Chapter 50 – The First Class
The first week after the academy started, after hundreds of classes’ outlines, class enrollment reservation system, and the tests are explained, the lessons start today.
For the beginning of their academy life, Melsa has advised the siblings to take the same class as much as possible, so George and William plan to have the same schedule in their first year.
There’s no regulation on the enrollment age, but the average enrollment age for men seems to be 15-16 y.o., and 13-15 y.o. for women.
William ended up enrolling together with the other two to help George, who is not good at studying. George has been decided to be the one to succeed the Stuart house, so he needs to fulfill the requirement of graduating from the academy no matters what.
Emma mostly chooses the same class as her brothers, but girls choosing required courses for men are rare. Or you could say it would be much like girls attending technical high schools.
‘It will be bad if you get hurt…’ She only didn’t elect Practical Skill for Hunters as Leonard opposed it.
She forgot that she has carelessly used her wounds as an excuse to avoid dancing and only realized later on not to choose classes with a lot of physical activities. If Leonard had not opposed it, her lie would have been found out by now.
Melsa, who is prone to worry about Emma, told her to elect a class with many girls while George and William take the Practical Skills for Hunters class. From numerous choices, she could only choose the embroidery class.
As Joshua has said previously, classes with girls as the majority are etiquette, embroidery, and popular dances.
・・・
“Nee-sama, we are going this way, so…”
“Emma, don’t cause any trouble, okay?”
George and William stop on the road in the middle of the academy with the row of identical school buildings and give Emma a familiar, habitual warning.
“Onii-sama, every time, I never cause any problem, you know? Problems just pop up on their own.”
Not accepting the warning that stays the same before and after she recalled her past life, Emma replies with a dissenting look.
Her first class at the academy was the only class that is different from her brothers’: embroidery class.
“Emma-sama, let’s meet again at the next Monster Science class.”
The one who took up the spot next to Emma, Joshua, also says parting words to Emma reluctantly.
It seems like the usual schedule for boys starts with the required courses, then after the Monster Science class is the Economics with a lunch break in between.
The students are interestingly separated into boys and girls at the place Emma is at.
‘Maybe the required courses are put on the first day so that the students won’t be lost or late…’ Emma absent-mindedly thought.
Emma feels a little lonely going to class by herself, but because she didn’t feel like going to college in her past life until she received a scholarship (=debt), Emma is also looking forward to the school life she hasn’t had in more than ten years.
Classes with a large number of students have their independent school building, and the embroidery class Emma is taking is also one of them.
The embroidery class that can be taken in the first year is only the beginner level. If you pass the beginner level test in the second year and above, you can choose the intermediate and advanced level class.
Anyway, in the first year, determining her own level is crucial. ‘Your understanding of your ability will become the basis of deciding the classes you will take in the second year and after,’ Melsa told her.
Without getting lost, Emma found the embroidery class building and peeked into the beginner-level classroom.
Most of the seats were occupied, probably because everyone gathered early in the classroom as it’s the first day of school. Instead of individual study desks, the classroom has large work desks used together by 6 people, and groups of girls were already formed in each desk.
It takes a lot of courage to enter the classroom by herself, but as she had refused all the tea party invitations before school started, she feels resigned that it’s inevitable to be alone and enters the classroom.
The girls who had been chatting lively with each other all look at Emma at once.
“Look? It’s Emma-sama from the Stuart House.”
“Oh, my! She has a large scar on her face! I didn’t notice it at the party because of the veil… The rumors that she got hit by a monster are true, I see.”
“Such a pity…”
Lowering their voice so Emma can’t hear them, the young ladies start exchanging information with each other.
It can’t be helped that everyone is paying her attention as she stood out at the party.
Among them, a young lady with the most conspicuous appearance from the most conspicuous group approaches Emma and greets her.
“Pleased to meet you, Emma-sama of the Stuart House. My name is Lyla Lance, the eldest daughter of the Lance Ducal House. If you don’t mind, would you like to attend the class together?”
Lyla Lance, who has beautiful light blue hair only seen in manga and anime in the other world, smiles.
There were only fashionable and dazzling girls on the table the young lady slightly older than Emma pointed out.
“Ah, yes, my name is Emma Stuart. Lyla-sama, thank you for your kind invitation…”
If possible, she wants to keep a distance from this scary-looking group. The intuition she got from her past life’s school life tells her so.
No matter how you look at it, this group of girls would never fit with Emma.
When Emma looks around the classroom, she notices an empty work desk that especially stood out.
One lady is sitting by herself at a work desk on the corner near the window. It looks like she is being intentionally avoided between the almost fully occupied seats.
“…I will just sit there.”
After giving a slight bow to Lyla, Emma heads towards the open seat at the window.
‘Well, that’s a shame,’ Lyla smilingly answers, but the corner of her mouth is stiffer compared to her previous smile.
“Excuse me… Can I sit next to you? Francesca-sama.”
Francesca, who kept staring at the table, lifts her head at Emma’s words.
“Emma-sama!? …why…?”
Her voice is slightly shaking.
“I just came to the royal capital, so I still don’t have any girl friends except Francesca-sama. If it doesn’t bother you, can I join you?”
After saying that, Emma sits beside Francesca without waiting for her answer. If Emma was refused, she has to sit with that group of girls.
Emma argued she has a reason for declining Lyla’s invitation in that she chose a seat with her only friend on it. She especially said it with a voice her surroundings could hear.
The whispering becomes a little quieter, and the words of pity are mixed with some blunt hostility.
“To think she refused Lyla-sama‘s generous invitation…”
“Furthermore, choosing that Francesca-sama‘s seat.”
“Is she trying to be the good girl?”
People are bad-mouthing Emma and Francesca in a soft voice that would not expose the speaker, but the content can be heard clearly.
Unable to bear it anymore, Francesca looks down again, but Emma keeps talking to her without minding her surroundings.
“We have to bring the tools and materials used in the embroidery class, but it’s troublesome as we have more luggage, right?”
“Is that… so? The things for embroidery class are actually not much, you know. I took multiple dance classes until last year, and I need to bring the dancing dress, shoes, and extra change because I sweat… um, Emma-sama, what’s in that bag?”
Can’t bear to ignore Emma, who has been so kind, Francesca timidly answered. But then, she noticed Emma’s bag is bigger than the other ladies’.
They are supposed to make the embroidery decorations on cufflinks for today’s class, so only needles, threads, hoops, and cufflinks buttons are needed.
“Eh? It’s only the things that were written on the items needed for today’s class…”
Emma tilts her head cutely, but the bag looks pretty much stuffed.
“Umm… Sorry for interrupting. Are the seats here open?”
When they turned around towards the voice, two exactly identical faces are facing them.
“I am Catherine Simmons. This is my twin younger sister, Caitlyn. This is the only table where the two of us can sit together…”
Silver hair and silver-grey eyes. A beautiful tan skin.
On the types of game where you make your own hero avatar, Minato always made the silver-haired, tan-skinned ones. With the real thing right in front of her eyes, her heart flutters. In short, it’s the color she adores.
“Yes, it’s open. Catherine-sama, Caitlyn-sama, my name is Emma Stuart. This is my friend Francesca Delacour-sama.”
Saying so, Emma offers the seat next to her.
“Thank you very much. The two of us want to be together, so you saved us… Emma-sama! You have a big scar on your face! How did that happen?”
“Catherine!!! It’s rude to ask it so bluntly! I’m sorry, Emma-sama, my sister is really inconsiderate. So, how did you get that scar?”
The twins are looking at Emma, brimming with curiosity. She likes their color tone, but even if she were to look objectively, the twins have cute looks. They are a bit outspoken, but she doesn’t hate it. What about courtesy and etiquette?
“Fufufu, the two of you are just like each other. This scar… well, this resulted from the recklessness of youth.”
The two put their hands on their chests in sync.
” “Emma-sama! You are deadly cute when you smile! My heart went kyun.” “
The twins neatly say in unison.
“Oh Caitlyn, I went kyun first, you know?”
“No, Catherine, I’m the one who went kyun first!”
Emma and Francesca’s table becomes livelier after the twins came.
Francesca was so shocked at the twins’ unreserved looks that she didn’t speak a word, but she felt relieved as she didn’t sense any hostility from the two.
The class will begin soon. All the students (young ladies) sit in their own seats and change their posture to waiting for the instructor.
At the same time the ring bells, the door opens.
“J-Just in timeーーーー!”
The moment Emma saw the person who vigorously entered, high-pitched screams echoed in the classroom.
“I-It’s Marion-sama!!”
“So gorgeous today too.”
“‘Just in time,’ Does that mean Marion-sama takes this class?”
Putting her hands on her ear to block out the clatters, Emma asks Francesca.
“Francesca-sama? Do you know that person?”
The moment Francesca hears Emma’s question, she asks back surprisedly.
“Emma-sama doesn’t know Marion Bell-sama?”
Well, it seems that person is pretty famous.
” “Is it a famous person?” “
The twins Catherine and Caitlyn don’t seem to know her either.
“She is Marion Bell-sama, the current Commander of the Knight Order’s daughter…”
” “A girl!?” “
The twins exclaim in unison again.
A riding coat that looks good thanks to her height, neat short brown hair. Translucent blue eyes that exude a calm atmosphere… I see, a beauty dressed like a man, a girl popular with girls.
The one who spoke to Emma earlier, Lyla, promptly hold Marion’s hands and talk to her.
“Marion-sama? How rare of you to choose the embroidery class? If you would like, how about sitting at the same table as me?”
With a voice higher than when she did with Emma, Lyla invites Marion like fawning on her.
“Lady Lyla, long time no see, huh. Have you been well? It seems your table is already full, though?”
“It’s alright. I can ask one person to give her seat for you.”
Lyla answers Marion like it’s nothing. Emma could tell from far that the girls at Lyla’s table are starting to get nervous.
“No, no, I’m the one who came late, so you can’t do that, you know? …Ah, the seat over there is open, so I will go there. Thanks for inviting me.”
After holding and kissing the back of Lyla’s hand lightly, Marion moves to the open seats. Her series of actions are pretty pompous, but her elegant movements are beautiful and cool. The girls keep on squealing.
“Is here fine?”
The open seat…, namely Emma’s table.
“Please.”
Ignoring all the envy looks from the girls, Emma offers Marion the seat.
The people who will sit on the same desk in this year-long embroidery class become the heavy drinker Francesca, the insect-obsessed nonsensical Emma, the outspoken silver-haired twins Catherin & Caitlyn, and the cross-dressed beauty Marion.
Aren’t… this seat’s characters a bit too heavy? Emma tilts her head as the newly joined Marion introduces herself.
Author’s note: The girls increased all at once.
