41. Commoner (1)
The dining hall was gradually filling up as breakfast time approached.
Lucas and his mess seemed to have come earlier to eat. Karla and Ivan, who walked in afterward, wanted to sit together with Liam and Emil, but regrettably, there was no place for all of them.
Ultimately, Karla and Ivan ended up sitting separately from Liam and Emil, but Karla thought that maybe it was better this way.
“You’ve really worked the salad well.”
“Is dressing a salad a big deal? Just eat it already.”
Karla picked up her fork as she looked at the bowl Ivan had spun around.
Breakfast was light, focusing mainly on fiber-rich vegetarian dishes. It was a salad drizzled with various sauces, all due to Karla’s peculiar stubbornness.
“Why do we have to sprinkle this on it?”
“You’re a commoner. That’s why. The lemon gives a pleasant sourness…”
Ivan sucked his fingers noisily, only half-listening to Karla’s explanation.
“Ugh, it’s sour…”
“Are you licking your fingers now? That’s unladylike.”
“Just seeing what it tastes like.”
“Do you have to taste with your fingers?”
Karla insisted on drizzling lemon juice on her salad. She argued that the sharp, refreshing tang of lemon enhanced the flavor of the salad. This was why Ivan had squeezed the lemon and generously sprinkled it over the salad for her.
“Anyway, Karla.”
Karla glanced at Ivan as she chewed her salad.
Though Ivan was a little hesitant, wondering if this was a question he should ask at this moment…
“…When are you planning to return to the mansion?”
“Hmm.”
After chewing and swallowing, Karla replied simply.
“I’m not going back.”
“…Will you be staying in the dormitory then?”
To be honest, Ivan was already exhausted from spending just one night with Karla. In his twenty years of life, he had rarely been so close to a woman, and when he thought of spending more time with her, it seemed like a daunting prospect.
“No.”
“…Then what?”
“I’ll continue staying in your room.”
Ivan was speechless. Initially astonished by how unreasonable her statement was, Ivan found himself gaping at Karla.
“First, as you just saw, the mansion is no longer an option. Second, I need someone to take care of me. Third, in this Academy, there’s no one else I can trust besides…”
Clearing her throat a few times, Karla hesitated and then slowly continued.
“…Even though I don’t want to admit it, you’re the only one.”
“But what about Regina?”
“Are you really that dense? Is she a commoner like you? She’s a noblewoman too. Do you think she’d be excited to serve me? Right?”
With her eyes half-closed and glaring at Karla, Ivan couldn’t help but stay quiet. Honestly, she had a valid point.
“Considering that, it’s better if I stay with you. Besides, you don’t even see me as a woman, do you?”
Karla was originally Carlo, and it frustrated her to be viewed as female, especially by people like her father Enrico, her uncle Carlo, and Lucas who all treated her as one – though technically, it was her own doing. Nonetheless, it bothered her.
“That… might be true.”
“Then that’s settled. I’ll maintain a minimum standard, so understand that.”
While Karla bombarded him with her words, Ivan was left speechless, unsure of what he could even say in response.
“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”
“Eh? You still have half left…”
Half of Karla’s salad remained while Ivan had already finished his, licking his plate clean a long time ago.
“Who scrapes the bowl clean? Nobles don’t do that. It’s polite to leave some. Anyway, let’s go. I need to buy some clothes.”
Ivan thought to himself how bizarre this etiquette was.
*
The most pressing need right now was definitely clothes – Karla thought as the carriage heading toward the Academy’s commercial district moved.
‘Thinking about it, crushing Lucas like that felt so satisfying.’
Seeing his face twist with surprise was priceless. After all, even if they had spent the night together, it was just sleeping in the same bed.
Men seemed to always think about such things – though she had been guilty of thinking similarly in the past as well.
With that thought, the carriage arrived at the commercial district. Once it fully stopped, the hood was pulled back, and Karla disembarked along with the other passengers.
“The ride was terrible.”
“It’s just a carriage, what do you expect?”
“I can’t imagine how anyone travels like this. My bottom will be sore beyond repair if we keep going like this.”
“A noble young lady shouldn’t speak like that… maybe it’s better not to say such things in public, right?”
“Who’s listening anyway?”
Ivan looked around. There were plenty of people – though not particularly well-dressed, it seemed many were hardworking individuals in the commercial district. Karla treated such commoners as if they weren’t even people.
“…You’re really something.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t commoners count as people?”
“They are people, but listening to me won’t give them any influence. That’s what I mean.”
Nothing about her had changed since childhood.
Karla had always been like this, even when Ivan knew her as Carlo. As the eldest son of a great noble family, her pride was unmatched, and Ivan, being a commoner back then, was treated more like a servant than a friend.
At that time, Ivan didn’t mind much, but now, as an adult, it was starting to get difficult, though there wasn’t really anything he could do about it.
“Show me around, Ivan. We need to get uniforms.”
“Uh… what? You want me to guide you?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Karla looked puzzled as if this was something Ivan should already know. Of course, neither of them knew the commercial district well, as this would be their first time visiting.
“I’ve never been to the commercial district either. How would I know what’s where?”
“One should prepare thoroughly – it’s a virtue commoners should possess.”
With a smirk, Karla took the lead.
However, despite her confident demeanor, Karla never found a clothing store that pleased her.
How could she, when she had never shopped for clothes in stores before? Usually, most of her outfits were tailored directly from the capital, and the only ready-made clothing she had ever bought was her Academy uniform.
Naturally unable to find a proper clothing store, Karla and Ivan ended up in a somewhat decent-looking shop.
“To think she shops here…”
“It’s a nice place, Karla. Don’t be so picky. If you keep this up, I’ll feel embarrassed walking with you. Am I a commoner after all?”
Standing in front of the shop, Karla mumbled complaints while Ivan gently smiled and tried to soothe her with kind words.
Yes, he was common – a fact that Karla acknowledged as truth – and she looked at him blankly.
“You’re still fairly good-looking for a commoner… uh, never mind. Let’s go inside and get you another uniform while we’re here.”
“Uh, me? I’m fine… wait, go, I’ll go with you!”
Ignoring Ivan’s words, Karla confidently entered the shop. Her confident stride left Ivan in a hurry to catch up to her as she stood before a man who appeared to be the shop owner.
“I’m Karla della Cascata.”
“Ah, Cascata… Lady?”
The owner had sharp instincts. Also, being close to the Academy, he was quite well-connected.
When an unknown young lady confidently walked in and introduced herself, the owner identified her as Karla della Cascata by the flutter of her left sleeve.
“I need some Academy uniforms. Two for me and two for this boy. One should be ready-made and one custom-tailored. Deliver as quickly as possible, can you?”
“Karla, I’m good with my uniform.”
“You should just keep quiet and accept it.”
While Karla and Ivan were arguing, the store owner calculated the situation in his head.
In his shop, normally they waited for the customer to pick up their order later. However, suggesting that to a noblewoman from such a prestigious house would likely lead to her simply walking out and shopping elsewhere.
“Of course, Lady Cascata. We would, of course, deliver to your mansion. It’s not far from Cascade Mansion.”
“Not the mansion. Send them to the dorms, under Ivan Kontadino’s name.”
“Ivan Kontadino… shall I send it to your servant?”
At this, Karla paused, standing silently without a word.
The owner and Ivan both looked at her as she suddenly fell silent. Karla quickly regained her composure, her expression hardening.
“Ivan, let’s go. To another shop.”
“Huh? Karla, why suddenly?”
Ivan, startled, questioned her as she remained with a rigid face.
“A shopkeeper without discretion is not a proper shop. Ivan, you’re a commoner, not my servant. Commoners and servants are different. I don’t like this. So, let’s go to another shop.”
Without giving Ivan or the owner a chance to respond, Karla swiftly turned around and headed out of the store.
“Karla, wait. There’s no need to get so upset. They might’ve just misunderstood.”
As Ivan hurried to her side, glancing at the owner, attempting to stop her, Karla shook her head.
“You can always tell a lot from a single action.”
Ivan stared at Karla for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the owner’s look of distress.
“…Sometimes, I don’t know how to follow you.”
At that, Karla finally relaxed a little.
Then she smiled playfully and said,
“So get used to it. If you want to have a pleasant time living with me, you’ll have to get used to me quickly.”
