The Former Assassin Becomes a Noble Lady

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It’s a bit awkward to say this now, but

I want to admire my own adaptability.

Just a week ago, I was a “male.” Of course, that’s in the past tense.

When I look in the mirror, not a trace of the time when I was a man can be seen, not even a smudge. The only thing that might hint at my previous self is my slouching posture.

However, such a slouch certainly wouldn’t lead any of my classmates to suspect I was ever a man.

But now, why am I taking this trivial matter so seriously?

It’s simply because my mental gauge is about to run empty.

Think about it. The academy’s schedule starts with an 8 a.m. arrival and is packed until at least 4 p.m. Even at the bare minimum, considering going to the cafeteria and interacting with others, I have to be conscious of my actions for at least 10 hours a day.

It’s just too hard to endure!

What? You say it’s ridiculous for an ex-assassin to complain?

I don’t care; I’m not an assassin anymore. It’d be troublesome to act like one now.

Let me emphasize once more: The continent’s premier, elite, secret group of assassins no longer exists!

Anyway, I decided to spend the first weekend after entering the academy holed up in my single room, pampering myself.

No one can change that decision!

Knock, knock, knock.

“Elysia! Let’s go out together!”

I hear Anne’s voice calling from outside the door, but I just pull the blankets over my head and pretend not to hear. If I go out, instead of pampering myself, I’ll just end up tired all day—that’s clear as day.

That voice doesn’t belong to my new friend Anne; it’s the voice of a devil trying to torment me!

Knock, knock.

“Elysia, are you in your room?”

No, I’m not! You can go out without me!

I remained silent, and eventually, she must have given up because it became quiet.

Now I can spread out as much as I want—

“Elysia?”

Up I sit!

Oh, that’s not the kind of ‘up’ I meant; it just means I’ve straightened up. I no longer have a twin to pull this up.

While lost in useless thoughts, I instinctively kicked off the blankets and got up.

Well, I should get up because ignoring that voice could earn me a disapproving glance from Selian.

If there’s even the slightest chance my identity is discovered, my life would be in danger, and I need to get closer to Selian to find out the whereabouts of my only weakness, the servant brand scroll.

“Yes, I’m here.”

I greeted Selian with a bright voice as I opened the door.

Gazing into her turquoise eyes. Yep, that voice belongs to Selian.

“What, you were here? No answer when I called.”

Looking down slightly, I notice another pair of red eyes beneath her gaze.

Wait, were both of them together?

“Uh… I heard something while half-asleep, but was it Anne’s voice that woke me up?”

I casually stretched like I had just woken from sleep, and Anne’s pout of annoyance quickly vanished.

Okay, safe.

“Anyway, we’re going to explore the city… want to join?”

Of course, there’s no option to refuse.

*

Thus, the three of us exited the academy.

Griffin Academy is located in a rather unique city within the Empire.

The city, Felches, is structured so that no noble can exert direct influence, adhering to the philosophy of not discriminating among students enrolled in the academy.

There is no one to directly govern the city like a lord. If there is someone, it would be the imperial family. Other than that, a few officials are periodically dispatched to act as cogs in the city’s machinery. Any hint of corruption or misconduct here would equate to treason against the imperial family.

So far, no one has dared to engage in such inflated activities.

Thus, exploitation or corruption from lords or high-ranking officials does not exist.

Additionally, even though the students at the academy include commoners, at least half of them are nobles. This means that economic activities driven by students are quite vibrant.

With no corruption or exploitation from high-ranking officials, the city sees a constant flow of external noble goods, making commerce active.

Naturally, the city is as large as the empire’s capital.

I have already been wandering around this massive city for hours.

Pulled along by Anne and Selian.

Going from one store to another, then back to the first store, and hearing some rumors, now we’re at a store in a distant area…

I just aimlessly wandered for hours.

Naturally, I haven’t bought anything during that time.

How could I, when I don’t have any money?

The only minor spending was on the coffee I bought at the café where I’m currently sitting. Even then, it’s the cheapest Americano. I should be saving on even a single drink, but for the sake of building rapport with Selian, I don’t think I mind spending this much… probably?

By the way, my senses have sharpened, including my sense of taste; the bitterness feels several times harsher than when I was a man. Ugh…

As I slightly squint, I felt something touch my closed lips.

Squelch squelch.

Something slipped into my closed lips before I could even figure out what it was.

This mysterious object melted into the Americano still in my mouth, washing away the bitterness and filling my mouth with sweetness.

Looking ahead, I spotted Selian, grinning while holding a few cookies.

I felt a bit embarrassed for not having ordered anything and just sitting there alone.

“Hmm~? What are you two? Why do I feel like the only outcast?”

Anne’s eyes darted between me and Selian.

But Selian, as she did with me, showed no intention of feeding cookies to Anne, only continuing to smile brightly.

Giving up on getting cookies from Selian, Anne instead scooped up a piece of cake in front of her with a fork and shoved it into my mouth.

Indeed, while it’s annoying to have heightened sensitivity when eating something bitter, it’s a pleasure to savor something delicious and feel the taste in greater detail. In the end, it all balances out!

As I savored the sweetness of the cake, Selian’s previously bright eyes dimmed, and her mouth hung open awkwardly.

And the focus of Selian’s gaze was… Anne’s fork… right?

?

Selian’s trembling hand reached towards Anne’s fork. Anne must have noticed Selian’s hand and smiled slyly.

“合!”

Once more, she scooped up cake and fed it directly into Selian’s mouth.

Selian fiercely clamped down on the fork, as if determined not to let go.

After a mighty struggle, Anne managed to extract the fork, now devoid of any cream residue, having cleaned it entirely with her mouth.

The cake was indeed so delicious that resisting each bite would be difficult.

However, for Selian, the daughter of a marquis family, the cake seemed to barely scrape by her standards, leaving her with a somewhat complicated expression as she munched on it awkwardly.

As if to say this will suffice for now.

*

As the time to return to the academy approached, Anne took us to a place she wanted to visit one last time.

We arrived at the temple of Goddess Serena located in the city. Although there is a separate temple for acolytes within the academy, the main one is this temple.

While temples for Serena are relatively common, one can find them in almost every small village, the temple within Felches is a bit more special.

“Hello, Priest. May we enter?”

“Lady Serena always welcomes you all.”

After receiving the elder priest’s permission, we entered the main hall of the temple.

Inside, we see people sitting in chairs, praying.

However, our purpose isn’t to pray.

The trio’s gaze lands on a sword hanging behind the statue of Goddess Serena.

It was the Holy Sword that would seek its owner when the Demon King was resurrected and the true hero emerged.

The Holy Sword radiated a divine aura so strong it could evoke reverence, and its pure white blade appeared sharp enough to cleave through anything evil just by looking at it.

As we approached to take a closer look, the moment the Holy Sword began to shine brilliantly.

Just as the legend states, the sword resonated and began to tremble gently.

Selian, who is likely a strong candidate for the hero, would know the reason why.

“…It’s not time yet… Just wait a little bit.”

Selian murmured softly, just enough for me to hear.

Surely, this is her expression of intent to be chosen by the Holy Sword someday.

Anyway, thanks to Anne, who brought us here, and Selian, the hero candidate, we got to see something amazing.

Though escaping hastily from the priest and nuns who rushed over in sudden commotion is a secret.