Chapter 68

“What’s going on?”

The Bronwey Mansion, where the Princess and I had just arrived, was absolutely enormous. Generations of nobles had purchased estates in Albius Free City to send their offspring to Apatem Academy. Elia was living here, following her family’s tradition. With her distinctive green eyes wide open, Elia looked at me and the Princess.

She seemed rather exhausted. Is it because she knows what’s going on? I tilted my head thoughtfully. The Princess, seeing my expression, chuckled lightly and elegantly posed a question to Lady Bronwey.

“Lady Bronwey, may we come in? I think a little chat would be in order.”

“This isn’t exactly your Highness’s social hall…but sure, I guess it’s fine. Since the maids are out, I can finally showcase my tea skills after such a long time.”

“That sounds intriguing.”

How talented to say that with such an unenthusiastic tone. I thought to myself, bowing my head slightly to Lady Bronwey, who responded with a faint smile.

“So, you’re a maid of the House of Portus? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

The real Lady Elia Bronwey was undoubtedly an elegant lady. With bright blonde hair and green eyes, she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, leaving her fair neck visible. Unlike others I’d seen before, she exuded a very scholarly vibe, as you’d expect from the nobility in this world.

Is it because she’s wearing glasses? I thought as I bent my waist slightly.

“Good day, Lady Bronwey.”

“Yes, feel free to make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

A typical maid would have been dismissed right away, but perhaps because I was with the Princess, Lady Bronwey readily let me in.

“This way.”

The reception room I was guided to by Lady Bronwey didn’t feel like your average noble lady’s. It had a professional yet somewhat stark atmosphere, more like a business meeting than a casual gathering.

The flowers decorating the room were artificial, and the furniture, while antique, looked quite new. It was obvious that she had a hand in the decor, as it hadn’t been changed long ago. Books you’d expect to find in a study lined the shelves, a typical display of a head of the family showing off their knowledge, rather than what you’d expect from a regular noblewoman’s room.

Lady Bronwey poured tea into the cups from a teapot, and there was a slight smile on her face as she found joy in making it. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen since entering this mansion. I quietly observed her and slowly opened my mouth.

“Lady Bronwey seems to be envious of the Young Lady.”

“…I’m curious why you think that.”

Lady Bronwey, her smile fading, fixed her gaze on me with a look that spelled: ‘Speak foolishly, and I’ll toss you out, princess or not.’ I met her gaze and surveyed the room.

“To be precise, I think you’re envious of being the only child.”

“…”

“Just looking at the reception room gives it away. You decorated this room, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I changed it to my liking as soon as I enrolled. What’s it to you?”

She frowned slightly, looking uncomfortable, but she couldn’t simply dismiss my words as false. I felt a surge of confidence in my thoughts.

“The reason you proposed unreasonable policies as the Student Council President is… because you wanted to show what you’re capable of, right?”

“Ha, could it be that you’re trying to read me like an open book? Just how much do you know?”

“…I’ve never said anything.”

The Princess looked at me with a slightly flustered expression, as if she hadn’t anticipated me saying this. I couldn’t help but smile faintly at her reaction. Lady Bronwey stared at me, bewildered.

“You… you can make such faces?”

“…Lady Bronwey, you have two older brothers. One is a complete scoundrel expelled from Apatem Academy, and the other— a war fanatic who would wage war the moment he inherited the title, am I right?”

“That’s correct.”

Feeling awkwardly around my mouth, I swallowed my sigh and continued speaking. Lady Bronwey nodded in acceptance, then frowned slightly.

“Honestly, he’s beyond scoundrel level. Not only does he mess with the territory’s citizens, but he also defies our father multiple times. It would be no surprise to be disowned. In fact, we were preparing various things to disown him.”

As she said this, Lady Bronwey showed me a document detailing her brother’s outrageous deeds one after another. His misbehavior filled an entire page.

“What a mess.”

“Right? And the second brother… he’s completely obsessed with the military. Do you know why he didn’t enroll at Apatem Academy? He thinks it’s pointless for him to enroll at a place he’s destined to conquer someday. He plans to overthrow Albius Free City and take down Apatem Academy first.”

“He’s crazy.”

The Princess seemed just as stunned and opened her mouth in shock. Lady Bronwey, biting her lip at the Princess’s reaction, turned her gaze back to me.

“But what surprises me the most is… how on earth do you know all this? Honestly, I can understand the first brother being well-known, but the second one has never left the territory.”

“You underestimate the information network of the House of Portus too much, my lady.”

“That damned Portus…”

Honestly, this was information gathered not from the House of Portus, but from thugs in the back alleys. It was somewhat surprising that they were getting solid intel, even though I didn’t expect much. Yet, it was far better than not receiving any help, so I avoided prying too much and just took what I could.

It seemed they found the information trade quite favorable, as they were more focused on trading intel rather than dealing in human trafficking these days. Plus, while information dealings straddled the line between legality and illegality, it was still better than human trafficking, so it could be considered a kind of rehabilitation.

“Count Bronwey is quite a traditionalist, after all, so even if his two older sons are troublesome, he must choose one of them as his successor. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“But you wouldn’t want to kill off your brothers… especially since your relationship with the second brother isn’t too bad, right?”

“…How do you know that?”

This was just me taking a guess based on Lady Bronwey’s character, but it turned out to be accurate. I observed her thoughtfully before continuing.

“You wouldn’t make the first brother your heir, so it’ll fall to the second. In that situation, Lady Bronwey sought to step up to the Student Council Presidency as a demonstration to your father by introducing various policies.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

At this point, it seemed Lady Bronwey had given up attempting to conceal the truth and started to admit it freely. After she assumed the position, Apatem Academy indeed underwent quite a few changes. They emphasized the concept of noblesse oblige and became stricter regarding exams, among other changes. But the biggest shift was in the teaching methods.

In the past, classes at Apatem Academy seemed geared towards dragging everyone along, but now, they discarded those who couldn’t keep up. While I had never attended a class, I remembered Lilian saying something along those lines.

I had also heard that Lady Bronwey was the one who led these radical changes. So what exactly did she desire by making such drastic transformations? The heirship of Bronwey, naturally.

“The House of Portus will support you, my lady.”

“…Ha. That’s a funny joke. How could a mere maid like you speak of the House of Portus?”

“Would it be enough if I brought a definitive answer from Lady Lilian?”

“You’re not underestimating my intelligence, are you? I don’t think Lady Lilian has that kind of authority.”

Hmmm, not biting. I glanced at the Princess, who had remained silent during the conversation. She smiled lightly and looked at Lady Bronwey.

“I’ll help.”

“You, your Highness?”

“What, don’t you find me trustworthy?”

“…Well, it’s not that.”

“For me, it’s not a bad story either. If you become Bronwey’s heir and naturally support me, that would be splendid.”

With that, the Princess flashed a bright smile. Lady Bronwey’s face bore a look of incredulity but soon broke into genuine laughter. Unlike before, this was an authentic reaction. After a good laugh, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, Lady Bronwey replied.

“Alright then. I’ll accept that proposal.”