In her dreams, that light always chased her. A spotlight. White, scorching light pouring down from above, following her no matter where she ran. The gazes of tens of thousands of people clung to her as well. She couldn't escape. There was nowhere to run. Kira stood at the edge of the stage, smiling. A perfect smile. At the practiced angle. The way she narrowed her eyes, the way she opened her mouth—all calculated. But then a voice flew from somewhere in the audience. "Disappear." Without breaking her smile, she heard those words. They were properly mixed into the wave of fan cheers. She was used to it. She had become used to it. The scene changed. In front of the dressing room mirror. Kira was fixing her lipstick. Behind her, two members were talking in low voices. "That girl, she tries to handle everything at the fan events by herself, right? Doesn't that feel off?" "I know. She acts like she's the face of the group." The girl in the mirror was smiling. Always smiling. The next night was on the way home. A back alley in the entertainment district. Walking alone, she heard footsteps behind her. Fast. Close. When she turned around, there was a familiar face. Someone who had sent her messages on SNS many times. She ran. She just ran. She burst into the crowd on the main street, and as she reached the intersection, the signal turned red. She couldn't stop. The headlights from the oncoming lane filled her entire vision. White light. Blinding light. In that final moment, she thought it resembled that spotlight. Then everything went dark. --- "Young lady. It is time to wake." A voice reached her from far away. Kira slowly opened her eyes. A white canopy came into view. Thin lace curtains. A room that smelled of wood. It was a dream. She had seen it again. "Today is the entrance ceremony for Etrielle Academy." The maid Marguerite said this while opening the curtains. Morning light flooded into the room. Outside the window, white stone buildings lined up, and in the distance, a tree-lined avenue of flowers came into view. The city of Blanche. Kira sat up and stood before the mirror in the corner of the room. Golden hair. Jade eyes. The face reflected in the mirror was unmistakably not Kira. Not the face of the girl who had been a member of an idol group in her previous life. Seventeen years had passed since she became this person. She was living as Tirel Keira, the young lady of the Tirel Earl's household in the Kingdom of Fertina. She still didn't know why she had been reincarnated, or how. She had simply found herself as a baby, and before she knew it, seventeen years had passed. The young lady in the mirror was certainly beautiful. Pale, wavy golden hair flowed from her shoulders, and her jade eyes sparkled as they caught the morning light. She supposed it was good that she had this face. But at the same time, she thought it was a bit troublesome. (I stand out, don't I...) Starting today, she would attend Etrielle Academy. A full-boarding school where nearly six hundred children of nobility gathered. Keira had seen the white school buildings spread across a hill at the eastern edge of Blanche several times from a carriage. Her goal was singular. To fade into the background and hold her breath. She had already learned enough in her previous life. What happened when you stood out. What happened when people knew about you. What occurred when you smiled too much at people. She didn't need any of that in this world. Quiet, plain, without interfering with anyone or being interfered with. That was all she needed. Keira made a small declaration to the mirror. (I will absolutely not stand out. I'll just spend my time as Earl's Daughter A.) --- In the carriage, the maid Marguerite chattered away while pinning Keira's hair. "I heard that a exchange student from the Kingdom of Valdikion is coming this year." "Is that so." "Do you know, Miss, that Fertina and Valdikion once had a great battle at a place called Carelia Pass? It was over a hundred years ago, but since then they've been awkward with each other..." Keira looked out the window. The white limestone buildings of the city flowed past. Blanche—the City of White, as it was called—gleamed brightly in the morning light everywhere. "...Well, they're probably pretending to be friendly on the surface, right?" "That's exactly it! Miss, you are so knowledgeable. So the acceptance of the exchange student is also, officially, as a sign of friendship... Driver Anri, what do you think?" A voice came from the driver's seat. "Well now. That's complicated stuff for a lowly fellow like me." Marguerite sighed. Keira smiled just a little. Etrielle Academy was founded one hundred eighty years ago by the queen of that time, and children of nobility attended it. Apparently, dormitory assignments were determined by test scores rather than social rank—a policy since its founding—and Keira liked that. If she did well on the exams, she might be able to get into a dormitory on the edge. A place where she wouldn't stand out. The carriage began climbing the hill. --- The main gate came into view. Incredible. White school buildings lined up, the flowers on the tree-lined avenue were in full bloom, and flower petals scattered across the stone pavement. The sky was blue and high, and somewhere a bird was singing. It was a sight she could never have seen in her previous life. It's beautiful, she thought purely. And in the next moment, she steeled herself. (Just live plainly in this beautiful place.) --- The ceremony hall was the great hall of the main building. The ceiling was high, light streamed in, and the murmur of six hundred people echoed. Keira quickly secured a seat at the edge. Near a pillar. An inconspicuous place. Perfect. A fellow first-year student sat next to her. Her navy uniform was slightly wrinkled. She had a stack of documents on her lap, and her hands were trembling. She's nervous, Keira thought. Well, it's not my concern. Guillaume Duval, the academy director—a white-haired elderly man—took the stage. He had a gentle face, but his eyes were sharp. "Since its founding one hundred eighty years ago, this academy has maintained a consistent philosophy. Refinement over rank. Character over title—" At that moment, there was a sound from beside her. Rustle, rustle, rustle. The stack of documents scattered across the floor. Keira kept her eyes forward. It wasn't her concern. If she pretended not to notice, nothing would happen to her. The director's speech continued. No one was looking. It was fine— Her body moved. She half-rose from her chair, gathered the documents from the floor, and handed them to the student next to her. "[gentle]Here, please." With a soft voice and a natural smile. The student next to her widened her eyes. She took them. "Ah... thank you very much." That would have been fine. The problem was the gazes around her. The atmosphere in the ceremony hall changed instantly. Several heads turned toward her. A small ripple of whispers spread. Keira turned forward and quietly sat back down. (... Ah.) She cradled her head mentally. (I did it again.) The movements she had polished hundreds of times in her previous life were ingrained in her body. If someone was in trouble, her body moved first. And that movement—for some reason—drew people's eyes. Her posture was too graceful, her smile too natural, the fruits of her training as an idol in her previous life showing through in moments like this. It was the worst. For the rest of the ceremony, Keira stared straight ahead and tried her best to become stone. --- Right after the ceremony ended, Keira walked while avoiding the crowds. She crossed through the corridors, went out into the garden, and kept going deeper. The new students should be making a fuss in front of the school building. If she came this far, surely there would be no one. A glass building came into view. A greenhouse. When she opened the door, warm air and the smell of soil spread out. Medicinal herbs in vibrant green, small white flowers blooming in places, afternoon sunlight streaming in at an angle. It was quiet. This place was quiet. Keira found herself stepping inside. "Oh my." A voice came from the back. A small, elderly woman with a bent back looked up. Around fifty years old. She wore a soil-stained apron and held pruning shears in her hand. Short hair with streaks of white. Her eyes were narrow, but kind. "A student, are you? It's rare for someone to come to a place like this." "[surprised]... I didn't know there was a greenhouse. Is it all right if I came in?" "Of course, of course. I'm Rosette. I manage this place." Rosette returned to tending the herbs. That was all. She didn't bow. She showed no special attitude toward a young lady. She simply said "of course" and continued her work. Keira found that somehow very nice. She walked a little among the flowers. Leaves with a bluish tint, white delicate flowers clustered densely, something with a strangely pleasant smell. All plants she didn't know. "What is this?" Rosette answered without stopping her work. "[gentle]That's Mileena grass. Used for fevers. You dry it, grind it into powder, and dissolve it in hot water." "I see." "This blue one here is Lavis. Wound medicine. I, a former pharmacist, manage it specially." Keira crouched down and looked at the leaves of the Lavis. Indeed, the blue tint was strong. It had a somewhat unusual shape. "Can I come here again?" "[gentle]Do as you like." That was all. Keira decided to make this her hideaway. --- Leaving the greenhouse, she began walking down the corridor toward the dormitory. A long corridor with a view of the courtyard through the windows. Something was blooming in the flower beds, and bees were flying. It was a sight she could never have seen in her previous life. She paused for just a moment. It's peaceful, she thought. (This is fine. This is the daily life I wanted.) As she continued walking, she heard voices before the corner of the corridor. Laughter. But not joyful laughter. Keira slowed her pace. Around the corner, three upperclassmen had cornered someone against the wall. A first-year student, small in stature, stood with her back against the wall, looking down. "How rustic your manners are." One of the upperclassmen said, holding a fan to her mouth, laughing. "Even if you do well on the entrance exam, it's embarrassing if your bearing isn't proper, isn't it?" Another delivered a follow-up blow. Keira stopped. (It's not my concern.) That's what she thought. She really did. If she pretended not to see, nothing would happen to her. She didn't want to stand out. She didn't want to get involved. She had already stood out enough today. She didn't need any more. But. A image suddenly floated into her mind. The moment she opened the dressing room door, all the members went silent, all turned their backs. She could tell that somewhere, people were still talking badly about her, but no one would meet her eyes. That sensation remained in her body. Her feet moved. Keira turned the corner. The three upperclassmen turned around. The student against the wall looked up. Keira smiled. The one she had used hundreds of times in her previous life. Not too bright, not too dark, an angle that wouldn't hurt anyone. "[gentle]Excuse me. Is the first-year dormitory in this direction?" One of the upperclassmen looked at Keira. Her gaze changed in an instant. They wouldn't know who Keira was. But her noble bearing and her calm, natural smile smoothly shifted the atmosphere of the place. "... Oh, a first-year?" "Yes. The building is so complex, I got lost." The upperclassman closed her fan with a snap. "... It's that way. Cross the connecting corridor and it's right there." "Thank you so much. You've been a great help." Keira smiled once more. The upperclassmen looked somehow embarrasse