Chapter 101

Three years ago, I quietly pondered as I gazed at the entrance gate of Apatem Academy, a place I had frequented to the point of being sick of it. I wasn’t planning to wax nostalgic now; instead, I was preoccupied with how to greet the others when we finally met. But simply mulling it over wasn’t going to yield any answers, so I quietly passed through the gate. Well, I figured it would work out somehow when the time came. With that thought, I avoided the crowds gathered at the heavily adorned entrance and headed toward the dormitory. Surely, at least two people would be there since the meal wouldn’t start for a while.

Arriving at the dormitory, I made my way to the room where Lilian was supposed to be. Considering the letters I had exchanged, she probably hadn’t changed rooms, so she’d still be in the dorm room assigned to her three and a half years ago. Upon reaching the door, I knocked and heard Lilian’s voice from inside.

“Y-Yes… Catherine?”

“It’s been a while, Young Lady.”

“When are you planning to stop calling me ‘Young Lady’?”

Lilian, who had been staring at me with wide eyes, suddenly looked dazed. It seemed she wasn’t as surprised as I expected. I hadn’t even told them I was coming.

“Well, to be honest, I was quite surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“As soon as I heard ‘Young Lady,’ I just kind of lost all my thoughts. Anyway, Catherine, you’re a Count now, right? A high-ranking noble! Noblesse oblige means you have to maintain your dignity, after all.”

With a smile at Lilian as she rambled on with her nagging, I urged her to sit down. Suddenly seated at the vanity, Lilian looked at me blankly. Leaning close, I whispered in her ear.

“Surely, you’re not thinking of going to such an important event like graduation without any adornments?”

“…How did you know?”

“There’s less than two hours until the event and you’re not ready at all.”

“Ugh.”

Why had this girl become even lazier? I could only sigh, thinking about her stubbornness. The truth is, she was pretty much a slacker. Who knows, maybe she was a NEET in her past life. Well, at least it’s a relief that Lilian maintained her top rankings for three years. Since she was supposed to take on the role of Grand Minister in the enormous Empire, it would be troublesome if she kept slacking off. Of course, there are replacements for the Grand Minister role, but there’s no replacement for the Marquis of Portus, a major noble from the East.

As the promotion to a Duke was imminent, if there was a successor who wouldn’t fit the role, that would inevitably cause a stir. Of course, whether the girl in front of me was even contemplating such things was questionable.

“Ha, but Catherine. You’re a Count now…”

“Who would object if a future husband does his wife’s makeup?”

“…”

Ignoring Lilian’s stunned silence, I began applying makeup on her face. As I always thought, Lilian didn’t really need heavy makeup. Honestly, too much makeup would just make her look scary, especially considering how sharp her features were. Once I finished the light makeup and chose some jewelry, I dressed her, and about 40 minutes had passed before I realized it. Thank goodness I was skilled; otherwise, this would have taken ages.

“Well, I guess I’ll be on my way.”

“You’re going to see the others, right? Yulia’s right next door, and Chloe is upstairs.”

“Looks like you’re pretty comfortable talking to the princess.”

“Well, yeah. Chloe allowed it. Of course, I have to call her ‘Your Highness’ in public.”

“That’s only natural.”

As I pondered that, I headed to the adjacent room. I knocked on the door, and it swung open. Yulia’s excited face greeted me.

“Catherine!”

“It’s been a while, Yulia.”

“Yeah! It’s been a while. Come in!”

Yulia hurriedly pushed me inside. I tilted my head as she locked the door behind me. Why’d she lock the door? Feeling a bit tense, I stepped deeper into the room. The window… it was locked too.

“Why are you checking the window?”

“Uh? It just feels a bit hot.”

“Impossible, it’s winter, isn’t it?”

…What’s going on? I felt uneasy as I sealed my lips tight while Yulia slowly approached me. Her eyes looked devoid of sparkle. Standing right in front of me, Yulia stretched out her arms. I instinctively flinched, but her hand simply brushed against the wall next to me. Then Yulia looked up at me.

Even though there wasn’t a significant height difference, raising my gaze brought our lips perilously close.

Yulia, who had been staring at me, suddenly burst into laughter. Pulling back slightly, she grinned and spoke.

“Just kidding!”

“…Are you serious?”

“Why? Should I not joke around?”

“Let’s keep it a joke.”

“Yeah, it’s just a joke. You’ve been ignoring me for too long, Catherine! So I thought I’d have a bit of fun.”

“….”

As I quietly nodded, Yulia offered her characteristic warm smile and invited me to sit down. Once I settled, Yulia quietly began brewing tea. The atmosphere became peaceful compared to before. As I absentmindedly watched her, Yulia eventually poured tea into my cup.

“This tea helps with relaxation. Were you tired from coming here?”

“Well, it’s not like that…”

“Then why haven’t you visited even once all this time?”

“….”

Oh? That’s strange. Wasn’t that conversation over? With Yulia still smiling gently as she looked at me, I felt a sudden cognitive dissonance rise, but I stealthily lifted my teacup and took a sip. Though the tea was warm, I felt a coldness inside.

“Ugh.”

“Well, I just said that.”

Three years hadn’t only changed Lilian. Who turned Yulia into this mischievous spirit? Oh, right, that would be me.

After that, we only engaged in trivial chatter. But considering that three years’ worth of small talk was condensed, it took quite a while. After spending about 40 minutes in Yulia’s room, I finally stood up.

“You’re going to see the princess, right?”

“Yeah… So, do you call her ‘Your Highness’?”

“Hmm, it seems so. Though she said to speak comfortably, I’m just not used to it yet.”

“Well, you can call her whatever feels comfortable.”

“Right.”

Feeling slightly relieved at the smile Yulia offered, I helped clear away the teacups before leaving her room.

The last person I had to meet was Princess Chloe. I knocked on her door, and it opened quietly. Inside, I found Chloe being adorned by her maids. Normally, you can’t bring attendants to Apatem Academy, and she hadn’t brought any herself, but it seemed like she had called for one this time. I didn’t recall much, but I recognized a few familiar faces from three years ago.

“You’re here! It’s been a while, Count.”

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Highness.”

As she moved near the mirror so I could see her, Chloe started speaking first. Despite seeing me after so long, she wasn’t overly surprised. Hmm, I felt a bit disappointed.

“You don’t have to be so formal. We’re going to be married soon, right?”

“…Is that so?”

“You treated me more comfortably three years ago.”

“Like you said, it’s been three years since we last met, so it’s only natural.”

“Fortunately, my feelings have not changed from three years ago. No, they might even be deeper now.”

Chloe declared with a laugh, her eyes sparkling in the mirror as she looked at me.

“Well, since you’re here, it seems Lilian and Yulia have come by already.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed being the last one, but oh well. So, have you figured out your feelings over these three years?”

“…Yes.”

“Good, we’ll all discuss it together after the graduation ceremony. After all, your mind needs to be directed properly toward me for marriage and such.”

Nodding quietly in response to the confident princess, I noticed her maids listening in on our conversation, but Chloe continued undeterred. She was such a bold woman, fitting more as a ruler of the state than someone’s wife.

If Lilian and Yulia were opposites in terms of beauty, Chloe was a different type altogether. Her looks aside, her personality was also distinct. Reflecting on this made me realize how fortunate I was to be loved by all three.

Thirty minutes later, after Chloe finished her adornments, she extended her hand to me. Without thinking, I took her hand, prompting her to smile and say,

“Let’s enter together.”

“Yes.”

Not wanting to refuse, I nodded, and in an instant, her face brightened. Seeing that smile, I returned her grin, and Chloe quietly gazed at my face.

“You can smile like that too.”

“…”

Feeling a bit shy, I forced my smile away, causing Chloe to click her tongue in disappointment as she tugged me along.

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