Chapter 15

The Three Great Houses Make Their Appearance
It was great to have invited Connie to the ball, but now a new problem had surfaced.
It was about the dress she would wear.

While a young lady of noble birth might have several dresses to choose from, that wasn't the case for her.
However, I had already anticipated this.
After all, I had gathered all the necessary information about Connie before enrolling.

—But here, an unexpected complication arose.

Her figure had grown significantly (mainly her chest) beyond what my prior research suggested, and the dress I had prepared no longer fit.

With Lucina's help, she tried on the dress in the academy's fitting room, but every attempt ended in failure.

At first, I was overwhelmed with a mix of astonishment and delight, thinking, "She's still growing, huh..."
But I quickly regained my composure, realizing this was no time for such feelings.

Without a dress, she couldn't attend the ball.
This was a golden opportunity to make our Gallard Company known to many young nobles.
I couldn’t let it slip away.

But contacting my father now would be too late.

"I'm so sorry, Young Master Lake... My growth hasn't stopped since about a year before entering the academy... Even my undergarments need frequent replacements, so lately, I've been forcing myself into them..."

Connie confessed her growth struggles tearfully.
This was beyond her control.
In fact, as someone who prefers larger chests, I found it a joyous development.

… But still, this was a real problem.

At this rate, we would have to decline attending the ball.
To think such a pitfall awaited us!

"Oh my, is there some trouble?"

As I fretted, a voice called out to me.
One of the female students had entered the fitting room, accompanied by numerous maids.
It was an unexpected person.

"! Lady Tricia."

The moment I saw her face, I instinctively stiffened.
Standing before me was Tricia Heartland, a senior two years above me and Connie, and the young lady of the Heartland family—one of the Three Great Houses, wielding immense power in this country.

Moreover, she was the student council president of this academy.
What made her even more remarkable was that she was the sole decision-making member of the student council.

Apparently, she rejected others from joining, preferring to manage everything exactly as she wished.

The academy respected her wishes.
As an educational institution, one might question such an approach, but in this world, her preferences prevailed.

If this were my previous life, it would have undoubtedly caused a massive social media uproar.
The trending tag would surely be "One-Woman Student Council President."

That said, her resolve was impressive.
Tricia herself possessed qualities that made her a potential pawn in my plans.

Convincing someone from one of the Three Great Houses wouldn’t be easy.
But she would be worth the effort.

In any case, Tricia Heartland was someone one must not cross or displease within the academy.

The fact that she could have so many attendants when most students were allowed only one already marked her as extraordinary.

Judging by the dresses her maids carried, she had likely come for a fitting as well.
Although the ball was primarily a welcoming event for first-year students, as the student council president, she would likely attend to give a greeting.

Still... her beauty lived up to the rumors.
The tear mole beneath her right eye added an air of allure.

Intelligent, a master of both swordsmanship and magic, and with a remarkable family background.

There's a saying, "Heaven does not bestow two gifts," but seeing her makes that feel like a complete lie.

Among the students, she’s rumored to be the reincarnation of a goddess, and it’s not hard to believe.

Tricia, with her long blue hair tied back, seemed to grasp the situation with a single glance at us.

"Could it be that the dress doesn’t fit?"
"You-You can tell just from looking—"
"And you have no replacement, correct?"
"Y-Yes."

Tricia cut me off and continued the conversation herself.
I had heard the rumors, but her presence was truly overwhelming.

It became clear why she was considered the most difficult to deal with among the Three Great Houses.

Yet, upon learning the reason for our predicament, Tricia took an unexpected course of action.

"If you’d like, I could lend you one of my dresses."
"““What!?”””

A shocking proposition.

"I have over two hundred dresses with me at the academy, and I’ve already decided what I’ll wear tomorrow. You’re free to choose from the rest."
"But we couldn’t possibly—"
"Are you concerned about the difference in our status?"

Once again, she interrupted me.
She wasn’t wrong, so I let her continue without objection.

"Unlike other events, tomorrow’s ball is a once-in-a-lifetime experience during your academy years... To miss it over something trivial and regret it forever would be heartbreaking, even for me as the student council president."

An exemplary answer.
Though whether it was her genuine feeling remained uncertain.

After all, she belonged to one of the Three Great Houses, full of quirks.
At the same time, she was someone I wanted to find a way to bind during our time at the academy.

Given that, rejecting her goodwill outright wasn’t wise.
She had approached us willingly; I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste.

"Connie, let’s accept Lady Tricia’s kindness."
"I-I understand."

Though tense, Connie chose a dress, then entered the fitting room with Lucina to try it on.

I was left behind with Tricia and her numerous maids.

… This was completely her turf.
As I tried to ease the heavy atmosphere with some conversation, she struck first.

"I’ve heard about your recent encounter with Professor Craig. They say it was a brilliant maneuver."
"That was just luck."
"You’re too modest. —Though I do have one point of curiosity."

Her gaze sharpened instantly.

"Professor Craig was researching magic at this academy. He must have realized how damaging it would be for his position if the incident became public. He likely tried to capture you—or perhaps even used offensive magic to eliminate you."

Tricia drew closer, almost within earshot, before delivering her pointed question.

"How did someone without any means to counter magic manage to repel Professor Craig?"

Her interest lay there.

The truth was, I had defeated Craig’s magic thanks to my magic gun.
But I had no intention of revealing its existence yet.

The magic gun was poised to become the flagship product of my trading company.
I couldn’t risk it being copied by other merchants.

In this era, concepts like patents and copyrights didn’t seem to exist.
"Winner takes all" held even truer here than in my previous life.

That’s why, until mass production was secured, I intended to use it sparingly.
While I would love to show it off, I had to hold back for now.

There would be plenty of opportunities to unveil it later.
Losing profits due to impatience wasn’t an option.

Given that I had already lost my cards in the underground arena and against the Beckart family, I needed to be more cautious.

—So, I had to deceive her here.

"At that moment, I acted on instinct and don’t remember much. I must have tackled him before he could use magic. It was pure luck."

Craig had already been expelled, making it hard to track him down.
The lack of his testimony worked in my favor.

"I see... I’d love to have a proper chat with you over tea sometime."
"To be invited to tea by the lady of the Heartland family is an honor beyond my station. I’d be delighted to join you."

Just then, Connie emerged from the fitting room wearing the dress.
I showered her with praise, expressed our gratitude, and quickly left the room.

Tricia Heartland—what was her real motive in approaching us?