Chapter 124

It seems the Knight Club has started their signature drive. Both Princess Margaret and I signed in response to Prince Keith’s request. After that, we just cheered him on and wished him good luck.

On Tuesday, my classes were Geography, Foreign Languages, Sewing, and Weaving—nothing related to the Mage Course. After school, I had the Music Club. I took Foreign Languages and Sewing together with Princess Margaret.

During lunch, Princess Margaret and I talked about making dresses in Sewing class, while next to us, Prince Keith and his friends were eagerly discussing the signature drive. Yep, having a buffer zone of two empty seats was a huge blessing. Plus, since we had already signed, we weren’t targets to be persuaded anymore, so they completely bypassed us.

In Sewing class, it was hard for me to consciously avoid using household magic. First, we basted the cut fabric together, then tried it on to check the size. Yep, it was way too big. Patience is younger than the others, and even for her grade, she’s tiny. Is it malnutrition? Or genetics? Her father is thin, but tall. I try to recall her mother’s image; Patience was young back then, so her mother felt tall to her, but recalling her standing next to Father, she didn’t seem all that tall.

Since I’m short, if the skirt flares out too much, it makes me look childish. I need to be careful with the volume of the petticoat underneath. I want to avoid the “Little Princess” look.

I used sewing pins to tuck in the areas that were too loose. Teacher Cameron helped me out too, since doing this alone is impossible.

“Patience, it might be better to leave a slightly larger seam allowance. You’re in a growth period, so you might grow bigger. Oh, but then the pattern won’t align anymore.”

In that case, I’ll just align it with household magic. Yeah, I need to strictly separate when to use it and when not to use it. But now isn’t the time to be so relaxed about it!

“Princess Margaret, you shouldn’t cut there!”

The moment I take my eyes off Princess Margaret, she does something absurd. That line over there is the finished hemline! If you don’t cut along the seam allowance line beyond that, the skirt will become too short. Wait? Isn’t this too short already?

“Did you pin the paper pattern to your body before cutting?”

Ah, she didn’t! Wait, is the paper pattern even the right size to begin with?

“We made it just in time. If you kept it as it was, it would have been knee-length!”

Princess Margaret is quite a bit taller than me. Plus, she’s older than me, so if the skirt length isn’t long enough, it’ll look strange.

“My, thank goodness. I want to at least cover my calves.”

Sewing class is exhausting. Somehow, Princess Margaret managed to finish cutting as well. I tell her what she needs to do during the classes I won’t be attending.

“Baste it roughly along this tacking thread. Ah, first do the darts, then join the skirt pieces together, sew the front and back bodices, and sew the skirt on.”

Ah, it’s useless to tell her. She doesn’t get it at all.

The teacher also seems unable to focus solely on Princess Margaret because there are so many terrible students around. She’s scolding students left and right for cutting incorrectly and teaching them how to patch the fabric back together.

“Princess Margaret, sew these darts marked ① and ② with tacking thread. Then sew ③ and ④ of the skirt. After that, do the same for ⑤ and ⑥ of the skirt.”

I write down the numbers on the back with tailor’s chalk.

“So I just need to sew according to the numbers, right?!”

She finally understood! Now there shouldn’t be any terrible mistakes.

“Once you’ve sewn up to here, I’ll explain the rest later.”

It feels like it might be better if I don’t pass Sewing, but completing this polka-dot one-piece dress seems like a requirement for the completion certificate. What a dilemma.

In Weaving, I was also careful not to use household magic. The four of us beginners happily clacked away on the looms together. Handiwork really is fun! Right now, I’m weaving a plaid pattern by changing the color of the warp threads, too. The weave has become much more even.

“Well then, see you later, Patience!”

“Bye, Lily, Sophia, Hanna!”

We part ways with casual greetings. This is great. Since I was a commoner in my past life, this kind of interaction is much more comfortable for me. Instead of “Good day,” it’s “See ya!”

The Music Club is a world of “Good day.” Today, I finish the songs to be provided to the Glee Club with Samuel and the others. That said, since I’m still bad at playing the lute, I leave that entirely to Samuel and his group.

I came to the Music Club with Princess Margaret, but huh? The mood seems a bit tense.

“That’s why I won’t sign such a thing! Now, get out!”

Club President Albert is kicking out members of the Knight Club. Ah, it’s the signature drive.

“But, for the traditional Knight Club to be disbanded…”

Even if they persist, Club President Albert and the other boys don’t look like they’re going to sign. Besides, it might sound mean to say, but the overly manly members have a low reputation among the female students, too. They really should send handsomer guys like Percival or cute ones like Prince Keith to recruit people instead.

The Knight Club members were kicked out by Club President Albert, but I wonder if they’re pushing their way into other clubs too? If they don’t pay more attention to their choice of recruiters, it will only buy them ill will.

“Now then, Samuel, Daniel, Bardish, and Klaus, please get to work on the arrangement. Patience, please explain the mental image behind the songs. I want to write the lyrics based on that image.”

It seems they’re adding accompaniments for the lute, flute, and percussion instruments, not just the Hanon piano. This is turning into a pretty big project!

“Club President Albert, I think you’ll understand the image of the song once you listen to it. More importantly, is the general storyline decided?”

Club President Albert casually pulls out a few sheets of paper.

“Here, I think this ‘Aurelius and Cassienne’ is good. The names are long, so I’ll change them to something more pleasing to the ear, though.”

It’s a famous classic tragic romance. Club President Albert took a love story about a man and woman from rival families—like Romeo and Juliet—and made it simpler by tweaking it a bit.

“Alec and Eliza? Those are really short names. Wait, is it a happy ending?”

What was supposed to be a tragic romance ended up with a happy ending. Is this really okay?

“If we’re singing and dancing, a happy ending is easier to understand and better. Since it ends on a high note, there will be more applause, too. Besides, the Drama Club will probably pick a dark tragedy for their performance anyway.”

Princess Margaret also reads the synopsis and frowns.

“A famous tragic romance has turned into a cliché love story. Is this really fine?”

However, Club President Albert asserts that it’s completely fine.

“More importantly, Princess Margaret, you mentioned you knew someone in the Dance Club, right? Would they cooperate with the choreography? It would be great if a few people could dance in the background.”

Somehow, Club President Albert is way too enthusiastic about the Glee Club. It’s weird!

“I don’t mind just talking to them, but Albert, what are you thinking? It’s strange for you to be this kind.”

Yep, I think so too.

“No, well, it’s just because I’m friends with Marks from the Glee Club…”

Rupert corners him, saying, “Club President Albert, spit out what you’re really up to!”

“Rupert, how rude. I’m just trying to provide new songs because Marks is the president of the Glee Club.”

If it were an ordinary student, that might be plausible. But for Club President Albert, who loves nothing but music, doing something just for a friend sounds way too suspicious to believe.

“Since when did you become friends with Marks? You two are classmates, but didn’t you mock and laugh at him for joining something like the Chorus Club…? Don’t tell me you instigated Marks into creating the Glee Club?”

Ah, that sounds like something he would do. When there was trouble with the Chorus Club during the Aoba Festival, Albert was extremely angry.

“Marks was dissatisfied with the Chorus Club singing nothing but old songs like that. But he complained that boys were a minority in the Chorus Club and had no say, so I merely advised him that it would be good to start a new club.”

Everyone held their heads in their hands.

“Albert, if the Chorus Club finds out about that, you’ll end up in the same boat as the Knight Club!”

Yet Club President Albert shamelessly asserts:

“I didn’t actually do anything. Marks merely created the Glee Club himself. Besides, it’s not a bad thing, right?”

I don’t know whether Marks was enticed by Albert into creating the Glee Club or if he had been dissatisfied for a long time and just needed a push. But it’s certain that the Chorus Club will hold a grudge against him.

“Because of the recent incident with the Knight Club, everyone is paying close attention to the student council rules. You must absolutely not speak of this outside!”

Everyone nods at Princess Margaret’s warning.

“Albert, don’t ever do anything unnecessary again.”

Princess Margaret scolded him harshly, but it’s uncertain whether Albert really understood. What a troublesome aftermath of the storm!