【Part 1-1. Daily Life】

Genius Leslie, who got straight A+s on the Academy exams

Thanks for worrying about me. I’m fully recovered. It was four days of absolute misery, but I’m naturally healthy, so I ate well, took my medicine, slept properly, and now I’m perfectly fine.

How are you doing? Are you well? Well, of course you are. You seem to be doing very well indeed.

I have no idea what an A+ is, but since everyone’s making such a fuss about it, I figure it must be something good. Congratulations. But can you explain to me why I had to hear about my own childhood friend’s grades through Viola? We exchange letters several times a month!

Oh, of course, Viola always has her nose in a book and can read ancient script or whatever those squiggly letters are without any trouble. If Boris hadn’t objected, she’d have gotten into the Academy easily enough.

Even now that she’s given up on going, she still seems very interested in the place. I hear Viola’s aunt is a professor at the Academy, so she’d get news quickly.

But isn’t that a bit much? That girl looked at me like I should have already known! She even said, “Weren’t you friends with young Lord Leslie Fox?”

My throat just seized up when I heard that. We were at breakfast, and I was so choked up I could barely eat before I went up to my room and flung myself face-down on the bed. I cried so hard my eyes turned into fish eyes.

That’s why the handwriting’s a mess. If you’re going to lecture me, don’t bother sending a reply.

Sent by Amy ‘Fish Eyes’ Ellis

* * *

To Amy, who’s lying about her fish eyes

Enough with the dramatics. There’s no way you cried over something like that.

Your mouth probably turned into a beak, though. Put it away, you fool. Don’t you remember how you reacted the last time I told you my grades?

“Good for you. Are you eating?”

From what I recall, that was the entire letter. Two sentences.

Since what clearly matters to you isn’t my grades but my eating habits, I simply made sure to focus on that going forward. I genuinely don’t understand why you’re complaining now.

Besides, you’re not actually angry at me, are you? Lady Viola acted like she knew your friend better than you did, and that’s what got under your skin.

Just ignore her and go about your life.

Lady Viola thinks about you a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of …(omitted)… of how much you think about her. Why should you waste energy on someone like that? She’s probably already forgotten what she said to you.

Anyway, thanks for the congratulations.

For your edification: a straight A+ at the Academy is roughly equivalent to one young lady monopolizing every dance request from the most eligible bachelors at the royal New Year’s ball.

With friendship, Leslie ‘Genius’ Fox.

* * *

Stupid Leslie

I’m sorry. I’d appreciate it if you forgot that last letter. I was a bit worked up.

Thinking about it now, even if you had told me your grades, I probably wouldn’t have remembered them. I’d sooner memorize this year’s dress code. The one who was actually wrong was Viola for needling me like that.

And thanks for the easy analogy. So a straight A+ is basically like being Viola. She turned twenty and she’s still monopolizing the first dance from the most eligible men.

Did I mention this before? Prince Elijah is always trailing after Viola. On the surface he pretends he’s going to talk to Boris, but it’s obvious what he’s really after. He only heads that way when Boris is with Viola.

Oh, I should mention this just in case. Don’t get the wrong idea that I’m head over heels for Prince Elijah, or that I dislike Viola because I’m dreaming of becoming his princess. I just don’t like Viola. I’ve felt that way since the first time I met her, twelve years ago.

The story about Prince Elijah and Viola came from Cathy. She’s growing to dislike Viola more and more because of Prince Elijah. So I enjoy spending time with Cathy more and more. People who dislike Viola aren’t exactly common. I’m sure there are a few more scattered through the social scene, but there aren’t many eccentrics who’d want to get close to me.

Cathy said, “Can you believe it, Amy? My brother asked Viola for the first dance again and left me behind! I’m never going to a ball with my brother again, no matter what!” But unless Cathy gets a fiancé, how on earth is she supposed to find a partner other than Prince Elijah?

Cathy has half-brothers, but if she partnered with one of them, it’s obvious the old men would start going on about factions and balance of power and make her life miserable. And Prince Elijah apparently opposes Cathy’s engagement at every turn. Poor Cathy.

I went shopping with Mum today. Spring is almost here, so there’ll be balls and picnics and gatherings popping up everywhere. Dresses and accessories don’t appear the moment you order them, so it’s about time to start preparing.

Mum invited Viola to come along first. Mum really is kind-hearted. But Viola turned down the offer, naturally. She said she wasn’t feeling well and would have the dressmaker and jeweler come to the manor this time as well.

Viola’s maid said, “She takes after her late mother in her delicate constitution. Please don’t take it to heart, ‘new’ Madam.” Mum replied, “My, even after twelve years you still call me ‘new.’ There’s really no need to flatter me like that. Just call me ‘Madam’ next time, dear.”

Viola’s maid’s face curdled. I’m genuinely impressed by both the maids who’ve used the same title for twelve years and by Mum, who’s given the same reply for twelve years.

Shopping was really wonderful. Looking at beautiful, sparkling things always puts me in a good mood. Mum seemed happy too, absolutely buzzing with excitement.

Still, I couldn’t just buy everything. I was trying to show some restraint, but then, right at the end, I spotted a pair of sapphire earrings with a physical defense enchantment and an obsidian ring containing a dark spirit.

I asked how many times the earrings could block a physical attack, and the shopkeeper said it depends on the force, but for something like a blow from a club swung by an adult man, it could block it an almost unlimited number of times. Sounds a bit overpowered, doesn’t it? The magic tower doesn’t usually let things like that out into circulation. The design was quite nice though, so I bought both. I’ll show you when we meet.

You tell me to stop caring about Viola, but you wouldn’t say that if you were in my position. You have no idea what it’s like to live under the same roof as her.

Well, you’re a man, so you’ll never know. Every man I know likes her. For all I know, once you get out of the Academy you’ll become another doormat at Viola’s feet. Thinking about it that way, I actually think it might be fine if you stayed in the Academy forever.

Written by Amy, still a beak

* * *