Chapter 94

The next day after the exchange program ended, Karelia Academy was still bustling with activity. Some students were seriously considering studying abroad at Eresiana Academy, while others were working hard to be chosen for the next exchange. The program could be considered a moderate success. Despite the incident with Bertaina, Mary also found the exchange program both meaningful and enjoyable.

"If there's a next time, we could go to Eresiana University, couldn't we?"

"Lord Parfait would surely cry tears of joy. ...I think he's crying right now."

"I've been so worried lately that he might be dehydrated."

As they talked, Mary thought about her trembling friend in the neighboring country. They were currently in a corner of Karelia Academy, sitting at a table set up for students to rest after their studies. A pleasant breeze blew through, and the well-maintained trees swayed. As expected of a facility attended by the children of nobility, the scenery was beautiful, and other students were also chatting animatedly.

Suddenly, Addy, who had been looking into the distance, murmured, "That's... "

Following his gaze, Mary saw a familiar pair of figures down the path: a petite blonde lady and a young man with blue hair. Though they were far away, it was likely Alicia and Patrick. They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation as they walked, seemingly unaware of Mary and the others.

"That's Alicia and Lord Patrick. Miss, what do you want to do? Should we run away?"

"What are you talking about? In the dictionary of a noble lady like me, there's room for a glorious defeat or a 'gah-fun' but not for fleeing from the enemy!"

"Having a 'glorious defeat' and a 'gah-fun' in your dictionary is questionable in itself."

"By the way, the section on dismissal spans twenty pages with detailed descriptions."

"Oh, Miss, Alicia and the others are coming this way!"

Casually changing the subject, Addy deliberately turned his gaze towards Alicia and the others. Mary, who was about to explain the dismissal in detail, decided to put it off for now, thinking, "We can always talk about dismissal later." However, it could also be seen that she had been putting it off because it could be done anytime.

But now, the priority was Alicia and the others. After all, they were walking towards them and would soon notice Mary and the others.

What would happen then...?

It would be the same as always.

Alicia would exclaim "Lady Mary!" with shining eyes and run over at a speed that didn't seem fitting for a princess. Then she would tackle, or rather, hug Mary.

...And Patrick would follow, smiling awkwardly, hiding his jealousy.

Recalling the story he had confided in her at the party, Mary stood up smoothly. Almost simultaneously, Alicia stopped in her tracks.

Mary could hear Alicia's high-pitched, joyful exclamation, "Lady Mary!" as she noticed them...

"Patrick, hold that girl down!"

Mary called out. Alicia, who had been running, stopped, either because Mary, who usually scolded her, had raised her voice to Patrick today, or because Patrick had grabbed her arm. In any case, she stood there, her purple eyes wide with surprise, and Mary huffed, as if to say, "Typical."

"Miss, what's the matter?"

"Addy, let's go."

"Go? To Alicia and the others?"

"Yes."

Saying this matter-of-factly, Mary stared at Addy and then extended her hand. Understanding her intention, Addy stood up with a wry smile, responding to Mary's command, "Escort me!" As Mary and Addy started walking, Alicia, seeing this, became restless, clearly unsure of what to do in this unprecedented situation. She wanted to run over but also wanted them to come to her. That must have been Alicia's current state of mind.

Approaching Alicia, Mary brushed the hair from her shoulder. Her silver hair fluttered, and she looked every bit the haughty young lady. Next, Mary's gaze fell on Alicia's hands. The arms that usually clung to Mary so tightly were now held by Patrick. Seeing his hand gently slide over Alicia's skin and take her hand, Mary looked away, as if she couldn't bear to watch any longer. Alicia still had her eyes wide open in surprise, while Patrick, standing next to her, smiled awkwardly. Mary muttered that they both looked ridiculous and turned her head away.

"Sometimes, it's not a bad thing for me to approach you. So, country girl, wait quietly by Patrick's side."

Hearing this, Alicia blinked her purple eyes.

Addy and Patrick chuckled. Neither of them said anything, but their knowing expressions were infuriating. Mary, who had done something uncharacteristic, was about to complain...

"Yes! Lady Mary!"

"But don't cling to me... H-how much power is in just one arm?!"

She screamed in shock as Alicia tackled her from close range.

...end...

This concludes Chapter 4. Thank you for reading to the end. Although Chapter 4 is over, the manga adaptation has started, and I plan to continue with short stories and more. I hope you will continue to follow along.

Thank you for the bookmarks, points, and comments!