Refuse Harem
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Prius
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 036 – Dear Tenma, I’m Very Depressed Right Now II
Sophie began to gradually evolve into a young lady that would surprise even Bart if he were to see her, but she still made sure not to slack off on her studies.
Rather, there wasn’t much else she could do. Since the work of the Linier Merchant Group was handled perfectly by Bart and the others, all she did was exchange letters for periodic updates.
Sophie once wrote about Christina’s group and the Goddess of Fertility in her letter, and although it merely contained a fraction of her heart’s cry, Sophie was surprised as she read the reply letter.
“Sophie-sama, what are you talking about?”
Sophie couldn’t understand why he didn’t get it.
Gazing upon a beautiful young lady was a blessing, right?! Sophie wrote things that implied that with beautiful sentences like a young lady, but the other party just questioned her sanity instead.
Sophie was surprised.
No, perhaps it couldn’t be helped.
Even Bart couldn’t easily imagine the scenery he never saw despite it being written in letters. It was a rare occurrence to actually meet a beautiful and dazzling young lady. As Sophie concluded that, she wrote more details in her next letter.
Then, Bart misunderstood and stated that Sophie might be tired out of her mind due to dealing with aristocratic young ladies all the time, so he also delivered tea that worked well for fatigue.
Sophie wondered… for some reason, the care he gave her felt painful.
Wel…well, it can’t be helped. Since Bart said that I am the cutest in the world, he must not have seen much of it. I’ll have to show him how wide the world is someday!
However, Sophie seemed to have forgetten. Bart had accompanied her on her travels to Rusha Kingdom, Daksha Kingdom, and several other nations, so the things he had seen on the outside world were already comparable to a diplomat of the Orlando Kingdom.
Bart had seen many beautiful women abroad. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand how beautiful a woman could be, it was just that Bart had no one but his heresy of a young lady in his eyes.
Sophie, the thickheaded young lady who didn’t even understand that, switched her thoughts and asked Sunny to brew the tea that Bart sent to her.
As she drank it, she found it easier to drink than she thought, and she shared it with Sunny since it was delicious. She then took some of the rest to be used for tomorrow’s tea party.
As she took the tea out of the wooden box it was sent in, she noticed that there was also a document inside. As she read it, it was the map of the capital with lots of scribbles on it.
“Oh, as expected of Bart! You sure work fast.”
Bart had said that he would take over her work before Sophie went to enroll in the academy, but Sophie didn’t think he would be done with his task and send her results this quickly. Even as she admired the speed of Bart’s work, she worried whether he had even rested properly. Perhaps this tea that worked well for fatigue was supposed to be drunk by Bart, but he sent it to her instead?
Although Sophie was very grateful that Bart fulfilled her wish, despite all the work she already entrusted him to, it seemed she needed to write that he should rest properly in her next letter.
“Sophie-sama, what is this?”
Sunny was tilting her head in curiosity.
“This is the map of the royal capital. The information I need to know is written on the map.”
As Sophie spread open the map, Bart’s handwriting was everywhere. The things written there were mainly information about water.
The water from faucets, well water, water drawn by water fetchers, as well as drainage water, and the water from rivers and lakes near the royal capital.
In order to find out the quality of those waters, Sophie had taught Bart how to check them. From the water’s smell, color, turbidity, and, if the water was drinkable, its taste as well. In the cases of water from rivers and lakes, there was also information about insects, animals, and plants that live by the water.
Considering how detailed it was written, it seemed that not only Bart was involved in this, but everyone from the Merchant Group as well had also helped him. A great deal of information was covered despite the short time period it took to gather it.
Sophie pondered as she read the information carefully one by one.
Regardless of where she was now, she wanted to carry out her goal since she already decided to do so. Even if the environment was different, the determination she had wouldn’t change.
This is my and Tasuku’s dream after all.
It was to live alongside the water. Therefore, the water needed to not be a threat. She wouldn’t be scared of water. Because if she was, she would end up barricading herself from any place that contained it.
As Sunny saw Sophie’s profile as she looked seriously at the map and words written there in red ink by Bart, Sunny quietly left the room.
Sunny wouldn’t want to disturb her beloved ojou-sama.
◆◇◆◇◆
A month passed since then, which made it two months since Sophie had enrolled in the academy.
Perhaps the young ladies had gotten tired, seeing as the harassment toward Sophie had decreased in frequency.
Although Sophie, the young lady with a disappointing line of thought, found that to be disappointing, her “Goddess of Fertility” Lilina still spoke sarcastically and shot insults toward Sophie, so she was happy about that.
Although Lilina did insult Sophie, she didn’t do anything more than that; Lilina even went through all the trouble to lend her textbook to Sophie since hers was torn apart, despite the fact they belonged to different classes.
Is she a tsundere? And it is a dere phase? The Goddess of Fertility has entered a dere phase?
Sophie was so surprised that those words almost leaked out from her mouth.
However, Sophie told her honestly.
“Tha-thank you very much. However, I’ve already read and memorized the contents of all the textbooks before I enrolled in the academy, so it’s okay. Thank you for your concern.”
Lilina was shocked by that answer.
Lilina was among the smartest young ladies, and she managed to earn second place on the entrance exam.
She’d grown up being told by everyone that she was a capable child. Lilina was absolutely confident she would be able to become the first place representative, but that spot was taken away by Sophie. On top of that, Sophie told her that she had no need for textbooks since she already memorized all of their contents. Lilina’s pride was wounded.
Lilina had teary eyes as her body trembled.
Sophie unconsciously reached out her hand toward her Goddess of Fertility, who had a face that was trying to keep in her tears, but Sophie’s hand was slapped away.
“Ah… I… really hate yoooou!!!”
Lilina screamed loudly, turned around, and ran down the hallway.
For a moment, Sophie thought, Her teary face was really cute. No, no, that’s not what I should be thinking about.
To be honest, Sophie didn’t understand why Lilina was suddenly angry, but Sophie thought that she ought to apologize to her first and tried to follow her; however, she met eyes with Lilina’s followers who were left behind after she ran away.
Those young ladies looked at Sophie as if they were looking at a monster.
Eh? Do they think I am the one who made her cry?
Even if that was the case, their eyes seemed to be painted with fear.
“Uhm…”
As Sophie called out to them, those young ladies fled as if they were jumping away.
As Sophie saw how they escaped like surprised cats, Sophie reaffirmed that young ladies of aristocratic families didn’t necessarily have weak physiques.
Immediately after that, a certain rumor spread.
It was said that Sophie Linier had already memorized the whole textbook, and her excellence was the real deal—
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she really unknowingly asserted her dominance over them lol
the greatest type asserting dominance is when you did without meaning to.
Bruh, imagine if there is he junior at your school said she has memorize all grades textbooks…
I would curse them to their face right before asking for tips and whether I could ask them once in a while for assistance when I got completely stumped.
would they even help after being cussed? careful they will try to mislead you.
i never close with any of my junior during school days, heck, i’m more introverted type, so i dunno.