Chapter 31

The assignments were on little researched topics. There seems to be a lot of strange forbidden magic……. The books I read at a bookstore in Golddina may help, but how would I reference them? My head already throbbed.

The assignments were based on little-researched topics, especially the strange, prohibited magic… The books I had read at a store in Golddina might help, but how would I even reference them?

My head began to throb.

As I looked down at the assignment instructions, Instructor Xenon smiled, looking as if he knew how I felt.

“Seeing how you want to graduate early, you’ve decided what you want to do, haven’t you?”

“Thank you for offering me a job, really.”

“I heard about the carriage you came in. You work for the imperial family, right? It’s a shame, it feels like I’m losing someone with the talent to be a great researcher.”

“I’m flattered.” My cheeks burned with embarrassment and gratitude.

Lecturer Xenon leaned against the chair, arms crossed. “Of course, I am also a high-ranking official of the Emperor, so you know that no matter how high your position, you still need to do these assignments, yes? Let’s listen to what the other seven instructors will require of you for your early graduation.”

“Yes.”

“I’m rooting for you.”

It meant that I would have to repeat this process seven more times. I managed to nod my head, munching on candy, but inwardly I heaved sigh after sigh.

I was about to leave Lecturer Xenon’s room, when he spoke again. Somehow I felt like I saw worry on his face, but it was gone before I could confirm it. Perhaps it was all in my imagination

“Are you okay?”

“…What? Oh, with the graduation assignment?”

“No, never mind, go ahead, Miss Celestia.”

“Yes.”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one with something on their mind.

***

When I came back to the classroom after meeting all eight instructors, I had a stack of papers crammed full with words in my hand. There was a list of book names, assignments, and the topics of the report I had to submit, the things I had to memorize, and the things I had to take tests for.

I looked over the papers and understood why there were so few early graduates since the founding of the academy.

It’s going to take a long time to memorize just the list of things to do.

I slumped face-down on my desk with a long sigh, and suddenly the list of people I memorized at the banquet lingered in my head. How considerate Serena and the chief of staff were while I was memorizing them.

I inhaled.

Suddenly, I remembered the owner of the voice that I thought I didn’t remember at all. I realized who the empress was talking to.

The emperor’s former pharmacist, the current chief of staff.

My head was full of thoughts about the chief of staff until I finished class.

I saw him so often, but after I stopped helping at the Imperial Palace, I couldn’t recall his voice because it had been such a long time.

He was very kind to me, considerate enough to see to my younger brother. Even when I ruined everything because of the empress, he was the kind of person who gave me sweets rather than scolding me.

My mind raced.

He didn’t seem like the type to betray His Majesty and join the forces of the empress. Why the hell…?

I didn’t hear the details, but there was something about his wife… I didn’t know anything about her. There was also something about a driver.

When I overheard the story with the empress, he said, “Save my wife.”

‘What happened to her?’

It was hard to guess because I didn’t know the details of his family because we only knew each other from work.

I just wanted to believe that there was more to the story.

The chief of staff looked to be a decent person. He may not be entirely to blame for taking the empress’s side, especially because his loyalty to the emperor seemed so genuine. I saw him do his best to maintain the perfect working environment through his leadership, refuse to bend his principles, and consider the circumstances of his subordinates. Like Serena, he looked like a person who was proud to serve the current imperial family.

At least… that’s what the chief of staff said…

Even telling the emperor about this felt dangerous.

True, his smile was soft at times, but he was known as the King of the Dead for a reason. When it was necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to punish those who deserved it.

Growing up in the back alleys, I learned not to trust anyone so easily. I ignored that lesson once and ended up here. Was it pitiful of me to still want to believe in people?

‘Be kind to everyone, but don’t trust them.’

I closed my eyes, recalling what Liberty often said to me.

‘Let’s tell the emperor everything.’

Whatever the conclusion or circumstance, everyone was responsible for their own actions.

By the time I finally felt ready, the day had already passed and it was time for the class to end.

There were a lot of references from each instructor and notes with the theme of the report. Compiling all of them, I could only sigh. Xenon’s assignment was already a handful, and the others added their own requirements too. Was it really possible to graduate early?

Somehow, I managed to hold the pile in both hands, pressing down on it with my chin and contemplating the probability of me dying from all the work. When I felt like my arms were going to fall off, the weight was lifted.

Vincenzo?

His smile was bright and sweet as he assisted me.

“It looks heavy, so let’s go to the carriage together.”

“Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but be honest with someone who smiled as innocently as he did, soft-looking gray hair blowing in the wind. Vincenzo’s presence also helped ward off the unnecessary conversation with people who had been following me around since earlier. He seemed to have noticed that I was tired and helped me out of the goodness of his heart.

“We’re tied for first place again.”

Vincenzo always fell a little short of getting perfect scores in all subjects, while I struggled with history and had a few mistakes, so we were neck-in-neck each time.

“I saw it too.”

He grinned then looked at me seriously. “Isn’t it fate at this point?”

I giggled at the joke and he looked away, seemingly embarrassed, just as he always did when I smiled. A quick laugh burst out of his lips before words rushed out like he suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, about the year-end party…”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you come with me?”

I looked at Vincenzo in surprise. He spoke in a casual tone, but he seemed serious.

To be honest, other boys had recently approached me openly, saying that I was pretty, that we should do something together. All I could think of was that they were going to take advantage of me like Serek.

But Vincenzo was different. He and the kids in Class A treated me fairly even when I had nothing, and helped make a place for me to stand in the academy. For some, it might be a small thing, but it was a big deal for me.

Vincenzo was from a high-ranking aristocratic family who outranked almost everyone in the academy. He was the kind of person who attracted important people at parties, and even though he doesn’t flaunt his status and usually spends time with the common folk, I was also technically a slave. That made it even more unusual.

“Are you really… asking me to come with you?”

“Yes.” He answered determinedly as if he had given it a lot of thought.

I didn’t want to say no to Vincenzo’s request, which was the first time I’ve felt like this in a long time. But I wasn’t sure about my schedule, which depended on the emperor’s whims. I also didn’t want to inconvenience him by saying yes then backing out after.

However… I had a dress that I received as a gift, and it would be rude not to wear it even once… And the academy’s year-end party was an event that I really wanted to attend.

Due to my apprehension, I still didn’t have a definite answer by the time we were completely out of the building.

“May I answer you in a little while?”

Vincenzo seemed to know what I was worried about, nodding easily. “Of course.”

“I think I need to check my schedule. It’s not that I dislike you.”

“I know.”

Did I say the right thing? His smile seemed a little deeper. He quickly brought up another topic, seeming like he accepted my silence as an apology.

“These things, right?” he said, indicating the giant stack of papers. “I heard you confirmed the early graduation requirements.”

“Do you know about this?”

“Of course. I’ve also asked the instructor for them.”

My eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected.

I didn’t expect Vincenzo to be among the two who had asked Instructor Xenon for early graduation requirements before me.

I have no choice but to complete my education because of an urgent situation, but why would someone from such a high-ranking aristocratic family want to graduate so urgently?

“You want to graduate early, too?”

“Oh… I was planning on it, but maybe you’ll have better luck, you who took all those classes and won first place. I didn’t pass because I didn’t have enough brains.”

“You?”

“Yeah, and there’s only one chance to do it. I just gave it a try.”

Had Vincenzo spoke with self-pity, I wouldn’t have known how to react. But he said it jokingly, and honestly, what he said made me more worried for myself.

‘If even he didn’t pass, would I? I know Vincenzo is really smart.’

While I was fretting, we arrived at the carriage. Somehow, there were more wagons than usual.

The driver silently received the baggage that Vincenzo and I had handed over, and I got onto the carriage. Outside the window, Vincenzo waved goodbye and told me he’d wait for my answer. As I watched him smile at me, I wondered why he was asking me instead of so many other girls, but surmised that he might need to go with a commoner so as not to cause a scandal.

I stared blankly out the window, but after a while, the wagons rattled and started, and at the same time, I saw the coachmen of other wagons sitting on the wagon seats at once. I looked out the window to see what was going on.

The driver saw me gaping and explained bluntly, “It’s discourteous to park in front of the wagons of the Imperial City, so either we start first or we start later.”

That’s true. This carriage is very inconvenient.

I sighed. I couldn’t believe I was going to and fro in such a shiny carriage. I didn’t even need to look out the window to imagine how much the other students’ eyes would follow me.