Chapter 45
Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Academy Enrollment
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The day of academy enrollment had arrived.
The Eliad mansion wasn't quiet as usual.
From dawn, servants bustled about carrying luggage,
and the sounds of oiling and repairing carriage wheels echoed everywhere.
I, too, had come to work earlier than usual,
starting the day not as a new student, but as Ruena's attendant.
"You need to pack a few more uniform shirts. The basics of good conduct start with neat attire, and shirts are the most noticeable—and easiest to soil—so we can't run short on spares."
"Yes."
"And writing tools—get the sturdiest ones. Pack plenty of extras, just in case."
"Understood."
Unlike the usual Eliad mansion, there was a palpable buzz of energy.
Compared to my own home, which had been noisy even on calm days, it was still quite subdued.
From last night through this morning.
No, if I thought about it, ever since the acceptance letter arrived.
Just recalling how my family had hounded me nonstop made my head throb.
From nagging encouragement to do well,
to scouting for eligible noble ladies,
to demands to point out anyone carrying valuables.
Those were my siblings?
The more I thought about it, the heavier my sighs grew.
'Everyone except big brother is out of their minds.'
Among them, Trisha was at least the most decent.
While the other brothers and sisters pestered me with nonsense,
Trisha—
"Heh heh, what can a loser like Celen even do at the academy? If you don't cause any incidents or get picked on, that'll be a miracle."
"...Trisha."
"W-what? Why—! What, whaaat! I-I didn't say anything wrong, okay?!"
"Thanks... At least you're the same as always."
I never imagined I'd live to thank a gorilla.
One nagged with lectures,
another spewed bullshit,
another just chattered nonsense—
And amid it all, the usual gorilla racket was honestly a relief.
To the point where, for a moment, my eyes nearly welled up unexpectedly.
Meanwhile, my one and only little sister puffed out her cheeks, her face flushing red.
Then, as if her embarrassment had reached its limit, she squeezed her eyes shut and shrieked.
"What the hell does that meannnn! You idiot brother—!"
"...Brother? ...Even you, Trisha."
"Eeeek, this is so annoyingggg! Celen this, Celen thaaat—!"
That was just last night.
Aside from the times I snapped at her,
hearing the gorilla call me "brother."
It felt like the sun might rise in the south if I opened my eyes, but thankfully, it didn't.
Anyway—
Maybe because of the aftermath, or something, I felt weighed down.
To be precise,
my body felt light enough, but my mind didn't.
From dawn, my heart had been pounding oddly, refusing to settle.
The reason... I didn't know.
It wasn't excitement about entering the academy... definitely not.
I was tense about enrollment, sure,
but whether it was—
worrying about watching over Ruena as her attendant and friend,
or anxiety that the futures I'd glimpsed long ago might come true.
Of course, it could be both.
House Noir,
able to see the future,
bears that much more anxiety and fear as a result.
Even knowing the future isn't linear and can change at any moment.
Humans, by nature—
take what they see and hear as truth.
So even knowing it can change, they can't easily let go.
Especially when my life,
my job,
my future are on the line.
I wrapped up the last tasks and closed the document binder.
I should start living as a student rather than an attendant soon, but...
My head was still full of attendant duties.
Not that I minded.
As a student, I pay money; as an attendant, I get paid handsomely.
No contest on which is better for me.
Plus, the latter adds the shining credential of being Eliad's attendant.
Handled well, it secures my future solidly.
'...Though I have zero desire to keep doing attendant work.'
Anyway—
Without a doubt, today's star was Ruena.
...In every way.
Yeah.
Even now, her name echoed throughout the mansion.
Of course it did.
This was the Eliad mansion.
Not my home, but Ruena's home base.
'The problem is... my family yapped about Ruena nonstop until I left too.'
Don't embarrass us,
serve Lady Ruena well,
fulfill your duties as attendant, and so on.
Big brother and Father nagged so much that now I could predict their words just from their opening mouths.
Thinking about it made me shudder involuntarily.
I slipped to an empty corner, shivered all over, and scanned my surroundings.
The usually serene Eliad mansion
was filled with talk and worries about Ruena, unlike usual.
Will the food suit her tastes?
Will the bed be comfortable?
Will her relationships go smoothly?
From trivial matters to major ones,
all concerns revolved around whether Ruena would fare well.
Topics outsiders wouldn't broach.
But—
Inside the mansion, they seemed perfectly natural worries.
No matter how stark the mansion,
no matter how mechanical the staff,
no matter how much Ruena hid her true self.
Flaws inevitably show in daily life, catching the eyes of those around.
Especially after years together under one roof.
Honestly... I thought this bustle was a blessing.
The old Ruena from the past
wouldn't have heard even these worries.
I recalled the young Ruena, tense at home, never letting her guard down for a second.
'Compared to then, this is a relief.'
Even if it multiplied my workload several times...,
for Ruena herself, it was truly a good thing.
I tuned into the surrounding noises once more.
Maybe from coming and going here for over ten years.
My name occasionally cropped up in the Eliad staff's chatter.
"Lord Celen will handle it."
"With Lord Celen there, Lady Ruena will be fine."
"You'll have your hands full, Lord Celen."
...So, yeah, I'm officially Ruena's cleanup crew here.
Right.
That was definitely how they saw me.
And Ruena... like a bomb that could go off anytime.
Because the moment I arrived today,
I was summoned not to her room, but to the Grand Duke's office again.
"Attendant Celen."
"......I'll do my utmost."
It felt less like an enrollment ceremony and more like a mission launch.
In a way, it was a critical operation.
Keeping her from relaxing—
lest the klutz turn into a disaster,
that is, Ruena Eliad.
I had to rein her in, clean up, and make her look the part of a proper Eliad heir.
All by myself.
'Life... ain't easy....'
For today, the goal was no incidents at the enrollment ceremony.
Her swordsmanship befitting Eliad was decent,
but the issue was she might swing wildly or trip spectacularly when excited.
Entrance exams forbade outside help,
but if something like that happened, how to contain it?
Just imagining that horror made me shiver.
In the end—
I pulled out the most practical countermeasure.
Prevention.
Prior education.
The moment we boarded the carriage, I sat across from Ruena and spoke.
"Ruena."
"Yeah?"
"You memorized the guidelines I gave you a week ago, right?"
"......Yeah, I did... sorta...."
Ruena rolled her eyes every which way, fidgeting with her fingers.
"You never know with people... right?"
"Give up on being human for the next three years."
"That's too mean—!"
But it couldn't be helped.
The academy was a place of learning, yes,
but also a microcosm of noble society and the foundation for the future.
I let out a short sigh.
She had a point.
Even machines break, and Ruena was human.
Besides, navigating the academy's variables without mishap was impossible.
I lightly bonked her head with the document binder.
"Still, try. Lots of eyes watching."
"...Yeah, got it."
"I'll handle cleanup somehow, but you be extra careful too—."
"Uuuungh, Ceeeelen—!"
Suddenly, Ruena lunged into a hug, cutting me off.
Whether I stiffened in her arms or not,
she kept rubbing her cheek against me, purring contentedly.
"Good thing I have you with meee!"
"Gah, let go. I wasn't done. Don't think you can just wing it—!"
"Uuuungh, just three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, one hour—!"
"Why's the time keeps getting longer?!"
In the end, another pointless squabble today.
Of course,
the winner of this fight—
was me.
Obviously. Paid to work, so work I shall.
Before long, the academy building came into view.
Ruena, likewise in my sight... was ragged from my nonstop nagging the whole way.
"Ugh... poise... elegance... tension... posture? Uuuungh...?"
"Yeah, yeah. You remember well. Put it into practice now. Academy's almost here."
"Yeeees...."
"Fix that face. Straighten your back. Ribbon... messed up. Come here."
"Okay—!"
Dead-eyed and limp moments ago,
now her eyes sparkled as she scampered over at my call.
'With a girl like this, will it be okay...?'
Hugging a bundle of worries, I straightened her clothes.
Soon, the once-distant academy
loomed grandly, filling the window.
No turning back now.
Then the answer... devote myself to the present, steer toward the future I want.
That was the most Noir way.
I went to the carriage door and offered Ruena my hand.
"Let's go, Ruena."
"Yeah!"
"No goofy grins."
"Eep. Okay."
And so, the worst cleanup job and longest operation of my life began.