Cleanup – 3

“How are you feeling? Are you alright?”

Hestia asked Seol-ah in a very caring and gentle voice.

“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

“Please don’t say that. Lady Lily is the one having the hardest time right now.”

Seol-ah seemed uncomfortable with Hestia’s kindness and tried to maintain as much distance as possible from her, but it was useless. The more Seol-ah tried to distance herself, the more Hestia approached her, trying to provide assistance. Hestia had already started speaking informally to Seol-ah.

“When did you two decide to speak informally?”

“Just now. It seemed a bit silly to be formal with each other after going through such a major event together. Besides, she said she wants to apologize to Lady Cordelia and become friends.”

It seems she talked to Hestia about her apology to Cordelia while waiting for me. Looking at her face made me recall last night’s dream, and the thought of my pleasant walk to school alone with Hestia being interrupted annoyed me. I stared intently at Seol-ah. She tried her best to avoid my gaze, pretending not to notice.

“You two seem to have become quite close in such a short time.”

“Lady Lily certainly made some mistakes, but she had unavoidable circumstances. She’s taking the initiative to apologize and ask for help.”

Hestia answered my question as if it were obvious. What a pure heart she has. When we get married, I should never let any con artists or similar people into our home.

Seol-ah seemed to find it increasingly difficult to make eye contact whenever Hestia treated her like a saint. She was clearly being cautious around her.

“Lady Adamas. Is something bothering you?”

“No! Not at all!”

Seol-ah was startled by my question. I didn’t ask anything unusual, but her excessive reaction was clearly suspicious. Now that I think about it, she seems to be cautious not only around Hestia but around me as well. Surely she couldn’t have planned something that would make her feel guilty overnight.

I whispered to her briefly while Hestia was looking elsewhere.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you avoiding eye contact?”

“There’s a reason.”

But Seol-ah insisted it was nothing, still refusing to look me in the eye.

“Lady Lily, I wonder if she’s still having a hard time?”

“What do you mean?”

When we arrived at the classroom, Seol-ah went to sit in a spot somewhat away from us. Despite our adjacent seats being empty, perhaps due to the early hour, she deliberately chose a different seat. Hestia whispered to me in a small voice.

“She seems to be avoiding our eyes since earlier. After what she went through yesterday, I wonder if she’s finding it difficult to face people. I’m wondering if I’m doing the wrong thing.”

Hestia was worried that Seol-ah’s suspicious behavior might be her fault. Knowing what Seol-ah had said last night, this concern was completely unfounded.

How can someone be so pure and innocent? I struggled to suppress my desire to embrace Hestia tightly. I should suggest that library date from my dream later. The place where we lay out a mat to stargaze all night and attending the school festival together also seem like good ideas. That strangely vivid nonsensical dream gave me excellent inspiration for date courses.

I decided to ease her unfounded worry.

“That can’t be it. Lady Adamas must be grateful to us, right? She probably just needs some time to sort out her thoughts.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course. She was crying with gratitude yesterday.”

Hestia hit my arm lightly and glared at me.

“How can you just say such things?”

“Ouch. Alright. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

I rubbed my arm where she hit me, exaggeratedly acting like it hurt.

“Hello!”

Looking at the clock, it was time for other students to arrive. Cordelia also came to school around the same time as the other students. She greeted us with a bright smile.

“You seem better today?”

“What do you mean?”

Cordelia sat down in her usual seat next to us and started a conversation.

“You were both really strange yesterday. Restless, like you couldn’t sit still.”

“Were we?”

“Yes. What happened?”

“Well, that…”

“We were worried about our club interview results.”

“Yes, that’s why.”

When I couldn’t answer immediately, Hestia, who had been listening beside me, jumped in with cover. Cordelia nodded. She seemed to accept Hestia’s explanation.

“The travel club, right? You still don’t have the results? Today is club activity day.”

Cordelia, who had seemed to accept the explanation, suddenly asked a sharp question. Her question left both Hestia and me speechless. Come to think of it, today is Friday. I recalled both my completely botched interview and Seol-ah’s face as she assured me of my acceptance. Can I confidently say I was accepted?

Originally, yesterday was supposed to be the day the results came out. It would be awkward for anyone to see that people who were so anxious about the interview results haven’t even checked them yet when the results have been out for a while. I was trying to figure out how to muddle through this.

“You both got in.”

Seol-ah approached us as we were struggling.

“What?”

Cordelia snapped at her as if she had never smiled at us before.

“Both of you were accepted into the travel club. I checked in the hallway earlier.”

“No, I mean, what are you doing here?”

Seol-ah fidgeted nervously, then placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

“I came to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“Lady Deneb. I’m truly sorry for everything until now.”

Seol-ah bowed deeply. Cordelia still seemed unsure of the situation, looking at her with a puzzled expression. Not many, but other students in the classroom were also murmuring about Seol-ah’s apology.

“What, what? What is this all of a sudden…!”

“I don’t think this will completely make up for the wrongs I’ve done to Lady Deneb.”

“First, raise your head! Quickly!”

Cordelia, seemingly embarrassed about receiving a sudden apology in front of other students, hurriedly stood up and made her raise her head. But the apology seemed to have had some effect, as her tone softened and changed from informal to formal speech.

“What are you plotting?”

“I’m not plotting anything. I really just wanted to apologize.”

Cordelia stared directly into Seol-ah’s eyes. Seol-ah didn’t avoid her gaze either. Their gazes collided fiercely in midair. Cordelia was the first to look away.

“I understand for now. But I don’t want to accept your apology right away.”

Cordelia came out unexpectedly strong. The pupils of Seol-ah, who had been trusting my boast that Cordelia would accept her apology, trembled. Flustered, she turned to look at me. It was a look that seemed to be asking for help. Earlier she had been gritting her teeth and avoiding eye contact, but now that she needs me, she acts like this. It’s a bit vexing. Intending to tease her, I ignored her look.

“I… I see.”

Seol-ah’s voice, having lost the ally she had been counting on—although only in her imagination—became noticeably dejected. Cordelia, upon hearing her dejected voice, seemed to waver. She started to say something to Seol-ah, then forced herself to swallow it, then tried to say something again, repeatedly.

Seol-ah’s pupils wandered here and there like a lost kitten, and Hestia also wore an expression of contemplation, wondering whether to intervene in this situation. I think I’ve teased Seol-ah enough. I stood up from my seat, approached Cordelia, and whispered in her ear.

“Lady Deneb. The one who forgives first is the one who wins.”

Cordelia, hearing my words, flinched as if she was shaken even more than before. I decided to deliver the final blow.

“And forgiveness is also a virtue of an excellent knight.”

“Is… that so?”

“Yes. There are many strong knights, but excellent knights who can forgive others first are rare. Only with a generous mindset can one become not just strong, but an excellent and respected knight.”

Cordelia nodded at my knight talk. She muttered to herself, as if explaining to someone, and convinced herself.

“Hmm, I think that’s right. It’s not that I particularly want to forgive her, but this is also for becoming an excellent knight.”

What, did she really change her mind because of this? She approached Seol-ah, who was still in a dejected state, and took her hand.

“I’ve reconsidered. Since you’ve apologized, I’ll forgive you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Seol-ah was taken aback by her suddenly changed attitude. She shot me a look demanding an explanation of what was happening. I casually ignored it.

Similarly surprised, Hestia whispered to me as I sat back down.

“What exactly did you say to Cordelia?”

“Just that forgiving first is knightly.”

“And her attitude changed that much with just those words?”

“I didn’t expect it to be this effective either.”

Even I, who had confidently promised Seol-ah, had actually planned to follow Cordelia around all day, reciting forgiveness maxims and brainwashing her if she didn’t accept the apology. I never thought she would completely change her mind so easily, falling for just two keywords—winner and knight.

“I should try that method next time I need to persuade Cordelia.”

“For example?”

“Like saying excellent knights don’t drink excessively or use violence?”

“Does Lady Deneb like alcohol that much?”

I don’t think I’ve seen any signs of that. Even though we’re at the Academy, we’re adults in this world. Naturally, students who are reckless enough to drink in the dormitories are rare, but students who enjoy alcohol often indulge in drinking and dancing at establishments outside the Academy. However, as far as I know, Cordelia has not touched alcohol since enrollment.

Hestia shook her head at my question.

“No. She doesn’t particularly like alcohol, but she has bad drinking habits.”

“Drinking habits?”

“Mikhail has seen it at the Eve Party. When Cordelia drinks and gets angry, she becomes extremely violent.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say her friend goes crazy or loses her mind. I recalled how at the Eve Party, Cordelia had struggled to slap Seol-ah, regardless of whether the Crown Prince was watching or if I was trying to stop her. I understood immediately.

“I see what you mean.”

“Usually, the most dangerous people aren’t those who get angry often, but those who are terrifying when they do get angry. Cordelia is like that. Mikhail was there too, so you know, right? That Cordelia isn’t someone who gets angry easily.”

Come to think of it, that’s true. Despite my teasing her several times, she never really got angry with me. Even when we did something that would have upset her, like having lunch with Seol-ah without her, she didn’t get angry.

“You’re right. Now that I think about it, she’s not really hot-tempered.”

“But once she gets angry, she doesn’t think about the consequences.”

Hestia looked at Cordelia, who was now conversing with Lily, as if she found her endearing. It wasn’t the look of a friend, but the look of a guardian watching a child.

“When you get to know her, she’s really a good person, but it seems like everyone approaches Cordelia with prejudice.”

“Now that you mention it, she was alone at the Eve Party too.”

I’ve thought about it before, but Cordelia really doesn’t have any friends except for Hestia. For me, given my original personality, it’s not strange that I didn’t have any. Besides, with Hestia around, I don’t particularly want other friends. Hestia has a couple of friends that I don’t know in other classrooms and other grades.

“There was a time when Cordelia held a tea party at her mansion.”

Hestia began her explanation with a wistful look.

“It was a tea party attended by daughters of noble families around Cordelia’s age, including me. There was someone who kept needlessly picking on Cordelia.”

I could guess what happened next without her saying.

“That person kept provoking her no matter how much Cordelia and I tried to reason with her. Eventually, Cordelia, who was furious to the tips of her hair, ignored the restraints of people around her and pulled out that person’s hair, creating a large hole in her scalp. Because of that, that person spread rumors all over high society. That Cordelia was barbaric, violent, and someone not to associate with.”

I almost laughed at the thought of Cordelia grabbing a handful of hair, pulling it out while snorting with anger, and the noble lady next to her crying over temporary circular baldness. I tried hard to suppress my laughter and continued speaking.

“Wow, what’s that person doing now?”

“She’s in the same grade as us. Just in a different class. Fortunately, things seem to have calmed down a bit since entering the Academy.”

So, Cordelia, unable to control her anger, showed a somewhat violent reaction, and the troublemaker with a patch on her head spread rumors all over town. And our foolish Cordelia, who is kind but has bad hand habits, did nothing while the rumors spread and became isolated as a result.

“Of course, using violence in any situation is wrong, but… it’s a bit unfair that only Cordelia is blamed for everything.”

“Didn’t the Imperial family and the Duke’s family do anything?”

It’s unlikely they would have remained silent when the Crown Prince’s fiancée was being ostracized in high society—an unprecedented situation.

“The Duke’s family tried to do something, but the Imperial family remained silent. It eventually fizzled out. I found it strange at the time, but thinking about it now, I think that criminal might have wanted to isolate Cordelia to bind her more easily.”

Hestia firmly believed that Cordelia had also been abused by Wilhelm. In fact, it wasn’t exactly to bind her but to make it easier to break off the engagement by isolating her, but I didn’t bother to correct her misunderstanding. Cordelia will probably talk about her unhappy engagement herself later. I didn’t want to babble about facts that Cordelia had been hiding all this time.

“So when Lady Lily said she wanted to apologize to Cordelia, I was a bit happy. Of course, the impression so far hasn’t been good, but I thought it would be nice if they could become friends while sharing their difficult experiences.”

“I see. By the way, do you know what’s happening with our travel club?”

Feeling that it wasn’t good to continue talking on this topic, I quickly changed the subject. I’d prefer if the two of them resolved their misunderstandings directly.

“Since it’s the first day, maybe it’ll be a recreation day? Oh, I should go check directly just in case.”

“Sure.”

I deliberately ignored Cordelia and Lily, who were still having some deep conversation, and stood up from my seat. They’ll figure it out themselves.