Chapter 86

Even now that we’ve entered the middle division, waking Princess Margaret up first thing in the morning remains part of my daily routine. On top of that, styling her hair takes quite a chunk of time.

“I still need a bit more time to get used to this,” I apologize, noticing it took twice as long as usual.

“Oh, come now, Patience. You finished it beautifully in half the time it takes the palace maids. You really are quite dexterous.”

Well, that’s only because I’m taking shortcuts by using a curling iron and lifestyle magic. Still, I should be able to do this much more efficiently.

When the two of us headed down to the dining hall, we crossed paths with Prince Keith. I figured we wouldn’t run into him now that we’re in the middle division, but apparently, I was wrong.

“Dear sister, let us have breakfast together.”

Princess Margaret didn’t decline. Which meant, of course, that I had to join them. Good grief.

“Are we to have lunch together this year as well?” Prince Keith asked, looking rather displeased. Well, I don’t blame him. Anyone would want to enjoy their meal chatting with their own friends.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s not my fault. I would much rather eat with my own friends too,” Princess Margaret retorted.

She had a point. If only Prince Keith would eat his vegetables and fish—even if it’s just when he’s in front of the Queen—her Majesty wouldn’t worry so much. What a child.

At the next table over, Ralph and Hugo were eating while watching us anxiously. Must be nice, sitting at a completely different table. Is this really going to go on for a whole year? …Wait, I just had a brilliant idea.

“Um, your Highnesses, what if Lord Ralph and Lord Hugo were to join us? Princess Margaret, it would be wonderful if you could share a table with your own classmates as well.”

The royal siblings blinked and exchanged glances.

“Patience, you’re brilliant!”

“You’re right. Mother only instructed us to have lunch together. She never said other classmates couldn’t join us.”

And just like that, it looks like we’re moving to an eight-person table. Well, I suppose it’s better than watching Princess Margaret and Prince Keith bicker through every meal. Probably.

I accompanied Princess Margaret to the Year 4, Class A classroom. Oh dear, Catherine and her group are giving me terrifying glares. They completely see me as a rival.

“Good day to you.”

What an elegant greeting. I made sure to return a very modest, low-profile greeting of my own.

“Good day.”

I purposefully chose a seat toward the back. It puts some distance between Princess Margaret and me, but I have absolutely no desire to get caught up in a feud with her entourage.

“Good morning, everyone seems to be present. I am Sam Cuthbert, your homeroom teacher for Class 4-A. I believe I’ve taught some of you before in physical education.”

It was my first time meeting him, though the male students were nodding in recognition.

“I will now hand out the schedules. You are required to submit your course registration forms in one week, so I highly recommend attending a variety of classes until then to see what fits. Also, do not forget to take your core mandatory subjects. Otherwise, you’ll fail the year!”

He burst into a hearty, roaring laugh, but is failing the year really a laughing matter? I already miss Mr. Kepner. I really wish we had a teacher who gave more detailed explanations. I’m incredibly glad I got my hands on the schedule the day before.

“Princess Margaret, what will you do?” Catherine and the others asked frantically. The teacher’s explanation really was far too vague.

“I have already decided on my courses.”

Princess Margaret pulled out the schedule we had drawn up the night before to show them.

“My word, Princess Margaret, you are so deeply organized! May I have the honor of taking the same classes as you?”

Ah, the copycat brigade has arrived. Wow, the elective subjects for the domestic science track are going to be incredibly skewed. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. The girls in this year have all been strictly instructed by their parents to get on Princess Margaret’s good side. Come to think of it, perhaps this was exactly the sort of thing Queen Victoria was worried about.

“Oh, it looks like Patience is taking different classes.”

The entourage’s glares pierced straight into me.

“Good day to you all,” I said, quickly making my escape. Ah, how exhausting.

After searching around, I finally located the classroom for Law. Wow, talk about a hostile environment! It is spectacularly, overwhelmingly male. Did Lady Attendant Charlotte really take her classes here? Well, at the very least, it means they were classmates.

On top of that, the lecture is incredibly tedious. If it weren’t a mandatory subject, I’d want to skip it entirely. I flipped through the textbook. Right, I’ll just memorize the whole thing word-for-word and test out of the class early. Actually, I just want to get the completion certificate and be done with it. Though, knowing Mr. Patterson and his boring teaching style, getting him to give me the textbooks up to the third-year level is going to be a massive chore.

Second period was Childcare, in the same classroom as Princess Margaret and her entourage. Oh, please don’t beckon me over. I am perfectly content sitting all the way in the back of the room. I tried to signal this with my eyes, but she refused to let me off the hook.

“Patience, we finally get to take a class together!”

Princess Margaret beamed. Meanwhile, Lady Catherine—who had just been forced to give up her seat for me—was shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

“I am sure Lady Patience will test out of this class and advance in no time,” someone muttered.

Translate: “Hurry up, test out, and vanish!” Understood loud and clear.

Childcare… Is this really how it works in another world? It is completely different from the childcare practices of my previous world… Well, I suppose as long as the nannies are dependable, it works out? I don’t feel like there is much value in learning this. The textbook is incredibly thin anyway, so I’ll just memorize it cover-to-cover and grab my certificate.

“Right, it’s lunchtime! We must hurry so they can set up our seats.”

We had a cheerful Princess Margaret and three of her classmates, followed by her entourage watching with gazes dripping with pure jealousy. Ah, how exhausting.

“Please arrange an eight-person table for us from today onward,” Princess Margaret instructed.

The servers immediately went to work rearranging the usual four-person tables into an eight-person block. Well, even though they’re called “three-person seats,” they’re just standard four-person tables, so it’s really just a matter of pushing two of them together. Princess Margaret took the seat of honor at the head of the table. Catherine, Lilina, and Harriet quickly seated themselves around her. As for me, I was pushed all the way down to Prince Keith’s side of the table.

“My goodness, Patience, are you quite alright sitting all the way over there?” Princess Margaret called out to me.

No, I’m not alright, but I don’t have the sheer nerve required to shove past the other girls.

“Yes, after all, Prince Keith, Lord Ralph, and Lord Hugo are all the same age as me.”

Harriet chimed in, “That’s true. You are all friends, after all.”

“Well, if you are content with that, then very well.”

Princess Margaret gave her approval, but I wondered how Prince Keith would feel about this arrangement.

“Oh, so Patience is joining us too. Well, I suppose that makes sense, seeing as you are my sister’s personal attendant.”

Prince Keith sat down directly opposite Princess Margaret. Ralph sat right next to him, which meant Hugo ended up sitting right next to me.

“Starting tomorrow, let’s have them push three tables together instead,” Hugo muttered. I suppose he hates the idea of sitting so close to the female students.

“If we do that, the gap will be far too wide. We wouldn’t really be eating together anymore, so absolutely not. Besides, Patience is already used to eating with us, so this is perfectly fine,” Prince Keith declared.

It might be fine for you, Prince Keith, but it is certainly not fine for me. But of course, I can’t exactly argue with royalty. On top of that, Princess Margaret and her friends are already chatting away happily, so it looks like this setup is here to stay.

In any case, my goal was to get through lunch smoothly by avoiding both conversations entirely. Or so I thought, completely forgetting about Princess Margaret’s intense obsession with music.

“I intend to recommend a new member to the music club,” she announced.

Catherine and the others looked instantly intrigued—and wary. After all, a new member meant a potential new rival.

“It’s Patience’s cousin, Samuel Northcote. Patience tells me he is an absolute prodigy.”

Oh dear. If looks could kill, the glares directed at me would have ended my life right then and there.

“The eldest son of the Earl of Northcote, is it? To think Patience herself would call him a prodigy.”

For some reason, a voice boomed down from right above my head. Please don’t just pull up a chair and sit down next to me without asking, President Albert.

“Honestly, Albert. Don’t just sit down as you please,” Princess Margaret chided, but her attempt to stop him was completely ignored.

“You must bring this prodigy to the club tomorrow. If he’s your cousin, he truly might be a genius. Princess Margaret, this year might turn out to be a magnificent harvest! I shall recommend three people myself.”

Oh no, Princess Margaret’s musical passion has been thoroughly ignited.

“Server, set an extra place at the table! Now, President Albert, who is it that you intend to recommend?”

The other girls knew better than to stand in the way of Princess Margaret’s love for music. Leaving a deeply animated Princess Margaret and Albert to their own devices, the three of them spent the rest of the meal chatting about the domestic science track.

“Is your cousin brilliant as well? Don’t tell me he plans to test out of his classes and skip straight into the second year too?” Prince Keith began, pelting me with questions.

“Samuel is quite dreadful at the classics, so I assure you he won’t be skipping any years.”

Prince Keith burst into a delighted laugh. “I see! It sounds like Samuel and I will get along splendidly.”

Their personalities certainly are quite similar. Though, Samuel’s personality comes with a side of brooding angst.

“Is he truly a musical prodigy?” Hugo asked, looking interested. I suppose it makes sense, given they are both the eldest sons of Earls.

“He can play a piece perfectly after hearing it only once. It seems he is far more blessed with musical talent than I am.”

Albert overheard this from the end of the table and chimed in excitedly.

“Is that so? That is incredible! Still, a talent like yours for composing entirely new pieces of music is equally precious, Patience. Say, why don’t you ditch the civil servant track, graduate from the domestic science track as quickly as possible, and come work for the Ducal House of Laforet? You could easily make a living on your music alone.”

Having had my marriage proposal rejected, I am now being offered a job.

“Albert, I will not tolerate you trying to steal my personal attendant away,” Princess Margaret cut in, declining on my behalf. Good grief.

Prince Keith looked at me with an expression of pure amusement. “You certainly have a knack for attracting eccentrics. Ah, I get it now—it’s because you’re an eccentric yourself!”

Looking at Prince Keith’s thoroughly satisfied face, I felt a deep, profound wave of regret that Prince Richard had already graduated. It’s times like these when I desperately need someone around who can exert a terrifying, royal aura to keep everyone in check.