𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬’𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐚

Claudia was a beautiful girl who was well-known in the city.

Her father was a common merchant, but after Claudia was born, his business suddenly started to flourish and he made a fortune. Now, he even holds the title of Baron.

Claudia was called the “goddess’s child” by her father.

Even in difficult business negotiations, if Claudia was present, things would go smoothly as if by magic.

Claudia didn’t have any special abilities, nor was she particularly knowledgeable or skilled in rhetoric. After all, this was the case since she was a child. All she had to do was sit politely, and say “hello.” 

Claudia simply enchanted people by being there. All Claudia had to do was smile. Even a single word of greeting was enough.

She just had to be there. That was enough.

Claudia, unusually for a commoner, had magical powers. She was to attend the Magic Academy to learn how to properly use her magic. 

In this country, those with magical powers were mostly nobles, and although it was called the “Magic Academy,” in reality, it could be called a “Noble School” without any problem.

Her father, worried that his daughter, born a commoner, would feel too intimidated in the school, bought a title with money for this purpose. He adored his daughter, the “goddess’s child.”

However, Claudia’s school life was not at all enjoyable.

・・・

『”ᴀᴡᴇʙsᴛᴏʀɪᴇs.ᴄᴏᴍ” – ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏғ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs ᴡɪᴛʜ “ᴅᴀɪʟʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs” ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxᴄʟᴜsɪᴠᴇ ᴀᴄᴄᴇss ᴛᴏ “ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs”.』

・・・

“I don’t know any woman as beautiful and kind-hearted as you. . . Claudia, I love you. . .”

“Um. . . Oulga-sama. You have a fiancée. . .”

“What’s the matter? It’s a political marriage arranged by my parents. I can break off the engagement anytime.”

He slammed his hand against the wall.

In the dimly lit back of the school building, he, Marquis Tsilgilly’s son Oulga, looked down at me with his hand against the brick wall of the school building. His sharp golden eyes and rare silver hair were attractive, and his slightly wild atmosphere made him popular in the school! 

Yes. It’s a splendid wall slam. As I look up at him, who is shadowed by the backlight, I frown.

(. . .Wall slam, I’ve gotten used to it. . .)

I search for a reason why he started calling me kind-hearted. . .No good, I can’t think of anything.

If I had to say, it would be when we sat next to each other in a special class the other day, and I picked up the fountain pen he dropped.

. . .Is he approaching me, abandoning his fiancée, just for that? No way. . . No way. . .

. . .But it’s not impossible.

“──Excuse me! What on earth is going on?!”

Just as I was about to sigh, a shrill female voice echoed in my ears.

“Wha. . . Lindmarie?!”

“I’m shocked, Claudia-sama. I’ve heard rumors about you! You’re a nouveau riche young lady who flirts with men who have fiancées! You’re probably aiming for a rich marriage!”

Ah. . . It’s a battlefield. . .

How many times has this happened since I entered this school?

But it seems like I’ll be released from Oulga-sama’s wall slam. That’s good.

“Rare light pink hair! Beautiful white skin, big eyes that seem to suck you in! How many men have you captivated with that adorable appearance! It’s really. . . lamentable. . . lamentable. . . lamentable. . .?”

Ah, here it comes. It’s coming.

Lindmarie-sama’s pointing finger, which is pointing at me, starts to tremble. Her face is also turning red.

“. . .Cute. . .!”

A choked voice is squeezed out.

Lindmarie-sama sighs deeply, holding her cheeks, and collapses on the spot.

“When I see your face up close like this. . . Eh, no way. . . Cute. . . Eh, why are you so cute. . . I can’t believe it. . . Cute. . . Ah. . .?!”

“That’s right, Lindmarie. This cuteness is unbearable, isn’t it?! I can’t think of anyone but her!”

“I can only agree that Claudia-sama is cute, but I can’t accept that!!! The one to be tied to her. . . is me!”

“What did you say, Lindmarie! I won’t forgive you! I will never give her up!”

“That’s what I want, I will protect her!”

The heated Oulga-sama, Lindmarie-sama.

In the meantime, I quietly slipped away from the scene.

This is my daily life. I don’t really understand, but. . . I’m incredibly popular.

・・・

『”𝘼𝙬𝙚𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.𝙘𝙤𝙢” – 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡e𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 “𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨” 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 “𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨”.』

・・・

“Iris! I’m breaking off our engagement! And. . . I hereby declare that I will form a new engagement with this Baron’s daughter, Claudia!”

The hall fell silent. . .

During the regular school assembly, Gordon-sama, the student council president and eldest son of the Duke family, made a grand announcement with a microphone in hand. This microphone, powered by magic, allowed his voice to echo throughout the large hall without him having to raise his voice.

(Why. . . why is he declaring the annulment of an engagement at a school assembly. . .?!)

Moreover, he had boldly mentioned my name. As I stared at him on the stage in confusion, our eyes met, and he winked at me meaningfully.

I have no connection with Gordon-sama, who is in a different grade. If I had to say, we exchanged “good morning” greetings every day during the morning greeting exercise when Gordon-sama stood at the main gate of the school building. But all students do that. After all, it’s a greeting exercise. The student council president, Gordon-sama, greets everyone. Despite that, why. . .

“. . .What on earth are you thinking! Making such a personal declaration at a school assembly, don’t you know the difference between public and private?!”

Iris-sama, who had just been declared to have her engagement annulled by Gordon-sama, stood up abruptly and voiced her objections. It was an unbecoming action for a lady, but. . . it couldn’t be helped given what was said at such a place and time.

“Hmm, I thought it was something that should be made known to the whole school. It seems you’ve been harassing this lovely Claudia, haven’t you!”

“I have not done such a thing!”

. . .I have no connection with Iris-sama either. . .

(. . .Ah, could it be, during the joint cooking practice the other day, when we were cutting onions together. . .)

At that time, Iris-sama was reduced to tears by the juice of the onions. So, I offered to do it instead. I was also somewhat teary, but as a former commoner turned rich girl, I was used to cooking for myself, and I wasn’t as affected as Iris-sama.

. . .The only situation that could be misunderstood. . . is probably this one. . .

“How dare you say such a thing. . . I, to this, the most adorable Miss Claudia in the whole world, harass! There’s no way I would do that!!!”

Even without using a microphone, Iris-sama’s voice echoed loudly throughout the hall. Her voice was incredibly loud. Indeed, Iris-sama was the ace of the vocal music club.

The microphone on the stage, the raw voice from the seats. The voices of the two flew around the hall! The grand exchange of words between the two didn’t stop.

“. . .Claudia-san, a moment.”

So as not to be noticed by the two who were heating up, the sensei with the triangular glasses quietly beckoned me and helped me escape from the hall.

・・・

『”𝐴𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠.𝑐𝑜𝑚” – 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ “𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠” 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 “𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠”.』

・・・

“Oh dear, this is troublesome. Claudia-san, how many times has this happened?”

“I’m sorry, sensei. . .”

“Oh, it’s okay. It’s not your fault, Claudia-san.”

The sensei, with her tightly curled light brown hair, waved her hand in a slightly flustered manner.

“You’re a wonderful student. You’re hardworking, diligent, and serious. That’s why it’s easy to understand why everyone loves you.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Hmm, being praised for being hardworking, diligent, and serious, feels like I’m only being praised for trying hard?

But, all my grades are “excellent”! Yes, I’m an honor student!

“. . . Say, Claudia-san. If you don’t mind, would you like to take special lessons with me from now on?”

“Eh?! Is, is that allowed?”

“I’ll make sure you can earn credits for subjects other than the ones I’m in charge of! Come on, Claudia-san. If something goes wrong while you’re mixed in with this group of adolescents. . . I can’t help but worry. . . Okay?”

She was panting heavily. Her distinctive triangular glasses fogged up. . . 

“Eek! Excuse me!”

I hurriedly ran away from the sensei with the triangular glasses.

◆

I walked alone on the road from the school building to the dormitory.

──Isn’t this beyond the realm of being popular?

I had a vague idea, but I was avoiding facing the reality. Now, I held my head in my hands.

Why does this happen? Why does it always turn out like this? I want to live a more modest, steady life.

Can I. . . survive this crazy school life and graduate safely?

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