Morning Light and Simmering Resentments
Morning broke, ushering in a new day. The incident yesterday where Estelle and Lina von Maria bumped into each other in the hallway had blown up into a bigger deal than I'd expected.
"Lady Iris, Lady Estelle! Good morning!"
Even in this environment where it was tough to act like you knew someone first because of the rumors, Lina boldly came over with her greeting. It was pretty impressive. Was it because she's originally a mediator character? Her mental fortitude is seriously strong.
"Ah, and you too, Theo."
Plus, she was even greeting me—someone she'd have openly ignored before—which meant she'd decided to pivot toward getting friendly after yesterday. Well, compared to how she greeted Iris or Estelle, it didn't exactly scream "I wanna be buddies with you," but she'd probably realized how much those two were relying on me right now.
Honestly, anyone who wasn't a total idiot could see it just from watching us for a few days.
"…Yeah."
"Good morning."
Anyway, Estelle was still giving her the cold shoulder because of yesterday's spat, so only Iris responded to the greeting.
"Theo, did you sleep well last night?"
Estelle quickly shifted her gaze from Lina and asked me instead. This was tricky. Ideally, I'd stick Lina with those two and stay out of sight as much as possible.
"Maybe 'cause the bed was different. Didn't sleep great. How about you, Estelle?"
Of course, I wasn't about to say that out loud. With Lina right there and tensions high, Estelle wouldn't open up anyway. Who knows what bad end that could trigger? Unless I built a solid bridge between Lina and them or another mediator showed up, it was better for me to stick close.
"Mm, I'm not picky about beds, so I actually slept better than expected."
"Same here, Theo. I travel a lot for inspections, so I'm used to crashing in all sorts of places."
My question was aimed at Estelle, but Iris naturally jumped in, turning it into a group chat.
"That's a relief…"
"Ah, me too. Like you, Theo, I'm kinda picky about beds, so I didn't sleep well. You two are amazing, Estelle, Lady Iris. Already adapted to everything."
Watching her seamlessly cut me off and butt in didn't sit right. Sure, this world had its class system and all, but back in my world, that stuff didn't exist openly. Well, there were invisible hierarchies, but nothing blatant like this. No matter how much of a favorite character she was, constantly getting this treatment wasn't fun. I'm not into that masochistic "ignore me more!" vibe.
"Lady Lina, class is about to start. Why not head back to your seat?"
At first, I let it slide since she was my fave and I figured I'd slot her between Iris and Estelle then bail. But from now on, I wasn't just gonna take it. Estelle and Iris clearly weren't thrilled, and squeezing Lina in seemed impossible. No need to make a tough spot even worse.
"Oh my, Theo. Am I that bothersome? I want to get along with you too, but if you're saying it like that… Fine, I'll head back."
Hmm, she's trying to play the victim here. Mess up the play, and that's exactly how it'll look: a commoner getting cocky with a noble lady's kindness, backed by the crown princess and saintess. Good thing I've done tons of part-time gigs and know human dynamics inside out.
"No, Lady Lina. I was just worried you'd get singled out by the professors and dinged on points if you were still standing when class starts."
Best move here is to speak up loud and clear instead of letting her go quietly. The murmurs starting to turn negative against me shifted as people heard me out, nodding along, and public opinion gradually swung my way.
The academy students really do have more open minds than you'd think. Dealing with nobles as a commoner? Outside these walls, that's unheard of. But the academy drills in that everyone—commoners, nobles, royalty—is equal, judged solely on merit. Folks who got in here naturally have broader perspectives than your average noble.
"I-is that so? I misunderstood. Then I'll head to my seat. Thanks… for worrying."
Her tone dripped with insincerity, but she couldn't ignore the crowd, so she slunk back without another word. All I could think was she was scheming something.
That damn commoner really pisses me off…!
Class had started, and everyone was quietly listening. Lina stewed in her rage alone, venting inwardly.
These people are all weird. I'm a noble, that guy's a commoner. How can they treat my opinion the same as his?
She knew the academy preached equality above all, and blending in meant playing along. But her aristocratic mindset refused to bend—it didn't fit here at all.
"Ha…"
She let out a soft sigh to express her frustration, but none of the usual fawning reactions came. Back in Maria County, she lived like a princess. A sigh from her would send everyone into a frenzy, asking what was wrong, underlings trembling in fear of offending her.
Shouldn't it be like that here too!
Those moments thrilled her. Sure, she was known for her sweet demeanor and perfect conduct, but deep down, she loved lording it over the help under a fake smile to blow off steam.
A commoner is just a filthy laborer, lower than my maids back home. How the hell am I supposed to be equals with that scum? It's ridiculous!
As she fumed and brooded, the bell signaling the end of class rang out.
"Today's material will be on the exam, so I hope you all took good notes."
Those words hit her like thunder—especially since her anger had kept her from listening properly.
"Ah, I haven't finished my notes yet…!"
She yelled desperately at the teacher erasing the board, but nothing came back.
The mana-infused board could easily restore what was wiped, but the teacher didn't bother.
"Then borrow notes from a friend. Lady Lina, I've overlooked your lack of focus all day, but this is a first—proving you weren't paying attention. Deducting conduct points."
The teacher up front wasn't blind to distractions. He just didn't call them out upfront since exams would expose it all anyway. But someone admitting their own slacking? Straight to penalties.
"N-no…! It's not that I wasn't listening, my hand's just slow…!"
"Even with a slow hand, you had plenty of time. Clearly, you didn't realize."
Class had actually ended over ten minutes ago. Early in the semester, they gave buffer time to adjust and catch up on note-taking after a break—but Lina, lost in her thoughts, had proven she wasted even that.
"…Ugh, th-that's…"
"Disrupting break time isn't ideal. If you have complaints, file a formal appeal in the office. After realizing, of course, that noble status gets no special treatment here."
The veteran teacher, seasoned by years at the academy, saw right through her noble supremacist vibe—he'd dealt with countless like her.
"……."
"Alright, rest up, and focus for the next class."
Leaving Lina speechless in humiliation, the teacher strolled off to the office. The students' whispers lingered in the classroom.