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ALTHOUGH the placement exam at the Magic Academy was a written test, all regular examinations after it were equally split between written and oral exams. Because their grades at school directly affected their professional outlooks, everyone worked hard at their studies.
Yet the walls of the dormitory were surprisingly thin. Emma had thought so her first time at the Academy, and her opinion hadn’t changed. She heard her neighbors practicing their spellcraft out loud. One muttered to herself about testing strategies. The thumps and thuds came from practicing for martial arts exams. Many sounds were easily transmitted through the thin walls.
Emma was no exception, having that in common with her classmates. Her first day of lessons had just ended, and she was back in her room in the dormitory. Seated at her desk, she flipped through a thick book. It was a hair catalog she’d purchased a short while ago from a shop.
“I see there are maids working in the royal palace who can change hair color or apply auras using magic…” she mused.
In her first life, after graduating from the Magic Academy, Emma was conferred her very own suite at the royal palace because of her vital role in safeguarding the country. At the time, the government had asked her father, Viscount Seagrove, if he planned to send a maid with her, but she’d told him she didn’t need one. Now she regretted the decision since she would have liked to observe a maid’s work closely. This book only listed special hairstyles, each requiring mastery of advanced life magic taught at the Academy.
Oh, the princess’s hairstyle at the last Foundation Day celebration was based on this one! The Monarchy of Reauxvil’s oldest princess was Her Highness, Samantha, eighteen years old. She was admired as a fashion icon by all the girls and young women in the country, from nobles to villagers living on the border.
“This hair color is lovely. Let’s see how many incantations it requires… One, two, three… As I suspected, not in my wheelhouse. Well, that’s unfortunate.” Every hairstyle in the catalog was impossible for Emma to achieve at her current level of ability. “But I want to be able to execute all of them by the time I graduate.”
Speaking of life after school, there were two routes she could take to become a lady’s maid. The first involved using her father’s social network to find work. It was the easiest and most effective method, but the people in her father’s network were also connected to Bernard and Annette’s families. Emma wanted to avoid any entanglements on that front.
The second path involved excelling at the Academy and using its connections to find work. If she did well here, working for the royal family or a duke fell within reach. Moreover, should she succeed in obtaining employment in a household that hired many maids, she could become the head housekeeper, which in turn would allow her to continue working there even longer.
All in the Monarchy of Reauxvil considered being a lady’s maid a respectable occupation. A fair number of aristocrats even encouraged their daughters to assume employment as maids so that they could broaden their worldly horizons before they married. But Emma’s ideals were different.
Hm… I highly doubt a decent marriage for this time traveler will still be in the cards after I break off my exceedingly good match with a count’s son. That’s why I’ll find work with a family outside of our social circle. Without those ties of obligation, I’ll be able to work all my life, just like I wish to!
Hope swelling in her chest, Emma sprawled ecstatically on her desk. She thought about her first life when she had earnestly and single-mindedly shuttled back and forth between the future and the present. Then she compared it to this one. In her second life, not only did she have something she truly wanted to do, but she also had the freedom to do it. It made her so happy that she couldn’t contain herself.
“Once I graduate from the Magic Academy, I’ll find work somewhere wonderful. The royal palace or a noble family—it doesn’t matter which. I just want to take care of their daughters. Every day, we’ll discuss the best hairstyles and outfits, go shopping together, and more… Oh, and I’ll do such an outstanding job protecting them that their mothers and fathers won’t have any reason whatsoever to worry… Just like Sunny!”
Her dream grew steadily larger. While she let her imagination run wild, her ear, close to the wall against the desk on which she draped herself, picked up murmurs from the room next door. Oh…? She listened thoughtfully in silence. The spell sounded eerily familiar—one from the thick catalog Emma was currently perusing.
What’s this…? Perhaps…she’s…? She flipped through the pages and found the image she wanted—a young girl with midnight-black hair cut short. She was almost positive the incantation being used next door was one to change a person’s hair color to black.
In general, changing hair color was difficult because it required using advanced life magic. But black was even harder. Though the catalog contained the spell “recipes” required for each hairstyle, it astounded Emma that someone at their level of magic was even attempting one. Perhaps her neighbor had dedicated herself diligently to her studies well before entering the Magic Academy.
“Does she hope to become a lady’s maid too?!”
Her eyes twinkled with excitement, and Emma jumped up from the desk, her chair clattering backward. She rushed toward the door, opened it, and went into the hallway to investigate her neighbor. Thirty minutes remained until lights out. Despite today being the evening of the first day of classes, silence reigned throughout the building. Not a word of conversation came from any of the rooms. As of yet, no frivolity or sense of fun was to be found on the school grounds.
I really, really want to greet her, but…perhaps now is not the best time. Her head drooping with disappointment, Emma was about to return to her room when the door in front of her opened with a loud rattle. A young lady stood there.
Her bob-cut gray hair, gleaming mysteriously and barely brushing the tops of her shoulders, seemed at odds with her elegant features. Emma was surprised to see an aristocratic young lady in this school with hair even shorter than her own. And her astonishment was reflected back at her in the other girl’s deep azalea-pink eyes as they observed her.
“My name is Rashida Marie Eslan.”
Her neighbor, who’d been ardently trying to color her hair black, introduced herself first. In contrast to her clear, deep pink irises, the girl’s voice was calm and measured. She followed up her greeting with a shallow curtsy. Though the gesture was simple, there was no denying the beauty and grace of her movements. Inadvertently entranced, Emma snapped out of her daze and hurried to reply.
“I’m Emma Grace Seagrove. I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Eslan. When Emma realized her neighbor came from a ducal family, she regretted not introducing herself first. Her disappointment almost crushed her. While she mentally reprimanded herself, something strange about the situation poked at her consciousness.
A young lady belonging to the Duke of Eslan’s house… But I don’t remember one being in my cohort at the Academy last time. Emma’s graduating class had comprised more than five hundred students in her previous life, which meant it had been impossible to memorize each of their names and faces. Yet, in her three years at the Academy, she would have at the very least known of a duke’s daughter. It was unnatural that she didn’t.
“I couldn’t help hearing you through the walls,” Rashida began. “I mean, they’re so thin and all… I apologize for prying, but…”
When Rashida started the conversation apologetically, Emma noticed that the hairs by her temple glittered golden. She’s actually a blonde, isn’t she? She could no longer contain her excitement and interjected.
“Do you want to be a lady’s maid too?!”
They unintentionally said the same thing in unison.
“Yes, I do!”
Even their answers to each other came out the same. They both froze for a second, then burst out laughing simultaneously.
“Would you like to chat in my room until it’s time to retire for the night?”
“That would be lovely, thank you!”
Emma cheerfully accepted Rashida’s invitation and stepped into her room.