“I apologize for interrupting your conversation. If it wouldn’t be too rude, may I serve the first course now?”
Just as the conversation between Fjodra and I was wrapping up, the staff member who had guided us to our seats earlier approached and spoke with a polite demeanor.
Naturally, Fjodra told him to do so, and I nodded as well.
“Then I will prepare it immediately.”
It seemed this person was not just a simple employee, but the manager of this restaurant.
As soon as he finished speaking, the servers appeared in a line, each carrying a plate of food.
They placed them on the table and retreated.
Next, a sommelier with a white cloth draped over his arm poured wine into our glasses.
‘There should be a limit to wasting manpower… What are they doing, swarming in like this and getting dust on the food?’
Unlike me, who had such complaints, Svein, who was sitting next to me, looked overwhelmed by the excessively hospitable service.
He seemed to feel so honored that he didn’t know what to do with himself.
One might think he acted that way because he was a commoner and unaccustomed to such treatment, but…
“Oh! This is quite the luxurious experience! I’ll have something to brag about to the circus members later.”
Although he was the successor to the head of the Information Guild, Pret was a commoner nonetheless.
Given the nature of his profession, he might sneak into a place like this as an employee, but he wouldn’t typically visit as a guest.
Yet, instead of being flustered like Svein, he merely accepted it with a sly, albeit fussy, attitude.
‘And… I didn’t exactly grow up being treated well before I possessed this body either, did I?’
I suspected that Svein might have long harbored a longing for the lifestyle of a noble.
In the Original Work before the remake, he had only traveled around the Demonic Realm with Reysir, so perhaps it just didn’t show.
Or maybe it was a new setting Senna added during the remake.
‘Maybe this could be the seed of betrayal, so it might be good to keep it in mind.’
After the servers withdrew, the chef came out to explain the dishes and how to eat them to enjoy the flavor best.
His explanation included a mention to use the fork and knife located on the outermost side.
I suspected that when Fjodra reserved the restaurant, she must have given them a heads-up that there would be commoners present who were unfamiliar with noble dining etiquette.
Following that, the sommelier gave a brief introduction to the wine pairing, and finally, we were able to put the food in our mouths.
‘It’s delicious, but… since I’m not a gourmet, I don’t know if the taste is worth a six-month wait.’
Perhaps everyone was focusing on the taste of the food, or maybe they simply had nothing to say, but the meal proceeded in silence for a while.
Then, when the third course was served, Fjodra spoke up tentatively.
“Do any of you have any suggestions for me? If you do, please speak freely.”
She probably brought up the topic to break the silence, but contrary to her wishes, not a single person opened their mouth.
Everyone just glanced at one another.
‘If I were to look for something I want to suggest right now, would it be for her to stop setting the stage for us to force a friendship…? Or maybe abolish the Awakened Special Class system or not force us into the Demonic Realm?’
I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected everyone else was thinking something similar.
Since it didn’t seem like any of it would be accepted even if they spoke up, they had no choice but to remain silent.
“Ahem… Right. Since classes haven’t even started yet, it’s understandable that nothing comes to mind. Even if it’s not today, if you have any suggestions, please come find me anytime.”
After Fjodra concluded her statement, no one spoke until the next course arrived.
As I ate in silence, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Could it be that separating the second-year students, who already had some interaction, actually backfired?’
If she had seated them together, they would have exchanged a word or two.
From there, others might have added their opinions and expanded the topic, leading to a variety of conversations.
I felt like Fjodra would understand if I explained this well, but it would be meaningless to say it now since we couldn’t just switch seats in the middle of a meal.
‘I’ll let it go for now, and talk to her later if Fjodra tries to interfere with the seating arrangement again!’
In fact, I had a feeling that even if I didn’t say anything, Fjodra wouldn’t pressure us to get along by suggesting “mixed seating” like she did today.
Because—
“Second-year students, what kind of conversations do you usually have during meals?”
This was the reason Fjodra eventually ended up saying such a thing.
She, too, must have realized that this awkward atmosphere was due to the seating arrangement she had determined.
Fjodra’s efforts to liven up the atmosphere ultimately ended in vain.
Since that pitiful process was quite tedious, it was inevitable to bury it between the lines.
I will continue the narration from the moment we left the restaurant after finishing the meal.
“Your Imperial Highness. Would it be alright if us second-year students returned separately? We need to rearrange our schedules, so we need to discuss that…”
The tension on Hailga’s face was palpable as she spoke.
She seemed worried that Fjodra might find it unpleasant if the second-year students clumped together now after remaining quiet during the meal.
Yet, seeing her speak up anyway, she seemed to be the type who had to say what was necessary even while being wary of others.
‘Or this might just be a process to head toward the development the original author desires…’
At that thought, a sense of resentment close to unpleasantness welled up inside me.
When I thought of Fjodra being manipulated as a proxy for the original author, it didn’t feel this bad.
I thought I had maintained a distant relationship with Hailga until now, but it seemed I had grown fond of her without even realizing it.
“Yes, I understand.”
Instead of creating an uncomfortable situation by insisting they all rearrange their schedules together, Fjodra readily gave her permission.
Since she kept separating the second-year students while claiming to promote friendship, I wondered if she was wary of factions forming within the Awakened Special Class.
But it seemed she genuinely just wanted everyone to become friends and had no other intentions.
And since general lectures, rather than those exclusive to the Awakened Special Class, would be taken separately by grade even if they applied for the same subject, it was also true that discussing schedules with other grades was meaningless.
“Then we shall head back first.”
Fjodra boarded the carriage, leading Risi and the two new students.
I had no desire to coordinate schedules with the others, but since I wanted to avoid being stuck between unfamiliar and uncomfortable people even more, I stayed with the rest of the second-year students.
“Phew… Now I can finally breathe. The food was delicious, but it was so uncomfortable I didn’t even know if it was going into my mouth or my nose.”
After moving to a Room Cafe, Hailga let out a sigh as she slumped against the back of her chair.
It was her daily routine to hide her true nature and act demure while maintaining a proper distance from those she disliked.
Yet, seeing her shudder like that, a sudden question came to mind.
“Wasn’t your goal to become a high-ranking official? To do that, shouldn’t you stay on the Princess’s good side?”
“Ugh…”
Hailga made a disgusted face at my question.
It was a reaction as if she had heard something horrific.
“Isn’t that impossible anyway? Until the Demonic Realm completely disappears, I’m in a position where I have to keep jumping into the fray. Besides, now I have to devote myself to training without even having time to study. So how on earth could I become a high-ranking official?”
“That’s why I said it. To get a job at the Imperial Castle now, doesn’t your only remaining path involve staying on the Princess’s good side?”
“Ugh…!”
Hailga looked disgusted again.
I didn’t know why she was reacting like that.
Just as I was about to part my lips to ask, the other person poured out the reason herself.
“The current Imperial Family acted tyrannically by framing Rei’s parents and seizing their fief. But I still expected the next generation of the Imperial Family to be different. I heard the First Imperial Princess was someone who knew how to look after the people’s sentiments, and the policies she promoted were very different from the previous actions of the Imperial Family. But seeing her today, that’s not it at all! How can she be so self-centered…!”
“In other words, you don’t want to work under such a dogmatic person?”
“Is she just dogmatic? She’s hypocritical too! She created something like the Awakened Special Class without even asking for consent or giving prior notice, and then tells us to speak freely if we have suggestions? There is a limit to giving the disease and then the cure!”
Indeed, it was understandable why she felt that way.
Even I, who knew what kind of person Fjodra was, felt quite uncomfortable with that remark.
“A hypocritical dictator is just as much of a disaster as a tyrant. No, wait. At least it’s easy to flatter a tyrant. On the other hand, that type is the absolute worst because they’ll feel uncomfortable whether you flatter them or speak the truth! If I lived with a person like that as my boss, I wouldn’t live out my natural lifespan! For their ideals, they’d be more than willing to grind down their subordinates as long as they could realize them. In the process, they naturally wouldn’t ask for their subordinates’ opinions, nor would they share their power!”
As I listened, I found myself nodding along.
“But is it alright to say such things in front of me? I am a member of a Dukedom.”
“You’re funny. Why are you asking a question like that after nodding at what I just said?”
“……”
“Anyway. If even the First Imperial Princess, who is known to have the best character in the Imperial Family, is like that, the others are obvious. So, I’ve decided to just give up on my goal of becoming an official. It’s a situation where it’s impossible to become one anyway.”
She poured out a lot of reasons why she didn’t want to be an official, but perhaps she was still a bit disappointed, as a bitter expression briefly crossed Hailga’s face before vanishing.
“Oh…? Helly, then doesn’t that mean you don’t have to act in front of others anymore?”
Reysir, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, asked as if the thought had suddenly occurred to him.
Since Hailga had been maintaining moderate interactions even with people she disliked while hiding her true nature to avoid making enemies for her future career, it was natural for Reysir to think that way.
“I still hate it! I don’t know what people I’m not close to will think, but won’t my friends feel betrayed by me…?”
She had an image she had built over the past year, so breaking it all at once would be difficult.
As I thought about that and empathized with Hailga’s statement…
“Even if those you aren’t close to feel that way, wouldn’t true friends understand?”
“Could you understand and accept it if the Tsundere Young Lord said, ‘Actually, I don’t have a prickly and fastidious personality. I just acted that way because I thought a member of a Dukedom should be like this. Meowing like a cat was just a concept’?”
—Suddenly, she dragged me into it.
It was merely an example, but it was a statement that pierced right through my situation.
However, there was a fatal error that I couldn’t let pass without pointing out.
“Don’t sneak in such strange words. Just when did I ever meow like a cat, LF?”