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“The House of Philip isn’t a family with a strong influence, but Young Lady Mago is the clerk of the student council as well as the key person in opening the young ladies’ tea time.”
“Tea time.”
“People who like to talk would surely gather.”
“Is that so?”
Abigail carefully shook her head.
“There’s still no talk about Young Lady Rocke. All the academy students are busy with something else recently . . .”
“With what?”
“There will be a visit from His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince soon.”
It meant that everyone was focused there.
Propping my chin, I fell into deep thought.
If I were Mago, my goal wouldn’t be simply causing a scene.
If she can fatally tarnish the honor of Rocke Merchant Guild while the Crown Prince visiting the academy . . .
Obviously, the damage would also affect me, Rany’s best friend.
I looked at the paper in my hand, then got up.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to solve this matter quickly.”
I felt thankful to the Crown Prince, even though I only remembered his face.
Because it would be troubling for me if the others weren’t paying attention to other things.
Knowing the time of attack was also a big benefit.
When I entered the annex inside the student council room, curious gazes landed on me.
Ignoring those, I knocked on the closed door, and then a formal voice rang.
“Come in.”
Mago flinched when she saw me, but soon she pulled the corners of her lips, smiling.
“Ah, you came?”
“This is the document you asked me to bring in.”
After checking the document from me, her brows slightly went up but then returned to their places.
“You only needed a signature from one person.”
The expression looking down at the paper with signatures of three people with their own characteristics, as well as the family’s seal, was odd.
“It just happened.”
What I meant by ‘the three people should come into agreement’ wasn’t that all the three people needed to sign the paper.
Still, thanks to the signatures of people who didn’t want to be considerate to each other as well as the seal, the contents of the paper were difficult to see.
“It seems like your family really adores you, Young Lady. Madam Tatiana has been famous even from her actor days, so you, like her—”
“You must mean the Duchess.”
“. . .”
“You used an improper title just now.”
Looking at me, she smiled and then replied a beat later.
“You’re right. I mean the Duchess. Indeed, I used an improper title.”
The face with eyes looking down made it appear as though she were sorry but there was no way it was sincere.
“I hope you stay strong. The punishment is indeed difficult, but it is only for a moment.”
“Yes.”
It was not difficult, but it was certainly clever to give me a job that was annoying and was close to a full-time job.
Because I had to stick to budget management and commodity management just like how busy Rany was when she was doing it.
“We can’t be lenient because a young Duke came to this academy as a professor, and on top of that, he has the name of the Bolton Family.”
I smiled faintly at the words that were said to soothe me and nodded.
Young Duke Bolton certainly had no interest in my disciplinary action.
Torturing other people with the family power wasn’t something he would do.
“It’s fine. It’s not that hard.”
She flinched.
The gaze looking at me was imbued with displeasure, but it soon disappeared.
“I see. Well, Young Lady Marianne is someone with exceptional ability.”
“Thank you for thinking so.”
I turned my back after ending with that.
I couldn’t check on her face with my back on her, but the gaze looking at me was probably not nice.
It was ticklish on my back.
* * *
When I returned, Rany was already on her seat.
“Where did you go?”
“Student council room. Submitting the confirmation document.”
“Ah, that one.”
Looking at her slightly grimacing face, I said, “You look tired. It’s dark under your eyes.”
“Well, there are things that I have to do lately.”
Drowsiness slowly took over her yawning face.
Last night, I was planning to stop her from overly expanding the guild.
And to ask her to do it after making a plan, because nothing good would come from rushing.
However, I knew enough about the fact that no one would wait until we finished our plan before they moved.
Rany had already stepped into a deep political quagmire just because she had relations with me.
“How about we talk at lunch?”
Looking at me with a puzzled look, she lowered her eyes as if she had some idea and then answered.
“Alright, yeah.”
* * *
We went into the equipment room without the other people after class and faced each other.
As soon as the door closed, Rany asked with her lips trembling as though she thought the time had come.
“You finally found out, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t want you to know though . . .”
“How could I not know? Of course, I have to know.”
“Orion said he would pretend to not know.”
I was confused with her words, which were said with a sigh.
Orion knew about this?
The continued words were even confusing.
“I too was a bit uneasy, but thinking about my guild situation lately, I think I have to accept it . . .”
“. . .”
Only then I realized that she and I were talking about different matters.
What on earth did she accept?
As I stared at her intently, Rany’s face blushed.
“But, I really never deceive him. I manufactured the products with care just as much as the investments Orion gave.”
Looking at me, who still had said nothing, Rany shouted as if she felt unfair.
“What the Prince invested has nothing to do with me. That was done by Benji.”
“. . .”
I see. So people around me were busy with monetary transactions, huh.
I was speechless at the pair of siblings who were diligently making money despite being in a dire situation.