/
“Lilith, do you like Gerard?”
“Eh, no.”
“But why did you give him juice?”
When I came out after eating and tapped my big stomach, Alicia asked me with an excited look.
Both Diane and Michelle’s eyes were shining brightly.
“Uhm. Just because.”
“Ey, what do you mean just because? You can’t be shy. I’m sure half the girls here like Gerard?”
“Why? Is he popular?”
“He’s the best. And he’s handsome.”
“That’s right. Because he’s handsome.”
“He really looks like a prince….”
The cute nine-year-old girls put their hands together and open their mouths like baby angels.
“Cheshire is more handsome.”
Silence fell at my words.
Alicia, who was hesitant for some reason, stabbed me in the shoulder.
“You know, Lilith. What’s your relationship with Cheshire? You seemed very friendly.”
“Eung, Cheshire is…”
I tried to speak but kept my mouth shut.
It was because I remembered what Cheshire called me and asked me to do last night.
“Don’t tell anyone that Uncle is my guardian and that I live in your house.”
“Why? Let’s sell my father’s name to this place. That way, it will be easier to stay in this strange place.”
“Please, Lilith.”
“What, what?”
“Please. Can’t you listen to me?”
I know why Cheshire is trying to hide it.
He probably doesn’t want to get involved in the gossip because of my Dad.
At first, I didn’t mean to listen to it at all, but when I heard Cheshire says, “Please,” my head went blank—.
‘Phew.’
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Eung, we’re friend. Because we were admitted together.”
“But a commoner….”
Alicia tilted her head, and Diane pushed her to the side with her flushed face.
“He is handsome. I want to talk to him too.”
“That’s right. To be honest, I think he’s slightly cooler than Gerard. He’s a lot taller than us.”
Michelle agreed with Diane.
I nodded my head in satisfaction as I saw the children who were fascinated by Cheshire’s beauty.
This, this is. He’s already getting the attention of the ladies.
It seems I wouldn’t have to worry about Cheshire romance later.
“Oh my, Lilith! Look over there! Aren’t you waiting? Huh?”
Suddenly Alicia jumped up and down.
I saw Gerard standing against a tree on the promenade.
He saw me and came over to me with a smile.
“Hello.”
“Ung, hello.”
“Take it.”
What Gerard gave was grape-flavored juice.
“What you gave me, I’ll drink it well.”
He shook the apple juice I gave him and smiled softly.
“W, whoa.”
“Hii.”
My roommates hiding behind my back made weird noises, probably falling in love with Gerard’s refreshing smile.
I stared at handsome Gerard’s face.
‘Hmm, I’m not sure if his personality is already broken at this point. But I hope that things can still be changed….’
I accepted the grape juice and put a straw in it.
Then I smiled and held it out to Gerrard.
“Shall we make a toast!?”
“Haha. Should we?”
Gerard, who folded his eyes into a half-moon and smiled again, put the juice pack together.
Mhm, it’s good.
Let’s just keep going as it is.
* * *
9 am.
I came to the training room.
Special entrants must complete basic education before taking classes with other children.
“Cheshire!”
Quickly occupying a seat next to Cheshire, I took out my notebook and the bear’s pencil case and asked.
“Did Bruce not bully you today?”
“Ung.”
“What about Rom? He didn’t bother Rom either?”
“Ung.”
“How was your bed last night? Is the bed softer than you thought? I overslept today.”
“It was fine.”
“Shall we bring out some snacks today? To be honest, the snack discrimination is a bit absurd. Shall we meet later at snack time? Let’s eat mine together.”
“Nevermind.”
I pursed my lips.
Cheshire’s reaction was strange.
“Are you in a bad mood?”
“No.”
“I think you are?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Your words are too short. You don’t seem to want to talk to me.”
“It was originally short.”
“No, something different. Something… It is very subtly different.”
“….”
Cheshire didn’t respond and just looked straight ahead.
I poked him in the side.
“Tell me honestly. Who bullied you?”
“No.”
“Then what!”
“You…”
Cheshire opens his mouth as if he wants to say something.
As expected, there’s something.
“Mmhm.”
“…Nothing.”
“Ah, it’s so frustrating!”
I tore my hair out.
“Say it quickly, quickly!”
I grabbed Cheshire’s shoulder and shook it. Then he quietly turned his head to the other side and asked quietly.
“…Why, did you give it to him?”
“Ung?”
What is he talking about all of a sudden?
I tilted my head, but Cheshire turned to me and spoke again.
“In the morning. The gold name tag in my room, to him.”
“Huh?”
“…That, juice. Why did you give it to him?”
For a moment, the thought process stopped.
The gold name tag in the Cheshire room was Gerard Schmidt.
“That!”
It’s part of a plan to fix the bad character, which will hurt the main character’s future.
Since Cheshire was supposed to be close with Gerard anyway, I thought it was just the right timing.
“He is the son of the Schmidt family. Do you think it wouldn’t be bad if we became friends?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Is he just bullying the kids in your room?”
“No. Not really.”
“Whoa! That’s a relief, then. He might run into you often later on. Don’t be too blunt, and if he talks to you, accept it— Anyway, be friends! Got it?”
Cheshire stared at me for a very long time.
Then he said.
“Do I have to get permission to be friends with anyone?”
“Ung?”
“I don’t want to be close, but should I do that if you want to?”
“N, no? It’s not like that….”
“Then I’ll take care of my business. You want to be friends with him, not me.”
“Uhm? No, wait. I don’t want to be friends with him….”
At that time, the door to the training room opened and two researchers in white coats entered.
So I couldn’t speak anymore and only looked at Cheshire.
‘Why is he so cold? Did he actually have a lot of fights with Gerard Schmidt?’
If that’s the case, he might be annoyed at being close.
Cheshire wasn’t the type to tell me the truth if he was bullied.
‘Tsk. This is not easy, huh?’
Looking at Cheshire’s hardened expression, I was at a loss.
“Princess!”
A friendly-looking female researcher approached me.
“Would you please come this way, Princess?”
She said, pointing to the desk alone.
I wondered what it was, but I moved as I was told.
“My name is Bella Lemov. I was in charge of the princess’s basic education. I will briefly explain the process of completing the training center.”
“First, I will explain the training center completion process.”
Then.
A male researcher’s voice with the same content and a completely different tone.
I looked back in amazement at the commoner children with Cheshire.
‘Huh. I wondered why two teachers came in.’
The two have very different attitudes.
“Okay, let’s begin. If you have any questions, please let me know right away.”
“I will not take any questions. Pay close attention so as not to miss the explanation.”
It was stark discrimination.
* * *
“We call the idea of supernatural power ‘mana’. Those who have mana in their bodies are called ‘powerful person’.”
Cheshire listened to the teacher’s explanation.
“The total amount of mana each possesses is different, and the ‘class’ is determined according to the amount.”
Because he already knows everything.
“The higher the parent’s rank, the higher the child’s rank in general. However, if the blood of people with no power is mixed, the amount of mana drops sharply. 99% of non-powerful mixed races like you are 6th grade Diez.”
Cheshire glanced down at his white name tag.
“In the case of the very rare 1%, it may receive a different rank, but it is a 5th class Noveno. There has never been a precedent for a mixed race to receive any other rank.”
A country where wealth, power, and position are determined by class.
He would live in a completely different world in the same country as Lilith.
Because Lilith is the direct bloodline of Rubinstein, who produced the most first-class DOS.
“He is the son of the Schmidt family. I thought it wouldn’t be bad to be friends with him?”
So, it was natural for Lilith to think that way.
As she grows up, there will be more and more nobles of a similar level around Lilith, and she will naturally get along with them.
‘Why do I feel this way?’
Cheshire suppressed the feeling that somehow made him feel uncomfortable.
“Fortunately, you can wear a badge of people with power, but you must always be aware of your position.”
The teacher added, looking at the commoner children in front of him.
“You are the lower classes living at the expense of high-ranking aristocrats. So always learn to bow your head in gratitude to them.”
He was feeling down to the bottom.
Even though he knew that someday he would be separated from Lilith—.
When he felt the fact on his skin, he felt much worse than he had thought.