Olivia was immediately moved to the academy’s infirmary.
The Emblem knights escorted the students who were with Olivia to their dormitories. Meanwhile, I stayed alone by her side.
“Are you okay?”
I asked while replacing the warm towel on Olivia’s forehead.
She rolled her eyes toward me and answered,
“Do I look okay?”
“No.”
“Aren’t you spending too much time with the Emblem knights? When was the last time you attended a social gathering?”
“What’s the point of going without you?”
“Ugh.”
With a deep sigh, Olivia tightly closed her eyes.
Feeling slightly guilty, I turned my head to look out the window.
Olivia often advised me that regularly attending social gatherings would reduce public interest by at least half.
But after a party where I was completely surrounded by people, I resolved never to attend alone again.
“When you actually went to the party, you laughed, chatted, and seemed to enjoy yourself. So why not go now?”
“Because it’s exhausting. When Enoch was around, people split their attention, and with Gray’s presence, they were more restrained around me.”
I pouted as I grumbled. Olivia didn’t know how I struggled alone in the empire while she was at the academy.
People would faint dramatically before me, hoping to catch my attention, or shout about their partner’s absence to garner sympathy.
Some would sob loudly, pretending they had a tragic backstory when they made eye contact with me, while others blatantly lingered nearby, feigning indifference.
If it happened once or twice, I could handle it, but enduring such incidents at every party made Emblem’s growing popularity increasingly burdensome.
“Well, if Sir Enoch Gray is with you, no one dares to behave recklessly. Even though I spent five years at the academy with him, he’s still hard to approach.”
“He might be a bit stoic, but you’re still awkward with Enoch? You’ve known him since childhood.”
“You’re the only one who can talk casually with Sir Gray. You’re special, Cherrya.”
“Being treated specially because of Enoch doesn’t make me happy.”
“Don’t say that outside; plenty of academy students are desperate for that treatment.”
Enoch, as described by Olivia, was so different from the person I knew that I sometimes doubted we were talking about the same man.
Noticing my doubt, Olivia nodded slightly and said,
“I need some rest. You should get some too. Traveling this far must’ve been tiring. I heard the Emperor made a peacekeeping agreement with the Kingdom of Pavan and that you hunted monsters along the way?”
“Oh, that. It wasn’t much. Just cleaned up while crossing the border.”
“That’s something only Emblem could accomplish. It’s been a long-standing problem for the Kingdom of Pavan.”
Olivia raised her hand to massage her temples, seemingly troubled by a headache, and continued speaking.
“The Pavan royal family emphasized to the academy how important it is to treat Emblem with utmost respect. They’ve even made an exception to allow you to explore every corner of the academy. This is unprecedented for an outsider.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There’s nowhere off-limits to you, so take today to rest from your journey and explore the academy. It won’t be too late to greet the headmaster tomorrow.”
Wow. My regret at not attending the Continental Academy was entirely erased just by this.
I never wanted to study again, but the thought of touring the academy excited me.
“I’ll rest for now. You can manage on your own, right? You prefer exploring on your own rather than relying on my introductions anyway.”
“Of course.”
I nodded and stood up, making sure to tuck Olivia in snugly with her blanket.
“Are you okay with me leaving you?”
“I’ve already proven to the student council that we’re close friends. That’s enough for now.”
Her words left me speechless.
The students we’d been with earlier must have been from the student council.
“Wait, did you use me for that?”
“Why else would I have personally come to greet you? Nobody believed me when I said you were my only friend. Some even spread rumors that the letters we exchanged were fabricated.”
“………”
Olivia had been quite active socially, even here.
Her consistent nature over the past five years earned my silent applause.
“Nobody exploits their relationship with me as skillfully as you do.”
“My mother taught me to make full use of what’s available.”
Her sly smile reminded me of her mother, the Marchioness of Balmore.
“She taught you well, I see.”
Hearing the sarcastic tone in my voice, Olivia narrowed her eyes and responded,
“Do you know how much effort I put into inviting you and Emblem here? Finally, I can rest a little. You made me realize I had seasickness I didn’t even know about.”
“Thanks, Olivia. You know I love you, right?”
“I don’t, so treat me better.”
“Okay.”
Olivia smiled contentedly at my obedient nod.
“Now go. You’re all grown up; you can explore the academy on your own, right?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
Even as Olivia sent me off, she cast me a wistful glance.
She probably felt guilty about holding me back after I’d come all this way to the academy, despite clearly needing rest herself.
Smiling reassuringly, I gently closed her eyes with my hand.
“Get some proper rest unless you want me to feel guilty.”
“…If I say that doesn’t sound so bad, does it make me a terrible lady?”
“If driving a knight mad with longing is a lady’s virtue, then you’re truly exceptional.”
“Hmph.”
A pleasant blush spread across Olivia’s cheeks. Seeing her in better spirits, I felt relieved and left the infirmary.
The Emblem knights had already been guided to their accommodations, leaving me alone for the first time in a long while.
As I thought about it, I wondered when I last had the chance to be on my own without any obligations.
“Where should I start exploring?”
My steps naturally quickened in excitement.
Watching students in their uniforms bustling around reminded me of my past life.
Back then, I was so consumed by studying that I never made friends, leaving me completely isolated.
The only person I could call a friend was a nameless boy who always stayed late during self-study sessions.
He sat at the farthest desk, the only one with a divider, a spot I had coveted.
No matter how quickly I rushed after class, skipping dinner to claim that seat, he was always there before me.
‘How do you always manage to grab that seat?’
‘If I told you, you’d take it from me, so I won’t.’
‘It really sounds like you have a secret strategy.’
‘Of course.’
I didn’t know his name or face, as he never peeked out from behind the divider.
But until just before the college entrance exams, he was always the first to arrive and the last to leave.
‘When do you go home?’
‘When my mom’s asleep.’
‘And when do you come to school?’
‘Before she wakes up.’
He was the only person I shared such trivial conversations with.
I had planned to ask for his name after the exams, but by then, his seat was empty, and I never heard his voice again.
“There must have been things unique to school life that I could’ve enjoyed. But I was so sharp-edged back then.”
I regretted not being able to experience a proper school life at the academy.
But honestly, even if I had enrolled, I probably would’ve considered dropping out because I hated studying so much.
The only reason I decided to take on the role of commander was because my mother had warned me about the academy’s overwhelming workload.
“Still, I hate studying.”
Admiring my wise decision, I grabbed the handle of the door marked ‘Student Salon’ and pushed it open.
Olivia had insisted I visit this place, saying it was where all the academy students gathered.
“Huh?”
The first thing I noticed upon entering was a familiar head of shimmering silver hair.
