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The sun rose on the day of the exam.
As Ciel ate the breakfast Mia had prepared, I initiated a conversation.

『Come to think of it, it seems like Princess Leshimiiya has been keeping her promise—at least outwardly.』
「It doesn’t seem like there’s been much disturbance, after all. But what do you mean by ‘outwardly’?」
『I don’t believe that our encounter has been kept completely secret. After all, Princess Leshimiiya wasn’t the only witness back then.
I have a fuzzy feeling that someone there who knows that I’m a black-haired song princess has been instructed to do some work in the shadows.』
「A fuzzy feeling, huh.」
『A fuzzy feeling, yes.』
「The way you say ‘fuzzy’ is so cute, Ain.」
『… That’s not true.』

Sure, the word “fuzzy” does have a cute ring to it—I can understand why she’d think that. Still, it’s an ordinary word.
One that I’ve even used plenty of times in my male days.
That’s why I shouldn’t feel conscious about it, but for some reason, whenever Ciel calls me cute, I become overly self-conscious.
For whatever reason, Ciel has been calling me cute more often, but when she catches me off guard or when she says it with a more mature tone, I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

Ciel was staring at me with a warm smile before responding with a serious tone, resetting the mood.

「By ‘work in the shadows,’ you mean this country is actively looking for Ain?」
『Personally, I think that’s unlikely.』
「I agree. But why do you think so?」
『The princess explicitly said she didn’t want to antagonize me. When the guild protested what the prince did, King Ausente’s response made it clear he wanted to downplay the situation, so if this incident ever reaches the king, I think he’d avoid making careless moves.
Even if they are actually searching for me, it’s more likely they’ll only monitor us discreetly rather than make any direct confrontation.』
「You think she’ll directly report it to the king because she’s a princess?」

I personally believe that to be the case, but there’s no way to know the truth for sure. After all, I don’t understand the dynamics of the royal family, and neither does Ciel. Honestly, even Mother Fii might not have any idea.

『This work in the shadows is most likely to be the search for the perpetrator of the stampede outbreak.』
「In that case, it has nothing to do with us.」
『Exactly.』

The mastermind behind the stampede may hold a grudge against us, but that grudge would be directed at ‘Ainsel,’ not ‘Ailneige.’ And since we’ll primarily operate as Ailneige from here on, it’s practically irrelevant to us.
Honestly, if we start listing out the possible suspects, the members of the country’s anti-Central faction would all be suspect, and the list likely wouldn’t end there.
It’s even possible that no one orchestrated it at all and it was just pure coincidence.

More importantly, needlessly worrying about it would only undermine the purpose of using ‘Ainsel’ as a scapegoat to begin with.
For now, we simply need to limit our activities under that identity.

『Shall we head to the exam site while it’s still early?』
「Right. Latecomers won’t be allowed to take the exam, right?」
『That’s correct. And even if they were, showing up late would draw unnecessary attention, which is best avoided.』
「In that case, let’s go. Mia, we’re heading out now.」
「Please take care.」

With a graceful bow, Mia saw us off as we left the inn.
As today is the second academy examination day, the streets leading to the academy were bustling with activity and much busier than the day before.
There were children chaperoned by adults and eateries who competed for the chaperones’ attention.

There were also a fair number of children who had come alone, and Ciel—or rather, Ailneige—falls under this category.
At the academy gate, we gave our name and presented an exam ticket—which we’d received from the guild—for verification before being allowed inside.
The school building did not have wood flooring my high school had, but instead had floors resembling the linoleum used in universities and pristine white walls.
The lack of separate indoor and outdoor footwear added to the university-like feel.

A modest chandelier hung from the ceiling, making it also feel somewhat like a palace.
One side of the corridor was lined with large windows, while the other was occupied by classrooms.

Following the instructions, we entered a classroom filled with wooden desks and chairs neatly arranged in rows. After sitting in her designated seat, Ciel wore a somewhat listless expression.

『How do I describe it? The mood here feels strange.』
『It’s an entrance exam, after all. Everyone’s probably nervous.』
『I don’t mind that part since it means no one will bother us, but there’s nothing to do.』
『You’ll just have to get used to it.』
『Like the studies at the manor, huh.』
『Exactly. That was somewhat of a rehearsal for this.』

It was during our studies at the manor that I realized that Ciel had never experienced studying in front of a desk for extended periods of time until then.
It’s not that she couldn’t bear to sit still; she just seems to have a strong urge to move around.
Maybe it’s due to her being a Dance Princess… but I suspect it’s more likely the side effect of me making her dance so much in the past.
At worst, we could switch places, so it isn’t a serious problem for us.

As for the classroom itself, it can accommodate around 30 students and has a large chalkboard-like surface at the front.
By that, I mean there was a dark green board hanging on the wall. However, there didn’t seem to be any chalk or the like.

『There’s nothing to do until the scheduled time. What should we do?』
『Shall I sing for you?』
『That’s tempting, but it’ll make me want to dance, so I’ll pass. It really is tempting, though.』
『Then why not try reading a book?』
『I suppose I’ll do that. Ain, will you be alright?』
『I’ll take a look around the room, so don’t worry about me.』

Unlike Ciel, I am invisible to others. I don’t plan on distancing myself from Ciel, but I can at least move freely within this classroom.
As Ciel pulled out a book and began reading, I decided to observe the anxious examinees around us.
Judging by their clothing, it seemed we’d been grouped without regard to social status. For now, there didn’t seem to be any brewing conflicts.
Since causing trouble might result in disqualification, I suppose everyone is doing well to be in their best behavior—for now.

After all, I do see some noble children clearly sneering at the sight of commoner applicants.

And this ends our last update for this November!

So far, it seems like this exam might end without much troubles. Hopefully. Disqualification is a very strong motivation to behave, ngl. There might be some trouble *after* the exams though (excited).

Ciel being unable to sit still when studying is honestly surprising to me, but I guess it’s because she loses focus when she’s disinterested. After all, she has has been reading most of her life at Rispelgia manor. And to be fair, reading stories (or interesting topics) is different from studying *required* subjects. *Looking back on how I learned Japanese as a form of procrastination whenever I had to study chemistry*

Also, very short but very cute: Ain being embarrassed is always adorable.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!