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Back in the classroom after so long!

“Good morning, everyone.”

Entering the classroom with Flora, Ekaterina spoke with the grace befitting a young lady, despite the excitement bubbling inside her.

“Lady Ekaterina, Lady Flora! It’s been a while.”
“It’s wonderful to see you both looking so well.”

Their close friends, Marina Krymov and Olga Flurse, greeted them with smiles. The other students also called out to them and smiled, and the two girls who used to be loners were now the class favorites.

Ekaterina smiled back at each of them. One of the amazing things about high school is that when you see classmates you haven’t seen in a while, their facial features and height seem a little different from before summer break.
Still, from a woman in her late twenties’ perspective, they all still seem like children.

*(Ah, this is so reassuring.)*

The ducal mansion in the Imperial Capital feels completely like home, and even Jurnova Castle in the duchy feels like my hometown—my body has grown accustomed to it. But there, Ekaterina is the Duke’s daughter and the mistress of the house. As the one standing above numerous servants, she must behave accordingly.
But here, she’s just one of the students. She’s on the same footing as everyone else; there’s no hierarchy.

That gives her a sense of liberation.

Well, having a high social standing is certainly a blessing, but I guess I’d been unconsciously worn down by everything that came with it.
I’m so glad there’s a magic academy in this Empire.

I wonder if the Prince feels this way too. Perhaps the emperors and imperial family members throughout the generations have felt a sense of relief in being just one of the crowd (they’d still be special even then, of course), and that might be why the academy has continued to exist since the founding of the empire.

.

“How did you spend your summer vacation?”
“I spent it in my fiefdom. It was just an ordinary few days!”

Though she said that, Marina seemed full of energy. She had always been the cool, athletic type, but now she looked even more toned, and her skin seemed slightly tanned. Her medium-length auburn hair, flecked with gold, shone even more brilliantly.
Marina, who apparently wears a five-layered persona at the academy, must have shed those fake personas at her family home and spent her time being her true, lively self.

The Krymov family’s estate is a breeding ground for magical steeds. Recalling the story of her grandfather’s beloved horse, Zephyrus, which she’d heard in the Jurnova territory, Ekaterina felt a lump in her throat.
However, just as Aleksei had said, Marina seemed to know nothing about the feud between the Jurnova and Krymov families.
Ekaterina simply smiled.

“I stayed at the dorm,”

Olga said. The petite girl, with her glossy chestnut hair tied back with a ribbon and lovely light-green eyes, blushed shyly and lowered her gaze.

Students at the Magic Academy generally return to their family homes for summer vacation. First-year students, in particular, are living away from home for the first time in their lives, so it’s common for them to count down the days until they can go home, crying from homesickness, and to rush back the moment the first semester ends.
However, there are always a certain number who don’t go home and choose to stay in the dormitory.

First, there are those whose homes are simply too far away.
The Jurnova Domain is a distance that takes two weeks one way by carriage. If it weren’t for the fast ships, Ekaterina and Aleksei probably wouldn’t have returned to their domain either. Children from families wealthy enough to maintain a mansion in the Imperial Capital would leave the dormitory to stay at their homes there, but for everyone else, staying in the dormitory is the only option.

Then there are those who, even if they don’t live that far away, want to save on round-trip travel expenses.
Even if it doesn’t take two weeks, if they have to spend several days jostled in a shared carriage and stay overnight a few times, the travel costs add up. While the students at the Magic Academy are all nobles, circumstances vary from family to family. It’s not uncommon for estates to be struck by disasters and end up deep in debt.

Olga is a baron’s daughter, and it seems her family is by no means wealthy.

“I spent my time sightseeing all over the Imperial Capital with the others who stayed behind. It was so much fun… Wonderful music was performed almost every day at the Temple of Music; it felt like a festival every day, and I found myself wanting to stay there forever. The Imperial Capital is amazing.”

Like the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of Music seems to be a popular theme park-like attraction. If the Temple of the Sun is more of an art museum, the Temple of Music is a slightly more down-to-earth place where the people of the Imperial Capital enjoy music on a daily basis.

Inside the temple, there is a stage resembling an open-air theater, where talented musicians offer their music to the gods. Though they’re called musicians, most are newcomers harboring hopes and ambitions of making a living through music. Since admission is free, music lovers from the Imperial Capital are always hanging out there, either entranced by the music being offered or booing mercilessly. It’s terrifying to hear that if someone plays too poorly, the priests will sometimes drag the musician off the stage to avoid incurring the god’s displeasure.
However, sometimes theater staff or other industry insiders are mixed in with the audience, and musicians are reportedly scouted.

But the musicians’ ultimate goal is to be summoned from this stage to the God of Music and perform in the god’s garden. Only those with true talent can receive that honor.
Kidnappers!
Or no, actually, as you’re usually allowed to go home after playing one song.
Then, as a musician invited by the God of Music, you’re welcomed into the temple, where you’ll be responsible for the music at national events and be able to make a living solely through music for the rest of your life.

So, basically, that’s just an audition venue!

Incidentally, there have been a few people in history who were so favored that they never returned, and apparently they’ve become objects of worship in their own right, regarded as beings on par with the God of Music.
When I begged to take vocal lessons, Onii-sama said something like, “What if you’re summoned to the God of Music’s garden and never come back…”—so that’s the kind of thing he was talking about…

Once again, his auditory-mode siscon filter is terrifyingly high-performance! Just as I expected from my big brother!
It might’ve taken 5 work days, but I’m impressed!

Just then, I heard a chuckle.

“Oh, my, how tacky. Spending a whole day at the Temple of Music is something only penniless commoners would do.”
“Yes, yes.”

You guys seem full of energy too… for no good reason.
You Yes-Yes Trio!

“I’m sure Lady Jurnova would’ve invited the finest musicians to her home to enjoy music! That’s what a noble is supposed to do, after all.”

One of the trio, Yes-Yes No. 1 (named by Ekaterina), said smugly.

Excuse me, your family’s pretty much drowning in debt, isn’t it? Your bit is already over, thanks.
It’s obvious you’re just trying to curry favor with me so you can have musicians called in for your own enjoyment. So why are you acting so smug about it?
After everything I went through in the domain, I’m scared how I almost find these three cute with how predictable they are.

Ekaterina chuckled softly.
Then, shifting her gaze, she caught sight of the Yes-Yes Trio out of the corner of her eye. She spoke in a low voice for the first time in a while.

“I’m in the middle of a conversation here…?”

For the first time in a while, her background was filled with dark clouds and lightning.
Oh, I’ve still got it.

No, this isn’t the time to be happy. Don’t I have to graduate from being the villainous young lady? Where did “pure, righteous, and beautiful” go?
Ekaterina found herself instinctively waving her hands to dispel the dark clouds in the background.

“I-I-I’m so sorry!”

Without even glancing at the Yes-Yes Trio, who were honestly freaked out, Ekaterina smiled gently at Olga.

“You seem to love music, Lady Olga.”
“Y-yes…. My family serves the Marquis of Seleznyov, and since music is very popular in the marquisate, it’s also a big part of our household.”
“Come to think of it, you sing beautifully, Lady Olga. I recall thinking your voice was particularly lovely during choir practice in music class.”

Having been in the choir club in her previous life, Ekaterina couldn’t help but pay close attention to her classmates’ singing. Incidentally, she had also noticed how well Flora sang during class.

“Please let me hear you sing sometime.”
“No, I couldn’t possibly!”

Olga blushed bright red and shook her head vigorously, but Marina clapped her hands.

“That’s it! To celebrate our reunion and the start of the new semester, how about we hold a music evening for the class?”
“Oh, how lovely!”

Ekaterina was also swept up in Marina’s idea.
She loved music, but in this life, she hadn’t had many opportunities to enjoy it. An event like this would surely make for a wonderful memory of her school days. Since music was part of an aristocrat’s education, if students who were confident in their abilities showcased their singing or instrumental skills, it should be quite enjoyable.

Just as she was getting excited about this, a male student nearby glared at her.

“Oh… my apologies. My voice was a bit too high, wasn’t it?”

She apologized, but the boy just snorted and turned away.
This boy, Renat Selezar, had pure white hair and violet eyes. His face was so cute that, in a past life, Ekaterina was sure some male idol agency wouldn’t have let him slip through their fingers. But he was just so unfriendly.

Still, I’d already confirmed that he had a great voice. It was a resonant tenor, if I recall correctly.

You don’t have to act so stubborn. This Onee-san will invite you properly, okay? You’re such a kid!

Ekaterina thought to herself with a smug “Hmph,” putting on her elder sister act.