Chapter 107: The Heroine Knows (VI).
"She is my dear friend."
The villainess lowers her head even more into her table, she only had a few close friends she really keeps in her heart.
All the other girls smiled realizing that they needed to do a lot of apologizing.
Step, step, step.
"My, my, what a lovely morning."
Lord Einsel entered the classroom with a bright and easygoing expression, the picture of someone utterly unconcerned. Anyone who did not know better might have believed he had done nothing wrong. Even so, he did his best to appear casual, as if everything were perfectly normal.
"Lord Einsel! You're here!" The girls turn to him looking a bit flustered seeing his handsome face. "What happened to you on the second day of the festival? We were so worried about you! We thought something bad had happened!"
"Hahaha! Well if you must know…" (Lord Ein) stares at the villainess who was waiting for the knight's excuse. She was a woman who valued honesty the most.
The Knight knew if he was going to win over her as a friend he must be completely honest of where he was and what he was doing on that day.
"I didn't make it in time- I did my best to run and come back as soon as I could but I was too late, I thought it would be nice to watch the play instead. I watched all of you do your best up on that stage. I… couldn't face all of you after so I thought- I would come to apologize once classes start again." The best he could do in the situation was to create a half-lie, it wouldn't win the villainess over but at least his standing in class would still be ensured. "Everyone… I'm sorry. I… promise to do better."
He still has plans.
In order to create favors and ensure that the class 1-A's family tokens will be given he must play the perfect role of support for the future queen. He needed to be good in everyone's eyes, enough that they would easily accept or be persuaded if he needed something done.
The male students that had the role of npcs sighed and scratched their heads looking at Lord Ein. They really did a number on the academy and looked EVERYWHERE not realizing that he was in the crowd all this time.
"Lord Loucrat! One of us almost replaced you, hah… you know we didn't memorize any lines because we knew you'd be carrying all of our backs. You should know Lady Sinclair was ready to chew all of our heads because of it."
The Lackey groaned and slammed the table with her hands, hearing those ungrateful fools being so carefree and as if they didn't care as much.
They should all try leading a whole class when their only pillar of leadership is gone fifteen minutes before the play starts!
Evelyn Alarie did her best to ask the professor handling the events to give them an extended time but it was all for naught! They were lucky that a commoner who's a girl managed to fix what he left for a chaotic disaster!
"It's. Because. Our. Pride. And. Honor. As. Nobles. Depended. On. It." (Lady Serene) couldn't help but voice out her own opinion for once in a while. "Our parents were going to watch and we wound't want to embarrass them now with a cancelled event that we personally invited them into! And don't forget… Einsel here, didn't even bother creating a backup prince! Because he assured us that he would be there to handle it!"
Serene Sinclair couldn't help but feel something strange when it comes to her own fiance. Every movement he does, it was calculated. She felt as if she was just an annoying bishop on his board.
A woman's intuition… her whole body is telling her not to trust this man in front of her.
"Did you think some of us would be so happy to see you back and without much of a consequence? Were you expecting us to say, aw! So sorry, welcome back! So glad you're back! You were lucky someone else was willing to take your place, scared as she may be." (Lady Serene) had her doubts, but she could see it in his eyes, Einsel Loucrat was enjoying every bit of expression she was making. "I know what kind of person that you are. You see people as your mere playthings, you disgust me."
"Hah…!"
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
His heart beats so loudly. Those berates of insults made him feel something of the past.
"Mm~ well… that look on your face… I'm ah… truly sorry, Lady Serene." His side as a masochist never truly left, the heroine only managed to control it to a point where he manages his mask and never slips any of his desires.
"I truly… truly am sorry. Could you ever forgive your, dear… fiance?" The reforming Lord Ein who was trying his best to change just found his first hurdle. For a moment, the beast inside him slips.
The heroine was proud of his progress of reforming but sometimes… Healing takes a while.
Only the villainess and the lackey were able to pick up the change of the tone of his voice.
"Why you little-! You think forgiveness can be pleaded so easily?! Finally showing me your true colors now after all your months of facade?" (Lady Serene) was gritting her teeth and holding herself back to shout.
Back at the play, Lady Evelyn mentioned that HE taught someone like the commoner the lines of the frog prince.
'Does he think so foolish of me that I won't connect the dots? I mean… I know that he must've settled a plot for Analissa Blanchet to be the frog prince of the class' play but what I don't understand is WHY would he in the first place?' She furrows her forehead calculating and reasoning the goals or at least the benefits of even putting the commoner in that kind of situation with Evelyn Alarie. 'That girl has no money, no status and no fame. The only thing she has going is her looks and magical ability which wouldn't fit the reasoning why he's not into those things.'
"Please stop!" The girls immediately came to Lord Ein's defense, thinking that it was all some mistake after all everything went smoothly on the first day. "Lady Serene… something surely happened, he apologized already. The festival is over now, perhaps that's a bit too harsh."
They all nodded and came to his side.
"We're just glad you're safe, Lord Einsel." (Lady Blaire) shyly added.
Almost all of the girls in class deeply admired and favored Lord Ein, the heir of House Loucrat. He knew it, and he used every bit of that devotion to his advantage. Lady Evelyn glanced up at him and scoffed inwardly. She could see it clearly. Lord Ein was playing his own game of chess within the classroom. The girls might not realize it, but they were already in the palm of his hand.
Lady Mary gave a thumbs up, hoping to ease the situation. "Mm, you need not to worry, Miss Blanchet covered up for you and she did her best on the stage."
"We ought to thank her personally when she's… no longer under the weather. Ahem… You know Miss Blanchet is certainly a character. I never thought my perception could ever be changed." Meanwhile Lady Margaret dawned on the time she almost slapped the ugly frog that suddenly turned into a handsome young woman in pants. "Perhaps it would be a little bold to say that she looks decent in pants. I couldn't brace myself for slapping her in that one scene in the play, where I play as a mean noblelady but I just left thinking… wow… she looked wonderful in pants."
She herself was also in awe as the play went on.
That dazzling figure that did her best, to shout that everyone worked hard and that the whole class 1-A deserves to be recognized and praised for it was enough for the girls to be won over.
Lady Blaire Charming and Mary Brightmoor slowly looked at her weirdly with a mix of confusion and concern, there were flowers sprouting on the sides of her head. They placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "D-Do you have something to tell us, Margaret?"
"Ah." (Lady Margaret) snapped out of her trance and was quick to explain what she meant by her words. "Ahem! What I mean is she's not like other commoners I suppose? She's… you know pretty as the rumors say but the part where she seduces men seems to be untrue. I wouldn't mind getting to know her more."
She said flusteringly.
Lord Ein, who was very observant, saw that and laughed inside.
Too bad the villainess was too depressed to see that her rival list is only growing even more.
"In that case it seems she has won over all of us, the ladies are opening their hearts to our friend Lady Alarie." (Lord Ein) values his friends very well and was happy that they're giving a chance opening the circle of nobility to the heroine.
In the original game that would've been impossible however-
"...ngh."
In the back of the classroom a ginger-haired girl stands up, and walks over to the crowding area that was surrounding the villainess.
"I-! Um…!"
It was Harriot Yates with a shy and flustered expression on her face.
"Oh, Lady Yates." (Lady Evelyn) had never expected the heiress of the Yates family to suddenly come in and approach her so suddenly. One of the most influential and largest noble families in the kingdom, only fifth behind in power.
Their specialty lay in the power of marriage alliances.
The reason they held such influence was because of their lineage. Every branch of the family produced at least five children, and the daughters were often married into strong or prominent noble houses, steadily expanding the Yates family's reach and influence.
Harriot Yates was the second eldest daughter of the family and second in line to inherit the position of heiress.
"...I, um..." (Lady Harriot) glanced toward Lord Ein, silently searching for the courage to speak to someone like Lady Evelyn.
"You can do it." (Lord Ein) gave his shy friend an encouraging smile, quietly cheering her on and helping her gather the courage to face Lady Evelyn Alarie.
Lady Harriot took a deep breath and shouted for the whole class to hear, "Miss Blanchet-! I-Is it possible to visit her in the infirmary?"
The depressed villainess sat straight hearing her request, "You want to visit… Analissa Blanchet?"
"Y-Yes! I want to see if she's doing okay… I… The play only got through because of her help and I wanted to thank you. My mum and dad came to watch the play, they've enjoyed it so much… It eased their worries and I am grateful." She also wanted to tell her that watching them together has been the highlight of her school year.
The villainess double checked if she was hearing everything clearly, last time these same girls in class 1-A didn't even give Analissa Blanchet a ticket for her parents to use in the play.
Things were changing!
"You're grateful?"
"Y-Yes!"
"..."
The villainess sat in silence but deep inside she was happy to hear that someone else is caring for Analissa Blanchet.
'Another soul seeing the greatness of Analissa Blanchet?!' (Lady Evelyn) could rip the entire world apart being so happy to hear her words. 'Hah… I never thought… I thought I was the only one who was seeing her in a wonderful light!'
To the villainess, perhaps Lord Ein who saw the heroine's charms at first was like chopped liver to her.
She stood up to her chair and held Lady Yates' hands, shaking it happily. "If you want to visit her in the infirmary, we can go together after class. The more company the better, please."
"Huh! Um!" (Lady Harriot) looked at their hands and back to the villainess who was shining so bright. So truly, she only smiles that wide when it's about Analissa Blanchet. "I-I um… I'll prepare a few gifts and some medicine."
Lady Mary Brightmoor, Blaire Charming and Margaret Howard looked at each other before nodding in understanding on what they needed to do. Their changed perspectives is one thing, they too wanted to change and get to know Analissa Blanchet more.
"If it's alright Lady Evelyn we would also like to visit Miss Blanchet in the infirmary."
If that commoner girl had truly managed to bring the cold Evelyn Alarie into such a radiant mood- something that could only be described as miraculous, then perhaps she was not at all the sort of person the rumors had painted her to be. They could see that much now, and with startling clarity.
Lord Ein paused for a moment and counted the girls who wished to visit. There were only three of them, yet even that was already far more than he had expected. "All of you are going to visit?"
"Mm! I think it's about time we got to know our savior." (Lady Margaret) hides a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and shyly smiles. "And… apologize properly I suppose. The truth is, we overheard one of our classmates planning to do a mean thing to Analissa Blanchet and we did nothing."
Lady Blaire shamefully looked away as well, "Julienne Allis was the main perpetrator of trouble she suggested that Analissa Blanchet didn't deserve to have her parents watch the grand play, for we are the high section and there's no room for commoners supposedly in our class."
Julienne Allis was in the corner laughing with her own friends.
"Ohoho, I know. The crown prince was truly spectacular in the fight on the third day of the festival." She laughed loudly and wasn't even aware that a whole group of other students were watching her, including a villainess who couldn't wait to punish her fairly.
Lady Mary followed with a disappointed look hearing the salty compliment of the crown prince being good, knowing that he had just spammed the same moves and probably did other things to take that win. "It didn't affect us personally so we thought of butting out but… I really regretted doing nothing back then. The three of us knew… I hope in some way she got her own tickets."
"I gave her mine." The villainess didn't look too happy and realized who was the bully of the class towards Miss Blanchet. "You have my thanks for telling me about Julienne Allis."
Mary Brightmoor blinked her eyes before looking away, "S-She's not all that bad once you get to know her. I'll talk to her first if you don't mind, Lady Alarie. I'll make her take responsibility for her actions."
Lady Evelyn saw something in Mary's eyes, these two seemed to have a bit of history.
"I will leave it to you then, Lady Mary Brightmoor."
"Wow..." (Lord Ein) blinked, clearly caught off guard. "I thought I was the only one whose heart had changed. I didn't expect... all of you feel the same way."
"Tsk, what a waste of time." (Lady Serene) muttered in the corner, but in truth she too wanted to visit the commoner girl more than anyone to say thank you… and sorry for treating her like that in the past.
"Ah all except for one bitter girl." (Lord Ein) mutters with a cocky smile on his face.
Lady Evelyn did not even spare her a glance. She was far too pleased that others wished to see Analissa Blanchet. "If all of you are going, then I would be happy to take you to the infirmary to see her."
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