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Chapter 164: A New Encounter
During today’s class in manners we’d apparently learn about tea parties. Of course, I was also capable of doing the male part. After all, you wouldn’t be able to comprehend the female part if you didn’t have a grasp on the male part.
And yes, that sounds very reasonable and all, but please show some compassion for me who was taught all of this while basically a toddler.
Then again, the one I’d love you to tell about those feelings of mine is already rotting under the ground.
＊
I escorted the woman, who had been partnered with me, and we sat down at the tea table. There would be various aspects that had to be observed, ranging from the way of drinking your tea to how to take a light meal, but having a decent partner, I’d be able to pull this off easily.
I mean, if my partner had been Primrose, things would have ended in disaster… In my mind I screamed that I don’t want to experience such a torture, no matter what, but I still expected that they might assign Primrose to me out of spite.
Luckily, however, Primrose was invited by many others as she seems to be rather popular. Luckily because not having to deal with that girl is great news, really.
＊
For some reason, tension hung in the air when my turn came about.
But the instructor released that tension with her comment after we were done, “……Marvelous! Despite being Lady Scarlet’s partner, you performed perfectly. …Though, I have heard that you were of commoner descent…”
I wonder what’s this about?
“Yes, I’m a commoner. But, I was harshly trained in manners during my early childhood. Being told that I had to understand the male and female parts, I was forced to memorize both to perfection when I was five years old.”
The instructor and everyone else became speechless. I surveyed those around me and snorted a laugh.
“Your training is lacking. Commoners do a lot, lot more training than 『the likes of nobles』. Living gracefully is fine, but unless you train yourself, you won’t be able to best commoners.”
The ones around me froze. My female partner was also taken aback.
Now then, I wonder whether she’s grown up ever since then?
Once I scanned my vicinity elegantly, Primrose, who had apparently partnered with the prince, was being escorted…
Oof, how horrible. It was so terrible that I felt like asking the prince how he could even dare to consider taking Primrose as a lover, let alone wanting to marry her.
The instructor had her hands full guiding them through the whole process, her eyebrows furrowed all the while. She couldn’t come on too strong in front of the prince, but personally I believe it’d be in the interest of the party concerned here if the instructor didn’t care about reputation and went all out with the teaching.
…At that moment, I heard a sigh from my side. Or to be precise, from the young noble lady who had partnered with me – Damsel Scarlet. 1
She had dark brown hair and it was clear that she’d become a stunning beauty in the future, but currently she was exuding a grim impression.
Our eyes met.
“It was a big help that you kindly partnered up with me. If I had partnered with Primrose, I am sure it would have ended in tragedy. Of course I believed that it would have been the perfect opportunity for people to vent their anger against me, and I was actively hoping for them to just do that, but I guess it did not come to pass.”
“……Well, I have no doubt that it would incur the enmity of others if a commoner makes such remarks… …Umm, do you happen to have some kind of relationship with Lady Primrose?”
Hmm? What does she mean? Is she asking me whether I have a 『physical relationship』 with Primrose as a guy?
“I am Primrose’s 『Older Sister』.”
Damsel Scarlet became speechless.
“……Err, forgive me, but what kind of metaphor are you speaking of?”
“I am her 『Older Sister』 from a different mother. Well, a young noble lady such as you might not know about it, but I am the offspring of the marriage between a daughter of the Duke Summersol family and Earl Springcoat. Since I left home at an age of ten, our relationship got cut off, but going by blood, I am her 『Older Sister』.”
“……Is that so? But, now that you mention it, I did consider it odd that her elder sister did not enroll at the academy, but…I guess she had a sex change.”
“No, she did not.”
Eh? That’s the part she misunderstood!?
“I was merely given a male uniform due to some sort of mistake. At first I racked my brain about the meaning behind it, but since it seemed like it’d be fun, I enrolled while pretending to be a guy. …It’s not like it brought about any particular problems either. But, since I’ve started to grow tired of crossdressing, I’ve recently begun to feel that I want to properly join the female dormitory as a woman.”
“Please give up on that. You will be mistaken as a molester.”
I feel like I was told something awful just now.
“Ugh…I can see a female’s body whenever I want by looking in the mirror, you know? By the way, since I’ve seen many male bodies as well, I’m fine with being exposed to either.”
“…Are you a pervert?”
She said it! How cruel!
“No, I don’t have any sexual desires, so I don’t harbor any interest in neither man nor woman. However, I’m told that my way of talking is way too straightforward. Swo…my partner scolds me about that part fairly often. So let me apologize in case I made you feel uncomfortable.”
I mean, there are some girls who simply hate lewd topics, too. They might be the types who wait for their Prince Charming…ah, over here it has to be, 『His Highness the Prince who Bawls because of Firecrackers』, kekeke.
“…You are truly a former woman?” She emphasized.
“Not a former, mind you. I’m a genuine woman. This is just male crossdressing.”
“Aahh, it is still in the works, huh?”
“No, it’s not.”
Why would it be in the works!? Or rather, there’s places in this world where you can get it done!?
When I looked at her full of suspicion, my partner stared back at me, obviously surprised.
“……Umm, are you possibly…?”
But, just when she started to question me, the bell rang.
“…Are you from the same place as the braves?”
She tilted her head upon my question.
“Braves…?”
Hmm? Was information about braves being from another world confidential or something? I feel like Sword might or might not have said something in that direction.
“No, nevermind. Let’s see…do you know the word sakura?”
She reacted by getting startled.
Ooohhh! For real!? I found someone from the same world and country as my otherworld self! Moreover, in her case, she might be following the same pattern I did.
“…Then allow me to ask from my side: do you know the term curry rice?”
Curry rice, eh?
“Unfortunately I came to this academy before I could get my hands on rice. Currently I’m making do with nan.”
Her expression went through a drastic change, “Y-Y-You can make curry!?”
“They’re selling the spice in the capital, you know?”
“I mean, it’s no curry powder, okay!?”
When her usual polite and formal tone fell apart, the people around us gave us a hard look. Startled, Damsel Scarlet covered her mouth.
…And then she cleared her throat, coughing, “…Would it be acceptable for me to invite you to a tea party?”
I smiled cheerfully, “I shall gladly accept your kind invitation, Damsel Scarlet.”
Now then, things have become slightly interesting!