"Of course, I would like the best option to come true since Zane is now linked to Emeraldios Empire. But rich with experience from overseeing the training of the party of the Chosen One, I don't intend to repeat my mistakes in getting too involved."
She then rolled on her stomach and mumbled with her face smushed into the pillow.
"Mhmm. Of course, I pay attention to what you say, Adi. It's just back then that I didn't. I could not just abruptly stop the whole operation."
The gold-haired girl mumbled, peering over her pillow at the empty space by her bedside.
"Okay~! Yes, yes, I got the key. Night-night~"
She then hummed with a smile, pointing at the nightstand. A few seconds later, the door to her room opened, closed, and even locked on its own.
"Blessed heal. Night-night to you too, sweetie."
*chuu*
Melinda added, using a spell that basked her room in golden glow on Kobold's egg, rested on a lacy cushion in a nest of gold ingots next to her head and kissed it after checking whether the magic item regulating its temperature was properly active.
The rest of the week passed without much excitement but also without any scandals or disasters, which all in all had to be counted as a positive outcome.
The weekend also meant it was finally time for the tea party organized by the youngest daughter of the current Empress of the Emeraldios Empire.
Melinda didn't feel the need to ask about the scope of the event, although she did hope that the blue-haired girl had enough common sense not to invite the entire student body unless she wanted to be drowned in the flattery of countless bootlickers.
That one concern was quickly put to rest when Melinda arrived at the decorated classroom, which had been transformed into something similar to a quaint little cafe with only a single round table and not over dozens of seats.
"Young Lady Fenrioette!"
The puppy-like blue-haired girl rushed over to the door the moment she noticed the glint of gold, greeting the exchange student.
"Y-young Lady…!"
Still, as the gold-haired girl entered the room properly, Bjorki lost her momentum, slowing down to trot and then to a complete halt at the sight of her guest.
"Young Lady Em'raldio, and so, here I am."
Melinda curtsied properly, and not just with the motions alone. For a change, she was wearing a cute, fluffy pastel pink dress that complemented her hairstyle, which had been changed to match the outfit.
With the fringe hiding one eye and a part of her face, the usual sharpness of her gaze wasn't there, and the normally fearsome and unapproachable girl was barely recognizable.
For the first time since Bjorki enrolled at the Jade Academy, she realized that Melinda was almost the same height as her—maybe an inch or two taller —and for some reason, that discovery caused the blue-haired girl to lose her train of thought.
Somehow, she always thought of the gold-haired girl as some sort of towering giant and not… simply another girl.
"I hope I didn't overdo it with the looks. Believe it or not, if I had fewer eyes on me, I would dress up more often. I mean, just look at me. Aren't I cute? "
Melinda might have lost her threatening presence for the time being, but she certainly did not part with her confidence as she declared proudly, continuing to hold up the sides of her dress and gracefully twirling around to show herself off from every angle.
"..."
"Judging by your reaction, my gap moe is outrageously strong! Hmhmhm~ I'll be sure to test it out on my beloved~"
Even though Bjorki didn't regain her voice, Melinda ran with that as a compliment and hummed happily smirking to herself using a phrase that the blue-haired girl didn't quite understand.
"Young Lady Fenrioette…?!"
Melinda's appearance claimed another victim as the girl who gave Bjorki the idea of organizing the tea party walked to the door too and let out a shocked gasp.
"Hello, Lidi~! The decorations look amazing, I bet you recommended Young Lady Em'raldio a bunch of trustworthy people~ Good job~!"
"I wh-wha…?"
Melinda walked up to her and patted her shoulder while nodding in approval as she looked around the classroom, acting so familiar that the other girl just stared at her with her mouth agape.
Since the two girls didn't seem cooperative at the moment, Melinda politely excused herself and then went around greeting all the other guests that were composed of some high status female students from various grades.
It was undeniable that Melinda was putting in effort even over the amount expected of someone of her status.
One could say it was the charm of a villainess. As long as she had something to gain out of it, the villainess would always appear as the kindhearted personification of good manners and benevolent kindness.
"Hmhm~ Delightful~"
Melinda ended up breathing in the aroma of the tea before taking a sip and fawn over the amazing taste.
"It is, isn't it? I personally watched over all the ingredients as well as checked the references of the people I hired just to make sure everything will be perfect~!"
Bjorki picked on the praise and puffed up her chest in an excited boast, ending up making herself look like a puppy very pleased with itself.
"You certainly put a lot of work into this event, Young Lady Em'ralido. I'm grateful for the invitation."
"...hnn…"
The gold-haired girl smiled and gave the blue-haired girl a nod of approval, although something in her response made the host of the party fidget in unease.
"...Y-young Lady Fenrioette… why is it that you are addressing me formally but use nicknames with everyone else?"
In the end, Bjorki could not hold herself back and blurted out what was bothering her, causing a silence to befall the table and all the girls sitting by.
"It's very simple, Young Lady Em'raldio. We're all classmates, and despite being from different countries, our social standing is generally in the same bracket."
"In that case, so am I…!"
Melinda enjoyed one more sip of the delicious tea before eventually giving an answer that only caused Bjorki to yelp out.