“I can’t believe a lowly commoner would have the gall to line her desk alongside mine, know your place!”
In response to my reprimand, the commoner gave but a bewildered stare. As though unable to grasp her current situation, she restlessly examined her surroundings before returning her gaze to me. How absolutely disrespectful.
It took all I had to reign in my irritation.
My name is Claire François, a proper lady, hailing from one of Bauer’s most distinguished noble families. My father, Dor François, serves as our kingdom’s Minister of Finance, overseeing the national treasury. Overall, our family’s influence was only eclipsed by the kingdom’s royalty and the prime minister. In effect, our household was distinguished even among other nobles as the third most powerful within the kingdom.
So, it should go without saying that I don’t attend some run of the mill establishment, but rather the Bauer Kingdom Royal Academy―a place that only a handful of elites should rightfully attend. The academy however, was currently facing a crisis… An influx of commoners, much like the one before me now.
“Ah, Claire…?”
“My! To think that you’d address me so casually!”
As a noble standing among the kingdom’s top, I could not stand to be addressed so casually by a mere commoner. As though to emphasize my point, my friends, Pipi and Loretta, stood beside me with their elegant brows standing on end.
As though it she had yet to fully grasp the situation, the commoner met my gaze and said,
“Claire-sama.”
Finally, she spoke in a manner befitting of the gap in our status. Goodness… the kingdom had only just graced them with the opportunity to attend this academy and they’re already so cheeky! This is exactly why commoners are…
“Yes, much better. Commoners must address those above them properly.”
“Do you know my name?”
She asked as though she was looking to confirm something. Normally I’d never go out of my way to remember the name of a commoner, but it also wouldn’t sit well with me if she were to belittle my memory.
“Are you trying to make a fool of me? Rei Taylor.”
Yes, Rei Taylor. She was this year’s valedictorian among students who entered from outside. She was but one of the commoners that had managed to slip into our esteemed academy, solely because her abilities were recognized.
As previously stated, the Royal Academy is a prestigious academy meant solely for heirs of distinguished families. However, status alone was not enough. Only the elite among the elites who passed through the rigorous examination process were allowed to enroll. In spite of all that, the current king, King Rousseau, introduced new policies favoring ability and competency, ultimately allowing some commoners to mix in. It’s absolutely disgraceful that the likes of commoners be allowed to line their desks and learn alongside us nobles! I, as the finance minister’s very own daughter, must protect order within this academy.
Just as I was about to offer more harsh advice,
“Heck yeah!”
Inexplicably, the commoner expressed joy. That was certainly an odd reaction.
“Could I ask that you refrain from suddenly spouting nonsense? Not to mention such vulgar language! This is why commoners are…”
As exemplified here, there was a large rift between nobles and commoners, even in something as simple as the way that we speak. Should commoners continue to enroll, I was certain that the Royal Academy’s influence would plummet.
“While I respect the King, I simply cannot bring myself to agree with these new policies.”
“It’s just as you say, Claire-sama.”
“Yes, absolutely!”
Pipi and Loretta expressed their sympathy. The academy was meant to be a garden for nobility, certainly not a place where commoners should tread.
If I was able to teach the top scorer her proper place, I’m sure the other commoners would follow suit. With that in mind, just as I was about to continue my rebuke,
“Claire-sama.”
She called out my name.
“What is it? I’d prefer it if you didn’t make a habit of calling my name in such a familiar manner.”
What she said in response to my blunt words, truly exceeded my comprehension.
“I love you.”
“…Huh?”
Wait, what did this commoner just say? Love? What could she mean by that…? There are obviously many interpretations of love. Friendly, familial, romantic… but none of them seem to fit our current context. Eh? But it couldn’t be. There’s no way she meant that literally… right?
“Claire-sama, I love you a lot.”
“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!?”
What on earth is this commoner saying!? Out of all of the ways I could’ve broached the topic, I chose to berate her and she says she loves me!?
“What are you saying!?”
“What…? I am simply saying that I love you a lot!”
Her expression displayed genuine confusion. I couldn’t sense even a trace of ill will. However, it was absolutely impossible that her words were meant to be taken literally. What could her intentions be?
After a bit of thought, I arrived at a certain possibility. I see, so that was her aim.
“H-hmph, a lowly commoner such as yourself is looking to win my favor? That’s a fruitless endeavor. I have no intention of being swayed by a measly commoner.”
There were always people around me who would pamper me to chase after my family’s social standing. This girl was surely just another one of them. With a swift motion, I turned my face away.
“… Absolutely adorable.”
Wh-What did she just!?
“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!”
I was accustomed to having my looks complimented, but I would often hear pretty, beautiful, or even more flowery language. How many years has it been since someone has called me adorable? No, that wasn’t the issue at hand. She and I were both maidens! In spite of that, she spoke as though she was a potential suitor.
“You… are you one of those who traverse a different path?”
Women who prefer other women frequently appeared within fiction. Most often, those women were portrayed as lecherous and loose. I couldn’t help but feel that she exuded something of that nature as well.
“No, that’s not… well, maybe… but putting that aside, Claire-sama is just too adorable!”
“Eeep!?”
It’s settled. This commoner is one of those deviants. How repulsive!
“Claire-sama, you hate me, right?”
“O-Of course, isn’t that obvious!”
There wasn’t even a trace of something that I could come to like!
“That’s fine. Go on and bully me, I’m all for it!”
“Wh… What is up with this girl…”
She’s beyond comprehension. She claims to like me but she doesn’t mind that I hate her. Furthermore, she claims that she wants to be bullied―absolutely incomprehensible. Though the commoner before me was unmistakably a human, I looked at her as though she was an unknown organism.
“Alright, it’s the beginning of our fun, happy times, isn’t it Claire-sama! Let’s get the most out of it, together!”
“Why do you speak as though my involvement is already guaranteed!?”
At that time, I didn’t even have the slightest inkling… that this commoner who appeared absolutely revolting, would one day become my life long partner.
Translation Note: For the section where Rei initially confesses her love, the Japanese uses, すき, 隙, 鋤, and 漉き. These are all pronounced “suki” but mean, “like/love”, “an opening”, “a spade”, and “papermaking” respectively. This doesn’t translate super well to English, so I had Claire muse about different kinds of love. As to the reason I chose “Love” instead of “Like”, that was a choice based on Rei’s passionate personality.
Translator Comment: Hello all, I’m excited to finally be able to share this all with you. ILTV is a series very close to my heart, and I’m excited to be able to go through it again with you all from Claire’s perspective. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or suggestions down below or on Twitter. I had a lot of fun doing the translation, so I hope you all have fun reading too!
“I can’t believe a lowly commoner would have the gall to line her desk alongside mine, know your place!”
In response to my reprimand, the commoner gave but a bewildered stare. As though unable to grasp her current situation, she restlessly examined her surroundings before returning her gaze to me. How absolutely disrespectful.
It took all I had to reign in my irritation.
My name is Claire François, a proper lady, hailing from one of Bauer’s most distinguished noble families. My father, Dor François, serves as our kingdom’s Minister of Finance, overseeing the national treasury. Overall, our family’s influence was only eclipsed by the kingdom’s royalty and the prime minister. In effect, our household was distinguished even among other nobles as the third most powerful within the kingdom.
So, it should go without saying that I don’t attend some run of the mill establishment, but rather the Bauer Kingdom Royal Academy―a place that only a handful of elites should rightfully attend. The academy however, was currently facing a crisis… An influx of commoners, much like the one before me now.
“Ah, Claire…?”
“My! To think that you’d address me so casually!”
As a noble standing among the kingdom’s top, I could not stand to be addressed so casually by a mere commoner. As though to emphasize my point, my friends, Pipi and Loretta, stood beside me with their elegant brows standing on end.
As though it she had yet to fully grasp the situation, the commoner met my gaze and said,
“Claire-sama.”
Finally, she spoke in a manner befitting of the gap in our status. Goodness… the kingdom had only just graced them with the opportunity to attend this academy and they’re already so cheeky! This is exactly why commoners are…
“Yes, much better. Commoners must address those above them properly.”
“Do you know my name?”
She asked as though she was looking to confirm something. Normally I’d never go out of my way to remember the name of a commoner, but it also wouldn’t sit well with me if she were to belittle my memory.
“Are you trying to make a fool of me? Rei Taylor.”
Yes, Rei Taylor. She was this year’s valedictorian among students who entered from outside. She was but one of the commoners that had managed to slip into our esteemed academy, solely because her abilities were recognized.
As previously stated, the Royal Academy is a prestigious academy meant solely for heirs of distinguished families. However, status alone was not enough. Only the elite among the elites who passed through the rigorous examination process were allowed to enroll. In spite of all that, the current king, King Rousseau, introduced new policies favoring ability and competency, ultimately allowing some commoners to mix in. It’s absolutely disgraceful that the likes of commoners be allowed to line their desks and learn alongside us nobles! I, as the finance minister’s very own daughter, must protect order within this academy.
Just as I was about to offer more harsh advice,
“Heck yeah!”
Inexplicably, the commoner expressed joy. That was certainly an odd reaction.
“Could I ask that you refrain from suddenly spouting nonsense? Not to mention such vulgar language! This is why commoners are…”
As exemplified here, there was a large rift between nobles and commoners, even in something as simple as the way that we speak. Should commoners continue to enroll, I was certain that the Royal Academy’s influence would plummet.
“While I respect the King, I simply cannot bring myself to agree with these new policies.”
“It’s just as you say, Claire-sama.”
“Yes, absolutely!”
Pipi and Loretta expressed their sympathy. The academy was meant to be a garden for nobility, certainly not a place where commoners should tread.
If I was able to teach the top scorer her proper place, I’m sure the other commoners would follow suit. With that in mind, just as I was about to continue my rebuke,
“Claire-sama.”
She called out my name.
“What is it? I’d prefer it if you didn’t make a habit of calling my name in such a familiar manner.”
What she said in response to my blunt words, truly exceeded my comprehension.
“I love you.”
“…Huh?”
Wait, what did this commoner just say? Love? What could she mean by that…? There are obviously many interpretations of love. Friendly, familial, romantic… but none of them seem to fit our current context. Eh? But it couldn’t be. There’s no way she meant that literally… right?
“Claire-sama, I love you a lot.”
“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!?”
What on earth is this commoner saying!? Out of all of the ways I could’ve broached the topic, I chose to berate her and she says she loves me!?
“What are you saying!?”
“What…? I am simply saying that I love you a lot!”
Her expression displayed genuine confusion. I couldn’t sense even a trace of ill will. However, it was absolutely impossible that her words were meant to be taken literally. What could her intentions be?
After a bit of thought, I arrived at a certain possibility. I see, so that was her aim.
“H-hmph, a lowly commoner such as yourself is looking to win my favor? That’s a fruitless endeavor. I have no intention of being swayed by a measly commoner.”
There were always people around me who would pamper me to chase after my family’s social standing. This girl was surely just another one of them. With a swift motion, I turned my face away.
“… Absolutely adorable.”
Wh-What did she just!?
“Wha… wha- wha- wha…!”
I was accustomed to having my looks complimented, but I would often hear pretty, beautiful, or even more flowery language. How many years has it been since someone has called me adorable? No, that wasn’t the issue at hand. She and I were both maidens! In spite of that, she spoke as though she was a potential suitor.
“You… are you one of those who traverse a different path?”
Women who prefer other women frequently appeared within fiction. Most often, those women were portrayed as lecherous and loose. I couldn’t help but feel that she exuded something of that nature as well.
“No, that’s not… well, maybe… but putting that aside, Claire-sama is just too adorable!”
“Eeep!?”
It’s settled. This commoner is one of those deviants. How repulsive!
“Claire-sama, you hate me, right?”
“O-Of course, isn’t that obvious!”
There wasn’t even a trace of something that I could come to like!
“That’s fine. Go on and bully me, I’m all for it!”
“Wh… What is up with this girl…”
She’s beyond comprehension. She claims to like me but she doesn’t mind that I hate her. Furthermore, she claims that she wants to be bullied―absolutely incomprehensible. Though the commoner before me was unmistakably a human, I looked at her as though she was an unknown organism.
“Alright, it’s the beginning of our fun, happy times, isn’t it Claire-sama! Let’s get the most out of it, together!”
“Why do you speak as though my involvement is already guaranteed!?”
At that time, I didn’t even have the slightest inkling… that this commoner who appeared absolutely revolting, would one day become my life long partner.
Translation Note: For the section where Rei initially confesses her love, the Japanese uses, すき, 隙, 鋤, and 漉き. These are all pronounced “suki” but mean, “like/love”, “an opening”, “a spade”, and “papermaking” respectively. This doesn’t translate super well to English, so I had Claire muse about different kinds of love. As to the reason I chose “Love” instead of “Like”, that was a choice based on Rei’s passionate personality.
Translator Comment: Hello all, I’m excited to finally be able to share this all with you. ILTV is a series very close to my heart, and I’m excited to be able to go through it again with you all from Claire’s perspective. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or suggestions down below or on Twitter. I had a lot of fun doing the translation, so I hope you all have fun reading too!
