Chapter 9

Lilian sneaked glances at Yulia during lunch. Having only seen her in the game, she was starting to understand why men flocked around her. Yulia’s beauty was undeniable, but there was an alluring charm about her, almost like a magical spell. The way the gazes of the men were all fixated on Yulia was proof enough.

Lilian was no slouch in the looks department either; she was just as beautiful. But unlike her fierce and sharp appearance, Yulia had a magnetic quality that drew people in, leaving Lilian with no choice. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel a twinge of jealousy, but with the woman in front of her holding the strings to her fate, Lilian couldn’t afford to show it.

“Yulia.”

“Hmm? Oh, Lilian. This is really good! Is this really cooked by Catherine?”

“Yeah, it tastes just like I remember.”

After saying that, Lilian flinched and shuddered slightly. The taste of Catherine’s dishes she remembered? That couldn’t be right. It must just be an imprint on her body. Lilian did have memories, but she had never been detail-oriented enough to remember every dish. She tilted her head, reasoning that it must just be a habitual recollection.

“There you are.”

“Ugh.”

At the choked voice coming from beside her, Yulia turned in shock to see Lilian facing an exotic man with brown skin. He was incredibly handsome, the kind of guy that could easily charm any woman. He brushed his fingers lightly against Lilian’s hand, causing her to shiver and swat his hand away.

“It seems our fiancée is not in a good mood again.”

“Who says I’m your fiancée? I told you I want to break the engagement!”

“You know it’s not that simple.”

“…Hmph.”

Of course, she knew. Lilian understood that her stance was forced. But she couldn’t help not wanting to get involved. Sighing deeply, she glanced between the two bad endings standing on either side of her. Ultimately, this was a disaster she had brought upon herself.

For now, it might be better to stick to her usual confrontational personality. With that thought, Lilian raised her chin proudly.

“But Your Highness, if I want it, and my house wants it, breaking the engagement is possible.”

“I doubt the House of Portus would indulge your stubbornness.”

“Unfortunately, I’m the one and only unmarried daughter of the House of Portus. I’ve pulled off this kind of stubbornness frequently.”

“….”

Prince Bellus seemed to consider her arrogance for a moment before effortlessly bending down to meet her gaze, looking a bit pitying.

“Do you truly dislike me that much?”

Yulia gasped beside them. To be honest, Lilian almost faltered for a second, but she quickly steadied herself as thoughts of impending doom crossed her mind.

“Yes, I really do.”

“…Then I guess there’s no helping it.”

As if the previous moment had been a mere charade—no, it truly was a charade—Prince Bellus straightened up, furrowing his brow slightly as he took hold of Lilian’s hand and began to pull her along. Startled, Lilian tried to resist as much as she could, but Prince Bellus paid her no mind.

Yulia, panicking, reached to grab Lilian from the other side, but a martial artist like Prince Bellus wasn’t going to be stopped by two weak women.

“Help! Catherine!”

“…What are you doing, Your Highness?”

“Maid? This is between my fiancée and me. Don’t interfere.”

“But the Young Lady dislikes this!”

“Oh, this? It’s just acting. Nothing more.”

With that, Prince Bellus’s face was full of feigned innocence.

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…Is he seriously trying to fool me with that? No, it probably is true. He must be respecting my position as a maid. If I fell for that ridiculous excuse, I wouldn’t face any punishment.

However, if he thinks that way, he’s quite mistaken. Sorry, but that person is clearly my “Young Lady.”

“Stop. Even if you take the Young Lady, how do you plan to appease the House of Portus?”

“Just create a fait accompli.”

The cold, businesslike resolve that appeared on Prince Bellus’s face was reminiscent of a butcher handling his task. This wasn’t a decision driven by lust or impulse; he merely thought this was the wisest course of action. Lilian’s face turned pale upon hearing that, as did Yulia’s, who was still holding her.

“Ha….”

Is there really no choice? Even if they’re my fiancés, this was enough of a situation for me to step in. No, in fact, regardless of the engagement, I couldn’t just let Lilian’s distressed face go unattended. Assuming a stance, I noticed that Prince Bellus looked at me in disbelief. Alongside him, two knights bearing the insignia of the duchy appeared. While they might not be guaranteed knights, the duchy emblem suggested they were more than mere soldiers. Bringing knights to the Academy would be illegal under Empire law, but of course, he had no qualms about breaking the rules.

“Felix, Aaron. Subdue her.”

“Yes!”

The two knights, identified as Felix and Aaron, approached me. I lifted my skirt slightly and drew several daggers from my thigh. Felix and Aaron, who had been startled and momentarily turned away, found themselves caught off guard.

“What—!”

Even if they were knights, an unarmored one wouldn’t stand a chance against me. With over a decade of combat training, confronting knights who had only practiced with wooden swords was like taking candy from a baby.

Bam! I struck Felix’s solar plexus with a punch before striking the back of his neck hard enough to take him down. Judging by his neck’s thickness, he likely wouldn’t faint, but he wouldn’t be moving for a while.

Seeing his companion drop in an instant seemed to shock Aaron, who drew his sword, but I threw my daggers at him, disrupting his stance. While Aaron managed to block one of the thrown daggers, he was still overwhelmed in our close combat encounter.

With sheer strength outmatched, my only chance at victory lay in technique and psychological warfare. Facing knights who had only ever sparred with wooden swords was easier than pie for someone who had faced death in real duels.

Wham! After striking Aaron’s vital points repeatedly until he was down, I turned my gaze to Prince Bellus. Just standing there made him break into a cold sweat and release Lilian’s hand, bolting away. Guess those eyes are an asset after all.

Just as I was pondering that, Lilian rushed toward me.

“Catherine—!”

“Ugh, Young Lady, decorum!”

“Only you, Catherine…!”

Lilian, who was about a head shorter than me, nestled against me and rubbed her face on my shoulder. …As I felt her heat lingering there, I gently pushed her away, letting out a sigh. I wiped her tear-streaked face and gestured toward Yulia, who looked at us with envy.

“Hmm? Me? Why?”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Oh, come on. It’s just me and Catherine. No big deal.”

Shouldn’t it be right to say it’s about me and Lilian? I tilted my head, but Yulia seemed blissfully unaware she’d misspoken, continuing to smile brightly. Well, no need to bother correcting her.

“Will you be able to attend class today?”

“….”

Lilian paused to think for a moment before nodding. It was the first time I had seen her this vulnerable, so I was a bit worried. The ‘Young Lady’ I knew would pretend to be strong outwardly but would be internally crumbling.

But… But this Lilian was fundamentally different from the ‘Young Lady’ I knew. Recalling that, I let go of Lilian’s hand. She then stood beside Yulia, looked at me for a moment, and waved a hand.

“What does that gesture mean, Lilian?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s just a casual goodbye wave. You know, what friends do.”

Ah, I see.

As the sounds of Lilian’s voice, filled with confusion, and Yulia’s carefree tones grew distant, I lightly bowed to them and turned to leave, leaving the knights beginning to stir behind me.

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