When I Reunited with My Esteemed Teachers, They Exposed My Past

But you're Romelia-sama's teachers?

Mia looked at the two of them in surprise.

"What was Romelia-sama like as a child? She must have been an outstanding student, surely."

When she asked about my childhood, the two of them exchanged wry smiles.

"Er, perhaps we should wrap up these stories about the past..."

I tried to stop them, but it was too late.

"Can you recite a poem by Relleine?"

At Quinz-sensei's question, Mia nodded, looking slightly perplexed.

"Yes, I can manage that much."

Relleine was a famous poet, a name known to anyone with even a little education.

"The pure white moon illuminates the forest. Right?"

When Mia recited the opening, Verri-sensei looked at me with a crooked smile.

"Can you say the rest, young lady?"

"Th-that's easy."

Uh, um... What was it again? ...Oh, right. This is it.

"How melancholy that is; I shall walk along the path. Right?"

I wasn't certain, but I declared it confidently, and both teachers smiled wryly while Mia looked troubled.

"Um, Romelia-sama. That's a different poem—and the latter half is by Minbo, not Relleine."

After being called out on two mistakes, I looked away. Don't look at me like that.

"I-it's fine. It's not as though you die if you don't know poetry."

I managed to make an excuse, but Verri-sensei replied in exasperation.

"No way a noble lady can't recite Relleine."

"You could barely dance, either."

Quinz-sensei piled on.

"I-I can dance the waltz, you know?"

"What noble lady can dance nothing but the waltz?"

Quinz-sensei gave me a sharp scolding.

"Was Romelia-sama bad at studying and dancing?"

Mia looked a little shocked. I didn't want her to think me perfect, but I also couldn't bear having my image shattered. I had to somehow repair the damage.

"No, that's not it. I was only bad at dancing and poetry; I was fine at everything else..."

I tried to bluff my way out, but with the two people who knew my past standing before me, I was at a disadvantage.

"You were hopeless at singing and playing instruments too, weren't you?"

"You had no talent for composing poetry, either."

"The only subject you ever passed was etiquette. Well, if you couldn't manage even that, we couldn't let you loose among people."

The teachers exposed one embarrassing part of my past after another, and the image I had built came crashing down.

"Even though I have a reputation as a skilled teacher, and every student I've taught has managed to perform above average, I have never had a student as slow to learn as you, young lady."

Quinz-sensei lamented how deplorable it was, and Verri-sensei continued.

"Romelia. I even taught Portrelle, who is regarded as one of the current Poet Sages. What you just did was a little heartbreaking, you know?"

At their words, my defensive line protecting my image collapsed completely. Enough. I gave up on repairing it.

"I have no excuse."

There was no point in trying to cover it up now. Besides, after all the time they had devoted to me, I had no choice but to apologize for turning out this way.

"But don't get the wrong idea, Mia-san. We never had a student like you."

"That's right. I've seen many students over the years, but I've never had one better than her."

"What do you mean?"

When Mia-san asked what he meant, Verri-sensei answered.

"I was hired to teach poetry and music, while Quinz was hired to teach manners and dance, but our specialties were elsewhere. I specialized in political science and military history, while she specialized in mathematics and economics. Neither field paid well, and no one would take a woman seriously for studying mathematics or economics, right? Tutoring was a side job for us. Well, it was the only work we could get."

Both were teachers worthy of respect, but society thought little of them. No, it didn't value them at all. It was an incomprehensible injustice.

"You were hopeless at poetry and dancing, but you took an interest in the books we read and the research we conducted, and quickly improved in those areas."

"No matter how much poetry I taught you, you wouldn't remember it, yet you memorized war timelines in no time."

"You couldn't learn a single dance step, yet you were good at mathematics, weren't you?"

I truly felt sorry for both of them. Yet I simply couldn't memorize poetry or dance steps.

"Yet you were the first student to understand my economic theories almost perfectly. No student was more rewarding to teach than the young lady."

Hearing that from them so directly made me feel a little embarrassed.

"I don't quite understand, but I suppose Romelia-sama really was amazing after all."

Mia sounded impressed.

"But an intelligent woman isn't well received in high society, so we kept what we taught you a secret. Still, I never imagined it would prove useful like this."

Even while they were teaching me, I never imagined I'd actually put it to use.

"By the way, Romelia, this fortress has an interesting design."

Verri-sensei noticed the fortress's design.

"I hear you lured enemies inside and picked them off with bows."

Having come to a real battlefield, Verri-sensei seemed to be itching with excitement.

Although he had researched warfare, he had probably never been on a real battlefield, and the tactics Al and Ray had devised seemed to have greatly piqued his curiosity.

"Ah, in that case, ask Al and Ray, the commanders of this fortress's troops. They'll have some interesting stories for you."

The story of building a fortress in one day and the tactic of firing arrows crosswise would surely interest him. Besides, if Verri-sensei became friends with Ray and the others, it might deepen their understanding of tactics and broaden their horizons. I wanted Verri-sensei to teach the soldiers and serve as my adviser as well.

"I will take charge of the accounts. Leave the distribution of wages and management of supplies to me. Also, I request permission to hire several maids. Mia-san and I can manage for now, but we will need someone to attend to the young lady."

I couldn't contradict my teacher, but I wished she would wait a little.

"But can't I manage on my own? I've managed until now."

If we were going to hire people for that, I'd rather use the money to recruit soldiers and acquire weapons.

"Hohohohoho. What an amusing joke."

My teacher let out a laugh so fake it sounded forced. Her face wore a smile, but her expression was colder than the northern permafrost.

I knew that look. It was the look she'd given me when I failed to do my homework at all as a child.

"...No. I'll do as you say, sensei."

I promptly raised the white flag. It was better not to defy my teacher.

Besides, when I thought about it, I was a count's daughter. I was a lady, after all.

During the three years I traveled with the prince, I had taken care of myself, but as a noblewoman, there would be times when it would be undignified not to have attendants to handle my personal affairs. As my teacher said, maids were essential.

"Ah, but sensei. If you're hiring them, please hire people from this region."

I added one request, just in case. It was too early to worry about spies, but if they were going to serve me for a long time, they had to be people I could trust.

"I understand. I intend to select only young women with verifiable backgrounds, large families, and a decent education."

Apparently, that went without saying. As expected of my teacher.

"Then I shall get to work at once."

The teacher lifted her skirt slightly, gave an elegant bow, and departed with great ceremony.