Original subtitles

I want to go back to my hut in the mountain.

I'm just a useless recluse anyway.

You really are a helpless master.

Shall I pat you with my paws?

Yes, please.

Look, you've gotta find the person who's targeting the prince, okay?

An empty flowerpot?

I used wind magecraft to change its trajectory.

I guess whoever threw it must have been…

Guess what? I heard Aaron might leave school because of a sudden illness.

Poor Selma. You really devoted yourself to him.

I know, I'll invite you to the next ball at my house.

My, what a cute idea.

I suppose your engagement to Aaron will be broken off anyway, right?

You should find someone better.

You want to go upstairs? Best just to push past them quickly.

But…

It's a good thing really, Selma.

Mind if we squeeze past?

Well, if it isn't Lana Colette from the nouveau riche baron family.

Your manners leave something to be desired.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENT CAROLINE SIMMONS

My family is a far more prestigious, don't you know?

Shouldn't you at least say hello to us first?

I didn't know it was good manners

to stand around gabbing and blocking the stairs.

So, how about you move out of the way?

Even an escaped cow should move if you yank the reins hard enough…

Oops, sorry. Your bottom is so big you don't want to move, huh?

Who are you calling a cow?

Monica!

If I use wind magecraft… Wait, no. That'll look weird.

A protective barrier around my body? But it'll look strange if I bounce.

What should I do? What should I do?

The gradient of the stairs is so steep, it's gonna hurt!

Wait, the gradient? That's it!

If I use a protective barrier to flatten the gradient…

Yes… Then I just have to roll down naturally.

Monica!

Sorry.

Are you hurt?

Sorry to be a nuisance.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…

It's just a little red.

He's not angry.

And his fingertips are cold.

Could he be releasing mana without knowing?

Oh, my goodness, are you okay?

The vice president…

What's all the commotion about?

Miss Lana Colette pushed a school friend down the stairs as a joke,

Lord Cyril Ashley.

What?

You're the one who pushed me! Monica just got caught in the cross fire.

Goodness, now you're passing the blame?

Nouveau riche kids have some nerve.

Lord Ashley knows I'm from the House of Count Norn, after all.

You'll trust me, won't you?

This is the aristocratic world.

When someone high up decides you are wicked, it becomes the truth.

Even if the person isn't at fault…

I…

Please let my voice work.

If I don't say something, Lana will be made out to be the villain.

Anything but that!

I… just slipped.

That's all.

But…

It's no one's fault, I was just careless.

Sorry for the trouble.

Monica!

If you need me, come back later.

I'm sorry.

It's just, I left something on the balcony.

Make it quick.

Thank you.

Three plants and one empty flowerpot.

I can't see over the top.

This'll work.

Yes, it must have been here.

Looks like a heavy flowerpot.

I got dirt everywhere.

And I've only got one pair of gloves.

Maybe…

I'd like to lock up.

Sorry.

You have a key to this classroom?

If you want to book a room, you have to submit a request form in the faculty room.

Th… Thank you so mu--

You don't like her?

No. She's not an aristocrat by any stretch of the imagination.

But it's better than us two snooping about and making a show of ourselves.

And…

it's better than slipping out alone in the middle of the night.

I don't want Duke Clockford to intervene.

Even if they do call me the Duke's lapdog.

Most importantly…

I don't want people to think that Felix Arc Ridill

is incapable of taking on a case of this size.

Come in.

Miss Norton.

Have you made any progress?

I…

I know who did it.

I can't believe your fiancé, Aaron, has left school.

I feel so bad for you, being left behind at the academy.

You can talk to us about anything.

We're friends, after all.

Friends… Yes.

Friends.

Even if they just use me to feel better about themselves,

I wouldn't give up my title as their friend for anything.

After all,

at least if I have friends, I'm not "Selma who has nothing."

Lady Selma Karsh.

Do you have a moment?

Sorry for calling you in.

Now then. There have been two incidents.

The sign that fell before the entrance ceremony, and now the flowerpot.

Miss Norton here informs me that you are the culprit behind both incidents.

Would you like to explain?

The scene where the incident with the sign happened has already been tidied up,

but I think I know what happened with the flowerpot.

The flowerpot was dropped from one of the second balconies

along in the East Wing, directly above where it landed.

All of the balconies have flowers on them,

but based on the speed of the fall and the way the pot shattered,

-I know which floor it was dropped from. -You can skip the details.

Based on my calculations, it was dropped from the fourth floor.

I checked who booked to use music room number two at the time, and…

I just went to water the plants!

You and I are about the same height.

The balcony railing is quite high to keep anyone from falling.

And there was one flowerpot turned upside down.

I guess you…

You think I used it to stand on?

It just happened to be there.

I see you're wearing gloves today.

When I saw you in the infirmary,

I noticed your fingers were white and delicate.

The reason you weren't wearing gloves was because

they got dirty when you moved the flowerpot.

You're wrong…

I found a pair of dirty gloves discarded in the trash can by the music room.

They were embroidered with your initials.

Fine. It was me. I did it.

The flowerpot, the sign that was knocked down,

the student council budget… It was all me!

That's right. Aaron was just being tricked by me!

So…

Please, have mercy on him.

Don't take my fiancé away from someone with nothing.

What will happen to Selma?

It was a royal assassination attempt.

The whole family deserves the death penalty.

That's what I'd like to say, but given the circumstances,

it's probably best to have her withdraw from school voluntarily too,

due to sickness.

Besides,

she was willing to give up everything for the people she cares about.

It struck a chord with me.

I see…

Three of them…

The numbers here, here and here don't match up.

You know how to read accounting records?

Yes.

Here too.

The numbers have been made to work, but it hasn't been done very well.

Say, Miss Norton…

Yes.

If you don't mind, would you help me review the accounting records?

Can I?

I've been so deprived of numbers… Yippee!

Okay, let's begin afresh.

Monica Norton, second-year student in the upper division,

I hereby appoint you as the student council treasurer.

Oy. Oy, Monica, get it together.

Hey, here are my paws.

Your favorite paws ever.

I ended up becoming the student council treasurer.

That's great. It'll make it easier to guard the prince.

It's impossible.

The squirrel? Student council treasurer?

I asked her to review the last five years,

and she got it done in a couple of hours while I was away from my seat.

Five years?

What did you think of the accounts?

I won't be cross, you can tell me honestly.

I was surprised at how surprisingly sloppy the management was

for such a surprisingly large sum of money.

Why you! How dare you speak to His Highness like that?

I wanna go back to the mountain hut!

Seriously…

A student who just transferred here… Treasurer?

Perfect.

I don't like this.

First off, the way she talks to His Highness… So disrespectful!

Her handwriting…

Could it be…

No way. It couldn't be.

What am I…

I should get an early night.

The incidents have all been solved, but…

How is it that a disgrace to our family like you

is serving on the student council?

Tell the truth. How did you really manage to win His Highness over?

What's that defiant look for?

You don't seem to understand your place at all!

I guess that's about right for a villainous noble lady.

Amazing, Lady Isabelle.

A truly splendid villainous noble lady performance!

Right? Right?

You broke all those teacups…

Don't worry!

We just used the tableware that was already chipped in the first place.

Once again,

congratulations on being appointed as the student council treasurer.

By the way, did you change your hairstyle?

A girl in my class did it for me…

It looks so cute on you!

Agatha, can you do the same hairstyle for me too?

My Lady,

villainesses don't wear their hair the same way as the girl they're bullying.

But don't worry.

I'll do my best to give you lovely matching hairstyles in the holidays.

Promise!

It can't be true. A country bumpkin like that…

Impossible.

Hey.

I heard a rumor that you're on the student council.

Yesterday…

It wasn't me that pushed you, but I'm the one who provoked Caroline.

So I guess…

Did you hurt yourself?

No… I didn't.

I see.

Your hair has come undone.

Guess I'll have to braid it again for you today.

Okay!

Cyril.

Will you teach Miss Norton how to do her job as treasurer from today?

As you wish.

Why the vice president?

Before he was vice president, Cyril was treasurer.

Did you want me to teach you instead?

Maybe someone a similar age.

I see.

Cyril will train you up well.

A treasurer is always busiest at the start and end of the month.

Don't leave out anything that I've listed here.

Okay.

Maybe the room is a little too cold.

-Use this. -Okay.

It's so cold in here.

Like I thought…

His body is releasing mana somehow.

What?

Those are the accounting documents I reviewed, right?

My adviser, Professor Thornlee, will be checking them,

so I'm keeping them together.

Sorry.

Why are you apologizing?

Reviewing the past accounts must have given you a lot of extra work.

This isn't a lot of extra work.

It's work that needs doing. Why are you so jumpy?

I…

You earned His Highness's trust by proving your talent, didn't you?

Your work was flawless.

So hold your head high, and be proud of it.

I'm sorry.

No matter what, I just can't bring myself…

to be proud of myself.

I can't.

Deep down, you've always thought I was beneath you, haven't you?

I hate the word, "can't."

I'm sorry.

Also, this is a separate matter, but…

Regarding the incident on the stairs the other day,

I questioned the students who were nearby and figured out what happened.

The one who did it, Caroline Simmons,

has been given a strict warning and will submit a written apology.

You questioned them?

It seemed like a natural thing to do to get an objective grasp on the situation.

You were very evasive, so it took time to find out what actually happened.

There are people like this even among aristocrats?

Are you listening, Monica Norton?

Yes, sorr…

Speak up!

I'm s…

Speak up and be clear!

I-I-I I'm sorry!

Who told you to add staccato?

Honestly… Helping Treasurer Norton has kept me behind so late.

I need to get these accounting documents to Professor Thornlee quickly.

Professor Thornlee…

Translated by Daisy Savage