Chapter 41
Volume 2 Chapter 1 part1 The Queen
In preparation for the school festival the next day, there were students holding signboards advertising their exhibit .
“Alright, I’ll work hard as well!”
Livia, holding a handmade signboard, walked in her usual way that differed from the students in the academy .
She was promoting Leon’s cafe .
Leon and the others were busy with preparations . Daniel and Raymond were running around making purchases, and Anjie was the representative for the first year girls .
She was busy since she had work to do in the executive committee as well .
The only one who could advertise was Livia .
While she was walking in the courtyard, there were also several boys who were similarly holding signboards and promoting their exhibit .
They then noticed Livia .
“Huh? You’re the honor student, right?”
Livia panicked a bit and answered the voice calling out to her .
“R, right . Um, I’m advertising a cafe . ”
The boys began to talk with her while smiling .
Livia, who had been on alert, slightly lowered her guard .
“So there’s a cafe over there? We’re setting up a stall, so please come visit when you want to eat . We’ll provide service . ”
“It’s just things like crepes, though . We’re suffering from overdrafts, so we need to give it our all to earn money . ”
“I head that there were lot of cafes, so your group should do its best . ”
Once the group of three returned to resume their work, Livia calmed down .
(What a relief . I don’t know what I would’ve done if they had bad intentions . )
Livia was given special permission to enroll in the academy, but she herself was not a noble .
From the view of the people around her, Livia was an outsider . Due to that, she had been the victim of bullying in the past .
She once again walked around to advertise, and then stumbled across a group of girls .
“Excuse me!”
However, unlike the boys──the girls gave her a very cold glare .
They were a group of three girls who seemed to be from the advanced class, judging by the fact that there were exclusive servants following them .
Sponsored Content
She called out to them since they were chatting while sitting on a bench, but they took a very bad attitude .
“What does the honor student want? We’re busy . ”
“I, I’m advertising our cafe . ”
Livia summoned her courage and promoted Leon’s cafe .
The girls sneered as if looking down on her .
“Don’t tell me that it’s that Baltfault’s cafe? There’s no way we would go . Are you perhaps getting cocky just because those guys back there took a liking to you? Don’t get the wrong idea when only a few guys fawn over you . Lowly commoner . ”
Even though she didn’t like being called a commoner by them, Livia felt that there was a barrier between them and her .
The other two girls intervened .
“Stop . This girl is that duke woman’s favorite . ”
“It’s best not to get involved . If Baltfault gets angry, your household might be in danger . ”
The group of three girls left with their servants after the two calmed down the third and dragged her away .
Livia was a bit saddened, but shook her head .
“Alright, I’ll move to the next location!”
She was a bit gloomy, but she still had Anjie──and Leon . She was not as lonely as when she had just entered the academy and had no acquaintances .
(It’ll be fine . ──I have those two, after all . )
She had those two . Though, that also meant she only had two people with her .
As she continued her advertising, the boys turned out to be relatively kind towards her .
What happened so far was unbelievable for Livia .
However, the girls were still cold towards her .
A majority of the girls left when seeing Livia’s face .
Despite being in low spirits, Livia soon brought out her willingness to promote Leon’s cafe .
“You’re doing a cafe? Oh, so you’re giving out free tickets . Do you still have one?”
“Y, yes!”
──When she turned around, a girl called out to her with a smile .
Sponsored Content
The girl, who she handed a free ticket for a set of tea and sweets to, had beautiful long navy blue hair . Livia was envious of her slender figure, and the way she stood seemed dignified as well .
“You’re the honor student, right?”
“Right . ”
“I see . I’m Cara──’Cara Fou Wein’ . ” I’m the second daughter of a semi-baron household, and I’m enrolled in the regular class . ”
The lessons differed between the advanced class and the regular class .
Though they acted together during events, they usually worked in separate ways .
Due to that, this was pretty much their first meeting, even if they may have passed by each other in the past .
Livia was delighted that the other party introduced herself, and so she politely explained the location of the cafe .
“My name is Livia──Olivia . We’re setting up a cafe for the school festival, so by all means, please do come!”
Upon which──
“That’s also where Julian’s cafe is, right?”
Livia dropped her shoulders and felt down .
The cafe belonging to Julian’s group was a powerful rival for Leon .
“That’s right . Leon’s also troubled by it . ”
“Hmm~, you’re quite close with the Baron Baltfault . ”
Livia was taken aback when hearing Leon being called the Baron Baltfault .
(M, maybe I’m acting a little overfamiliar towards him?)
Leon didn’t care about it, but it didn’t change the positions held between nobles and commoners . Livia knew that there were students who didn’t like the thought of Leon and her being more friendly than necessary .
However, Cara seemed delighted .
“These are just rumors, but I heard that he might be a kind person . ”
“Huh?”
“After all, there’s nothing for a baron to gain by being with a commoner . Ah, I’m not trying to say that it’s bad for you to be with him . It’s just that he might kinder than others think . ”
Livia was happy after hearing Cara’s words .
It seemed to her that Leon was being recognized .
Sponsored Content
“R, right! Leon is a kind person . He’s kind, strong, and a really reliable person . He sometimes ends up going to far, but everyone’s misunderstanding him . ”
It was doubtful whether Leon was truly being misunderstood, but Livia saw Leon as a knight to long for .
He was her ideal knight who was kind, strong, and would protect another .
“I, I see . How nice . ”
Livia smiled in satisfaction towards Cara, who seemed to be acting uncertain .
“Right . I feel like I made the right choice coming to this academy because of Leon──and Anjie . ”
“By Anjie──you must mean Anjelica, the daughter of a duke household . ”
Cara then asked Livia a question .
“Hey, would you be able to talk with barons during the school festival?”
“I think I can . ”
“I see──in that case, could you introduce me to some barons? I’d like you to mediate the process . ”
“Introduce you? I don’t think that’s necessary, but if I’m able to be of service, then I suppose I can . ”
Even though Livia was curious about what she meant by mediating, Livia nodded with a smile .
“Thank you . I will definitely show up in front of you again, so I’ll be in your care when that time comes . ”
──Cara left after saying that .
Livia waved her hand without thinking about the matter too deeply .
It was the day of the school festival .
Fireworks lifted off into the sky above the academy to signify the beginning of it .
White smoke drifted in the sky before disappearing .
The guests were mainly those involved with nobility .
There were women who had missed the days of when they were students, and had brought along their husbands, children──and their lovers .
It was quite the strange sight .
Guests were entering the school gate one after another, but there was one woman watching the commotion .
She had platinum blond long hair .
She was a woman with blue irises and slightly drooping eyes that conveyed had a gentle appearance .
At first glance, she appeared to be a woman in her twenties .
She wore a dress that was fastened to her waist and went up to her ankles, emphasizing the outline of her body .
She had woman-like features and a slim waist .
She was woman who had a glamorous figure, but left a gentle and tender impression .
She looked at the academy lined with general guests who seemed delighted .
“Oh, they seem to be having fun . There are many stalls out . ”
She wasn’t addressing anyone in particular .
However, a guard dressed as one of the common female guests replied to her .
To the people around them, it didn’t look like the two were having a conversation .
“──My queen, it’s not the time for playing around . If you wanted to watch the school festival, wouldn’t preparing a formal visit have sufficed?”
The queen, “Milaine Rafua Holfault”, had a fascinating smile that could change the mood of a room into a gentler one .
As a woman, Milaine was Julian’s genuine mother, and the queen of the Holfault Kingdom .
“It would be boring if we did it that way . I need to give a firm warning towards the baron who made a fool out of my cute Julian . ”
Several guards dressed as ordinary guests were deployed around her .
The guard nearest to her sighed .
“If you give us an order, then we’ll──”
Milaine made a soft smile .
“I want to confirm something with my own eyes . I wonder what kind of child he is . I’m really looking forward to it . ”
Queen Milaine chuckled, and made a request to the guard .
“So, I’d like to call one person to guide me . ──Anjie . Could you bring Anjelica to me?”
When the guard disappeared into the crowd of people right then and there, Milaine smiled while opening a pamphlet that students were handing out .
“──I look forward to it, Baron Baltfault . ”
Milaine, hiding a slightly eerie smile behind the pamphlet, looked at the stalls lined up near the school entrance in order to pass the time until Anjie would arrive .