Everyone Has a Plan (3)
Today, once again, I headed to the Academy.
Back when I served as a butler, my daily routine had often been irregular. The young lady I attended had no fixed schedule to speak of, and the guests who came to call each preferred different hours for their audiences.
Attending the Academy, however, had given my life a welcome sense of order. As a result, I even felt a little more energetic.
Combined with the quiet satisfaction of having deleted that video of the young lady, I made my way to the Academy in high spirits.
“Hello, Frey.”
“Hello, Iren.”
I returned Iren’s greeting. The moment I did, every eye in the classroom snapped toward me.
“Did you just hear that?”
“He called the Imperial Princess by name.”
“He always acted like he couldn’t stand her, but maybe he actually likes her?”
“When did those two get so close?”
“Yesterday he got dragged off at the café… you don’t think…?”
My ears were itching something fierce. If they were going to talk like that, they might as well say it to my face.
“There’s a lot more noise than usual.”
“Is there? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Iren, do you have any idea what your face looks like right now?”
“What?”
“Like you’re so happy you could die.”
“Do I look that vulgar?”
“I never said a single word about vulgar.”
At first I assumed it was just temporary chatter.
But with every break the number of students approaching me only grew.
Even on ordinary days, plenty of young masters were drawn by the Katram ducal name. Today the crowd seemed roughly twice as large.
“Young Master Katram. Might you be in need of magic stones?”
“No need.”
“Young Master. I know a shop that sells excellent staves.”
“I don’t use a staff.”
“Young Master. What’s your favorite food? I know a chef of exceptional skill…”
“I prefer cooking for myself.”
They were swarming too thickly. The ones who used to approach me had never been this blatant about their flattery; today’s lot were laying it on with a trowel.
“Aaah, so noisy. Should I clean house a little?”
“Eek!”
The sycophants who had been flocking to me all the way through fourth period were sunk by a single remark from Iren and beat a hasty retreat. I let out a long sigh.
“Haa… I’m exhausted.”
“There’ll be plenty more of this from now on.”
“It’s because of the Imp— I mean, because of you, Iren. What are you going to do about this?”
“As a noble, you handle it yourself. Start blaming others and you won’t survive in this world.”
She was right, of course. The world of nobles was pure survival of the fittest. The half-baked never lasted long.
“But Iren, you’ve never even set foot in noble society. How do you know all this so well?”
She was the Imperial Princess who had only just revealed herself. Before that she should have had no contact with any nobles at all—so how was she this seasoned?
Just yesterday she had instantly spotted every hole in my plan, helped me plug them, and walked away with only what benefited her. Seasoned didn’t begin to cover it.
“Proof that I’m a genius.”
“Wow. You’re so annoying.”
“Is that any way to speak to an Imperial Princess?”
“Weren’t you the one who told me to call you by name? Want me to go back to ‘Your Highness’?”
“Forget it. Annoying is better. Well, I’ve learned a lot, after all.”
Learned a lot, huh. Even if she had never shown her face, someone would have been tutoring her steadily. Given that Iren was a genius, it made a certain amount of sense. A certain amount.
“Frey, you need to cultivate political insight. I told you before, didn’t I? You have to broaden your perspective. The two are closely related.”
“How so?”
“It develops the ability to judge whether someone is worth keeping at your side… or not.”
I immediately dragged my desk and chair to the side. Without so much as a change of expression, Iren pulled the separated furniture right back toward herself.
“Because there are plenty of times you fail to make the right call—like just now.”
“Ugh. I thought that was the optimal choice.”
“Keep acting half-heartedly and those flies will swarm even thicker. With the Katram duchy plus me involved, the prestige would be no joke, would it?”
“……”
She was right. I had zero intention of getting involved with Iren romantically, but simply being friendly would look entirely different in other people’s eyes.
This was a problem. If I handled myself poorly, people might start doubting whether I was truly of the Katram house—and the gaze directed at the ducal family would sour as well.
“So specially, after class I’ll teach you various techniques…”
“Not today. I need to get home quickly.”
“Hm?”
“Hearing what you said made me realize I need to learn fast. I should ask Lady Katram for instruction.”
While asking for instruction, I’d also get to chat with the young lady, of course.
“No. I’ll teach you.”
“I trust Lady Katram more than you, Iren. She’s been out on the official scene a great deal as well.”
The young lady was frail, but not so frail that she couldn’t move at all. Of course she had held her debutante ball and frequently attended various gatherings.
It was only the past year that she had been completely barred from official activities. Before that she had been a specialist who actively socialized with other young ladies. That was my young lady.
Just as I was thinking I’d be able to enjoy a pleasant conversation with her at the mansion today—
“Really. No sense of tact, and a failure as a man too.”
“What?”
“You clearly said you like the Katram lady. But if a man asks a woman to teach him his own shortcomings, how do you think she’ll look at him?”
“Uh…”
“She’ll think he’s pathetic. She’ll laugh inside, thinking he seemed outstanding but turned out to be only that much.”
“That’s not—! Our young lady would never do that!”
“Idiot. Women are all the same. They like capable men. If you expose your weak points, will the Katram lady really like you?”
A perspective I had never even considered.
When I worked as a butler, I never had occasion to show the young lady any shortcomings. I had mastered every duty perfectly in just three years.
But as someone playing the part of a noble, I was full of deficiencies. If the young lady saw me like this…
She wouldn’t laugh. The young lady was no lowlife. But she might be a little disappointed, mightn’t she?
The young lady disappointed in me?
I would rather die than that.
“Iren. I have a request.”
“Hm?”
“Please teach me political insight. You’re the only one.”
“Hehe. Then after class in the library—”
“Not that. Let’s meet in an empty classroom.”
“Hmmph. Fine.”
And so we agreed to meet after class.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should have studied from my butler days. No— the Duke only told me two hours before enrollment, so how could I possibly have known?
A capable butler adapts quickly to every situation. Within a few days I would flexibly cope and perfectly master how to conduct myself among nobles.
After class.
For some reason I was on my knees on the floor with Iren riding on my back.
If it had been burning (Burning), that would have been far preferable.
“What on earth is this?”
“I’m teaching you the etiquette among nobles.”
“You’re telling me to prostrate like a dog in front of people who hit on me?”
“No. First, let’s clarify the hierarchy between you and me. Page. Your center seems a bit off?”
Slap! Iren smacked my backside. I wanted to stand up right then and flip her over.
But she was the one doing the teaching, so I would endure for now.
If nothing substantial came after this, I would really flip her.
“Is it hard?”
“You’re light.”
“Oh my, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“No, you’re really light.”
It was true. Maybe because she was short, the weight was no strain at all.
One uncomfortable point was that she seemed to weigh exactly the same as the young lady. Same age, same height for girls—so it was possible.
“Good. You pass.”
With a little heave, Iren slid down from my back. I dusted off my knees and asked,
“What was that just now?”
“That you have to kneel when you need to kneel. Got it, Frey? The world of nobles is ruthless. Stand on pride when you ought to bow, and you’ll bring ruin on your house.”
“Were you checking whether I’d stand on pride or not?”
“Yes. Then let’s say I’m, um, a suitable baron’s daughter. Young Master Frey? Would you kneel?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Good. Throwing away pride even toward a subordinate is of course no good. You didn’t do a spinal reflex like a dog barking when the bell rings, so you pass.”
“I didn’t stay after class to learn something this basic.”
“Hehe. Now it starts.”
Iren walked to the blackboard. She intended to write while she taught. I took a suitable seat in the front row.
“Now, Frey Katram. Do you know the current political situation of the Empire?”
“They’re in the middle of deciding the crown prince candidate.”
“Wrong. They’re deciding the crown prince—or crown princess—candidate.”
I felt as though I had just heard information I was never meant to hear.
“Crown princess? The Imperial Princesses are participating in the succession competition?”
“Yes. The First and Second Princesses are working very actively to become crown princess.”
“What about the Third Princess?”
“If I wanted the position, I wouldn’t have secluded myself.”
“Indeed.”
Well, a suddenly appeared Third Princess could hardly seize the throne.
“Among them, the ones leading the pack are the First Prince and the Second Princess. The Second Prince is a bit off, the Third Prince has no ambition. The First Princess is simply too kind.”
“They’re your blood relatives, yet you speak so bluntly.”
“Because those blood relatives are the reason I secluded myself.”
“If you keep saying things like that, I’ll cover my ears.”
“Sorry, sorry. Anyway—right now the Academy is largely split into two factions.”
Iren drew two large circles on the board, one for the First Prince and one for the Second Princess.
“For example, Irina—who tried to seduce you yesterday—is First Prince faction.”
“Well, she is in the knight class.”
The First Prince was a renowned knight. Even veteran warriors were said to pale before him.
“And the Katram duchy is Second Princess faction. For reference, legitimacy is more solid on this side.”
“They use magic, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”
Originally the Valencia Empire was a magic empire. The imperial bloodline all possessed magical talent to that degree.
So that was why the Duke supported the Second Princess.
“But that doesn’t mean there are no First Prince supporters in the magic class. A simple specialty doesn’t decide everything in politics.”
“That’s true.”
“Then here’s a question. Among the ones who came to you today, were there more First Prince faction or Second Princess faction?”
“More Second Princess faction, probably. Since this is the magic class.”
“You’re an idiot who can’t even remember what you just said. Which faction should be clinging and flattering you right now?”
“Ah?”
Wait a minute.
She had said the Second Princess side held solid legitimacy.
And they had approached me after seeing me grow close to Iren.
“The First Prince?”
“Correct. You have to somehow pull people from the opposing camp to strengthen your own faction. Plus, if they obtain you, they can calculate putting even me into the First Prince support base.”
“My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Politics is originally like that. So—what attitude should you take?”
“Tell everyone to get lost, like you do?”
“That’s possible because it’s me. Even as a member of the Katram duchy, you as a collateral should refuse gently. There’s nothing good about needlessly earning hatred.”
I see. I understood the attitude a Katram collateral ought to maintain.
“But you don’t have to draw the line too hard.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“There will be people who approach you with pure goodwill. For example, Carl—who annoyingly introduced Irina to you. Even though he’s Second Princess faction, he introduced First Prince faction Irina to you. Interest disputes are disputes; friends are friends.”
“Pure friendship is possible among nobles?”
“Outside, maybe not. But this is the Academy, isn’t it?”
“Oh.”
The positive function of the Academy, I supposed.
“So try to distinguish those carefully. Got it? And by the way… I, regardless of all that, you…”
“Aha. Then Iren is the same?”
“Hm? What are you talking about?”
I immediately put the knowledge I had just learned to use.
“Since Iren supports the Second Princess, you want to firmly grasp me—a collateral—right? And the reason you checked Irina of the First Prince faction is the same.”
“……”
“As expected of me. After receiving a lecture from Iren, to see through her true intentions like this. But then you don’t need to go through the trouble of seducing me. Since I only love the Katram lady, I’ll never go over to the First Prince faction…”
“Go die!”
Clang!
Iren smacked me across the head and stomped out of the classroom, fuming.
……I woke up about four hours later.