Chapter 55 (1/2)

Time passes irregularly.

Of course, the passing of time is subjective, but everyone and anyone knows it’s true. My proof for this is that when you have nothing to do, time seems to stretch forever, but when you are concentrating on something it passes in the blink of an eye.

Mariwa’s class seemed to be forcefully hammering that idea into me.

One’s thoughts are an inherently personal thing. There is no room for another person to interfere in such a personal thing as one’s own thoughts. My thoughts were something that had been born from my eleven years of living. It was something that only I should be able to understand.

However, sometimes it seemed that Mariwa could grasp the full picture from my thoughts.

Even so it’s not as if I turn off my thoughts even if she was reading them. I was pushed to the limit as she gouged out what I didn’t know, understand or was unsure of. Her accuracy at knowing my weaknesses was enough to make me believe she was truly monitoring my thoughts.

I couldn’t tell if this was what people meant when they said ‘education.’

“Hmm…well, I think we can give you a passing mark today.

“Y-Yes…!”

Hearing Mariwa’s compromise, I pretended to hang my head with disappointment. Internally I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Perhaps Mariwa was testing just how fast I could think. I had been forced to concentrate to the extent that all I could remember was that it felt like time had kept speeding up. As long as the class would pass more quickly as it went on, I could remember what I needed to. If I was to say it frankly, it felt like my spirit was being scraped away bit by bit in that class.

The breakneck pace time had been going was cut short with my relieved sigh, and it seemed time was back to normal.

“Even if I’m satisfied with your work today, we still have time left in our lesson. How about we listen to the why the young lady went and forgot her place?”

“Aah, because I was scared of facing Charles–”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Finishing classwork early so she could bring this up must have been her plan all along. The question had been flung at me right when I was most worn down. Forgetting myself for a moment, the truth snuck out in my answer. Even as I clamped my traitorous lips shut, I knew I could not take the words back. My only sliver of hope was that Mariwa would pretend she hadn’t heard a thing. That vain hope was crushed to pieces with her next question.

“Scared of His Highness? That is…Oh. So it was like that.”

Pausing in the middle of her question, Mariwa looked as though she had just realised something.

“Now that I think about it, that was the case. I guess you were still just a stupid brat, huh?”

“Oi! The hell did you just call me?!”

“Nothing at all.”

The words I heard would be unbelievable in front of a Duke’s daughter such as myself. Surely that must have been my imagination.

I tried to clear my head.

“I see. It must have been my imagination.”

“Err, yes of course you simply misheard. What kind of language is that, young lady. Just try speaking a single word like that in high society. They will be shocked beyond words. Make sure you never say such a word like that in front of the upper class.”

“Yes…”

Somehow feeling like this was unreasonable I puffed my cheeks up in frustration.

Even if I was the one who misheard what she’d said, somehow I wasn’t completely satisfied that explanation.

“Hold on a second, there’s no way I would ever say such a thing in front of someone. I’ll have you know I am a proud lady of the Noir household.”

“To say that you, as a lady of the Noir house, wouldn’t mishear such a thing. Considering you fled from your guests of honour the other night, I hardly think that argument has any power.”

“Urk-”

“However, just this once, because of the situation with His Highness Charles…well, it all couldn’t be helped. Let’s just treat this as an important growth experience.”