Chapter 13: There are no liberal arts classes

The hero party that repelled Pector is probably not in their right mind.

“Anyway, so they couldn’t even land a decisive blow against Pector?”

Even with a holy sword in hand, and they couldn’t manage that?

‘Damn, if I’d had the holy sword, I would’ve slit Pector’s throat.’

The bastard is just good at running away, otherwise, I would’ve caught him easily.

“No detailed reports have been released.”

“That’s enough.”

There’s no need to say more.

Why wouldn’t the details be revealed? It’s probably because they barely managed to hold out against Pector.

The kingdom that produced the hero couldn’t afford to reveal the hero’s disgrace.

But they couldn’t claim victory either, as the fortress must have been destroyed.

“Also, I looked into the connections of your ladyship.”

“Go on, tell me.”

‘Let’s hear how dazzling her life was.’

“It seems she was quite close with the daughter of Count Neuer’s family.”

“Neuer, huh? Never heard of that family.”

‘If I haven’t heard of them, they must not be a famous family. At least, they didn’t cross paths with me when I came to the empire.’

“Huh?”

“Never mind. What else?”

“Other than that…”

‘The rest is as expected.’

Olivia’s relationship with the crown prince, her ties to his close aides, her association with Lily—all of them make you wonder if she’s even fit for social activities.

“Hmm, what does Lily look like?”

“Huh? That’s…”

“Just answer quickly.”

‘Since we go to the same academy, we’ll inevitably run into each other. It’s lucky we haven’t met yet. If I were to meet her now without knowing her face and pretend it’s our first encounter, my act would be meaningless.’

“Compared to you, she’s far below. She ties her pink hair in two pigtails, and frankly, her figure is nothing to look at. She wouldn’t even fetch a good price on the human trafficking market, not even as a low-grade item.”

‘The way they casually talk trash even to their own sister is impressive. But if these scumbags, who dabble in human trafficking, find her unimpressive, then she must really be that unattractive.’

‘So, it wasn’t her looks that caught the crown prince’s eye. From his face, he doesn’t seem brainwashed either. I checked, just in case, but it turns out the original owner was just a piece of human garbage.’

“I see. Good work. There won’t be any more contact for a while, so just know that.”

“Ah.”

“I’ll send your payment through Bapse.”

‘For now, I should sell off some of the things the original owner left behind. That money can go toward paying them, and I’ll set aside some for my living expenses.’

“Hmm. So, I’ll continue on like this.”

‘One thing I’ve noticed while traveling with the hero’s party is that I’ve never met a decent girl with pink hair. Whenever the hero visited a brothel, there was usually a girl with pink hair.’

‘So, is Lily a proper girl or not?’

‘My younger sister, though, was a brat who thought nothing of her older brother.’

• You can’t even memorize that?
• You think I’m the same as you, big brother?
• How can you not know something that’s obvious?
• You’re the weird one!

‘Not only was she ugly, but she was arrogant too.’

***

As I approached the library, I felt someone nearby.

“Olivia, sis?”

“Huh?”

‘Where have I seen those pink pigtails before? Ah, that’s Lily.’

‘Judging by her appearance, I can see why those guys called her unimpressive.’

‘Indeed, her body is completely flat. Her appearance really leaves much to be desired.’

‘But one thing does make me curious.’

‘How did she manage to make so many men her followers with such a measly body?’

‘I hate to say it, but even a hero crazed with lust wouldn’t want to touch her.’

‘No, on second thought, she doesn’t look too bad. But she’s so plain that no man would be drawn to her just based on looks.’

“Hey, sis, what’s up with that white hair of yours?”

“Huh?”

‘Among wizards, physical changes like that happen sometimes, so it’s not unheard of, but I guess in the Imperial Academy, it’s considered unusual.’

“Just how much did the crown prince put you through for your hair to turn so white? Don’t worry anymore! This little sister will take care of the crown prince for you!”

‘Her personality is really rubbing me the wrong way.’

‘In other words, she’s saying, ‘You’ve already lost, sis, so it’s only natural that the winner, me, gets the crown prince.’ Isn’t that the gist of her words?’

“Ah, right.”

‘Yeah, please don’t let him go.’

‘If you do, the duke might try to stick Olivia with him again.’

‘Especially after seeing me like this, the duke would probably do whatever he could to push her onto him.’

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Something feels off. Did something happen to your hair, sis?”

‘Why is she suddenly picking a fight?’

“Me? No, why? I’m as fine as ever.”

“Really? You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Anyway, keep working hard. Seeing you reminds me of how serious the crown prince must be.”

‘Yeah, if he’s into a body like that, the guy must be serious.’

‘He really loves Lily.’

‘Her face isn’t too bad, I guess.’

I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with that hero bastard.

• Do you just sleep with anyone? Even if their face is orc-level but they’ve got a good body?
• Heh, heh. You really are a creep. You don’t get it. Just turn off the lights and cover their face with a pillow, and it’s doable.
• You’re the one saying that, and it doesn’t sound weird to you? Who’s the creep now?

‘Well, yeah. After being around that guy for so long, my standards have definitely become warped.’

‘Love is great. I genuinely support Lily.’

‘Yes, seeing how the crown prince loves her despite her lacking looks compared to Olivia, their love must be real.’

‘For those noble heirs, someone like Lily must seem special. Unlike noblewomen who are forced into marriages they don’t care about, her commoner-like attitude and good bloodline are probably refreshing to them.’

‘And the issue of her family? Since she has Ashtar blood, she’s suitable as the crown prince’s bride.’

“All done talking?”

“Ah, uh, yes.”

“From now on, you’re the duchess’s daughter. That’s it.”

‘I walked into the library, knowing she’d probably just mock me more if we kept talking.’

‘Now, who knows clothes better than Plene?’

“Hey, Plene.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’m thinking of selling a dress. Do you know where I could sell one?”

If anyone would know, it would be Plene.

I also wanted to ask Lily, since she likely lived as a commoner, but if I tell Lily, it’ll somehow reach the crown prince.

I can’t afford to let Aslan interfere. No way.

“Um, is it a dress you’re referring to?”

“Yes, it’s one of mine.”

Technically, it’s from its original owner, but still.

“Do you think there’s someone in the capital who handles this?”

“Hmm? Are you saying it wouldn’t sell?”

“No, it might be worth quite a bit. But it could be a hassle, unless you’re dealing with a store that caters to noble families. Why not sell it to other noble young ladies instead?”

Ah, she’s right. I have quite a few dresses crammed in the dormitory closet already.

“Not a bad idea. So, where would I find noble young ladies?”

There were quite a few in the magic department, but that place is a mess now, so maybe…

“In etiquette classes?”

“Oh, right! I’ll try selling it tomorrow.”

Noble young ladies place a lot of importance on etiquette, after all.

“Wait, you’re really going to sell it?”

“Should I leave one that suits you, Plene?”

There are so many of them, it wouldn’t hurt to give her one.

Or maybe I should sell them all and give her the leftovers to deal with.

“Ah, no.”

“Sorry, what?”

Why does she look so troubled?

As I raise an eyebrow, Plene’s eyes begin to twitch, and she finally speaks.

“No matter how much you’re Lady Ashtar, that’s a bit much.”

She says this while bowing her head.

Wait, where exactly is she looking?

“Oh, I see now.”

I finally understand why Plene is so upset with me despite our difference in status.

Yes, look at her chest.

That flat chest that resembles the thin bread we ate while traveling with the hero’s party.

A chest as flat as a washboard.

A torso perfect for a dining table.

In contrast, Olivia’s body is much more… ample.

‘I’m bigger than you, though!’

‘But mine are prettier!’

‘Yours aren’t even symmetrical!’

‘Most women’s breasts are asymmetrical! Yours too—your right one is bigger!’

Ah, I remember those conversations between those women.

Lily might have been a bit suspicious, though.

It seems women have unnecessary insecurities about their breasts.

“You’re doing this on purpose, right? This is purely a matter of class disparity! Lady Ashtar must have eaten well and received good care, but I—!”

Her voice was full of resentment, and I couldn’t bring myself to retort. I just kept my mouth shut.
It seemed her small chest was a major complex, and now she was crying pitifully.

“Well… uh, yeah, that’s one way to see it.”

Someday, it might grow.

I mumbled the last part, and she glared at me like she wanted to kill me.

Hey, what do you want me to do about it? If you hate it, then do something about your chest.

***

The next day, I searched through the original owner’s wardrobe.

“Alright, everything’s ready.”

The original owner gathered the best tailors and designers in Ashtar to impress the crown prince, making all kinds of dresses.

Not just that, they spent a fortune gathering rare accessories from all over the world.

Thanks to that, we had to use a wardrobe enchanted with magic just to fit everything in.

When I pulled everything out, there was, as expected, a ridiculous amount of stuff.

I picked out a few items and took them to the etiquette class.

“Oh my, look at her. How shameless of her to attend class.”

“And she didn’t even bother to use that strange makeup this time. Can’t afford makeup now?”

“Well, that makeup was strange. But what’s that in her hands?”

“I wonder?”

As soon as I entered the classroom, the sneers started, as expected.

Wait, makeup? Did I ever cake on makeup?

Well, whatever.

I spread out the items I brought in front of the teacher’s desk.

The luxurious fabrics unfolded, revealing the dresses I had brought.

“Anyone want to buy a dress?”

“Wait, doesn’t the Ashtar family have the best tailor in the empire?”

A dress?

There’s nothing Ashtar doesn’t have.

Just the fact that I come from Ashtar would draw the attention of these dress-obsessed young ladies.

“Let’s start with the price you’re willing to pay in the name of your family.”

To be honest, I don’t really know the exact prices of these things.

Well, I have a general idea.

I was forced to buy clothes for that annoying saint and her brat companion, even though I didn’t want to.

The saint threatened to report me to the church, so I had no choice.

But these dresses, I’m not sure how the original owner got them, are so well-made that they’re hard to appraise.

They’re likely custom-made pieces, the kind that probably took a lot of labor to complete.

“Wait, really? Is Lady Ashtar seriously selling these precious items?”

It seems they’re already well aware of the value of these dresses.

That makes things easier.

“Not interested?”

“You really won’t regret this, Lady Ashtar?”

Of course not. The original owner might, but for me, they’re more of a burden.

How could I wear something so frilly and lacy?

Not suitable for battle, and you can’t even run in them.

“Of course. Now, let’s see how much you’re willing to offer in the name of your family.”

If I bring up their family names, they’ll be sure to offer a decent amount.

Before I knew it, the etiquette class had turned into an auction.

The young ladies who lacked accessories or dresses started bidding on what I had brought.

“Ten million rinos!”

“Twelve million rinos!”

It seems I’ve reeled in a good catch.

I’ve already made enough to cover the tuition.