at Seldienne.

“Is there a rule in our Academy that prohibits romantic relationships?”

“Uh…?”

Seldienne was thrown off-guard.

Of course, there wasn’t. Such a clause only existed in that fluffy head of her’s.

As Seldienne stammered, Tirisia smoothly transitioned to her next question.

“And personally, I’m curious: What do you consider as the criteria for a romantic relationship, Lady Elconja?”

“Huh?! What?!”

Seldienne’s mind was blown by the sudden personal question, and she covered her mouth with her fan, appearing distressed.

“W-well… um, like holding hands? Or hugging each other? Isn’t that what it is?”

Wow, her mind was quite flower-filled, huh?

I was somewhat surprised, but I maintained my poker face.

“So that means it’s perfectly fine for Erto and I to eat together here? We won’t be holding hands or hugging each other.”

“That’s nonsense! Aren’t you already dating?!”

“Even so, we won’t engage in those unsavory contacts you imagine here! Can that be considered disrupting the Academy’s order?”

“Ugh…!”

As I pulled out some sound reasoning, Seldienne’s complexion grew pale.

Tirisia hadn’t meant to say it like that, but her declaration of not touching me strangely hit me in the feels.

Am I turning into a paranoid patient?

“That is…!”

As Seldienne was outdone, her two companions chimed in.

“Lady Elconja! Hang in there!”

“You’re going to nail this!”

Whether fueled by her followers’ encouragement or because they nudged her forward, Seldienne glared at Tirisia with her crimson eyes, raising her fan high.

“D-do you not realize how shameful it is, Lady Bruerd! To pour your feelings into a commoner while being the successor to a grand noble family! It’s a disgrace to nobility!”

“…”

Huh?

Usually, Tirisia would retort with a “Don’t say such mean things,” but for some reason, she stood there expressionless without saying a word.

“Um…?”

Seldienne must have sensed something was off, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“…Are you not hungry, Lady Elconja?”

After a brief moment of silence, that was what came out of her mouth.

“Lunch hour is passing by. If you have more to say, can’t it wait until later?”

“What’s with the sudden…”

Seldienne blinked in a daze, and Tirisia offered her a slightly sad smile.

“I want to eat with Erto in the garden. Please?”

“…”

Seldienne, with a look of oddly mixed dissatisfaction, eventually snapped her fan shut with a clap and turned her back.

“Hmph! Thank your lucky stars. Enjoy your meal!”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s head inside now, Miu! Jury!”

“Yes, right away, Lady Elconja!”

“We’ll escort you this way!”

Phew, is it finally over?

These guys never tire out, do they?

As I watched the arrogant crew head into the garden,

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Seldienne turned back with a haughty flip of her golden rolls.

“Stay in the backyard after school today, commoner.”

“Huh?”

What now?