Volume 1 Chapter 49 Genderbend Female Knight, Witnessing Bullying
"Do you understand what you're doing?"
"Honestly, it looks like you're asking for trouble."
"Well, I... this isn't what I meant..."
Silvia, nervously smoothing her silver hair, glanced back and forth at the upperclassmen who had come to scold her.
Truthfully, she was scared too, but she had no choice. If she didn't do it, a severe headache would strike. And if she did, both male and female classmates criticized her for being disgraceful and poorly educated. She spent her days surrounded by judgment.
Her conversations with the Crown Prince, in particular, caused her immense stress. Her pillow was often filled with long silver strands of hair that could be spun into silk fabric.
"Of all things, you're picking a fight with the Grand Duke's daughter, right? If you go against a noble family tied to the royal family, what do you think will happen to your own family?"
"Please stop before Lady Vittoria says anything."
*If I could, I wouldn't be struggling like this...* The words almost escaped her throat, but she knew they'd be useless.
At that moment, a low female voice called out from behind Silvia.
"Ladies, this is enough."
"Lady Kamitafira..."
"The Grand Duke's daughter doesn't want this to escalate, so please withdraw."
"If Lady Vittoria says so..."
The Grand Duke's daughter's entourage left, and Silvia bowed her head to the tall female student.
"Um, thank you───"
"I didn't help you."
"Huh?"
"What they're saying is reasonable, and honestly, you're in the wrong. But the time for scolding you has passed."
The female student, who looked directly at Silvia, had the demeanor of a nobleman. Her body was muscular and well-trained, like a man's.
"I've been told not to get too involved with you. I stopped them because they should have done the same. That's all. I didn't pity you or want to help you. So, no need for thanks."
Silvia's blood ran cold at the blunt words.
She understood she'd been abandoned. The cold stares she'd received before being acknowledged by her father seemed to pierce her spine.
"Even I───"
Just as she was about to say she didn't want to do this, that headache returned—a pain so intense it made her unable to stand Silvia.
──This guy's annoying. She's got a good face, so is she an extra character I don't know about? If she were a man, I'd flirt her, but she's a woman...
(That cursed spirit again...!)
"Hey, what's wrong? Do you have some kind of chronic illness?"
The female student grabbed Silvia's shoulder, placed her hands on her knees, and swiftly lifted her up—a "princess carry."
"For now, lie down on the bed. Your head hurts, right?"
"S-sorry───"
"──Hey! What are you doing?!"
A young man spoke up, watching them with a confused expression.
"Why are you holding a crying child?"
"She suddenly crouched down in pain, so I thought I'd help."
"Is that so? You didn't hurt her, did you?"
"Ha, if I were going to punch a lowerclassman, I'd enter a money-making tournament."
The young man's eyebrows furrowed at her tone.
"Are you okay? Is what she said true?"
"Uh, yes, it's true..."
Upon Silvia's words, the young man grimaced, swallowed, and spoke to Eleonora.
"I apologize for doubting you, but please watch your language when addressing a teacher."
"I'm sorry, Teacher. By the way, did you just start teaching?"
"I started today."
"We didn't introduce ourselves, so I hope you'll let that slide, Teacher."
Eleonora's emphasis on "Teacher" annoyed the young man, but since he'd unfairly doubted her, he couldn't get angry.
"I'm Callisto di Pappellino. From now on, call me Mister Pappellino."
"Understood, Mister Pappellino."
With that, Eleonora handed Silvia over to Pappellino, who caught her and left.
"I leave the rest to you. It's better if a teacher handles it than a student."
She wanted to avoid getting involved in such a scene, so she tried to leave, but Silvia was staring not at Callisto, but at Eleonora.
(In the end, I couldn't even say thank you... Even though I know being told I'm not needed isn't the same as forgiveness...)
* * *
"Were you the one talking to the Holy Maiden yesterday?"
"I was, but first, it's only polite to introduce yourself, first-year."
The one who approached Eleonora during lunch the next day was a male student, but his appearance was so girlish that the words he spoke were as clear as an angel's song.
"I'm Emilio from the Department of Theology."
"I'm Eleonora di Kamitafira from the Department of Knight. My title is Knight Proxy."
"Lady Kamitafira, I must ask you to keep your distance from the Holy Maiden."
"The Grand Duke's daughter has already told me the same, so I won't refuse. But why?"
In response to Eleonora's question, Emilio closed his eyes and answered.
"The Holy Maiden is the one who will lead the Sacred Realm in ten years. His Eminence the Archbishop has instructed that her involvement with the secular world be minimized."
"In other words, you're saying I shouldn't use her as a publicity tool or taint her image, right? And you're ignoring her own will. Is that truly God's will?"
"Are you questioning the words of the high-ranking clergy?"
"If it were God, maybe, but you're just humans skilled in argument and learning. You can make mistakes too."
The two glared at each other for a while, and then Eleonora looked away from Emilio.
"In any case, this is a request from the Church. I must ask you to comply."
"I see. Well, I won't go out of my way to support a junior I've only spoken to briefly. They're not even my subjects, after all."
As Emilio left, Eleonora watched his back, thinking once again that she didn't like religion, though she didn't voice it.
The Church's power was so great that even ten Kingdom of Ashreaches couldn't match it.
She couldn't afford to fight with such a force, she thought at the time.
Later, many historians would say that the conflict between Empress Eleonora and the Church, which twice (the first time on a smaller scale) besieged the Maro Papal States, began right here.
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