Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

The second semester began, and each person returned to their room in the Hearts Cla.s.s dorm. Unlike the other students, the inside of my room is almost the same. Even if it’s the same, there’s no problem after all.

The degree of calm in my dorm room compared to my home is proportional to the amount that my stepmother and Dominique aren’t able to meddle. Camille’s room is closeby too. It seems that the interior of Camille’s room is also mostly unchanged. However, when it comes to her room, because of her magic tools or magic experiments, the look of her room can completely change even if her decoration remains the same. In a way, you could say she has great sense. In contrast to us, His Highness has completely changed his room to his tastes. His room already looks like a completely different one from his old one.

If I remember correctly, it’s almost time for the opening ceremony, huh… Putting on my coat, I left the room.

“Achille.”

Just as I left, I met with His Highness. It seems that Camille has already left.

“Hey, how far have you gone with Camille? I wonder if she’s more or less getting used to romance as well.”

“…We haven’t gone anywhere, but during the summer break, she got a bit more used to it.”

When I was making Camille do her homework, I decided to try hugging her through the whole thing after all. During the last few days of the summer break, it seems that she got used to it too, and started sitting on my lap as though it was natural.

“Today’s news: Raiga’s given up on his rights to succession.”

“Raiga-sama did?”

“Mn, only we of the royal family know right now.”

“And why is that?”

“Because he became a papa! I’m sure it’s to protect Mei, huh! He probably wants to avoid unnecessary conflict.”

His Highness smiled from the depths of his heart.

“Apparently his fiancée, the Q of Spades Mei Zakro is pregnant.”

“Pregnant?”

Even those two aren’t even married just, just when did they start doing those kind of things I wonder…? Or rather, even though they’re both still students… They’re really too haphazard.

“Oh? Achille, you look like you don’t agree.”

“No, I feel that it is a happy thing that the number of succession candidates has lowered.”

As a person supporting His Highness, it’s one of the things I couldn’t help worrying about.

“Really? I was sure that you were unhappy because you were jealous of Raiga.”

“…I am not that selfish, you know? If Camille wants to continue going to school, then I will wait until graduation.”

“But if you did it now, then you wouldn’t need to worry about the Topagerian prince stealing Camille anymore, right?”

Even though I’ve gone to the trouble of holding myself back, His Highness says nothing but things to sway my determination. He probably doesn’t mean anything bad by it, but I wish he would stop irresponsibly inciting me.

“…No matter what you say, Your Highness, I place importance on Camille’s wishes.”

“Hm~mm, well, I get the feeling that Camille isn’t dissatisfied with you either, after all. I completely intend on getting in the way of the meddling from the neighbouring nation for you two, you know.”

And in truth, because His Highness has been stopping them behind doors, up until now there have been few large movements by the neighbouring country. I’m thankful to him for this. I wish that Topageria would just give up already.

“Achille Jade.”

Just before I entered the auditorium, a schoolgirl called out to me. It’s a face that I recognise. If I remember correctly, she was the person that Camille was drunkenly a.s.sociating with at the entrance ceremony. After that, I had to apologise and reimburse her for her uniform and various things like that, so I remember her. She came and talked to me about weird stuff as well, after all.

“Achille, I’ll head in first, okay?”

His Highness probably thinks that I’m being courted by one of the n.o.ble girls again. He disappeared considerately into the auditorium. Certainly, this chain of events would normally lead to a confession, but… But I feel that the girl in front of me has an atmosphere different to those n.o.ble girls.

“I need to have a talk with you.”

“…Please keep it short.”

First of all, the girl looked around, before leading me behind the auditorium. It was dark here, and there was n.o.body around. Is it something that she wants to that badly keep a secret?

“What do you think about this country?”

“…Is this, a solicitation of some sort?”

Religion, or a political movement? …We only just entered second semester, so I wish she would just give it a break. Outside of work, I don’t want to get involved with such bothersome things.

“That’s not it. No, perhaps it is…”

The girl played with her curled cinnamon hair as she talked.

“I want you to become our ally. Speaking simply, I want you to work with us to save this country…”

Her olive eyes gazed at me strongly.

“…The extremist faction of the commoners?”

They’re surprisingly close by, huh. The extremist commoners are steadily gaining supporters, and even now within town, though there are those that don’t directly partic.i.p.ated in extremist activities, they support the extremist in the shadows. I don’t know how involved she is in the movement, but it would probably be better to be careful.

“Calling us extremists is quite rude, isn’t it. Though we certainly do get called that. You’re from the commoner cla.s.s, so you should understand as well, right? The unfairness of this world…”

“…”

Why does this woman know about my background?

“Even though the orphanage you lived in was managed by the country, don’t you think it was a terrible environment?”

What’s with this woman? For her to know even about the orphanage. The orphanage that I belonged to should have collapsed a few years after I was taken from there. That’s why there are few people who know about that place now. Despite that, why does she know about how the orphanage was back then…?

However, whatever she says, I’ve already decided on my reply.

“I refuse.”

Hearing my words, her solitications became even stronger.

“Why? Even you should think that the state of the country is abnormal. Are you refusing because of your viscount’s family? Or is the cause that fiancée of yours?”

Her face twisted into a sneer.

“Honestly, I’m constantly amazed by that romance-obsessed woman. To be picking up men even in a different world… She can’t distinguish this world from a game, can she?”

“Are you insulting Camille?”

I have no idea what this woman is saying, but it’s certain that it’s nothing good. Though Camille vomited on her uniform in the past, there should be such a thing as choosing your words better.

“The one being insulted by that woman is you.”

The corners of the woman’s mouth rose in confidence for some reason.

“Her real form, do you know it?”

“…May I ask you what you think you know about my fiancée?”

To the end, I didn’t let my veneer of grace crumble. I’m actually becoming a little irritated though.

“Your fiancée know everything about your upbringing. Your personality, the actions you’ll probably take, your behaviour, and as a result of these, the future you’ll probably meet as well; she knows all of these, and on top of that has gotten close to you, you know? That woman.”

Well, Camille knows that I’m an illegitimate child after all, and we’re childhood friends so she knows my personality as well. And as for my future, we’re planning on getting married. On top of that, we move together.

“So what?”

“Achille Jade! You’re being tricked, you know. By that woman. That woman calculated everything to get close to you. To make you hers.”

“Hahh…”

‘To make you hers’, is not something a young girl should be saying. And, if I had to say, the one making anybody his is me.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be somebody who is so stupidly involved in romance, you know? You want to change this country, right?”

The girl talked fervently about the danger the country was in. Gee, all of the things she’s mentioned are things that I obviously know already, though.

“Certainly, I do think that I would like to change the country, but… I have no intention of working with you. At any rate, if I was going to change the country, I would do so with a different method.”

Not overturning the country through extremist activities, but soundly bettering the country from within. Even if it takes longer, if even one less sacrifice can be made, I would choose that path. And tentatively, it’ll be a country that His Highness will be managing after all. I don’t want to do anything to mess it up.

“How regretful. I’m disappointed… You’ve been completely led by that woman, haven’t you. Even though I thought I could use the J of Hearts.”

The woman muttered that with cold eyes, before raising her hands to the air.