Chapter 2

And so the days passed, and it was about halfway through the school year. In the courtyard, the voices of a man and a woman arguing drew the attention of passing students.

"Listen and behave yourself!!"

"No way!! I absolutely won't go!!"

One was an unfamiliar man in his late twenties, and the other was Catherine. The man was gripping Catherine's arm, dragging her forcefully somewhere.

"The headmaster is waiting! Hurry up!!"

"No! There's nothing to talk about!!"

From the context, they seemed to be heading to the headmaster's office. The man was pulling Catherine's arm, but she was crying and struggling, making it impossible to handle her. Dian was taken aback by this unbecoming behavior for a lady of the academy. The thought that the crown prince might really take such a woman as a concubine, and that a daughter of a lower noble might bear a prince who would become king, filled her with gloom.

"Stop right there!!"

A voice rang out, stopping the two. Dian, recognizing the voice, felt weary at the thought of what kind of 'spectacle' she was about to witness.

"Dragging a woman who says no is not very gentlemanly, you know."

Upon realizing it was the crown prince, the man immediately knelt and bowed. However, his calm demeanor suggested he was quite composed. Seizing the opportunity, Catherine hid behind the crown prince.

"What is your name?"

"It is my first time to meet you, Your Highness. I am Leonhardt Meteora, Catherine Meteora's brother."

The disappointed faces of those who had expected a lovers' quarrel were truly vulgar.

"What does Kitty's brother want at the academy? If you have something to discuss with the headmaster, I will join you."

"It is a great honor, but it is a private matter, and I cannot sully Your Highness's ears."

"I won't listen unless Lord Rody is with me!!"

In the heavy silence, the crown prince and Catherine looked at each other and smiled. 'Kitty' is a common nickname for Catherine, and 'Rody' is a nickname for the crown prince's name, Roderich. Their intimacy was evident just from their nicknames. Some people gazed at the beautiful couple with admiration and envy. However, the man who claimed to be her brother showed no concern,

"Catherine, it is impolite to use the prince's name. Stop it."

He advised her to understand her family's title and behave accordingly.

"I allowed her to use my name."

"Forgive me, but it is very improper for a young lady to casually use the name of a man who is not her family, relative, or fiancé."

He was right; calling the son of another house by his name goes against the manners of a lady. Yet, Catherine was permitted to call the crown prince by his name and even addressed his attendants without honorifics. Even Dian, who was of a higher rank, maintained proper etiquette and carefully considered how she addressed those of lower rank.

In recent years, a mysterious trend of 'equality regardless of rank' had spread through the academy. Originally, it was meant to prevent higher nobles from treating lower nobles unfairly. However, Dian suspected that the lower nobles and those behind them were using this to gain favor and were distorting the crown prince's education, which was affecting the academy as well.

This man, Leonhardt, seemed to reject such familiar behavior.

"Leonhardt Meteora is a name that often comes up in my father's conversations," a friend whispered nearby. Dian nodded. Her father was a civil servant in the finance bureau, and Leonhardt was his subordinate. Although she had tried to avoid him, Dian had investigated the Meteora baronial family when Catherine began to get close to the crown prince. She had suspected some malicious intent, but found nothing, which was a disappointment.

Leonhardt Meteora, in his late twenties, was unknown to Dian at the time, but he had graduated from the Royal Academy with top marks and started working at the palace with great fanfare. He was known for his integrity, never being arrogant, and taking on tasks that others shunned. His work was meticulous and well-received. Though somewhat stern, he was considerate and well-liked by both his subordinates and superiors, making him a notable figure.

No one would have thought that such a man was related to Catherine, the academy's problem child since its founding.