A Great? First Step (6)

Ariel couldn’t understand the current situation at all. Why did Mari come forward as if to protect her? Why was she glaring at Reinhardt?

‘This is strange… Didn’t these two start off with a good impression as soon as they met?’

As is typical of the royal family in this country, Reinhardt also likes talented people. To the extent that if he thinks someone is good, he wants to talk to them regardless of their social status.

That’s why he couldn’t help but be interested in Mari, who entered as the top student from the entrance ceremony, despite being a commoner. Just when he was getting tired of Ariel’s brutal side, he found it quite interesting to talk with Mari, who was kind and capable, and there was a description that he had a good first impression of her.

Mari, too, was initially nervous about Reinhardt’s status as the crown prince and couldn’t speak properly, but as they conversed, she gradually opened up and enjoyed the conversation.

But for some reason, the current Mari was showing wariness towards Reinhardt. Why?

Ariel couldn’t understand at all.

“Lady Ariel is not that kind of person.”

“Then what is this that I heard?”

“It was just that I lost in a duel during class. It might have looked to others like Lady Ariel was bullying me, but that’s not the case.”

No, that’s exactly what it was. That’s right! The words rose to Ariel’s throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. For some reason, she had a strong intuition that saying anything now would be utterly useless.

“Lady Ariel pointed out one by one what I needed and even gave me advice. It’s all just baseless rumors.”

“Is that so?”

Reinhardt’s face as he turned to look at Ariel was similar to before, but with a slightly more relaxed expression.

‘I, I need to deny it.’

Seeing Mari looking at her with a face that seemed to say “I did well, didn’t I?”, Ariel’s mind became so confused that she didn’t know what to say. How did the situation turn out like this? Why is Mari protecting her like this in the first place? Ariel couldn’t understand.

“W-Well… that is…”

In the end, unable to say anything properly and only stammering, Ariel felt frustrated with herself and shouted with a feeling of “whatever happens, happens.”

“Yesno!”

“What?”

What finally came out of her mouth was neither ‘yes’ nor ‘no’, but a strange word. As Reinhardt’s expression changed subtly, Ariel hurriedly spoke.

“I-Isn’t the break time almost over, Your Highness?”

“Hmm, indeed it is.”

Looking at the time, there really wasn’t much left. While it might be fine for Ariel and Mari, for Reinhardt who had to return to the academy’s main building, it was about time to leave.

“I apologize for the intrusion. I’ll be on my way then.”

Finally, he’s leaving. That was a close call. Ariel secretly wiped her chest with a sigh of relief.

“Before I go, there’s one thing I’d like to say.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Now that I’m at the academy, I have no intention of being here as the crown prince. Here, I’m just Reinhardt, and I intend to treat you as Ariel, not Ariel Walpurgis.”

“Y-Yes?”

Sensing an unusual atmosphere, Ariel swallowed hard. She had a strong feeling that a bombshell statement was about to drop. She shouldn’t hear what comes next. The moment she hears it, she feels like she won’t be able to control herself…

“There’s no need to call me ‘Your Highness’ here. Just call me Reinhardt. And if it’s alright with you, I’d like to call you by your name as well.”

Ariel’s thoughts came to a halt at that point.

The duel between Ariel and Mari spread throughout the academy in an instant. On the surface, it looked like a duke’s daughter oppressing a powerless commoner, which could have led to a rather negative image, but…

“After confirming it directly, it seems there was a misunderstanding. It was just a duel during class.”

When Reinhardt, her fiancé and the crown prince, took the lead in denying it, the rumors quickly subsided. Mari, one of the parties involved, also claimed it wasn’t the case, and Ariel, the other party, couldn’t give a proper answer, so naturally, the rumor changed once again.

[The Walpurgis lady personally gave feedback to a commoner and kindly taught her one by one!]

Mari did not deny this rumor.

Ariel Walpurgis. Her name was not associated with a very good image in noble society. Born as the only daughter of Duke Walpurgis and living with nothing to envy, she was known to be arrogant, looking down on others and treating subordinates poorly. While she was famous as a magic prodigy when young, as she grew up, she was evaluated as an immature lady with unremarkable talent.

But upon actually seeing her, all those rumors were completely denied. Ariel Walpurgis was by no means an immature lady. She had magical skills good enough to enter the magic department of Milano Academy as the top student, and moreover, an extraordinary mind that allowed her to reach the top overall rank. On top of that, from the entrance ceremony, she showed a merciful side by protecting a commoner who was also a top student, and her evaluation was changing in real-time.

“Actually, when you look into it, wasn’t she an amazing person?”

“She might have matured…”

“Can a person change that much?”

Ariel Walpurgis had changed. This was a fact that both those who had only heard rumors about her and those who had actually met her could agree on.

“At this rate, she might be suitable as the crown princess…”

“At least she has the family background and ability. If she just maintains her top rank… no, even if she drops a bit, it should be fine.”

The sharp-witted nobles started calculating in their heads. Ariel Walpurgis. If she puts her mind to it, creating a faction would be an extremely easy task for her. The daughter of Duke Walpurgis and the crown prince’s fiancée. She lacks nothing to become the head of a faction.

As they started thinking about what they could gain by entering under her first and what benefits they could get by watching the situation, the atmosphere among the noble children at the academy changed in an instant.

Until then, Ariel was like a ship with a hole that would sink on its own if left alone. The crown prince is not a fool. He wouldn’t choose the future empress so easily. Even if he stayed still, the emperor would cut her off. That’s what they thought.

But not anymore. They’ve learned Ariel’s true nature. Whether she had matured, or it was a simple change of heart, or whether what she had shown until now was an act, she was showing a capable side completely different from what they had heard. If this continues, she will become the crown princess without any problems and will become the empress.

If they don’t hurry, they’ll be too late. It’s a well-known fact that those who enter later get less than those who enter first.

Having finished their thoughts, the nobles began to move without anyone taking the lead. Ariel is still alone without any faction. If they go now, the first one to go could sit at her right hand.

When classes ended, Ariel returned to the dormitory with a dazed face and went straight to her room. Mari said she was going out for a while, so it would take some time before she returned.

In other words, this was a time when she could be comfortable without having to mind anyone’s eyes. Ariel lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. If Murie had been beside her, she would have nagged her ears off, but unfortunately, the maids here didn’t particularly point out such things. They weren’t around right now anyway.

“How did it turn out like this?”

Ariel mumbled absently. She couldn’t believe what had happened today. How did it turn out like this?

“Why did Mari protect me?”

From Mari’s perspective, it should have been a golden opportunity for the villainess who had been bullying her to receive righteous judgment. In that situation, instead of protecting her, it would have been more appropriate to tell the truth and borrow Reinhardt’s power, so why did she do that?

“I did everything I was supposed to do.”

She looked down on Mari and unnecessarily hit her with fact violence. Shouldn’t she have been hurt and upset?

“Is she too kind?”

Mari’s kindness was constantly emphasized in the original story. Until she showed hatred towards Ariel for the first time in the future, there were frequent comments that it seemed impossible for her to hate anyone.

“Or is it because I haven’t incurred Reinhardt’s dislike yet?”

It was obvious from the start of the original story that Reinhardt didn’t like ‘Ariel’. From the entrance ceremony, ‘Ariel’ tried to cling to Reinhardt, and Reinhardt was busy avoiding her. But now? Far from avoiding Ariel, Reinhardt even willingly allowed her to come find him if needed, and now he’s even calling her by her name.

“Don’t tell me I’ve failed…?”

A drop of cold sweat ran down Ariel’s forehead.