Chapter 15

As Celestia was placing down her luggage beside her seat, the woman approached her.

“Ah, you’re Celestia, aren’t you? My name is Victoria.”

She said while smiling brightly.

Since the head of the academy mentioned that everyone had completed their tests equally, she spoke in a casual manner.

“Hello.”

Victoria’s smile grew bigger.

“How do you think you should answer?”

The air got cold as she replied while sneering at Celestia.

This was unexpected. Victoria was offended when Celestia replied to her without honorifics.

But, Celestia didn’t want to get close to those kinds of people in the society who belittled and laughed at others.

“Uh…should I not greet you?”

“Wow, look at your boldness. Is it really okay for someone like you to have an attitude like that? You don’t know me, do you? Ah, I understand, you’re supposed to be oblivious to it as a commoner. You can’t even attend a ball, can you?”

“Who are you?”

“The one who’ll become the future Empress.”

“What……?”

“I knew you’d be surprised. So, from now on address me politely, okay, commoner?”

She spat out before returning to her seat.

Celestia had heard that she was the daughter of one of the three highly respectful Dukes of the Empire, but she didn’t know she was the Emperor’s fiancée.

‘Well, it has nothing to do with me, but is it fine for her to be the Empress of a country with such a personality?’

So, in the class, only Celestia and Auckra were lowly-ranked. Every student who appeared at the door acted as if Auckra was absent.

The class began shortly after she greeted some of the others.

A great disappointment spread through the faces of the students as it started.

Having been named the class president for her best performance in Class B, she was constantly asked to answer the questions in every class by the instructors. Fortunately, she was able to answer it all correctly without making a single mistake. However, from the second day, for some reason, the tormenting force began to take a more explicit form.

A lot of things happened in the course of two weeks. Her supplies often disappeared when she came back from the washroom, and she was almost hit by a flower pot on her way out of the academy building.

She did not want to bear it, but she couldn’t do anything because her opponent was an aristocrat. She didn’t want to cause any trouble.

They wanted her to stay silent all day, but she didn’t care. She tried her best to make a conversation with Auckra, who was trying not to answer back, and also gave her best to her studies. Even the instructor in charge said that it wouldn’t be long before she got promoted to Class A.

Such childish harassment of theirs would have died down quickly if she had only sat still in her chair.

‘I’ve longed so much to study at an academy like this. Do I look like a fool to give up on my dreams? Why should I pretend to make a mistake in answering a question?’

And since the (self-proclaimed) future Empress was very displeased, she frowned down upon her during every break. Even the other students around her seemed to have believed that she was the only candidate for being the future Empress. And for that reason, they always sided with her.

All of them, except Auckra, wore colorful suits and jewelry to avoid falling behind each other. Perhaps it’s because they grew up with competition, but even if so, she wasn’t sure if they were good natured or not.

She recalled the Emperor’s remarks about the Queen of Goldina and the talent pool of the country. Well, no matter how equal the countries’ developments were, they were still very different.

She sighed, staring at the pile of garbage before her, who were busy showing off their status without any talent.

Others were fine, but it always annoyed her when they threw her notes.

She walked to the carriage, carrying her bag in her hand.

It was another different carriage with a normal appearance but a spectacular interior.

She got up the carriage and asked the chauffeur.

“Sir, may I get a pencil and paper again?”

“Sure, Miss.”

“Forgive me for asking for them again.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“But it would’ve been better if you had just let me buy them myself.”

“We will have to ask for the permission of His Highness, the Emperor, next time.”

‘Goodness! Just whom are you serving now? Him or I?’

“Anyway, you have a schedule with him.”

“Pardon?”

“The Emperor is looking for you.”

As she narrowed her eyes, she could easily notice him holding back his pain.

“I haven’t seen you for three weeks.”

Without uttering a single word, she walked to sit at the edge of his bed. Van took off his clothes before throwing himself down over his stomach. His back was covered in so many red blemishes that it seemed he had been badly beaten up by someone.

‘Oh my goodness!’

Tightly biting her lower lip, she raised her hands.

“I sent you to the academy, but you can’t even talk to me? It seems like I’ll have to ask for a refund.”

She tried to reply politely, but in the end, a discontented voice popped out of her mouth.

“Couldn’t His Majesty inform me about his arrival? Then, I’d have been present here in advance.”

“I wasn’t that thoughtful.”

“Yes, just as I thought.”

“I’ll take care of it from now onwards.”

It made her feel better to hear him talking with her in a casual manner again.

She couldn’t grumble anymore for Van groaned every time her hands moved over the scars. Her touch over the fresh wounds made it worse.

After a brief amount of silence, he spoke out.

“You still have no intention of moving your room, do you?”

“……to the next room?”

After all, the Emperor did inform her that the aristocrats, who were angry at his unconventional treatment, might try to assassinate her. They weren’t very happy the last time they saw her along with him.

In addition, she was being bullied.

“I don’t think I’ll need that, Your Majesty.”

“I see.”

It didn’t mean that he would stop mentioning it. She knew why he was eager to protect her, but she wasn’t very interested.

‘It will be ridiculous!’

“By the way, the Imperial City felt very empty when you started attending the academy.”

His words made her think as if she was on a trip for a year.

‘What? Isn’t it your fault for not informing me about your schedule? I return here every single day. I even rushed here as soon as my classes were over.’

She laughed lightly, a little dumbfounded.

‘Well, you have the power to say anything you want.’

“How’s the Academy?”

“The Academy….”

“After all, it has been recognized as a prestigious place in the capital.”

Certainly, the Academy had great instructors in each subject. They always provided her with the necessary basic learning material. Disregarding her being just a commoner, they never acted disrespectfully towards her…….

But she was quite worried about the growing nature of some of the students.

“I liked its curriculum.”

“And?”

“It also has good instructors.”

She answered roughly.

Van sat up on his bed before putting on his clothes, seemingly feeling better. He always fell asleep after he was treated, but today it was unusual.

As she stood up and turned around, he spoke up.

“So, how did this happen?”

‘What? Where? Why?’

Van stopped her from retreating by holding her shoulder to perceive it clearly. Soon, she felt a slight tremble in his hand.

She carefully turned her head around and saw that his eyes were fixed on a particular scar on her shoulder that she wasn’t aware of.

She quickly turned around, covering her scar with her hand.

“Oh…..it’s just a scratch.”

“How did you get that scar?”

“Well…..it happens when a student studies very hard…..”

“Do you have a lover?”

‘What?! How could you think that? It must have been when the flower pot fell over my shoulder.’

She hurriedly shook her head.

“No, of course not……it was just an accident.”

His slits narrowed at her reply.

“Accident? Explain it to me. I’d like to hear about it.”

‘Ah, I missed this arrogant attitude of yours.’

She was embarrassed to speak about this harassment, but it was a simple topic anyway. In the environment where she grew up, she could ax anyone she hated, but here, she had her hands tied.

Van stood up as he listened to her before he said.

“I want to know their names.”

“The names?”

“Yeah.”

“…..Is that necessary?”

“Yeah.”

‘But why would you need it? What are you going to do?’

Perplexed, she revealed their identities one after the other, and finally, the woman’s name who claimed to be the Emperor’s lover. But his expression was intact the whole time.

“Miss Victoria was the one who danced with His Majesty at the banquet, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Was it too….informal of me, Your Majesty?”

Van murmured frugally.

“Are you afraid that I might end your life? Don’t worry. I don’t kill people that easily.”

‘…..No. But she is your lover, isn’t she?’

4. Better Reasons

Time flew by as she continued to attend the Academy with no change in the attitude of her classmates.

So, the best revenge she could take was to get promoted to Class A faster than anyone else.

Although there was no reorganization of the classes after the semester, there was a possibility of placing a student in Class A if he or she got a grade in the semester that was superior to the others.

She could face the same harassment from the students in Class A, but at least, she would be able to press the noses of the aristocrats of Class B.