Chapter 8 : The Villainess’s Gift

Anyone in my situation would be sulking.

I never imagined that after gifting lingerie, she’d just throw a robe over it.

My cheeks are puffed out, and Eve and Lucy are sitting on either side of me, feeding me snacks to soothe my mood.

It would be better if they comforted me in other ways.

I said I was too full to eat anymore, and the two of them looked disappointed.

After all the snacks, I got thirsty.

I was about to drink the champagne in the ice bucket when Eve freaked out.

“Absolutely not, Miss.”

“Why not?”

The academy is open to adults only.

In other words, we’re all adults. There’s absolutely no problem with us drinking alcohol.

But, without giving me a reason, Eve is freaking out and vehemently opposing it.

She’s not usually like this, why is she acting like this? Did I make a mistake before?

Hmm, I can’t think of anything.

I puffed out my cheeks and staged a silent protest at Eve, who was pouring me a drink, but it was no use.

Reluctantly, I sipped the drink and naturally put my arm around Eve’s waist, and she stared at me intently.

I put down my drink and wrapped my other arm around Lucy’s waist, and her face flushed.

And there’s another reason why I booked this hotel.

The bath is very spacious.

Enough for three people to fit in comfortably.

I said we should go wash up and go to bed, and tried to take Eve and Lucy to the bath, but I failed.

“Then I have something to do, so I’ll wash later.”

“I, I’m too embarrassed….”

With those words, they ran away.

Ah, life is fleeting.

I finished my bath forlornly and wondered if I should wait for the two of them to come out after washing up, but I overlooked one thing.

That once I lie down, I fall asleep right away.

I struggled to open my eyes when I heard someone waking me up, and Eve and Lucy were waking me up.

“Miss, it’s morning.”

“Please get up.”

With the help of the two of them, I barely managed to get ready, and we left the hotel.

To return to the academy.

Classes start tomorrow, and we have to prepare other things.

The academy rules state that you must join and participate in any club.

Excellent clubs are given everything from subsidies to extra credit.

The minimum number of members is four.

We are three people, so we needed one more person.

Who would be good?

There is one person I have in mind.

To get that person to join, I have to take care of some things I’ve been putting off first.

Huu. It can’t be helped. I have to do what I have to do.

I arrived at the academy and took Eve and Lucy to the dormitory where Class B lived.

If it had gone according to the original story, Clea should have been in Class A, but because I entered as the top student, she was pushed down one class and demoted to Class B.

It’s a good thing she doesn’t know it. If she did, she’d come find me right away and grab me by the collar.

I arrived at the dormitory and told Lucy and Eve.

That I’ll go alone.

“We’ll be waiting here.”

“Come back safely!”

I went into the dormitory, and some of the students who recognized me stared at me.

“Do you know where Eclair Solark’s room is?”

“Yes, yes! It’s room 305!”

“Thank you.”

I went up to the third floor and knocked on the door, and I heard footsteps from inside, and after a little wait, the door opened.

“Hello!”

‘Bang!’

The merciless Clea slammed the door shut as soon as she saw my face.

‘Knock knock knock knock knock knock.’

“Shall we go see the flowers together~?”

“What nonsense are you talking about!?”

The door burst open, and she was angry, but then she sighed and asked why I came. I asked if I could go inside, and she looked at me cautiously.

“J-Just a minute, wait.”

With those words, she went back inside, and I heard sounds as if from a battlefield, and after a long time, the door opened again.

“Haa… Haa… C-Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

I went inside the room, and it was a typical two-room apartment.

There was a living room and two rooms, but how can I put it? All the doors were closed, and the living room was empty.

It was too desolate for the room of the lady of the Solark dukedom, who was called the Golden.

I handed her the cookies I bought in the city as a housewarming gift, and she happily accepted them, but why does she feel so pitiful?

I grabbed Clea’s hands, and she stared at me with surprised eyes.

“Is there something you’re having a hard time with?”

“N-No, there’s not!”

“Really?”

She says there is nothing wrong, pretending to be calm, but it is too obvious.

“I thought that because you entered Class B, your family told you, ‘Don’t even dream of support until you’re promoted to Class A!’”

“H-How did you…”

“And because the female students you hang out with stole all of your emergency funds, you’ve become penniless… Ugh ugh ugh!”

“Stop talking!!”

She blushed and forcibly covered my mouth. Poor thing.

She doesn’t even know that the two of them are the stooges who are responsible for dragging Clea down.

I looked at Clea, who was fanning herself with her face flushed, and said in a serious voice.

“What do you like better, a sweet lie or an uncomfortable truth?”

“What is that…”

She was startled by my serious voice and began to worry.

And then she cautiously says.

That she wants the uncomfortable truth.

I took a file from my subspace pocket and handed it to Clea.

She gulped and opened the file I gave her, and inside were bundles of photos and documents.

“…Is this true?”

“It’s all true.”

Inside the file were a lot of information and photos of the female students who were with Clea.

Even their true identities.

Even the fact that they are an imperial taboo and approached her to infiltrate her.

“What do you want?”

As expected, she’s quick to calculate, as befits the lady of the Solark dukedom, who is called Golden.

She knew at once that I wouldn’t give it to her for free.

I took another document from my subspace pocket and handed it over.

“Just sign it.”

After receiving the document from me, she checked it.

“A club membership application and a non-disclosure agreement? Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

It was an application to join the club I was creating and an agreement to keep who provided this information a secret forever.

The agreement was enchanted, so it couldn’t be broken unless it was by a mage of a higher level than me.

She asks if I am doing all this for such a small thing, so I got close to her, and I grabbed Clea’s hand as she was trying to get away, startled.

“Didn’t I say before? That I….”

“W-What about me!?”

I whispered in her ear.

That I support Clea’s always doing her best and not passing by injustice in any situation.

Her face turned as red as a beet at my words.

“Alright, alright, sign it quickly.”

She signed it and handed the document back to me, but she must have been out of it, she didn’t even check it properly.

What club she is joining.

“Then, I’ll be going now. You can take care of the rest, right?”

“O-Of course!”

With those words, I got up to leave when I heard her very quietly say.

“Thank you.”

I don’t even remember when I first met Aria Terez.

Because it was when I was very young.

She was always so timid, which I couldn’t imagine now, but from some point on, she changed.

It was as if her soul had changed.

I admired her and was also jealous of her.

Because I haven’t changed, either in the past or now.

She has a clumsy side, which doesn’t befit the lady of the Solark dukedom, who is called Golden.

She trusts people too much.

To put it bluntly, there were even rumors that she was a reckless young lady who couldn’t tell right from wrong.

But I am also a member of the Solark dukedom.

I have no intention of forgiving an opponent who once stabbed me in the back.

I took a communication orb from my subspace pocket and contacted my family.

“I’ve received your call, Miss.”

“There’s a problem that needs to be dealt with. Please send the crows.”

“I understand, Miss.”

And soon after, I heard a sound of knocking on the window.

“Come in.”

With those words, several people appeared from the air.

When I handed them the information I received from Aria Terez, their faces became serious.

“Take care of it.”

“I understand, Miss.”

With those words, they disappeared.