PMZ 057 – Zero people remain (Day 1)

Almost 200 students.

I don’t know if it’s a lot or a little, but it’s not so difficult to memorize everyone’s data in this academy where noble children of all ages from all over the country gather.

For girls, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of them at tea parties and other social gatherings. Although I haven’t had any contact with them for boys, it’s not like I don’t know them at all. I have their house information in my head, so it will be easier to remember them if I connect them.

“Thank you very much. I’ve just finished reading it.”

“Oh. How did it go? Do you think you can make use of it?”

“I cannot say for sure, but it was very interesting. Each of the students had their own story, which I found fascinating.”

The documents included full name, family structure, appearance, general education history, and academic performance.

There was also a teacher’s evaluation of the person, hobbies, special skills, weaknesses, and a lot of other information that would typically only be revealed if you got to know the person to some extent.

It’s a great way to get objective information without any special treatment, and for that reason alone, I think this institute holds a lot of value for the country.

“Okay then, I’m going to catch the escapees and start my praise operation.”

“No, it’s already over.”

“What?”

“It’s over. Class is long ended, and now is the time for club activities.”

When I check the luxurious clock on the wall, the time is past 16:00.

Class is usually over at 15:30.

It was just before noon when I started reading the documents, which means I had been absorbed in reading for over four hours.

“Eh, where’s Hayato? Did he go home already?”

“He came to pick you up a while ago, so I told him to wait for a little.

That guy figured it out pretty fast. I was hoping to get a better look at him.”

“Where is he going to wait?”

“I don’t know. Go look for yourself. Also, if you’re leaving, take off your disguise before you go. Ah… one more, bring some suitable outfits for tomorrow’s exercise.”

“Yes, sir!”

I hurriedly ran out of the chairman’s office and went to the women’s changing room for teachers and changed my clothes.

I fixed my hair, straightened my collar, and sneaked out into the hallway, reverting back to Alisha.

First, I went to take a peek in the classroom.

A few of the girls were still there, but Hayato was not.

Just as I was about to leave, I sensed something disturbing and decided to look inside the classroom.

I could see Esmeralda, the Marquise de Weise, Bridget, the Countess of Bordeaux, and Cecilia, the Countess of Westo, were present.

The three of them all look like a typical evil trio, with their temperamental nature showing on their faces.

I’ve often met them at tea parties with Alisha, so I’m familiar with them.

By the way, they were called “the three Queen bee” in the school’s documents.

There was another girl, whom I had never seen before, but according to the documents I had seen earlier, she was probably Anna, the daughter of Baron Maple.

She is a typical popular girl ( my prejudice ) whose frailty shows all over her face. She is also the girl sitting next to Hayato.

With her cat-like black hair pulled up in pigtails hanging below her shoulders, she is a schoolgirl that radiating an innocent charm.

Now that I saw her again, I had a hunch.

That’s my enemy.

She is the type of girl who, after arousing the desire to protect her with her exquisite lack of refinement and her timid and timid demeanor, has single-handedly stolen the attention and devotion of the surrounding opposite sex, and in the end says, “I didn’t mean to do that. ……”, huh really, I can’t tell whether she is sincere or not.

She is the type of person who denies every effort that girl puts into her life as she thinks hard about her clothes, makeup, and hairstyle to attract the attention of the person she loves or to become the woman he desires to be.

By the way, that thought just now is my personal bias. I’m aware that it’s just the cynicism of an unpopular woman.

Maria was also this type at first.

She became arrogant as she gained the favor of her highnesses, but what about Anna?

As I was watching, Bridget, the Countess, was getting agitated and pushed Anna’s shoulder.

Ack, she did it…, and I’ve seen it.

If only I choose to walk away, I could have remained ignorant. Her luck runs out when she got seated next to Hayato; I knew this was bound to happen.

And pretending to be ignorant is the source of retribution. I can’t let the same thing from last year repeat itself again.

BAM! I deliberately stepped into the classroom with a loud step.

The Queen bee three turned around and looked at me as if they were pigeons that had been hit by a peashooter. I spoke to them, pretending that I had just opened the door by accident.

“Oh, you’re Esmeralda, daughter of the Weise family, aren’t you? Um? Is something wrong?”

“What? … Uh…”

She’s confused.

My makeup is light, and I don’t have my vertical roll, so maybe she doesn’t know who I am.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Alisha.”

“Eh? Lady Alisha?”

“Yes. I’ve come to pick up my fiancé, but I can’t find him… Do you know where he is?”

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. Oh, yes, Alisha. You’ve come just at the right moment. This lady is the daughter of Baron Maple, but she still doesn’t seem to understand manners even though she has been attending the academy for over a year.

She’s seated next to Alisha’s fiancée, who was transferred today, but she’s already touched him and passed around a letter during class…, S-so I warned her about it.”

Okay…

A letter.

She looks like a quiet person, but she’s more aggressive than I thought…

“You must be, um… Anna, right? I was wondering if you would like to have tea with me. I want to get to know you better.”

Anna nodded her head, her shoulders shrinking and tears welling up in her eyes.

I am not trying to bully you. So don’t be so frightened.

“Well then, Lady Esmeralda. I’m very grateful for your kindness, but please leave this to me and let’s call it a day.”

“I understand… If Lady Alisha says so, then… Brigitte, Cecilia, let’s go.”

After bidding farewell, the Quinby walked out of the classroom.

Alone with Anna, the classroom feels awfully quiet, and I got this a strange, depressing fatigue.

“I’d like to take some time to talk to you, but I’m keeping my fiancé waiting… so I’ll have to take my leave for now. I will invite you for tea later.

And if you could…… please try to avoid any misleading behavior in the future.”

When I speak to her, she never makes eye contact. She just shivers and doesn’t respond.

Am I a villain ……?

I feel like one when I’m with her.

I gave up trying to get a reply from her and left the classroom in silence.

As I walked down the hallway, wondering where Hayato is, my ears picked up a faint piano sound.

The tone was clear and deep, as if it were telling a story. I knew immediately that it was him playing the piano.

I walked towards it as if the sound was inviting me to join him.

When I open the door to the instrument room, Hayato notices me; he stops and smiles.

“Have you finished?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, I’m late. I wish you hadn’t stopped playing the piano, though.”

This man had become addicted to the piano as a substitute for the lack of physical exercise he had suffered since moving into the Duke’s household.

His natural aptitude for the instrument has made him enjoy learning non-church music, and he is making rapid progress without compromising his own style.

There is a composer in my previous world known as the “poet of the piano”, and although the name and the actual pieces are different, I think that the pleasant atmosphere is quite similar. He is one of my favorite composers. {Frédéric François Chopin, yeah I googled that, it’s accurate}

The piece he was playing just now is one of it.

“I’m still practicing it, so I don’t want you to listen to it too much. I want it to be perfect because Alice said it was her favorite piece.”

“It’s still quite lovely.”

I sit down next to him and slowly play the low notes of the current song with my left hand, Hayato plays the high notes with his right hand, and we weave the song together. It was as if nothing had happened today, just our usual routine.

Our fingers collide on the keyboard, and the song breaks.

When I try to go through Hayato’s fingers to the other side, he deliberately interrupts me and starts a finger battle.

“Stop it, please!”

“No, I don’t want to. I won’t.”

I noticed that his left hand was around my shoulder, and his hand on the keyboard was entwined with mine.

I, too, put my right arm around Hayato’s waist.

He traced his fingertips around the ring finger of my left hand, touched the ring, and then gently squeezed the palm of my hand.

“… Shall we go home then?”

“We should, but I need you to accompany me for a while.”

“No problem. Where do you want to go?”

“I want to go and buy a ring for you. I wanted to take my time, but I thought it would be better to get it as soon as possible.”

To keep the bugs away.

Please wear it tomorrow. Seriously.

“Oh, are you sure you want to do that?”

“I promised you yesterday, didn’t I? I want you to wear it even if you don’t want to. I want to buy it today.”

He closed the piano lid and stood up, and took his bag.

Hayato showed his hand and appealed to me to hold it, so I held his hand in mine, and he burst into joy.

As promised, I stopped by a jewelry shop and bought a simple platinum ring and put it on his ring finger.

Oh, no. This isn’t good.

The desire to monopolize him is so satisfying. I didn’t deserve this feeling.

I love him, and I want to care for him. I want him to be happy.

I don’t want to have such a heavy feeling in my heart.

Therefore, to make it a little lighter, I will admit that I am insecure, and I will say it.

It’s not good to keep these feelings to yourself.

“You cannot Cheat. ever.”

“Who would want to cheat on you?”

He looks at me like I’m crazy, but I will force him to show me Anna’s letter when I get home.

Tonight, will be a time for us to find out more about each other.

TL notes:

Okay, please help me out. I cannot decide the nickname for the trio girls. Should I use:

Three Queen bee.

Queen bee three.

Or… [3 Quinby] just shorting them with Japanese pronunciation. The raw katakana read as that anyway.

Alternatively, I could use Quinby for short dialogue, like I did in this chapter. Because typing “Queen Bee” every time seems to be wordy.