Chapter 15

The Royal Academy is often thought to be a place where only children of the nobility attend, but there are also students from commoner backgrounds.

Students entrusted to the church and those from merchant families who can afford the tuition fees are also enrolled.

There are also students who have earned the right to be 'scholarship students' by demonstrating their excellence.

Scholarship students are exempt from tuition and enrollment fees, so those who are outstanding often take advantage of this system.

The school, where children of the nobility and commoners study together, is a place with a unique atmosphere.

The school grounds are vast, and it's easy for newcomers to get lost.

There are training grounds primarily used by students of the Knight's Department, as well as various facilities reserved for the royal family.

Only those who have been granted permission can enter the areas reserved for the royal family.

Even a duke's daughter is no exception, so I will not be using the royal facilities.

Misha and I deepened our friendships with our classmates and gradually adapted to our new lives at the academy.

Lord Ash has returned to the Baltsline territory.

I conveyed that I would formally greet my father, and he agreed.

For now, my father seems to have no objections to my engagement.

On the other hand, my brother Carlos looks at me with a hateful expression.

However, he doesn't say anything to me directly. Perhaps he doesn't want to see me.

Yet, he seems to be concerned about me and is observing me from a distance.

... What is he really thinking? His behavior is quite peculiar. If he has something to say, he should just say it.

Is he observing, or rather, monitoring me? I don't understand. What benefit does he get from monitoring his sister?

Could he be following orders from the royal family?

Since my father hasn't said anything, I'll just let it go for now.

The students at the academy talk about various things.

It's a kind of social gathering, but the topics are more diverse than in the social world.

These topics are often mundane.

For example, who is dating whom, or how a certain engaged couple is very affectionate.

Talk about delicious sweets shops in the capital, or theater performances.

Or who is the strongest among the knights, and how someone is surprisingly capable, and so on.

The words 'student' and 'child' are fitting for us now.

One of the most popular topics among the students is Prince Leonhardt.

There is no particular disrespect in talking about the royal family.

It's not that they are spreading bad rumors, but rather that everyone is interested in the movements of the royal family.

Especially Prince Leonhardt, who has yet to choose a fiancée.

The rumors are heating up, speculating that he will likely find a partner at the academy.

To my frustration, I am still sometimes mentioned as a potential candidate for the prince.

I really wish they would stop. After all, I already have a fiancé.

I avoid interacting with Prince Leonhardt as much as possible to avoid such rumors.

We are in different grades, so our opportunities to meet are limited.

I try to avoid running into him in the cafeteria and other places.

Even if he has a royal salon, I don't think he would come to the cafeteria just to eat.

In this way, we build our lifestyles to fit our school lives.

"I want to make daily training a part of my routine."

"Training? With swords, I assume?"

"Yes, Misha. Of course, magic as well."

"You are very dedicated, Lady Angelina. I want to follow your example."

My school life has started smoothly.

I will focus on my studies and training while building relationships with the people needed in Baltsline.

The border regions value ability, so I want to reach out to capable commoners as well.

Most of the people who wish to excel in the capital are not just anyone, so I don't approach them indiscriminately.

It's important to judge the right people. Misha is a rare exception.

"Have you heard? The Marquess Marcotte's son..."

"Prince Leonhardt is currently..."

"The Colden family..."

In the academy's rumor mill, not only Prince Leonhardt but also the people around him are topics of discussion.

Among them, there are rumors about Lord Dennis, the son of the Marquess Colden.

The fact that Misha was warned by the Marquess's family to stay away has not spread.

This means they are not spreading the rumors out of malice.

However, whenever Dennis is mentioned, I can't help but feel a bit prickly.

Since I am not directly involved, I can't show any signs of being shaken in front of Misha.

"Misha"

"It's fine, Lady Angelina. I just want you to be careful not to get too close to him unintentionally."

"Right, I'll guide you away if I see him."

I don't think he would say anything just because we happen to run into each other in the hallway.

Since I usually move around with Misha, it's best to quickly distance ourselves if I see Dennis.

I don't really remember what Dennis looks like. I haven't interacted with him much.

His light brown hair and eyes are not particularly striking.

I might feel he is a bit short because of the people I compare him to in my mind.

"By the way, it seems that the Marquess Marcotte's son has not yet been chosen as the prince's attendant."

"The second son of the Marquess Marcotte? That's what I've heard. Some classmates are also saying the same thing."

From their family status and abilities, there were candidates for Prince Leonhardt's attendants.

One is Fried, the son of the Marquess Marcotte.

The other is Dennis, the son of the Marquess Colden.

And my brother, Carlos, the son of the Duke Steizen.

However, it seems they have 'declined' the position of attendant. 'Deferred' might be a more accurate term.

They are in a position where they can interact with the prince if they want to.

If the prince were to call them, there would be no problem with them being close.

Yet, they have not officially accepted the position of attendant.

Fried, the son of the Marquess Marcotte, apparently declined the offer to become a guard knight, saying, "I am not yet satisfied with my current abilities, so I cannot become a guard yet."

The prince was reportedly taken aback by his words, but still acknowledged his abilities.

However, Fried did not back down.

To be unsatisfied with one's abilities is quite a stoic attitude.

I've heard that Fried has already surpassed his older brother, who is also a capable individual.

I wonder how high he aims. I am a bit curious about that.

Dennis, on the other hand, seems to have deferred because he wants to focus on his studies.

There shouldn't have been any concerns about his academic performance.

Compared to Fried, he seems less impressive, which is a bit unfortunate.

Their reasons are similar, though.

I can understand the sense of purpose that comes with entering the academy.

They might be experiencing a similar kind of youth.

By the way, when it comes to people who are often talked about by the students... Ah, that person.

Misha and I visited a certain teacher together.

"Mr. Drought, I have a question about the lesson earlier."

He addressed the teacher, Neil Drought.

"Huh? Oh, the Steizen family."

"Yes, my name is Angelina Steizen. This is my friend, Misha Trimmel."

"Got it. So, what's your question?"

"Yes, about the Alstroemerian language..."

Neil Drought, the special teacher of history and royal languages.

A young-looking teacher with wavy black hair and emerald green eyes. He is actually quite young.

His somewhat rough manner of speaking is part of his popularity, which extends to both male and female students.

His specialties, history and royal languages, are also his research topics.

He is originally a researcher, specifically on the lost royal family, the 'Alstroemerian Royal Family.'

While it is an important area of research, there is a reason he is teaching at the academy.

It is to teach the students about the 'magic' of the Alstroemerian Royal Family.

It is said that the former royal family had particularly powerful magic...

Whether it is manifested through bloodline or can be acquired through training is a mystery.

Mr. Drought is working hard to unravel these mysteries.

The academy and Mr. Drought share the goal of spreading this knowledge and nurturing future researchers.

This is the rumor. All of this information is based on rumors and hearsay.

I haven't asked him directly about his research motivations.

However, it is a fact that students often turn to him for information about Alstroemeria.

"...Ah, that's something we'll cover in the next lesson. You're ahead of the game, thinking about it already."

"I see. I apologize. I just couldn't help but be curious."

"Sure, sure. You're a diligent princess, but don't drag others into it. The guy next to you can't keep up. He looks like he's wondering what the question even is."

"Ah, Misha, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Please do as you wish, Lady Angelina."

I can't do that. I want to work hard with Misha.

"Thank you, Mr. Drought. I appreciate your time."

"No problem. See you in class."

"Yes, thank you."

He gestures for us to leave, but his brusque manner is part of his charm.

His response was not rude. He is just that kind of person.

He may seem 'cold' but is actually kind, or something like that.

I don't have any particular feelings about Mr. Drought.

...I don't seem to have a particular preference for older people.

I was drawn to Lord Ash. Hehe.