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Mia and Alice's First Meeting

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This is the last available chapter in Syosetu.

*****

It was the day I officially started at the Adventurers Guild. I had just slipped into my uniform and arrived for my first day on the job.

I was surrounded by a sea of commoners at the morning assembly, right about to be introduced by the Guild Master, so I was drawing quite a lot of attention.

「This is Lady Mia, who’s been hired by the Adventurers Guild to handle our noble-related affairs. Treat her well, everyone.」

Compared to a noble gathering, I had absolutely zero experience rubbing shoulders with commoners. I felt like I had to uphold the Hopewell name, so I knew I had to carry myself with the proper decorum befitting a Viscount’s daughter.

「I am Mia Hopewell, and I shall be in charge of noble-related affairs starting today. It is a pleasure to meet you.」

I stood up straight, kept my fingers neatly aligned, and bowed as politely as I possibly could.

I’ll admit, as far as Viscount’s daughters go, I thought it was a pretty stellar performance... but that’s not quite how it went.

「Wow, another stiff-looking one came along.」

「'Hopewell', she said...? Isn't that the family with that hard-nosed knight?」

「Yeah, the daughter of that guy they called the 'Demon Knight'. Looks like she's every bit as serious as her old man.」

The reality was far from what I’d imagined; the moment I opened my mouth, the verdict was in: I was someone 'hard to get along with.'

Normally, the noble-affairs lady who handles the handovers would be here, so the atmosphere wouldn’t be this awkward. But she’d called in sick today.

(Talk about bad luck...)

Since I didn't have any handover tasks, and there wasn't much for a newbie like me to do, I decided to make myself useful to the commoner staff.

If I played my cards right, I figured this would be a great way to make friends with them!

「I’ll go ahead and organize the files on this table for you.」

「...O-Oh, thanks.」

「This trash is piled up, so I’ll handle the disposal.」

「...Uh, thanks.」

「I brewed some tea; please, refresh yourselves.」

「Huh? Oh, right. ...Wait, what?」

As a result, we didn't hit it off at all...!

Perhaps because our social statuses were different, we were both hyper-conscious of each other, and I just couldn't seem to blend in.

If anything, I seemed to be making an even worse impression, and I kept getting these awkward, forced smiles directed my way.

Every time I tried to do something nice, it felt like the distance between us just grew further.

Time ticked by just like that, and before I knew it, the bell signaling the lunch break rang out across the Adventurers Guild. I’d spent the whole morning getting absolutely nowhere.

As I stood there feeling completely crushed, wondering how I was supposed to get through the afternoon, a girl around my age dressed in the Guild’s uniform walked up to me.

「I don't mean to be rude, but I can't read your social distance at all, Mia. You’re basically like a 'suspicious person' labeled 'Noble'.」

I couldn't even argue with that, because I felt the exact same way.

「Ah... yes, I’m sorry.」

「I’m not trying to get an apology out of you or anything. Look, if you’re okay with talking normally, I can at least introduce you to everyone later.」

Hearing that wonderful suggestion from her—as she stood there scratching her head, looking a bit shy—really tugged at my heartstrings. I leaned in, unable to hide my enthusiasm.

「Would you really do that for me...?」

「Y-Yeah. I mean, it’s honestly hard to watch you flail around like this.」

I hadn't known how to handle the distance between myself and the commoners, so I suppose it couldn't be helped. I decided that this was my chance to learn from her and use it to improve my communication skills going forward.

「Well, for starters, we should start with introductions. I’m Alice. I’ve been with the Adventurers Guild for three years now, so I’m basically treated like a full-fledged member.」

「I am Mia Hopewell. I have gone through the Guild’s documents, so I believe I can handle simple tasks. If it is not too much trouble, I would appreciate your assistance—」

「Wait, wait, wait. That right there is the problem. Why are you being so formal?」

「...Is this not standard behavior?」

「Maybe between nobles. But for us commoners, it’s just exhausting to listen to. It’s like, the words are so fancy, it feels like we aren't even having a real conversation.」

I see. So, everyone’s cold reaction was just because I was using a tone of voice they weren't used to...

I’d completely overlooked the fact that a language barrier was standing between me and the commoners.

「You say the language is difficult, but that is a very profound statement. I was under the impression that my demeanor made me quite approachable, at least among the nobility.」

「That right there is exactly what I mean. It’s just so unnatural.」

「I see. Well, in that case, to get along with everyone, I must begin by practicing how to drop the polite speech.」

As I confirmed my next goal with a sharp, determined nod, Alice suddenly burst out laughing.

「Pfft! You don't practice talking casually! You'll pick it up eventually, so don't worry about it.」

Being told there wasn't anything I could do right now made me feel incredibly restless...

I was just thinking about how much I wanted to get closer to Alice when she reached out and gave my shoulder a light pat.

「Hey, what are you doing for lunch? The last noble-affairs lady was on a diet and didn't eat, are you that type too?」

「No, I couldn't keep up with an extreme diet, so I was planning on eating at the cafeteria or a nearby shop.」

「Oh, nice. You’ve got the right idea. Then, come with me.」

「Y-Yes. I would be delighted to join you.」

I had assumed I’d be eating alone today, so I was genuinely happy for the invite...!

Without wasting a second, Alice and I left the Adventurers Guild together.

「Hey, hey. Is it true that noble girls actually sleep in beds with canopies?」

「No, it’s just a normal bed. Even among quite noble individuals, I don't think many people use those.」

「Seriously? You’re killing the dream here... Okay, how about this? Is it true a handsome butler comes to wake you up every morning and whispers in your ear?」

「As far as I know, that doesn't happen to anyone. Setting aside the gentlemen, I'm fairly certain the only people allowed in a lady's bedroom are of the same gender.」

「Wow... Noble life is surprisingly devoid of dreams, huh...」

Do commoners really have a fascination with romance novels between noble ladies and their servants? If you actually tried that in real life, you’d probably be disowned.

「Oh, if I may ask, is it true that when commoners stay over at a friend’s house, there is a custom of throwing pillows at each other?」

「Hmm, that’s a toss-up. You’ll see if you try it, but getting hit hurts like crazy.」

「You have experience with this!?」

「I got hit in the face and got a nosebleed, so I’m never doing that again. It just ruins friendships. Anyway, this one has to be true, right? A high-ranking son falls in love with a commoner girl and runs away together...」

After that, Alice told me a few more "common noble tropes," none of which I’d ever encountered in real life.

However, that actually ended up serving as a great icebreaker. When Alice introduced me to the other commoners, I was surprisingly easy to accept.

「「「Whaaat! You’re a noble, but you eat bread from that bakery in the back alley!?」」」

「I think the bread at that shop is delicious.」

「「「I get it. I feel a real sense of kinship now!」」」

I realized then and there: to get along with commoners, one must find common ground.

*****

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