First Year First Semester – Q of Diamonds Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.
In her internal monologue, Beatrix refers to Camille as ‘カミーユ嬢(kamiiyu-jou)’. The -jou here I’ve translated as ‘miss’, and is the same ‘jou’ in ‘ojousama’ and ‘jouchan"(little miss). Young, unmarried woman.
Today is the day of Baka-sama’s supplementary exam. Actually, His Majesty doesn’t think fondly of Baka-sama studying abroad. After all, he gave Baka-sama permission to take the exam under the a.s.sumption that he’d fail, when miraculously Baka-sama pa.s.sed. The second prince who’s wilful and unfettered at best of times, would be going to a place where His Majesty wouldn’t be around. There’s no way that His Majesty wouldn’t be worried. “Absolutely don’t let him cause trouble,” His Majesty instructed us guards personally. Aahh, my stomach hurts…
On the day of that Baka-sama’s supplementary exams, I was drinking his handmade stomach medicine while I waited for his return in the lobby of the Diamonds dorm. Baka-sama is an idiot, but his ability in magic potions is amazing. The medicines that he create have effects unmatched by others.
“Ahh, it’s about time for the exams to finish, isn’t it?”
I have a little time to rest until my lord returns. The strain from always being forced to babysit him just keeps building up. I want to be able to rest, at least in the times when he isn’t here.
After a while, the dorm begins to get noisy. Ahh, Baka-sama has arrived, hasn’t he? He’s popular with the girls. Not as much as me, but he’s popular. Moreover, the person himself is a helpless womaniser. Even in this dorm, regardless of whether they’re a student or a servant, there are many devotees of Baka-sama . …Still, today is one grade noisier than usual. Wondering about this, I went to go see what was going on with my lord.
Baka-sama brought back a pet.i.te school girl. She’s not a member of the Diamonds faction, and seems to be a student from another faction. Honestly, he’s a man who makes no distinction.
“Oh? That’s…”
I saw the girl’s head. She had pink hair, and from her cheek to her shoulder were tattoos… There are a bunch on her arms, too.
“Camille Rhodolite…”
Why did Baka-sama bring Camille Rhodolite…? When did they become friendly? Speaking of which, in the past he mentioned something about liking a young lady that was at Garnet’s dance party. It couldn’t be that it was her? Baka-sama got on the magic circle that served as an elevator, and headed with her to his room.
…I have a bad feeling about this. In a fl.u.s.ter, I headed towards the floor with his room, and after questioning the maid about the instructions he gave her regarding today’s guest, I found that as expected, she was asked to prepare one of the prince’s handmade magic teas (one with a bewitchment effect). That guyyyy. Look, I’ve completely seen his ulterior motives. Even if he can fool Camille, my eyes won’t be! Just how many years do you think I’ve taken care of Baka-sama?
It’s just a magic tea, so normally the effects wouldn’t be anything that great. Even if there was an effect, it’d just be enough to change the mood. That’s why there shouldn’t be any immediate bewitchment effects. No, but… I changed my mind. All of these teas are handmade by Baka-sama… It might be risky to consider them as having the same effect as normal magic teas. I honestly can’t let my guard down when it comes to that idiot prince. It’s only in this area that his brain is put to use.
In place of the magic tea with the bewitching effects, I prepared a magic tea for fatigue and mana recovery, and headed to Baka-sama’s room.
“Waka-sama, I’ve brought the tea.”
In my lord’s room was Miss Camille whom I caught a glance of earlier. Camille-sama’s silky pink hair was worn straight down, and she was happily speaking about something with an adorable smile. She’s a bishoujo. Even excluding Baka-sama, I’m sure she’s easily popular.
“Ah, grazie, Bea-chin.”
Baka-sama, aren’t you sitting a little too close to Miss Camille?
“But still~, Camille, you really are the best, aren’t you?”
“I wonder about that.”
As expected of you. To continue seducing women even though I’m here, I take my hat off to my lord.
But still, Miss Camille’s reply came admirably quickly. In the game, wasn’t she a girl who was very proud of her own good looks, who loved men, her favourite being the prince of her own country, but also being a s.l.u.t who was weak against the compliments of good looking men in general? Considering that she’s tattooed all over her body, and her relationship with the J of Hearts, she’s really too different from the original Camille.
“You are! It’s not easy to find a magician of your skill, you know? I’d definitely want you to come to Topageria, and spread your knowledge of magic through our country. As my wife.”
“Huh? Waif?”
Camille’s words covered over the words in my mind.
“Right. Hmm? Could it be that it didn’t reach you, Camille?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Mmmmn, that’s weirddd. The Rhodolite Marquis family said that they received our message, though.”
“Tria-sama?”
“You see, I applied for a marriage. With you.”
Haah? Before I knew it, had my lord even started making moves on women in other countries? It seems that at some point, Baka-sama had applied for a marriage with Miss Camille without me knowing. It seems that Miss Camille didn’t know about it either, and she’s bewildered.
“B-, But I’m already engaged to Achille, you see.”
Eh-, Miss Camille is engaged? And moreover, to the J of Hearts of all people? Why? Aren’t the two of them supposed to be like cats and dogs when it comes to the K of Hearts? When the Heroine met with the K of Hearts end, didn’t Achille socially obliterate Camille to the point that she couldn’t show her face in public anymore? I can’t get over this, geez. But this trouble in my heart was blown away by Baka-sama’s next line.
“But I mean, with my authority, I’d be able to do something about it, you seeee.”
To think that he said the absolutely lowest line he could say to the girl that he’s trying to get close to. This guy, is he planning to forcefully break apart somebody else’s marriage using his authority? I don’t recall bringing up such a kid!
“You stupid kiddd! What the h.e.l.l are you thinking, making a move on a girl with a fiancé!? If a horse doesn’t kick you, I will!”
Oops, I ended up raising my hand against him. Miss Camille is wide-eyed in shock.
“It huuurts! Bea-chin, what are you doing!? This is abuse of a prince!”
“Shut up, d.a.m.nit.”
Ah, no good, no good. Even though we’re in front of a guest, didn’t I just reveal our usual conduct?
“Owow… I mean, aren’t you only engaged in a strategic marriage?”
“…That’s-”
Oh? Miss Camille is stuck for words. Looking at how those two were behaving at the mixer, it doesn’t seem that they’re just in a marriage of convenience.
“Waka-sama, Camille-sama must also have her own circ.u.mstances. Impatient men end up hated, you know. …Camille-sama, please help yourself to the tea. This time we’ve prepared a variety of magic tea that’s relatively easier to drink.”
“Thanks.”
Miss Camille looks relieved that the topic has moved on from that. Savouring the magic tea in her mouth, she’s smiling.
“It’s delicious.”
How cute! The Camille Rhodolite in the game was just annoying, but this girl is different. As expected, this girl isn’t Camille. I’m sure of it.
I want to try speaking to her. After all, if she’s in the same circ.u.mstances as me, then I’m sure she’s been troubled about it all this time.
After chasing Baka-sama out of the room, I gained a chance to speak with Miss Camille. It looks like she’s being wary of me. It’s understandable; in the game, the Hearts and Diamonds factions had a bad relationship.
“I shall go straight to the point. Are you, like me, …a person from a different world?”
Miss Camille reacted a little. Unlike how she was in the game, this Camille seems to be bad at lying. I decided to press her further.
“The original Camille Rhodolite wouldn’t have gotten into something like an engagement with Achille Jade. Her magic was also not as good as yours. She was a woman who did nothing other than chase Royce-sama about… Though, similarly, I too am very far from the original Beatrix Tapas.”
Because her vigilance seemed to have slightly lessened, I told her about myself. It seems that it was effective, and her expression softened a little. Miss Camille slowly opened those lovely, cherry blossom coloured lips of hers, and answered with what I wanted to hear.
“I see. I’m like you… somebody who came from another world. I fell down the emergency stairs at high school, and I ended up as the three year old Camille in this game world…”
She easily spoke to me about how she first ended up in this world, and how she’d been living up until now. She was originally a high schooler, and although she hadn’t completely cleared the game, she’d finished the routes of the important characters. Of course, she knew about the fate that awaited Camille in the game as well.
“I knew it!”
Because I was overwhelmed with emotion, I unconsciously hugged her. I’ve always been alone, and anxious, and there were days where I was afraid that no matter how I tried, nothing would change. It was tough. But I had a comrade in a place like this. Camille, who had come to this world in the same way that I did.
“Whoa…!”
She was surprised at my behaviour.
“Sorry, I was just too happy… Once I thought that it wasn’t just me.”
Miss Camille accepted somebody like me. The fact that she’s facing away a little awkwardly is probably because she’s being shy.
However, I couldn’t conceal my shock at her next words.
“It’s not just me, you know? I probably know of two other people who came from another world.”
“Who is it? Could it be the Q of Clovers who failed the exam?”
In fact, I independently researched the other characters that didn’t enter the school. In the end, I didn’t know what the majority were doing, but I know about the Q of Clovers. She took the entrance exam, but she failed. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be a talented student in the game, what does it mean that she failed the exam? It could be that both she and Miss Camille are people who swapped with the original characters.
“No, I don’t know that person… Also, you don’t have to use keigo with me, you know? In our original worlds, you’re my elder after all.”
“…Well then, as long as we aren’t in public, I’ll take you up on your offer… If it’s not the Q of Clovers, then who?”
Miss Camille spoke about the possibility of the Heroine and the Q of Spades being bodyswappers. The Heroine seemed like she might have knowledge of the game. It seems that Miss Camille doesn’t know about her personality yet, but at any rate, she’s the heroine. It’d be rea.s.suring if she was an ally.
Miss Camille spoke of yet another shocking truth. It was about the relationship between Raiga and Mei, that I’d been wondering about since the entrance ceremony.
“The two of them are engaged, you see.”
“No way! …So the two of them really are together…?”
My mind went blank.
If possible, I had wanted to try speaking to Raiga Transbaal who I had always been a fan of, once I entered the school. I held the weak hopes of even becoming lovers with him if things went well. Right now, in that instant, it was all smashed to pieces though.
After that, I spoke to her about various other things, but as sorry as I am, because the shock was too huge, I hardly remember a thing about what we talked about. However, I feel like at the end, I accepted an invitation to meet with Mei.