Chapter Index

    Fastening the First Button Well (3)

    Fastening the First Button Well (3)

    As soon as the common subject time ended, lunch time arrived. Ariel, who had left the classroom at the speed of light as soon as the class ended, fearing someone might catch her, headed straight for the cafeteria.

    ‘Food!’

    Ariel couldn’t contain her excitement and her lips twitched. Thanks to naturally covering it with her hand, no one saw it, but if someone had seen this, Ariel’s public image would have changed that day.

    Lunch time. If asked to pick the most enjoyable moments of school life, the first would be going home time, the second would be lunch time, and the third would be break time. Ariel was no exception. Although she hadn’t properly listened to the class, being busy with other things, or rather, because of that, she had been looking forward to lunch time even more.

    For meal times at the academy, students go to either the dormitory cafeteria or the student cafeteria in the main building. Among these, lunch is always in the student cafeteria in the main building on days with classes.

    ‘I wonder how delicious it will be…’

    Ariel quickly swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth. It wasn’t particularly something to hide, but she loved eating delicious food very much. Even at home, meal times were when she was particularly relaxed, so no more words are needed.

    It’s said that the academy’s cafeteria is of such high quality that even high-ranking nobles can enjoy it. The description in the original story was quite impressive, and above all, when she investigated before enrollment, it was said that the cafeteria food was extremely delicious.

    Because of this, Ariel had high expectations for the cafeteria food even before enrollment, and now she was very excited at the thought of actually tasting it.

    ‘Ah, but if I go, I won’t have anyone to eat with.’

    Ariel hesitated momentarily at the minor concern that suddenly occurred to her. Going to the cafeteria is good. But there’s no one to sit and eat with.

    Ariel didn’t have a single person who others would call a friend. Being born a duke’s daughter, mediocre people found it burdensome to approach her, and her reputation wasn’t very good. Moreover, since Ariel woke up, she had been focusing only on studying for a while and hadn’t properly gone out, so she had neither time nor thought to build connections.

    ‘Oh? Am I completely alone?’

    Ariel’s eyes wavered, losing their place at this newfound realization. The great Walpurgis duke’s daughter, all alone…

    ‘Ah, no!’

    Even to become a villainess who bullies Mari, Ariel needs to make some connections. Even if they become useless later, isn’t it much more effective to bully in a group rather than alone?

    ‘There’s a good candidate, come to think of it.’

    Elizabeth Scrania, whom she met this morning. Starting with her, couldn’t she gather people one by one? Ariel nodded, admiring her own resourcefulness. Yes, even if the sky falls, there’s a hole to escape through, somehow you find a way.

    “What are you doing there?”

    “Huh?”

    Slowly turning her head at the sudden voice, she saw Reinhardt looking this way with his usual expression. Besides him were already two people, either friends or subordinates, which was in stark contrast to her who didn’t have even one person.

    ‘Ah, I recognize one of them.’

    It was the boy named Johan from the Holy Department whom she saw at the entrance ceremony. She didn’t know who the other one was, but he was a young man with a friendly impression and a somehow light-looking attitude that was quite impressive.

    ‘He’s already going around with people like that…’

    Is this that innate charisma or whatever it’s called? While I have no one. Even though I wanted to get along with Mari, I had to shake her off because of others’ gazes.

    “Hello, Your Highness.”

    But Ariel was a professional. Normally, she would have stood there blankly thinking ‘Huh? What’s going on now?’, her thoughts frozen, but thanks to the education she received at home, she could greet him without showing it.

    “I asked what you were doing.”

    Reinhardt asked again immediately after receiving Ariel’s greeting. Ariel blinked her eyes at his question, wondering what his intention was.

    “What I’m doing… Of course, I was going to the cafeteria to eat, but…”

    Hearing this, Reinhardt sighed and rubbed his forehead.

    “Sigh… Lady, I’ve told you many times that you and I are engaged.”

    “Yes. That’s correct.”

    Ariel, who knew this fact better than anyone, couldn’t understand why Reinhardt was suddenly reminding her of this again. Although it was a position she would soon step down from, she had never forgotten the fact that they were engaged.

    “Then why aren’t you trying to be together?”

    “Pardon?”

    Is that so? If you’re engaged, should you always be together? Reinhardt had mentioned it several times, but Ariel honestly couldn’t empathize. Isn’t it fine to just be together when necessary? You know, like at balls or events.

    Ariel had never had any romantic experience in her life. She was what you’d call a lifelong single, never having any romantic involvement with the opposite sex since birth. It wasn’t that she was particularly avoided by women, but she was so inexperienced that she hadn’t even properly flirted, let alone dated.

    Moreover, it’s not just an ordinary relationship, but an engagement, and one formed by agreement between families for political reasons. Reinhardt had said a few times that they needed to put on a show, but wasn’t that just for official events?

    “Is there really a need for that?”

    Reinhardt was at a loss for words at Ariel’s innocent question. How should he interpret this? It seems she’s genuinely asking because she doesn’t know, which made it even more dumbfounding.

    “Hahaha! Reinhardt, your fiancée is really interesting, isn’t she?”

    The young man beside Reinhardt burst into laughter, patting his shoulder. Seeing how boldly he treated Reinhardt, he must be a friend, not a subordinate? Ariel felt somehow even more empty than before.

    “Shut up.”

    “Okay, okay. We’ll be going then. Have a cozy time, you two. Let’s go, Johan.”

    “Yes. Then, excuse us.”

    As the two left first, only Reinhardt and Ariel remained. Of course, strictly speaking, they weren’t alone as they were standing in the academy corridor, but it was a good story for the parties involved.

    “Sigh… I have no intention of restraining you if you particularly want to be with someone else.”

    After a moment of silence, Reinhardt spoke with difficulty.

    “But if you don’t have anyone else, at least come to me. It would be much better than going alone.”

    “Wouldn’t I be a bother?”

    “A bother? Why? You and I are engaged. Rather, it’s common sense for us to be together.”

    The line of engagement in Ariel’s mind began to waver. Where should it start and where should it end? It’s not just a simple romance, but an engagement between the imperial family and a ducal family. Should she think of it like the mergers between large corporations she saw in her previous life? No, that seems a bit different too?

    Just as Ariel was about to malfunction, Reinhardt, seeming to have noticed something, quickly changed the subject.

    “Let’s go for now. We’ve delayed lunch time more than expected.”

    “Huh? Ah, yes…”

    As Reinhardt took the lead, Ariel followed him as if entranced. As Reinhardt led the way, those standing in the middle of the corridor parted to the left and right as if by agreement, allowing the two to pass through comfortably.

    ‘If I had my way, I’d like to set him up with Mari right now… but it’s okay since the event where Mari meets the Crown Prince is still far off.’

    As the body becomes comfortable, the mind wanders elsewhere, and Ariel had already fallen into other thoughts, which Reinhardt didn’t miss.

    “Don’t space out.”

    “Huh? I’m properly looking ahead.”

    That’s not what he meant. Reinhardt barely swallowed the words that had risen to his throat. Is this naive young lady unable to grasp what he’s trying to say?

    ‘Could she be an idiot?’

    For the first time, Reinhardt seriously thought about his fiancée. Ariel Walpurgis. It’s better not to think about her appearance before losing her memory. If she returns to that state, Reinhardt intends to reject her immediately.

    Then, what about the current Ariel? For a duke’s daughter, she’s somehow clumsy at everything, unnecessarily steps forward and makes things bigger, and then cleverly manages to clean things up…

    Is she an idiot? If asked, the only answer that comes is ambiguous. Objectively speaking, Ariel is by no means an idiot. To begin with, as a magician walking the path of magic, the word idiot doesn’t apply, and she passed the Milano Academy entrance exam as the top student, and according to what he casually asked the Duke of Walpurgis, she’s showing outstanding results in magic as well.

    In other words, she’s very intelligent. He can certainly guarantee that aspect. However, seeing her occasional clueless behavior like this, he couldn’t help but seriously question it.

    ‘Is she oblivious?’

    Reinhardt found her honest and quirky behavior, which he had never seen in the imperial court, amusing. But that freshness, rather, confused him.

    Ariel Walpurgis. Is she an idiot or a genius? Pondering this unsolvable question, Reinhardt slowed his pace slightly to make it easier for Ariel to follow.

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