Ch.99Class (1)

“Excuse me? I’m a bit hard of hearing… could you please repeat your name?”

“Jeanne, Jeanne de Bourgogne.”

“…”

This is driving me crazy.

When I saw a pretty girl enter the theology department, which is off-limits to women, I was curious and tried to strike up a conversation, but what? Bourgogne?

There’s no way she could be a Bourgogne. As far as I know, there’s no one named Jeanne in the Bourgogne family.

But… what’s with this attitude?

‘She’s way too confident.’

She seems to have absolutely no doubt that she’s a Bourgogne. Moreover, if someone were impersonating a Bourgogne, they’d face worse than death, and if she were a fraud, the admissions office would have verified her identity and thrown her out long ago.

Have I been so absorbed in studying scripture that I’ve lost touch with worldly news?

No matter how devout one’s faith is, one shouldn’t completely turn away from secular matters… I’ve made a big mistake.

“Hmm… I see. May I call you Miss Jeanne?”

“Yes, that will suffice.”

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I should try to get close to her for now.

There’s nothing to lose by associating with the Bourgogne family, the ruling house of Lotharing.

Besides, having such a pretty woman by my side would be pleasing to the eye, wouldn’t it? If things go well, we might even become… you know, close.

‘…Tsk.’

While the student chatting with Jeanne is inwardly spreading his wings of happiness, Jeanne herself looks him up and down with eyes full of contempt.

Though she may not be able to use her abilities properly anymore, she doesn’t need special powers to read the thoughts of a man who grins lecherously with such a disgusting expression.

Jeanne imagines what the man before her is thinking and feels extremely repulsed.

How dare he harbor such filthy emotions toward me, who belongs to the Saint! I should right here and now— Kuh… No.

‘Be patient. My mission is not to fight but to spread the gospel.’

If I raise my voice, others will distance themselves from me. That would prevent me from properly fulfilling the Saint’s mission.

I must endure by any means necessary. Simply keeping my distance should be enough.

I cannot punish someone merely for their thoughts; judgment must come after actions have occurred… as it is written in the scripture.

“Thanks to Miss Jeanne, the atmosphere has become—”

Beeeeeeeep—

Jeanne blocks out all sounds entering her ears and all light entering her eyes, continuously reciting scripture in her mind to endure.

Some students, noticing Jeanne’s discomfort, try to exclude the man speaking to her, hoping to score points with her, but Jeanne remains uninterested in all of them.

……….

“Ellen?”

Noise has arisen from an unexpected place.

I never thought people would express discomfort about Ellen not having a surname. I was too arrogant not to consider such a possibility.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Some students became greatly agitated upon realizing she has no surname, but the heir of Bermand who was present quelled the commotion.”

“Is that so? I must express my gratitude to them later.”

Fortunately, there was a noble who didn’t particularly care about such matters. If there hadn’t been even one, an annoying situation would have erupted.

The protest letters disguised as greetings on my desk right now show that such a possibility was quite real.

Those Bermands have been doing commendable things since my coronation, and they’ve done it again this time. I should throw them some rewards later.

‘Ellen… hmm, what should I do?’

I don’t particularly care about these pathetic protest letters, but it would be sad if Ellen were pressured by students and ended up living like a timid mouse.

Ellen was a child who understood everything I said perfectly and asked thoughtful questions, which I found quite admirable. The thought of such a bright child being intimidated just because she lacks a surname is very displeasing.

“I should give Ellen a surname.”

“That would be appropriate. If left as is, Miss Ellen won’t be able to conduct her classes properly.”

I didn’t think Ellen’s lack of a surname mattered at all, but I failed to realize that others were unlikely to think as I do.

I should give her a surname now… hmm, what would be good?

“Where did Ellen say she was from?”

“From Dijon to the east, further east than Besançon, from a nameless village.”

“I wanted to name her after her hometown, but that seems difficult. In that case…”

A nameless village as her hometown—that complicates things slightly.

If I gave her the surname Besançon, the lord of Besançon would be angry, so that’s out of the question… hmm.

Then perhaps I should derive a surname from her profession? Ellen’s profession is professor… no, doctor? Herbalist?

If I think about deriving a surname from doctor or herbalist… Kuk, if I use “doctor” as a surname, there’s obviously only one choice!

“I hereby bestow upon Ellen the surname Medici, with a family crest of six pills engraved on a golden shield. To prevent the family line from dying out, I also permit matrilineal marriage for her generation.”

“Your Majesty?”

Leclerc is slightly taken aback by the sudden progression of our conversation, but this can’t be helped.

How could I resist giving a pharmacist the surname Medici?

“Her rank shall be that of a noblesse de robe with the status equivalent to a baron. Despite her somewhat humble origins, isn’t a university professor qualified to be treated as a baron?”

“…Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.”

Leclerc stares at my face intently before shaking his head resignedly, as if judging that he could never persuade me… hmm, I appreciate him playing along, but it feels a bit unpleasant.

“Convey my will to Ellen immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The students who caused the commotion are all still there, and Ellen has classes tomorrow.

If we don’t resolve this before today ends, Ellen will face difficulties in tomorrow’s class, so it’s best to finish quickly.

……….

“Hello everyone. Yesterday I explained the entire curriculum for the year, so from today we’ll begin regular classes as announced.”

“…”

‘Nothing suspicious was found… huh.’

One might think the servants have collectively lost their minds, making such a declaration just a day after I ordered them to investigate Ellen’s background, but it seems Ellen was quite well-known at the university.

When they asked professors and servants working at the university about Ellen, all one hundred out of one hundred responded that Ellen was just a girl from a nameless countryside, and her appointment as a university professor was purely due to her own abilities…

Hmm, just a girl who overcame her poor communication skills with sheer ability—I thought there was something more to her, but I was mistaken.

“First, regarding hygiene—”

“What, is the professor just going to continue like this?”

“Tsk, is this the merit-based advantage His Majesty spoke of? It’s horrifying to think that nameless nobodies could be placed above me.”

At that moment, voices filled with contempt from students filled the lecture hall, causing Ellen to immediately fall silent.

‘…Those bastards.’

I clearly gave them a warning yesterday, but after one night’s sleep, they’ve forgotten like chickens?

No, chickens would flee at the first sign of danger, but these bastards don’t even do that—they’re worse than chickens.

“Hey—”

“This is more outrageous than I expected.”

“—?”

Suddenly, a very calm but slightly angry voice comes from behind me. Somehow, despite not shouting and speaking calmly, the voice fills the entire lecture hall.

‘…I won’t need to step in.’

Glancing in the direction of the voice, I see an old man standing there. His attire is very neat, and his posture exudes dignity.

With his thin but well-balanced body, the slight scars on his face, calm expression, and white hair, he must be Leclerc, known as Lotharing’s second-in-command. If he’s decided to handle this, there’s no need for me to presumptuously intervene.

“Others were merely rude but didn’t cross the line, but you there—you’re expelled, so pack your things and leave immediately. If you want a refund of your admission fee, you can have it as you wish.”

“W-what?! Me?”

“Can’t you even hear properly?”

An example… no, that bastard deserves what’s coming to him.

Leclerc points to the student who mocked His Majesty’s decree and immediately expels him. The student tries to say something, but Leclerc’s sharp gaze instantly silences him.

To intimidate someone with just a gaze from such a distance—I’d only heard rumors and couldn’t really grasp it, but seeing it firsthand, the pressure is tremendous.

“I have many things I’d like to say… but first, Lady Ellen does not lack a surname.”

“Huh?”

“She simply chose not to reveal it because she thought it might cause confusion. She is not of humble birth as you all assume.”

Leclerc says this while frowning and scanning the lecture hall.

What is he talking about?

Everyone at the university knew as a matter of course that Ellen had no surname.

“Ah… haha…”

Glancing at Ellen, I see her face has turned red as she awkwardly scratches her cheek, unable to stay still.

Judging by that reaction, Leclerc’s words must be true.

Let’s see… so it’s true that revealing her surname would cause confusion… but what surname could be so confusing—

“Lady Ellen’s name is Ellen de Medici, someone who received her surname directly from His Majesty, so never treat her disrespectfully again.”

“…”

That would indeed cause confusion.

Until just a moment ago, the lecture hall was filled with various noises—people shifting in their seats, breathing, whispering—but as soon as Leclerc finished speaking, the hall became a completely silent space, as if everyone had lost their hearing.