NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21 - Lily's Sinister Plan - 2
“Today at 8, come to that place again.”
As I was trying to shake off Seol-ah, who I’d become accustomed to by now, and sit down, she whispered in my ear. I looked at her face, trying not to show my surprise. But she headed to her seat with the same expression as always, as if she’d never said such a thing.
This morning too, Seol-ah clung to me to show off our intimacy in front of Wilhelm. It’s become a continuous cycle—every morning Seol-ah clings to me, Wilhelm glares, and then I somehow have to soothe the low pressure from Cordelia and Hestia. Fortunately, after a few days, Cordelia and Hestia seem to have grown somewhat accustomed to it, as they appear to be in a better mood than on the first day. I, too, had been trying to receive Lily’s charges as calmly as possible. But Wilhelm’s gaze grows fiercer by the day. His eyes look unusual, as if he’s about to cause an incident soon.
When the time came, the guidance professor entered, briefly finished the morning assembly, and disappeared. The students seem quite excited. That’s because today is the first Friday since entering the Academy. Normally, it’s a day with a full schedule of club activities, but it’s common for freshmen to not have decided which club they want to join yet.
So, on the first Friday, they search for a club to join—for as short as a semester or as long as until graduation. The interview for the Travel Club that Hestia and I had decided to join is also today.
“Hestia. You said the interview is today, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s at 10 o’clock today.”
“Shall we look around at other clubs until then?”
We still have some time. I decided to look around at other clubs with Hestia until 10 o’clock. Interview practice? Is there a need? Honestly, I was confident. Not in my interview skills, but in mine and Hestia’s faces and family names.
It would be unsightly for me to demand, “Won’t you accept me?” but I have no intention of rejecting if the club decides to welcome us on their own. And Hestia and I were the owners of faces and family names worthy of such treatment. In interviews like these, appearance is quite an important factor. There’s a reason for the saying “neat appearance.”
Cordelia had already rushed off to experience the Sword Dance Club. According to Hestia, she plans to experience the Self-Defense Club and the Equestrian Club afterward. She seemed to want to move her body actively, making me wonder how she had restrained herself until now.
Seol-ah had also left the classroom early, perhaps to join the club she was part of in the original story. In other words, there’s nothing to interfere with Hestia and me. I feel a pleasant excitement. Though brief, isn’t this something that could be called a date? I led Hestia out of the classroom.
“What should we look at first?”
The bulletin board in the corridor was densely covered with notices promoting clubs. Some of the larger clubs had their members directly guiding students. The atmosphere was like a festival. Everyone was excited—current students about accepting new members, and freshmen about joining new clubs.
“How about that one?”
Among all the notices, Hestia pointed to a notice for the Magic History Research Club, which seemed dull just by looking at it. Goodness, I had wondered in passing who would join such a club, and the answer was right beside me. While I try to listen well to whatever she says, this is a bit…
“You don’t… like it?”
Seeing me hesitate rather than responding immediately after looking at the club name, her voice lost confidence. I waved my hands.
“No! Let’s go take a look. I was curious about it too. Let’s see, Classroom 3-A.”
I moved my feet, which seemed impossible to lift. Yes. If she wants to go, I should go, even if it’s not the Magic History Research Club but the Magic History Research Club’s grandfather who showed up.
“Pfft!”
Hestia burst into laughter at my reaction.
“What’s wrong?”
“Even I’m not so insensitive as to suggest such a club together. If you really don’t want to go, just say so. Why are you making that face like you’re being dragged to a slaughterhouse?”
It seems it was Hestia’s joke. I sighed in relief. I had been genuinely worried about what to do if she really wanted to join that club, so I’m very thankful that I can discard that concern. My apologies to the members of the Magic History Research Club.
“Then let’s go there. This time it’s for real.”
The place she pointed to was the Orchestra Club. It seemed to be quite a large club, with several second-year seniors actively promoting it to freshmen.
“But I don’t know how to play any instruments.”
In my previous life, I had played the guitar a few times, but I couldn’t play guitar in an orchestra club. Strictly speaking, it is a string instrument, but if I said that, I’d be kicked out immediately.
“I’ve never handled any either. That’s why we’re going to check it out.”
After saying that, Hestia turned around and led the way to the Orchestra Club. The activity location of the Orchestra Club, as informed by the promoting seniors, was a separate music room. It’s clear that this is a large club, as the Academy seems to provide conveniences for it.
As Hestia and I approached, the face of the student sitting at the entrance of the music room turned to surprise. Typically, the Orchestra Club is mainly joined by commoners interested in music. This is because high-ranking nobles tend to enjoy watching performances as a hobby rather than playing instruments themselves.
“Um… are you here to experience the club?”
The student sitting at the entrance asked very carefully. Although they clearly looked like a senior, they were being excessively humble, which made me uncomfortable.
“Please speak comfortably. You’re a senior, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I mean, yes. I will do that. I mean, I will.”
“…Just speak however is comfortable for you.”
As my request to drop the formal speech seemed to make them more uncomfortable, I told them to speak however they felt comfortable. In principle, everyone is equal within the Academy, so it’s natural for seniors to speak casually to juniors, but for most commoner students, this was a distant ideal.
It’s troubling to suddenly be told you’re equal after living within a class system your entire life. Moreover, they won’t live in the Academy forever and need to consider their life after graduation. The few commoners who enter the Academy do so to buy connections with money or success with talent, and naturally, both require good relationships with noble students. It’s very rare to find commoners who needlessly assert themselves against arrogant nobles under the pretense of being equal as Academy students.
“Our club’s purpose is not appreciation but performance.”
The senior at the entrance began explaining while very tense. Anyone interested in orchestral music can join, and they can even connect you with professional orchestras after graduation. Honestly, since it’s far from my concerns, I listened with one ear and let it out the other, but Hestia listened quite attentively. It’s something I notice whenever I see her, but she’s really diligent in everything.
“Do you have a piano too?”
After the senior finished explaining, Hestia asked with sparkling eyes.
“Yes. We do have one, but… only one person plays it. Currently, a third-year student is the pianist.”
At the senior’s answer, the energy visibly drained from Hestia’s body.
“Oh… I see.”
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the music room.
“Did you want to try playing the piano?”
“Yes. But it seems difficult. I can’t take the pianist position when there’s only one and I’m just a beginner.”
Hestia looked quite genuinely disappointed. Before I could ask anything, she spoke first.
“I once really enjoyed a romance novel with a pianist as the protagonist. The female lead was a pianist in an orchestra, and the male lead was a violinist in the same orchestra. It was about a genius but sensitive male lead falling for a bright, pretty, and talented female lead.”
As I’ve thought before, she surprisingly seems to like such romance novels. I also remember her mentioning ‘romantic’ when talking about the Crown Prince’s broken engagement before. Do all women like these things?
“Well, I don’t know how to play the violin. And I’m not particularly sensitive either. Should I start learning now? And then I’ll lose sleep and get irritable. You know, acting sensitive.”
“I don’t know how to play the piano either, and I’m neither bright nor pretty, so it’s fine.”
“You’re plenty bright and pretty.”
She smiled lightly at my compliment.
“I’ve wanted to learn piano since then, but never had the opportunity. That’s why I went straight to the Orchestra Club when I saw it, but it’s unfortunate.”
“When we get married, I’ll put a grand piano in our home and let you learn until you’re tired of it.”
“Mikhail should try learning the violin too.”
She countered with her own suggestion to my future plan. Violin, huh. Honestly, it sounds a bit difficult, but if she wants it, I’m willing to give it a try. If you have both money and time, there aren’t many hobbies better than playing an instrument.
After that, Hestia and I walked around the corridor, briefly looking at what clubs were available.
“We should probably head over now, right?”
The interview time was approaching, though we hadn’t done much. Hestia and I went to the classroom where the interview was to be held, timing it appropriately. The front of the classroom was already crowded with other students. There seem to be more applicants than expected.
“There are so many people. Will this be okay?”
“You don’t need to be so nervous. We’ll definitely get in.”
“Where does such confidence come from?”
Where else? Our faces and family names, of course.
Hestia seemed to feel burdened by the large number of applicants, as tension was evident in her voice. I honestly wasn’t nervous at all. As I said earlier, being a high-ranking noble in this medieval fantasy world is a remarkable qualification in itself. Additionally, when students are conducting the interview, exceptional appearance is a significant plus factor.
Whoever the club president is, they wouldn’t want to miss out on me, the heir to a ducal family, and Hestia, my fiancée.
“Next, please come in.”
After quite a long wait, the classroom we entered was empty. Only a few chairs and desks for the senior interviewers were placed there.
“As you know, our club doesn’t have much activity within the school. We’re just using an empty classroom as our club room.”
One of the interviewing students explained with a bitter smile, noticing our concern about the excessively empty classroom.
Four of us, including Hestia and me, each sat on chairs. As soon as we sat down, sharp questions poured from the seniors. Naturally, to the other two students, excluding Hestia and me.
“Mikhail?”
“Yes?”
As I was contentedly watching the scene, one of the seniors sitting in front called my name. A rather sharp-featured woman with glasses, giving an intellectual image.
“Are you not concentrating?”
“I am concentrating.”
The senior’s eyes narrowed at my answer. I should have apologized at this point. The senior smiled wryly at my answer and began bombarding me with questions. Despite the glances from other seniors, she persistently directed questions at me.
“So, you don’t have any special motivation to join our club?”
“Well, um, no. Uh, through travel, hmm, to relieve stress, and, yes. That’s right.”
My mind went blank under the gaze of the female senior who was glaring at me through her glasses. Perhaps because I came to the interview with a light heart, I stumbled over my words and couldn’t give a proper answer, even though it wasn’t a particularly difficult question. The bespectacled senior ultimately drew out the fact that I had no special motivation.
On the other hand, Hestia was perfect. Defying her earlier nervousness, she answered the occasional questions with perfect model answers.
It’s sad enough that I failed the interview, but it’s even sadder that I showed such a pathetic appearance in front of her.
As soon as the interview ended, Hestia started to scold me.
“Mikhail! You said you were confident. I thought you had prepared in advance, but why couldn’t you answer anything?”
I had nothing to say even with ten mouths. It was entirely my fault for naively thinking they would just ask a few simple questions and automatically pass us.
“Hestia. What if you get in and I don’t?”
I started to genuinely worry. Considering the interview results, that possibility is high.
“What do you mean? We’ll have to give up on the Travel Club.”
“Why give up? The person who gets in should join. Hestia, you wanted to join the Travel Club.”
“What I wanted was to do club activities together with Mikhail. Not the Travel Club. Cheer up and let’s go get lunch. I’m exhausted from the interview.”
Hestia pulled me outside. She occasionally throws such lines without the slightest embarrassment. If she were a man, she might have had a fan club of female fans.
I was led by her toward the student cafeteria.