First Day
Lux’s Side
“Master, please have a safe trip.”
“Yeah, I’m off.”
Siana bowed her head to me and came to see me off, so I replied, then stepped into the carriage bound for the noble academy.
Yesterday was the entrance ceremony, but today marks the true beginning of my life at the academy.
There, I’ll be learning the essential education and knowledge expected of a noble. There are also elective classes, like swordsmanship.
Some might question whether nobles even need swordsmanship, but I believe that if something were to happen, it’s my duty to stand at the front and protect the people of my domain. For that reason, training with the sword is essential.
Up until just a few months ago, I had a sword instructor, so I shouldn’t be the worst in my year when it comes to handling a blade… or so I hope.
In any case, that’s why I was genuinely excited to start my new life at the noble academy.
Siana’s Side
Siana was tending the garden alone at the Rodwell estate.
The tall girl in the black hood had been instructed to keep watch over Lux during the day, so she wasn’t nearby right now… but Siana didn’t seem to mind. Her thoughts were entirely on Lux.
“…Starting today, I won’t be able to see Lux-kun until evening.”
It was a little lonely, sure—but before she was employed as a maid at the Rodwell estate, it had been completely normal not to see or speak with Lux at all. Compared to that, she told herself, this was nothing. She remembered what Lux had said to her when she confessed, the night before the entrance ceremony, that she felt sad.
“Siana… It’s true that starting tomorrow, I’ll be going to the academy, so we might not have much time to talk during the day… but we can just make up for it by talking lots at night. And there are bound to be times when I struggle with my studies, so if you ever have a free moment, I’d love your help.”
Recalling his words, Siana softly smiled to herself and murmured,
“Even if he hadn’t asked, I’d help with anything for Lux-kun… I really can’t wait for him to come home.”
Lux’s Side
After arriving at the academy, I walked into the lecture hall.
Around fifty students were already there, sitting and chatting among themselves.
There were probably still more to come.
I glanced at the blackboard, where each student’s name was listed next to their assigned seat. I made my way to mine.
My seat was at the far left edge, right by the window—a good spot where I could look out and clear my head now and then. But when I saw who was sitting just in front of it, I froze.
“F-Florence-san!?”
“Good morning, Lux Rodwell-sama.”
With a calm greeting, Florence-san smiled brightly at me.
I never imagined Florence-san would be sitting next to me… What a coincidence.
I took my seat, greeted her properly, and we began to talk.
“Good morning… I was surprised to see you here, Florence-san.”
“I was also a little surprised when I saw that our seats were next to each other on the board.”
“You actually checked where I was sitting?”
“Yes. I’m interested in you, Lux Rodwell-sama.”
“Interested in… me?”
“Yes, actually—”
“We’ll now begin our first class.”
Just as Florence-san was about to say more, a woman who looked very much like a teacher stepped to the front of the classroom and spoke. The students, including us, all fell silent.
“Although this is our first class, today’s lectures are all just to help you understand how a typical day at the noble academy will go. I’ll only be covering the absolute basics. Even if you don’t grasp them today, don’t worry. Starting tomorrow, we’ll go over everything in more detail. For now, just focus on getting a feel for the structure.”
She had a rather stiff demeanor, but if someone said she was a noble academy teacher, I’d believe it immediately.
And yet—what if I couldn’t even follow these supposed basics? The thought made me nervous. But by the end of the day, I’d sat through all the lectures and found that everything truly was fundamental. I understood it all with ease, which came as a relief.
The routine was simple: attend lectures, take breaks in between, and eat lunch at midday. Once swordsmanship or classes requiring us to move to other rooms start, things might change. But at least for today, I felt confident I’d fully grasped the basic flow of a typical day of seated lectures.
As I let out a quiet sigh of relief, Florence-san spoke to me.
“Lux Rodwell-sama, it seems you understood all of today’s lectures quite well.”
“Yes, for the most part… Like the teacher said, it was only the basics.”
“Even so, it seems not many fully understood every part.”
“That just shows everyone has their own strengths… I’ve been studying whatever seems necessary, one thing after another, so I really respect that about them.”
“What a wonderful mindset. It seems I was right to take an interest in you.”
Florence-san said that with a warm expression, just as an unfamiliar man appeared in front of me.
He was a bit overweight, with sharp eyes and neatly cut hair that hung just low enough to cover his forehead without reaching his eyes. One look was enough to tell he’d grown up in a wealthy household.
“Is he a friend of yours?”
Florence-san asked in her usual calm tone, and I answered her.
“No… I don’t know him.”
When I said that, the man turned and spoke to me directly.
“I am Zald, heir to a marquis house—second only to dukes among the noble ranks.”
A marquis… That’s one rank above my own, as a count.
I don’t think those below me in rank need to worry much about such things, but it’s only proper to show a bit of care when speaking with someone of higher status.
“I’m from the house of—”
“I don’t care about your name! I’ve got something to say!”
I’d met nobles who were a bit high-handed before, but this was the first time someone had cut me off while I was introducing myself. He seemed agitated. Maybe I’d done something to upset him.
For now, I decided to hear him out.
“What is it?”
“You! I saw you talking to the Third Princess at the party, didn’t I?”
“Yes, I did… but what about it?”
“Someone like her—noble in blood, beautiful in appearance—should only associate with people like me, those with both pedigree and talent! Someone like you has no business speaking to her!”
…It’s true I don’t have much in the way of ability, and I’m not sure if bloodlines have a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to them. But since his rank is higher, I could overlook that part.
However—there was one thing I couldn’t ignore.
“Her Highness, the Third Princess, Felisiana-sama isn’t just noble by blood or appearance. She’s kind, works hard, and has earned the respect she receives. Speaking about her like that—even as someone from a marquis house—is incredibly disrespectful.”
“I don’t care about that! You think a count’s brat can talk back to me, a marquis!?”
Girl in the Black Hood’s Side
The girl in the black hood had been ordered by her Ojou-sama, Siana, to observe Lux’s school life. Siana might have described it as “watching over” him.
Naturally, she was seeing—and hearing—everything happening between Lux and Zald.
Then, watching Zald, the girl in the black hood murmured,
“Something quite fascinating seems to be unfolding on the very first day of class, Ojou-sama… Insults against you, and bluster toward Rodwell-sama. I could take matters into my own hands, but I suspect your wrath would be far crueler than mine. I’ll leave it to you.”
With those words, a faint smirk rose at the corner of her lips, just barely visible beneath the hood.
Later, when Lux returned from the academy to the Rodwell estate, Siana was there to welcome him home.