In the end, the girl and I fought over the shoes and I ended up losing.
The girl ran back to her mother with the shoes.
'Mum! I want these boots!"
'Retina, I told you not to wander around alone!'
The mother chastises the girl, half screeching.
That's probably true. She had just been abducted the other day. It is natural to be worried.
'Yes. But I found some nice boots! Look, here. It has the same cat as Lady Cortina!"
'That's nice, but I wonder if that little girl there is an accessory too?'
"'There' boy?"
I looked at the shoe in the hand of the girl called Retina, and there I was, hanging on to it.
Letting go of your weapon on the battlefield is fatal. Because of this, my grip is quite strong for my age.
And my body, which supports it, is quite light for my age.
As a result, I was abducted by my boots as if I was being dragged by Retina.
'Hey, you're still holding on...!'
'Even if it's new, Watasan. Only to you."
'I don't deserve to be called you...'
'Oh dear. Is she a friend of yours?"
'No, Mum, I'm not! Don't make friends with this strange girl."
Retina denies me with firm determination.
As you'd expect from a girl, being rejected so clearly hurts a little.
Finia chased after me as I was making a shocked expression on my face.
'Nicole-sama, just when I thought you were gone, here you are!
'Again' is rude."
'Oh dear. I wonder if you're a lady of some sort, being addressed as 'sir'.
You 'too'?"
The girl's mother interrupted her so when she heard Finia call her.
But does that mean that the girl Retina is also the daughter of a noble family?
This selfishness certainly makes sense.
'Yes. 'I am Elisabeth Wynne-Yowy, wife of the Marquis of Yowie in the Wynne territory. Nice to meet you. You can call me Aunt Eliza.'
The mother smiles with a gentle gesture. There is none of the tense atmosphere she had earlier.
She must be very worried about Retina.
''And I am her daughter, Retina Winné-Yowie''.
With her chest out so hard you could almost hear the sound effect of a bang, Retina said her name.
After being addressed, it is only polite to say my name back.
''My name is Nicole,'' she said. I'm a commoner, so I don't have a family name.'
Both Lyell and Maria had surnames because they were in high positions before they left the country.
However, when they left to slay the evil dragon, they gave up their surnames to avoid any connection with the country.
The only one of the six of us with a family name is Maxwell, who has returned to the country.
'What a commoner!'
'Here, Letty. 'It's a disgrace.'
Retina, who was unaware of this situation, looked a little insulted when she heard my name.
Elisa immediately tamed her for it. The aristocracy is in place, but we attend the same academy. From now on, we will live without status differences.
There is a rule that students attending the academy must not be discriminated against according to their status.
This is an ancient principle, and Maxwell, too, valued this above all else.
Ignoring such an exchange between father and son, Finia also returns the courtesy.
'This is very polite of you. My name is Finia, and I serve Master Nicole.'
'Well, that's a beautiful bow. You look very well educated.'
'I'm sorry, sir. The Lord will be pleased.'
Finia seems to have been offended by Retina's attitude, although Elisa does not seem so bothered.
The gesture of bowing in a particularly polite manner is a little frightening.
Then an even more confusing presence appears. It is the hero, Cortina.
'Oh, there she is. Nicole is really a naughty girl. If you take your eyes off her, she really disappears.'
'My Lady Cortina'?
The sudden appearance of this legendary creature seems to have made even Elisa-san unable to hide her nervousness.
Her back is straight and her expression is stiff.
Similarly, Retina was also frozen.
'Ah, are you ...... a relative of Lady Cortina'?
A muffled voice barely asked.
'Hmm? No, no. That was the landlord."
'Does your landlord live in ...... Lady Cortina's house?'
Retina's language becomes suspiciously respectful. She must have been shocked by Cortina's presence.
'Yes. My parents are friends.'
'What on earth is a friend of Lady Cortina's--'
'That's Lyell and Maria. My mum and dad.'
"'What'?"
My shocking confession finally makes Elisa wobble as if she is about to have a stroke.
Finia hurriedly supports her. I'll just be underneath her.
Cortina looked alternately at me and Retina, who were talking in such a sneaky way, and murmured in a whisper.
'Are you friends?'
''And it's not.''
'Yes, it is! We became friends just now!"
'Heh, yeah'?
Retina makes a brilliant and brilliantly brilliant flip-flop in response to Cortina's misunderstanding.
Apparently I got my first friend in Raum .......