Chapter 5

"Cookie, chocolate, mint. Oh, me..."

It's no good. Asking the fairies how the students of the academy think of me is definitely against the rules.

"Margaret, what's wrong?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Should we steal Cynthia's snack?"

As I was groaning, remembering Lord Lewis' words, I was surrounded by Lady Kanam and her friends.

"Lady Margaret! The grades have been posted! Being 10th, Lady Margaret is indeed not suitable to be Prince Keith's fiancée."

"Lady Kanam, there's nothing we can do. Lady Margaret, isn't she?"

"Yes, even though we're from the same duchy, she has a younger sister of the same age."

"Oh? But they are a year apart, aren't they?"

Before I was surrounded by their lewd laughter, I stood up.

"Lady Kanam, what was your rank?"

Lady Kanam froze for a moment, then her face turned bright red.

"103rd."

"She was squealing when she saw the grade list."

"Should we make it so she can never remember formulas for the rest of her life?"

"Wait, it's fine about me!"

"That's right!"

"Lady Luna Turner, Lady Mira Marshall, Lady Sana Landmark."

When I called out the names of Lady Kanam's friends for the first time, their faces turned bright red.

"I will face everyone from now on. I will never forget a single word you say."

"... Lady Margaret, what do you mean by that..."

"We would never think of Lady Margaret as... that..."

"K-Kanam!"

When the three of them looked at Lady Kanam,

"It has nothing to do with me."

She turned on her heel and left.

"That's not true! Please wait!"

"We will follow Lady Kanam's instructions!"

"You said you would protect us no matter what!"

The three of them hurriedly chased after Lady Kanam, bowing their heads slightly as if to apologize to me.

... Was this the right thing to do?

While feeling uncertain, I was about to sit down when I suddenly felt a gaze.

"I'm sorry for being so noisy."

I must have disturbed everyone's studies.

"No! Not at all!"

It was Lady Sofia, the Baroness, who answered me.

"Ah, Lady Margaret."

"What is it?"

When I smiled, Lady Sofia looked very happy.

"It was very beautiful!"

"... Huh?"

I let out a surprised and somewhat unbecoming response, which was not fitting for Prince Keith's fiancée.

"I always admired how you remained completely unperturbed no matter what people said, and how cool you were. But today, the way you dismissed them with just one word was also very beautiful! ... Ah!"

Realizing that her words might be disrespectful to Lady Kanam and her friends, Lady Sofia covered her mouth and looked down.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Lady Margaret."

"I was very happy, so I will keep your words as my treasure."

"... Ah, may I speak with you again?"

"Of course!"

Could this be the first friend I've made in 15 years?

"Margaret has a new friend."

"Unlike the mean girls, the air around Sofia is clean."

"Let's drown her in champagne as a blessing."

I take back my previous words. I've always had the fairies with me.

Could this be the first human friend I've made in 15 years?