Avalyne Academy Stories

8th Story - Jocelyn

I once had a dream.

A dream so far away that I thought I would never reach it. Even now, it remained so distant that not even my fingertips could brush against its elusive surface.

I stifled a sigh upon seeing what was written on the piece of parchment that Instructor Delia had handed to me. Listed on it were my exam rankings, and they certainly weren't anywhere close to what I wanted.

Arithmetic, second place. Crest Bestowal, second place. Culinary appreciation, second place. Dancing, second place. Etiquette, second place. History, second place. Politics, second place. Socializing, second place. And so on.

My eyes kept running down the list, but the only thing I could see was the number "2." It was beyond frustrating and it took all my willpower to refrain from slamming my fist against my desk in rage. While coming second might not have been a source of shame for another noblewoman, it certainly was for me.

My dream was not so simple that I could settle for merely coming second. No, my dream was grand and illustrious, for I strove not to emulate mediocrity, but rather to become a noblewoman just like Lady Scarlet Avimorne who was hailed as the most prominent noblewoman of my generation.

To come second while still holding that dream in my heart was nothing more than an insult to Lady Scarlet, and I certainly would not content myself with such a lackluster result. Honestly, my very existence itself was an insult to nobility. Every noble had taken first place in something at least once in their life, but not me.

I had only ever come second, but I wouldn't let that stop me.

I'd resolved to become someone like Lady Scarlet no matter what.

"Lady Jocelyn!" A bright, cheery voice came from beside me. I had no idea why this absolute buffoon kept talking to me, but she somehow managed to seem even stupider than my knight which was honestly impressive. "How did you do on your exams?"

Normally, such a question would have put me on guard given the fact that my results were placed plainly on my desk for all who passed by to see. Any noblewoman asking a question like that despite being able to easily obtain the answer for themselves with nothing more than a simple cursory glance was obviously attempting to set up for a verbal barb.

However, the one who addressed me would do no such thing because she had absolutely no capacity to do so. In fact, I doubted if she could even read.

"I failed," I replied simply. "What about you, Lady Mina? I trust you've been asked to attend remedial lessons?"

Mina gasped, her eyes widening in genuine surprise. "H-How did you know!?"

I honestly never even imagined someone could be that stupid. Instead of voicing that thought though, I simply gesture at the piece of parchment that Mina held in her hand. "I saw your ranking. At least you didn't come dead last in all of your subjects, though."

"O-Oh! Ahaha, that's so silly! I forgot I was even holding on to this thing!"

...What? How can you forget something you're literally holding onto? I shook my head in an attempt to avoid the headache that was slowly beginning to settle in. "Right. Well, perhaps if you studied harder, you would've done better."

"But I did study! It's just really hard to follow Instructor Delia's lessons, and I never have any time to take notes since I'm a slow writer..."

...How is that my problem? Stop looking at me with those eyes. I turned away from Mina, heaving a sigh. "And what am I supposed to do about that, Lady Mina?"

"W-Well... I was thinking that m-maybe you could teach me...? I mean, whenever you expla—"

"Pardon me for interrupting, Lady Mina. Lady Jocelyn." A singsong voice came from behind me, and I turned to watch my archnemesis rear her disgustingly beautiful head.