“Whether girls will sign the petition probably depends on the club they’re in,” Princess Margaret said. “Those in riding club or magic club definitely won’t sign. Girls who are in theater club, choir club, and surprisingly those in athletic clubs are also judging the knight club. They’ve apparently been upset that the knight club has always gotten special treatment.”
I think you underestimated the severity of this situation, Prince Richard. At this rate, it’s going to be difficult for the knight club to start up again.
Though I’d been worried, the knight club hadn’t just been twiddling their thumbs this entire time. They’d gathered Percival and the other pretty faces in the club and collected a bunch of signatures from the girls in the home economics track. Prince Keith had also worked hard to collect plenty of signatures from students in the junior division. Of course, some students still refused to sign, but those who didn’t care either way had gone ahead and added their signatures to the petition. Thanks to their efforts, the knight club had managed to collect more than half of the student body’s signatures—I’d learned that since Prince Keith had been talking about it in high spirits over lunch.
I’m so glad!
The student council reviewed the situation, and after both President Hammond and Mr. Cuthbert agreed to step down from their roles as club president and faculty advisor, the knight club was finally back.
Good grief! It’s finally over!
It was decided that Razmond Sussex would be the new president of the knight club.
I’ve never heard of him. I kind of assumed that Percival would be the president, but I guess I was wrong.
Prince Keith complained that President Razmond was stricter toward junior division students than President Hammond had been. I felt a little sorry for the prince, but a tough president was better than one that sucked up to royalty.
This new president doesn’t seem like he’ll try to take advantage of Prince Keith, so he’s good in my eyes!
“I wonder why Percival didn’t become the president,” Princess Margaret mused.
It appeared she’d thought the same thing I had.
“Perhaps it was because he is only a second-year student,” I suggested. “It could also be that the knight club is a meritocracy, so the strongest member becomes the president.”
Percival had been the main figure working behind the scenes on this matter. The only involvement he had on the surface was helping to collect signatures.
Percival is quite strange.
Such a thought had crossed my mind on Saturday, when Percival visited—accompanying Lord Salius, of course.
After they gave my brothers sword-fighting lessons, I invited them to have tea. Today I served egg salad sandwiches and strawberry sandwiches. I’d been summoned to the palace on Friday to discuss the situation with the knight club, where I’d received some heavy cream.
“Thank you, Patience,” Lord Salius said.
I didn’t feel that I deserved his gratitude, since I’d just been milling around the whole time. The whole situation had been quite troublesome, though, so I still appreciated his words.
“Thanks to your efforts, we’ve managed to keep the knight club going, Lady Patience,” Percival said. “I also believe the club is in good hands with President Razmond.”
Huh? He’s talking as if he’s going to leave the club.
“Are you really going to switch to the civil service track?” Lord Salius asked. “I guess you don’t really have a choice, since you’re Count Moeran’s heir.”
Wait, he is? In that case, why was he working so hard to save the knight club?
“I expect to complete my credits for the knight track in the spring term, so I will be in the civil service track starting in the fall term,” Percival explained. “I’m going to be your underclassman, Lady Patience.”
Percival gave me a breezy smile, and my brain was still trying to catch up to the situation.
“But you were so concerned with the knight club, Sir Percival,” I pointed out.
“I won’t be quitting the knight club,” Percival clarified. “But I did take myself out of the running for club president, since a student in the civil service track wouldn’t be chosen. I also won’t be joining the knights’ order. I’m going to continue my education at Romano University and aim to become a diplomatic official.”
“That makes sense, since Count Moeran is the minister of foreign affairs,” Lord Salius remarked. “It’s unfortunate. You would’ve made a good knight.”
I’m sure Percival will make a brilliant diplomat, I thought, only for Percival to invite me to join him the very next moment.
“You are also in the civil service track, right, Lady Patience? What do you think of entering the diplomatic service? Are you interested in foreign countries?”
Wait, a diplomat?! That was my dream job in my previous life! It seemed difficult, so I’d given up on it. I would love to travel to other countries!
“Hey, stop trying to recruit our cousin,” Lord Salius chimed in. “Being a diplomatic official sounds like a tough job. I’m sure Patience will make an excellent wife. Both these kinds of sandwiches are delicious, and the cake you served us last time was also delectable.”
I appreciated Lord Salius’s compliments, but my family couldn’t afford to pay a dowry. Perhaps there was someone out there who would take an impoverished viscount’s daughter as their wife, but I’d prefer to have a say in my partner.
Even if Percival himself couldn’t become the club president, he still cared enough about the club that he didn’t want to continue activities under a president he couldn’t respect.
I can understand why. He does seem like a proud guy. I think he’ll do great working under Prince Richard. I’m happy for him.
The storm caused by the actions of the knight club had passed, so now I wanted to focus on making money through alchemy club. I had no idea whether I’d actually be able to obtain patents, but I had to try, because the Granger family needed money.
Don’t worry, my angels! Your big sister is going to work hard for you two!
✦ ✦ ✦
END