Chapter 46 · The Academy (1)

“Princess, perhaps because you’ve been going to bed early lately, your face seems even softer and more pillowy!”

That’s right. I had failed at my plan all week and kept passing out early. In short, I had become a child of a new country. Thanks to that, my already soft skin had become even more squishy and silky, but my pride had taken a hit.

‘To think I’m a child who can’t even resist the urge to sleep!’

“Haa… Can’t I touch them just once?”

As I clutched my face in self-loathing, Rosa asked in a voice full of desire.

“Hmm… Not for fwee, though.”

She glanced at the two other priestesses for a moment, then quietly pulled a few caramels from her pocket.

“Rosa! You promised! The princess’s snacks are only twice a day after meals!”

While she hemmed and hawed under Sierra’s glare, I quickly snatched the caramels and stuffed them into my mouth like a squirrel.

“Goodness! Princess, if you eat things like that before a meal, you’ll lose your appetite.”

“It’s fine.”

A child needs sugar replenishment, you sisters!

“Now you’ll let me touch them, right?”

When I smiled brightly and held out my cheeks puffed full of caramel to Rosa, she carefully brought her fingers over and gently pressed them.

“Awwww, Princess. You’re so cute~ Truly, you’re so cute I could die.”

“Am I that cute?”

“Of course! In Santra—no, on the continent of Tranquillum… no, in the whole world, the cutest young lady is the princess!”

“But Papa has never once told me I’m cute.”

“He’s… just that kind of person, isn’t he?”

Yuz said flatly.

“Proof that there’s no blood in his heart.”

“That person might go into convulsions and break out in hives if the word ‘cute’ ever entered his mouth… We must be careful.”

Pfft-hahaha! Today too, the priestesses’ biting remarks made me burst out laughing.

“I’m sure the academy students will fall head over heels for the princess’s cuteness too.”

“Then shall we change you into your uniform? Oh my! Rosa, look at this. The uniform is so tiny!”

“Kyaa! So cute!”

They squealed as they held up the neatly ironed academy uniform. It was an adorably small size, consisting of a luxurious plaid skirt, a silk shirt, and a ribbon studded with sparkling jewels.

That’s right. Today was the day I went to the academy!

“Everyone there will be older than the princess… but still, you’ll make good friends.”

Well, will they really be good…? I recalled the students I had briefly seen three years ago when I took Freesia to the academy. They had all looked like arrogant, stuck-up young noble lords and ladies.

‘I just hope that’s just my prejudice…’

Still, the thought of possibly seeing Freesia after so long lifted my spirits. She had apparently risen to the upperclassmen class already with outstanding grades, just as I had expected. Whenever I saw her briefly at things like prayer meetings, she had somehow looked very tired, and after that I hadn’t dared to ask to see her first because I was worried I’d interfere with her studies.

“Princess, look at this!”

Rosa pointed to the mirror.

Yuz had worked hard to pin up my hair and tie it into two round curls. It looked exactly like I was carrying two round white fluffballs on my head.

“Khh… This much cuteness is a lethal dose…”

“I’ve gone and created another supreme masterpiece…”

These sisters’ fussing grows worse by the day. At this rate, I’ll be late!

I hurried through breakfast, gave each of the three priestesses a kiss on the cheek in turn, had my kiss firmly refused by Paeon, and was about to energetically set out from the temple when I heard a familiar voice.

“Princess!”

Huh? Ark was outside. Had he come to see me off to the academy? But why was this guy wearing an academy uniform?

“What’s with that outfit, Ark?!”

“I’m going to attend the academy with the princess starting today too!”

He answered, his gray eyes sparkling.

“What did you say?!”

◇ ◆ ◇

Normally, once you become an apprentice knight of Dinitas, you can’t attend the academy. The custom is to train as a knight day and night and receive liberal arts lessons from private tutors called to your home…

“I smashed that custom to pieces!”

He shrugged as I stared in disbelief. Ark had apparently made a deal with his father. If he surpassed his father’s Flamma Gladius before turning sixteen, his father would allow him to attend the academy.

“You really beat him? Count Ellenoa?!”

No matter how strong Ark was, to surpass a high-level technique of Count Ellenoa, who was of vice-commander rank. Setting aside his character, he was a man who had performed terrifyingly on the battlefield.

“That’s what I’m telling you! It was a truly ferocious duel. My mother even fainted while watching!”

Committing such enormous unfilial acts and looking so proud. That was so like Ark…

“Still, that’s good. Ark, you always wanted to properly learn magic.”

“Haha! Thanks to the princess, I’ve got the basics down, so I should be able to enter the intermediate class right away. It’s a shame it’s only twice a week.”

I felt proud again. He had learned enough basic magic to survive even an unexpected accident. He wouldn’t die from falling into water like in my past life.

‘He’ll never know he owes his life to me forever. But even without knowing that, I never expected him to devote this much loyalty to me…’

Ark and Rizen had been almost completely tamed over three years, to the point where they’d blink and die at my word.

Oh, but this is a big problem.

“Um, you know, Ark. At the academy, you shouldn’t be so… how should I put it… you shouldn’t treat me like you do now.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean… don’t be so dog-like… no, don’t show so much loyalty.”

I nearly told him not to act like a dog. Good grief. It’s because you’re so puppy-like!

“Why on earth not? I’m the princess’s knight, so it’s only natural to be loyal.”

I’m telling you, you can’t! Because at this academy,

“…Lord Ellenoa?”

Stella is here. Damn it!

Stella’s mouth fell open, and the books and writing implements she was holding clattered to the floor. Running into her right at the entrance—today’s luck was going to be terrible.

“I greet the jewel of Santra. Have you been well?”

Even at Ark’s businesslike greeting, Stella’s face flushed bright red. Hey, Ark… couldn’t you at least pick up the books your betrothed dropped?

“What brings you here? Surely you didn’t come to escort that—no… that child?”

She forced a smile and swept back her curly hair. At fifteen, Stella’s auburn hair had grown even more lustrous, and like most of the Entimos royal bloodline, she was a strikingly beautiful girl. Yet Ark seemed uninterested in his betrothed.

“Yes, for now I am attending Princess Anastasia… but starting today, I will also be attending the academy. Ah, I forgot to mention it.”

Just then, the students who had been gathered near the fountain in the distance began approaching us.

“You’re attending the academy? You, my lord? But you are—”

Stella’s exclamation spread quickly among the students.

“Lord Ellenoa is attending the academy!”

“Ellenoa? The family whose count serves as vice-commander of Dinitas?”

“But he was formally knighted into Dinitas, wasn’t he…”

Ark, briefly flustered by the attention, soon smiled slightly as if pleased to be the center of it and swept back his hair.

“They say he can perform the Flamma Gladius perfectly.”

“I heard he’s a genius the likes of which hasn’t appeared in decades.”

“Indeed, worthy of being Princess Stella’s betrothed.”

“But why does he seem to be escorting someone else? That child is…”

“Isn’t that her? Princess Anastasia…”

When my name came up, Stella’s face turned bright red, as if her pride had been wounded. Just as the tactless Ark, unable to read the situation, shouted at me, “Hurry inside, Princess!” a girl who looked close to adulthood from the group stepped forward.

“Ark Ellenoa. It’s been a while.”

“…Giselle?”

The girl called Giselle flipped her light brown hair and approached us, but she only glanced at me and did not greet me. But I knew her. In my past lives, she was the young lady who always stuck close to Stella and viciously insulted me.

“I never thought you’d really come here. You kept insisting for so long, and in the end you got your father’s permission?”

“This is my cousin, Giselle Caesar, Princess. But I don’t know where her manners went. Not even greeting the princess.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve never been in the position of introducing myself first, so… I didn’t realize you were the princess.”

Caesar—I remembered them as a count family with lands in the eastern region. They weren’t an overwhelmingly high-ranking house, yet she’d never been in the position of introducing herself first? I nearly snorted.

Ark’s face contorted and he glared at her, and she too shot him a look and cried out.

“But what are you doing, Ark? Hurry and escort Princess Stella.”

“What?”

“Escorting your betrothed is both a duty and a courtesy, Ark.”

At those words, Ark’s face hardened, and a taut tension flowed between them. Just then, Stella spoke in a mournful voice.

“Giselle, it’s all right. Don’t worry about that.”

“Princess Stella, how can you say not to worry? Your betrothed is escorting someone else.”

Her cold gaze landed on me.

“Princess Anastasia is still young and hasn’t properly learned etiquette, so she might not know… But Ark, you’re not, are you?”

“Hey! Have you said everything you wanted to say?!”

I blocked the furious Ark and spoke.

“A betrothal vow and a loyalty oath are different, aren’t they? And this isn’t a ball, either.”

“…!”

Giselle looked greatly taken aback.

“Ark’s duty is to ensure my safety. And since Aunt Stella said it was fine, I don’t think it’s something Miss Giselle should be criticizing so carelessly.”

I smiled brightly and walked right past them.

“Let’s go, Ark. We can’t be late for our first schedule.”

“Y-yes…!”

Ark, who had been staring at me blankly, hurried after me. The quiet surroundings soon filled with murmuring.

“Did you see that? The way the princess spoke…”

“Wow, she looks like a baby angel, but her charisma…”

“Charisma, my foot! She’s selfish and shameless.”

I’d like to see the face of whoever said that, but somehow I felt that if I turned around, I’d lose face, so I walked straight ahead, looking only forward.

“Hehe.”

Ark was grinning like a fool beside me.

“What’s so good that you’re smiling like that?”

“Everyone’s come to see just how amazing the princess is, at least a little.”

“Good grief…”

I gave him a look of disbelief, but I couldn’t stop feeling proud. I lifted the corners of my mouth and took out the timetable Dean Roktania had prepared in advance.

“We start with morning prayer in the great hall.”

“If it’s the great hall, we should go this way. I came here once following my cousin before.”

As I was about to go down the stairs while looking at the timetable, there was a strong push from behind.

“Wha…?”

It happened in the blink of an eye. My body floated into the air, and Ark shouted.

“Princess!”

Aaaah! It was already too late. My short legs flailed in the air, and my small body was falling at a terrifying speed.

Thud!

I braced myself for terrible injury and gathered my prana, but strangely, it didn’t hurt much. As if I had landed on a cushion.

“…Huk!”

When I raised myself, there really was a boy beneath me who had become a cushion. I hastily poured divine power onto him as he lay there in pain.

“Are you all wight?!”

He lifted his head slightly. Transparent sky-blue eyes, and pale rose-colored hair that looked soft and trembling. It might sound odd to say about a boy, but he was a truly sweet-looking boy. He smoothed his slightly furrowed brow, then looked at me and smiled brightly. His eyes curved prettily into half-moons—a smile that could bewitch even a demon.

“At last we meet, my princess.”

…Huh? Who’s your princess?

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Melvian Laselles.”

Melvian Laselles… Laselles?!