Volume 3 Chapter 3: Captive Part I (1/2)

I open my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

I jerk upwards and look around. The room is about the same size as a dorm room and the furniture seems fairly expensive. Uh, where was this again?

If I remember correctly, I magnificently played the villainess in the play and was praised for it. I then got carried away by the praise and starting posing in front of the mirror… that was when someone suggested that I should go to the ballroom since it would be starting soon… huh? What did I do after that?

Also, it was nighttime when I left, but right now, bright sunlight is coming in through the window.

As I was wondering what was going on, a woman appeared after softly knocking on the door. She was a plain girl with brown hair and blue eyes.

“Ah, you’ve awakened,” she says on seeing that I’m awake, looking relieved.

“Um, yes…” I respond without thinking, even while wondering who this person was. She’s a woman I don’t recognize (though since it’s me we’re talking about, it’s possible that I just forgot her after meeting her once or twice).

Jared and Keith usually help me out in situations like this, but it seems they aren’t here. For now, I’ll just have to ask her straight-out.

“… Um, and you are?”

“My sincere apologies for the belated introduction. My name is Lana.”

“Lana-san?”

Hmm, from her reaction it seems we haven’t met before. Thank goodness I hadn’t forgotten her.

“Please, call me Lana. I will be serving you from today on.”

Ah, is Lana-san a maid? Now that she mentions it, she is wearing a maid outfit… but…

“Um, but I have a maid that’s served me since I was young…” I say. Wait, where is Anne?

Normally, she would swiftly slip over like a shinobi as soon as I woke up and brush my tangled hair and stuff.

“My apologies. As that maid is not here I will be taking care of any of your needs in her stead.”

“… I see.”

I see, so Anne isn’t here. That’s discouraging.

… Wait, speaking of which –

“Um, where is ‘here’?”

It’s a bit of a late reaction, but I have no idea where I am. I don’t even know when I came here.

“My apologies. I am not permitted to answer that question,” Lana says, looking troubled.

“What? You’re not permitted? What does that even…”

Lana continues looking troubled after I raise my voice at the unexpected answer.

“I believe you will understand in a moment or two,” she says. That instant, the door was knocked again and new people appeared.

One is a fairly handsome glasses-wearing young man with blue-tinged hair and eyes. Rather than being conventionally handsome like Jared, he’s more of a lady-killer overflowing with sex appeal.

This lady-killer is wearing something that only fairly old grandpas would wear in the Claes household – butler’s clothing.

Admittedly though, the old grandpa butler of the Claes household actually pulled the look off pretty well and I even secretly praised him by calling him ‘Sebastian’ in my heart… but he doesn’t hold a flame to this glasses-wearing young man.

Someone small stands behind the young man put Sebastian to shame.

She was in the young man’s shadow when they entered and completely melted into the background thanks to the flashy young man’s aura… but looking at her again, I can see her brown hair and eyes, short height and large eyes – she’s a girl like a cute animal that makes you want to protect her despite yourself.

While I am forgetful and terrible at remembering names and faces, even I remembered her. After all, according to my mental timeline, we just met… Prince Ian’s fiancée, Selena Burke – we greeted each other at the school festival, in the area where the academy was showcasing its talent.

Why is she here? And seriously, where am I?

“What a relief. You’ve safely awakened.”

Even as I grow even more confused due to Selena’s arrival, she looks at my face and makes the same relieved face Lana had.

“Katarina-sama, I sincerely apologize for our violent conduct towards you. However, I pledge to safely bring you home once everything is over, so please live here until then,” she says, bowing deeply.