Chapter 65

The Autumn Term Begins

I finished the second harvest of beans and potatoes from the backyard garden and planted corn, pushing its growth a little aggressively—after all, the autumn term was about to begin.

The natural yeast was wonderful; Eva baked soft bread for me. Goodbye to that rock-hard loaf. It’s still brown—not exactly “fluffy”—but it’s a start. I’m looking forward to the cornbread, too.

“Milady, it seems you’ve grown a bit taller. Let’s try on your uniform.”

I tried on my uniform for the first time in two months; Mary had been worried it might be too small.

“This should be fine.”

The hem was a tiny bit short, but not enough to be a problem.

“No, we must let the hem down.”

Apparently I really did grow over summer. Food at home has improved, and I’ve had proper nutrition at the Academy—I’m glad I was there in time for the growth spurt.

I had to leave my brothers and head to the dormitory; I wanted to stay with them as long as possible, so I planned to leave after lunch.

“I’ll be back on the weekend. Stay healthy until then.”

“Have a safe trip, Sister.”

After being away so long at the Summer Detached Palace, my brothers were oddly nonchalant. That stung.

George brought the carriage around, and we set off for the Academy. My brothers had grown, too; I’m happy to see them maturing, but it’s sad to think they’re gradually outgrowing their need for their big sister. I reached the Academy before I could dwell on it—no time to be sentimental; I really did have to attend.

I wondered what whim possessed the King to put the princes and princess in the dormitory. Prince Richard is only staying for a year, and none of Princess Margaret’s schoolmates entered the dorm. I hope that once Prince Richard graduates they’ll allow Princess Margaret to commute from the palace. That would mean an end to my duties as her lady-in-waiting.

Occupied with such thoughts, I watched Mary unpack my things. Before summer vacation I’d brought my clothes and textbooks home—the textbooks to study, the clothes so I could keep them clean with Lifestyle Magic, though I still wanted them properly washed at least once. It’s just a feeling. Mary had been taking my undergarments home periodically to wash them; I’m not a “dirty girl.”

“Milady, please perform your duties as Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting diligently.”

Mary left me with those heavy words and went home. Princess Margaret would arrive at the dorm by dinner, giving me a bit of free time—I was torn between doing my side jobs and taking a walk.

I worked hard on my side jobs after returning from the palace, so let’s go for a walk. I want to build up my strength before it gets cold.

Sea bathing and riding at the Summer Detached Palace had given me some stamina, but I still had a long way to go. I’d stockpiled plenty of firewood for the winter, but I really didn’t want a cold to turn into pneumonia again.

The Academy grounds are vast, and the roses are in bloom. I’ll take a walk to build my strength.

It’s late August, and a hint of autumn rides the breeze. I’m glad it’s different from the summers in my previous life—hot, but not unbearable. The winters here, on the other hand, feel quite severe.

Do I need to walk faster for it to count as exercise? Patience isn’t used to walking, so she usually strolls slowly, but I remembered that “walking” for exercise was supposed to be a brisker pace. I used to walk fast during my commute, but now my body could only manage a slow pace; ladylike grace has become ingrained in me.

Still, strolling slowly while looking at the roses wasn’t so bad. It was supposed to be an elegant moment, yet my mind wandered to mundane things—like which variety of rose would sell for a high price.

In the greenhouse, the rose cuttings had started to bloom. In the garden, only the hardy varieties remained, and their colors were limited to pink and red. I envied the Academy’s more colorful roses. Could I take some cuttings home? I’m so far removed from elegance—I feel like the original Patience would be appalled by me.

The autumn term began as usual—waking Princess Margaret in the morning and eating breakfast together. Being made to play her new songs the moment she arrived at the dorm the day before was also business as usual.

I was fed up with it, but I imagined Princess Margaret hated dormitory life even more. She must have been raised with every luxury at the palace. Or so I thought, until she uttered some unexpected words.

“Coming to the dormitory makes me feel at ease.”

I nearly choked on the bread I was eating.

“What? Isn’t it inconvenient since there are no maids in the dorm?”

“That’s true, but my mind is more relaxed here. It’s strange—I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand dormitory life at first. It must be because you became my lady-in-waiting, Patience.”

I appreciated the sentiment, but I worried she might decide to stay in the dorm even after Prince Richard graduates. Because I wanted to commute from home, I had assumed Princess Margaret felt the same way.

“Prince Richard graduates after the autumn term, doesn’t he?”

“Yes. I believe Brother will attend Romano University. I wonder if he’ll stay in the university dormitory.”

It seemed Princess Margaret wasn’t even considering leaving the dorm. But the King and Queen might have other ideas.

Even if I earned enough money to buy a horse, as long as Princess Margaret stayed in the dorm I wouldn’t be able to quit being her lady-in-waiting. I need her to grow tired of dorm life and ask the Queen to let her leave—but I doubt the Queen would grant permission easily. It all depends on the whims of the King and Queen.

For a moment I considered slacking off on my duties to let Princess Margaret experience the inconveniences of dorm life, but I could only picture myself desperately soothing her foul moods. Besides, since I still don’t know why the King put them in the dorm in the first place, I have no idea what conditions would allow them to leave.

My thoughts kept circling.

“Princess Margaret, why do you think His Majesty told you to stay in the dorm? And do you think he has any intention of letting you commute from the palace?”

“I don’t know. Brother Richard said it was to make us independent, but our schoolmates were also allowed to enter the dorm. None of mine would, so I complained to Mother that it was unfair, but she wouldn’t listen. However, she did choose you as my lady-in-waiting. No one knows what Father and Mother were thinking when they ordered us into the dormitory.”

If Princess Margaret doesn’t know, there’s no way I can. It seems I have no choice but to accept the current situation.