Chapter 40

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The graduation ceremony, solemn and yet filled with the biggest surprise in the history of Karelia Academy, came to an end, and the students began to leave the venue. Normally, it should have been teeming with people shedding tears and feeling deeply moved by the graduation, but most of them were still excited from the princess's appearance and the alliance between the Albert and Dice families—though the young lady of the Albert family had not even nodded in response, the excited crowd had no time to notice. Some were even cheering for Patrick, despite knowing he was to marry the princess.

Amidst this, Mary, the subject of much discussion, stood in a daze, hidden in the shade of a tree, unable to blend in with the atmosphere of the place.

"Quack, Quack!"

"Miss! You said 'Quack,' you did it!"

Adi rejoiced, "We've achieved our goal!" Mary glared at him resentfully.

Her eyes were teary, and no matter how much she glared, it lacked any sharpness. Even if it had, it wouldn't have had any effect on this servant.

"What goal? This is the exact opposite of what I expected! What about my migratory bird rice bowl shop? The migratory birds are waiting for me in the northern land!"

"No, the migratory birds aren't waiting for you; they'll eat you. What's so bad about this? Isn't this the perfect happy ending?"

"Happy ending?"

Mary tilted her head, dissatisfied, asking what he meant.

"Alicia and Lord Patrick are united, and the succession issue of this country is resolved. The Albert family has built a relationship with the royal family and no longer risks incurring the royal family's wrath. See, it's a perfect happy ending."

"Maybe, but I worked so hard!"

Why did it turn out like this! Mary cried out, and Adi chuckled in response.

In the end, the Albert family didn't just fall—it was now being called a 'loyal family' that supports the royal family. After all, Lady Carral had entrusted the princess with the seal, thinking of the queen as a fellow mother, despite the risk of committing a great sin. Mary, her daughter, had recognized the bond between Alicia and Patrick, who were unaware of their true identities, and had withdrawn from the engagement.

The royal family and the surrounding people couldn't help but acknowledge these contributions. Who could bring down a family with such people? The story was gradually being embellished to suit the audience, and it was becoming a touching tale that couldn't be told without tears. Even the young ladies of the same age were moved, saying, "Lady Mary, you withdrew from your engagement with Lord Patrick, hiding your feelings..." If they heard the real story, they might faint.

The Albert family, which had always held authority second only to the royal family, was now officially recognized as a family on par with the royal family, with the royal family's approval.

"What... what is that..."

Mary muttered in disbelief after hearing Adi's explanation. It was completely the opposite of what she had been working towards. She had suspected it, but this chilling tale from Adi exceeded her expectations. It was even more contrived and idealistic than the true ending of a dating sim, often called the 'flower field ending.'

Faced with this unacceptable reality, tears began to well up in Mary's eyes. Reflecting on her efforts over the past year—she had been serious about it—her mood sank to the bottom, and her pitiful voice wavered, saying, "No..."

"No... my life in the northern land..."

"Give up!"

"My efforts to bring about the family's downfall..."

"All of that was in vain!"

"No... no... and at least comfort me a little! Why are you just finishing me off!"

Mary shouted at Adi, tears streaming down her face. But he seemed satisfied with this perfect happy ending, and despite being shouted at and stepped on by Mary, he calmed her with a smile, saying, "Calm down."

His smile drained her of her usual venom—this time, however, it only fueled her anger and confusion. It was understandable.

"No! I don't want it! What am I supposed to do? I got the highest score in the class placement test to steal Patrick's thunder, even though I had always maintained a steady position between second and tenth, averaging fifth!"

"That's why this happened. You were always doing such mundane things."

"I won't accept this!!"

Unable to process the situation, Mary began to cry and wail. Adi tried to calm her, but he couldn't help but chuckle. ——Her tone was like a child throwing a tantrum, but given that her efforts had produced such unexpected results, it was understandable.

"It's fine, let's get revenge in college."

"My migratory birds..."

"That can wait. For now, let's go to college together."

Adi emphasized "together," and Mary's eyes widened slightly before her expression slowly softened. By the time she murmured, "I suppose so," she seemed to have come to terms with the situation and was regaining her composure. She even began to smile a little.

Her soft, pure smile was uncharacteristic of the eccentric young lady and the young lady of the Albert family, but to Adi, it was the most Mary-like smile.

"I said I'd follow you anywhere, didn't I? Of course, I'll go to college with you."

"True, college wouldn't be bad with you."

"Besides, it's not just me. Look."

Adi pointed, and Mary saw Alicia and Patrick, surrounded by graduates, current students, and even teachers, making their way through the crowd toward them. Alicia, in particular, was running over, calling out, "Lady Mary!" and waving her hand. Her dress, embroidered with the royal family's crest, fluttered in the wind, and her tiara, perched on her golden hair, swayed.

Mary sighed in exasperation and took a deep breath.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to run so undignified, you country girl!"

She scolded Alicia in a manner befitting a villainous young lady.

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...END...?

"Hey, Miss, your hair is coming undone."

Adi tilted his head slightly as he noticed Mary's hair, just as the students began to leave. To be more precise, it was when Mary, along with the cats on her head, had been exhausted by the endless greetings from Alicia and Patrick, the student council, and even the teachers, who all wished her well for college. She had found a gap in the thinning crowd and was heading to the bicycle parking area—of course, she always cycled to school, even for ceremonies.

Furrowing her brow at Adi's words, she replied, "What language are you speaking? 'Hair coming undone'?"

"Ah, you're still not processing it... No, look."

Adi pointed to the end of Mary's hair. Indeed, a strand of hair had escaped the tight drill-like curls that always frustrated hairdressers. It hung weakly, not quite a drill, and its gentle wave seemed to linger. Mary's eyes widened in surprise; she had never seen her hair hang so loosely. Even when she woke up, her silver hair always formed perfect curls. Even when wet, it would gradually curl back up, almost despair-inducing.

"You must be really shocked for your drills to loosen like that."

"Drills don't have a mental state sensor. ...But, what's going on?"

She wrapped the loose strand around her finger, tilting her head in confusion.

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The main story ends here, with the unexpected failure of the family's downfall. I plan to write a medium-length sequel and some side stories.

Thank you for your long support. What will happen to Mary and Adi's relationship? How will Mary's (almost hopeless) revenge play out? What happened to her drills? I hope you will continue to follow their story.