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Episode 61

After Julietta declared at the Academy that Janet shouldn't acknowledge her—

There were certain people who would always approach Janet whenever the two happened to cross paths.

"Janet! Ah, L-Lady Julietta……"

"Janet, do you want to—ah……"

They'd wave at Janet cheerfully as if on cue, then shrink away as if intimidated by Julietta's presence.

But even after Julietta left, they never had any real business with Janet.

They'd just say a quick hello and go on their way.

'But from her Ladyship's perspective……'

It might have looked like Janet was making new friends after distancing herself from her.

And she'd think those friends still feared her.

That's why she'd believed Audrey's words—that Janet was being ostracized because of her.

'I thought the timing was suspiciously like a setup.'

She never imagined it really was a setup.

Janet's eyes quietly gleamed.

---

"Julietta, have you thought about what I asked?"

"No. I don't know how many times I've told you—it's not happening."

At Audrey's whining, Julietta answered with a fed-up tone.

It couldn't be helped.

"About your handmaiden—it seems like she's being ostracized because of you. I'm telling you because I thought you'd want to know."

"How about being friends with me? I hardly have any friends to begin with, so I don't care if people don't approach me."

"If you had a friend, wouldn't your handmaiden feel more at ease keeping her distance from you?"

"It's pitiful to make her act as your handmaiden even at the Academy. Serving her mistress is not something she should be doing inside the Academy, is it?"

Julietta was also aware that students were deliberately avoiding Janet. She knew better than anyone that she was the reason.

Even when she'd attended the Academy before, everyone had feared and avoided her.

For Julietta, who already had high anxiety and feared and disliked people, that situation only made things worse.

It was a big part of why she'd taken a leave of absence.

Just seeing groups of students made her feel like they were talking about her, and she couldn't bear it.

Her hands and feet would go numb, her heart would pound, and her breathing would become shallow.

At the peak of her sensitivity, she'd snap at the smallest things.

That probably only added to her reputation as a villainess.

In the end, she'd taken a leave of absence, determined never to return.

'I never expected to face the same situation again—this time with Janet, not me.'

Perhaps because her condition had improved considerably, the students avoiding her didn't bother her much.

Above all, she had Janet by her side.

And though she disliked him, Theo was there too.

So she didn't care who avoided her. Occasionally, the old feelings would flood back and stress her out, but compared to the past, it was a huge improvement.

But—

'Why should Janet suffer?'

She'd worked hard to take the exam and come to the Academy, but Julietta felt like she was only holding her back.

She was afraid Janet might feel the same things she'd once felt, and she felt sorry for that.

Just as she was beginning to worry that she should keep her distance for Janet's sake—

Audrey approached and brought up exactly that.

In fact, Julietta had decided to become friends with Audrey purely for Janet's sake.

If she distanced herself and walked alone, that kind-hearted fool would surely worry about her.

But—

"I'm your only friend. How can you not do me this one favor? It's not even hard—I just want to work as your handmaiden!"

At Audrey's words, Julietta sighed.

"Audrey."

"Yes, Julietta?"

"No matter what happens, I have no intention of increasing my number of handmaidens. My only handmaiden is Janet."

She couldn't count how many times they'd gone back and forth over the same thing.

"If you're going to keep making that request, you don't have to hang out with me."

Now that Janet seemed to have made some friends, her original goal had been achieved.

"Then, I'll be going."

Just as Julietta turned away with an indifferent farewell—

Grab.

Audrey's hand tightly gripped her wrist. Frowning at the pain, Julietta looked back.

"What are you doing?"

"You're just going to leave like this? Abandon me like this?"

"Abandon? You're the one who keeps making unreasonable demands—"

At that moment—

Audrey pulled something from her bosom and pressed it. Then—

"I'm sorry, Lady Julietta! I'll never try to get above myself again!"

She suddenly began an absurd act.

And it didn't stop there.

"What are you saying—"

"Ahhh! Eek! D-don't hit me! I was wrong! Please don't hit me!"

Slap, slap!

She slapped her own cheeks—it was almost chilling.

As Julietta stood speechless, Audrey pressed the object in her hand once more.

Click.

With a small sound, the surroundings fell silent.

"What—what did you just do?"

"What do you think? I made evidence."

"Evidence?"

"Yeah. Evidence that you've been bullying me from behind."

Oh dear.

Rubbing her red, swollen cheek, Audrey pouted.

"That's so mean, Julietta. Hitting someone like that."

"You're insane, aren't you?"

"See? If you'd just listened to me when I was being nice, this wouldn't have happened. It's not like I'm asking for much—just one handmaiden position. You can't do that for your only friend?"

Audrey shouted as if angry, breathing heavily.

"Why do you think I offered to be your friend? If I went around with you, you should pay me back accordingly, don't you think?"

"So that was your goal all along—getting close to me?"

"Of course. Why would I bother hanging around someone like you without wanting something? You're useless except for your fancy family and a pretty face."

Grin. Smiling, Audrey dangled the recording artifact in her hand.

"I'll spread the word that you hit me, bullied me, and threatened me. Then both your Academy life and your social reputation will be ruined."

At Audrey's words, Julietta's face chilled. But only for a moment.

"Ha. Audrey. You're mistaken about something."

With a scoff, Julietta roughly shook off Audrey's hand.

Rubbing her reddened wrist a couple of times, she flashed her eyes and smiled crookedly.

"I've never had any reputation to begin with. Everyone already trembles at the sight of me—what difference would one more word from you make?"

"……."

Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, Audrey faltered. She hadn't expected the threat to fail.

'She can't back down here.'

Her opponent was a Ludwig. She knew how dangerous it was to threaten a great noble with such a petty scheme.

So this threat had to succeed. The moment it failed, she'd have to fear retaliation.

Steeling herself, a good idea came to Audrey's mind.

"What about Janet? Don't you care about her?"

"……What?"

As expected—at the sign of agitation, Audrey's lips curled up.

"When the mistress is slandered, it's only natural that her handmaiden is too. After all, the mistress's social reputation is also the handmaiden's."

Hmm.

Letting out a pitying sound, Audrey shook her head.

"Poor Janet. To think she'd ruin her life because of someone like you."

"……."

Julietta could only bite her lip, unable to speak.

"So. If you don't want to harm your handmaiden with useless rumors, you'd better do as I say. It's not like I'm asking you for anything huge, my Lady. Right?"

Audrey said with a sugary tone and smiled. A smile that was certain of victory.

But then—

—Ahhh! Eek! D-don't hit me! I was wrong! Please don't hit me!

—Slap, slap!

A recorded voice played from somewhere.

Startled, Audrey checked her own device to see if she'd accidentally pressed play, but the sound wasn't coming from hers.

And it didn't stop there.

—What—what did you just do?

—What do you think? I made evidence.

—Evidence?

—Yeah. Evidence that you've been bullying me from behind.

At the sound of her own mocking voice, Audrey's face went pale.

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