She could send someone else to leave a basket filled with items.

It was hard to admit that a single basket, promised on her own whim, had become his everything.

“…Huh?”

Just as a needless sadness welled up and he was about to kick the basket, he felt something heavy against his foot. Something rolled out from inside with a thud.

“…There is something!”

There were several baked breads filled with minced meat and vegetables.

Noah quickly grabbed the bread with wide eyes, blew on it to remove bits of grass, and put it back in the basket.

This was enough for one meal, no, even two full meals with some left over.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen bread; just smelling it made him happy.

After devouring it mindlessly, he noticed a small note placed at the very bottom of the basket.

It was written in scrawly handwriting.

「My goodness, we really don’t match up. Our timing keeps crossing. Have you been waiting for me all this time? Listen, I have a favor to ask. Could you come to the tree shade tomorrow at 8 PM?

I need someone to practice my magic with!」

“The handwriting is really bad.”

Noah grumbled like that, but he read the note again and again.

“Who was waiting…”

He complained at first.

“But magic? Even a maid uses magic?”

His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Judging by the bread still being warm, she must have come by today, so the appointment is indeed tomorrow evening, right?”

He kept chattering away.

He continued taking out the note and reading it until the corners were almost worn out.

***

“Now, today marks the beginning of the new semester for successor education.”

Ilina gave a brief introduction to the children in the hall and then stepped down.

It seemed that the group assignments would be announced and the actual classes would begin from the next period.

The successor children gathered in the main hall were forming groups of three or five.

Only Liria sat awkwardly in the back seat with her white bag slung over her shoulder.

The successor children gathered around and numbered well over forty.

Among them, the only children whose faces Liria recognized were just a couple, excluding the direct descendants and Viscount Jade’s children.

However, while Liria didn’t know them, the other children seemed to recognize her.

“That’s Liria over there.”

“She was said to have the least magical power among the direct descendants, how did she manage to manifest magic?”

“…I heard she’s in the same private palace as Lord Conrad?”

If they’re going to whisper loudly enough for everyone to hear, they might as well come over and say it directly.

Anyway, the children’s gazes didn’t seem very kind.

There seemed to be more dismissal, envy, and mockery than curiosity.

It didn’t matter since she hadn’t come here to make friends anyway.

That’s when it happened.

With Conrad’s appearance, a group of children followed closely behind.

“Look, it’s Lord Conrad!”

“Lord Conrad is so cool no matter how many times I see him.”

‘Geez, I’m so sick of cool people.’

Liria complained inwardly.

Just then, Conrad spotted Liria and frowned deeply.

Then he strode over with heavy footsteps.

‘What, why is that guy coming this way?’

Liria pretended not to notice.

Fortunately, Conrad seemed to be passing by her, but that wasn’t the case.

Conrad stopped and spoke to Liria in a low, warning tone.

“Move.”

“…What, is there a name on this seat?”

When Liria talked back, other children from behind stepped forward.

“Don’t you know the back row is Lord Conrad’s exclusive seat…?”

“If you want to sit here, you need to either get Lord Conrad’s permission or win in a magic battle. Got it, little girl?”

A boy wearing glasses like Conrad’s trinket sneered.

What is this?

A fake school bully in a romance fantasy world?

While she was making a dumbfounded expression, someone pulled at Liria’s collar.

“You’ll be marked if you stay.”

A strange girl approached Liria and warned her.

“It’s better to move to another seat for now.”

Then she grabbed Liria’s small hand and headed for another seat.

“Wha? Wait, what are you doing?”

Liria was bewildered as she was dragged along.

Only then did the girl release Liria’s hand.

“So… sorry. I, I was just worried that the young lady might get hurt.”

Liria looked up at the girl.

She was a petite girl wearing glasses.

Green hair with freckles.

A simple brown dress.

Her attire was rather inconspicuous.

‘She seems like a timid person who doesn’t usually get involved in these things, so why did she help me?’

“Who are you, big sister? Why did you help me? I wasn’t scared at all.”

The girl’s face darkened considerably at Liria’s question.

“You’re saying that because you don’t know, young lady. I was once marked and bullied for a year. After sitting in that seat just like you…”

“What? That’s too much!”

“Lo-Lord Conrad reigns almost like a king among the successors. …And his followers are all very scary too.”

“What if you get marked again for helping me?”

Liria tilted her head and asked.

“Huh? But, but, young lady, you’re smaller and younger than me and don’t know anything. I wanted to let you know.”

Liria felt a personal liking for the girl who was trying to look after her, a stranger, more than Conrad, a direct descendant.

“Big sister, no, what’s your name, young lady? Which family?”

The girl stammered and spoke timidly.

“Ah, I’m… I’m not from such a great family. I’m a distant relative among Roberg’s branch families. My name is Rona Pershu. You probably won’t know it even if I tell you.”

The Viscount Pershu family.

They were indeed distant, about sixth cousins to Liria’s great-grandfather.

The Pershu region was quite far from Roberg and was a small territory that no one paid attention to now.

But in the original story, when Roberg fell and Xylvaren rose as a new power, Pershu had become their vassal family.

The detailed circumstances weren’t mentioned, but when Osdel, who had become the head of the family, held a family assembly, the Viscount Pershu family did not attend.

Perhaps they had already been expelled before that?

But there was a definite reason to keep the Viscount Pershu family in Roberg.

The twin magicians who had helped Xylvaren.

They were the ones who had led Adrian’s mana cave exploration team.

Their magic attribute was earth, and their specialty was mineral exploration.

When they were young, they didn’t even know what kind of power they possessed, but when they became adults, they discovered it and learned its usefulness.

Now, they probably had almost no mana, just like the original Liria.

So they must have been looked down upon.

Moreover, their parent, Viscount Pershu, was said to have never manifested magic at all.

Anyway, mineral exploration was a magic of tremendous value.

It meant they could detect valuable mineral resources buried not only in mana caves but also in other places more easily and quickly than others.

One of those twin magicians was this very girl before her, Rona.

She had planned to look for her when attending the family assembly, so meeting her already was quite an achievement.

Liria quickly grabbed Rona’s hand which she had let go.

“Can I call you Rona? I know the Viscount Pershu family!”

“…Re-really? I, I would be happy if you called me by my name.”

“Great, and I think we should speak casually too. Actually, I hardly have any close friends within Roberg.”

When Liria spoke dejectedly, Rona said, “The Roberg young lady may speak casually with me.”

“Ah, no! That’s not what I meant. Rona should speak casually with me too. I’ve seen the Pershu region in geography books. It’s famous for peaches! They must be delicious.”

“Not many people know that Pershu is famous for peaches, but you really do know.”

Rona looked at Liria with a surprised face.

There was a hint of fondness in her eyes, and her cheeks were flushed with shyness.

It was rare to see girls acting their age in Roberg.

This big sister is cute.

“By the way, Rona. My name is Liria.”

“Oh, actually, I know Liria well. You’re a direct descendant of Roberg. Everyone’s full of praise because you were acknowledged by the Duke and received a private palace like Lord Conrad.”

Everyone wasn’t just talking about it in terms of praise though… Rona is a kind person.

Anyway, perhaps because they were sitting far from Conrad’s seat.

That arrogant group only glanced from afar and didn’t pick any more fights.

That’s when it happened.

A group of girls wearing fancy princess dresses appeared.

Each of them carried bright-colored bags made with strung pearls.

Those were the quilted bags from a luxury boutique’s children’s line that made all girls go crazy. But Liria wasn’t envious at all since she had the bear bag that Marit had given her.

At the front was Clara along with a prim and proper girl.

“Look, the princesses have arrived. It’s Clara and Ibnis.”

The children whispered. Unlike with Liria, their gazes were filled with admiration and envy.

Clara was understandable since she was a direct descendant, but Ibnis…

Ah, now she remembered who she was.