“Somehow, this has become quite the troublesome situation…”

A week had passed since the National Examination results were announced, Avril was confined within a room that was like a half-basement in an old wing of the castle.

She glanced around the slightly dusty room.

It was furnished with a bed and a closet. A carpet had even been laid out, but there was no splendor in the slightest. Every single item was simple, meeting the bare minimum needed for living.

She had no particular complaints. If anything, she felt relieved.

Moreover, her curiosity got the better of her, “So, rooms like this exist even in the royal palace.”

Her audacity showed itself too strongly, focus.

The room’s entrance was double layered. Twice a day, meals were placed on the small table between them. Incidentally, the menu consisted of stale bread, soup with soft-boiled vegetables, and the like.

As her favorite foods were being served so precisely, she desperately held back her joy each time meals were delivered.

Corinna loved soft bread, her meat dripping with juice, and fresh fruit. It’d be strange if I, who is supposed to be a villainess, were overjoyed by a menu intended for non-standard prisoners.

While telling herself, “Stop it, stop it,” she ruminated on the stale air left in the bread she had just bitten into. At the same time let her thoughts wander to the history of this castle.

Bread that makes you think about history. Isn’t that just too wonderful?

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why she was careful not to openly be excited about her prisoner’s menu. Simply stated, people would genuinely be put off by her if she were to be happy over stale leftovers.

Avril didn’t want the lady attendants who delivered her food and daily necessities to be frightened of her.

—There’s nothing wrong with the room, and I have no inconvenience regarding the food. Rather, it is delicious.

Avril, in this way, was more or less enjoying her life as a prisoner.

She was seized and treated as a criminal due to suspicion of cheating on the National Examination. In spite of that, there was a reason she had been able to live such a reasonably decent life.

It’s all thanks to Lord Dylan, Lady Emilia, and other examinees standing up for me…!

Apparently, Avril was originally supposed to have been taken to a place resembling a jail.

Alois barged into the venue during the results announcement and tried to bind Avril’s so he could drag her away. At that moment, Dylan, on the verge of being overcome by fury, stood in his way. Then, something unexpected happened.

Somehow, Dylan and Chris weren’t the only ones who believed in and tried to protect Avril.

That truly surprised me. I must give my gratitude to everyone.

To her surprise, the examinees who had become acquainted with Avril over the three days of the National Examination raised their voices.

From there, the great hall fell into chaos.

Amid the angry shouts of, “Release the Villainess Lady Avril!” and “Don’t touch her!” Legal knowledge also flew around.

“—The nation of Claughton is a country governed by law. According to the law, imprisonment at this stage is not permitted!”

Alois’ eyes dart about at those words.

Unfortunately for Alois, everyone present was an elite who had passed the preliminary exam. It was clear from his expression that he wanted to imprison Avril, but he seemed unable to force his way through.

In the end, Avril wasn’t imprisoned, but she was confined within a normally vacant room in an old wing of the castle.

Within her field of view were old stone walls.  At eye level there was something just barely considered a window, but it was fitted with iron bars. The treatment was more than adequate, even excellent for Avril, but she was still properly treated as a criminal.

Compared to the treatment she was accustomed to receiving at the Count of Allingham’s household, these conditions, even for a criminal, was just below excellent. She was more than glad that she would be able to live a fairly comfortable life.

With a glance, she cast her eyes towards the spoon hidden in a crevice of the stone wall.

By sharpening the handle of the spoon I borrowed after returning my meal plate, I can scrape away at the stone wall. It seems that I can easily remove these iron bars and escape… but it’s still too early to do that.

She had already spent more than three months in that castle. She had a vague idea for both her means of escape and the route, but it was still far too early to take action.

Since I have this opportunity, I might as well take things easy for a bit. Even if I don’t hurry and do something, surely Lord Dylan and His Highness Lawrence will resolve everything for me.

While having such a carefree thought, the outside of the double iron doors were struck with a few bangs.

She seemed to have a visitor.

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