Chapter Eight: Those Who Throw Stones at Others Don’t Notice the Traps
Side View: Aisha
MY teeth ground together, and an unpleasant feeling filled my heart.
Oh, Selena Violette. Nothing more than a duke’s daughter, but you insult me, daughter of a prince?
“Lady Selena is so beautiful,” said Ismail.
“What?!” I demanded. My twin brother’s eyes were completely clouded over. He’d totally forgotten his role. “What about her is beautiful? Is it her cold demeanor and lack of any adorable features that made a tiny smile from her completely fool you? Are you an idiot?”
“What did you say?!”
Men. Maybe she does have decent style, and her face, fine, I’ll admit, is not horrible to look at. But that’s all I’ll give her.
“Go and find yourself a girl with better standing to be your guardian! Someone better than that bottom-of-the-pecking-order duke’s daughter! All the friends you’re hanging out with are low-ranking nobles!” I shouted at him.
“You might think she’s low in the pecking order, but that’s just because her family’s social standing isn’t apparent because they aren’t active in the social sphere, but they have enough money to make your eyes pop. And she’s smart enough, despite their standing, to end up on the shortlist for the crown prince’s fiancée. It’s entirely possible she could increase House Violette’s standing in the future.”
Ismail passionately argued that his engaging with Selena Violette was not a waste of time. He’d have a better time if he stopped caring about that girl, who might not end up what he hoped, and snatched up a noble girl from some idiotic but powerful family, who he could train to do as he said.
Idiot girls who love talking bad about the people around them go crazy if you just compliment them a bit, even if they’re not all that cute.
“Who cares about money,” I said. “They’re shameless for acting like some merchant family despite being nobles. That’s why people make fun of her and say she’s only a noble in name.”
The friends I made since coming to Astra talked badly about Selena Violette regularly.
I can’t believe she’s being made fun of by even low-ranking nobles.
How could someone as incompetent as her get such a high rank when someone as capable as me only gets the status of a viscount’s house? The blood that flows through my veins is nobler. The world is so unfair.
“Aisha, you’ve just been complaining about how I’m doing things, but have you taken a look in the mirror? Don’t talk about others when you’re surrounded by low-ranking nobles, too. You swore before we came to Astra you would get the crown prince to fall for you, but have you actually?”
“Urk.”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s obvious he’s head over heels for Lady Selena.”
“Be quiet! I’ll have him enchanted by my allure in no time! I will be the queen consort of Astra.”
“Do your best. I still have a chance of being king of Rienbul, being a man, but your best options are becoming queen consort of another country or marrying a noble of Rienbul.”
“I know!”
Men have it so good. High status is handed to them on a silver platter just by being male, even if they’re incompetent. I’m the only one here who has to work hard because I’m female. Why am I the only one who has to work so hard? Why? Why me?
Still angry, I went into the academy building. Everyone’s eyes were on me as I strode quickly down the hall.
They looked like they were talking about me as they watched. They were probably saying horrible things. I couldn’t hear, but I knew. It was the same back in Rienbul. Worthless. They’re all worthless trash.
“Good morning, Lady Aisha.”
Several noble girls rushed over to me when I stepped into the classroom.
They are all foxes borrowing the menace of a tiger. Incompetents, just currying favor with me, the tiger. But I need them since I have so few pawns at my disposal.
Astra is a large country with a long history, and it’s utterly filled with morons. They can’t even tell who they should be kissing up to. It would be difficult being the queen consort of a country like this. I guess I care too much about the little things.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Did something happen, Lady Aisha? You don’t seem to be in a good mood,” said one of the girls as she laid a hand against her cheek and cocked her head in concern while the others jumped on that same boat and put on expressions of worry.
“I was actually with Lady Violette before coming inside,” I said.
“Oh, Lady Violette?”
“Yes.”
I frowned, making myself look as sad as I could. The girls’ eyes gleamed as brightly as a fish’s after being given water. Selena was quite hated, it seemed. Not entirely unexpected, though. She did have a horrible personality. They wouldn’t hate her so much if she had a nice personality like me.
It doesn’t matter how high-ranking a noble girl is if there’s something wrong with her personality. I wish Ismail would open his eyes and stop bothering himself with that floozy.
I mean, she always has that boy at her service; I don’t know if he’s an attendant or what. That scar on his face is unfortunate, though. He would’ve been handsome. If he didn’t have that, I would’ve been happy to have some fun with him.
“Lady Selena doesn’t seem to like how close I’ve become with Prince Evan,” I said.
“Did she say something horrible to you?”
I smiled vaguely in response to the girls trying to draw information out of me. With that, they could jump to conclusions and spread rumors. But I never said anything, though, meaning they were responsible for imagining and spreading whatever stories they told.
It’s a huge help that idiots are so easy to manipulate.
I was certain Selena’s evil deeds would spread like wildfire by the next day through these girls’ loose lips. If all went well, she’d no longer be on the list to marry the crown prince.
Ahaha! How pathetic. This is what a mere noble girl gets when she clashes with me, a higher being with royal blood. I will crush you, Selena Violette.