When Martina returned to the dorm, dinner time was nearly over, and the dining hall was sparse with people.
“Excuse me! Is it still possible to eat?”
“You’re still within the time frame, so it’s fine.”
A kind-looking woman behind the counter responded to Martina and immediately handed her the evening’s menu.
The dorm Martina lived in was an official’s dorm for singles, where breakfast and dinner were provided for free. By the way, lunch was also free if she went to the palace’s cafeteria.
“Thank you very much.”
After receiving her meal, she sat at an empty seat and smiled at the delicious food. Just then, a man sat down at the seat in front of her.
He was wearing loose loungewear and drying his damp hair with a towel, as if he’d just taken a shower.
“Roland, what’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter? Don’t ‘what’s the matter’ me! I was worried you’d miss dinner on your first day, so I was keeping an eye out for you!”
“…I really apologize. I was reading a book at the royal library, and before I knew it, it was closing time.”
At Martina’s words, Roland let out a deep sigh and placed his arms on the table.
“You can do whatever you want in your free time, but come back a bit earlier next time. It’s dangerous for a woman to be out alone in the dark, and you’re a rare commoner in the palace.”
—Roland’s worried about me, I guess. He seems hard to approach at first, but he’s actually really kind.
“Thank you. I’ll be more careful from tomorrow.”
“Good. —So, did something bad happen?”
“…Eh? Why?”
“You didn’t look like you were having fun, considering you just came from reading your favorite book at the library. Your eyes were sparkling more during the day.”
Martina touched her cheeks with both hands in response to Roland’s words.
“Was it that obvious?”
“You’re easy to read. When you’re reading documents at work, you look so happy that other officials ask me what kind of job you’re doing.”
The fact that even others could see how joyful she looked made Martina a little embarrassed, and she blushed slightly.
“So, why do you look so down, even though you just came from reading your favorite book at the library?”
“Well…”
Martina hesitated, unsure how to respond to Roland’s probing look. She was worried that if she mentioned Sylvan, Roland might tell someone about it.
Seeing her hesitation, Roland leaned in and, in a voice only she could hear, asked quietly:
“Could it be Sylvan?”
At Roland’s words, Martina immediately looked up and widened her eyes.
“Haha, it’s so obvious. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“Ah… um, how did you know?”
“I was eating dinner at a nearby table, and I overheard him talking about going to see his brother, who’s an assistant minister. I figured you might have had a run-in with him and he might have said something unpleasant.”
Martina was surprised by Roland’s insight, as he had deduced the situation from just a few details, and she realized there was no point in hiding it anymore. She relaxed and spoke openly.
“I bumped into him in the hallway just as I was leaving the royal library. He told me to address him as ‘Sir Sylvan’ and act appropriately given his status. It’s true our statuses are different, but I was vaguely hoping to get along with my peers, so I felt a little sad…”
When Martina honestly revealed her feelings, Roland gently patted her head with a kind expression.
“I see. It’s a tough situation. There are still many families that uphold aristocratic superiority. If you, as a commoner, want to live peacefully, it’s best to keep your distance from those types.”
“Yeah… I understand. It’s sad, but I’ll accept it. Fortunately, Nadia seems like she might be friendly, so I’ll try to talk to her more!”
Martina clenched her fists and declared, and Roland seemed relieved, smiling.
“Good luck. If anything happens, I’ll always be here to listen, and I might be able to help. Well, I’m from a baron’s family, so I can’t do much, but maybe I can help a little.”
“Yes. Thank you so much, Roland. I’m glad you’re my superior.”
“Oh, that makes me happy. You’re actually my first subordinate.”
Roland, who said that while scratching his cheek with his index finger, had his ears turning red, as if he was embarrassed.
After that, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward, and while Martina silently continued eating her meal… someone interrupted the mood between the two.
“Ah, Martina! I finally found you. Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you,” Nadia said.
It was Nadia. She was still in her official uniform and had her makeup perfectly done.
“Nadia, you were looking for me…?” Martina asked.
“Yes, I wanted to have dinner with you. Since we’re both in the same year, we should get to know each other, right? And I also wanted to ask you about the secret to getting full marks,” Nadia explained.
“I see. I’m sorry… I was actually at the royal library,” Martina apologized.
“Then, you should have invited me along.”
Seeing Nadia puff her lips in a pout, Martina smiled from the heart.
“I’ll invite you next time. I plan to go every day after work…”
“Then let’s go together tomorrow.”
“Of course!”
“Well, Martina, I’m heading back to my room now. Miss Nadia, please excuse me,” Roland said.
Roland, who had been watching their exchange with a relieved expression, stood up from his chair and gave a polite bow to Nadia.
“Ah, your attitude is different from just now,” Nadia remarked.
“Since it’s after work hours, I need to show the proper respect to a young lady,” Roland replied.
“You don’t have to worry about that with me. I’m the third daughter of an earl, and I don’t have any power. I’ve actually been wanting to get along with you. From now on, we’ll be colleagues working together, right?” Nadia said.
“…Is that so? Well then, I’ll treat you normally,” Roland responded.
He quickly changed his attitude toward Nadia and waved his hand as he left the dining hall. Nadia looked at him with a slightly exasperated gaze.
“You’re quite a skillful person,” she said.
“Um… Nadia, you’re from an earl’s family?” Martina asked, her curiosity about Nadia’s background surpassing her concern about Roland. She spoke nervously.
Nadia immediately nodded and smiled, telling her not to worry about it.
“I don’t really care about whether someone’s noble or commoner. I just want to get along with people I can connect with,” Nadia said.
“I see. That’s a relief,” Martina replied.
“Yes, I’m glad you’re not bothered by it. But my family, especially my father, is very old-fashioned. He doesn’t just discriminate against commoners—he honestly believes that women don’t need to study, that the greatest happiness for a woman is to marry a man. Can you believe that? It’s so outdated. If I had stayed there, I would have been forced to marry some ignorant man I couldn’t respect, so I ran away and took the civil servant exam. It’s ridiculous to decide someone’s worth by their gender or status. My father is an earl, yet you, Martina, are far more capable than he is,” Nadia vented.
Nadia seemed to have a lot of frustration built up about her family, speaking passionately. Martina looked at her, taken aback.
“That’s true… being able to learn is a blessing,” she said.
While it wasn’t a problem for Nadia, the daughter of an earl, to speak ill of her family, if Martina, a commoner, were to agree, it could cause issues even in the present day. But Martina also wanted to show support for her friend’s feelings. After thinking it through, she simply said:
“Yeah, learning is a wonderful thing.”
Nadia seemed satisfied with this and nodded enthusiastically.
“Exactly! I think learning is amazing. But my father—ah, sorry, I shouldn’t trouble you with this,” Nadia apologized.
“No, it’s not that I don’t mind, it’s just… in my position, I can’t really say anything,” Martina explained.
“I see, sorry about that,” Nadia said.
“No, it’s fine. You can talk to me anytime. By the way… Nadia, they won’t try to drag you back, right?” Martina asked, feeling uneasy about Nadia’s relationship with her family.
Nadia smiled mischievously and nodded confidently.
“Of course not. As a civil servant, I belong to the country, so my father can’t easily interfere. Besides, nowadays, the individual is valued more than the family,” Nadia assured her.
“I’m glad to hear that. I really want to work with you forever, Nadia,” Martina said.
“Nadia…!” Martina’s words seemed to touch her deeply.
The two of them continued chatting and deepened their bond even further, their hearts growing closer.
“Well then, Martina, see you tomorrow,” Nadia said.
“Yeah! Good night, Nadia,” Martina replied.
“Good night,” Nadia responded.
Both of them returned to their rooms, their faces lit up with bright smiles.
