#061 The beginning of a new semester
The summer vacation that seemed like it would never end has finally come to an end.
Ruby and I, dressed in our school uniforms again, loaded the luggage into the carriage and prepared to say goodbye to Merilda.
Merilda looked at us, wiped away her tears and said.
“The mansion will become lonely again. She had a lady and Amber so she was at least a little fussed… “
“I will write to you often. “Merylda.”
I don’t know how many times this has already been our breakup.
Meryl Da, who has become more sensitive recently, often shows her tears.
She might be getting used to it by now.
Merylda grabbed my hand as I was trying to get into the carriage.
“Amber.”
“Yes?”
“… “I hope you enjoy the rest of the semester as well.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Now, it seemed like me, the young lady, and Merilda had become so special that I thought we were one family.
I asked Ruby in the rattling carriage.
“Lady. “Do you think you enjoyed your vacation?”
“… Well, okay.”
Certainly she had been doing well as usual during her vacation.
But one thing that worries me is that I haven’t even touched the piano that I loved so much.
“Do you still have no intention of playing the piano again…?”
Ruby did not answer my question, keeping her eyes fixed on her book.
I was a bit worried that she was acting like this because of an incident in her first semester.
“If you ever feel like playing again… “
When I got there, the carriage stopped with a loud noise.
‘Ah… !?’
Suddenly there was a loud rattle and I hit my forehead against the door.
“It hurts….”
Luckily, Ruby was only a little surprised, but she didn’t seem to be hurt.
I spoke to her confused face.
“I’ll go out. “Stay inside.”
When we got out of the carriage, we could see the driver on our side apologizing repeatedly.
It appeared to be a contact accident that occurred at a crossroads, and the carriage on the other side appeared to be slightly damaged.
The driver lowered her head, barely able to calm down her excited horses.
‘I think it’s a bigger deal than I thought….’
If it were an accident between nobles, it could have been a matter of money, but the royal emblem was stuck on the wheel of the carriage that crashed into it.
If the person riding inside was a member of the royal family, it would not have been possible to get over it easily.
I approached between the coachmen and spoke.
“What’s going on?”
Then our coachman answered with a troubled expression.
“It looks like our horse hit the luggage compartment of that carriage. Oh my… “
I looked at the coachman standing on the other side of the carriage.
The white-haired old man, neatly dressed, did not seem particularly upset about the accident.
But the face looked strangely familiar, and I felt like I had seen it somewhere before.
‘… Where did you see it?’
As I slowly examined his appearance and mood, my blurred memories returned, and I spoke.
“By any chance, aren’t you Princess Amethyst’s butler…? ?”
When the old man saw my face, he said with relief.
“Ah… long time no see. “You are the princess’ fiancé.”
When Amethyst took me to introduce me to her sister, it was her butler who pulled the carriage.
In fact, she is not his real fiancee, but it would be right for her to pretend to be his fiancee for now.
“I am fortunate that I am a close friend of mine. “I’ll have a quick chat with the princess inside, so please wait a moment.”
With a relaxed expression, he put his face inside his carriage and started a conversation with someone.
‘Princess? Could it be that Amethyst is riding in the carriage?
As I stood there waiting with doubts, the old man came back and said.
“The lady said, it looks like they will treat the accident as if it never happened.”
“Really… ?”
I never thought things would work out so smoothly just by being an acquaintance of the princess.
It may actually be an amazing thing to be friends with the royal family.
“And the princess told me to give you her word that she would see you at the academy.”
‘I’ll see you at the academy…’ ?’
When I asked what he meant, it was like an ordinary greeting.
Why did Amethyst say that when she was going to see it when she went to school anyway?
“Then can we go?”
“Yes. “We don’t charge any repair costs, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Thank you… !”
Luckily, the collision between the carriages was resolved without incident, and I got back on the carriage with a relaxed face.
Ruby looked at me like that and asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“Amber, what did the other party say?”
“I’m just going to pass by. “She said it was the repair cost.”
“… Okay? “You are such strange people.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Ruby sensed that she felt a little strange, but she did not question it any further.
***
When I visited the academy after a long time, almost everything was full of life.
Can I say that it feels like the time that had stopped during vacation is flowing again?
The class time made me fall asleep like crazy, and the delicious restaurant food was just as I knew it.
Among them all, the time I looked forward to the most was the club time of the Free Activities Department.
I stood in front of the library door with Ruby and opened the door with anticipation.
“Hello!”
They are familiar faces that come into my field of vision.
“Amber, I missed you… !”
Ruby said, desperately pushing away Amethyst, who was running towards me with her arms outstretched.
“You still leave with your hands first, Amethyst.”
“It’s because I’m glad to see you. “Ruby touched me a lot during her vacation, so you don’t mind if I touch her a little too, right?”
“… “I don’t think that’s a good reason for you to cling to Amber.”
As soon as I met her face, she slipped out of the group of bickering women.
From the first day of the semester, Ruby and Amethyst seemed to be getting along too well.
“Whoo-“
As I sat down, relieved to have escaped the two people, Coral, who was sitting next to me, greeted me.
“Amber. “Is this your first time seeing you since vacation?”
The skin that had been tanned to a coral brown color had suddenly become white again.
“Coral, your skin has come back. “It’s a shame, she was pretty.”
“We’ll see you again next year.”
As she was chatting with her, the diamond across from her caught her eye.
“How have you been, Dia?”
Dia was startled by my call and made a small gesture to say hello.
“Oh, hello… Amber.”
She had been strangely quiet since what happened in the forest during her summer vacation.
I think there is probably still some shame left.
After that, she greeted Momo and the other three members and looked at an empty seat.
‘… Clara, you didn’t come either.’
Her mother told her that Clara would be suspended from school for about a month.
It was a light punishment compared to what they had done, but their expressions did not brighten as Clara, who was leading the four, disappeared.
Anyway, while we were continuing our club activities in as bright an atmosphere as possible, the library door burst open and someone trotted in.
There was only one person who was not a member of the club and could come and go here freely.
Student President Citrine Scarlett.
She sat down casually on her lap, holding a large mug in one hand.
“Hello, commoner. “The ride feels better now?”
I unintentionally said my first greeting while looking at the back of Citrine’s head.
“… “How was your vacation, Chairman?”
“Actually, I don’t even remember. “I stayed in bed trying to get the sleep I hadn’t had in a while.”
Considering her lifestyle, I could easily guess why she didn’t grow taller.
Citrine slurped down the remaining coffee in one go, then set the cup down and said.
“Can everyone pay attention for a moment?”
She focused on Citrine, everyone quieting down at her harsh voice.
“I’m sorry, even though you’re in a good mood, but I have something I need to tell you.”
She said, looking at her manager, Ruby, and received an answer from her Ruby.
“… “What is it?”
“Did you know that one of your members was suspended from school? “That caused problems.”
The member who was suspended seemed to be referring to Clara.
“The condition for maintaining a club is that there must be at least 10 members. However, according to school rules, a suspended student cannot be recognized as a club member.”
Our club barely had 10 members, including Clara, who was suspended.
“That means… ?”
“… “If you can’t find one more member, you will be disbanded like this.”
The expressions of everyone present stiffened at the word ‘abandonment’.
Now that Clara is gone, the club has 9 members, which is one person short.
“How long do I have to save it?”
“2 Weeks. “It was originally a week, but I extended it because of my own reasons.”
I asked with a troubled face as I sat Citrine on her lap.
“But…” “There’s still a month left until Clara returns?”
I looked around to get other people’s opinions, but no one seemed to be able to come up with a suitable method.
Everyone was looking at Citrine with embarrassed faces.
“I’m not doing this because I like it. I feel like I want to get rid of the chairmanship and fill in my name here, but… You know, that’s impossible. “You have to find a way, whether it’s by supporting or harassing students from other clubs.”
Citrine got up from my lap and said.
The atmosphere became heavy, and she spoke to us with a gloomy expression.
“Anyway, if you don’t want to end up in ruins, save the best you can. “Don’t just sit there like an idiot.”
After saying that, Citrine went out of the library.
Amethyst, who was watching her leave, sighed and said.
“Why does that senior always act like that? “You can speak a little more softly.”
It is true that Citrine spoke a bit harshly, but in the end, she did it because she cared about us.
“… It’s because the chairman is a bit awkward at expressing himself. Senior Citrine probably doesn’t want this club to disappear.”
That point was certain because Citrine was already spending more time coming and going here than the club members.
When I interceded and spoke, Amethyst lowered her head and answered.
“… Sorry. I know that Senior Citrine is a good person. Just… “Because this situation is so difficult.”
If you can’t find someone for two weeks, the club will disappear.
The freshmen had already joined all the clubs as they were supposed to, and since they were not allowed to join multiple clubs, the only way was to recruit other club members.
That’s easier said than done, since most students are doing well in club activities…
Ruby spoke in a calm tone, as if trying to calm us down.
“First of all, there is still time, so let’s think of a plan within two weeks. Everyone, don’t worry too much.”
After that, the Free Activity Club resumed its work, but the atmosphere in the club was slightly down, perhaps because of what had just happened.
To lighten the mood, I asked Amethyst across from me.
“That’s right, Ame. Thank you for letting me go when the crash happened this morning. “I was very scared that something would happen.”
Amethyst responded to my words with a completely clueless expression.
“… “What do you mean?”
“There was a collision between carriages this morning. “Ame was riding there.”
I answered with a smile, but Amethyst shook her head with a serious expression.
“… Amber. “I must have been mistaken, but I arrived at the dormitory a day early yesterday.”
“Yes… ? Then what about the carriage I saw….”
-Knock knock.
At that time, a knock was heard on the library door.
‘Who is it?’
If someone knocked, there was a high probability that they were an outsider.
I walked to the library door and asked.
“What brought you here?”
“Is this the club room of the free activity club? “I heard your brother is here.”
It was a voice that felt somehow elegant and classy.
‘Little brother?’
When I opened the door with some confusion at the word ‘younger brother’, I saw a big chest, no… A woman in a black school uniform smiled and welcomed me.
“Amber… ! “You were here too.”
A beautiful woman with long, straight silver hair wearing a black sailor uniform and a second-year tie.
She was looking at me with her pretty green eyes sparkling.
“… Emerald?”
The woman who suddenly appeared in the club room was the first princess, Emerald Lupin.