“Bianca, sister, this is a crisis,”
In hindsight, it all began with that one sentence.
It was after school, in a salon adorned with beautiful furnishings. Despite the warm air from the fireplace, the atmosphere was tense. A certain girl murmured in a low voice.
Her hair waved gently in golden brown hues, and her large jade-colored eyes were striking. Though her nose was a bit lower than ideal, it added to her charming, youthful appearance. She was Else, daughter of Baron Taubert, a freshman core member of Bianca’s “Red Rose Society.”
“If this continues, our Leonora will be taken by some vigorous commoner student of unknown origin…!”
Else was also a devout follower of the “Saintly Sect,” strongly devoted to her classmate, Leonora von Harkenberg.
That day, taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Else brought up the topic of “Leonora, the class darling, and her dreadful situation.”
Summarizing Else’s ten-minute speech, it went something like this:
Leonora was indeed a wonderful girl, but she had no interest in femininity or romance. She always wore ash-gray dresses, was indifferent to love stories, and followed male students with ulterior motives without any caution. This made not only her classmates but even the teachers worry about her.
At this point, some of the girls in the class suggested that perhaps the issue was that her attendant was male. Emotional nuances like these are usually taught by peers or senior women. However, Leonora had neither a mother nor a close maidservant.
So, they thought, why not teach her themselves? By being with her not just during class but also as maids throughout the day, they could teach her about love tactics and womanly hearts.
In the academy, commoner students were allowed to become maids to the upper nobility under the guise of “social studies.” Originally, this rule, made by arrogant noble students, was notorious as a bad law to treat commoner students as errand boys. However, they planned to use this to get closer to their beloved Leonora.
Else’s large eyes gleamed as she passionately addressed the Red Rose Society members around the table.
“It’s true that Leonora lacks a bit of femininity. But should we allow commoner students to serve as her maids because of that? Leonora has a delicate heart. If she were surrounded by assertive commoner women exuding rough commoner aura, she would surely collapse from the stress. We cannot allow such a situation!”
The Red Rose Society originally gathered under the noble Bianca to enjoy trivial conversations over tea. Yet now, it resembled a pre-revolutionary assembly.
Neither Else nor the other young ladies noticed the abnormality of focusing solely on a freshman girl, disregarding their supreme leader Bianca.
“The days when commoner students were oppressed are long gone. Now, they use their ‘commoner’ status to stick to Leonora and gather trendy sweets to win her over.”
“Goodness…”
“Stick to her, you say?”
The young ladies murmured, frowning.
For them, restricted by manners and behavior due to their status, the freedom of the commoner students to adore Leonora was not only offensive but also enviable. Yes, Leonora von Harkenberg, with her endearing appearance and innocent heart, shone as the number one “little sister they wanted to care for.”
Sensing the shift in sentiment, Else spoke even more fervently.
“We must not allow their tyranny to continue. We must guide and protect Leonora! Therefore, this bad law allowing commoner students to serve as maids must be immediately revised. For example, allowing baron daughters to serve as maids—”
“Else.”
A stern voice interrupted Else, who had started to reveal her true greedy intentions.
“Calm down.”
It was Bianca.
She gently set down her teacup and, lightly brushing back her luxurious golden hair, which flowed over her shoulders that day, spoke slowly.
“I understand your argument. However, as the junior grade head, I must refute three points in your opinion.”
Lately, especially after meeting Leonora, Bianca often spoke calmly, perhaps because she was becoming more aware of her role as a leader.
She raised one delicate finger and began, drawing the attention of those around her.
“First, if we truly want to revise the bad law, we should abolish the arrogant and anachronistic ordinance itself rather than expanding the scope of those who can become maids. In this academy, whether you are a princess or a farmer’s daughter, you are all here to pursue knowledge equally.”
Pursuing knowledge equally.
Bianca had always spoken of this, but now, having a friend from the lower town, her words carried a weight previously unmatched.
“Second,”
Bianca raised another finger and looked straight at Else.
“Stop referring to them as ‘commoner students.’ It’s unconscious discrimination like this that causes tragedies like Harald’s Curse.”
In reality, there were still many situations where commoner students and noble students were treated differently in terms of systems and facilities. However, Bianca continued, there was a significant difference in mindset between calling them ‘commoners’ to dismiss them and calling them ‘citizens’ to distinguish them.
“It may seem superficial or idealistic, but shouldn’t we start by correcting what we can?”
“Yes, Bianca, sister…”
Rebuked gently, Else’s shoulders drooped in resignation.
Bianca’s words, carrying the increasing dignity of an imperial princess, deeply resonated with her.
Then,
“And what is the third point, Lady Bianca?”
One of the followers, who had been nodding in agreement, asked eagerly, eyes sparkling.
With a solemn expression, as if delivering a divine message, the noble First Imperial Princess spoke.
“I too have long thought that we must enhance Leonora’s femininity.”
“As expected of Bianca, sister.”
“And I also believe that the right person should undertake this task.”
“Exactly!”
Despite the initial intent to refute, Bianca’s complete agreement made Else’s face light up.
But in the next moment,
“Therefore, I will take on this responsibility.”
Bianca’s nonchalant declaration left Else utterly stunned.
“W-What?”
“I will personally oversee Leonora’s femininity enhancement project, Else. You can withdraw from this matter.”
“Nooooo!”
Instead of resolving the issue with commoner students, Bianca’s announcement was like a bolt from the blue.
“Fufu, after all, I am the junior grade head, and in the not-too-distant future, I might even become her sister-in-law. Is there anyone more suitable?”
“Indeed, it’s true that Leonora is considered a potential fiancée for Lord Albert, but that’s…”
Realizing she had stirred up a bigger snake while trying to secure her beloved Leonora’s maid position, Else despaired. She might have been able to buy off commoner students to win the maid race, but there was no way she could win against an imperial princess.
“No maids. I will take care of Leonora. Does anyone have any objections to this clear and straightforward conclusion?”
“Objections, you say…”
“Any?”
Bianca’s royal glare, a technique she mastered, made Else unconsciously take a step back.
“N-No objections…”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
With a smile, Bianca sipped the remaining tea. Then, she gracefully rose from her seat.
“I just remembered an errand I need to run. I apologize, but I must leave now.”
With that, she swiftly left the salon. Seeing her ice-blue eyes sparkling with the excitement of a child about to play a prank, everyone present understood.
Bianca was heading straight to execute the Leonora Femininity Enhancement Plan.
“…Hey, Else.”
Eventually, one of the onlookers, who had been observing the exchange, quietly asked.
“You intervened to prevent ‘a pushy woman with an overbearing aura from approaching the delicate Leonora,’ right?”
“—………”
Understanding what she was implying, Else fell silent. Oh no, as a result, the most pushy girl in the academy had ended up clinging to Leonora.
“This happened because you mixed your personal feelings into it. Reflect on that.”
“…Yes.”
With tears in her eyes, Else nodded slightly. In her heart, she apologized to Leonora, who would probably be stuck with Bianca around her 200% more often than before.
***
“A pajama party?”
It had been several days since she started being hugged and dragged into Bianca’s room after school. Leonora, puzzled by Bianca’s increasing clinginess, couldn’t help but look bewildered when Bianca suddenly brought up the idea.
“A party where the dress code is pajamas?”
“That’s right. Of course, ‘party’ is an exaggeration. It’s more like a sleepover. You could even call it a nighttime girls’ gathering. We’ll take off our makeup, change out of our dresses, and, without worrying about curfews or manners, munch on our favorite snacks and chat all night in the same bed. Exciting, right?”
Bianca proposed this with enthusiasm, but Leonora’s honest reaction was:
(Eww…?)
That summed it up. It felt no different than being asked to extend the bedtime stories she read to the younger kids at the orphanage for twelve hours straight.
She could bet that just like the kids often demanded, “Hey, Leo, tell us more stories!” Bianca would likely demand, “Hey, Leonora, tell me more,” with her nonstop chatter. What kind of endurance test would that be?
Although Leo currently appeared as a girl, inside he was still a boy. And before being a boy, he was a miser.
While he didn’t dislike Bianca, he’d much rather spend the night doing some side job, polishing gold coins, or checking his hidden savings than getting dragged into endless girl talk and romantic stories.
“Um, I don’t think I can…”
Thus, he tried to decline the golden opportunity of sharing a bed with a beautiful blonde girl, something most boys his age would pay for, but—
“No, you can’t, Leonora.”
Before he could finish, Bianca firmly grabbed both his shoulders, stopping him.
“We talk every day like this, but it’s only for a few hours at most, right? I think we need the right environment and more time to really get to know each other.”
“Well…”
Leonora’s expression was dubious, but Bianca was desperate.
It had been several days since she decided to strengthen Leonora’s awareness as a girl, prompted by Else’s advice.
She had hoped that spending quality time with another woman close in age would naturally foster femininity and emotional sensitivity. But this was a naive assumption, she had to admit.
Previously, she had focused only on Leonora’s innocent appearance and actions. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that Leonora lacked any sense of allure, seductiveness, or self-awareness.
Whenever someone exclaimed, “I dropped my wallet in the ditch,” Leonora would hike up her dress and petticoat and thrust her pale leg into the ditch to search for it. The look on the onlookers’ faces, like boiled octopuses! And she would smile and gladly accept sweets from obviously lecherous male students without checking if they were safe—Bianca had to quickly snatch them away to check for harmful ingredients.
Despite her beauty, Leonora lacked awareness and caution about how others perceived her and how much attention she attracted from men.
One might wonder how someone who had been confined by malicious people could be so naive. But—
(No, it’s the opposite. The jade bird, which went extinct decades ago, was so friendly that it would hop around in front of hunters and was quickly overhunted for its beautiful feathers. That’s exactly what she is.)
Bianca was convinced of this.
Leonora von Harkenberg was like that extinct, beautiful bird.
She possessed an enchanting beauty that drew everyone to her, trusted in the kindness of the world, and as a result, was ruthlessly trampled. She wasn’t naive because of her past confinement; she was confined because she didn’t doubt people.
However, no matter how much Leonora believed in human goodness, someone had to teach her that reality was different.
She needed to understand that she was a delicate and beautiful girl, sometimes stirring men’s desires even at a young age. Bianca felt a strong duty to make her realize this.
(Initially, I thought it was a good excuse to spend more time with Leonora, but the situation is far more serious. If I don’t firmly instill a sense of self-awareness and caution in her, her purity and even her life could be at risk…!)
Bianca, despite her selfish tendencies, had a strong sense of responsibility. Forgetting her initial ulterior motives, she burned with a fervent mission to protect this younger girl as the head of the lower grades and a future sister-in-law.
Still, discussing such matters in broad daylight was challenging, especially with someone like Kai, a male servant, in the same space.
That’s why Bianca proposed a private, women-only sleepover, where they could have intimate conversations at night.
(I must say, a brilliant idea!)
Patting herself on the back internally, Bianca pushed her hesitant friend.
“Please say yes. I really, really want to have a pajama party with you, Leonora.”
“Well… but do we have to do it at night?”
“Why not? There are so many things we can only do at night.”
Hot wine with a splash of brandy, ordering sweets from a shop that only opens in the evening. Bianca listed ideas to win her over.
“Besides, I could even show you the underwear I just got! Just between us!”
“Um, what?”
“Shh, it’s a secret. A high-end set from the trendy Polda Workshop. It cost two silver coins, quite the luxury for a student, but I couldn’t resist buying it.”
“Uh…?”
Surprisingly, the topic of underwear, which Bianca thought would have the least appeal, seemed to pique Leonora’s interest.
Mumbling something, Leonora looked up in a daze.
(Could it be that Kai, being a boy, failed to handle such matters properly? Yes, that must be it. Leonora must have been secretly interested in cute underwear but couldn’t ask Kai and felt frustrated.)
Encouraged by her intuition, Bianca pressed on.
“The latest design, packed with techniques no other workshop can mimic. Just seeing it is worth it. If you like it, I might even get you a matching set!”
“I’ll go.”
After a brief hesitation, Leonora answered firmly.
“Great!”
Bianca beamed with joy.
See, Leonora is a girl after all.
There are definitely points where girls can bond over common interests.
With a mental note to make underwear a main topic at the party, Bianca cheerfully started planning the pajama party.