Chapter 53 – Stormy Student Council President Election (2)

“Pi—.”
“I’m not offended at all, Pi.”

Erzsebet accepted Pyi’s words, hiding her somewhat uncomfortable feelings. It was none other than Adela’s declaration of candidacy for student council president.
In fact, since I was a human being, it was natural to feel a little disappointed.
As expected, Erzsebet has shown considerable favor to Adela so far.
He helped her get a job at the canteen that she so desperately wanted, he found her a decent marriage partner, even though she was a bit lazy, and until just a few days ago, he put her next to her so she wouldn’t get kicked out of the academy, and even taught her to study.

But she declared in front of her eyes that she would run for election and become a competitor. She felt a bit bitter as she wet the corners of her mouth with the tea.

“Pi—.”
“I know. “There won’t be any big variables anyway.”

Of course, Erzsebet was not overly wary whether Adela was running for president or in the director’s worm race.
She was already the overwhelming candidate to win this election.
Although it is a position that is elected through a somewhat unfamiliar method of voting, which is somewhat at odds with the existing kingdom’s governance system, in fact, it is safe to say that the presidential election was a line-up between families.

This was also the reason why Hergé Bet was confident of her victory. Now that the royal family has stepped forward as her candidate, pro-royal family figures will officially express their support for her.
Naturally, lower-ranking nobles who are on the same boat as the students or face each other in the same salon will be affected and will have a huge impact on the voting results.

In comparison, Adela was no different from any other noble who only applied to run for office in hopes of getting her name known at her academy.
She has no significant power, and from the day of her admission, she is fundamentally different from herself, who has interacted with numerous nobles and strengthened her personal connections.

“The results are obvious even without looking at them. Oh, by the way, today was the day the first public opinion poll was announced, right? Piy, go get the results.”
“Pi—.”
“Stop wandering around and go quickly! I’m so lazy! Come on!”

Survey—— Should I call it a kind of likeability measurement?
Academy students, especially freshmen, are not familiar with voting. Therefore, before a full-scale election begins, a public opinion poll similar to a popular vote is conducted.
A method where each student chooses the person they like on a bulletin board with the candidates’ photos and names displayed. Today was the day the results came out.

Erzsebet, who had sent Phi flying away, quietly trembled in the empty classroom.
It was natural for her to be nervous. If she fails to get elected, what will she do next at the Academy… If nothing else, failure was absolutely unacceptable this time.

‘Are you okay. ‘There won’t be any surprises.’

She feigned composure and waited for 10 minutes, which felt like an hour, to receive her pre-voting results from Pii, who returned a moment later.
However–

“Uh?”

[1st place: Adela Sylvester 45.52%]
[2nd place: Erzebet Brunhart 37.24%]
[3rd place: Melbourne Borte: 14.25%]
.
.
.

Tuk.

With a devastated look on her face, she dropped the paper on the floor. A moment later, a word that was almost like a mumble escaped from her beautiful mouth.

“Why… ?”

***

“Huh, fuck… “Don’t tell me.”

When she received the results of the poll, her stomach tightened.
How far away are the last days? An era when Adela stands at the top of all students at the academy. This was the last days.
What kind of world was it that I risked my life to save? A dark string hits her chest.

There was even a picture in the morning paper of Erzsebet standing there looking dumbfounded, looking at the same ticket I was looking at.
[Shock! The headline, “Princess Defeated: Rebellion in the North!?” Was impressive.
Yes, I am beyond surprised and dumbfounded, but from the perspective of the person involved, it would be mind-boggling.
To be defeated by someone like Adella. Even I, who didn’t really like the princess, felt a little sympathy for her.

“Why on earth did this result come out? Hmm…”

Based on my brief insight, there may be a reason why Adela received the votes of many people.
Of course, the label of being a member of the Count Rocheire family was carried from the beginning.

At the beginning of her semester, she went to almost every salon that existed at her academy and got her face stamped.
Even if the evaluation was negative, there is currently no student at Parenzia Academy who does not know Adela Sylvester.

The same vote given to all students.
Perhaps, even if it was unintentional, the paths of Erzsebet and Adela, who had been dating mainly upper-class nobles, diverged sharply.

Moreover, the final blow was while working at a cafe.
There were quite a few of her customers coming to see her, to the point where I had to close her cafe while Adela was away.
On the outside, it looked pretty decent and it served customers well, so it must have been labeled as the flower of the North Sea in the eyes of the students. Among them, I was invited to the dance by one who was blinded by the thick and hard bean pods.

In the end, her image as Rochear’s second daughter, which was foolish at the time, was completely shattered, and her evaluation from students also rose sharply.
What kind of ecosystem destroying species is this?
The wave that Adela, who had been tied up in her stall until now, went out into the world was like watching the native snakehead that upsets American rivers. Was all this intentional?

Due to the unexpected result, the academy was abuzz with stories about Adela.

“Ah, teacher~!”

While I was buying miscellaneous food to feed my dogs in downtown Parencia, I ran into the person who was the subject of the topic.

Adela was the same as usual. The way she smiles brightly as she looks at me, and the way she carries herself.
The only thing that is different is the number of people surrounding her. Several crystal spheres, acting as cameras in this world, were taking pictures of Adela from all around her. She looks like some kind of idol.

Pakak!

“Ahh!”

Among them, I crushed the wizard’s thing that was trying to go down her skirt by stepping on it with my foot. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and brought her over to me and asked.

“What is all this about?”
“I’m going to be the student council president!”
“Didn’t you come to the canteen to prepare for that?”
“Ugh~. “You know what, sir.”

Adela clung to me, touched the corner of her mouth with her finger, and gave me a troubled look.

“I can’t find the store.”
“What?”
“It was a road I took every day, but strangely, when I came to my senses, I found myself circling around.”

Um, yeah. What I mean is that I got lost in this academy where everything is open and there are signs everywhere.
A wizard who can’t find a single store that he used to frequent until now just because he was a little inactive during the exam period. And a world where such a wizard holds the position of student council president.

“That’s right.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing. “Have you eaten yet?”

It was soon dinner time. I was planning to go in and have a quick meal while Liv was looking after the store.
I recommended it because it seemed appropriate for someone at this age to eat alone, but Adela responded more strongly than I expected.

“On a date!?”
“No.”

I held Adela’s hand, who had just returned from outside, and stopped her from taking her steps again.

“Let’s just eat at the restaurant inside the academy. Got it?”
“Still…”
“You’re busy. “I have to go back to the store quickly.”
“All right.”

Although she seemed a bit disappointed, she obediently followed me. In order to avoid the unreasonable followers swarming behind me, I had no choice but to go into a rather expensive restaurant.

***

Because the lives of nobles should not be uncomfortable, various convenient facilities were located on the academy’s spacious grounds.
There are cafeterias that sell somewhat ordinary bread and student cafeterias that serve higher-quality meals, but Bayou Hall offers more upscale fine dining.

The price of Parencia is still expensive, and the Academy adds a premium, so the cost of one meal is around 10 gold per person. Corkage is also significant at half the price.
It was a frightening amount of money, equivalent to fifteen days’ salary of an ordinary village official, but it was not a burden to Adela.
Rather, it was okay to order twice as much for dinner with Louis. In other words, of course he was planning to pay his share as well.
The teacher is by no means rich, and is the type of person who would be reluctant to spend money on things like this.

However, contrary to her thoughts, an unexpected problem arose.

“Sorry, sir. “It is difficult for people traveling with you to find a seat.”

The waiter guarding the door blocked Lewis from entering.

“Why?”
“Isn’t this person a student at the academy?”

Of course, even if they were not students, there were times when guests or close outsiders would come to the dinner party of nobles.
The reason Louise was rejected by the restaurant, Les Amis, was because he was not an aristocrat by any stretch of the imagination and did not have the appropriate attire to wear to her fine dining room.
A dirty T-shirt and shorts that only commoners on the street would wear. Slippers whose straps fall off. In one hand, he even had a basket full of clanking scrap metal.

Lewis also scratched her head as if she was troubled.

“Well, this won’t work today. Sorry, let’s eat next time. I later…”
“No, Miss!!”

What do we do? The teacher is about to leave.

Should we ask to go to another restaurant? However, most restaurants within the academy will probably have a similar attitude.
Just as Adela was stamping her feet, a voice she had never heard before came from behind her.

“It’s nothing special, canteen owner. “Are you here to eat?”
“Viscount?”

It seemed like they had met her for the first time, and as soon as Louise recognized her, the waiter in front of the two of them bowed deeply and greeted her.

“Welcome, Viscount Ruhilen!!”
“Hmm? Thank you. “I didn’t make a reservation. Are there any seats left?”
“Of course! “I’ll guide you to a quiet window!”

Darling, who was naturally following the waiter in, soon turned his head and asked Lewis.

“Aren’t you going in?”
“Ah, maybe it’s because they said it wouldn’t work. “I’m going back now.”
“Hmm… Is it. Look, you. “There will be no problem if I let this person in, right?”
“Yes! Of course!”
“Adela? Let’s go in. “It worked out well.”

Adela looked blankly at the back of Darling, who had let them pass with just one word. Fiery hair and piercing scarlet eyes reminiscent of her orange sapphires.
Just meeting the mysterious woman’s gaze for a moment as she turned her head made me feel intimidated.

— Canteen owner, I didn’t know you were interested in elections.
– Yes? What does that mean?
— Didn’t he go out of his way to walk with the candidate to a place like this just to stand in line? When I invited him, he flatly refused.
— I was just trying to get some dinner, nothing special. Come to think of it, Viscount, you are not running for office?
— If we compare it to fishing, the student council president is nothing more than a fry. Hmm… Would you like to talk here for a moment?

The two people seemed friendly as they chatted naturally. Suddenly, I felt a familiar feeling of alienation.

“Adela? “I’m going to talk to Viscount Ruhilen for a moment.”
“Then the meal…”
“It will come soon. “If the food comes out quickly, eat it first.”
“Yes…”

Lewis left. Adela sat alone in front of a large table covered with a white tablecloth.

Since her return from the North Sea she had harbored a ray of uneasiness in her heart.
She likes and admires Lewis, but she wonders if the teacher doesn’t actually love her.

He did not stop anyone coming, nor did he stop anyone going.

Every day, she approached me and greeted me with a bitter smile, but on the other hand, even when I couldn’t approach the store for unknown reasons, she just greeted me indifferently, saying it had been a while.

So, maybe the teacher didn’t love me. Maybe she just got carried away by the atmosphere and hugged me once.

Have the words “I love you” Ever come out of Lewis’s mouth? Even when she was panting and clutching her pear leaves, she was the one who always longed for her love.

‘Ah.’

Adela realized why this sad feeling of discomfort made her heart ache.

A love that is not reciprocated. She was now sitting in front of a cold table.