I hope you don't mind that I'm self-aware, but I don't think I'm beautiful.
Oh, really, don't worry about it.
It's just that I know myself better than anyone else.
My reddish-brown hair is so frizzy that I can only wear it in thick braids, and my pale blue eyes are so round that they don't look good with makeup. The freckles around my nose have not disappeared even though I am now eighteen years old.
My grades are pretty average.
I'm average in height and … I'm just a little bit, slightly above average in weight, as you can guess.
My sister Berenice, who is thirteen years older than me, consoled me by saying that there was nothing to be concerned about, that I was average looking.
But the reason why I don't think I'm average is because there are too many beautiful girls around me, I think.
I have mixed feelings, half proud and half disappointed.
They looked like fairies, with the beauty of Arita's nobility clad in a very natural way.
When I stood alongside them, I was reminded of my own mediocrity.
But I still love them.
They are kind and beautiful, and they all look like princesses.
I was happy to be in their company, and I always laughed, made them laugh, chatted with them, and did my best to express my enjoyment in their company.
It has been a very enjoyable twelve years since I entered elementary school at the age of six. I'm grateful for my good fortune.
"Ella, maybe we should get started."
And now.
In part of Arita Castle, the former residence of the Grand Duke of Arita.
In the small room that was assigned to us, Dennis Tucker spoke.
Ella Guinnemer, eighteen years old.
Today is my "coming of age" ceremony.
＊
The biggest topic of this year's "Coming of Age Ceremony" at the former Arita Imperial Academy was, after all, Cornelia-sama and Julius-sama.
It was a miraculous event that these two people, who were our honorees and who looked like characters from a fairy tale, were recognized as "a pair".
Well, it was to be expected.
Perhaps the Empire thought that if we paired them, the younger generations would pledge their loyalty to the Empire.
And that was true to some extent.
I feel that fewer people are openly complaining about the "coming of age ceremony", at least only after knowing who they’ve been paired with.
――Come to think of it, Tiana was the only one who repeatedly complained about the ritual until just a while ago.
It reminded me of a childhood friend I had left in front of the castle.
Tiana Klein was paired with Adele Berger, the well known dog-and-cat pair.
They are the second most noticeable couple to come out from this year's "Coming of Age Ceremony".
Completely opposite from Cornelia-sama and everyone else this year.
I can't imagine what those two will be like now.
I hope it doesn't turn into a big fight like it did in primary school.
"Ella, are you listening to me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about Tiana and Adele."
I hurriedly moved my hands to my lap and straightened my back.
On the other side of the table, with light purple eyes, was Dennis Tucker.
My mate, decided by the empire.
Dennis nodded.
"Yeah, I'm really worried about those two, but we don't have much time and you don't want to rush things at the last minute, do you?"
"That's true. I tend to be impatient, so it's better to have some flexibility."
Dennis is always right.
He is the second son of a prestigious count family that has been in the Duchy of Arita for a long time, and he is one of my childhood friends who has been enrolled in the same academy with me since elementary school.
His fine, caramel-colored hair was slicked along the back of his head in a beautiful oval shape.
I remember being surprised when he was selected for the knight course, as his body was supple and thin and he was always reading books.
He was probably the shortest in the knight course.
I'm amazed that he' s been in the knight's course for six years. That's great.
On the other hand, I’m last of the four daughters of the Viscount Guynemer.
Although the territory has not been large since the time of the Principality, fortunately, there is still plenty of room for living, as it has been manufacturing fashion accessories in this region for generations using a specialty cotton.
The youngest child who has lived carefree without any trouble.
Dennis took a note out of his bag and began to flip through it.
Looking at those slender fingertips, I was afraid that if I did such an act with him, he would be crushed by my weight.
"What’re the notes for, Dennis?
"I've made a note of the arrangements. We'll probably be able to do it without a hitch, so don't worry."
The note was divided into about eight steps, and seemed to briefly summarize the steps of the ritual.
"Ella, are you okay? Did you measure your temperature this morning?"
He asked me with a serious face, and I nodded with a curious look on my face.
"It's okay. I've prepared everything for this day."
"Yes, I'm glad. Girls will have a physical examination tomorrow, so it's better to have as much sleep as possible. After all, let's skip the extra process and proceed as quickly as possible."
Without hesitation, he crossed out the third item on his itinerary.
I was very curious about what kind of process was omitted, but the letters were too small to see well.
Dennis looked over the notebook to confirm.
The light coming through the window gradually grew longer and redder.
"Hey, are you okay? Is there anything I should do?"
I’ve never been good with silence.
I asked, leaning forward with my hands on the table.
Dennis blinked and looked at me.
"What you should do?"
"I'll do anything you want me to. Don't worry, I won't force Dennis to do it alone. It's going to be very hard to begin with. You know, we're kind of like a sister and a brother, aren't we? In fact, that's what everyone used to call us when we were in primary school! Oh, we're mom and son!”
Haha! I clapped my hands as I laughed.
When I was in elementary school, there was a time when I was the biggest girl and Dennis was the smallest boy.
That's what an imperial boy told me then.
Tiana and Adele stepped in and kicked the bullies away.
Only my voice reverberated in the quiet room, gradually fading and disappearing.
“I think I'll be okay."
Dennis snaps his notebook shut.
"Last night, I tried to simulate the process by myself. It went off without a hitch."
"Simulate? Alone …”
What! You mean Dennis imagined me and then did it himself?
"What! You mean you imagined me and then did it alone!?"
I have a habit of saying what I think out loud.
Still, Dennis was calm. He began to explain without changing his expression.
"Yeah. I haven't done that much so I tried it, but it was okay."
"Wow, Dennis. Great, great!"
Many of our classmates are very attractive girls.
Cornelia-sama is supreme without a doubt, Tiana is smart and has big breasts, Leni is small and fragile making you want to protect her, and Irina has her cheekiness that attracts you.
And everyone has a cute face and are thin.
It made me cry to know that Dennis, the man who had been matched with me in such a situation, did not get discouraged, did not give up, and even put together a positive notebook and practiced on his own.
Of course he was. Dennis had always been that way, even as a child.
He would stand calmly behind everyone, assess the situation, and make appropriate suggestions.
I remember when I was in elementary school, everyone's antics got so heated that we were about to get into a terrible prank, but thanks to his calm opinion, we were able to stop it from happening. (Tiana was very depressed after she came back to herself.)
I grabbed Dennis' hands and shook them from across the table, and for the first time, Dennis looked somewhat annoyed.
"What’s the big deal?"
"Because Dennis, don’t you have a type?"
Dennis shook his head lightly.
“No, I didn't. I was desperate just to keep up with the knight course. Practicing diligently every day and barely making it to the next level, so I didn't have time to think about it.”
"Oh well, maybe I'm lucky I'm dealing with Dennis!"
If it had been Geralt, he would have complained a lot, and I, not unlike Tiana, would not have just listened quietly, so of course I would have said something back, and the situation would have been very miserable.
At any rate, how lucky I am to be with Dennis, who is serious, calm, hardworking, and has no specific preference for women at the moment.
… I tried not to think about whether Dennis was lucky or not.
"By the way, can I ask you what you imagined when you practiced?"
I heard a small sigh.
On the other side of the table, Dennis was reluctant to speak.
"Hey, I feel like my success rate is going to go downhill if I keep talking about it, so can I just start first?"
While nodding my head with a fake smile, I was breaking out in a cold sweat inside.
Oh, I think I've talked too much again.
I remember before I entered the academy, my mother was very concerned about whether I would look like an aristocratic young lady, and she repeatedly reminded me not to talk too much, not to walk too fast, not to laugh too loudly, and not to eat too much.
Don't talk too much, don't take too big a step, don't laugh too loudly, don't eat too much.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Dennis stood up gently.
I wonder what kind of expression he has on his face. It's hard to tell with the light behind him.
-Don't talk too much.
I gulped with a puzzled smile on my face.
The sound was embarrassingly loud, so I gulped again.
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