Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Excessive Worries
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"Camellia, if you happen to hang out with any strange kids at the academy..."
"I won't. You know that better than anyone, Mother."
"That's... true, but..."
Rozalin spoke with an expression and eyes full of intense worry for me.
Honestly, I thought her concern was a bit excessive.
It was just a matter of dressing warmly and enjoying a relaxed tea time in the garden, but this level of worry felt... too much.
She had always fretted about my academy life before, but lately, it had been especially bad.
It was probably because my enrollment at the academy was coming up soon.
"Just don't go joining any weird places at the academy for no reason."
"I won't."
"And... don't get involved with those scary kids...?"
"I won't, I said..."
To begin with, I'd done far worse things than most kids my age.
I hadn't committed any outright illegal acts yet... but my business dealings weren't exactly squeaky clean.
"What if kids from count or duke families do something bad just because you're from a viscount family...?"
"I'm fine, I said."
"...Still."
"You're worrying too much..."
It wasn't that I didn't understand at all, but it really was over the top.
I wasn't some little kid wandering a highway without any gear.
"Um... Camellia, you're not cold, right?"
"...Mother."
"I can ask that much, can't I...?"
"The way you're asking that right now..."
When I lowered my head and gaze slightly, what I saw was a thick blanket draped over me.
I'd planned to just wear a winter cardigan and relax, but Rozalin had insisted it was cold outside.
Thanks to that, I wasn't just sitting in the chair—I was completely wrapped up in the blanket.
"Doesn't it look too warm?"
It wasn't even cold enough for breath to fog up.
Winter or not, the south never dropped below freezing.
Around ten degrees, give or take?
And it didn't even snow here.
"Still..."
Was it because my departure for the academy was really drawing near? Rozalin was even more intense than usual.
Lize, who was coming with me, and even William, who was sending me off, weren't worrying this much.
And I, the one involved, wasn't either!
"...Was it too burdensome?"
"...A little."
"...Sorry. But Camellia living alone far away... it's the first time, right?"
Rozalin said this in a slightly trembling voice.
Her worry was so evident in her tone.
"Well... yeah, that makes sense..."
Honestly, what could I say... yeah...
Her concern made me feel like I had nothing to say in response.
Of course, I wasn't sure if I should be happy about her intense worry or not.
"You really have to contact us if anything happens, okay?"
"I know."
In fact, even if something did happen, I could handle most things on my own, and that's what I planned to do.
Telling Rozalin or William unnecessarily might just make things bigger.
Probably.
Those thoughts swirled in my head, but with Rozalin so worried right now, I just answered quietly and obediently.
*
Even after that, Rozalin's worry-filled nagging didn't stop.
Anyone hearing it would think I was some idiot who saw a fire and approached it out of curiosity.
Of course, since I understood her feelings, I just listened meekly.
It probably made her feel better that way.
"Lize, have you packed everything?"
"Yes, Young Lady. Everything's ready except for the maid uniform you'll wear up until the day before departure."
"Oh... you prepared faster than I thought."
"I figured it would be best if we could leave right away whenever you want to depart."
Lize was Lize, through and through.
Part of why I kept her closest among the maids was her looks, but she was just so good at her job—it really pleased me.
Finding another maid who worked exactly to my tastes like Lize wouldn't be easy.
"...Honestly, we could go to the academy right now without any issues."
"Is that so?"
"I'm not taking an exam to get in—the Solchemia side invited me first, after all."
Even if we went now, using the dormitory and other academy facilities wouldn't be a problem.
We could hop in a carriage and head straight to the capital right this instant... no issues at all.
But.
"Mother's still too worried. I'm planning to wait a bit longer before going."
"Ah..."
"What can we do? When she's that worried."
"...True enough."
"Her worry seems too much... It's not that I hate it."
I didn't hate it, but her excessive concern was starting to make me worry about her.
And I couldn't exactly tell her that...
"But seriously, why is everyone so worried? I've done some odd things, but isn't this overkill?"
I just couldn't understand it.
It wasn't just Rozalin—even Lize, right here in the same room, felt the same.
They all assumed from the start that I'd cause or get caught up in some incident at the academy, and worried about the aftermath.
Sure, I'd had a few... very rare accidents while doing business.
But this treatment was too much.
"...I haven't even had any real accidents in business."
"...Young Lady, that's not quite right."
"Huh...?"
"Two years ago, when you went to the mercenary guild for business..."
"Ah."
Yeah.
That.
Well...
I had nothing to say about that.
As Lize said, two years ago, I'd gone to a mercenary guild for business, got into a scuffle, and... in the end, that guild completely vanished.
It wasn't my fault—they started it from the beginning...
"Honestly, it wasn't my fault, right...?"
"...Young Lady."
"...Just kidding, kidding."
I said it with a smile, but it really wasn't my fault.
Those guys picked the fight first, didn't they...?
"Anyway, Lize? Why is everyone worrying about me so much?"
"...You really don't know?"
"Nope."
Lize gave me a look like, 'How do you not know something so obvious?' But I really didn't.
I wasn't stupid, but this had always baffled me.
"Just tell me already. Both Madam and you... you've been so vague, it's been frustrating."
"...Obviously, it's because you'll naturally attract attention from noble heirs and ladies your age."
"Why? Is Leonhardt that big a deal?"
Even if Leonhardt got a lot of flak... that much attention?
That seemed like a stretch...
"It's not Leonhardt. It's just that your looks will draw a lot of interest."
"Hmm..."
"You've gained some experience at small social gatherings for young nobles, but they're still immature in the end..."
"So they'll be interested in me?"
"Yes."
Hmm...
Hmmm...
"Am I that pretty?"
"...Pardon?"
"No, anyone hearing this would think I'm some world-toppling beauty who could overthrow the empire."
I knew I was pretty, and I expected some attention because of my looks... but enough to cause problems at the academy?
I had no idea if it was really that serious.
"There are other pretty nobles besides me. Two saintesses are enrolling this time too. Why me? Why the interest?"
"......."
"Hmm... Am I that pretty...?"
In all my life so far, I hadn't seen many prettier than me... but that was just my opinion.
Others might focus on those two saintesses or the pretty ladies from count and duke families, and weren't they better politically anyway?
"...Have I been thinking too politically?"
The thought suddenly hit me.
I'd been too focused on business and politics.
Of course, given what I usually did and had done, that mindset was inevitable.
But those kids entering the academy were all nobles too.
They'd all have those kinds of goals for enrolling, and Rozalin had often hinted at that when talking to me.
Naturally, I couldn't think any other way.
"Hmm..."
"What's the problem now?"
"No, if that's the worry, then there's no need to worry."
"...Pardon?"
"Well, so what if the little kids enrolling at the academy are interested in me?"
I said it straight from my head, honestly.
Just whatever came to mind.
"I'm not some idiot who'll grin like a fool and fall for them because they're interested. I have zero interest in that stuff from the start."
"Still..."
"You and Mother both seem to think guys will come pawing at me, but I hate those guys."
I'd already told Lize this.
I hadn't told Rozalin at all, but Lize knew for sure.
"If a guy—not even a pretty girl—suddenly gets flirty and comes too close... I might seriously freeze him with magic."
"Young Lady, that's a bit..."
"I'll warn him first, but if he ignores that... I'll do it for real."
Unlike moments ago when I was smiling, I dropped the smile and looked at Lize with eyes that said I meant it completely.
Because this time, I was dead serious.
Not even a pretty girl—a guy doing that?
I'd seriously freeze him and then use telekinesis to dump him in the academy garden.
For real.
"......."
"Does that ease your worries now?"
"...Young Lady."
"Yeah."
I'd finally figured out the reason for all the intense worrying, and I'd cleanly dispelled it.
Surely Lize would say something positive now.
Heh, honest talk really is the best in times like these.
"If you said that to Madam just now... she'd scold you severely."
"Huh."
...That bad?