Chapter 89

Getting angry really takes a lot of energy. My stomach was empty and I was freezing, so I started heading toward the student cafeteria when a loud growl echoed from the shadow of a tree.

“Who’s there?” I asked, though it was blatantly obvious it was Prince Keith. Oh boy. Did he just hear me screaming my lungs out?

“I am sorry about earlier. And please forgive my blunder from yesterday. I took out my own frustration on you—watching you be pushed around by my sister’s classmates because of my own incompetence. You are the attendant chosen by my mother. You should drive those venomous insects away. If they have a complaint, tell them to take it up with Mother.”

He rattled off his apology all at once, but right then, Prince Keith’s stomach gave another loud growl. Besides, while Prince Keith’s gaffe was the catalyst for me storming out, it wasn’t the root of the problem. The real issue was Princess Margaret and her entourage.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Lord Ralph and Lord Hugo, who are watching from over there, must be starving too. Please return to the upper dining salon. Prince Keith, eavesdropping is a breach of etiquette.”

If I get fired as an attendant for this, so be it. From now on, I am going to do exactly what I want. First, I’m going to eat at the student cafeteria.

“Hurry up and walk.” Prince Keith stood waiting, apparently intending to escort me.

“Please go on ahead.”

Patience is an incredibly slow walker. It was because she was a slow runner that Prince Keith managed to catch up to her in the first place. How embarrassing.

“Wear this!” he snapped, slipping off his jacket and draping it over my shoulders.

“Eh? No, I can’t take this,” I tried to give it back, but he had already dashed away. He’s so fast; there’s no way I can catch up. And it really is warm.

Because of the cold, I walked back as fast as Patience’s legs could carry me. I took off Prince Keith’s jacket before entering the dining hall and asked a server from the upper salon to return it to him. For the first time in ages, I completely finished a meal at the student cafeteria. Granted, the food tastes much better in the upper salon, but being able to eat in comfort is so much better. I shouldn’t have given in at the very beginning. I had been going about this all wrong from the start.

This was the first time since enrolling at the Royal Academy that I skipped a class. I needed to sit down and think things through calmly. Sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace in my room, I looked over the curriculum guide and the schedule, selecting the subjects I truly wanted to study.

“If I quit being Princess Margaret’s attendant, is there even any point in taking the domestic science track?”

I do not get along with her classmates. If I get fired, it can’t be helped. If that’s the case, there’s no reason to stick with domestic science.

“Maybe I’ll just take classes I’m actually interested in. I’ve always wanted to try penmanship and calligraphy; I thought they looked so cool in my previous world. Embroidery could be useful for side jobs too. And I absolutely want to do dyeing and weaving. If I quit the music club, I’d love to join the handicraft club.”

Suddenly, a voice shrieked through the room.

“Absolutely not! I won’t allow you to quit the music club!”

Princess Margaret burst into the room.

“Right now, it is time for sewing, which is a mandatory subject for domestic science.”

Even without skipping, sewing a dress seems impossible to finish in a single period. If she skips class, won’t she get on the teacher’s bad side?

“I don’t care about sewing. Just don’t quit the music club.”

I could only let out a deep sigh. Her love for music is wonderful, but I simply cannot stand being around those classmates of hers. Will she understand? Well, if she doesn’t, she can just fire me.

“Princess Margaret, I do not believe I can get along with your classmates. Therefore, the music club is out of the question. Furthermore, I refuse to take classes that offer no benefit to me. I am willing to continue acting as your attendant strictly within the dormitory, but if that is unsatisfactory, please dismiss me.”

Princess Margaret fell silent. She must be furious. Yep, I’m definitely getting fired. Just like my father.

“You sound exactly like my mother,” she murmured. “She asked me countless times if I was truly content with the subjects I had chosen. I see now that I completely misunderstood the purpose of being placed in the dormitory. Mother was trying to tell me I was wrong from the very moment I chose Catherine, Lilina, and Harriet as my classmates. She threw critical glances at me time and again.”

So it was Princess Margaret herself who chose those three. I was stunned.

“I had assumed Queen Victoria was the one who selected them.”

Princess Margaret let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“I chose them based on their appearance, family status, and their musical proficiency. Before moving into the dormitory, I truly believed we got along splendidly. It was wonderful spending time in the music club with such beautiful friends, and I would occasionally invite them to the royal palace or visit their estates.”

I’m sure that was pleasant. At their estates, she would have been treated with the utmost reverence. After all, Princess Margaret was only ten or twelve years old at the time.

“You are more than welcome to remain with your classmates, your Highness. It is simply that I cannot join you.”

They have spent years together. It’s only natural for Princess Margaret to want to stay with them. Children often become friends with people their parents dislike; I believe that is entirely a matter of personal freedom.

I am an attendant chosen by the Queen, not by Princess Margaret. I will take a step back.

“Patience, do you truly intend to quit as my attendant?”

That depends entirely on her.

“If you are content with me being an attendant strictly in the dormitory, I am willing to continue. However, since I cannot bring myself to be around people I cannot respect, please allow me to go my own way during classes. I will also have lunch in the lower cafeteria. It is remarkably relaxed and peaceful there.”

I wonder if she’s shocked that I openly stated I don’t respect her friends. This is where I get fired, right? Well, at least I’ll have more time to spend with my younger brothers. We can spend the summer holidays together.

“I noticed they were being unkind to you. It was wrong of me to do nothing. So please, don’t talk about quitting as my attendant.”

That’s not the issue here. While that matters, I have simply reached my absolute limit. Perhaps the original Patience could have endured it. “No way!” Whoa, it’s been a while since I felt such a strong reaction from Patience herself. It gives me a bit of a headache, but I’m glad we’re in agreement. I see—even the highly self-sacrificing Patience can’t endure this. In that case, it’s perfectly fine to quit.

If Princess Margaret can’t wake up in the morning on her own, dormitory life will be impossible for her anyway. The Queen would likely have her sent back to the palace to keep her under close watch.

“Princess Margaret, I shall qui—” I tried to say I would resign, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Patience, please don’t say you’re quitting. I shall do my best to wake up on my own in the morning. Besides, I also thought Childcare was utterly ridiculous. I only chose it because they said it was a convenient way to earn easy credits for my social debut. I have absolutely no interest in high society, yet before I knew it, I had allowed myself to be influenced by it. Ah, so that is what Mother wanted to tell me. I thought she was merely scolding me for avoiding practical skills I disliked, so I rebelled against her.”

Well, it seemed the Queen was indeed displeased with her attitude of avoiding difficult practical skills. But since she is a princess, she is constantly coddled, and sweet words are always pleasant, so it’s understandable that she’d want to avoid things she struggles with. I want to avoid horseback riding myself, after all.

“The Queen truly worries for you from the bottom of her heart, Princess Margaret. She is surely trying to prevent you from facing hardships after you marry.”

“My word, you are entirely correct. While it is difficult to accept both my mother’s words and yours, it makes me realize that I drastically need to reconsider my path. I shall place some distance between myself and Catherine, Lilina, and Harriet. If I marry down to a vassal, those girls will undoubtedly turn their backs on me.”

I was astonished.

“No, surely that wouldn’t happen. Even if you marry a vassal, you will remain a princess.”

“Patience, you truly are naive to the ways of the world. Even if Father abdicates, Keith will continue to support brother Richard as the King’s brother. But a princess is used for political marriages; there is no telling where I might be sent. I might even end up wed to an enemy nation. There is no knowing how those girls would treat me in such a scenario.”

Ah, I remember talking about this with Prince Keith, Ralph, and Hugo before. It didn’t quite click back then. And I never imagined my relationship with Princess Margaret would deepen to this extent.

“To be completely honest, when I was first chosen as your attendant, I considered it quite a nuisance. But now, I am glad to have had the honor of serving you, Princess Margaret.”

And with that, my time as an attendant comes to an end. It feels a little lonely. For all her flaws, Princess Margaret isn’t malicious.

“Patience, what are you talking about? You are the attendant chosen by my mother. You cannot simply quit on your own whim. The ones I am cutting off are my classmates. It is easy to stay with those girls, but that is exactly why it is wrong. I have finally come to understand this, so it will be a disaster if my attendant disappears on me too.”

Princess Margaret’s smile widened. I guess I can’t refuse. Still, I will hold my ground.

“I shall continue my duties in the dormitory. However, I will have lunch in the lower student cafeteria. Furthermore, the music club is out of the question.”

Oh dear, how terrifying. In moments like this, she looks exactly like the Queen.

“In that case, Patience, are you telling me to eat with Keith and his two friends, just the four of us? I already told you I am cutting ties with Catherine and her group. I shall also tell Albert to expel them from the music club. Those girls do nothing but gossip about high society; they only remain in the music club to gain prestige by associating with me.”

Wait, if she goes through with that, the retaliation is going to be terrifying! I really want a peaceful resignation.

“Patience, do not underestimate me. Do you truly believe I would lose to the likes of Catherine, Lilina, or Harriet?”

No, I’m sure you wouldn’t lose, Princess Margaret, but I’m the one who will be caught in the crossfire and blown away!

“Fufufu, Mother would never allow such a thing to happen anyway. Rest assured.”

So she’s going to have her parents keep them in check.

“So, Patience, what classes do you intend to take now?”

Somehow, it feels like I’ve lost to Princess Margaret. But as long as I don’t have to be stuck with those classmates, I’ll take it as a win. Even if she remains friendly with them when we’re in different classes, that is entirely Princess Margaret’s issue to handle.