CHAPTER 48

ENROLLMENT TO HARMONIA ACADEMY

Day 22 Month 7.

I woke up so early in the morning, before the sun even rose. Or would it be suffice to say that I could hardly fall asleep last night?

Today, my entrance exams result should be delivered!!

Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I decided to wake up and walked down only to find that Chloe was already awake as well, and she seemed to be in the middle of doing a morning clean-up.

“Ara? Lyra-sama? Why are you up so early in the morning?”

“Chloe? You’re already awake, too?”

I was being so rude! Not only did I not answer her question, but I even returned her question with another question! Where are my manners? Where have they gone to?

“Ahaha, yeah, I’m used to wake up so early even without the help of any alarm. I guess it’s my biological clock. I usually do minor chores in the morning before it’s time to prepare for breakfast,” Chloe didn’t seem to mind my earlier rudeness at all and answered my questions first.

“I see… Ah, uhm, I can’t really sleep because today, I should be getting my entrance exams result. So, I decided to wake up early.”

“Is that so? Do you want to eat something or take a bath first?”

“I-it’s okay, I will just walk around or read something while waiting for my parents to wake up…”

“Read something? Then, I’ll be making a hot cocoa for you! Wait a bit, Lyra-sama.”

Before I could even refuse her delicious offer, Chloe quickly dashed over to the kitchen to make the hot cocoa.

…Well, then I will be bringing some books to enjoy with the hot cocoa… Let’s see what books are available!

***

“Eh, Lyra? You’re up already?” Mom was so surprised when she saw me reading a book and drinking the hot cocoa leisurely.

“Wha, Lyra, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? A fever?” Dad quickly examined me up-close.

“No, I can’t really sleep well, so…”

“You can’t sleep well? You should have knocked our rooms, Mommy and Daddy will accompany you to sleep,” Mom added.

…oh, right. It’s normal for a six-year-old kid to do that! It didn’t cross my mind, with my mental age and how I had no recollection of doing that in my past life.

“I can?”

“Yes, of course!”

“T-thank you, I will do that next time!”

Hearing their quick and positive answers, I resigned myself to the warmth I felt growing inside my chest and a genuine smile quickly formed on my face.

***

“Uuu, where is it?”

After taking a bath and having a nice breakfast, I went on stand-by in front of the house, waiting for the sign of a letter arriving, or anything of the sort…

“Lyra, you can actually access it on Provice…”

Dad murmured something, but Mom stopped him before I could even understand what he was talking about.

“Don’t kill the joy of waiting for the manual result to Lyra!” Mom quickly warned Dad—and I was wondering… manual result?

“Lyra, let’s play some games first,” Alt-nii tried to tempt me, but I was in no mood to play!

When I squinted into the distance, I saw a figure approaching in a simple bike… that person… could he be the long-awaited postman?!

When the figure of a young boy on his bike approached, I decided to walk even further to the gate. Obviously, my parents and Alt-nii who were standing next to me quickly followed.

The boy descended from his bike, repositioned his hat, and took out several mails from his bag.

Among the letters, I saw one familiar-looking envelope with a familiar-looking wax seal. That’s…!!

“I’ve been waiting for you!!” I impatiently held my hands up to the letters he was holding, and he looked back at me in confusion.

“Uhm… yes?”

“Hurry, hurry!” I shook my hands which were floating in the air, impatiently gesturing him to give me the letters.

“Ah…?” The young postman showed a confused expression instead, and that grated my nerves!

“Now, please!”

“…I understand.”

My eyes sparkled when the young postman said that he understood—but then, he put away the letters back and… positioned himself to carry me…?!

Wait… No!! Nooo, you’ve misunderstood my words!!

As I closed my eyes to the approaching figure of a dazzling young postman seemingly in his 15-17 of age, resigning my fate to whatever came, I noticed that I was snatched away and was flying on the air, in the familiar arms.

Familiar… arms?

I opened my eyes to see what was going on and saw the young postman standing dumbfoundedly in front of me, and noticed that he wasn’t the one who carried me.

I turned over and looked up at my savior.

The one who saved me from such an awkward situation was none other than… Dad.

“Can you explain what did you just try to do to my daughter?” Dad smiled, but cold air emanated from within his smile.

“Eh? Ah, n-no, Duke Hartmann, I wasn’t… The little miss seemed like she wanted me to carry her out of a sudden, and to answer her impatient request, I…”

…Whaaaaat? How did you perceive my gesture as that?!

“What, there’s no way she would do such a thing to a stranger!”

“Stranger, me? But I’ve come here a few times to deliver the mails… yelp! N, no, I mean…”

The young postman’s sense of justice prompted him to correct my dad’s memory, but he was greeted by Dad’s fierce stare.

“D-dad, it’s okay, I was at fault, too! I didn’t speak my intention well! This big brother here is not wrong!!”

In a panic, I put my hands on Dad’s chest to prevent him from getting angry at the innocent postman.

“…Lyra’s defending him?!” Dad’s shaken voice resounded.

“…Uuuh, what a kind little miss you are!” The young postman’s overjoyed voice responded.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“…”

Yes, please, please end this odd situation and just give me the letter already!!

In the end, Mom stepped between Dad and the young postman after she enjoyed the situation wholeheartedly and explained the circumstances, apologized to the young postman and took the deliveries from his hands.

The young postman smiled at me and gave me his good luck after hearing how I was impatiently waiting for the exam result.

Dad discreetly shoo-ed him away… Dad… please stop destroying your image as the duke… ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )

“Quick, quick!”

Gathering in the family room, I impatiently asked Mom to open the mail that she was holding.

Looking at my childish behavior, Alt-nii and my parents all laughed.

Uuu, it’s fine, isn’t it?

Sometimes, adults want to return back to being children and act childish to their heart’s content. In my case, I literally got the chance to return back to be a child, so I shan’t relinquish this chance… right?

“Alright, do you want to see the content, or do you want me to read it for you?” Mom asked once she held the content of the letter in her hands.

“Read it to me!”

For the sake of the best thriller. Ever!

Mom smiled at me, “Okay, then.”

“Dear Alrescha Lyra Hartmann,” Mom began to read aloud, “We are pleased to inform you the result of your entrance exams the other day.”

I held my breath unconsciously, waiting for the next words.

“Congratulations, you’ve been accepted at Harmonia Academy!”

Dad and Alt-nii quickly clapped their hands while saying, “As expected of Lyra!”

However, I was still waiting for the next words.

I may be quite arrogant to say that I’m confident in my enrollment status, and I’m also confident in entering the special class, but… well, to put it simply, my confidence in my getting enrolled to the academy is 150%, while my confidence in getting into the special class is only 100%.

…Stop sending me death glares!!

The drop in percentages illustrated my nervousness!

“In regards to your application for the special class, we shall announce our verdict…”

Am I guilty or not guilty?!

…wait, this isn’t the courtroom!!

“We are pleased to welcome you to the Special Class of the Year 976!”

Mom put down the papers and pulled me to her embrace.

“Congratulations, Lyra!” (Mom)

“Congrats, Lyra, I know you can do it!” (Dad)

“Woo-hoo, Lyra! That’s awesome!!” (Alt-nii)

Aaah, I’m super excited to enter the special class!!

Though I more or less have the knowledge for Basic Level already, I’m still hyped to know how the special class feels like. Especially, the magic classes. In addition, this is Harmonia Academy!!

Back then, I attended the normal class in my old school, as I was quite ordinary in terms of learning, and my mother would let me attend extra classes necessary to groom me as the queen.

I wonder if it will be hard? Seeing Alt-nii studying quite hard in his special class, I felt quite anxious even when I had basic knowledge in my head already, but who knows if it’s outdated?

And… wait, I remember Nicole was in the special class in my old school, but she seemed to be so relaxed! Wait, I never really recalled how she struggled in any lessons!!

Is my old school’s curriculum way easier than Harmonia Academy’s…?

I-I’m getting more nervous if I think of that possibility…

Taking that aside… Iris! I wonder if she’s also accepted to the special class?

I sure hope so!

“Okay, then we should manage the administrative stuff to officially enroll Lyra there,” Mom’s already thinking of what she should be doing next.

“Oh, will Lyra be sent to the dormitory?” Alt-nii jokingly asked.

“W-what?”

“Eh?” Dad looked up from the paper he was holding and looked at Alt-nii in confusion.

Sensing the chance, Mom smiled and replied, “Oh? Seems like a good idea.”

“W, w, what, Cassie?” Dad was surprised to hear Mom’s answer.

“The dorm will need a good leader for the kids her age, Lyra fits the bill,” Mom continued.

“Hey, does that mean I am not a good leader for kids my age?” Altaire protested.

“Y, you’re kidding, right?” Dad couldn’t really tell whether it’s a joke or not, as Mom’s expression was totally serious and Alt-nii’s pouting seemed real, too.

Looking at the troubled Dad, Mom and Alt-nii’s expressions quickly changed.

“Pfft… Ahaha! It’s so fun to tease you and Lyra,” Mom said.

“Mom! I didn’t fall for this one!” I pouted.

“But your expression was priceless when I brought the subject up!” Alt-nii quickly added.

That—I was still in the middle of digesting the whole situation!

The remaining days before my first day to school was spent by my parents managing all the necessary preparations for my enrollment, how they told me things such as my new school bag, my two sets of uniforms, etc…

Oh yeah, my old school didn’t have any uniform, so it basically turned into the nobles’ showcase of clothes!

I asked my parents whether I could modify the uniform, and they said the school allowed it… so long as the modification is not going too overboard and modifies the base uniform in a whole.

The uniform set consists of winter uniform and summer uniform… in other words, I will be wearing the winter-styled uniform for my first term at school!

While waiting for the administrative process to be completed, I paid some visits to Capicastle and as expected, both Luca and Kiri were also accepted to the same special class as me.

Having gained two friends right before the school even starts, how can I hide my happiness?

Though I’m still curious about Iris… I sure hope she will be my classmate as well!

Our small group of friends will finally be balanced that way, with 2 boys and 2 girls.

As of now… without Iris, I feel like I’m being surrounded by two males—like… a reverse harem situation? Yes, there’s a dire need for a balance in this group!

When the uniform finally arrived along with my official letter of enrollment, I saw… how cute they are, especially the summer uniform! I haven’t even started school yet, but I can’t wait for the next term already.

From my parents and Alt-nii’s story, the uniform set in Harmonia Academy differs per level.

I stared at the uniform that Mom took out for me.

The winter uniform for Basic Level children is green-themed and they only provide the blazer… oh wait, so I can combine it with any inner shirt I want? Nice, school! To add more details—the blazer’s base color is a light soft green with a pocket on each bottom side of the blazer, and the bottom of the blazer forms a reversed V shape. The collar’s color is of a dark green, and it has some soft golden stripes. The hem of the blazer is also embroidered in soft golden lines. The necktie is quite long with a golden color and Harmonia Academy’s emblem printed on it. The skirt is a checked skirt with dark green and white gradation.

When I observed Alt-nii’s uniform, the two shared the same characteristics, with the only differences being: the male uniform’s pocket is only one—located on the upper left side of the blazer, and the collar’s also light green, just like the base shirt’s color.

Needless to say, the clothes are long-sleeved and the skirt or short length is comparatively longer than the summer uniform set. Plus… the cloth material seems like it can keep me warm.

As for the summer uniform… for Basic level, they are sailor uniform themed! The dominant color? Blue and white, with red bows!

The summer uniform for females… is basically like a normal sailor uniform with a few alterations, such as puffed sleeves, frilly hem of the skirt, and the skirt’s styled like an overall skirt! It’s cute, I’m telling you! And the cloth material should be different from the winter uniform’s material, this one feels like it will give the user a refreshing sensation.

The male counterpart for the summer uniform is basically about the same, except for the overall puffed short pants and the normal sleeves. The small buttons are golden-colored with the academy’s emblem on it.

“Try them on, Lyra!”

“Oh, wait, Lyra, let me take some photos! Pose for Daddy!”

“As expected, this is the hidden joy of having a daughter! The clothing set is just too cute!”

“Excuse me, Daddy, whattttt?!” Altaire pouted in protest.

“Oh, Alt? You can wear your uniform and we will take some photos of you two together!”

--And so, it turned into a sudden photograph session.

“Mom, my clothes… they are quite oversized?”

I asked Mom when Dad was busy preparing for his beloved camera and Alt-nii changing into his uniform.

“Well, since you’re in your growing period, so we didn’t order for your current size, but we deliberately ordered a bigger size to accommodate your growth,” Mom explained.

“Ah--.”

I have never been a parent before, so I didn’t know.

But that’s true, it will be such a waste to use the clothes for a short period of time before having to buy bigger ones.

“Though we will still need to prepare for bigger size once these uniforms fit your body perfectly.”

I nodded. Yup yup.

I will feel bad for accumulating 6 sets of the same uniforms with different sizes just to accommodate my growth.

Besides, they don’t fit perfectly to my body, but they don’t look that oversized.

So, it’s perfectly fine.

--This is what happens after some photographs taken--

“Cass, do you still have your old uniform? Perhaps we might as well take some photos of our family in school uniforms…”

“…Cyan, are you nuts?!”

…Dad, you’re into cosplaying?

“Oh, that would make a cute family photo!!” Alt-nii chimed in happily.

“It’s not like they don’t fit anymore, right, Cass?”

“…Can we not do this?”

--But in the end, we managed to take some cute family pictures. Mom and Dad still look pretty much, so…

Niina was dumbfounded when we first asked her help to take the pictures, but she managed to take some great pictures after having her hands trembling in her attempts to hold her laughter a few times.

But but!! Their Master level’s uniforms were so... cool!! I mean, unlike the typical school uniforms, the Master level's uniforms are used mainly for adults aged 18 and up, and there's this Internship program that they are supposed to do at Master level... In short, the Master level's uniforms look pretty much like a formal attire used in a work or a business!

I'm not sure how the uniforms for other schools' Master level, but Harmonia Academy's set of uniforms is just exquisite.

There’s nothing shameful from wearing them, Mom!!

Could it be that she was still ashamed since they were her past school uniforms anyway, regardless how cool the outfits were?

“This is just… for our personal collection, okay? No boasting it to others!” Mom quickly warned Dad shortly after we all got changed.

“Worry not, Cass. Even I still have my sanity intact. I won’t ever divulge this matter to public. This is for our personal collection.”

“Your sanity is still intact? I would have believed it if I haven’t discovered this side of you… Oh, Lyra. Remember to unveil your future husband’s every layer of his personality. The Cyan that I knew from before we got married—where is he right now, I wonder?”

Mom tried to give me a precious advice in dating, but her troubled expression seemed to be full of love. Though she complained, she must still love this side of Dad, too. I can just sense it.

※Deep down, Cassie knows the answer. It’s just that the past Cyan never revealed this real side of his due to having to put on the pretense all the time. Now that he was liberated from what chained his freedom in the past, how could Cassie have the heart to prevent Cyan from acting like he wants?※

***

“For your first day of school, you will go with Alt-nii and Clavis together in a carriage, is that okay, Lyra?”

“No problem, Dad!”

“Altaire, make sure to watch your sister well!”

“Got it, Mom~!”

“Lyra, be careful and watch your big brother, too.”

“Okay, Mom!”

“…Hey, Mom, what’s that supposed to mean?! I’m the older one here!!”

Alt-nii pouted again, and Mom smiled as she patted Alt-nii’s head.

“Siblings must take care of each other.”—such was her explanation, and naturally, Dad agreed.

“But it’s the job of a big brother to protect his little sister, not the other way around!” Alt-nii still protested.

“Well, okay, okay, you’re right. But it’s also a little sister’s duty to look after her big brother, right? What I mean is—Lyra, tell Altaire if you happen to see him acting naughty.”

“Of course!” I answered cheerfully.

“Hey, Mom, come on!! Give me more credit! Aren’t you trusting Lyra way too much?”

--Am I smelling a sibling discord here?!

“Mom, I trust big bro Altaire! Alt-nii, please take care of me at school!”

Still anxious over the future where my own big brother will turn to hate me, I decided to meddle and restore his big brother pride.

“Aww, only Lyra adores me as her big brother!”

“Haha, I know, I know. I was just teasing you.”

“Mom, you meanieee!!”

“But your mom is right. Watch over each other’s back, okay?” Dad acted as the middleman to end the conversation with a precious advice.

“”Okay!!”” Alt-nii and I answered simultaneously.

The night before my first day at school, I became restless and unable to sleep. So, I timidly knocked on my parents’ bedroom and ended up sleeping there with Mom and Dad.

On special occasions, we would sleep together—me, Alt-nii, Mom, and Dad. But when was it that I requested to sleep together with Mom and Dad?

Yes, it’s my first time sleeping with my parents on my request after I slept in my own room. I was quite embarrassed, but perhaps the embarrassment’s worth it, after all. It feels nice being spoiled by my parents—if this can be categorized as spoiled.

It reassures me to know that Alt-nii sometimes went over to sleep with Mom and Dad, too, especially after he woke up from nightmares.

And that’s how I managed to get a good night’s sleep that day.

The morning after that, it’s my big day!

My first day at Harmonia Academy!

First mission: Find Iris!!