TWRM 06

TWRM

Posted by parkar, Released on November 4, 2025

Chapter 6

Tap.

Selina leaned against the door, dazed.
“Baron… smiled? At a person? At me?”
At first, she’d been too stunned to react, but now that she thought about it, his sudden change was almost frightening.

Baron was one of Primon’s most loyal subordinates, so she’d seen him often since childhood.
But despite having known each other for years, there had always been a strange distance between them — because Baron didn’t like Stella.

Selina didn’t know the reason, but he’d clearly disliked her mother — and naturally, her as well.
Still, he was the type who drew a strict line between personal feelings and work, so he never openly showed his disdain. His eyes, however, were sharp enough to give him away.

With time, they grew somewhat accustomed to each other’s presence, but never close.

“Meow~ That boy must’ve gone all out this time, huh?”

Selina snapped out of her thoughts and turned toward Luna, who was now sitting atop the table.
Only then did she realize how many gifts Primon had sent her. Selina began unwrapping them one by one.

Meow!

Each gift she opened was unmistakably luxurious — the kind of brand-name items you could recognize at a glance.

Two academy uniforms, a school bag, three pairs of comfortable shoes, a robe to wear over the uniform — the pile went on and on.

“Try them on already, meow!”

Luna flicked her tail excitedly against the uniform. Smiling faintly, Selina picked it up carefully and stepped behind the partition.

Even at a touch, she could feel the quality of the fabric — she might not care about clothes, but even she could tell these were expensive.

“…I got too much from him.”

Selina chuckled bitterly and changed into the uniform.

The deep navy skirt was accented with red tartan checks, and the silk blouse draped softly against her frame. The blazer fit perfectly, just loose enough for comfort, adorned with gold trim that gave it a touch of elegance.

With the Perion Academy emblem embroidered neatly on the chest, there was no mistaking it — she was now an academy student.

Wearing the uniform made the reality of her enrollment finally sink in. Selina ran her hands over the fabric absently and stepped out from behind the partition.

“Meow! It looks perfect on you, meow!”

Luna jumped down from the table, circling around her with wide, gleaming eyes. Selina couldn’t help but laugh.

“Really?”

“It suits you so well! Like it was made just for you, meow!”

Embarrassed, Selina scratched her cheek and glanced at the full-length mirror. He wasn’t wrong — it looked good.

Her wavy red hair cascaded down to her chest, framing violet eyes deeper than any embroidery thread. Her fair skin, unmarked by the sun from spending so much time indoors, made her look even more striking.

Objectively, she was at least above average.

“Try this on too, meow!”

This time, Luna pawed at the robe meant to go over the uniform. Selina slipped it on — it reached just below her shins.

Whoosh!

The moment she fastened it, a wave of warmth spread through her entire body. Just wearing it blocked out the chill completely.

“Magic…”

“Primon knows what he’s doing, meow!”

“He’s lost his mind! Using magic on a robe? Do you know how expensive that is!?”

The robe was enchanted with a temperature-regulating spell — it automatically adjusted to any environment.
With this, you could live comfortably in a snowfield or the middle of a desert.

The enchantment was notoriously complex and costly — even nobles trembled at the price.

“He never spends money carelessly, though.”

“That’s ‘cause it’s for you, meow.”

“…”

Her lips tightened.
Primon had treated her like a daughter ever since her father passed away.

Feeling a sudden swell of emotion, Selina tilted her head back slightly, pretending not to feel it. Luna, of course, pretended not to notice.

Knock knock knock!

“Selina! Selina! I’ve got great news!”

The awkward silence was broken by a loud knock and a familiar voice.

Selina wiped the faint tears from her eyes and walked to the door.

When she opened it, a girl with wavy light-brown hair and green eyes stood there — cute, cheerful, and familiar.

It was Mie, her childhood friend and upstairs neighbor.

Spinning around proudly, Mie flaunted her own Perion Academy uniform.

“Selina! Look, my uniform arrived— Wait, what!?”

When she opened her eyes, she froze at the sight of Selina wearing the exact same outfit.

“What the— You’re wearing Perion’s uniform!?”

“Ah…”

Selina regretted opening the door so casually — she hadn’t planned to tell Mie this soon.

“How are you wearing that? And— wait, this one’s from Gold Ribbon Atelier! What is going on!?”

“Wait, calm down. I’ll explain.”

“Calm down? Do I look calm, you little—!”

Mie’s high-pitched voice made Selina wince. She quickly clamped a hand over Mie’s mouth.

“Mmff! Mmmph!”

“Jeez, you’re so loud. The building’s going to collapse.”

That familiar tone finally helped Mie calm down. Once she sat her down, Selina fetched some tea.

While Selina’s back was turned, Mie glanced suspiciously at Luna, who was sitting atop the table.

“Luna, what happened to your master? There’s no way she’s going to an academy!”

Meow?

Luna gave a perfectly innocent look, letting Mie pet her as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Selina shot her a glare but turned back to set down tea and some snacks.

“Whoa! These are all luxury brands!”

Mie’s eyes widened as she looked over the items on the table.

“Wait… all of this stuff…”

Recognizing the familiar designs, she trailed off.

“You’re really going to the academy?”

“It just… happened.”

Seeing her composed friend sigh, Mie slammed her hands on the table and jumped up.

“Why didn’t you tell me!? I’m your only friend!”

Whining dramatically, she grabbed Selina’s sleeve. Selina could only sigh.

“So you were planning to hide it from me, huh? How long were you gonna keep this secret?”

“It’s not what you think.”

“Then what?”

“I only found out yesterday.”

“What?”

Mie blinked.

“Wait — you didn’t even know you were enrolling?”

“Yeah. Primon told me last night. Said I had to go.”

“…Wow.”

“I was speechless too. He even paid the tuition. How could I say no?”

“True. You’re the last person I’d expect to leave the house.”

It wasn’t wrong — but it still annoyed Selina. She glared.

“So the Cardinal prepared all this?”

“Yeah. Baron dropped it off earlier. Honestly, what would he have done if I’d refused to go? He’d have to return all of this.”

“Ha! Sounds like the Cardinal — impulsive as always.”

“That’s all there is to it. And I was going to tell you today.”

“Liar.”

Mie narrowed her eyes.

“You were totally going to delay it as long as possible.”

“No! I really was going to tell you today!”

“Only because you need help shopping, right?”

Selina’s gaze darted away.

“I knew it. You have no idea where to get half this stuff, so you came to me.”

Selina silently sipped her tea.

“See? I’m right.”

“…I was going to tell you eventually.”

“Hmph! Sure you were.”

Still grumbling, Mie bit into a biscuit with a loud crunch.

“You still need more supplies, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Primon only got the essentials, so I need to go shopping anyway.”

“Then let’s go together! I have shopping to do too — my sponsor gave me a big allowance!”

Mie’s sponsor was the one who’d allowed a commoner like her to enter the academy — someone who’d been impressed by her art and decided to fund her studies generously.

Selina smiled faintly as her friend proudly bragged about it.

“Oh, right — what about your shop once you start school?”

Mie was one of the few who knew Selina was a madam.

“I’ll close it temporarily. Can’t be helped.”

“True, since all students have to live in the dorms.”

“Still, if I’m lucky, maybe I can open once a month.”

“Huh? How?”

“I got in through a special recommendation. Probably thanks to Primon’s influence. If I explain my situation to the academy, maybe they’ll make exceptions.”

“Hmm… that’s possible.”

“Still, nothing’s confirmed. So I’ll consider it closed until summer break.”

“Sounds like a hassle. Going to the academy isn’t all that great, huh?”

“My case is unusual. Anyway, let’s focus on shopping — today.”

“Your shop’s closed today, right?”

“Yeah. I was planning to sleep in till noon, but I’m wide awake now. Might as well make the most of it.”

“Perfect! Meet me downstairs in thirty minutes!”

Mie dashed out the door, heavy footsteps echoing up the stairs. Selina, smiling faintly, began preparing for her first outing in a while.

“Bring me some jerky, meow.”

“Yeah, yeah. What are you, a cat version of ‘Bring me a Melona’?”

“What’s a Melona? Is it tasty?”

“It’s really cold, really sweet, and tastes like melon.”