Chapter 64

Snacking in bed was absolutely off-limits under normal circumstances. Given my rare allowance, I started tidying up the room, aiming to get some initial organization done.

“Young Lady, when do you plan to return home?”

“…Huh? I’m not going back.”

Lilian tilted her head, munching on a cookie in response to my question. It was unfortunate for her, but the option to not return didn’t exist for us. Even if Lilian didn’t want to go back, the head of the family would summon her.

No matter how indifferent he was towards his daughter, he wouldn’t completely ignore her after sending her to the academy for nearly half a year. Every month, a letter with formal greetings would arrive at Apatem Academy. Of course, Lilian never seemed to show interest in reading them, but Marquis of Portus had foresight enough to make sure I opened them.

This month’s letter contained a request for her to come home at least once after the vacation. When I explained this to Lilian, she stared at me blankly.

“…Why are you reading that?”

“The addressee is technically you, so it might as well be my letter. Besides, you never seem to care about it anyway.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“…You really don’t care? It’s a letter from your father, you know.”

“Yeah. With a guy who doesn’t even show his face, why should I care?”

Lilian often displayed traits that were the complete opposite of what you would expect from a Young Lady, but in this case, she and the Young Lady shared the same stance. The Marchioness didn’t care much either.

“Anyway, should we really go back?”

“Yes. If we don’t go back, your allowance will be cut immediately.”

“…Damn, messing with my money is just low.”

With an exasperated groan, Lilian flopped back onto the bed, stretching her arms and legs toward the ceiling. Julia stared at her, puzzled by the sudden bizarre behavior.

“…What are you doing?”

“Don’t I look like a dead bug? That’s how I feel.”

“I mean, you do look like that….”

“It’s like performance art for asking to be put out of my misery.”

“Have you finally gone insane?”

Watching her elongated limbs sprawled out like that only made me want to turn my head away. With a sigh, I got her to sit up.

“If you have nothing to do, why not help me tidy up?”

“Hmm, okay. Oh, let’s take this. I want to show it to the head maid.”

Lilian picked up a handkerchief she had knitted during class, smiling brightly. I nodded toward her as I lifted up a stuffed animal stuck in the corner. It was an oddly-shaped plush that was neither a bear nor a dog.

“Alright, how about this?”

“…That one’s unnecessary. It’s ugly.”

“What—it’s cute, isn’t it?!”

“…Julia?”

Julia, fiercely protesting, made both Lilian and me stare at her in unison, causing her to blush furiously.

“Ah, no. I mean, it’s really not that cute….”

“What about this?”

“Anyway, where did you even get this stuffed animal?”

“I won it in Tarakan Free City the other day. Apparently, it was the third-place prize.”

“Ugh…. Really?”

It looked like a monster no matter how you viewed it, so how could that possibly be third place? I wondered if the Empire’s aesthetic sense was okay. My thoughts drifted back to Julia, who looked like she wanted to say something but was too shy to interrupt.

“So, Julia, do you want it?”

“…Huh? Can I?”

“Sure. I don’t want it anyway. I don’t really like stuffed animals.”

True, Lilian wasn’t particularly fond of plush toys either. Back when the Marchioness still doted on her, the one and only stuffed animal given to her was displayed in her room. She never touched it other than occasionally glancing at it. Though I managed its upkeep, it hadn’t fallen apart yet.

“I want to delay leaving as much as possible. When should we depart?”

“I think it would be better to leave early.”

“I’m planning to enjoy myself to the fullest before I go.”

As expected, seeing her assertive attitude made me let out a small sigh. I knew this would happen, but facing it now was just a hassle. With Karim’s scheme that I had been exposed to, the main event would likely unfold at Apatem Academy. Furthermore, as many students as possible needed to witness the incident, which was planned for this Saturday soon after finals ended.

Moreover, the higher-ranking nobles would all leave the academy as late as possible. After finals, the salons near the academy would thrive with activity. Socializing and building connections was considered of utmost importance at Apatem Academy, and during vacation time, such social gatherings were frequent.

Networking was crucial for lower-ranking nobles, but it was much easier for high-ranking ones. By simply attending events like flower exhibitions, art shows, or book clubs, a multitude of handshake requests would come flooding in. Thus, returning home immediately after finals was akin to incurring a massive loss for students at Apatem Academy.

Right then, I had no intention of forcibly sending her back. I wanted her as far from the stage as possible, but since the first move had already been countered, I couldn’t push anymore without justification or tangible gain.

Since I had to keep an eye on the princess on the day of the event, I would need some help, but for now, I planned to sneak Lilian and Julia out of the academy.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Ah… it’s nothing special.”

“Seems pretty special to me. Well, whatever.”

Before I knew it, I had pulled away from the grasp of Lilian’s hand, which had been wandering about, and resumed my packing. Tidying things in advance like this was much easier than scrambling to do so the night before.

“Oh, Young Lady, what do you plan to have for dinner?”

“Since it’s been a while, should we eat out? Now that finals are over, we can go out freely.”

“I’m on board.”

“…Alright then.”

I needed to make sure to pack some silver needles for any unforeseen situations. Keeping that in mind, I finished my packing. Stretching my back, I noticed Lilian watching me silently.

“Your waist is so thin.”

“…That’s harassment.”

“We’re the same gender!”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Catherine is weird; her walls are thick in the strangest places.”

I couldn’t help but sigh at her childish comment. Where had the nobility’s elegance and intellect gone?

“Just let me off easy since the exams just ended….”

“Speaking of which,”

While I was looking at Lilian with disappointment, Julia, who had been lying on the bed quietly staring at the ceiling, suddenly chimed in. Lilian sat up straight, her attention caught.

“Huh? What’s up?”

“Did I mention I received a letter from the Prince?”

“…You didn’t. Catherine, you haven’t heard about it, have you?”

“Nope.”

So Julia received a letter from the Prince. Well, considering that he might be a potential marriage partner in the future, I understood. I nodded. With her Divine Power, Julia had a high chance of being proposed as a saint in the future. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say it was nearly guaranteed.

With her mystical silver hair and captivating ocean-blue eyes, along with her unmatched beauty, the title of “Saint” suited her perfectly.

“What did it say?”

“He wanted to meet me.”

“When? When?!”

As Lilian suddenly brightened up and rushed toward Julia, Julia pushed her back with an unamused expression.

“This Saturday.”

…That’s the same day Karim mentioned for the operation. Is it possible the Prince knows about the plan?

“Just the two of you?”

“Well, I guess.”