Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Noisy Morning Reunion
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"...What's with all this noise."
I woke up even earlier than usual this morning.
I had woken up early yesterday morning too, but the reason was different.
Yesterday, it was because the bed was a bit uncomfortable, but today, it wasn't the bed—it was the noise outside.
Of course, the bed being a bit uncomfortable was still an issue...
"What the heck is it..."
I rubbed my eyes furiously and muttered to myself.
I didn't know who it was, but some woman kept yapping loudly... it was really annoying.
"Who makes this much noise in the morning..."
Like some kind of high-pitched cuckoo bird, chirping away nonstop...
"...Tch."
Lately, it felt like I was clicking my tongue more often, which didn't sit well with me.
Thanks to that, for two days in a row, I was in a foul mood and condition.
Unlike my usual self, where I slept deeply and woke up refreshed, this was waking up uncomfortably early.
This really... wasn't a situation I liked.
"Ha..."
One difference from yesterday was that I was up, but Lize, lying next to me, was still asleep?
That made sense, since yesterday I had told Lize not to get up and work, but to sleep in for once.
Lize liked sleeping deeply anyway.
If she weren't a maid, she probably would've slept in with me every day.
Anyway, for various reasons, Lize next to me was still sleeping, unlike usual.
"...Should I go out alone."
I didn't want to wake Lize for no reason, and whatever was happening, it was pissing me off...
Normally, I would've just pulled the covers back over and slept, but today, it was hard to endure.
-Rustle...
After roughly deciding that, I got out of bed and threw on the cardigan I'd left on the chair.
Going out in just pajamas wouldn't be proper for a lady, and I didn't want others seeing me like that.
"...It's really noisy."
Outside, some woman was still yapping loudly.
For now... she definitely didn't seem like a normal woman.
Up until yesterday, there was no one here except me and Lize, so suddenly a woman's loud voice... probably a new lady who just arrived?
"Ah."
No.
Thinking a bit more, I remembered a young lord from some family had checked in last night.
I had zero interest since it was a guy, so I'd forgotten.
Anyway, my guess was that the woman yelling outside was obviously one of the ladies from a southern family.
For now... I should go see her face.
*
"Arrrgh! What the hell is wrong with this room!?"
"...?"
"What kind of academy-provided room is this!"
When I stepped out, the face I ran into was... a bit more welcome than expected?
The girl I'd met since I was eight, the one I could actually call a friend in my narrow social circle, was energetically yelling in front of the door to the room next door.
A pretty girl with beautiful blue hair.
In terms of build and looks... she had this cute, dainty vibe all around.
"Ella...?"
"Camellia! You got here first!?"
"Yeah... but why are you making such a racket this early? Nice to see you, but..."
"Because the room's like this! How could I stay quiet!?"
...The source of the noise that woke me was Ella, yelling in front of the next room.
I knew Ella was coming here, but I hadn't expected her to arrive like this, or for us to meet this way.
Seeing her maid holding the luggage behind her, it looked like they'd just arrived.
"For now... shall we go inside? It's bothering others out here."
"Let's do that! Yuri."
"Yes, Young Lady."
And so, I went inside with Ella and her maid.
Ella's maid seemed kinda cute too, I thought idly.
Not as cute or pretty as my Lize, but with her brown bob haircut and freckles on her cheeks, she had this youthful feel.
Her expression and looks also gave a somewhat composed impression, so she seemed like she'd complement the lively Ella well.
"Young Lady, I'll prepare some tea."
"Please do."
"What tea would the Leonhardt Lady prefer..."
"We'll think about that later. Tea's fine."
"Understood."
And so, we entered Ella's room.
Right next door to mine.
I'd thought we'd have to go out to the hallway or even outside the inn, but the culprit was right next door.
"But Ella, why were you making such a fuss?"
"Because I hated it. What even is this room? It's not like it's for commoners... Is this really the inn the academy provides?"
"...Yeah, that's true."
It was.
Ella's thinking made some sense.
No matter how I thought about it, for an inn given to nobles by the academy... hmm.
I could understand her grumbling alone with the door open.
"Honestly, I don't think it's a great inn either."
"Right?! What kind of inn do they provide for ladies entering the academy?!"
"...Haha."
"I even thought they were discriminating against southern nobles!"
"Haha..."
"I know central nobles are flashier and more influential than us, but they wouldn't discriminate like this..."
"Well... there must be some reason."
"...I hope so."
Ella seemed pretty pissed off in general.
Well... it was morning now, and they'd traveled by carriage, arriving right at breakfast time.
If they were told to stay here for two days... yeah.
I could understand to some extent.
"Calm down for now. It's a subpar inn, but we'll be at the academy soon anyway, right?"
"True."
"Plus, it's not like there's anything weird outside the inn. Just bear with it a little."
"...Aren't you mad?"
"I am. But... I was sleeping and you woke me up with the noise..."
"Gasp."
...Hmm.
I hadn't meant to make her feel guilty or anything, but somehow it came out that way.
Ella covered her mouth with both hands, looking shocked.
Well... it was true she was the cause, so it was an awkward situation with nothing clear to say.
"Uh... umm..."
"Did I... wake you up?"
"Yes."
"Oh no..."
"No need to feel that bad..."
"No... uh... sorry. The next room was so quiet, and I heard no other young lords or ladies had arrived yet on the way... I didn't know you were right next door..."
"It's fine. I was gonna wake up soon anyway..."
"Really...? That's a relief..."
Well, Ella was pretty innocent anyway, and I wasn't in just pajamas, so it was easy enough to brush off.
Of course, she was still looking at me apologetically.
"Uh... umm..."
"I said it's fine, why are you like this?"
"But you... you sleep a ton usually."
"Hmm..."
"Even when we hung out before, you slept a lot..."
"I went to bed early yesterday. Right after dinner, I think?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm really fine."
I smiled brightly at Ella.
Truth was, I still hadn't slept enough and was sleepy... but I didn't want to worry her.
It had been months since we last met, and this felt a bit... sorry on my end too?
Though it was mostly her fault.
"Anyway, long time no see, Ella."
"Yeah! It's been since we played at the mansion."
"Doing well?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
"True. Niesista Territory's doing way better than before lately. Must've been great."
"Hehehe... exactly!"
Ella's face, much brighter than before, as she spoke to me.
Ella definitely looked better with that bright expression than a pitiful one.
"To celebrate me going to the academy, my father got me a watch as a gift!"
"A watch?"
"Yeah! Look... it's gold, super pretty, right?"
"It is pretty."
The watch Ella was showing off was a small pocket watch.
Tiny, even smaller than Ella's little hand, dainty size.
But Ella clearly loved it.
Well, it was a gift from her father, Niesista Baron, so her reaction made sense.
"Hehe! And it has a magic spell on the mana stone here that shoots cool air!"
"Impressive."
"Right?!"
Nice to see.
Maybe because our family had a different vibe and style, seeing Ella and Niesista Baron so close made me... a little envious.
I got along well with Rozalin too, but it felt different from that.
It rarely felt like a true family bond.
"Looks nice."
"Right? The blue mana stones here? Father specially picked ones matching my hair color as close as possible and commissioned it!"
"Hehe, definitely looks like the baron put thought into it. Pretty mana stones, just like you, Ella."
"Heh, hehe! Right?"
"Yes."
Really nice to see.
"Camellia, wanna go out for lunch together?"
"Sounds good."
"Hehe, meeting a friend after so long feels amazing! I wanna get to the academy quick!"
"Seeing Older Sister Karen too, it'll definitely be fun."
Somehow, we ended up chatting about Karen after so long.
Ella's maid had brought out some tea and snacks by then, but I didn't eat, just talked while Ella snacked, and about...
30 minutes passed?
-Young Laaaady!!!
"...Ah."
Lize's voice called me loudly from outside.
...Come to think of it, I hadn't told Lize anything or left a note when I came out?