Chapter 7

The curriculum at Apatem Academy consists of three main departments. First, we have the Swordsmanship Department, which is where noble scions and those who mainly deal with monsters enroll. They learn swordsmanship from retired members of the Imperial Order of Knights and also get practical training.

Next up is the Political Science Department. This is mostly populated by the offspring of high-ranking nobles. Here, they learn the basics of royal studies, though for most, it’s not that significant. Most enroll just to build connections, and many end up finding a fiancé within the department and getting married. Of course, young ladies like Yulia didn’t really need to enter since they already had their engagements, but Portus the Marquis sent her here since she was the only daughter of the chancellor and deemed it necessary for her to study. Especially since outside royal studies, they also teach how to govern a territory, which he must have thought was important.

Finally, we have the Economics Department. Unlike the majority of Political Science students who are high-ranking nobles, most of the students here are commoners or the children of lesser nobles like barons or viscounts, primarily engaged in commerce. The tuition at Apatem Academy is downright murderous, charging fees that are close to the annual living expenses of an average four-person family, making it nearly impossible for regular commoners to enroll.

There’s a scholarship system at Apatem Academy, but it was only nominal and had rarely been used until this year when Yulia managed to get in through it. She was quite a remarkable young lady, insisting on me addressing her informally from the get-go. Thinking of Yulia’s bright smile like sunshine, I slowly approached Lilian’s bed. It was about that time to wake up, but as always, our sleepy young lady was still sound asleep with no signs of waking.

Her silver hair was sprawled out on the bed like a tangle of seaweed, but I paid it no mind and softly whispered to her.

“Good morning, Miss. It’s time to wake up.”

“Ugh… just five more minutes…”

“No can do. Time to get up.”

Since words weren’t cutting it, I initiated a gentle show of force, lightly shaking her shoulders without hurting her. Lilian rubbed her eyes and finally woke up. Seeing me holding her shoulders, she gasped and took a sharp breath.

“Are you awake now?”

“U-uh, what time is it?”

“It’s eight, miss.”

“Uhh- I see. Get me ready.”

“Yes.”

I worried she might refuse my care like in the mansion, but Lilian willingly accepted my hands. I submerged her body in the water I had prepared earlier, starting to wash her in various places. Ignoring the strange sounds she made like “Ehh, Ahh,” I spread some lotion and gently brushed her hair, which flowed like fine silk. With that, Lilian let out a sigh of relief, “Ahh, this feels so good….”

“What’s so good about it?”

“Hmm? Oh, I was just saying Catherine’s touch is much better than the other maids. Honestly, you’re my only dedicated maid, Catherine.”

It was a bit ridiculous to hear that from Lilian after she had gone to such lengths to avoid me earlier, but I just fulfilled my duty as a maid. I gazed at Lilian, whose hair I had styled beautifully, and reached for her uniform. Best start with the undergarments.

“…Um, Catherine? Wouldn’t it be better if I dressed myself? It’s not like it’s a dress, it’s just a uniform.”

“Have you ever dressed yourself since the day you were born, miss?”

“Uh, yeah. I can totally do this myself.”

I didn’t even feel awkward seeing her naked since I had seen her body before. But it seemed Lilian was still embarrassed. Well, she probably presumed to be a modern person from Earth, so she should be able to dress herself to some degree. But, refusing to dress her would not fit the standards of a top-notch maid.

“I’m sorry, but as a maid, I cannot stand by while a master does something menial for herself.”

“…Do you really have to go that far? Sigh, fine. If you really want me to, I guess I can’t help it.”

What’s this, why am I getting irritated? Watching Lilian accept this resignation, I had a sudden urge to give her a playful flick on the forehead. Of course, it was just a thought, and I didn’t follow through. After slipping on the undergarments, a light t-shirt, and finally the blazer and skirt of the school uniform, we were all set. For some reason, the uniforms at Apatem Academy looked almost exactly like South Korean high school uniforms.

“Well then, off you go.”

“Yeah. Catherine, don’t feel lonely while I’m gone.”

“…”

What kind of nonsense is she spouting now? As I pondered this, I tilted my head slightly. In such moments, I was grateful that my expression was neutral and not revealing any confusion.

After Lilian left the dormitory, I slowly began to tidy up the bedding. Apatem Academy does have staff, but they don’t enter the students’ rooms. While privacy concerns played a part, it was also because one noble family had once bribed a maid to poison a student. Afterwards, Apatem Academy mandated that students bring in their own maids. Of course, since the scholarship students couldn’t afford maids, they would sign agreements to have their rooms cleaned or do other chores themselves.

This didn’t really concern Lilian, but after tidying up the bedding, I slowly started cleaning. Sure, I had done it yesterday too, but cleaning is something that should be done daily, isn’t it? After dusting and wiping down surfaces, I stole a glance at the time. Already three hours had passed. Better get moving.

Approaching the kitchen attached to the dormitory, I burst through the door. Inside, the head cook was yawning widely. Despite being called a head cook, she looked like a young woman in her early thirties. With no makeup at all, she had beautifully pale skin and an attractive face. She glanced at me, tilted her head, and asked,

“What’s up?”

“I need to prepare lunch for the young lady.”

“Ah, feel free to use the kitchen. I don’t have anything to do for lunch anyway.”

Most of the students residing in the dormitory eat in the dining hall at dinner, but lunch is usually deserted. Thanks to that, I could use the kitchen comfortably.

I packed the usual lunch for Lilian. With practiced skill, I continued chopping and adjusted the heat as I added the side dishes to the lunchbox. Since Lilian only ate the food I made, it was an unavoidable situation. Though I couldn’t tell if that would change now that Lilian’s soul had shifted, there was no harm in working for her.

Feeling a bead of sweat trickle down my forehead from standing near the stove, I wiped it away with a handkerchief and packed the lunch. The head cook, who had been watching me, waved her hand lightly.

“Take care~ maid lady~”

What a strange woman, I thought as I headed toward the main building.

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Apatem Academy unfolds across four distinct zones. First, there’s the main building where the students learn. The second is the annex, which houses the dormitories. The third is the club zone where various club activities take place. Finally, the fourth is the professors’ building where the faculty and deans work.

Lilian gazed up at the grand main building, overwhelmed with emotion. To see a scene she had only experienced in the game now come to life was surreal. Most events, including the entrance ceremony, were held in the professors’ building, so it was her first time seeing the main building.

It definitely resembled what was depicted in the game and the grandeur of the main building reminded Lilian once again that she was indeed in the game world. Remembering the events of the morning, her face flushed slightly. It dawned on her that she had forgotten in her daze that Catherine had dressed her in her undergarments that morning.

Is it customary in noble society? Lilian wondered as she stepped into her classroom. Apatem Academy has classes from A to C, with Class A being filled with Political Science students, Class B with Economics students, and Class C with Swordsmanship students. Originally, all three departments were mixed together, but due to frequent conflicts among the students, they implemented this separation as per the game’s text.

The most important protagonist, Yulia, was in the Political Science Department. Lilian felt her heart leap with joy at the thought of seeing Yulia’s youthful smile after realizing they were in the same class. She thought to herself, “She’s on her way. She’s coming…,” whispering it three times in her mind before the classroom door swung open, and Yulia walked in.

“Hello!”

“…”

What the? Normally, someone would greet the prince around this time, but the room was too quiet. I glanced at the prince, who seemed oblivious to everything, focused on his book with little interest. If no one greeted Yulia, wouldn’t that be super awkward for her? As that thought crossed her mind, Lilian waved her hand slightly.

“Hi.”

Lilian’s greeting was a tiny voice, but it was enough to break the silence of the classroom. It was at that moment that Yulia’s face, which had been turning red for about five seconds, bloomed with warmth.

“Hi! Hello!”

Murmurs filled the air, and even a mere flick of Lilian’s gaze silenced the whispers. The prince remained engrossed in his book. Why? With a bunch of questions swirling in her mind, Lilian suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.

“Didn’t Catherine say she was the one who helped her…?”

Could it be that this event didn’t happen because of that? What about Yulia? The prince was almost like a game mechanic; he was the source of Yulia’s power and diminished the obstacles she faced. Without establishing a connection with the prince, that mechanism had disappeared.

Sighing internally, Lilian suddenly realized there was still one way left. While she didn’t possess the same influence as the prince, she was the only daughter of the House of Portus, an authoritative figure in her own right. If she decided to protect Yulia in some way? It could fulfill a similar function.

Of course, the villainous character would disappear, but others would quickly fill her place. There were plenty of villains in this game besides Lilian.

‘Yeah, I should be fine to step back a bit.’

Whether it was naivety or foolishness, Lilian thought that as she nodded and extended her hand towards Yulia. After all, befriending Yulia might be the best way to avoid a bad ending—she thought.

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