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Episode 58

What is this situation?

The plates pushed in front of Janet were from Richard and Theo, respectively.

Both had attempted to exchange their neatly cut steaks with Janet's plate, resulting in this standoff.

Clink.

The two plates, meeting like a toast, hung in midair without either yielding an inch.

"Oh dear. Timing overlapped. I'll take care of Miss Janet, so you eat yours."

"……You take yours."

Huh?

Good grief.

At the absurd situation, it was the Marchioness and Julietta who let out dry laughs.

Janet stared blankly at the two offered plates, then crossed them with both hands.

"Here. Now you can each eat the other's."

"What?"

"?"

Ignoring the returned stares, Janet placed each plate in front of its owner.

Left with no choice but to have generously cut each other's steaks, Theo and Richard sat dumbfounded, while Janet neatly cut her own steak and took a bite.

Mmm. Delicious!

After the meal, when dessert arrived—

"So, have you decided which department you're going to, Janet?"

"Hmm, not yet. Which department are you in, my Lady?"

"I'm…… never mind. I'm not telling."

Julietta clamped her mouth shut.

"What if I say it and you try to follow me?"

"Would that be a problem?"

"Yes. It would. The reason I made you take the Academy exam wasn't so you could follow me around and attend to me. You're here to learn too—you shouldn't be tied to me."

At Julietta's words, Janet was both surprised and moved.

In truth, as she'd said, Janet had been thinking of staying by Julietta's side to serve her.

'The department I want to go to……'

The Academy's departments were broadly divided into Swordsmanship, Magic, and Theology.

In addition to the basic subjects all students took, choosing a department was necessary to decide which subjects to study during special classes.

'What department do I want to go to?'

Just as she was eating the ice cream dessert and thinking—

'Ah, this feeling……!'

At the familiar sensation, Janet quickly lowered her arm to hide her left wrist.

Soon, as expected, lines of text filled her mind clearly.

"I don't know how this happened."

"Indeed. Who would have thought Lord Richard would get injured during swordsmanship class?"

"I heard the injury is serious enough that he might not be able to attend the graduation exam."

"Oh dear. At such an important time, right before graduation……"

At the somewhat shocking content, Janet's eyes trembled.

'Richard? Richard gets injured?'

To the point where he can't even attend the graduation exam—that meant the injury was severe.

Forcing a calm expression, she looked at Richard.

Over his face, elegantly sipping black tea for dessert, she saw a bloodied visage overlapping.

---

Chapter. How to Become Friends

For commuting, Janet and Julietta moved to Ludwig's townhouse in the capital.

Sandy and Mary accompanied them as well.

On the day they left the main estate—

"Take care. Sister, Janet."

Geron, his disappointment clear, saw them off. Julietta gently pinched his cheek and said she'd be back.

She also met Kendrick one more time.

He'd come wearing that damned mask again, so she clicked her tongue and called him incorrigible.

"Take care, both of you."

"Yeah. I'll write sometimes."

"Sorry, but I can't reply."

"……Then I won't write either."

Watching the two still seeming so close, Janet felt a deep sense of relief.

"Did you really choose the Swordsmanship Department? For real?"

This was already the tenth time she'd asked the same question.

It might have been tiresome, but Janet answered without changing her expression.

"How surprising. I didn't know you were that interested in swordsmanship."

"I'm not extremely interested—just a little curious."

Janet's words were true.

Occasionally, she'd feel all her senses open up and her body move on its own.

When that happened, she'd be both flustered and proud, feeling refreshed.

She'd always been confident in her stamina and strength, so she thought it might be good to properly learn swordsmanship.

'Of course, that's not the only reason.'

The original work scene she'd recalled at the Marchioness's dinner invitation kept bothering her.

Wasn't Richard Ortega the Marchioness's only son?

If such a precious child got hurt, the Marchioness would surely grieve.

He was her patron and guardian.

Having received such a great favor, she couldn't just stand by and pretend not to know.

'Lord Richard is in the Swordsmanship Department too.'

She planned to watch over him and somehow stop the danger if it seemed to come.

Whether that would actually be possible was another matter—

Since she didn't know exactly when or how it would happen.

There was nothing she could know.

'Still, I'll do what I can.'

---

At last, the first special class arrived.

"I'll go to the Theology Department."

"Yes, my Lady. Do your best."

At Janet's encouragement, Julietta's eyes narrowed.

"It's 'my Lady' again."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Since she'd always called her both "Lady Julietta" and "my Lady," the honorific kept slipping out at the Academy too.

"Good luck, Julietta."

"……."

Even with the belated correction, Julietta's flat-fish stare remained.

Her lips moved as if she found it unsatisfactory, then she turned away.

"Yeah. You too. And you there—don't approach Janet."

"Shall we go, Julietta? You'll be late."

Julietta shot Theo a sharp glare as he parried with a smile.

Hmph.

Janet and Theo quietly watched Julietta walk away with a prim turn of her head.

In truth, Janet was still worried about Julietta.

'She didn't want to come back to the Academy.'

She'd come along after insisting they go together, and now sending her off alone made her anxious.

Like watching a child left by the riverside.

But Janet steeled herself. As Julietta said, she was here to learn too.

'And I have to watch over Richard in the Swordsmanship Department.'

With renewed resolve, Janet turned around.

This too was a stepping stone for each of their growth.

"Let's go too, Theo."

"Yes. Let's."

The two arrived at the training ground just in time.

There were already quite a few people there.

Department classes were held jointly for first, second, and third years. Of course, they'd train separately according to their level, but they gathered and dismissed together.

"Are those the new special admittees?"

"Oh. I heard four of them entered the Swordsmanship Department."

"Even two of them are women?"

Once a department was chosen, it was difficult to change for a year.

It was inevitable that attention would fall on the unfamiliar faces among those who'd spent the semester together.

"Now, today we have new members joining our Swordsmanship Department."

When class began, the swordsmanship professor called the four forward.

"Each of you, introduce yourselves."

Following his instructions, the four bowed to the students and began their introductions.

"I'm Theo, a new special admittee. I look forward to working with you."

"I'm Janet, joining as a special admittee. I'm lacking in many ways, but I look forward to working with you."

After their straightforward introductions—

Next was a girl who looked visibly nervous.

"I-I'm Luna! Please take care of me, seniors!"

Bow.

After bowing deeply and straightening up, Luna grinned.

With hazel-brown short hair and blue eyes.

It was an adorable greeting that matched her lovely appearance.

And finally, it was the last special admittee's turn. Before stepping forward to introduce himself, the man's gaze turned toward Janet and Theo.

Glaring at them with blazing eyes, he then looked forward and grinned as if he'd never worn such a fierce expression.

"I'm Samuel Verdin! Please take care of me!"

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