The Holidays Arrive

—Dormitory. First Year—

Eight o'clock in the evening.

As night fell, the stone buildings of the dormitory area were dyed a quiet, deep blue. The leaves rustled softly. Having finished my dinner, I strolled along the school path, feeling cozy and peaceful.

Shirune followed by my side.

The two of us chatted as we walked until she escorted me back to my dormitory. Most of my peers had similar attendants.

At the dormitory door.

“Well then, see you tomorrow, Milady.”

Shirune bowed slightly. “Regarding tomorrow's outing, I will make all the arrangements.”

Yes—after a week of diligent studying and this morning's exam, I had finally welcomed my holidays.

It really was a bit exhausting... Logically speaking, I would have loved to shut myself in my dorm and play video games, but unfortunately, I couldn't do that, and there were no video games to play anyway. I had no choice but to go out tomorrow, which was what Shirune and I had been talking about. She would arrange the carriage and everything else.

Come to think of it, although I was familiar with the Royal Capital, I hadn't really gone out to enjoy myself. The local customs and culture of this world were still a blank slate to me.

“Alright,” I said.

Shirune nodded and departed.

The dormitory door closed, and warm yellow light leaked out from the gap beneath it, casting a long, thin shadow on the floor as Shirune's footsteps faded into the distance.

I let out a long sigh.

“Ah... I can finally drop the act...”

As my roommate, Misha had a magic test this afternoon as well. Apparently, she was currently taking a make-up exam because she failed. How tragic. Anyway, I'd help her out later.

Thanks to this, I was currently the only one here.

I removed my hairband.

My twin drill-tails unraveled, and the fine strands of hair cascaded down to my waist. I gathered them in my hands.

Back at the manor, I actually had plenty of time to be by myself. At school, however, I basically had to play the wicked villainess during the day, so it had been a long time since I felt this relaxed.

When it came to styling, I still preferred straight hair.

But my—or rather, Loris's—character design was just like this.

Anyway, I sat down at my desk.

I didn't review ancient magic today (yes, I was very hardworking, reading and copying ancient texts into my notebook every day. After all, the volume of content was massive, and I had only learned about half of it over the past two years. As for the notebook, it was my private property, so I wasn't worried about anyone flipping through it).

I pulled today's silver wing brooch out of my pocket and examined it in my palm for a few seconds.

I wondered if it was just my imagination...

‘Mmh, this salad with yogurt is so delicious! I really want Mom and Dad to try it too.’

The brooch transmitted what sounded like a young girl's exclamation of delight. I could practically picture her face blooming with a bright smile. She was probably eating right now, so thrilled by how delicious it was.

But still...

It shouldn't be what I was thinking, right?

After all, I had only heard those few sentences, and it remained silent most of the time. But considering it was given by Ms. Elena, I decided to keep it.

Opening the drawer, I placed it next to that neatly folded white handkerchief and pushed them both to the very back of the drawer.

There was another knock on the door.

The sound of a light tap echoed.

Slightly puzzled, I stepped forward and opened the door, only to find Shirune standing there.

She walked in carrying a small tray. On it sat a glass of warm water and a small plate of sliced fruit—apple slices and a few hulled strawberries, cut so neatly they looked as if they had been measured with a ruler. She wore a plain, simple dress, her long silver hair tied in a low ponytail behind her head. The stray lock of hair curving by her ear gleamed with a faint luster under the light.

“Milady, your dessert. I recalled that you didn't eat much fruit in the cafeteria this past week, so you need to replenish your nutrients.”

“...” So... so thoughtful.

I was temporarily speechless. A floating "+2 Affection" indicator probably would have popped up over my head if this were a game. Too bad this was reality.

“Thank you for your hard work in today's practical class.”

She stepped to the side, placing the tray on a corner of the desk. Then, she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, her eyes blinking.

A rare sight of her with straight hair, Shirune thought.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at the plate of fruit, completely missing the subtle shift in her gaze.

“You did say you liked strawberries, Milady,” she said, evading any further comment.

I could only pause, helplessly reaching out to pick up a strawberry and taking a bite. The sweetness was just right.

Instead of leaving immediately, Shirune stood half a step behind me and patiently reminded me, “Regarding your outing tomorrow, please remember to bring a sun hat. The Mage Association's sunlight forecast indicates intense glare.”

“I know, I know.”

A few minutes later.

Shirune walked to the door with the empty tray. As she pulled the door open, she paused and turned her head. The warm yellow lamplight fell upon her profile, making her silhouette from her temple downward look almost translucent.

Her tail swayed slightly. She wanted to engrave this image into her memory—the straight-haired, pale-gold-locked Lady Loris.

“What is it?”

“No... It is nothing. I shall take my leave.”

What a strange reaction.

The sound of her footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.

Leaning back against the chair, I stared blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds before remembering something and pulling open the drawer.

I retrieved an already opened letter from inside.

Ah, right, I forgot to reply to this.

The letter had been retrieved from the mailbox in front of the dormitory entrance at noon. The stationery was the exclusive type used by our manor—ivory white with the dark gold Aldheim family crest pressed into the corners.

A pair of crossed swords and laurel branches.

The handwriting inside was neat to the point of being rigid; after all, noble children had to practice their handwriting from a young age.

As for who the letter was from—

“To my dear sister Loris,

It has already been a week since you left the manor for the academy.

Father mentioned you during dinner, saying you wouldn't return until summer. This made me realize I won't be able to see you for a very long time.

I still have to wait another year before I can take the entrance exam for this academy. When the time comes, I will finally be able to see you. With you gone... the manor feels very empty.

Also, the roses in the courtyard have bloomed.

The ones we had moved from the eastern greenhouse last year bloomed earlier than expected. Because it is spring, I originally wanted to pluck one and send it to you, but fearing it would wither on the way, I drew a picture of the flowerbed and enclosed it in the envelope. I hope you like it.

My swordsmanship teacher said my footwork has improved recently. When you return next time, Sister, would you like to come to the training ground to take a look? I will work hard.

Wishing you success in your studies and all the best.

Eliot”

Respect and affection filled every line.

It seemed my little brother was finding the days dragging by without me around to bully him.

But I wasn't that sentimental. After all, I was quite busy on my end. Keep at it, little bro. I hope you can bring me a pleasant surprise a year from now.

With that thought, I took out a pen, preparing to write a reply.

Even though this was a magical world, writing letters was still a very common means of communication, to the point that I had a complete set of stationery and tools in my luggage.

First, I pulled out the drawing he had tucked between the letter sheets to take a look. It was a pencil sketch of a half-bloomed rose. The petals from the outer layer to the pistil had been drawn at least three times. This guy might actually have the talent to be a manga artist.

There were traces of repeated pencil erasing and corrections on the paper. The lines of varying thickness layered over each other actually made the flower look exceptionally earnest. In the bottom right corner of the drawing, a small area had been rubbed fuzzy by an eraser.

He had probably written something and then erased it.

The handwriting... was barely legible...

My status seemed terrifyingly high to him.

It looked like I didn't need to worry about my little brother for now. So, my efforts had indeed borne fruit.

I casually placed the drawing into the drawer.

I spread out a new sheet of stationery, holding the pen as I pondered for a moment.

“Eliot,

I have received your letter. The drawing is quite good.

I am doing well at school. Tell Father and Mother not to worry. The academy's cafeteria food is passable. Although it cannot compare to the royal chefs of the Aldheim family, I eat on time every day, so there is no need to worry.”

After replying with a paragraph in my haughty, public persona style, I bit the end of my pen and paused on the paper for a few seconds.

The next words...

Yeah.

“Once I am finished with this busy period, I will return to visit. When that time comes, bring your wooden sword to meet me. Do not let your swordsmanship teacher's praise go to waste.

Loris”

Great, finished.

I folded the letter, slipped it into the envelope, sealed it with wax, and pressed the family crest stamp into the sealing wax.

After doing all this, I rotated my wrist.

It seemed I had no other plans for the rest of the evening.

I figured I might as well take a quick nap on the desk. I was indeed a bit tired anyway, and I could just have Shirune mail the letter tomorrow.

With that thought, I leaned over the desk.

Before long, I fell into a light slumber.

...

Half an hour later.

First came the sound of the door pushing open. Then, the person entering seemed to realize someone was sleeping and immediately became incredibly stealthy and nervous, as if terrified of waking me.

However, I had only been napping.

I was actually already awake, my fingers twitching slightly.

And then—

“Phew... Misha?”

I rubbed my eyes slightly, guessing the newcomer's identity with my back still turned.

“Lady Loris! No, no, no... I didn't mean to wake you! I am so sorry...”

Misha stood at the doorway, filled with guilt. Her uniform cuff was smudged with a small patch of uncleaned dust (merely an issue from magic practice), and her short brown hair was a bit messy and damp with sweat.

She had probably just returned from an intense tutoring and practice session.

I quickly realized the reason behind her tone. Come to think of it, Misha and I had been roommates for a week now. She was actually a good girl, just a bit too tense around me.

Even over such a minor thing, she would feel guilty.

It felt like she viewed herself more as an attendant, like Shirune, rather than a classmate... though that was indeed their relationship in the game.

I had initially thought the same.

But after these two years, some attachment had naturally developed.

And it had to be said, Misha was actually quite good-looking. It was just that her personality made it hard for her to fit in. In an environment where all these young lords and ladies were constantly competing to show off and highlight their individuality, she was always reserved.

I set the letter aside. “Did you just finish training?”

“Yes...” She stood restlessly, her back pressed against the door.

“Why don't you come a bit closer?”

“I-I might smell like sweat. I'm afraid of bothering you...” Her cheeks burned hot.

“...” I had originally wanted to have a detailed chat with her. After all, I could tutor her; her magical talent wasn't particularly outstanding, and she was even a bit too mediocre.

But this response left me somewhat speechless.

A bit of sweat was fine... I wasn't so fastidious that I would mind something like this, but it seemed she was exceptionally self-conscious about it.

I had no choice but to carry on the conversation anyway.

We talked about the weekly test results and the tutoring.

The corners of Misha's mouth drooped slightly. Twisting the hem of her uniform with her fingers, she replied dryly, “I barely managed to pass the tutoring session, but the teacher said my defense was lacking... My mana capacity is just too weak.”

I placed the strawberry stem onto the empty plate.

“Mana capacity only determines how many spells you can cast. But whether you can hit your opponent depends on how well you utilize those spells.”

Misha was temporarily at a loss. She felt a bit happy to be comforted, but also felt too clumsy to make progress even with practice.

“...If there's anything you don't understand...” I carefully chose my words so as not to sound too deliberate or overly friendly. “Or rather, I happen to be lacking a practice partner lately. Would you mind?”

I looked at her.

“I-If there is ever a place where I can be of use, I am available anytime!” Misha suddenly said excitedly, taking a few steps forward.

I was caught slightly off guard... but I still nodded.

She immediately realized her reaction was a bit too presumptuous and took a few steps back, her face flushing red again.

Come to think of it, the fundamental reason she acted this way was probably because her situation was somewhat similar to Liliana's, though their personalities were different.

Although Misha could technically be considered a noble, it was a stretch, placing her in a position where she was looked down upon. Liliana was a commoner; though she was powerful, there were still those in the academy who judged people by their birth. After all, could an individual's strength truly triumph over an entire nation?

Behind the nobility lay strength and power, representing various factions across different social classes, such as the Mage Association, adventurers, and the border army.

The respect a powerful commoner could receive was subjective and limited, let alone before she had fully matured.

For someone like Misha, who wasn't strong, it was even harder to say.

Thinking of this, I suddenly realized that Misha might actually share some common ground with Liliana.

Should I ask her to come along tomorrow?

After all, if I went to find Liliana by myself, it would easily look like I was picking a fight, and Providence would probably interfere. But if Misha was with me, maybe we could approach her in a roundabout way.

While I didn't necessarily need to become best friends with Liliana, I wanted to ensure that my character image wouldn't be perceived as a villain when she eventually joined the student council.

“Misha,” I spoke up. “Do you have any plans tomorrow?”

“N-No,” Misha answered, a bit confused.

“Then, since tomorrow is a holiday, I plan to visit the Royal Capital's National Library, and perhaps wander around some other places like the streets. If you have nothing to do, would you like to come with me?”

Misha's fingers froze.

She raised her head, her expression suggesting she hadn't heard me clearly. Then, starting from the tips of her ears, her cheeks turned red bit by bit, her heart fluttering like a startled deer.

‘Is-Is-Is-Is she inviting me out?’

‘If I remember correctly, Lady Loris should have plenty of invitations to tea parties and such. But with me, an outing just the two of us tomorrow? It feels like her tone left me no room to refuse.’

‘Could this... could this count as a date?!’

“Hehehe.” Misha suddenly let out a silly giggle.

Me: ?

What just happened?

I didn't quite understand. Misha seemed to do this quite often lately. Ever since I rescued her that one time, it might have been a monumental moment in her life, so her entire personality had undergone some changes.

But I couldn't quite wrap my head around this change.

Belatedly realizing her slip, Misha quickly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, looked up, and flusteredly explained, “I-I understand! I am very free tomorrow. I can go!”

“Alright,” I nodded after a long pause.

I decided to ignore it.

Things like a young girl's private thoughts were completely beyond my comprehension anyway.

Then, the school clock tower chimed eight times.

The long, resonant metallic ring drifted from afar, passing through the maple leaves and the window openings in the dormitory's stone walls, flooding the entire room like waves washing over a beach.

The voice of the dormitory supervisor echoed down the corridor as she knocked on doors one by one to remind the students—

“Hot water is only supplied until nine o'clock. Those who haven't bathed yet, hurry up.”

“Is it already that time?” I mumbled.

The school set specific lights-out and hot water cutoff times to regulate sleeping schedules, not because of any financial issues.

At this moment, Misha had just stood up from her low stool and walked over to the wardrobe to rummage for a change of clothes. Because her body felt sticky, she prepared to take a shower, cradling a set of silk strap pajamas in her arms while retrieving the bath towel hanging on the inside of the wardrobe door—

The edges of the towel were already frayed, but it was washed clean and folded neatly.

Hearing my words, she felt a bit surprised.

“Could it be that you haven't bathed yet, Lady Loris?”

Yes... I thought, nodding in response. After all, after returning, I had eaten fruit, written a letter, slept, and then chatted for so long just now. I had absolutely no time to arrange this matter.

“T-Then, please bathe first!”

“...” I looked at Misha, whose hair was damp with sweat, and felt a pang of guilt.

She turned around and hurriedly handed me another bath towel with both hands, her movements somewhat stiff, as if she didn't know at what height it was appropriate to hold it out. “In any case, please use the bathroom first. I don't mind waiting. Cold water is fine too.”

I remained silent, trying to think of a solution.

She was still standing in the narrow gap between the wardrobe and the bed, her head lowered as her fingers repeatedly pinched and rubbed the edge of the bath towel, rolling the already frayed corners even tighter.

“...Why don't we just go in together?” I suddenly said softly.

“Eh?”

Misha looked as though she hadn't heard clearly.

She abruptly raised her head, her brown eyes wide and round.

“Why don't we just bathe together?” This time, my voice was definitely clear enough for her to hear.

As soon as the words left my mouth, an uncontrollable blush burned from the tips of her ears all the way down to the base of her neck, turning a deep crimson, as if someone had read her private diary aloud in public.

“N-N-No, that won't do! How could someone like me bathe with Lady Loris—besides, I-I'm covered in sweat! I stood on the training ground for so long this afternoon, there's bound to be a smell—no, no, even if there isn't, it's still not okay—how could I be worthy—”

...

The bathroom door closed.

The bath towels were hung on the copper hooks on the wall. Turning on the shower faucet, hot water sprayed down from the showerhead, pattering against the stone tiled floor with a soft, dense rustle. Steam quickly filled the small shower stall.