I Think My Fiancé Has Regressed

Chapter 15: Having a bad time (3)

When Charlotte and I walked over to the refreshment table, the others were already seated and waiting for us.

And there were a few nervous new students gathered around the table.

The tea party on the first day of enrollment at the Academy is significant in many ways.

It’s a time for new students to observe the seniors, learn Academy etiquette, and ultimately decide which seniors they want to be friends with.

Usually, the tea party is a gathering of well-liked characters who are friendly to each other.

If, while continuing a conversation with another person who is the opposite of you, your shortcomings are revealed, it will be a huge blow to the new students.

As a result, the day’s events usually pass off peacefully without much conflict, and most freshmen naturally fall into the same clique as the first tea party they attended.

Unless it’s an exceptional day, like today.

“Oh my, Miss Charlotte….?”

The lady who first noticed the two of us approaching appeared immediately after saying hello to Charlotte.

“The person next to you…?”

“…Oh, Miss Ariana?”

A look of confusion appeared in her eyes, probably because she didn’t expect me to appear.

Currently, Charlotte is definitely a connection of mine, but she’s outwardly acting like she’s part of the neutral faction so that it’s easier for her to make political maneuvers in both directions.

Furthermore, she’s not lacking in ability or family for someone of her stature, so she’s someone the various factions of the Academy would love to have in their ranks at any given time.

This tea party was probably organized with that in mind.

At the tea party held with the other ladies belonging to Miss Sierra’s faction, the goal must have been to use this opportunity to make Charlotte a part of their faction as well.

So my arrival, standing in complete opposition to Miss Sierra, was an unexpected time bomb for them.

“Miss Charlotte, you said you were calling someone else…”

“Yes, that’s right, I wanted to introduce you to my best friend, Ms. Ariana.”

“Best friend….”

“…….”

Of course, no one in the Academy doesn’t know my name, but a formal introduction between nobles has a different meaning.

If I, as a higher-ranking noble, subsequently speak to them or greet them within the Academy, they will be in a position where they have no choice but to accept or engage in conversation.

They can ignore me or pretend they didn’t hear me, but that will make it harder for them to remain on friendly terms with me and the other factions I belong to.

“I’m sorry I’m late, but my fiancé and I had a long meal, and I’ve been keeping you waiting.”

I wasn’t technically late, but I deliberately nudged Alex as an apology.

I figured if I could get the uneasy feeling out of the way early on, I could take control of the conversation from there.

“Oh, no, we just got here a while ago.”

“But, Miss Arianna, if you’re dining with your fiancé, I don’t suppose….”

“Are you referring to Prince Alexandros, by any chance?”

She asked anxiously, as it was not good news for her that my relationship with Alex was on the mend.

“You’re asking the obvious, who else would my fiancé be besides Alex?”

I replied, using a term of endearment to flaunt my relationship with him, and again, I let the story slide.

At this point, the young lady, who seemed to be the hostess of the tea party, kindly stepped in front of me and poured me some tea.

“Please, Miss Ariana.”

Personal servants are not allowed inside the Academy unless it’s a special event, so it’s a general rule that the person who organized the tea party would be the one to serve it.

A couple drops of tea splashed around the perimeter of her teacup, perhaps from nervousness.

“Thank you, Miss Sonia.”

As casually as if it were no big deal, I wiped up the tea splatter with a handkerchief I pulled from my bosom.

Embarrassed by her mistake, Miss Sonia set the teapot down and turned away from the table.

The invigorating scent of peppermint wafting from the tea was the first thing to tickle her nose.

And was it a blend of other herbs besides peppermint? If it was this refreshing sour scent, it must be….

“Oh, right, that reminds me of my fiancé!”

In the middle of my appreciation for the tea, a voice suddenly bursts out from the other young lady.

It was as if she was trying to turn the awkward atmosphere back to normal and hurriedly change the subject.

Speaking up, Ms. Natalia confidently raised her left hand, revealing the diamond ring on her ring finger for all to see.

“Actually, my fiancé proposed to me the other day, asking me to marry him as soon as I graduate from the academy.”

“Congratulations, Miss Natalia!”

“I’m so touched!”

Times and worldviews may change, but for women in their prime, a love story is always newsworthy.

The sizable diamond seemed to be the talk of the town, not only among the seniors seated on either side of Natalia, but also among the freshmen in attendance.

In the midst of all the other young people congratulating Miss Natalia in unison, I quietly said to her.

“That’s a knockoff.”

The atmosphere, which had been bubbling over with giggles, instantly turned cold with my words.

Immediately, the eyes of the other three, minus Charlotte, shifted in unison from Miss Natalia’s left hand to mine.

“Miss Ariana, what did you just say?”

“That gem that Miss Natalia is wearing on her hand is a refined imitation of the mineral zircon, not a diamond.”

I feel bad for Miss Natalia, who is overjoyed to have a genuine proposal, but since she’s here today, I have to be clear.

“That’s, that’s ridiculous….”

“A real diamond has a high refractive index, which means that the light that goes into it can’t escape, so the color you see through it spreads out in all directions, and that’s why it’s the most beautiful gemstone, because it looks like a star is self-luminous.

But if you look at Ms. Natalia’s ring, you can’t tell the light source from a distance.”

“…….”

Miss Natalia’s gaze turns to the ring on her left hand.

The cubic ring on Natalia’s hand didn’t emit a glowing light, but rather a faint, transparent glow.

“Oh, Miss Arianna could be wrong, how can you tell the real from the fake at a glance from so far away!”

“If you don’t believe me, Miss Natalia, let me show you something to compare it to.”

I lifted my hidden left hand and showed them my engagement ring from Alex.

I then walked over to Natalia, who had a puzzled look on her face, and placed my left hand right next to hers, aligning them.

“How about this, you can see the difference, can’t you?”

“…….”

“Of course, it’s possible that the one I’m wearing is fake, and the one in Miss Natalia’s hand is the real thing, just in case the royal jeweler was playing a prank on me with a fake diamond.”

For a while, the engagement ring was something I couldn’t wear because of my relationship with Alex.

At first, I only intended to use it as proof that my relationship with Alex was on the mend, but I never thought it would be used in this way.

Now that we’ve come this far, Ms. Natalia can no longer refute my claims.

Because if she tries to argue that my diamonds are fake now, she’s insulting the royal family and calling Alex stupid.

“It’s okay, Miss Natalia.”

“…….”

“I wouldn’t mind if the jewelry was made of zircon, Miss Natalia’s ring gives off enough of a glow.

You wouldn’t recognize it, Miss Natalia, and most people probably wouldn’t recognize it either, and if they did, they’d keep quiet for your dignity’s sake.

Since jewelry is something you wear to please yourself, and you can be so pleased with an imitation, I’m sure that ring is as valuable to you as a diamond ring is to Miss Natalia.”

With these last words, as if to comfort her, I returned to my seat and sat down again.

I took a sip of the moderately cooled tea in front of me, and the flavors of hibiscus and peppermint mingled in my mouth at the same time.

Miss Natalia bowed her head deeply, her left hand sliding down the table as if to conceal it.

I know I shouldn’t be entertaining such disturbing thoughts as this, as someone who is supposed to be a benevolent aristocrat,

… This is a little fun.