Chapter 22

Thank you for the bookmark.

Finally, one of my long-awaited wishes is about to come true.

Hello, I’m Mary Legaria, 9 years old.

It happened on a certain afternoon when I was called by my father and mother.

“Huh! Father, what did you just say?”

“Hmm, you’re finally at the age to attend school next year. Of course, I intend to send you to a school befitting a duchess, but if you have any preferences, I’d like to hear them.”

“Father! Is school, like, a place where everyone gathers to study and play sports, work hard, and laugh and enjoy their youth?”

“Ah, yes, I think it’s something like that.”

My father seemed a bit taken aback by my enthusiastic and somewhat incoherent questions, his breathing heavy.

“If I can go to school, I’ll go anywhere! Yes, I want to go to school!”

I declared with high spirits, but my father seemed a bit taken aback, while my mother just smiled at me as usual.

(School... in my previous life, I couldn’t go even if I wanted to! Finally, I get to experience the sweet and bitter school life! I’m so excited!)

Just as I was getting excited, a problem soon arose.

‘Royal Altria Academy’

This is an elite school that cultivates outstanding talents in martial arts, magic, and various other fields. Yes, it’s a gathering of elites. Yes, it’s a gathering of elites. (I’ll say it twice because it’s important.)

Yet, for some reason, I ended up being admitted to this school.

(Well, I did say I’d go anywhere... but isn’t the bar a bit high? Can I keep up...?)

I don’t think I have any problems with physical strength or magical power, but the biggest issue is my brain.

To be honest, in my previous life, I couldn’t attend school due to my hospital life and only received basic education in my room. So, I don’t have the academic level of a prestigious school.

(If I had known, I should have made my intellect the strongest... but, I think I had a similar thought before...)

The reason I’m so anxious about my academic ability is that there was no entrance exam. Well, there should have been one, but for some reason, I was admitted without taking the exam.

(Is this because of the influence of the Legaria family...?)

It felt a bit like backdoor admission, but apparently, it’s not uncommon in the noble society of this kingdom, Ardian. It seems the school also benefits from having students from prestigious families, as it adds prestige and brings in more funding.

So, if I can’t keep up academically once I start school, it would be a great embarrassment to the Legaria family and to me as a duchess. I didn’t want to disgrace my parents in any way.

(I’m looking forward to going to school! But what if I can’t keep up...)

With this conflicting feeling, I waited for the time to come.

――――――――――

“Wow, Miss Mary is also going to Altria?”

On an ordinary afternoon, during our usual tea time, I casually asked Magilka, and she replied without much surprise, sipping her tea.

“...So, Magilka is also going to the same school?”

“Of course.”

She put down her cup, proudly adjusted her braids, and puffed out her chest. Her chest, which seemed to be larger than mine, jiggled slightly, and I felt a crack in my self-esteem.

But, putting that aside... this made me even more anxious. She is, after all, a talented girl, exceptionally intelligent for her age.

(She goes to that school... can I keep up...)

I became even more anxious and started to feel a bit depressed when...

“I’m going to Altria too!”

Zahha’s casual words instantly dispelled my anxiety.

(Sorry, Zahha... I guess I’ve been thinking you’re not very smart...)

I felt the reason for the sudden relief and silently apologized to him.

“Really... so we’re all going to the same school?”

I sighed in relief, but at the same time, I felt a bit anxious about this group. I tried to hide my mixed feelings by sipping my tea.

“Yeah, and the prince is coming too!”

“...Oh, is that so...”

Zahha said with a lecherous grin, and I turned away to avoid his gaze, giving a half-hearted response while sipping my tea.

Occasionally, he would tease me by bringing up the prince. At first, I reacted naively, but now, I try to handle it gracefully with a “Yes, yes, I see.”

After that bombshell, the prince explained that his words were meant to ask me to correct his mistakes as a friend, without regard for our social status.

(Well, even if he says that, giving advice to a prince is beyond my place... Oh, but I’ve already done that, haven’t I? Ah, what should I do... really)

During that incident, I had challenged the core beliefs of the prince, so it was too late to talk about social status. However, I didn’t want to say anything rash and disgrace the duchess family, so I hadn’t met the prince much since then.

(Well, just because we’re in the same school doesn’t mean I’ll see the prince often, and these two aren’t always together... Ah, I hope I can make lots of friends...)

Thanks to Zahha (or so I thought), my anxiety was dispelled, and I looked forward to the upcoming school life with excitement as I waited for the time to come.

“So, Miss, you’re finally going to school...”

Tytte, with a wistful look, served me a new tea snack.

“By the way, Tytte, do you go to any school?”

“No, I only receive the necessary minimum education from the tutor hired by my master, so I don’t attend school. Besides, such education isn’t necessary for me.”

Tytte said firmly with a smile, and I felt a bit of sadness at the social gap, but I also thought it might be nice to teach her what I’ve learned.

“But, Miss, when you go to school, you’ll have to do most things on your own. I can’t accompany you inside the school... are you okay with that?”

“Fufu, no, Tytte. Miss Mary is already a grown lady and can take care of herself... right?”

“!!!”

“What!?”

Magilka’s smile turned into a look of shock as she saw my face of astonishment.

“...How... how can I manage without Tytte? I can’t even dress myself properly (because I tear my clothes) and need help carrying things (because I break them)... What should I do, what should I do?”

I trembled in a state of emergency, and Tytte subtly took the cup from me before I could break it.

“By the way, Miss Mary, you still rely on Tytte to open and close doors, don’t you? Maybe it’s time to stop being so lazy.”

(Grr... So, my power control issues have been dismissed as mere laziness all this time...)

I realized that because Tytte had been taking care of everything, I had been neglecting my daily life power control.

(Well, I think I can manage now... but, it’s not good to keep putting things off...)

Reflecting on my past behavior, I vowed to become more independent from Tytte.

(But, with the power of the Legaria family, I could probably arrange for Tytte to accompany me in school...)

The dark side of me briefly considered using that power, but I quickly dismissed the thought.

(Really, just a brief thought, just a brief thought...)

Excited and embarrassed, I was about to give up on my sweet and bitter school life before it even began.

Thank you for reading this far.