I then went for the potato pie. I created the crust using crushed biscuits and layered some thinly sliced potatoes and bacon on top of each other before finishing it off with a topping of cheese. I used the block of bacon that Prince Rena gave me, and the juices from the meat overflowed when I cut into it. The crust was crispy, and the cheese had a nice pull; the potatoes were soft and creamy, and they soaked up the flavor from the bacon nicely. The quality ingredients elevated this dish to another level.
The French toast was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside; I could hardly believe it was the hard baguette I bought yesterday. Mr. Vil polished off his plate as well.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was so engrossed in eating that I forgot to talk.”
“You’re fine,” he replied. “That’s exactly what I did as well.”
He again praised the taste, which made me happy. I decided to speak with him after the meal.
“I don’t know where to start…” I muttered.
“From the beginning will be fine,” he said. “I’d like all the details.”
“Okay…”
And I did just that. I started all the way from the beginning, with Rudolph and Lizzy’s incident—it almost felt nostalgic now.
“It all started when my fiancé cheated on me with my cousin,” I started. “And he ultimately got her pregnant.”
Mr. Vil furrowed his brow and frowned with obvious displeasure. I felt bad about the gloomy start, but I didn’t want to skip out on any details.
“And? Did he ask to cancel your engagement?” he inquired.
“No, he requested that I become his second wife,” I said dryly.
“No way!”
Yeah, that was what I thought, too.
“He even said that he wished to make my cousin’s child the future viscount,” I went on. “I’d been making money by selling potions, and he wished to use my earnings, which I planned to use on my wedding, as educational expenses for his love child.”
Mr. Vil placed his right hand on his forehead with utter exasperation as though he couldn’t believe his ears.
“He then told me that I didn’t have to worry about serving him in the bedroom,” I added with a look of disgust. “He insisted that I would work for two people during the day, and that would be the extent of my wifely duties. And so… I punched him.”
I thought this confession of violence would take Mr. Vil aback, but he instead folded his arms and nodded.
“Well done,” he praised.
Um, I didn’t expect a compliment here…
“Er, don’t you find me to be a barbaric, violent woman?” I asked.
“Admittedly, violence generally isn’t the answer to one’s woes,” he agreed. “That being said, your fiancé took a deep jab at your dignity. He practically waged war on you as a person, and you valiantly fought back, Ritual.”
No matter the reason, violence is wrong. I would occasionally think about that day and blame myself for going a bit too far. But when Mr. Vil called it a war on me, I decided to no longer fault myself for talking with my fist.
“Thank you,” I said. “Your words have soothed me and justified how I acted on that dreadful day.”
He said not a word, but his gaze softened, and he nodded.
“Back on topic…” I started.
I didn’t dare tell him that I retained my memories from my past life. Doing so would only trouble him for no good reason.
“I then asked my parents to not only nullify my engagement but to also grant me my wish—I’d always dreamed of attending magic school.”
Thanks to my reliable little sister, I was able to enroll in the school of my dreams.
“Since this was a selfish request, I didn’t want to trouble my parents any further,” I revealed. “I wanted to earn a scholarship to ease that financial burden.”
However, my uncle crushed that dream.
“My uncle had actually enrolled in this school once, but he was expelled after causing trouble, apparently,” I said. “And applicants with relatives who were expelled can’t qualify for a scholarship.”
It was then that Professor Whipp lent me a benevolent helping hand.
“If I stayed here and took care of the herbs for lessons, she said that she’d pay my school fees,” I said.
“So, she gave you a very absurd condition,” Mr. Vil surmised. “I find it concerning that she’s forcing extra labor upon you while you attend school.”
“It’s certainly something, but I made potions for years back home. I’m used to taking care of herbs, so it’s no trouble at all. And I’ve got Gem with me, who helps immensely with the work.”
But of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. My biggest issue was keeping up with my studies and classes.
“It seems everyone has a private instructor in their dorms to supplement their lessons,” I said. “But since I don’t have that and I’m not the brightest, I’m naturally left behind in my lectures…”
“That’s the fault of the school, frankly,” Mr. Vil said.
It seemed almost mandatory for students to have private instructors—this system also helped instructors quickly gain teaching experience. Most professors thus created a curriculum with that in mind, assuming most students attended extra lessons.
“I don’t fault you for not knowing when the system is stacked against you,” Mr. Vil said.
“I’m relieved to hear that.” A doubt suddenly rose to mind. “Mr. Vil, are you a graduate from here?” I asked.
“I…haven’t graduated,” he said with a long pause.
“Are you perhaps from a different school?”
“No, I’m enrolled in Vizer.”
“I see…”
Seems like I stepped on a landmine. It felt like he wasn’t speaking from the perspective of a professor at this school, so I assumed he was a recent graduate or something. If he was enrolled in Vizer but hadn’t graduated, it was likely that he was expelled for one reason or another.
“Um, may I ask your age?” I inquired.
“How old do I look?”
“Around twenty or so.”
“I’m nineteen.”
Actually, he looked like he was in his early to mid-twenties, but I knew that it was better to go younger during times like these. My gamble paid off since Mr. Vil was younger than I’d thought. Since he was a noble of a high-ranking family, I assumed he had the higher-ups of the school on his side, which allowed him to take on the role of a private instructor. I have to be sure not to pry too deeply into his personal affairs, though. I swear it.
“Well? Do you want to study for your next lesson?” he asked.
“I do!” I shouted.
I had four classes tomorrow, and I had to study beforehand lest I get left behind again. For two hours, Mr. Vil gave me tips and pointers, and his lessons were very easy to follow. I was confident that I could understand tomorrow’s lesson.
I used Homer and sent a message to Ehr telling him I had an instructor starting today to supplement my classes. He gave an elated reply as though this victory was his own. I smiled, happy to get a good night’s rest thanks to Mr. Vil.