Chapter 42

True Education is Needed

"I am sorry..."

It was what Clara brought up to Noel right after Robert Burton ruined the good atmosphere without even realizing it and left.

Although one might wonder if this was something she needed to apologize for when someone else was the one who ruined the mood, it was truly surprising that none other than Clara apologized.

It seemed she was indeed growing greatly mentally.

To think she had reached the point of being able to honestly apologize for her mistakes in less than a year since meeting Noel.

Of course, that was partly because the target of the apology was Noel.

Because towards targets that weren't Noel or related to Noel, Clara was someone who still expressed her past arrogance and insolence.

Because of that, among the artists learning comics from Clara, she was sometimes called the two-faced lady.

Because when she was next to Noel, she truly showed an appearance and smile suitable for her age, but when Noel wasn't around, she showed the typical appearance of an evil noble that made one wonder if she would end up getting 'revolutionized' acting like that.

At this pace, she might become a quite mature Clara someday.

Clara, who was still developing, apologized thinking Noel had an unpleasant experience unnecessarily because of her, when she could have just laughed it off.

Looking at Clara apologizing with a despondent demeanor while suffering from such thoughts, Noel was impressed.

Our 'Desu'-wa has changed!

Noel felt moved looking at Clara apologizing, to the extent that she wanted to brag like that if she only could.

Because she was the villainess Clara for whom such common sense didn't work, she couldn't help but feel a deep emotion.

"It's alright."

Anyway, while wrapping up the lingering feelings of that emotion, Noel spoke calmly.

Clara was one thing, but she also spoke as if telling the Imperial Princess, who was feeling sorry that she got entangled with an unnecessary person because of her, to hear it.

"I can just think of it as giving a refreshing counterattack taking this opportunity."

All this time, no matter what critics or the literary circles said, Noel had just laughed it off saying, "The aggro is too weak."

Still, it was true that it was annoying and unpleasant if they kept chattering loudly.

So she had been thinking she wanted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to seal their mouths shut whenever an opportunity arose... and a perfect chance had appeared.

The perfect board was set to give the middle finger to the literary circles who ignored entertainment novels and disparaged Homer's success saying only pure literature is the best.

"But Sister Noel? You seem to have something in mind, what are you planning to do?"

Saintess Irina asking what she was thinking.

To her question, Noel replied while drinking the tea that had all gone cold during the war of words.

"I am going to raise questions about the authority of the literary circles. In my own way."

Among the anecdotes Noel encountered during her days living on Earth, not here on Terra, there was one that remained in her memory.

That was none other than a story of a certain artist getting pissed off at the critics who ignored the work his wife had painstakingly created and taking revenge.

The method the husband chose was simple.

Exposing how bogus the critics were and how they were only famous for being famous.

Submitting a work that was plausibly packaged, gaining the critics' high praise and popularity with it, and then revealing the truth.

There was an actual case where he greatly humiliated the critics like that and caused several reviewers to retire.

Noel, who knew that, decided to copy it.

Changing her pen name, submitting a work to a pure literature contest which could be called a league of their own, and the moment she won an award and was praised, she planned to expose the fact that it was written by Homer, the entertainment novel author they had been mocking.

Of course, for this, the premise that she had to be able to write a work worthy of winning an award was attached, but...

She didn't need to worry that much.

Because Noel knew very many novels that were truly at the level of being included in textbooks, which one encounters during literature classes.

She intended to imitate those and recreate them in her own style.

And at these words from Noel, Imperial Princess Lydia was amazed.

If Noel had known this thought of the Imperial Princess right now, she would have been flustered.

Because she said she was going to enter a contest, but she never said when.

She would have denied it, asking why she was arbitrarily targeting the winter contest, which had barely any time left, as if it were a given.

But Noel knows how to use magic, but doesn't know how to use mind reading, right?

"I will cheer for you in the upcoming contest!"

"Pardon?"

By the time she thought something was a little strange, it was already too late.

Noel's participation in the year-end literature contest, which was less than a few weeks away, was confirmed.

"Why...?"

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The day Noel left for a date with the three VIPs, naturally, her personal attendant Anna Moore also originally intended to accompany her.

However, Noel considerately told her not to do so, saying she would be very busy soon with her academy enrollment approaching, so she should go home for a bit at a time like this.

Telling her to go and meet her younger siblings, spend time with her parents, and come back after spending a day off like that.

It was an incredibly thankful matter, but naturally, Anna intended to decline and assist Noel.

"Is that so? Then I'll order you."

Anna, who ultimately instructed that as a Miss's order, followed that order, stayed overnight at her family home, and returned.

It was a time of incredibly enjoyable and happy recharging, and a moment of gratitude where loyalty toward Noel bloomed anew.

So the returning Anna had the resolve to jump even into a fire pit if it was Noel's word, but...

"You, work together on something with me. I have a job perfectly suited for you."

The words Noel suddenly threw out before she could even express her greetings of gratitude, saying she had spent an enjoyable time with her family thanks to the Miss's undeserved consideration.

At those words, Anna couldn't help but be flustered.

"Work...?"

Since she was a personal attendant, it didn't matter because whatever the Miss ordered, she would do.

She wondered if some urgent matter had arisen, bringing up work before they even exchanged greetings.

However, she didn't know why she was using the tone of a man who looked like he would hate having money inside those Chinese cookies.

Having such thoughts, Anna asked.

"Do you have a separate task to order me, Miss?"

"Hmm, rather than a task to order you particularly... I want to borrow your name."

"Name?"

To Anna, who requested an explanation while blinking her eyes, Noel briefly conveyed the circumstances.

That she had an unpleasant experience while going to play in the Imperial Capital, and she just wanted to use this opportunity to shut the mouths of those yapping that only pure literature is the best.

At Noel's words asking for her cooperation because she felt like her insides would be refreshed if she gave them a satisfying humiliation, Anna tightly clenched both fists.

"I will do it. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will do everything I can!"

Anna with a momentum like sparks blazing fiercely in her eyes.

"U-Uh... T-Thank you..."

Looking at her maid like that, Noel felt like she was breaking a sweat.

She was thankful that she readily helped publish a work under her name, but... she wondered why she was so passionate.

But thinking about it, it was a matter of course.

Anna's loyalty was outstanding, and a fan's heart was also mixed in with that loyalty.

Anna was someone who had felt displeased as if it were her own business whenever people claiming to be critics or masters said bad things about Noel's works from before.

Hearing what Noel and the VIP group had experienced while going to play in the Imperial Capital, she was at the point of getting entirely angry as if it were her own matter.

She felt like she wanted to do something more if she only could, rather than just borrowing her name and submitting it to the contest on her behalf.

She wanted to help the Miss as much as possible with whatever she could.

However, it was difficult for her to directly give help in writing.

The comics, which could be considered the opportunity for Anna to be selected as a personal attendant, were also just at the level of taking the first step.

A situation where she also started studying drawing following Noel's will saying, "I think you should be able to do this much if you are my maid so it will be helpful when push comes to shove," while doing her maid duties separately.

She wasn't yet at a level where she could create, and it was difficult for such Anna to help Noel's writing.

Still, Anna thought she would be able to tell stories of the hardships or dry lives of commoners that Miss Noel wouldn't know about, but──.

"How is it? I'm going to write it with this kind of feeling."

"U-Uh...?"

The moment she saw the plot she was asked for her impressions on, saying there was no one suitable around to ask for their thoughts on such a work, such confidence completely flew away from Anna as well.

Born as the eldest daughter of a wealthy noble family, Noel had lived without lacking anything from the moment she saw the light of the world until now.

Anna was confused by the fact that such Noel could vividly write this kind of 'salty' story.

To think even the part she thought she could assist with was like this...

"Is it not good?"

"Pardon? No! It is incredibly, truly a good story!"

Because there were only nobles, Imperial Family members, clergymen all around...

Because there were only people who had lived lives far removed from the story she was trying to write this time, she asked Anna, a commoner, for her impressions, but the reaction wasn't great.

Seeing the face of Noel, who was lost in thought wondering if she had overdone it again since there wasn't much time either, Anna shook her head in surprise.

"Um, I lack refinement so I don't know how best to express it, but it is definitely a very good story. Especially this feeling of even poverty being stolen... it's to the point where my chest feels tight."

"Is that so?"

Noel nodding her head as if satisfied.

Even if the world and the times are different, there are bound to be things that get through.

Tracing back the memories of winning an award at a writing contest during her school days in her past life, it was rewarding to switch her thinking for the first time in a while to just write a novel, putting entertainment aside.

Noel smiled, thinking it was a relief since there wasn't much time left until the winter contest either.

If it's this, she felt she would be able to achieve the goal of shaming the outdated literary circles by receiving at least a newcomer award.

Thinking so, Noel completed the story according to the prepared plot based on Anna's feedback.

She didn't know at this time.

"Then, unanimously, this year's Literature Award has been decided as The Oblige of Deception."

That when she opened the lid, it wasn't at the level of a newcomer award.