I'll guide the Villainess's happiness

Vol.1 Chapter-22

Invitation and decision.

"...Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that, can you say it one more time?"

"Truly, what a hopeless commoner you are. Then, I shall repeat myself!" Lady Catherine throws her hair back and points at me.

"You shall come with me to the quarter end ball that will be happening on the last day of exams!" Lady Catherine says as she puffs out her chest.

So I wasn't hearing things after all.

"B-but Lady Catherine, wouldn't inviting the Crowned Prince be better than inviting me?" I said, clearly confused.

"What are you talking about? Why would I invite someone that is already attending?" Lady Catherine says as she crosses her arms together.

"Anyway! It is settled! You lost, so you have to listen to my demand, correct? So no objections!"

"T-then, Understood~!" I responded in a joking tone, but inside, my heart was ready to burst. Lady Catherine is way too good at this.

The rest of the day felt like a blur after that, the matches were mediocre at best. There were no good strategists like Alfred, and no powerhouses like Lady Catherine. And so, it passed just like that.

After the first day of exams, we all said our farewells and headed to our sleeping quarters.

I had a room shared with Laura, though, after the bath she was already fast asleep, she exhausted her magic after all. The way she uses her magic in a wide area depletes her mana by a lot, she literally feels and senses the mana of other people using the ground. Needless to say, she is a great magic user.

In my bed, I found myself twisting and turning, not able to fall into slumber.

Sitting up, I checked the position of the moon outside of my window, it was still far from dawn.

"Man... She's seriously too cool! I love you!" I shouted into my pillow that I was holding. Being careful to not wake Laura up.

Looking at the pillow, and by instinct, I hugged it. Pretending that it was Lady Catherine.

"Geez... What am I doing? This is so stupid, haha." I laugh at my own stupidity. I know that I don't even have a sliver of chance, so why am I still hoping? Isn't that kinda stupid?

Well, at the end of the day it's still impossible, you'll forget about me sooner or later anyway.

With those sad thoughts, and clutching the pillow in my arms, hugging it tightly, I drifted into sleep.

***

At night in my sleeping quarters, I was giddy because of my first win against the commoner!

"I-i did it, Carol! When I put my mind to it, I can truly do anything, I beat the commoner and managed to invite her as my guest to the quarter end ball!" I said to Carol, that was fixing up the bed for me.

"Yes, yes. Good job, Lady Catherine."

"It is going to be the first time I'm going to a dance with a friend of mine! I am extremely excited!" I was practically jumping around the room. That was a bit unladylike, has the commoner possibly influenced me in some way?

"Hmm, friend, huh..." Carol says in a pondering tone. Which left a sour taste in my mouth.

"What do you mean by th-"

Just as I was about to protest, Carol suddenly said...

"Lady Catherine, may I ask some questions?"

"G-go on?"

"What is Lady Aya's favorite food?"

Carol asks me a question about the commoner all of a sudden...

"Uh... It is... I... have no clue..."

Which left me stumped. I was surprised that I did not know such a simple question. Considering the times I had spent eating with the commoner.

"I see, then, when is Lady Aya's birthday?"

Then, once again, Carol asks me another simple question about the commoner. I know that she is fifteen years old, but I have no idea when her birthday is...

"I... Do not know..."

And the results are still the same. I did not know.

"Last question. What is Lady Aya's favorite color?"

I did not answer this time. Because I knew what Carol was doing. She was testing me.

"I... I barely know a thing about the commoner... It is as if... We are merely acquaintances..." with this realization, the commoner feels so much farther away all of a sudden.

"Correct. Well, there is nothing wrong with not knowing these things, do not get me wrong, Lady Catherine. But, there is wrong when you make no effort to actively look for answers to these questions." Carol says as she sits next to me.

"Have I not been a friend to the commoner, Carol?" I asked with my heart deep in my stomach.

"I think, personally, that Lady Aya doesn't mind much at all for this, since she is visibly happy with you. But, now that I have brought it to your attention, will it be the same for you?"

True that the commoner is usually smiling when she is with me, teasing me here and there, but it is fun for me too but...

"The answer is obvious there. It is not, obviously not."

"Good, well! I'm pretty sure that you would know about these things eventually. After all, in your own words, when you put your mind to it, you can truly do anything."

"Yes, of course! After all, I am the only daughter of the Bellerose house, there is nothing I can not do!"

"Yes, yes. However, Lady Catherine, please do not shout so loud anymore as it is already night."

"Guh..."

That is it! Tomorrow, I will learn more about the commoner!