“Make sure the other party doesn’t make a scene, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“?!”
It was pretty creepy to hear such advice from my dad.
“Okay?”
Dad asked softly, as if to reassure me.
I nodded awkwardly.
“O-okay. I-I’ll say it.”
Dad patted my head with a satisfied expression.
The Imperial Academy was divided into classes according to the level of the students.
Advanced class, intermediate class, and lower class. Even in the same class, students were of different ages. The Emperor valued skill, so everyone was equal here, regardless of status.
The only thing that separated people was their ability.
‘So it’s not strange for a seven-year-old to be in the advanced class, but why am I in the advanced class?’
I grunted, looking out across the classroom.
It was the Emperor’s orders, but I didn’t understand.
‘Did the Duchess Moltke recommend His Majesty?’
The lecture hall resembled the setup in Korea. A central lectern with seats arranged around it. The tiered seating allowed for good visibility from the back.
Since the lecture hadn’t started yet, many children were chattering around.
The only difference was that the seats were spacious, and the chairs looked comfortable.
‘Maybe it’s because the author was Korean?’
It seemed like there were no assigned seats, so I sat in the first empty seat I saw.
Then, a brusque voice reached my ears.
“Who are you?”
It was a typical cliché where a new student who dared to sit down would be challenged.
I sighed heavily, like a sparrow’s breath, and looked in the direction of the sound.
“Why do you have the audacity to sit without my permission?”
He seemed to be around twelve or thirteen years old, a much taller boy looking down at me.
A typical aristocrat, he was glaring at me with disdain.
His perfectly slicked-back hair, as if waxed, looked menacing.
I playfully replied, while shaking my head.
“Hi, I’m Hanelope. Who are you?”
The boy’s face crumpled.
“Y-you don’t know me! You don’t recognize Ulrich Fork?!”
“Ulrich, this is her, the wretch who flattered the king on the subject of illegitimacy.”
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind him.
It was Jacob. He was hiding behind Willy, cackling like a fox.
I was surprised. ‘You still haven’t regained your senses?’
While being scolded by the Emperor, he had fainted.
I could only imagine how the Duke of Eisen must have reprimanded Jacob when he got home.
“He is the heir to the Fork marquisette and the top student of our academy. Isn’t that common knowledge if you’re attending the academy?”
Jacob taunted.
Ah, I remembered. Ulrich Fork!
The only son of the Marquis Fork, who is a branch relative of the imperial family.
Apart from the members of the imperial family, he was one of the top candidates in the line of succession.
The current Emperor had a strained relationship with his eldest son, Hart. And he hadn’t named his second son, Patrick, as the successor, leading to widespread criticism.
Above all, the Emperor was meritocratic.
‘So anyone with a drop of imperial blood has a chance at becoming the Crown Prince.’
Ulrich’s enrolment in the academy was to catch the Emperor’s eye.
But even more important than all of this background is the fact that Ulrich was going to be humiliated by Asta when he showed off his magical skills.
In the original, he was the top of the academy who challenged Asta to impress the Emperor.
‘But Asta’s trickery miserably crushed him.’
Ulrich was humiliated when it was revealed that he had bribed the professor to get the first position.
At the time, the Emperor was in poor health due to the death of Duchess Moltke.
When the Duchess Moltke’s husband was executed, she died while refraining from food and drink.
This greatly saddened the Emperor and weakened him physically.
‘His Majesty wanted to save his only sibling, so he made up various excuses and executed only the Duke. But in the end, he lost his younger sister too.”
Under these circumstances, the Emperor’s most ambitious student at the academy was defeated by Asta.
The Emperor lost his vigor to fight against the temple.
And so this empire had become Asta and the temples’.
“Oh! You were the one who flattered the Emperor! How much did you grovel to get into the advanced class right after admission? You seem to lack common sense for not knowing me!
Ulrich smirked arrogantly.
“Surely you used some underhanded methods! Half of the students are commoners like you! Do you want to receive treatment higher than your status by impressing someone powerful, like your mother? Hmph! This Ulrich does not acknowledge someone like you!”, he exclaimed.
‘I wonder if he’s so hostile because he thinks I’ve cheated like him?’
But I don’t think Willy would have the nerve to get angry over something like that, would he?
“Get up and leave right now!”
Jacob roughly grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I pushed Jacob away with force. He fell back ungracefully, like a rag doll.
“Hu-Huunnghh…!”
“Using violence in a sacred classroom! You can’t hide your lowly origins.”
Ulrich flicked my forehead with his finger.
“You don’t belong here. You belong on your knees scrubbing floors.”
I grabbed Ulrich’s finger with my hand and twisted it away from my forehead.
“Ouch! Hey, t- that hurts!”
“If it hurts, say so! Ulrich, you’re smart, but can’t you even bear that?”
“Th- this idiot! You’re not letting go?”
Ulrich lifted me up abruptly.
I tried to push him away, but unlike Jacob, he was very strong.
‘He might throw me!’
As I tried to break free, a man entered the classroom. With his chestnut hair and glasses, the young man looked at the kids with a relaxed expression.
His gaze landed on Ulrich, who hurriedly put me down.
“So, did Young Master Ulrich already greet the Lady?”
“?!”
‘Didn’t he see Ulruch trying to hurt me?’
And yet, the man was pretending not to notice.
“Yes, yes! Professor Munich! I was helping her because she didn’t seem to be familiar. When talking to her, she didn’t feel like an advanced level student, so I was taking care of her as the top of the academy!”
Ulrich said shamelessly.
His pretentious appearance and tone as a model student were repulsive.
Professor Munich spoke in an indifferent manner.
“From today, Princess Hanelope, daughter of His Highness Prince Hart, will also be studying with us. She’s new here, so help her get along.”
“Yes. Of course, I help all my new friends, don’t worry!”
‘Does Ulrich… have a split personality?’
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
The way he replied, trying to be nice, even patronizing, gave me goosebumps.
“We’ll start the lecture.”
Professor Munich stepped up to the lectern.
I sighed heavily and took my seat.
“Kids these days act so childish.”
At that moment, a cynical voice came from the seat next to mine.
It was a girl with red hair. The girl with the sharp eyes looked at me with a nonchalant expression.
“What are you looking at?”
“S-Sorry…”
The young girl had an impressive charisma.
Without realizing it, my gaze shifted downwards.
“Hmph.. Ulrich always does that. He tries hard to impress Professor Munich. After all, he’s a Count and one of His Majesty’s close attendants, so if he impresses him, he might catch His Majesty’s attention too.”
The girl said.
‘Why is she telling me this?’
I cautiously raised my head.
“Don’t pay attention to what they’re doing. They’re all idiots.”
“O-okay. Got it.”
Is she trying to comfort me?
She may seem a bit gruff, but she seems kind!
I smiled widely and nodded my head.
However, the girl frowned.
“If you act childish too, I won’t let you sit next to me.”
‘Wow, that was a warning, not a consolation.’
I sulked again and lowered my head.
“Okay….”
“My name is Katherine. Katherine Spigent”
The girl blurted out.
I greeted her shyly.
“I’m Hanelope von Reinhardt.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“?”
But what came back was a blunt reply.
‘I’m not sure if she’s being nice or harassing me.’
In the midst of my panic, a memory popped into my head.
“Katherine Spigent, the daughter of Marquis Spigent?
Spigent was a prominent lineage, with many accomplishments.
Although it wasn’t mentioned in the original work, Duchess Moltke taught the noble genealogy.
‘The family’s influence is as significant as the Duke’s.’
Moreover, the current head is an excellent magician. With his abilities, he firmly guarded the borders.
‘They said that Marquis Spigent’s twins also inherited their father’s talent in magic.’
If that’s the case, Katherine must be one of the twins. Strangely, I didn’t see the other twin.
‘Don’t twins usually stick together?’
But there was no time to ask.
The lecture had officially begun.
“Since a new student has arrived, let’s review the basic curriculum of the academy. The academy’s education is divided into two main categories. Can anyone tell me what they are?”
Professor Munich asked with a bored expression.
The students fell silent.
Willy raised his hand alone.
“The Academy’s education is mainly divided into general education and magical training.”
“That’s right. In the past, the Academy was a general education institution, but a few years ago, His Majesty added magic training. Does anyone know why mana training is important?”
This time, again, Willy raised his hand.
“Magic is an important part of military power. It’s also necessary in the lives of our people. Farming is more efficient with magic infused fertilizer, and we can use magic to help our people in times of drought or flood.”
This was a rote answer, but not bad.
‘But I’m sure the other kids could answer this too.’
I paused, scanning the room.
“I see.”
Professor Munich said dryly. He looked very bored.
‘Was the Emperor forcing him to give lectures?’
Willy, not noticing, kept smiling smugly.
“Today’s lecture is a continuation of the last one. You learnt about the works of the current Emperor, Robert I, in stabilizing the empire, and I will continue with that story.”
Professor Munich’s explanation was very long.
I tried to concentrate.
We were in the middle part of the lesson.
After a sigh, Professor Munich said, “Now, the most important part of the lecture- It’s about how His Majesty put down a rebellion by the remnants of the old monarchy.”
‘Huh? Isn’t this the part Duchess Moltke skipped?’
I pricked up my ears.
After the cruel former Emperor died at the hands of the current Emperor Robert, the former Emperor’s loyalists fled to nearby countries.
And there, they began to plot against the Empire.
After a long time had passed, they felt the timing was right and initiated a rebellion.
‘But I heard that the Emperor quickly suppressed it?’
Professor Munich’s explanation was more detailed than what I already knew.
“His Highness the Prince also directly participated in the suppression operation. The rebels, who were cornered, kidnapped influential nobles on the battlefield, intending to negotiate. However, His Majesty did not yield. Thanks to his firmness, the rebellion was easily suppressed.”
I was taken aback for a moment.
This was a familiar story.
Rebellion. Kidnapping. And abandoned hostages.
‘This was my father’s story!’
