…By the way, the current situation was like this in the eyes of the other students.
After school, Francesca was enjoying a tea party with her best friend, Tricia, out on the terrace. There were homemade herbal cookies on the table. If an acquaintance happened to pa.s.s by, she would generously share with them, it was quite the friendly atmosphere.
The one who ruined it was the transfer student, Angelina. Jealous of the relationship between Francesca and Leonhart, she incited the boys to follow her, and verbally abused her.
With this incident happening within an aristocratic school, Angelina"s bad reputation would be decisive in her social standing in the world.
Disagreeable, high-handed, and stubborn, she was convinced that she was the centre of the world and would never reflect on her actions, it was like watching the typical villainous daughter who came from stories.
—Villainous daughter, Angelina.
With gazes filled with contempt, she would now be referred to as that.
"I"m the heroine, and you"re the villain right!? Why is it not following the original, agh!"
Angelina heated up at her own words, her hair was disheveled as she yelled at Francesca. At that hysteric figure, scornful laughter began to grow, but Angelina herself was unaware.
—A male student quietly muttered. "Which one"s the villain?"
—The other students murmured out an answer. "Can"t you see that it"s Angelina."
—Also, another male student muttered. "Francesca-san, it"s like she"s speaking to a child."
—And next to him a female student muttered. "Good luck, Francesca-san. Don"t lose to that sort of insane woman."
The atmosphere of the place was obviously leaning towards Francesca. To the students it looked like "the Heroine Francesca was confronting the Villainess Angelina", with that thinking, they supported Francesca in their hearts.
"Angelina-san, please calm down. We can speak about this with composure."
"Shut up! I"m not concerned about my dignity!"
The angered Angelina, no longer had any self-control. Furiously raising her right hand. Pachi~n, an explosive sound rang out. Angelina"s right hand hit the cheek.
…But it was not Francesca"s cheek.
"Tri…cia…?"
"Sorry Francesca. It seems I got in the way."
When Tricia saw Francesca"s situation unfolding in front of her eyes, she forced herself between the two, getting slapped by Angelina as a subst.i.tute. Lightly stroking her red cheek, Tricia turned towards Angelina.
"Angelina-san, I don"t know what to be more irritated by, for a lady to come to the conclusion of violence."
"Hah!? A mob-chara"s actually preaching to me?"
"…Seriously."
Tricia was astonished and sighed. Her left hand played with stray curl of hair in front of her forehead, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and opened them. Then, the usual cheerful and caring girl looked entirely unimaginable, it was like she was looking at a bug. Tricia was quite tall for a woman and was a head taller than Angelina. Folding her arms in front of her chest, she looked down at her.
"Wh-what… d-do you…"
Angelina was frightened by Tricia"s change in personality. Whatever power she had just now was gone, she was fl.u.s.tered and took a step back.
"Aren"t you a lady? I"m Tricia, the Duke of Valeria"s daughter. Do you think I can"t strike down the big mouthed Earl"s daughter?"
"Hii…!"
Overwhelmed by Tricia"s intimidating air, Angelina cowered in fear. Her face immediately turning pale.
"Not just Angelina-san… You guys there."
She glared at the male followers. Some of them, with only that, "Hii!" they let out a small shriek.
"All of you, do you even understand exactly what you"ve been doing?"
"Wh-wh-what do you…?"
In a frightened state, the followers enquired.
"Surrounding a woman and ganging up on them. Isn"t that rather awful, it"s not very gentlemanly of you."
"Bu-but that"s because Francesca was bullying Ange-chan…"
"Insisting that it"s like that, that must mean you have evidence?"
"E-evidence, Ange-chan said…"
The group of boys turned towards Angelina for help.
"Eh!? Ah, um…"
Not expecting the topic would come back to her, Angelina panicked. Her eyes swimming, she cried out like a sinner struggling in a courtroom.
"I, I, I saw it! I saw her! Today, when I came to school early in the morning, Francesca was opening my locker, she ripped my textbooks and dirtied my uniform!"
The unsightly lie was obvious to everyone. Because, this morning, Angelina was extremely late. Also, if Francesca was the criminal, and Angelina had witnessed it, why did she not immediately accuse her during the act? There were too many questions, n.o.body believed in Angelina"s words—
"School early in the morning? That"s impossible. Don"t tell a lie."
Adding to this, another one of Francesca"s supporters appeared.
"…From yesterday evening until this morning, Francesca was with me the entire time."
It was the Second Prince and Francesca"s fiancé, Leonhart di Claudis.