Rei Taylor

“I can’t believe a lowly commoner would have the gall to line her desk alongside mine, know your place!”

In response to my reprimand, the commoner gave but a bewildered stare. As though unable to grasp her current situation, she restlessly examined her surroundings before returning her gaze to me. How absolutely disrespectful.

It took all I had to reign in my irritation.

My name is Claire François, a proper lady, hailing from one of Bauer’s most distinguished noble families. My father, Dor François, serves as our kingdom’s Minister of Finance, overseeing the national treasury. Overall, our family’s influence was only eclipsed by the kingdom’s royalty and the prime minister. In effect, our household was distinguished even among other nobles as the third most powerful within the kingdom.

So, it should go without saying that I don’t attend some run of the mill establishment, but rather the Bauer Kingdom Royal Academy―a place that only a handful of elites should rightfully attend. The academy however, was currently facing a crisis… An influx of commoners, much like the one before me now.

“Ah, Claire…?”

“My! To think that you’d address me so casually!”

As a noble standing among the kingdom’s top, I could not stand to be addressed so casually by a mere commoner. As though to emphasize my point, my friends, Pipi and Loretta, stood beside me with their elegant brows standing on end.

As though it she had yet to fully grasp the situation, the commoner met my gaze and said,

“Claire-sama.”

Finally, she spoke in a manner befitting of the gap in our status. Goodness… the kingdom had only just graced them with the opportunity to attend this academy and they’re already so cheeky! This is exactly why commoners are…

“Yes, much better. Commoners must address those above them properly.”

“Do you know my name?”

She asked as though she was looking to confirm something. Normally I’d never go out of my way to remember the name of a commoner, but it also wouldn’t sit well with me if she were to belittle my memory.

“Are you trying to make a fool of me? Rei Taylor.”

Yes, Rei Taylor. She was this year’s valedictorian among students who entered from outside. She was but one of the commoners that had managed to slip into our esteemed academy, solely because her abilities were recognized.

As previously stated, the Royal Academy is a prestigious academy meant solely for heirs of distinguished families. However, status alone was not enough. Only the elite among the elites who passed through the rigorous examination process were allowed to enroll. In spite of all that, the current king, King Rousseau, introduced new policies favoring ability and competency, ultimately allowing some commoners to mix in. It’s absolutely disgraceful that the likes of commoners be allowed to line their desks and learn alongside us nobles! I, as the finance minister’s very own daughter, must protect order within this academy.

Just as I was about to offer more harsh advice,

“Heck yeah!”

Inexplicably, the commoner expressed joy. That was certainly an odd reaction.

“Could I ask that you refrain from suddenly spouting nonsense? Not to mention such vulgar language! This is why commoners are…”

As exemplified here, there was a large rift between nobles and commoners, even in something as simple as the way that we speak. Should commoners continue to enroll, I was certain that the Royal Academy’s influence would plummet.

“While I respect the King, I simply cannot bring myself to agree with these new policies.”

“It’s just as you say, Claire-sama.”

“Yes, absolutely!”

Pipi and Loretta expressed their sympathy. The academy was meant to be a garden for nobility, certainly not a place where commoners should tread.

If I was able to teach the top scorer her proper place, I’m sure the other commoners would follow suit. With that in mind, just as I was about to continue my rebuke,

“Claire-sama.”

She called out my name.

“What is it? I’d prefer it if you didn’t make a habit of calling my name in such a familiar manner.”

What she said in response to my blunt words, truly exceeded my comprehension.

“I love you.”

“…Huh?”

Wait, what did this commoner just say? Love? What could she mean by that…? There are obviously many interpretations of love. Friendly, familial, romantic… but none of them seem to fit our current context. Eh? But it couldn’t be. There’s no way she meant that literally… right?

“Claire-sama, I love you a lot.”

“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!?”

What on earth is this commoner saying!? Out of all of the ways I could’ve broached the topic, I chose to berate her and she says she loves me!?

“What are you saying!?”

“What…? I am simply saying that I love you a lot!”

Her expression displayed genuine confusion. I couldn’t sense even a trace of ill will. However, it was absolutely impossible that her words were meant to be taken literally. What could her intentions be?

After a bit of thought, I arrived at a certain possibility. I see, so that was her aim.

“H-hmph, a lowly commoner such as yourself is looking to win my favor? That’s a fruitless endeavor. I have no intention of being swayed by a measly commoner.”

There were always people around me who would pamper me to chase after my family’s social standing. This girl was surely just another one of them. With a swift motion, I turned my face away.

“… Absolutely adorable.”

Wh-What did she just!?

“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!”

I was accustomed to having my looks complimented, but I would often hear pretty, beautiful, or even more flowery language. How many years has it been since someone has called me adorable? No, that wasn’t the issue at hand. She and I were both maidens! In spite of that, she spoke as though she was a potential suitor.

“You… are you one of those who traverse a different path?”

Women who prefer other women frequently appeared within fiction. Most often, those women were portrayed as lecherous and loose. I couldn’t help but feel that she exuded something of that nature as well.

“No, that’s not… well, maybe… but putting that aside, Claire-sama is just too adorable!”

“Eeep!?”

It’s settled. This commoner is one of those deviants. How repulsive!

“Claire-sama, you hate me, right?”

“O-Of course, isn’t that obvious!”

There wasn’t even a trace of something that I could come to like!

“That’s fine. Go on and bully me, I’m all for it!”

“Wh… What is up with this girl…”

She’s beyond comprehension. She claims to like me but she doesn’t mind that I hate her. Furthermore, she claims that she wants to be bullied―absolutely incomprehensible. Though the commoner before me was unmistakably a human, I looked at her as though she was an unknown organism.

“Alright, it’s the beginning of our fun, happy times, isn’t it Claire-sama! Let’s get the most out of it, together!”

“Why do you speak as though my involvement is already guaranteed!?”

At that time, I didn’t even have the slightest inkling… that this commoner who appeared absolutely revolting, would one day become my life long partner.

Pipi & Loretta

“What is with that commoner!”

“Truly! I can’t believe that she’d take such a casual tone with someone of Claire-sama’s stature…”

We were currently in a gazebo within the academy’s grounds.

The academy has gazebos in various locations on campus and they’re set up so that students can use them freely. Pipi, Loretta, and I frequently gathered at the one in the center of the academy’s courtyard for tea.

Pipi is the daughter of the House Barlier, a family with deep-seated connections in Bauer’s business world. She’s a sweet girl with medium-long rose brown hair and fair white skin. Loretta hails from House Cugletto, a family well renowned for their history of military service. Her short black hair gives her a bit of a boyish look. We’ve been friends long before our enrollment, and continue to spend much of our time together now.

For today’s tea party, we were having a black tea that had been imported from a distant western country. Accompanying the tea was a large assortment of confectioneries, all procured from our kingdom’s most prominent diner, Blume. While the two paired and complemented one another splendidly, the true appeal of our regular tea parties was of course―the small talk. Today’s primary topic was none other than that peculiar commoner.

“Claire-sama, is it really okay to leave things the way they are? I mean after all that she said.”

“Yeah, if you leave her be, she’ll certainly cause chaos within the academy!”

I understood what they were trying to say. If the commoner were to make light of me, the heiress to one of the kingdom’s most influential noble households, it would mean that she was making light of nobility in general. That was something that I could not allow.

“Ohーho, ho, ho! Rest at ease, Loretta, Pipi.”

To soothe their worries, I gave a spirited laugh.

“It’s but a commoner, whether there be one or many, I’ll chase them out in no time.”

That’s right. In the end, it’s nothing to fret over. Though she has her oddities, she’s ultimately still human. With a little bit of bullying she’ll surely lose heart and leave the academy. While I do not take pride in bullying the weak, this was for the sake of maintaining public order.

“Claire-sama, you’re always so reliable!”

“So, so? How do you plan to drive her away?”

“Well…”

Even among nobles, I have often heard rumors of bullying from both sides of the spectrum. However, having been born in the François household, I was raised without having experienced any of it directly. While this was generally a positive thing, it also means that I didn’t have anything specific in mind.

“Pipi, Loretta, just for reference, what approach would you two take?”

“Me? If it were me… ah, we could line the insides of her shoes with broken glass.”

“G-glass!?”

Eh, by glass she means… glass, right? Should we go through with that and by the slimmest of chances she were to put them on without noticing… wouldn’t that just be terrible? Surely she spoke in jest. Pipi, you’re not actually the kind of girl that would do something so terrifying… are you?

“I, I see… L-loretta, what about you?”

“Hmm, if it were me… perhaps I’d light her school uniform on fire.”

“Fire!?”

If we did something like that she’d surely suffer large burns! What should I do? Had bullying among nobles really escalated so much? I could only wonder where the public morals committee had been in all of this.

“But Claire-sama, there’s no way that you would stop at something so mild, right?”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing exactly how Claire-sama chooses to corner her prey!”

In a sense I appreciated their enthusiasm and support, but what was this sense of fear? I can’t let these two get carried away, or it could result in a disaster that couldn’t be covered up with the simple label of, “bullying”. I must think of something…

… That’s it.

“Pipi, Loretta, both of you are still much too naive. Bullying isn’t simply about being heinous.”

“Oh? Please go on.”

“Gulp.”

Their eyes suddenly lit up. Again, why were they so enthusiastic about this? Why were they looking at me with faces filled with such expectation? It felt as though I had unearthed a side of them that I’d rather not have, and frankly, I was shell shocked.

“First… I’ll push her from behind.”

“Down a flight of stairs!?”

“No, you mean off of a veranda, right!?”

Hey… you two, let’s calm down just a bit. Perhaps we could discuss the mental image that you both seem to have of me…

“Next… I’ll step on her.”

“With stilettos!?”

“On her face!?”

Don’t they understand that stepping on her face with a stiletto could cause a fracture!? Just one misstep and it’d all be over!

“Then I’ll take her textbook…”

“And tear it to shreds!?”

“No, you’ll burn it, won’t you!?”

Doing that would be a huge waste of precious paper! Shouldn’t they both know that the resources we have are a blessing from The Spirit!?

“After that, once she’s alone…”

“Are you going to lock her up!?”

“Claire-sama, you demonー!”

The demons here were clearly the two of them! Had I mixed in with the wrong crowd…?

“W-water…”

“You’re going to deprive her!?”

“Then, as if that weren’t enough, we’ll elegantly enjoy our tea right in front of her!”

I don’t even want to think about such a cruel tea party! Pipi and Loretta… you both suddenly seem as though you’re from some faraway country…

“I’ll put a vase on her desk…”

“You’ll take a broken vase and her faceー!?”

“You’ll slam her face into the shards!?”

Just what kind of violence!? Though she may be a commoner, what do these two think a maiden’s face is!?

“… It’s too perfect, Claire-sama…”

“… We’re not worthy…”

“R-really now…”

Personally I was starting to feel that these two were a bit scary. They had calmed down a little now, but there was something about their strange enthusiasm earlier that reminded me of that commoner. There wasn’t anything strange mixed into our tea and sweets, was there? Come to think of it, it seemed that some of the sweets did contain trace amounts of alcohol but… could it be?

“W-well… putting the details aside for now, I’d ask that you leave it to me. I’m certain that it won’t be long before the commoner disappears from the academy.”

While pulling the reins on the conversation, I took a sip from my cup.

“We’ll help you!”

“Yes, of course!”

In spite of their generous offer,

“I won’t allow it!”

“Claire-sama…”

“Why not…?”

I promptly declined.

“I won’t allow the two of you to dirty your hands. I will see to it that I bring that commoner into submission with my own two hands!”

Yes. So long as she confronts me on her own, I will respond in kind. I’ll settle the matter personally, without relying on anyone else.

“That’s just what I’d expect of you, Claire-sama.”

“I, Pipi, have found an even deeper respect for you, Claire-sama.”

The two looked directly at me, their gazes filled with admiration. I was worried what exactly they were thinking, as it seemed they both had a way of jumping to conclusions.

“Pipi, Loretta, I’ll say it once again. Neither of you are to lift a finger! Understood?”

“Yes!”

“I will devote myself to observing Claire-sama’s every move!”

And so, my plans to bully that cheeky commoner were set into motion. However, I would later come to realize that all of the ideas I had come up with over the course of that evening would be nothing more than a reward to her.

Misha Yule

While walking through the academy I happened to see “her”. There was something I needed to discuss with her, but it wasn’t something that I wanted Pipi and Loretta to overhear so I found my opportunity and slipped away.

“It’s been a long time since we last met, Misha.”

“Hm? Oh… Good day to you, Claire-sama.”

When I called out to her, the young lady gave a polite bow and courteous response. This cool beauty with silver hair and scarlet eyes was Misha Yule. Though a fair amount of time had passed since we last met, her expression retained the same composure that I knew her for. She constantly maintained a very neutral gaze, making her difficult to read.

“There’s no need for you to force formalities. Congratulations on your enrollment, Misha. Though you may be a commoner now, you hail from true noble lineage, this clearly distinguishes you from the average commoner.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I believe that it’s important we keep boundaries clear.”

Ultimately choosing to maintain the proper stance that a commoner should take toward a noble was just like Misha. House Yule was a distinguished lineage that held the rank of Marquis and was charged with managing the kingdom’s land and infrastructure. They had deep ties with the royal family, and I had heard that Misha was particularly close with the Third Prince, Yuu-sama. Historically, many members of the Yule family were both steadfast and earnest individuals and Misha was no exception. Putting it nicely she was sincere, but at times a tad too much so.

“Is that so, then we’ll continue as is. But well, it’s quite the shame that things turned out this way.”

“It’s only natural. Struggles over authority are commonplace amongst nobility and the losers are meant to quietly disappear.”

Misha’s tone made it clear that her words were not a brave front; she had simply accepted the truth. Her expression showed no signs of regret nor bitterness. This dignity too, was another one of the Yule family’s exemplary qualities.

The Bauer Kingdom’s most influential powers were broken into four large groups. The first was the royal family. They defined the kingdom and have continued to rule over it for nearly 2000 years. As such, it should go without saying that they hold the most authority. However, the shape of that authority has gradually shifted. Rather than directly vying for authority, the royal family drew on its rich history and deep ties to kingdom traditions. In truth, some households were already beginning to eclipse the royal family in either financial or political pull.

Another group was the household that I belonged to, the house of the Duke of François. Throughout the kingdom’s long history, the head of our family continued to serve as its Minister of Finance. In recent years, we had begun to accumulate both financial and political momentum to rival the royal family. While we did fall behind Salas Lilium-sama, the Prime Minister, and his faction of supporters in political influence, none came close to matching us in the financial pull. As we held jurisdiction over the national treasury, no noble could survive should they catch our ire. But rest assured, my father, Dor François, would never wield such authority for his own personal benefit.

The third group was composed of Prime Minister Salas-sama and his faction. The reason it was not referred to as House Lilium was because Salas-sama’s household itself did not hold much power. Salas-sama hailed from a lineage that could only be considered petty nobility. Yet, in spite of that, he blazed his path to success and secured the position of the kingdom’s Prime Minister by his own merits. While again, his faction did not hold a candle to our household financially, they more than made up for it with political prowess. There was a tacit agreement among nobles that many of the policies the current King had put into motion would not have gained traction without Salas-sama’s backing. It would not be an overstatement to say that this faction was held together by Salas-sama’s charismatic political influence.

Finally, we had the house of the Marquis of Achard. House Achard was a house with history that ran almost as deep as that of the royal family itself. Just a few generations ago, they held the rank of duke alongside us. However, the head at that time made a poor political gamble against our very own House François and lost, resulting in the demotion. In spite of that, House Achard continued to hold sway greater than the rank of their title may suggest. In the end, authority and history meant absolutely everything to nobility, and in that respect, House Achard held true prestige. Perhaps to be expected, this faction had fervently opposed King Rousseau’s new policies prioritizing ability over lineage. They were a conservative group that pushed to maintain the tried and true. Though they didn’t stand out, they took pride in their long standing stability.

Pardon me, the preamble went too long. To return to the matter at hand, House Achard humbled House Yule in a political struggle for power. Though the Yule family tried to avoid siding with any factions and keep a neutral stance, they unfortunately caught the attention of House Achard and were brought down. Rumor had it that House Achard’s true aim was House Yule’s connection to the royal family, but nothing could be confirmed.

“By the way, Claire-sama, did you have something specific in mind when you called out to me?”

“Ah yes, yes I did!”

I had almost forgotten.

“It’s about your roommate!”

“About Rei? Did she do something?”

“Not just something! Just what is with that commoner! Every time she speaks it’s nothing but nonsense. I have never once lay my eyes on such a crass individual!”

“… Eh? That’s… my deepest apologies.”

Though Misha momentarily showed visible confusion, she quickly lowered her head to apologize and asked,

“For reference, if I may ask, what exactly did Rei do…?”

“T-that’s…!”

In contrast to Misha’s composure, I faltered and stumbled over my words. What that commoner said… what she said…

“She said that she… L-, loves me or something of the sort…”

“Eh? I couldn’t hear you, what was that?”

“I, I said…”

“I’m listening.”

Why must I lose myself over something so trifle! There’s no way that I could allow those countless shameless phrases to escape my noble mouth!

“This is all that depraved commoner’s fault…!”

“Claire-sama?”

“In any case! See to it that she learns proper etiquette and to address nobles with respect!”

“Pardon my words, but I was under the impression that Rei was already quite prudent…”

“In what way!? It’s as though someone took unadulterated crass, simmered it down and solidified it to form her very being!”

“… Are we still talking about Rei?”

Misha tilt her head in confusion. Something was off. How could our impressions of that commoner be so starkly incompatible?

“Let me ask you just for reference, but how do you perceive that commoner?”

“Well, how do I put this… She’s common?”

“Common!? That… her!?”

“Yes. I’m not sure what she’s done to upset you to this degree, but Rei is truly just a normal child who tends not to stand out.”

Suddenly I felt faint. That.. was meant to be normal? Could it be that I was oblivious and the majority of commoners acted in that same way? I suddenly found myself deeply concerned for Bauer’s future.

“She has a bright personality and tends to be optimistic, but otherwise doesn’t have any remarkable traits. Ah, but she does excel in her studies.”

“But otherwise doesn’t have any remarkable traits… that… that…”

Commoners are truly horrifying. It was just as I had thought, without nobles standing at the top to lead the way, this kingdom would surely perish.

“Then let me ask you, Claire-sama, how would you describe her?”

“She’s a depraved deviant.”

“What?”

“Like I said! A depraved deviant! Just what is up with her! That commoner dares to make attempts to court my affection as though completely oblivious of her proper place. Absolutely incomprehensible! Besides, doesn’t she realize that we’re both ladies!?”

“Attempts to court your affection? Rei did something like that?”

“Yes, that’s what I said! While I’m sure she’s just mocking me, it’s not the least bit funny!”

“…”

As I continued without pause, Misha tilted her head further at a loss for words.

“Is something the matter?”

“Not in particular but I just can’t escape the feeling that you and I may have met an entirely different person.”

“She has black eyes and medium black hair, maybe about as tall as me or a little taller with a peasantly build. It’s that commoner, do you really think I would mistake her?”

“You’re really quite observant.”

“With the impression that she left, I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to!”

“Is that so?”

Leaving those simple words behind, Misha offered a chuckle.

“Hey, Misha, why are you laughing?”

“My apologies, but Claire-sama, you seem to be having fun.”

“Fun!? I am!?”

“Yes.”

With a faint smile still on her face, Misha continued.

“Claire-sama, you always wear an elegant smile befitting of your nobility, but that smile is ultimately a facade. You only show your true smile to the select few that you’ve opened up to like Pipi-sama and Loretta-sama, right?”

“That’s…”

Not… I couldn’t say it with confidence.

“It appears to me that you may have actually taken quite the liking to Rei. Otherwise, I don’t think that she would be able to draw out your emotions in this way.”

“There’s no way! There’s just ABSOLUTELY no way!”

Me!? Opening up to someone like that!?

“I just―that commoner is just so crass that I had to approach you. As her roommate I ask that you warn her of her improper―”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to give her a stern warning. But Claire-sama, so far as I can tell, she’s only like that in front of you.”

“She’s like that… only toward me?”

“Yes, Claire-sama, perhaps Rei also sees you as someone very special.”

I’m… special…?

“I-In any case, I think I’ve made my intentions clear enough! If I catch that commoner spouting such nonsense again, there’s no saying what will happen!”

“I understand, I’ll make sure she hears it loud and clear.”

“Then it’s in your hands! I bid you farewell!”

With that, I parted ways with Misha.

“Claire-sama! Where have you been?”

“We couldn’t find you anywhere, we were so worried.”

“Sorry to worry you two, but there’s no need to fret.”

Reuniting with Pipi and Loretta, we went to have tea at our usual gazebo. The tea that had been prepared by Lene, my long trusted maid, was delicious as always.

But hm.

“I’m… special…”

I just couldn’t seem to clear my mind of Misha’s words. I felt no joy in garnering the affection of a commoner. Not in the slightest, or at least I shouldn’t…

And yet, that girl’s carefree smile simply wouldn’t leave my head.