Chapter 14: Even a Lady Wants to Change Sometimes

“How the heck am I supposed to invite people from prestigious families…?”

In the classroom, my notebook lay spread across my desk—still completely blank.

I couldn’t come up with a single viable plan.

Invite the Maritsuji family’s parents and Anri-chan to the Kiyomiya family’s old manor.

Since marriage talks were already underway, extending an invitation would be considered proper etiquette—practically expected, even.

And then──

Serve tea and sweets to the three of them—the Maritsuji parents and their daughter—while lightening the mood with some witty conversation.

Drop hints that I’m enthusiastic about the marriage proposal while subtly postponing its finalization.

Make the Maritsuji family believe that allying with the Kiyomiya family would be advantageous, and convince Maritsuji Anri to become a supporter of the faction I’m building.

I also need to make it abundantly clear to the students at Sōshūkan that the entire Maritsuji family stands behind Maritsuji Anri.

Maritsuji, Maritsuji, Maritsuji… Is there ever going to be another time in my life when that name bounces around in my head this much?

“Ugh… On paper, the plan sounds almost too simple.”

But actually making it happen? That’s giving me a serious headache.

For now, let’s forget about Maritsuji’s grandfather—the big boss himself.

He lives in Kyoto, and calling him all the way here would be way too terrifying. Absolutely not.

However, inviting the next head of the Maritsuji family and his wife to our old manor is still an incredibly tall order.

Even with a legitimate pretext, if Rina-san is my point of contact with the Maritsuji family, that’s intimidating enough on its own.

Rina-san’s rather… difficult to deal with. Meeting her twice in just the past few days feels like a miracle.

“Sayaka’s not here either… Where did that girl go?”

It was lunchtime, and Sayaka was nowhere to be seen.

I’d quickly finished my lunch and started working on the plan, but──

Sayaka, who was supposed to help me with the planning, had grabbed a paperback and disappeared somewhere.

No, I get it, okay?

Sayaka’s just here to support me.

If I don’t come up with the main ideas myself, there’s no point to any of this.

If I start relying on others right away, I’ll never grow.

“Kiyomiya-san, good day.”

“Yes, good da—wait, Maritsuji!?”

I’d been groaning to myself when someone suddenly called out from beside me.

Long, immaculate black hair that exuded refinement, a perfectly worn uniform, and a knee-length skirt.

No one else in Sōshūkan embodied such a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko besides her.

“Coming to another class makes me nervous. I hesitated at the door for quite a while.”

“I-I see.”

Maritsuji was a student in the neighboring Class A, and this was probably her first time venturing into Class B’s classroom.

With the appearance of Maritsuji Anri, who boasted one of the highest family statuses in all of Sōshūkan, my classmates began buzzing with excitement and tension.

Most of the Class B students had attended the same school as Maritsuji for over nine years, but──

Even so, the Maritsuji family—and its direct heiress, Anri-chan—still managed to make everyone around her tense.

“What’s up, Maritsuji? Looking for someone?”

“I have no business with anyone but you, Kiyomiya-san.”

“……”

Isn’t that phrasing a bit sharp?

Like she’s implying no one else is worth her time…

“Kiyomiya-san.”

Maritsuji didn’t seem to notice the implication at all, smiling as she placed both hands on my desk.

A soft, elegant, sweet scent wafted from her black hair.

“Would you like to go on a date with me today?”

“A date!?”

“Since we’re engaged, it should be fine, right?”

“Wait, hold on!”

Don’t go stacking one problematic statement on top of another!

“Ah, the engagement isn’t finalized yet. Sorry, I got ahead of myself because I was so happy.”

“……”

Declaring your feelings like that makes it even worse, you know?

If it was just an engagement, it could be chalked up to family circumstances, but if Maritsuji Anri herself is genuinely happy about it, that’s a huge problem.

I’m still Kiyomiya Keiji, the illegitimate child and supposed scum of the earth, remember?

As expected, the classroom erupted into even louder chatter.

“M-My Kiyomiya… is…!?”

Fujikawa was saying something completely incomprehensible.

“This’ll sell like hotcakes… Good thing I recorded Keiji groaning earlier!”

My friend! My own friend is betraying me!

At times like this, isn’t my reliable maid supposed to swoop in and help me out?!

“Maritsuji-san, let’s go to the nurse’s office. You must have a fever.”

“Why are you using polite language, Kiyomiya-san? I’m perfectly fine and energetic as always──”

I pushed her thin back without letting her finish and made her walk forward.

I couldn’t let her provide any more entertaining topics for my classmates to gossip about.

Once we left the classroom, Maritsuji started walking ahead of me.

I could have just gone back to the classroom, but I had the distinct feeling she’d get upset, so I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Maritsuji even left the school building, heading toward the back garden──

“Here again, huh.”

A small wooden building stood there.

The tea room of the tea ceremony club that Maritsuji had shown me before.

Maritsuji belonged to the tea ceremony club and seemed to use this place as she pleased.

This has totally become our spot for secret talks.

“Ah, right. Please wait a moment.”

“Hm? Sure, I’ll wait.”

Maritsuji went into the tea room by herself.

It’s not like the place is messy or anything… The tea ceremony club uses it regularly.

Maybe she’s putting away some equipment or something.

Five minutes passed while I killed time on my smartphone──

“Sorry to keep you waiting, please come in.”

“Okay.”

Her voice came from inside the tea room, so I headed in.

It was unusual for the polite Maritsuji to call out from inside without coming out to greet me properly. She must be feeling lazy.

“Excuse me—huh?”

“Welcome, Kiyomiya-san.”

In the small tea room, Maritsuji stood and gave me a polite bow.

I returned the bow and then found myself staring at her appearance.

“Um, isn’t that outfit kinda like Maki’s sloppy style?”

“I-It’s embarrassing…”

Maritsuji fidgeted with her long black hair for no apparent reason.

Her cheeks were flushed red, probably because of her uncharacteristic outfit.

She’d taken off her usually impeccable blazer.

She wore a yellow school sweater over her white blouse, with the sleeves rolled up.

No ribbon, and several buttons on the blouse were undone.

She’d folded her knee-length skirt to make it shorter—a rather daring length.

Her petite chest peeked out slightly, and her usually hidden thighs were exposed in this outfit that was──

Thrillingly sexy.

Maritsuji was petite and slender, so why did she have such allure?

“What’s wrong, Maritsuji? If you dress like that, everyone around you will be shocked.”

“Shocked? They might think I’ve completely lost my mind.”

You know that, huh.

I was being considerate, saying it indirectly like a Kyoto native would.

“If anyone else saw me, it might get reported to the Maritsuji family, and I could end up in the tatami room prison. Mother is quite strict.”

“No way, not even Rina-san would go that far—wait, a tatami room prison!? Hold on, does the Maritsuji family really have one of those!?”

“……”

Don’t go silent! Don’t!

That makes it seem real and terrifying!

“So, please keep what you saw here a secret between just the two of us.”

“…I won’t tell anyone. I want to keep this all to myself.”

“Oh my, you’re still saying such—scummy things?”

“I’m not trying to be.”

So Maritsuji thought I was scum, too.

“But I’m happy you said you want to keep it to yourself… I need to thank Sogano-san for this.”

“Seriously, Maki’s involved in this?”

She’s scheming all over the place, isn’t she?

“Actually, I’ve been waiting for a chance to show you this look for a while now…”

“Wh-Why?”

“This is the first time I’ve ever worn such a short skirt. It’s… unsettling.”

Maritsuji ignored my question and grabbed the hem of her skirt, pulling it down.

No matter how much she pulled, it wouldn’t get any longer.

“The top too… Isn’t unbuttoning this much vulgar?”

“Don’t ask me. It’s Maki’s coordination, right?”

“Yes, I had her check via video call on my smartphone. ‘Unbutton it. Even with small breasts, there’s cleavage. The point is to show it,’ she said.”

“I need to have a little talk with Maki, so can I go back to the classroom?”

“W-Wait! If you leave now, all this embarrassment would be for nothing!”

Maritsuji hurriedly grabbed my sleeve.

Because she got closer, I ended up looking down at her petite frame, and through the gap in her open blouse, I could actually see that very “small breast cleavage”…!

“Huh? Why is your face red too, Kiyomiya-san—kya!”

Maritsuji noticed my gaze and hurriedly covered the opening of her blouse.

“I-I do have some chest, you know. Maybe it’ll grow to almost a C cup…”

“Wait, don’t explain that to me.”

Maritsuji was supposed to be a proper Yamato Nadeshiko, but sometimes she said the weirdest things.

“Haah, I can’t do this… I can’t pull off this trendy, high school girl style.”

“You are a high school girl.”

“Not a normal one…”

Maritsuji plopped down on the spot.

I didn’t want to get scolded if I left, so I sat cross-legged in front of her.

“So, what’s with the outfit?”

“This tea room is my sanctuary. I couldn’t dress like this anywhere else…”

“I get that. It’d be real trouble if people saw you. You’re the Maritsuji family’s lady, one of the top Yamato Nadeshiko in school, the prim and delicate Maritsuji Anri, after all.”

“You’re being mean…”

Maritsuji glared at me with teary eyes.

“Sorry. No, it actually suits you surprisingly well. It’s cute, you know?”

“C-Cute… Th-Thank you. That was my goal, to hear that from you, Kiyomiya-san.”

Maritsuji smiled faintly and, perhaps feeling a bit more settled, buttoned up her blouse.

It was a bit of a shame, but this looked more like her.

“I wanted to try going on a date in this high school girl outfit, but it’s impossible. It’s too embarrassing even just showing it to you alone like this.”

“It’s not impossible, but… you don’t need to force it.”

It seemed difficult for Maritsuji to actually go out in this outfit.

“Um, Kiyomiya-san.”

“Yeah?”

“There aren’t many places in this world where I can be myself.”

“…Because you’re from the Maritsuji family.”

Nowadays, even children of prestigious families weren’t necessarily bound by their household.

But the freedom of young masters and ladies was inversely proportional to their family status.

Naturally, the more prestigious the family, the more restrictions were placed on their children.

“The Kiyomiya family is an exception, though. Or rather, I am. I’m pretty much left to my own devices. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard anything from my father about the marriage proposal with you, Maritsuji. Maybe he’s leaving it up to me.”

“…We did inform the Kiyomiya family.”

“I figured. I’m free, but you’re not, Maritsuji. You can’t even wear your uniform the way you want to.”

“I’m living a blessed life, so I can’t complain. Besides…”

“What?”

“I’m vain myself. I present myself as prim in appearance, refined in manner, decent in studies, with my lack of athleticism being a charming quirk… that’s the kind of image I project.”

“It’s a perfect presentation. You’re showing everyone exactly that image.”

“Since I’ve presented it that way, I can’t break it. It’s like I’m binding myself with my own rules.”

Maritsuji chuckled softly and restlessly stroked the tatami mat with her hand.

“I wanted to show you that there’s this side of me too. I’m bound by myself, but it’s also true that I yearn to be a normal high school girl like this.”

“Whether Maki’s coordinated outfit is ‘normal’ or not aside──”

I understood perfectly why Maritsuji had dressed so out of character.

In short, if we were proceeding with the marriage talks and actually getting engaged, she wanted me to know this other side of her beforehand.

Meanwhile, I still hadn’t told Maritsuji my own secret about my birth.

This involved Sayaka’s secret too, so I couldn’t tell anyone, but──

“It really suits you, Anri-chan. I want to see more of it.”

“If you say so, Kiyomiya-san, I’ll do my best.”

Maritsuji stood up and spun around once.

She seemed to forget she was wearing a super short skirt; the momentum made the hem flutter up.

“Ah.”

“…Fancy underwear. As expected of an Ojou-sama.”

The glossy white lace panties flashed briefly.

It was just for a moment, but it was burned into my retinas.

“I-I’ve never bought underwear myself. I don’t know if it’s expensive or not.”

“Showing your Ojou-sama side there, huh…”

“D-Do you buy your own underwear, Kiyomiya-san!?”

“You’re asking some amazing things. Of course I’ve bought my own underwear.”

“The Kiyomiya family’s education policy is spartan… Which policy should we use for our children?”

“You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”

“Getting ahead—y-you pervert! Kiyomiya-san, talking dirty to a girl before marriage… you’re such a boy!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Maritsuji.”

No, I kinda get it.

Ojou-sama, aren’t you imagining the child-making stage, not the child-rearing one?

“O-Okay. Let’s calm down.”

“You, Maritsuji.”

“Yes, me.”

Maritsuji seemed to have truly calmed down, sitting back down while holding her skirt with both hands.

“Did you… get a good look at my trendy uniform style?”

“Yeah, it really suits you. Maki does good work sometimes.”

“Muu.”

Maritsuji glared at me intently.

“We’re alone, so I’d prefer if you didn’t mention other girls’ names. I want you to look only at me. Preferably for life.”

“You want me to be alone with you for life, Maritsuji?”

The Ojou-sama makes some unreasonable demands.

“Just kidding. But it’s not a lie that I think we could spend our lives together.”

Maritsuji gripped my hand tightly.

“It’s simple. I’m happy—about the marriage proposal with you, Kei-kun.”

“Anri-chan…”

Kei-kun—come to think of it, when we were little and first met, she used to call me that.

She’d been admonished by her mother that she shouldn’t call boys so familiarly, and she stopped soon after.

It was so nostalgic.

In the beautiful garden of the Maritsuji family, I remembered the girl with a different, more childish smile──

“I’m sorry, Kei-kun. I’m troubling you, aren’t I? But I can’t stop these happy feelings.”

The grown-up girl wore a mature smile now.

“I’m so happy and excited that I ended up dressing like this, wanting you to see it no matter what.”

“I see…”

From my perspective, the marriage proposal with Maritsuji was beyond suspicious.

I could only think there was definitely some scheme behind it.

But here was a girl who was genuinely happy about that proposal.

And I didn’t dislike this girl.

So, this wasn’t just about crushing the Maritsuji family’s scheme…