Chapter 1: The Day of the Forest Training Camp

The summer vacation had arrived safely, and I was spending my time goofing off in my room in the dormitory.

Since more than half of the students have gone home, the school is much quieter than usual.

Since there were no patrols by the Disciplinary Committee, I was able to spend my time comfortably ──── until the day of the forest training camp …….

Huh …… this day has finally come. To be honest, things are very depressing. If I could, I’d like to go home right now……, but I can’t afford to cause trouble for the members of the Disciplinary Committee, so I have to be firm.

I exhale one breath, “Phew ……,” and look out the window at the view outside.

I let out a sigh as we rocked in the carriage headed for the destination of the forest camp.

“ Your face looks very unflattering ────. Do you really hate the forest camp that much?”

The one who peeked into my face saying that was Dina-sama, the chairperson of the disciplinary Committee.

Sitting next to me, she looks at me with concern and smiles wryly.

Senior Gerard and His Royal Highness Grayson, who were sitting across from us, also turned their concerned gazes toward me.

“Oh, no,……, it’s not that. I’m just a little tired from lack of sleep. I’m sorry to have worried you.”

Waving my hands in front of my chest, I insisted that there was no problem.

As I desperately tried to mend my expression, Dina-sama said, “I see. Then that’s fine, but ……,” she replied tartly.

My conscience ached at the situation, as if I had deceived a good man.

Hey, it’s true that I didn’t sleep well, so it is not a lie ……! Well, it’s true that I hate forest camp! But there is no way I can say ‘Yes, I don’t want to’ in front of the chairperson! I mean, why am I riding in the same carriage as ──── Dina-sama and the others!

I looked at her with a somewhat distant look in my eyes as I was now making a comment about this situation.

Students participating in the forest camp are allowed to ride in carriages provided by the school as long as they depart from the school’s main gate.

The order of seating depends on the number of carriages and the number of students, so you won’t know until that time. ……

But there were very few students who stayed at the school to ride the carriages departing from the main gate.

Huh,…… I never thought I would be riding in the same carriage as Dina-sama and the others. I don’t really dislike it, but it might be a little uncomfortable. They are older and of a higher rank, so I’m nervous even if I don’t like it.

I was not happy inside, and my eyes wandered about aimlessly.

Next to my sobbing, Dina-sama suddenly looked out the window.

The morning sun illuminated her profile, and she looks somewhat sad, inviting …… a melancholy response.

‘Is she worried about what happened earlier?’ The carriage carrying us shook with a clatter and a loud thump as I anxiously wondered if she was worried about what had happened earlier,────.

The recoil caused my hips to lift and I hit them against the carriage seat.

“Ow…!”

I raised my voice, put my hands behind my back, and held my hips.

I was not in a position to take a passive stance, my buttocks hurt quite a bit. But I couldn’t hold my buttocks in front of the gentlemen, so I endured the pain.

‘Miss Charlotte, are you all right?”

“You were flying pretty high, are you hurt?”

I was the lightest among the four of us, so the men were the first to call out to me.

‘Are you sure you want to leave Miss Dina alone?’ I wondered, but quickly agreed when I looked towards her.

She did not show any signs of pain, nor did her complexion change, and seemed to be fine.

“ Miss Charlotte, are you all right? If you feel any pain, please let me know. I’ll talk to the teacher so we can take a break.”

Dina-sama looked at me with concern, as if she even had the strength to care for others.

Despite the fact that she had hit her buttocks quite hard and with great force, she did not make any weak complaints.

I don’t know if her buttocks are made of iron or if she has a spirit of steel, but I will try to emulate her strength. Well, it would be impossible to imitate her in any way. ……

“Thank you for your concern. But I just hurt my back a little, so it’s no problem. Don’t worry too much.”

I insisted that I was fine, as the pain was not unbearable.

Perhaps reassured by my rather healthy appearance, Dina-sama and the others nodded their heads and said, “Okay”.

In front of them breathing a sigh of relief, I leaned back against the backrest and looked at my feet.

Oh? What is this ……?

There was someone’s letter at my feet, as if it had fallen out when the carriage shook.

Tilting my head, I picked it up first.

I turned the blank envelope over to look at the address, and saw the wax seal of the Marquis of Hayes, ────.

I didn’t even bother to look at the address, I knew immediately who the letter was addressed to.

“ Oh, Dina-sama. This letter fell ……”

“Don’t touch it──── !”

The words that were supposed to follow, “on the floor,” were interrupted by Dina’s yell.

Then The letter, which was carefully held out with both hands, was snatched away from me.

With a somewhat panicked look on her face, Dina-sama slipped the letter into the pocket of her uniform.

The suddenness of the incident made me freeze, and my mind went blank.

“I took the trouble to pick it up.” I was more surprised than angry and I couldn’t move an inch.

The men sitting across from me were also unable to hide their agitation at Dina’s passion, and they repeatedly blinked.

As an indescribable atmosphere filled the place, Dina suddenly regained her senses.

She turned pale in the blink of an eye as she recalled her own words and actions.

‘S-Sorry ……! Miss Charlotte was just picking up the letter, and I ……!”

Dina-sama hurriedly utters an apology, “I didn’t do it on purpose! ‘ she explains frantically.

I breathed a sigh of relief as she panicked.

She just didn’t want me to see what was in the letter, she wasn’t mad at me. I was relieved.

But it’s rare to see Dina-sama so emotional. She is usually so calm and gentle, but I wonder if something happened at…… home?

Let’s not get into──── any funny intuitions. It’s not nice to step into someone else’s family affairs.

With a small shake of my head, I erased the question that had popped into my mind.

Then I smiled at Dina-sama, whose eyes were wandering about.

“I’m sorry that I touched your precious letter without permission. Please rest assured that I haven’t seen the contents of it at all”

I bowed my head slightly, excusing myself, saying, ‘I only saw the address’.

Dina-sama was overtly relieved when she learned the fact that I had not opened the package.

“I see. Then, good.”

Dina-sama’s eyes slightly softened and she let out a relieved breath.

His Highness Grayson and Gerard, who had been watching the situation with a look of concern, relaxed their shoulders as well.

The coach slowly comes to a halt amidst the relief of everyone, “I’m glad it all worked out.”

“────It looks like we’ve arrived at our destination!”

Gerard-senpai laughed, ‘Nice timing,’ and looked out the small window of the carriage.