Chapter 39

Chapter 39

* * *

“Oh my gosh... I can’t believe it!” Arin turned a deep pink, grasping at her shoulder where Lady Deborah had touched her. She began stomping her feet, overwhelmed with excitement.

She’s amazing. So amazing! Arin would have loved nothing more than to never wash the dress she was wearing ever again and preserve it as an heirloom. Lady Deborah had touched it with her bare hand, after all.

But I don’t have that many dresses. Because of her gambling-addicted father, who also couldn’t seem to resist involving himself in a new business venture every other week, her house was in a sorry state. Arin sadly nudged the tips of her ragged shoes against the ground, but quickly pulled herself together as she recalled the fourth clause in the contract Lady Deborah had brought to her.

“Arin Ocelot will serve as a librarian for the House of Seymour starting April 23rd.”

There was a vacancy at the library in the Seymour mansion and she would be working there for the time being, only temporarily.

To think I’m her vassal! A scream of joy escaped her lips. The offer Lady Deborah had made was a generous one since a librarian could read as much as they wanted and even do their Academy assignments while working. Because of the high salary, she’d even be able to buy new clothes straight away. Most importantly, she regarded it as an immense honor just to be able to breathe the same air as Lady Deborah.

I’m so happy. Am I dreaming? Truth be told, she’d been extremely frightened at first. Arin Ocelot’s first impression of Lady Deborah, whom she’d only heard rumors about until then, had been a frightful one. Lady Deborah’s dark circles from lack of sleep had been especially dark and her eyes had been bloodshot from resisting the urge to yawn—she’d looked especially intimidating that day.

After approaching with such a daunting appearance, she’d suddenly begun hurling facts at George, calling him ugly and a variety of other unpleasant names.

She’d been quite shocked to see a lady behaving so recklessly. Lady Deborah was infamous for her poor character and she probably hadn’t intervened with the express purpose of helping Arin. But nonetheless, the lady’s arrival allowed her to escape George’s bullying.

She’d been about to thank the lady, trying her best to overcome her fear, when Lady Deborah had begun punishing George for his impudence right before her eyes. Strangely, Arin had trouble falling asleep that night. She couldn’t stop thinking about the lady.

“That is a stupid assumption you simply believe to be true.”

Why wasn’t I ever able to talk back to him with such confidence before? The habitual put-downs from her father and older brother had eaten away at Arin’s self-esteem. Her father, Count Ocelot, was much like George—he believed that women had no innate talent for magic. Accordingly, he invested far more resources into his son’s education. Her brother had always received the best education and Arin had only been taught the basics.

She was smart and loved to read, however, and she’d managed to qualify for an advanced placement program offered by the Magic Tower all on her own. The family’s finances were rapidly going downhill thanks to her father’s gambling addiction and many failed trade ventures, so magic was her only hope.

Recently, however, even that hope had been fading. Her body did not accumulate mana easily, her peers were dismissive of her at every turn, and her father no longer provided her with any support. It had been under these difficult circumstances that George, who always had a bone to pick with her, was taught such a harsh lesson. The sight alone was deeply satisfying. What was more, there was something about the statuesque Lady Deborah with her cold beauty that excited her.

She was utterly smitten. After that day, Arin began to craft a gift for Lady Deborah. It wasn’t necessarily because Lady Deborah had ended George’s bullying once and for all, whatever her motivation for doing so might have been. Arin was merely a fangirl, who wanted to gift something to her idol.

It’s nothing much, so I suppose it can’t be helped if she just throws it away later... Arin fidgeted with her magical creation as she approached Lady Deborah, who she found sitting behind the magic building. She was intimidated as soon as she caught sight of the fancy jewels and expensive dress Lady Deborah was wearing. Surprisingly, it was the lady who addressed her first.

“You there. Do you have something you wish to say?”

“Oh! Uh... T-this. I wanted to give this to you as a thank you for helping me.” Her hands and feet quivered under Lady Deborah’s blood-red eyes. Arin’s entire body was so tense, she felt like she might be sick. Clamping her eyes shut, she held out the gift that had taken her days to enchant.

Lady Deborah tilted her head slightly. “What’s this?”

“I-it’s a violet. I imbued it with preservation magic and a spell that enhances its fragrance. The scent will last for a long time and the bloom itself will not wilt for more than a month. It’s great for decorating something like a table, for instance.”

“You cast an elemental spell on a flower?”

“Yes.”

“Not bad,” Lady Deborah said, smiling faintly. With a pale hand, she snatched the flower away. “What is your name?”

“I’m Arin Ocelot.” Merely telling Lady Deborah her name was such a gratifying experience that she ended up rolling around, kicking at her sheets with joy that night when she went to bed. I can’t believe she accepted my gift.

The very next day, something even more exciting happened. Lady Deborah had come to see Arin in secret, holding a contract. “How would you like to work for me?”

“What? Y-you mean, become your vassal?” I-I couldn’t possibly even dare to! I’m a nobody!

“You don’t need to be scared. I’d like to make something with the help of your abilities.”

Arin’s face flushed at just the suggestion that her insignificant abilities were actually of use. She was so happy, her hands began to tremble.

“You need money, don’t you? As you might know, the only thing I’m not lacking is money. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” With a nasty smirk, Lady Deborah had waved a piece of paper pinched between her index finger and thumb, as if to demand that she sign immediately.

I... I think my nose might start bleeding, I’m so excited. Sadly, Arin Ocelot had a thing for bad girls. Not a word of protest passed her lips as she signed the contract without a moment’s hesitation. She never came to regret her decision even once.

* * *

There was one other person besides Arin Ocelot who desired Lady Deborah’s friendship. It was the fifth princess, Vivienne Histech. She was the crown prince Vehonique Histech’s only younger sister and a powerful fire mage. On the day of the inquiry, she’d only attended at Isidor’s request. Isidor was her brother’s most favored and she’d had no choice but to go along.

That troublemaker from the House of Seymour must be up to no good again, she’d thought nonchalantly, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. But the inquiry did not go as she’d expected, and her interest was quickly piqued.

How is it possible she solved that equation so quickly? Midway through the inquiry, she’d become so invested in the goings-on that she’d unknowingly clenched her fists.

“I... I think I’m in love,” she murmured, staring at Lady Deborah’s formula while rubbing her blushing cheeks. This was unprecedented behavior from the fifth princess since she was seldom seen showing any emotion at all.

Standing next to her, Tieri was shocked. “Your Highness, what do you mean by that?”

“Her new approach is utterly intoxicating. She just broke free of all the rules established by the archmage himself.”

“I have no idea what she’s talking about, to be honest. I mean, what do the x and y stand for? What are they, lovers? Enemies? Why is it that they’re clumped together one moment, then separated the next?”

“Oh, forget it,” the fifth princess said, throwing Tieri a scathing glance in response to his drivel. The other administrators like Tieri, who were not well-versed in magic, looked equally puzzled by Lady Deborah’s presentation.

“To think you’re the people running this club!” she sighed, biting her lip in frustration and covering her eyes, exasperated.

After the shocking inquiry concluded, Isidor grinned triumphantly. “I told you it would be interesting, Your Highness.”

“I didn’t understand a word of what she said, but I can tell she’s certainly a Seymour. Look at how surprised Her Highness is,” Tieri muttered stupidly.

“That was a top-notch performance,” the fifth princess said, giving a thumbs up to Isidor.

The very conception of Lady Deborah’s modified formula was shocking in and of itself. Not only that, she had impressed the princess by facing off against both the Academy and the House of Lemont utterly without fear. In fact, the princess hadn’t been faced with such an irresistible individual in a long time.

“You certainly took me on a wild adventure. Isidor, you’re responsible for getting Lady Deborah to join Epsilon,” she suddenly ordered.

Tieri was taken aback. “But don’t you think she’ll want to join Omicron instead? They have plenty of vacancies and that’s where Lord Pilav is.”

The fifth princess’s impassive expression gave way to a slight frown. “The House of Seymour has always sided with the imperial family. Why would she join such an undignified bunch?”

She was offended by the very idea since Omicron was mainly occupied by members of the Senate, the group that stood in political opposition to imperial power.

“Well, as I said, Lord Pilav is there—”

The princess cut Tieri off, staring at Isidor’s gorgeous face. “Let Lord Isidor entice her with his good looks. He will see to it.”

“Hmm. Come to think of it, you may be right. Our leader is much more handsome than Omicron’s. I take great pride in his fearsome beauty,” Tieri said, nodding.

“Yes. Of course, it can be done.”

Isidor, who had already attempted this very thing many times to no avail, went pale.

“You can do it, Lord Isidor.”

“Bring her to Epsilon by any means necessary,” the fifth princess ordered emphatically. Then she spun on her heel and left the hall.