Apparently, Her Highness Princess wants to keep her relationship with me a secret (what does she even mean by 'her relationship with me'?) - 3-2

3-2

The Classmate Customer

On the platform, the long-haired teacher was muttering something like a prayer.

…This is bad.

The reason I can’t concentrate on the lesson at all—probably because of what happened earlier.

The girl sitting next to me.

The meddlesome princess who dared to speak to someone like me, the troublemaker of the class—she’s the reason.

“Sensei~! Jina doesn’t understand that part at all! Please explain it nicely one more time! If Jina’s test scores are bad, that’ll be a problem for you too, won’t it~?”

I shake off the intrusive thoughts from my mind.

The teacher’s voice passes in through my left ear and out the right. Instead of trying to understand the lesson, I focus on taking notes. Yeap, let’s do that at least.

In this Westminster, a baron’s family like mine ranks lower than outcasts—nothing more than bottom feeders.

Students from viscount and baron families are openly discriminated against under the guise of “distinction.”

Even the requirements to advance to the second year are vastly different depending on whether you’re from a duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron family. Even though we all take the same tests, yet, as the passing scores expected from each class are completely different, making score comparisons was meaningless.

When I and Harold were still first-year students, there were a few other baron family students besides us, but they all eventually dropped out—crushed by the overwhelming wall before them.

This academy isn’t meant for nobles like us.

So what that guy said earlier wasn’t actually wrong. Harold and I don’t belong here in the first place.

“Sensei~! I’ll put in a good word with Papa too, so please be extra nice to Jina on the next test too~!”

“H-Haha… Jina-san, you’re as bold as ever aren’t you. I always break out in a cold sweat during 2-C’s lessons.”

But I already knew all that, from the very beginning.

I made the decision to enroll in Westminster fully aware of how things would be.

That’s why the worried glances from the meddlesome Princess Emma were nothing but a nuisance to me.

“——Emma-ojousama! Good work on your work today! Let’s walk home together!”

As soon as class ends, everyone hastily packs up.

I’m probably the fastest one of all.

There’s no reason to linger in the classroom for even a second longer. All I’d do getting involved in troublesome situations with others.

I stuff my textbooks into my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

“Emma-chan, you’re way too nice! Everyone knows Itose-kun is super unpopular within the boys, so you really shouldn’t bother with him. We don’t care about grades and all, so it doesn’t bother us when he scores high in combat techniques, but the boys are different, right? Jina-chan thinks so too, doesn’t she?”

On days when I don’t have any jobs, I sometimes go into town with Harold, another baron’s son. But today, I’ve been called to the shop.

Apparently, an urgent request came in the shop, and I’m the only one available, capable enough to handle it.

“Say, doesn’t Itose-kun wins way too much~. Well, since we don’t care about getting good grades, so losing doesn’t bother us—but the boys? Totally different story~. Plus, Itose kun, he’s so unfriendly~, so people get the wrong idea about him easily as well~.”

I hear the voices of the girls surrounding Princess Emma from behind me.

To speak with the Princess in such a casual tone, would only be limited to girls from powerful duke families.

“Ah, Itose-kun, byebye~! See you tomorrow~!”

“Hey, Jina! Don’t speak out to Orgot! How many times do I have to tell you? He’s just from some baron family!”

“Ugh, so annoying~. All your attitude just stems from jealousy. Ah, Itose-kun! Laters~!”

Jina sama, who is all so cheerful and kind to everyone around her, waves her hand with a bright smile.

Jina sama hails from a duke family, given the status Jina-sama enjoys, as expected. She even acts as freely as she pleases even in Westminster. Though sometimes even the teachers find it hard to go eye-to-eye with her, she doesn’t even change her attitude around Princess Emma.

“…Goodbye, Jina-sama.”

“Whooooaaaa~! Itose-kun actually replied, it’s been so long! See you again tomorrow! Ah, Emma chan, did you see that? Itose kun actually replying like that, is a super rare occurrence~!”

Well, even the benevolent princess will understand soon enough—just how baron families are treated at Westminster.

However, Princess Emma is a real schemer.

Just by looking at that from before, no one could ever guess that she and I share a common connection from what happened earlier.

When I reach the usual back entrance to the shop, Aya is already waiting for me. Her invisible tail seems to wag furiously as soon as she spots me.

“Itose-sama, I’ve been waiting for you! You’re right on time today!”

“There weren’t any noisy classmates holding me back today, you see.”

“Oh, that friend of yours? Aya wants to meet that person too! Please bring them to the shop sometime—I’ll give that person a special service!”

“Maybe someday.”

Watching her friendly smile helps me soothe the bitterness left by the Westminster atmosphere.

I ruffle Aya’s soft black hair, as we head into the back of the shop.

“Aya. Is this customer new?”

“A new customer, yes! Ah, Itose-sama! Would you like me to carry your bag?”

“No, it’s fine. Moreover, is Her Excellency here? I have something to discuss.”

“The boss hasn’t been showing up at the shop lately…”

“I see. That person’s always busy after all.”

By successfully completing Princess Emma’s request, I earned the right to challenge the Number Eight.

Employees like me—those with complicated backgrounds—are ranked by the shop’s hierarchy. The higher the rank, the better the requests we can take on. Higher ranks even get to pick and choose which jobs they accept.

I need better-paying jobs to cover my fees for the Westminster tuition.

Just advancing to the second year requires a fortune for someone from a baron family like me.

And later when I reach the third year— I can’t even imagine how much I’ll need. So it’ll be always better if I start saving for that from now itself.

“Haa!?—W-Why is Orgot coming in here!? Just why!?”

“…Eh?”

Crap. I let my guard down.

Every client who knocks on this shop’s door comes with a serious purpose.

“You are kidding me, right! Why someone like Orgot…. Ah! I, I will take my leave!?”

And yet, I was completely off my game.

The girl standing in front of the door was wearing a clumsy disguise to hide her identity—but I recognized her immediately.

She was a classmate from Westminster—a lively girl I’d shared classes with in our first year.

“I just remembered something urgent, you behave like you saw nothing, got it!”

With that said, she tried to make a hasty retreat off the room.

The person was Julian Transport—the daughter of the most popular class, the earl family in the Westminster Academy.

[TL: I wonder if Julian and Jina are the same person. Jina felt like a nickname.]