Weird

(Katarina’s Perspective)

“How was my speech?”

After the opening ceremony for new students ended, we met up with my brother and prepared to head to class together.
On the way, he turned to me and asked that question.

“Uh…”

Under his expectant gaze, I didn’t dare admit that I hadn’t listened to a single word.
So I averted my eyes and muttered vaguely,
“Mm… it was really good?”

My brother raised an eyebrow—his expression alone pierced straight through me.

“Katarina… you didn’t listen at all, did you?”

So he saw right through me…

“Mm…”

There was no escaping it, so I nodded reluctantly.

“Unbelievable… such an important occasion, and my dear sister couldn’t even pretend to care.”
He covered his face with a sigh as if heartbroken.

“I couldn’t help it! There was someone acting really weird nearby, and I got distracted.”

“Someone acting weird?”

“Not just my brother—even Margaret, who had been half asleep, glanced at me curiously.”

“Speaking of which, Margaret, weren’t you asleep just now—”

“E-excuse me! You’re… Lord Claude, aren’t you?”

Speak of the devil.

The pink-haired girl appeared out of nowhere, cheeks slightly flushed as she stammered out her words.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Your speech just now was amazing! I felt so inspired—especially the part about a student’s moral conduct! Truly incredible!”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

My brother replied with a courteous smile.
He must have assumed she was just another of his many admirers.
But the connection between her and our family went far deeper than that.

“What’s your name?”

“S-sof—Sophina! I’m Sophina!”

At that name, my brother’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Mm!”

But the pink-haired girl didn’t notice at all.
She nodded enthusiastically.

“Your speech was so admirable! And the affairs of the Duke’s household—I’ve heard so much! For you to manage it all on your own is truly remarkable. But I do worry… that the burden may be too heavy for you. If I can, I’d like to—”

“‘Heard so much’?”

My brother’s frown deepened as he cut her off.

“Why would you hear about it? Weren’t you directly involved? If not for your help that day, Father wouldn’t have survived. Or have you forgotten the part you played?”

Saying this, he looked toward me.

I could only nod silently.
As reluctant as I was to admit it, she had indeed saved us back then.
Without the blow from her light magic, Ailena and I wouldn’t have stood a chance against Vladimir.

“Uh…?”

The pink-haired girl froze completely.

“And another thing… the only reason you could even enroll in this academy was because of what happened after that disaster—”

“W-wait, that’s not right! That’s not how the story’s supposed to go…?”

She murmured something under her breath.

“I-I’m sorry! I must have been so busy studying that I forgot about it!”

“Mm-hmm~”

Margaret, ever the bystander, narrowed her eyes.

“Most people forget trivial things, not life-defining ones.”

Bullseye.

“Uh…”

The pink-haired girl was at a complete loss for words.

“Well… I guess it’s not impossible to forget. I’ve pulled all-nighters and blanked out on some pretty major things myself. I get you~”

Margaret deftly smoothed things over and extended a hand.

“I’m Margaret. And you are? You’re a special admissions student too, right? Same as me.”

“N-nice to meet you, I’m Sophina.”

Though hesitant, the pink-haired girl still took Margaret’s hand.

“Great~ Let’s get along, fellow special admit.”

“O-okay.”

“Milady!”

That voice—clear and urgent—instantly lifted my mood.
I turned around instinctively, and there she was: a flustered silver-haired girl, rushing toward me.

“Ailena?”

“Milady! Why are you still here? Class is about to start! We’re going to be late for the first period!”

“Ah…”

Margaret checked her watch.

“She’s right.”

“Then let’s get going!”

The awkward atmosphere melted away as we all headed toward the classrooms together.

“Hey! Wait for meee! I’m terrible at physical exercise, you know!”

By the time the ceremony ended, it was our turn—the servants’—to find our respective masters.
After all, our duties included “accompanying them in class.”
We had to remain at their side even during lessons.

Some nobles who weren’t fond of studying would even make their servants study in their place, while they indulged in leisure and claimed the results as their own.
In the original story, the villainess—Lady Katarina—was one such case.

But the current Lady Katarina didn’t need my concern.
I could feel how motivated she was now.

And to be honest, participating in the academy’s lectures was beneficial for me, too.
It might even help improve my magic proficiency.

With that in mind, I set off with the three maids from my dormitory to await our mistresses in their classroom.

Inside, I saw the masters of Nino and Monica—lively Noelle Ethan and calmly stoic Rebecca Miller.

The green-haired Noelle was chatting animatedly, her energy almost infectious.
It reminded me of my lady when we first met.

Rebecca, with her violet hair and cool expression, looked indifferent on the surface—but she was listening.
Diligently so.

They truly seemed like close friends, and that lightened my heart.

Still, something puzzled me.

Where were my lady and Margaret?

Most students, after the ceremony, went straight to their assigned classrooms—just as Noelle and Rebecca had.
But those two were nowhere to be seen…

And our dorm was even farther away than theirs.

Could it be that something had triggered an “Evil Young Lady” event?

I asked Elizabeth to wait in the classroom while I ran off to search for my lady.

It wasn’t long before I found them—my lady and the others—gathered in a small group encircling the heroine, who looked visibly uncomfortable.

…Had an “Evil Young Lady” scene really been triggered?

My nerves spiked, and I rushed forward—only to pause halfway as something felt wrong.

Why was Lord Claude there too?
And… why was he the one pressing the heroine?

I froze, confused, and hid myself in the bushes to eavesdrop.

From there, I listened to the entire exchange.

And through their conversation, I finally understood what was off about Sophina.

The Sophina I knew would never forget something that important.
Moreover, she would have expressed deep gratitude to the ducal house first thing.

Thinking back, even her reaction this morning when she first saw me hadn’t been normal.
Flat. Detached.

Now it all made sense.

When the conversation finally paused, I remembered why I’d come in the first place.
A quick glance at the time confirmed it—class was about to begin.
Perfect timing for my entrance.

So I dashed forward, pretending to have arrived in a rush, and called out to my lady.
At the same time, I decided to run a quiet test.

If it truly were Sophina, she would at least greet me, even briefly.

But she didn’t.
Not a word. Not even a glance.

She simply left with the group, heading back toward the classroom.

This Sophina was wrong.
Utterly, unmistakably wrong.