Chapter 50

I apologize for the typo.

I am grateful for the reports of typos.

One week has passed since the start of the school year, and the overview of hundreds of courses, the reservation methods for taking them, and the explanations about tests have concluded. Classes begin today.

At first, our mother advised us to try to take the same classes as much as possible, so Georg and William are planning to spend their first year with the same schedule. There is no set age for enrollment, but it is common for boys to start around 15-16 years old and girls around 13-15 years old.

William decided to enroll at the same time to help Georg, who struggles with studies. Georg is expected to inherit the Stewart family, so it is essential for him to obtain the school graduation qualification.

Emma has also chosen almost the same classes, but it is rare for girls to select the mandatory subjects for boys, and it is expected that she will be like a girl in an industrial high school. The only practical class she couldn't choose was the hunter's practical class, as her father, Leonard, opposed it, fearing she might get injured. She had forgotten that she had used a scar as an excuse to avoid dancing, and later realized that she couldn't choose any physical classes. If her father hadn't opposed, her lie might have been exposed.

During the time Georg and William take the hunter's practical class, their mother, who is overly worried, advised them to take classes with more girls, so the only option was embroidery. As Mother Mersa taught, the classes with more girls are etiquette, embroidery, and the recently popular dance.

"Miss, we are going this way."

"Emma, don't cause any trouble, okay?"

In the schoolyard, where the school buildings are lined up, Georg and William stopped and gave Emma the usual warning.

"Big brother, I don't cause trouble every time, you know? Trouble just happens on its own."

Even before and after her memories from her previous life returned, Emma answered with a dissatisfied look at the familiar warning. The first class at the new school was the only one different from her brothers, embroidery.

"Miss Emma, I'll see you in the next monster studies class."

Joshua, who was sitting next to Emma, also said goodbye with a lingering look. It seems that boys usually start with mandatory subjects, and after monster studies, they have a lunch break followed by economics.

The students split into two groups, boys and girls, around Emma. The presence of mandatory subjects on the first day might be a consideration to prevent students from getting lost.

While a bit lonely, it is also exciting to be back in school after more than ten years, especially since she didn't have the motivation to go to university even with a scholarship in her previous life.

The classes with many students have their own dedicated school buildings, and embroidery is one of them. In the first year, only the beginner level is available, and from the second year onwards, intermediate and advanced levels can be chosen if the beginner test is passed. Mother Mersa taught that the first year is crucial for assessing one's level and using that to decide on classes for the following years.

Without hesitation, Emma found the embroidery school building and peeked into the beginner classroom. Since it was the first class after enrollment, almost all the seats were taken. The large worktables were shared by six people, and groups of girls had already formed around each table. It took some courage to enter the classroom alone, but she resigned herself to the consequences of turning down all the tea party invitations before enrollment and entered.

The young ladies, who had been chatting animatedly, turned their gazes to Emma all at once.

"Look, it's Emma of the Stewart family."

"Oh! There's a big scar on her face! I didn't notice it at the party because of the veil... So the rumor about her being attacked by a monster is true."

"How pitiful!"

Although they lowered their voices, the young ladies began exchanging information about Emma, and it was not hard to hear.

Being the center of attention because of her prominent appearance at the royal party was inevitable. Among them, a particularly striking group, led by a young lady with a striking appearance, approached Emma and spoke to her.

"I see, you are Emma of the Stewart family. I am Laila Lance, the eldest daughter of the Lance Duke. Would you like to take the class with me?"

In this world, Laila Lance, with her beautiful blue hair, which Emma had only seen in comics and anime, smiled.

The seat Laila offered was surrounded by fashionable and dazzling girls.

"Yes, I am Emma Stewart. Laila, thank you for the invitation, but..."

Emma wanted to keep her distance from such an intimidating group, guided by her intuition from her previous school life. It was clear that this group of top-tier girls didn't suit her.

Looking around the classroom, she noticed a worktable with a noticeable empty seat. A young lady was sitting alone by the window, and it seemed as if the other seats were deliberately avoided.

"... I'll take that seat."

After a slight bow to Laila, Emma headed for the empty seat by the window. Laila replied with a smile, but the corners of her mouth were tense compared to her initial smile.

"Excuse me... Is it okay if I sit next to you, Francesca?"

Francesca, who had been looking down at her desk, looked up at Emma's words.

"Emma!? ... Why...?"

Her voice was slightly trembling.

"I just arrived in the capital, so I only have Francesca as a friend. If it's not a bother, can I sit with you?"

Saying this, Emma sat down next to Francesca without waiting for a response. If she had been refused, she would have had to join the top-tier group. By choosing the seat with her only friend and making it known to the others, she justified her refusal of Laila's invitation.

The whispers became slightly quieter, and the content shifted from pity to open hostility.

"How could she refuse Laila's invitation?"

"And she chose the seat next to that Francesca."

"What is she trying to act so innocent for?"

The sophisticated insults, spoken in low voices but clearly heard, were directed at Emma and Francesca.

Feeling uncomfortable again, Francesca looked down, but Emma started talking to her, ignoring the surroundings.

"Principally, we need to bring our own tools and materials for the embroidery class, but it's quite a burden, isn't it?"

"That's true... But embroidery is one of the lighter subjects. Until last year, I chose many dance classes, so I had to bring dance dresses, shoes, and extra clothes for when I sweated... What do you have in your bag, Emma?"

Unable to ignore Emma's kindness, Francesca timidly answered, noticing that Emma's bag was more than twice the size of the other young ladies'.

Today's class was supposed to be embroidery on the cufflinks, and the necessary items were needles, threads, embroidery hoops, and the cufflink bases.

"Hmm? Just the items listed for today's class..."

Emma tilted her head cutely, but the large bag didn't seem to have much space left.

"Excuse me... May I interrupt? Is this seat available?"

Turning around at the sound, Emma saw two identical faces.

"I am Catherine Simmons. This is my twin sister, Caitlin. We only found this seat available for both of us..."

Silver hair, silver-gray eyes, and a beautiful tan. The protagonist avatar in the games Emma played always had silver hair and a tan, so she was captivated by the real thing in front of her. It was simply her ideal color palette.

"Yes, it's available. I'm Emma Stewart. This is my friend, Francesca Delacour."

Saying this, Emma offered the seat next to her.

"Thank you. We were hoping to sit together. ... Emma, you have a big scar on your face! What happened?"

"Catherine!!! It's rude to ask such a personal question!! Emma, I'm sorry, my sister is thoughtless. So, what happened to your scar?"

The twins looked at Emma with keen interest. They were cute, even objectively, and despite their lack of tact, Emma didn't dislike them. Manners were like soap bubbles.

"Hehe, you two look so alike. This scar... Well, it's a result of youthful indiscretion."

The twins placed their hands on their chests in unison.

"Emma! You're so cute when you smile! I'm swooning!"

The twins harmonized perfectly.

"Oh, Caitlin, I swooned first!"

"No, Catherine, I swooned first!"

The arrival of the twins made Emma and Francesca's table suddenly lively. Although Francesca was surprised by their lack of reserve, she didn't seem uncomfortable, which was a relief.

The class was about to start, and the young ladies were all seated, waiting for the instructor. The bell rang, and the door opened.

"Made it just in time!"

The moment the person entered with a burst of energy, the classroom erupted in a chorus of yellow screams.

"It's Miss Marion!"

"How beautiful today!"

"Did she say she made it just in time? Is she taking this class?"

Covering her ears to escape the noise, Emma asked Francesca.

"Francesca, do you know her?"

To which Francesca replied with a look of surprise.

"Emma, you don't know Miss Marion Bell?"

It seemed she was quite famous.

"Do you know her?"

The twins, Catherine and Caitlin, also seemed to be unaware.

"Miss Marion Bell is the daughter of the current head of the knight order..."

"Is she a girl!?"

The twins harmonized again, asking in unison.

Marion, with her tall figure in a riding outfit, short brown hair, and clear blue eyes, exuded a calm demeanor. Indeed, she was a beautiful woman in men's clothing, popular among girls.

Laila, who had approached Marion first, was already holding her hand and speaking to her.

"Miss Marion, it's rare to see you choose the embroidery class. Would you like to sit with me?"

Laila, in a slightly higher-pitched voice, invited her in a coquettish manner.

"Laila, it's been a while. How have you been? It looks like your table is full, though."

"It's fine, I'll have someone move."

Laila answered as if it were no big deal. The tension in the group of girls around Laila was visible even from a distance.

"No, no, I arrived late, so it wouldn't be right. ... Ah, there's an empty seat over there. I'll go there. Thanks for the invitation."

Laila's hand was kissed lightly, and Marion moved to the empty seat. The series of actions were suave, and the girls' screams didn't stop.

"Is this seat okay?"

The empty seat... that is, Emma's table.

"Sure."

Ignoring the envious gazes of the other girls, Emma offered the seat.

The group that ended up sharing the embroidery table for the year included the heavy drinker Francesca, the unconventional bug lover Emma, the silver-haired, tactless twins Catherine and Caitlin, and the beautiful woman in men's clothing, Marion.

Somehow... isn't this group a bit too character-rich? While introducing herself to the newly added Marion, Emma tilted her head in thought.

The number of girls has suddenly increased.