Chapter 1

It is planned to be around 6-7 episodes. I would be grateful if you could follow along.

"Miss Seraphina! Is this really acceptable?"

While drinking tea in her favorite greenhouse salon in the courtyard, a young lady burst in and shouted the aforementioned words, causing Seraphina... Seraphina Percivalta, the young lady of the marquess, to slightly move her beautifully arranged eyebrows.

"What is it, Miss Sandra? That's quite improper."

Seraphina, who had spoken quietly without making a sound as she placed her cup, made the young lady, Sandra Aldini, who had rushed in, realize her impolite behavior and belatedly perform a bow.

"I apologize, Miss Seraphina."

However, she then directed her defiant eyes back at Seraphina.

"Just now, I saw Prince Eirik having tea with that young lady again."

"Is that so? Why don't you sit down, too? Lea, get a seat for her."

The other young ladies around them murmured at Sandra's strong tone and content, but Seraphina, seemingly unconcerned, instructed her attendant.

Seraphina Percivalta.

She is the young lady of a powerful marquess in the country and the fiancée of Prince Eirik Halvari, the heir to the throne.

With lustrous black hair and deep, night sky-like purple eyes, she possesses a refined demeanor, thoughtful character, and grace, making her a beautiful woman who is undoubtedly fit to be the future queen.

In this academy, where the nobility of the kingdom attend, her presence is on par with the prince, and she is undoubtedly the leader of the female students, with all of them being devoted to her.

Until just recently.

"How can you remain so calm? How many times has this happened now? It is utterly unacceptable for a fiancé to be so close with other young ladies."

While drinking the seasonal flower-scented tea with beautiful manners, Sandra's tone was still rough, her usually emerald eyes now darker with anger.

In addition to the greenhouse salon where they were, there is also a salon in the dining hall. Located on the mezzanine of the dining hall, it is accessible only to certain students, but the scene is no different from being in public.

"Indeed, your fiancé as well."

When Seraphina responded with a smile, Sandra's cheeks flushed red, and she tried to regain her composure by brushing her golden hair, styled in a vertical roll, over her shoulder.

"That's right. Not only the prince, but also my fiancé, Orva, and Lord Sauri, the son of the prime minister, were all having tea with her, and in the dining hall, no less!"

At Sandra's words, the shoulders of the other young ladies at the same table trembled.

Noticing this, Sandra turned her attention to them.

"What is the meaning of this? I have already warned you before, hasn't it been due to your lack of supervision, Miss Bernadetta?"

Unable to meet Sandra's intense gaze, Bernadetta lowered her strawberry-pink eyes and murmured an apology.

"…I apologize, Miss Sandra…"

Bernadetta Mericant, like Seraphina, is the eldest daughter of a marquess and the daughter of the current prime minister. Thus, Sauri, mentioned earlier, is her half-brother.

"It's not just Miss Bernadetta's fault. She has been making efforts."

At Seraphina's support, Bernadetta's face lifted, but it was followed by Sandra's

"Even if she makes efforts, it is meaningless without results."

and Seraphina's agreement, "That's true," causing her gaze to return to her hands in her lap.

This sparked a chorus of voices from the other young ladies, making the salon slightly noisy.

The cause of their agitation was one young lady.

Aini Mikkola.

With wavy pink-blonde hair reaching her shoulders and hazel, round eyes.

She is a young girl who looks slightly younger than her age but has a lovely appearance.

She was the illegitimate daughter of the Mikkola baron.

The Mikkola baron's family, located in the countryside, had no significant land or industry, and she was treated like a servant in her home due to her illegitimate status.

This changed a year ago when she manifested a talent for "light magic."

Most of the nobility in the country can use magic, and "light magic" is particularly valuable, with those who awaken to it often holding high positions in the church.

Since the church has equal influence to the nobility in the kingdom, she suddenly became a novice saint, promised a bright future, from a country noble's illegitimate daughter.

Handling magic requires solid knowledge, so she was enrolled in the royal academy, and to strengthen her position, the current prime minister, the Marquess Mericant family, became her guardian.

Yes, the family of Bernadetta and Sauri.

Before she knew it, Aini was living with the Mericant family, receiving education as a high-ranking noble lady, and was enrolled in the academy.

This happened a few months ago.

Now, the novice saint who had lived like a servant in the countryside was enjoying her life in the capital, among the children of the nobility, and in the academy for the first time.

"I have told her many times that it is not appropriate to become too close with a man who has a fiancée. Yet, she insists, 'We are just friends,' and 'In the academy, status doesn't matter.' Hasn't she been taught the manners of high nobility for more than half a year, Miss Bernadetta?"

Sandra, fanning herself to hide her twisted mouth, directed another question at Bernadetta, who shrank.

"I have also told her about the many engaged students and the noble families before she was enrolled, and I have mentioned it several times since then... I apologize."

Due to being one year older and of the same gender, Bernadetta was assigned to educate Aini in her private life.

However, Bernadetta is timid and has difficulty speaking to people, while Aini is bright and talkative, often responding to her warnings. Moreover, her half-brother Sauri also sides with Aini.

Aini, it seems, has become close with many of the noble students in the academy.

The foremost among them are Prince Eirik, Sandra's fiancé, Orva, and Sauri, Bernadetta's half-brother. In terms of grade, Orva and Bernadetta are in their third year, Sauri and Aini in their first year, and the rest in their second year.

"Orva, no matter how many times I warn him, he even goes as far as to say that Aini is pitiful and that she is being bullied."

Sandra, folding her fan with a snap, complained about her fiancé. Unlike the defiant and high-spirited Sandra, Aini, who evokes a protective instinct in men, is the cause of Sandra's bad mood.

Orva's family, though a viscount, has a distinguished lineage of producing excellent knights, and Orva himself has shown talent in swordsmanship since childhood and is expected to become a knight. However, he is weak in the political maneuvering among the nobility, and to compensate for this, Sandra, the daughter of the successful and widely-traded Aldini family, was chosen as his fiancée.

"Orva is fine. He has always been obsessed with swordsmanship and doesn't think deeply about things. The problem is the prince. Don't you think anything about seeing such behavior, Miss Seraphina?"

The conversation returned to the main topic, and the young ladies' gazes focused on Seraphina.

Some were accusatory, some apologetic, and some curious.

However, Seraphina, lacking any of these emotions, simply smiled slightly.

"I don't think anything about it."

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

Leaving the discontented young ladies behind, Seraphina walked down the corridor to return to her classroom for the afternoon lesson.

As the fiancée of Prince Eirik, Seraphina is the queen of the academy.

Everyone subtly makes way for her.

However, a group of people was approaching from ahead, accompanied by murmurs.

"Oh!"

"Ah, Miss Seraphina! Good afternoon."

At the center of the crowd, the pink-blonde girl greeted her energetically. It was Aini Mikkola and Eirik.

"Yes, good afternoon, Aini."

Ignoring the curious gazes from around, Seraphina returned the greeting with a beautiful smile.

"Good afternoon, Prince Eirik."

"Ah."

The conversation between the engaged couple was brief, with Eirik showing no particular emotion on his well-arranged face.

"Ah, maybe Miss Seraphina wanted to join us for tea? As the prince's fiancée, I'm sorry, I'll invite you next time!"

Innocent words that made Orva say, "Aini is so kind."

The situation where a country baron's illegitimate daughter offers to invite the marquess's daughter, the prince's fiancée, to tea, caused a stir among the onlookers, but Seraphina noticed that many of them looked favorably upon it.

The academy is attended by many lower nobles.

To them, Aini represents an ideal figure. A person who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the high nobility regardless of birth.

Moreover, she is cheerful, friendly, and gets along with everyone.

Seraphina, with her straight black hair and slender figure, is the legitimate daughter of a distinguished marquess, raised with the best education from a young age, and excels in her studies without any flaws.

Aini, with her wavy pink-blonde hair and a small but well-endowed figure, is the illegitimate daughter of a country baron, recently started receiving noble education, and is forward-thinking and hardworking.

The two, who are complete opposites, standing side by side.

It must be quite an interesting spectacle.

The academy is divided into the Seraphina faction and the Aini faction.

Aini's closeness with Eirik has only intensified this division.

Some even suggest that Aini would be a better fiancée for the prince than Seraphina.

For them, this would be a delightful "love story."

"No need to worry. I have my own company, and I have tea with the prince at the palace every other day."

Seraphina, who attends the palace every other day for queen's education, always has a conversation with Eirik afterward.

This is a custom and duty that started when they became engaged.

Therefore, there is no need to meet him in the academy as well. Upon hearing this, Aini, at 16, showed a puzzled expression.

"But... isn't it an obligation? If it's someone you like, you would want to be with them all the time, wouldn't you?"

"You are like that, I suppose."

Seraphina would be troubled if she were asked to do that.

Eirik would be too.

"I have to prepare for class, so I will take my leave."

Judging that further conversation would only fuel the curiosity of the onlookers, Seraphina gave a brief bow to Eirik and left the corridor.

Despite the subtle criticism she received, Seraphina's back remained straight.

If you enjoyed it, I would appreciate it if you could bookmark, rate, and leave a comment (*^^*)

I plan to upload another episode today.