The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Episode 55: That B**** Again (1)

“Alright! So Astie’s coming too!”

“I told you, I’m not! Why don’t you ever listen to people?!”

Astrid vehemently protested, but Eranya’s once cheerful expression quickly turned crestfallen.

“Why… why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

Seeing her mood shift so drastically, Astrid began questioning if she’d done something wrong. 

She hadn’t, of course, but Eranya’s disheartened puppy-like demeanor tugged at her conscience.

Maintaining her dejected look, Eranya slowly spoke.

“Astie, think about it. Once we’re first-years, we won’t have many chances to all hang out together.”

“Ugh.”

She had a point. According to Eranya earlier, first-years moved to a different dormitory once formally enrolled. 

This meant Astrid wouldn’t see Astein or Leopold as easily. No more conveniently being across the hall where a quick knock was all it took to meet.

“So I’m trying to create one last memory for us, but you hate the idea that much?”

“I… no, that’s not it…”

【You seem to have a weakness for pushy people.】

‘No, I don’t!’

【No need to make excuses.】

“Okay, Astie! That’s a yes, then! We’ll host it in our room tonight!”

In the end, Astrid had no choice but to nod.

【If you really can’t handle drinking, just let me take over. I’m great with alcohol.】

‘I’m not drinking at all, so don’t worry!’

As soon as she left the room, Eranya headed straight to the door across the hall.

After knocking, it didn’t take long for Astein’s voice to respond. Eranya pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Asteiiin! How’s it going? Getting used to things yet?”

“My, Eranya, still the same as ever, I see.”

Astein, half-reclining on his bed, waved lazily at her. Having returned just the day before, he was still adjusting to the academy after a month-long break.

“Has Leopold shown up yet?”

“No, but he should be here soon. I thought he’d come with the squad leader, but I guess not.”

“Guess not. Anyway, about what we talked about yesterday—Astie’s in!”

“Really?”

Astein was surprised. He hadn’t expected their squad leader, Astrid, to agree to something like this. 

Then again, Astrid wasn’t great at refusing when someone pushed hard enough, and Eranya excelled at pushing just the right buttons.

“So, it’s happening tonight?”

“Yup! When Leopold gets here, tell him about it, okay? I’m off to get Veracien!”

“Alright, see you later.”

With a quick wave, Eranya darted out the door. Astein chuckled as he watched her leave, full of energy as always. Maybe she really was a child of the forest after all.

“Now then… Veracien…”

Astein closed his eyes, deep in thought.

      – Veracien.

      – Yes?

Mentally calling out to Veracien, he received an immediate response. Even at a distance, they could communicate via magic—a feat nearly impossible in the human realm without a medium. Yet Astein used it effortlessly.

           – Eranya’s headed to your room. You’re there, right?

           – Yes. Leopold just stopped by the instructors’ office. He’ll be here soon.

           – Got it. Sounds like Leopold’s arrived. I’ll leave it at that.

           – Understood.

As soon as the words were finished, a knock echoed, and the door opened.

“Goodness, Leopold Cadet. What are you doing barging in without waiting to be invited?”

The person who entered was none other than Leopold von Einthafen, the dazzling nobleman with golden hair. He carried a relatively light travel bag in hand.

“This is my room too, so it’s fine. How have you been, Astein?”

Setting his bag down on the bed, Leopold asked Astein, who gave a small nod in response.

“Eranya Cadet visited just a moment ago.”

“Oh? For what reason?”

As Leopold opened his bag and began unpacking his belongings onto the bed, Astein shared Eranya’s message. Leopold frowned slightly upon hearing it.

“No matter the circumstances, isn’t this supposed to be a place of learning? A drinking gathering here? Absolutely not. It’s unacceptable. Not only will I abstain, but I can’t approve it either.”

“The squad leader is Astrid Cadet, though. It seems she’s already given her permission.”

“Ugh.”

It seemed that Leopold hadn’t fully shaken off the habits ingrained in him during his time at the imperial palace. 

Here, he was just another cadet. He didn’t have the authority to permit or forbid such things, and if Astrid had approved it, he had no grounds to object.

“Besides, if you don’t attend, I’ll be the only man there. Are you really going to leave me alone like that?”

Leopold stared at Astein for a moment. He really would be the only man there. Aside from Leopold and Astein, there were no other men in this squad. 

If Leopold didn’t attend, Astein would indeed be left alone as the sole male participant.

In the past, Leopold might not have cared.

Though there had been various incidents and situations, neither Leopold nor Astrid harbored any strong emotions toward each other for a long time. However, things had recently changed.

There was that dinner he shared with Astrid, and the way she got tipsy from just a bit of alcohol. 

Then, the debacle of trying to get her to sleep afterward—and seeing her peaceful, sleeping face up close by the end of it.

His heart had undeniably raced back then.

And then there was the night market he visited before his return. Although he thought he had dismissed it as a misunderstanding, the fortune he heard there solidified something for him.

When Leopold looked at Astrid, his heart would race.

And now, at this drinking party, the only man present besides Astrid would be Astein—a man who also seemed to harbor feelings for her.

If Astrid drank there…

A catastrophe would be inevitable.

“…Fine. I’ll attend.”

“Oh, a sudden change of heart? What brought this on?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Even though Leopold’s tone was somewhat curt, Astein didn’t seem to mind.

He simply let it pass.

“So, what time is it happening?”

The sun was nearly set, and the evening twilight cast a dim glow. Though it was almost night, it was still the early hours of the evening.

“Probably once the sun has fully set.”

“I see.”

“Guess what! Veracien is coming too! Violet said she’d be there as well!”

“Is that so?”

Astrid wore a slightly sulky expression. It wasn’t hard to guess why. The mention of Violet’s presence didn’t exactly thrill her. After all, Violet was, in a way, a rival to Astrid.

Why Violet would come, Astrid couldn’t fathom. This was supposed to be a squad gathering—her presence felt out of place, inappropriate, and downright strange.

‘It’s all so weird!’

【Exactly! That woman, with her pitch-black self! The kind you’d only spot her teeth if she were in a cave!】

‘…That’s kind of a dangerous comment.’

In any case, it had been decided. There wasn’t much she could do about it now.

“So, we need to prepare the space.”

“The space?”

Astrid thought they were just going to have it in the room. What kind of preparation was necessary now?

“How are six people going to sit around in this room? If we’re just sitting on the bed, the floor, and the desk chair, it’ll be no fun.”

That was true. Gatherings were always more enjoyable when people could sit together in a circle.

“So, Astie. Let’s put some muscle into it, alright?”

“Muscle?”

Astrid was puzzled by the sudden mention of strength.

“Alright, lift the bed!”

“What?!”

Eranya pointed at her own bed. In the room, there were two beds placed parallel to each other with some space in between—Astrid’s bed toward the inside, and Eranya’s closer to the door.

“Lift my bed and stack it on top of yours.”

“…Huh?”

Astrid complied, lifting the bed along with its mattress. Though it wobbled a bit, she managed to prop it up, grabbed its base, and raised it high.

“Now put it on top of your bed!”

Thud.

With a light sound, the two beds were stacked. Eranya then pushed them toward the corner of the room, clearing up a significant amount of space.

“How’s that? Enough room for six people to sit together now, right?”

“That’s true.”

A quick sweep and mop of the area would leave the floor spotless. The cleared space was quite spacious.

“Well… now it’s my turn.”

Eranya opened her personal cabinet and rummaged through it. Though the cabinet didn’t seem large enough to hide much, Astrid’s jaw dropped at what Eranya pulled out.

“…Are all those bottles alcohol?”

“Yup. Three bottles of whiskey, two of rum, and two fruit wines. That’s seven bottles. Hmm.”

Eranya lined the bottles up, all seven standing neatly in a row. How she’d managed to hide them in such a small cabinet was a mystery.

“Anyway, this should be enough for one bottle per person with some left over. If it’s not, we’ll just have Violet bring more.”

“Wait, she has alcohol too?”

“Of course, she does.”

Eranya looked at Astrid as though the question was ridiculous.

“That’s how she and I became friends in the first place—by drinking together.”