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Chapter 12: Leo gets a free meal (First Half)
On this day, after class was over, Leo was planning to head straight back to his room; however, Kai who usually patiently waited for him outside his room was right outside the gate of the school wearing a wide smile on his face.
「Welcome back, Leonora-sama.」
「Oh, Kai. What’s, going on?」
Curious about the unusual actions of his servant, Leo asked. Kai then respectfully handed over a letter.
「It’s this. It came from the Hannah Orphanage. A letter of gratitude it seems.」
「Ah」
Upon hearing the familiar name of Hannah Orphanage, Leo floated a soft smile.
「Thank you. I will read carefully, in my room.」
「Understood.」
Seeing the delighted smile of his master, Kai felt his spirits lifted.
Today as well, many people sneakily gathered around his beautiful master. Upon hearing about talks of an unknown orphanage from the new noble Leonora, they tilted their heads in confusion. Seeing that, Kai indirectly began to talk to them.
「Leonora-sama, the children at the orphanage must be incredibly delighted that you constantly gift them things such as expensive dresses, clothes, and preserved food.」
「Ah….yes.」
「You even individually write down each one of their names, never have such a level of detail have been paid attention to. The orphanage director seemed to be thankful as well.」
「….Kai.」
Even though Leonora-sama is still so young, she still thinks about contributing to the orphanage. Furthermore, it isn’t simply being facetious, she curtly addresses each individual orphan. Was what Kai was trying to appeal, but the person in question stopped him.
「Don’t, say so much.」
「I apologize.」
Most likely, since his master was so earnest about hiding her virtuous deeds, she must be very shy about it, Kai thought.
Kai was slightly disappointed about that, but he perfectly hid his emotions flawlessly without letting it show on his face.
「Dangerous, dangerous…」
On the other hand, the low murmuring Leo started a break into a cold sweat about the fact that his embezzling almost got made public.
Indeed.
Leo didn’t really think about making contributions to the orphanage. He was planning about his future after escaping this place, sending stuff that can be sold easily and usable items to himself.
However, the Hannah Orphanage’s director had a firm principle of 「Sharing everything equally and fairly.」
Because of that, he only sent about one-tenth of the things directly to himself, and not wanting everything else to go to waste, he had no choice but to the dresses that he found no use in and other items to his fellow orphans and assigned them equally. The imitation gold bracelets and pickled herrings were something he absolutely must have though.
Now, in that manner, Leo decided that it was time to start planning his escape. But there was someone who would disturb his plans.
「Leonora!」
「Wah!」
Leo was energetically glomped from behind by the Weiz empire first imperial Princess.
「Long time no see, Leonora. It’s already been over twelve hours since I last saw your face you know! Oh, that dress you’re wearing today is quite cute, the usual Savarin, usual thin dress. I wonder when you’ll wear those dresses I sent you for me.」
「Ah….」
「Well, it’s okay, I understand and respect your feelings. Now, let’s go today as well, your classes are already done for today right?」
「Yeah….」
「Oh, wait, don’t you still have your magic training class left still? Well, that’s fine, just leave it. Since it’s not your forte, you must be a little unmotivated right? Well, it didn’t really have any uses in the lower city after all, but since you always seem to be able to do anything, this contrast makes it quite adorable. There, there, for something like magic, I’ll be the one to teach it to you.」
Leo was only able to respond with one syllable each time towards the never ending barrage of words.
Just what is it that Bianca is so happy with, after that time with Natalia, she’s been sticking to me after school every day.
From the beginning, Leo was planning to skip the magic class anyway so he could return to his room and continue his side venture. However, Bianca constantly interfered in his plans. Seeing his master’s troubled expression, the attentive Kai decided to step in.
「With all due respect, Bianca-sama. My master has some matters to attend to after this.」
「Matters?」
「Yes. She has received a letter from a certain individual and wishes for time to slowly read it. As she is still a little inexperienced with reading and writing, I believe it’s best to allow her some time to herself today.」
In order to put Bianca in a good mood, but also without sounding like he’s condescending his master by saying she’s 「inexperienced with reading and writing,」 Kai carefully chose his words and tones.
His master have been coming home late with an exhausted expression ever since Bianca decided to start inviting her out, that’s why today he came all the way to the school gates to escort her so she could have some free time. If he failed here, then it would all be for naught.
However, rather than giving up, Bianca became even more interested and pressed on.
「Oh, who is it from? Someone I know? Someone from higher up I wonder. If that’s the case, I shall properly guide her as to how to properly right a letter in a lady-like manner – You are, Kai correct? You may stand down now.」
「But…」
Having his tactics be completely countered, Kai sulked.
However, at that time.
「As expected of the head of the primary class, Bianca-sama. Dutiful towards the underclassman. Could I ask for you to spare some of that kind heart for your commoner senpai?」
A smooth and light voice rang past everyone standing in the area.
Upon seeing and hearing the patronizing person standing in front of her, Bianca’s face became stiff.
「…Rolf Quantz. I wonder just what business an upper-class student like yourself have here in the primary school building.」
Bianca asked with an obstinate voice, however, Rolf simply replied in a smiling manner like before.
「An invitation, to our tea party.」
「Tea party you say?」
Rolf’s smile didn’t budge. Combined with his wide slit eyes, he looked almost like a fox.
「Yes, indeed. Dorlis, do you happen to know who that is?」
Bianca’s shoulders twitched.
「…What do you mean who, that’s the name of my maid.」
「Yes. Well, to be correct, she’s your『Ex』maid now.」
Even though on the outside, it looks as if the two people were having a simple conversation, but it felt like you could feel sparks flying in the air.
「Since you have taken such good care of that『Ex』maid Dorlis, we, her – how should I say, her ‘seniors’? Would quite like to return some of that favor.」
「No thank you.」
Toward’s Rolf clown-like jest of an invitation, Bianca firmly declined.
「I have no favor that needs to be returned.」
「Oh, you don’t have the slightly inkling as to Dorlis’s plight?」
「How would I know of events that never took place. If you continue to make false accusations then –」
「Shall I invite your Onii-sama as well?」
Quite a deplorable statement it was.
Rolf’s common face that had no particularly special features to it held a strange yet unnerving smiling expression.
「As expected of Bianca-sama, she truly loves her Onii-sama. Even reconciling a fight requires him as well, our party would delightedly love to invite your Onii-sama as well, although he’s not responsible for anything. Well, but if that’s what it takes, we have no complaints.」
「You insolent –」
Bianca was about to severely reprimand him, but upon noticing the gaze of the confused girl standing next to her, she lowered her voice.
「… I don’t understand what it is that you are talking about, but very well. If you’re inviting me to tea, then I humbly accept.」
「Oh my.」
Rolf raised an eyebrow upon hearing her statement. Then, narrowing his fox-like eyes ever future, he moved his gaze over to the curious girl watching over the conversation.
「—- I see.」
Having thought of something, Rolf slowly raised his hand, and extended it towards the young girl.
「Leonora von Harkenberg. Won’t you come as well?」
「Rolf Quantz! What are you saying?! I said that I’d go didn’t I? Don’t meddle in her affairs!」
「Ooh, scary scary. Nice you meet you, Leonora-chan. My name is Rolf. You wouldn’t want to leave your friend behind right? Come with me. If you do –」
His fox eyes shone.
「Delicious treats and a fantastic show will be waiting for you!」
It was obvious to anyone that the aforementioned 「show」 is going to be completely worthless.
「Rolf Quantz!」
「Rolf-sama, unforunately –」
Bianca and Kai both, and even the people around who felt bad for the girl getting wrapped up in this mess tried to object, but at that moment, the girl in question interjected.
「Will go.」
Her dignified rang clearly and caused everyone around to be taken aback.
「Bianca-sama, seeing show, alone, boring right? So, I will go, too.」
「Leonora!」
「Leonora-sama!」
So it’s better if there are more witnesses huh? Excited about how bold the young girl was, Rolf’s eyes flashed with light.
「Oh my oh my, Leonora-chan is quite brave indeed.」
At the sound of the surrounding people giving up, Rolf seized the hands of both Bianca and the young girl.
The blushing and angry Kai moved to separate them, but Rolf nimbly dodged him.
「Whoa there, it’s time for servant-kun to retire for today. Today, our invites are for ladies only.」
「What are y –」
「Kai, don’t come.」
Towards her exasperated servant, the young girl raised a single declaration, her voice brimming with majesty.
「I am, okay, by myself. Kai, return, to my room.」
Although young, the feminine voice of his master contained enough power to cause him to hold back his words.
「However…」
Kai conflicted as to whether or not he should follow the order. Using that momentary gap, Rolf raised his finger.
「Wah.」
「W-what is this? Let me go! I said let me go!」
A large number of students came out of nowhere – most likely, from the Bernstein faction – and kidnapped Kai’s master and Bianca.
「Leonora-sama!」
He shouted, but even if he chased after them he’d never make it. And there was nothing he could do by himself.
Kai murmured 「How could this…」 and then, shook himself off and ran to look for someone who could help him.
***
(Ah-….)
Leo regretted.
(I knew it, I knew it would be like this. However, even so, I thought there was a chance it wasn’t.)
In front of the raging Bianca, was some foul smelling soup.
While dejected, Leo sighed in his heart.
Since the man name Rolf invited him to a 「Tea Party」 Leo thought it’d be fine 「I can get some free food!」 he thought.
Even Leo thought that the exchange the two people had seemed to have quite a bit of unrest. However, since nobles always have such a composed look on their face it was really hard to tell, but it looks like like Rolf actually wants to harm Bianca. But even still, all they’re doing is serving some bad tea? Not very creative.
Nevertheless, Leo doesn’t remember ever getting on Rolf’s bad side.
The person himself even say 「I’ll give you a delicious treat!」 so Leo responded with「It’d be lonely if only Bianca-sama went, so I’ll go too! I actually reluctant though!」And so, I trusted him and came.
Believing that they actually had delicious food, he told Kai to retire. Getting swept up in stuff is probably just his conditional reflex at this point.
(Delicious treats…Are they really not going to bring any out? Is this harassment?)
Putting out only one portion of unappetizing food, Leo looked at it with a skeptic gaze.
「What’s wrong? Feel free to dig in.」
The person who raised their voice had quirky black hair and deep indigo blue eyes.
Rolf and his friends currently occupied the second dining hall – the first dining hall were exclusive to royalty and high ranking nobles, the second dining hall was used by basically everyone else – and they currently sat in the inner most area, with a boy watching them as he rested his elbow on his crossed legs.
He is called, Oscar Bernstein.
Rolf led Leo and Bianca more or less forcibly to an old looking table, with a wall of students standing around them.
As expected, there isn’t anyone that looked like the lower city thugs, but with plenty of well built upper-class male students, and along with the glaring gazes of some of the female students, it did not feel very comfortable.
「Ah, perhaps you are thirsty instead? Then have some black tea, made from quality tea leaves of the Bernstein company. I assure you it’ll suit your tastes. For me it’s a bit better, but it has a nice aftertaste. It’s also useful for cleansing your pallet after eating something fishy or raw.」
Once Oscar raised his hand, a girl came from behind Bianca – Dorlis it seems – and served her black tea.
Not in a cup, but on a plate.
「Wha…!」
Bianca was a loss for words, her pretty face was reddening with anger.
「What is this?!」
「Oh, do you not like it?」
Standing and leaning against the nearby wall, Rolf flashed a grin.
「If that’s the case, leave it. Or perhaps you’d like to throw it at Dorlis? Like usual.」
「Do you guys honestly believe you can get away with doing this…?!」
「Those are our words. Bianca von Weizsäcker.」
Bianca exasperatedly interrupted Oscar, but that was when his eyes flashed like a wild beast and he unshakably maintained his front and glared back at her.
It was a manly charm that was different from Albert. While being somehow dissatisfied, Leo started considering the disproportionate amount of cool guys in this academy.
「The recent actions of the royal family and the high nobles are the ones that are intolerable. Getting back at a person that has wronged us isn’t in our rights like yours? Don’t think we’ll forgive you just for being an imperial Princess.」
Oscar’s indigo blue eyes rose.
「Even though you have more magic power than you can possibly do with, you refuse to donate even a tiny bit, I’m impressed.」
「Refuse…?」
Bianca frowned with a somewhat bewildered expression. However, feeling satisfied, Oscar decided to wrap up the story.
「Now then, to make it up to us, your highness the imperial Princess Bianca, please try some of our, the commoner’s, treats. If you refuse, I’m afraid our hearts will burst from sadness.」
「But…」
Everyone in the room was smirking at Bianca who was blue to the face.
(Hm, yep. I’ve been completely dragged into this.)
For Leo, he had been listening to Oscar and Bianca’s debate and judging it fairly.
Bianca bullied the commoner girl Dorlis who was her maid.
Oscar then ordered his pal Rolf to bring Bianca here to bully Bianca with everyone watching her. This…
No matter how you think about it, there was no need to drag me into this mess.
(However –)
Leo slowly examined the plate that was placed in front of him.
It’s been throwing off an offensive smell for a while now, a muddle looking dish.
It looks like Dorlis and them mixed together some dessert and fish and that came out of it.
However, carefully observing the muddled mess they made once more, Leo had a thought.
The ingredients are quite rare…
(The color of the whipped cream on the foundation looks off, whether it’s because of the mixing or if it’s supposed to look like that, it’s definitely made from cow’s milk, not goat’s milk. The random fish they put in there include my favorite pickled herrings, and some raw salmon as well. Since it’s cut into sashimi, I can tell it’s fresh. Furthermore, there’s some really big pieces of dried fruits, a buttery danish, lemon cake, and blue cheese. There’s no need to say, it’s a treasure chest of high-class ingredients.」
Putting raw fish in whipped cream? For a normal person, it would definitely be a big no go, but Leo is actually considering it.
As expected of the heir to the Bernstein company, he even uses money for harassment.
Even in the lower city, commodities with the Bernstein name attached to them are far and wide, so if possible, Leo would like to get to know Oscar.
(Think carefully, me. I have a chance to change my current dangerous situation. I’m a tiny bit…a little bit apposed…no I’m quite opposed, I don’t really want to eat it, but be calm. Let’s change the viewpoint. They’re doing my stomach’s job of mixing stuff for me…yeah it’s saving me effort right.)
Leo calmly made a joke.
(Think about this with your brain. Is what I want delicious food? No, it’s free food. What even is considered delicious? That’s what you call the emotion you get for eating stuff you get for free. Meaning –)
I want, to eat this.
Clear my mind of all thoughts, let the refreshing fire cleanse away all things. Let the greed take over all five of my senses, and money shall pierce through all.
Something like this, can only be done by the person known as Leo.
「Oh my, your highness, what’s with the grim look? Are you helpless without your brother? If that’s the case, why don’t you try relying on your underclassman friend?」
「What, Oscar –」
While Leo was busy contemplating, Oscar swiftly saw Bianca’s weakness and used it to drive her into a corner.
Usually, Rolf who loved all cute girls would be unhappy, but he didn’t retort. For him, Leonora von Harkenberg was also, someone who was on the side of the high-class nobles.
「What will you do? Your Highness? Will you have the Harkenberg lady eat it in your place? If you have your young tender friend their solve our grievances for you, then we shall accept that as well. Oh, but if you do that, it might get leaked from here you know. People just love to gossip so much, what can ya do?」
「I wouldn’t do, such a thing.」
Towards Bianca’s bravery, Oscar simply glared. Holding the spoon in her hand, it couldn’t stop shaking, not from anger, but fear.
For someone who was spoiled as a Princess like her, she’s ever been exposed to something quite as foul as this. Not to mention even putting something this hideous in her mouth.
「Do not, meddle with Leonora… This, I-I’ll」
「— Okay, let’s eat.」
As a Princess, as the head of the junior class, as a means to protect the girl who was like a little sister to her, Bianca had decided. However, her heroic determination was cut short by the girl in question.
Looking at her neighbor, her young friend certainly held the spoon in her hand and started eating the food.
「Leonora…?!」
「Mngh」
It must be disgusting. The girl choked. However, once she started chewing it, her facial expression went back to normal, and silently ate the food.
「Leonora! Please stop! Leonora!」
However, the hand that controlled the spoon couldn’t stop.
(It’s…not disgusting. Yeah, not bad, not bad at all! Seriously!)
Leo shutout the noise of his surroundings and concentrated on the food in front of him.
It’s alright. No problem. It’s a little sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and fishy, but it’s alright once I portion it.
(For example, see, this lukewarm food goes quite well with the salmon, its a very well-rounded flavor. As for the fishiness, a single light shines through that dark tunnel, this refreshing acidic lemon flavor. Each and every one of these are not things you can find in the lower city. Expensive. It’s really expensive. It’s the smell of money and the taste of extravagance.)
Although he had replaced his senses with money, Leo was pleasantly surprised by this.
(Anyway look, back at the orphanage, when Brigitte was on meal duty, didn’t it usually end up like this? Easy win.)
At the orderly Hannah Orphanage, even if the meal duty was a complete disaster, we weren’t allowed to waste anything.
Also, boys had to be kind to girls, that was another immovable principle the director had, so the worst the food tasted the more we were supposed to focus and praise the freshness of the ingredients. We were conditioned to do it so it was practically a second habit.
Speaking of which, one time Brigitte managed to turn the stew to cinders so everyone unanimously praised the pattern of the plate.
「Thanks for the meal.」
「Leonora!」
Seeing as how Leo didn’t leave even a single drop behind, Bianca turned pale.
「I’m surprised. You got quite the tongue there.」
The astonished statement came from Oscar.
He himself had tried it before and spat it out on the first bite, seeing as how she ate the whole thing without changing expressions, his indigo blue eyes shook with unrest.
「Leonora-chan, are you okay? Here, water water!」
Playing innocent that they were the cause of this, Rolf brought some water to try to settle the situation.
Starting with Dorlis, everyone was completely dumbfounded and anxiously watched as Leo thankfully accepted his free water.
As he slowly satisfied his thirst, his eyes met with Oscar who had his eyes constantly on the girl the whole time.
Surely I made some kind of impression, Leo thought.
「…Uhm.」
Because of Leo’s conditioning, he figured he should praise something about it.
「All of the ingredients were very high quality.」
「—Hey, are you serious?」
Oscar was stunned, well, it’s was more as if he was looking at something scary.
「No, uh, um. The plate.」
As expected, Leo reflected on the fact that his comment didn’t make much of an impact and quickly deployed another of his secret techniques, praising the pattern of the plate, but it backfired.
It was a plain white plate.
「Uhm, getting to eat, on plate, is nice right.」
In the end, it came off sounding like a caveman that just discovered civilization for the first time. An incomprehensible utterance was made.
「Someone, served up, a plate, for me to eat on, it’s wonderful.」
Needless to say, it’s just desperation now.
However, that desperation made Bianca gasp in surprise.
「Leonora, a child like you is…!」
「What do you mean?」
Oscar frowned having not understood anything, however, he didn’t get a chance to have his question answered.
「What are you all doing here?!」
After kicking in the entrance to the dining hall, Prince Albert appeared.