"Y-y-young l-l-lady F-F-Fenrio… e-ette…! I-I'm so s-so-sorry for…!"
The timid girl was trembling so much while she stuttered that it looked as if she was about to fall apart at any moment.
"Aww~! Cath, this whole time, you thought I was some disgraced noble or a criminal vagabond, didn't you~?"
"I-I-I-I-I-I…!"
The gold-haired girl chuckled, using the opportunity of having the slouching Catherine in front of her to lean on her back, which caused the timid girl to freeze up and get stuck on a single syllable.
"Caaa-aaath~! If you're worried about being rude, then stop trying to put some weird distance between us all of a sudden. If there was a need for you to act with some outlandish polite mannerism, you would have been informed about it by either me or Adi, my maid."
"...r-really…?"
Catherine stopped shaking and asked timidly, looking up at the gold-haired girl blatantly resting most of her weight on her.
"Of course. If anything, you're scoring some good points if you ever decide to visit or move to Diamondium kingdom~"
Melinda continued to chuckle while stepping back and straightening her back.
"Th-thank you, M-Melinda…"
The timid girl blushed a bit harder than she already was and nodded her head to the gold-haired noble.
"That's more like it~ "
"U-umm… Melinda…?"
The gold-haired girl hummed with satisfaction, but then Catherine fidgeted and asked nervously as their teacher began the tour for their class.
"Hmm?"
Melinda hummed, nodding her head encouragingly.
"Isn't… Isn't Mister Zane your b-bodyguard…?"
Catherine managed to ask timidly while taking a peek at the monstrous white-haired man sticking out from the other students.
"Oh, not for long. Don't worry about it~"
"...?"
Melinda waved her hand dismissively and assured her, only making Catherine confused.
"B-but… Umm... a-about him e-en-enrolling... isn't he… you know… too old to be a student…?"
The timid girl shook off that confusion and leaned in closer to whisper conspicuously.
"Really? Eighteen is too old already? I had no idea… In Diamondium, the limit for the first years is twenty-one."
The gold-haired girl raised her brows and muttered, covering her mouth with one hand while looking towards Zane with worried eyes.
"HE'S ONLY EIGHTEEN?!"
"Miss Catherine! Mind your voice."
The timid girl called out, so surprised that she didn't even stutter, gathering the attention of many students around her - including Zane himself and the ones around him - as well as their strict-looking teacher, who instantly scolded the shocked Catherine.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Catherine cried out, bright red from embarrassment, lowering her head with a guilty expression.
Despite bringing a lot of shame to the timid girl, her call made some of the students around Zane actually speak up to him, and as he confirmed his age and blushed, troubled over not looking his age, the atmosphere around his classmates changed completely.
"Just between us. How old did you think he was?"
"...!"
Melinda smiled with satisfaction at the effects of the unplanned but highly effective stunt before leaning towards Catherine and asking playfully, making her friend fidget with a troubled expression.
"...o-over twenty… Well, actually… I thought he was in his thirties for sure…"
"Oh, it's not that bad! Adi was convinced that he was in his forties!"
The timid girl admitted with a shameful expression. Still, Melinda laughed it off and reassured her lightheartedly.
The tour didn't take too long, and soon enough, even the first homeroom and all first-year students were either returning to their dorm rooms or going out in the city for a celebratory meal.
Cath wanted to check the local adventurer guild, and the two parted ways since Melinda didn't particularly fancy the sight of the judgemental receptionist.
The gold-haired girl was walking back towards the girls' dormitory, playing around with the piece of paper with the weekly schedule while internally repeating her classmates' names from their self-introductions the teacher had them do before letting them go.
"Mel… my lady…!"
"...Richard En… hmm?"
She had already reached the door when a familiar voice called out to her with hesitation, making her turn her head with a curious expression.
"My lady… weren't you surprised seeing me… like this…?"
The person was none other than her monstrous servant, Zane. The white-haired young man stopped a few feet away from Melinda and was asking while spreading his arms, showcasing his school uniform and, to some degree, his hair.
"I was… to some degree, at least. It was definitively a pleasant surprise~ If that's what you're asking about~"
Melinda fully turned around to face him and answered with a warm, soft smile.
"You're not troubled by my actions, are you? You don't mind your servant playing along with this whole champion of the goddess role…? In a way, I'm filling in the heroine's position even though you wanted to get away from the main scenario if it happened..."
Zane breathed out and showed a relieved smile before asking, putting his hands together and patting the spot touched by Melinda's lips during the opening ceremony.
"Of course, your actions aren't a problem. If anything, I'm grateful. You went out of your way to make a deal with the headmaster with me in mind. It made me so happy~!"
"~!"
The gold-haired girl said softly, and the white-haired young man returned the smile as his tense shoulders relaxed.
"Oh, but Zane, you made a little mistake."
"Really? Did I miss something…?"
Melinda tilted her head cutely and pointed out, making Zane tilt his head - mirroring her moves - and ask.
"Mhmm."
The gold-haired girl nodded her head without changing her expression.
"You are now the champion of the goddess Perseverance and not my servant."
"...!"
Melinda added lightheartedly, but Zane tensed up as if she had screamed at him.
"I'm not your…? No, wait. Wait! What are you saying?!"
The white-haired youngster became pale as a ghost and let out a gasp while his hands trembled.
"Emeraldios Empire's champion of the goddess Perseverance obviously cannot be a servant of some foreign aristocrat. Especially not an aristocrat from the Diamondium kingdom, where the church has so little to say in politics and administration. And since I know you would never hand me your resignation, I am taking that step for you. Mister Zane, your contract with the Fenrioette family is hereby terminated."
"!!!"
Melinda announced to Zane, who was making a face as if he had just been struck by thunder.