Chapter 24 – I begged for sweets

Several weeks have pa.s.sed since I enrolled in magic school. The other day, just like in the game scenario, there was a test to determine all the students’ apt.i.tude in academics and magic.

And so – Keith, Jared, Alan, Mary, and Sophia – my friends and stepbrother almost completely monopolized the top spots in the end. As expected of my friends and stepbrother.

Also, being up there amongst my high-spec friends, the game’s heroine Maria was obviously there as well. As a commoner girl rather than a n.o.ble, she shouldn’t have been receiving specialized tutoring like we have, and probably just received a regular education from the local neighborhood school. Even so, being able to snag a top spot away from all the other n.o.bles, it’s as expected of the heroine.

By the way, as for my ranking…… Cheers for being average! I worked hard and I want to be praised!

Come to think of it, the ranking order went just like the game scenario, with Jared in first, Maria in second, and Alan in third, but…… If it’s just like the game, Alan shouldn’t be able to accept the fact that Maria’s higher ranked than he is, but……

“Oh, I’m not really concerned about winning or losing. Everyone has things that they’re suited to and unsuited to after all, there’s no reason to worry about each and every little thing, it’s unavoidable.” Alan said so with an expression as if he didn’t care at all, and there was no sign that he would run off to go contact Maria, either.

Just like this, while some things were just like the game, some things were different from the game as well.

Such as, the selection of student council members.

The student council is supposed to be an organization for the just cause of “helping the students improve school life and be more fulfilled through self-governance,” created at the same time as the school. Well, their actual activities are more like, helping teachers with cla.s.ses, or taking care of trouble between students…… It’s more like odd jobs only, but……

This student council was just like the one at my school in the previous life, candidates were not elected, but chosen instead.

The top ranking students from this test are forcibly appointed to the student council.

I’m saying forced, but I don’t think it’s a pitiful thing at all……

……Since being chosen to be on the student council is evidence of the student’s excellence, it’s a very prestigious honor, so just about everyone will agree to serve on the student council. Also, the people that are chosen will become admired by all the students.

And so, since my friends and stepbrother monopolized all the highest ranks, all of them became student council members along with the heroine Maria.

Really, it’s exactly like the game.

Well, if you want to find and pick out something that’s different from the game, it’s that my friends and stepbrother kept saying “it would be great if we could be together with Katarina (sama)” as well, apparently troubling the teachers a bit.

Since everyone’s entered the student council, and I’ll be left all alone, since they’re all such nice people they were probably considering my feelings. By the way, my maid Anne mostly just supports my life in the dorms, and isn’t with me while I’m at the school campus. Well, after cla.s.ses, she’ll always follow me closely saying “I don’t know what ojou-sama might get up to if she’s by herself” whenever I go to work on the field.

That my friends are all so concerned about me, I’m really happy about it, and of course I love being together with everyone, but I don’t dislike being by myself, relaxing and kicking back once in a while as well, so there’s no problems either way.

That’s how I viewed things, but……

Before I realized it, I had gotten permission to visit the student council room that was basically supposed to be for members only, and it could even be said that I was half forcibly invited there. Well, it seems that my friends and stepbrother pulled some strings, but……

……Even when I asked, I couldn’t get the specific details out of anyone, so the truth is still shrouded in mystery……

And so, without knowing how it became so, I started bothering them in the student council room from time to time……

“Please have some, Katarina-san.”

“T, thank you very much.”

The person who was saying so while holding out some tea for me, was the top-ranked second-year student, who became the student council president. He’s also a handsome boy that won’t be outdone by all the other members, and he has brilliant red hair with grey eyes, and is as cute as a puppy.

By the way, the vice-president is the “devilish earl,” Nico.

The student council members are supposed to be chosen on the basis of their academic and magic abilities, but…… Looking at the people here, it makes me wonder if they’re not being chosen by their looks instead……

But, in comparison to the seven first-years that were picked for the student council, there were only two second-years, the president, and the vice-president Nico.

According to the president’s story, last year there was seven of them chosen as well but, apparently because of Nico, this and that happened, and everyone else stopped coming to the student council. Since the president is also a handsome boy, he’s probably somewhat Nico-resistant……

The charm of the “devilish earl,” is really frightening……

Well, at least this time, a bunch of first-years that are Nico-resistant have entered the broken apart student council…… The president seems to be really happy at such a thing.

Probably because of that, even though I’m unrelated to the student council and always being dragged here by my friends, he’s never shown me a displeased face at how frequent I visit, and would always welcome me politely and bring out tea for me.

And so, thanks to the incredible welcoming I always got, I’ve already gotten completely used to being around the student council. Well, it’s all because of my nice friends that were concerned about me, but……

And so, since I’ve gotten so involved, it would be great if I could get along well with the other members of the student council apart from my friends……

“Claes-sama, if you would like, please try these as well.”

While I was sipping on the president’s tea, I involuntarily jumped when the beauty in front of me recommended some sweets to me.

“T, thank you, Campbell-san.”

I thanked her courteously, and the beauty, Maria Campbell, broke out into a wide grin.

……That’s how it is. Since I’d gotten so involved with the student council, I now have a point of contact with the heroine Maria-chan as well, and whenever I would come to the student council room, she would always kindly recommend some sweets for me with a smile on her face.

And so, I’ve only known the Maria-chan from the game up to now, but……

Maria Campbell………… Her true form was – a really kind, nice girl. She’s also good at everything, who is a wonderful ojou-sama that will do anything without complaint. And, even though she can do anything, she has a really humble att.i.tude without being proud at all.

Man, she’s really such a wonderful and charming lady.

I was even getting confused at why the game’s Katarina would view her as a mortal enemy and bully such a nice girl so much……

For sure, my capture target friends are also gradually getting attracted to Maria-chan’s charm.

While I was vaguely thinking along those lines, I tossed the sweets I received into my mouth. Nn!? These sweets are quite delicious.

“These sweets, are really delicious.”

I told Maria-chan this reply about the sweets that she had given me.

“Yes, they’re quite delicious, aren’t they. It’s something that the students donated to the student council.”

Ahh, so it was a donation.

Indeed, since the students here admire the student council, there seems to be quite a few donations as well. Moreover, since there’s many high ranked n.o.bles among the students, the donated sweets are all really high cla.s.s.

Ah, come to think of it, speaking of sweets –

“Campbell-san, can you make sweets by any chance?”

In the game, Maria’s hobby was making sweets. And so, she also donated her own handmade sweets to the student council quite often. The handmade sweets had a plain yet delicious taste different from the luxurious sweets that the capture targets were used to eating, and she should have been able to capture their hearts through their stomachs like that.

The ill.u.s.trations of her handmade sweets looked really yummy, in the previous world I wanted to eat them so much that I instinctively ran all the way to the convenience store to buy some sweets that looked similar.

And now, I really want to see Maria’s actual real handmade sweets instead of looking at them on a screen…… I want to be able to taste the real thing right now! And so, my question completely had an ulterior motive to it, but……

“……Yeah.”

Maria-chan had completely frozen up. Somehow maybe she took it as a threat like “make sweets for me!?” I hurriedly tried to find an excuse to defend myself with.

“Ah, no, uh. I’m not really trying to force you to do anything unreasonable……”

“……Uh, why is it that you happen to know that I make sweets?”

Ah, so that was it. Indeed, Maria-chan’s never said publicly that “I make sweets.” Even in the game, she should have started out by secretly borrowing a corner of the kitchen and only made a little bit for herself to taste only. I think that if you raise a capture target’s love rating enough, then this subject will come up, and he’ll say “then, make some for me too, won’t you?” ……But, judging based on Maria-chan’s reaction just now, she probably hasn’t told anyone about it yet.

Mmm~. There’s no way I can say “I saw you making them in the game,” so……

“Uhhh~, it, it’s, I heard something from the lady in the cafeteria……”

“……Is that how it is.”

Even though I became quite fl.u.s.tered in trying to come up with an excuse, it seems that Maria-chan’s accepted it. I’m rather relieved.

“……Just as Claes-sama has heard already, certainly, I’ve been borrowing the cafeteria kitchen to make some sweets for myself from time to time, but…… It’s, still very far from the extent where I can show everyone……”

While staring at the luxurious sweets on the table, it seems that Maria-chan had a troubled face. For sure, there were only luxurious sweets purchased in high-cla.s.s shops to be seen here, with no amateur or handmade sweets. As for the reason, it’s because in this world, most of the n.o.bles, even the women, didn’t cook at all. Basically, cooking was considered the work of servants.

As for me as well, I can’t make anything at all, including sweets. In the first place, in the Claes family, I was prohibited from entering the kitchen completely.

Right after I recovered my memories, I pinched various ingredients several times, licked some mysterious spices, and I thought I’d try to cook some mushrooms that were growing in the garden, but…… Soon after, I was banned from the kitchen, being told “the kitchen is a dangerous place with knives and fire, and it’ll become a big incident if the ojou-sama is injured here.” It’s really hard being such a sheltered ojou-sama.

Well, in short, most n.o.ble girls don’t cook for themselves, and all the sweets donated to the student council were made by professional cooks instead.

That’s why Maria-chan would find it difficult to bring out her handmade sweets that would be considered the work of an amateur……

“As for me, even though I like the luxury sweets made by cooks, I also love handmade sweets.”

“Eh, Claes-sama also happens to eat handmade sweets?”

Maria-chan had a very surprised expression on her face.

“Yeah. The head maid in our house, also has a similar hobby, and I always asked her for sweets.”

The sweets sold in shops that are made by professional cooks look very elaborate and are quite delicious, but the head maid’s sweets also have a simply plain yet delicious taste to them as well. Since I haven’t been able to eat them anymore since coming to school, I’ve been very sad.

“After coming to school, I’ve missed the taste of that handmade candy. If it’s not too much trouble for Campbell-san, I’ll be really happy if you could share just a little bit of what you make with me, and I’ll even help supply you with funds for the supplies, and properly pay you for what you make.”

Somehow, I want to be able to taste those sweets that look so amazingly delicious – I desperately tried to make the best smile I could with this villainous face of mine. Will seeing how desperate I am really work –

“I couldn’t possibly accept any money! After all, I’m just using the leftovers from the school kitchen! ………Since it’s really just an amateurish hobby of mine, I’m not sure if they’ll taste good to Claes-sama, but…… I’ll make some soon and bring them to share.”

Is what Maria-chan said.

“Thank you!”

And so, just as I wished, I managed to successfully secure a promise from Maria-chan to bring some of her handmade sweets for me to try.

After cla.s.s the day after I secured Maria-chan’s promise to bring me handmade sweets, I headed to the dorms in order to change into my work clothes for the field, and was walking by myself on the road to the dormitory. By the way, my stepbrother and friends are gathered in the student council room right now for work, but……

Today, I wanted to use the fertilizer that I just received from Tom-san as soon as possible, before my friends see me doing something like this and try to break it off by pulling me away.

And so, while I was walking on the dorm path…… “Growl~~” my stomach began grumbling loudly. Since today I forgot my homework for my cla.s.s at noon, I was scolded by Keith and had to write an apology, and I wasn’t able to eat enough lunch because of that. Usually before I headed out to work in the field, Anne would prepare something to eat for me. While I was thinking that – my sense of smell that I’m proud to say is like a dog’s, caught a very delicious smell in the air.

And so, I became all aflutter involuntarily and was hooked by the smell, and followed it towards the forest that was a bit off the road –

Maria-chan and a few girls that were probably students of this school were there.

They were positioned almost as if to surround Maria-chan, and from their sparkling dresses, I guessed that the girls were probably high n.o.bility.

And so, the delicious smell seemed to be coming from a basket that Maria-chan was carrying covered with a handkerchief…… This delicious smell was permeating the air in the area.

What’s going on here! Could that possibly be, the handmade sweets that I had requested!? Even though she had just promised me yesterday, she’s already made them!? What a nice girl she is!

I was so thankful that I immediately ran up to Maria-chan and the others who didn’t notice me at all…… That’s when it happened.

“Thump!!” A loud sound echoed in the forest. One of the girls surrounding Maria-chan swung her hand wildly, and knocked over the basket Maria-chan was holding onto the ground.

And so, what fell out of the basket was probably the sweets that Maria-chan made herself, some sweets that looked like m.u.f.fins came rolling out.

“Just because you have the power of light magic, you’re being fawned over by everyone, doesn’t that feel just great! A commoner bringing something as poor as this for the student council to eat, have some shame and know your place!”

The girl was saying so as the basket laid on the ground, and now it looks like she’s about to start stomping all over the sweets!? Wait a minute now, don’t do such a thing to my sweets~~!!

“Stop!”

I got between the girl and Maria-chan and shouted.

“……K, Katarina Claes-sama……”

Right now, all the girls surrounding Maria-chan were wide-eyed at my sudden appearance, and of course this included the girl that was about to stomp on the sweets.

“What exactly do you all think you’re doing!?”

What do you think you’re doing to the sweets that Maria-chan went to the trouble of making for me! I glared at the girls.

“……Eek!”

The girls all instantly turned pale. After all, this is a villainous face! It’ll double the strength of any glaring!

The crime of ruining my sweets, unforgivable!

I maxed out the power of my gaze, and increased the sharpness of my glare on the girls.

I guess they were affected by my anger and the girls –

“We’re very sorry!!”

And with pale faces and heads down, they raced each other madly in a manner unbefitting of ladies to dash away – no, to run away.

……Mmm. Today, my villainous face is in perfect condition.

But anyways…… I turned towards the handmade sweets Maria-chan made that were lying on the ground. Because the ground here was mostly gra.s.s, there seems to be very little dirt on them.

I picked up the basket first, then started putting the fallen sweets back inside.

Then, like usual, the smell started stimulating my stomach’s hunger again…… I couldn’t hold back anymore and finally reached for a sweet myself.

And so, I snapped up the whole thing into my mouth.

“……Delicious.”

This is, the best taste among all the sweets that I have ever eaten! This is too delicious! What is this mellow taste, and it’s not even that sweet, it’s unbelievable how perfectly controlled the sweetness is. And so, at how delicious the sweets were, I lost myself in a dream – and before I realized it, I’d already finished eating all of the sweets in the basket that I’d picked up.

And then “ahh, I’m full, I’m full,” and I looked up – and I saw Maria-chan staring at me in shock.

……Oh no, I’ve done it now! I’ve finally gotten so carried away that I ate all of Maria-chan’s sweets~! Since there were so many, they were probably for everyone in the student council to share……

……Or perhaps I should say, I had thought they were all meant for me, so I ate them all…… In the first place, it might not have been meant for me…… This is bad!

“Uh, uhh, I got really carried away and ate all of them…… I’m really sorry!”

I lowered my head to Maria-chan in a big panic. Then Maria-chan started talking in a rather hesitant manner.

“Ah, it’s okay. I don’t mind that, but…… Uh, but it’s something that’s fallen on the ground……”

Ahh, I see, so it’s about that. She didn’t say, “but it wasn’t even something made for you,” I’m really happy~.

“Since they fell on the gra.s.s, it’s no problem at all since they barely got any dirt on them.”

If you pick them up immediately, it should be safe by the three-second rule as well. As I said so, I puffed out my chest in pride.

“……Is, is that so.”

Maria-chan laughed as if she was somewhat troubled.

But anyways –

“Campbell-san is really really good at making sweets. That was very delicious.”

Yep, the deliciousness of Maria-chan’s handmade sweets far exceeded my expectations. That mellow taste in my mouth, that exquisite sweetness, her workmans.h.i.+p isn’t inferior to a professional cook’s in any way at all. When I told Maria-chan my pa.s.sionate feelings –

“……Thank you very much.”

She laughed bashfully with her cheeks turning slightly red.

While my heart was beating involuntarily in excitement at her cuteness – Prince Jared came from the direction of the school campus.

It seems that, today was a student council meeting, but since Maria-chan who never missed a meeting didn’t show up, they got worried and were searching for her.

I was squatting on the ground while holding a basket, and Maria-chan was standing still with red cheeks, Jared seemed to be looking at us rather dubiously…… Maria-chan made a white lie for me by saying “by coincidence, I met Katarina-sama here, and we had a little chat.” Thank you for not telling him “Katarina-sama ate all the sweets that were meant for everyone.” If that had been exposed, I would have faced the anger of Jared and Keith, with them saying “how could you eat someone else’s sweets!”

And so, since Jared found Maria-chan safely without incident, they went back together to the student council room. For some reason, I was almost dragged there along with them as well, but since I really wanted to sprinkle the fertilizer in my field today, I courteously refused.

And so, with my stomach filled, I changed into my work clothes, and headed for the field.

But anyways, to think that Maria-chan was being bullied like that…… While I was working in the field, I thought about what happened earlier.

Even though she’s a commoner, she has the special light magic, and her grades are excellent. By the way, her face and personality are great as well. On top of that, she got chosen to be a member of the student council that all the students admire.

Maria-chan is the envy of the entire school…… The proud n.o.bles must be very jealous of her. That’s why, people like that who pick fights will appear.

In the first place, in the game it was mostly Katarina that was doing that to the heroine, but…… That’s not the case now. But even so, this school is filled with high n.o.bility, so for example, even if Katarina doesn’t take the lead in bullying the heroine, a second, or even third Katarina will appear to take that role.

But anyways, to treat the sweets that Maria-chan went to the trouble of making for me like that, they’re such bad kids. Just a little more and I wouldn’t have been able to eat anything.

Man, I’m not like the game’s Katarina anymore! High pride and mean intentions –

……The game’s Katarina……

Come to think of it, I feel like in the game, there was a scene where Katarina was hara.s.sing the heroine just like what happened to Maria-chan today……

When Maria-chan was bringing some sweets that she had made for everyone in the student council, on her way towards the student council room, she was intercepted and her sweets were thrown onto the ground, and then stomped all over.

At this time, the capture target Jared appeared in the nick of time in a gallant manner, and magnificently fought off the villainess Katarina and her comrades.

And so, he picked up some of the sweets that fell onto the ground and tasted them, then flashed a grin at Maria-chan and said “it’s delicious.”

Man, it was different from the usual Jared, his gentle smile at that time was almost as if it could transmit his emotions from across the screen.

I see, so what happened today, was that event…… Since I wasn’t the villainous Katarina, I hadn’t realized.

If I think of it like this, that explains why Jared appeared as well. After all, it was supposed to be Jared’s event. I see, so it was Jared’s event –

……So does that mean, I just stole Jared’s event away from him!?

I mean, originally, Jared was supposed to stop Katarina there, and before Jared could chase the girls off today I scared them all off with my villainous face…… On top of that, before Jared could show off such a nice smile, I had already eaten all the sweets……

Ahh~, I’m really sorry, Jared. I’ve stolen a love event from an important friend of mine…… If it’s like this, Maria-chan and Jared won’t be able to fall in love. I’m really, really sorry……

……Huh? Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t fall in love?

I mean, if Jared and Maria-chan fall in love, then Katarina won’t be needed anymore and will fall straight to a destruction end……

That means, I’ve done really well! Go me! Without realizing it, I’ve gotten further off the path to destruction, wonderful!

Alright~! Then, I’ll work hard and keep going just like this!

And so with renewed resolve, I began sprinkling the fertilizer that Tom-san had sent me.

However, I got too carried away……

After that, I had to listen to Anne’s scolding, and my work clothes were confiscated for a day.