As the first day of class approached, Edith became more and more excited. And the day before class, her mind seemed to be completely filled with thoughts about the Academy.
“If there is time, it would be nice to walk around the Academy together. It will be different from when we went to submit my application for deferral of admission.”
As Edith spoke, she was sitting in the garden of the Crown Prince’s Palace, but her soul seemed to be already in the academy classroom.
『 I’ve never seen her smile like this before.』
Walter was dissatisfied that it wasn’t he who was in her head.
While it made him happy to see Edith happy, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of crisis as he felt like the Academy might take her away from him.
Luckily for him, he had plenty of ways to play tricks. His hand gently stroked her thigh.
After clearing out the Gerturks, his tension seemed to ease, but his mind was filled with devious thoughts. It was the same even now.
So maybe planting some impure thoughts in Edith’s mind would satisfy him.
“Edith, there must be places like that inside the Academy, right?”
“What kind of place?”
Edith slightly lowered her head and looked at Walter’s face. His black hair disheveled by the hem of her skirt and his narrowed eyes looked oddly impure.
“A place similar to the animal kingdom, a place that lustful men and women visit in secret.”
Edith was startled and looked around to see if anyone had heard. Those who worked in the palace probably wouldn’t care what the Emperor’s legitimate and trusted heir had to say, but they still had to be cautious.
“The Academy is a place to study, Walter. There can’t be such a place. Students will also not enter places they are not allowed to enter.”
Edith’s embarrassed expression only fueled Walter’s mischievousness.
“Buildings are not always used for the purposes determined by the person who built them. Didn’t I tell you how many trysts took place in the gardening tool storage shed at Fortrion Manor?”
Was he talking about the place where Sophia and Whitman frequently had their illicit meetings? Edith’s face suddenly heated up.
“The whole ‘off-limits’ thing is a bit odd. After all, M’lady’s favorite hobby is visiting the stableman’s cabin.”
This time, Edith couldn’t bring herself to say, “When did I!” She simply coughed and tried to end the conversation.
“Ahem, ahem. The Academy is a sacred place of learning. Everyone must be interested in learning.”
“Even students who go on secret trysts also learn something useful for life.”
Edith gently pressed her fingertips to his lips as he casually rambled on.
If she continued listening to him, she felt like she would have nothing but strange thoughts for the entire first class.
But Walter stuck out his red tongue and lightly licked her fingertips. Surprised by the warmth, Edith quickly removed her hand from it.
“…!”
“If it’s a place that all lovers at the Academy know about, I think we should know about it too.”
His low, husky voice, tinged with laughter, moved closer to her face as he quickly stood up from her lap.
He cupped Edith’s cheek, not bothering to tidy his disheveled hair. As his large hand enveloped her jawline, she felt a warmth that made her heart pound.
“Should we secretly go and see how passionate other lovers are? Or should we sneak in between them?”
“…”
His eyes were staring blatantly at Edith’s lips.
Edith slowly closed her eyes. It was almost fortunate for her that he was the one initiating the kiss as if he had been waiting. Even though she had done plenty herself, she didn’t want to show him her face turning beet red at the sound of his low, raspy voice.
Each time he explored her lips with his, her heart throbbed.
His eyes mesmerized her with a dangerous gleam that none of the flirtatious students would ever be able to replicate.
Walter placed his fumbling hands on her thighs.
Whenever his tender fingertips gently grazed her body, separated by a thin piece of clothing, a sound resembling the moans of an animal escaped.
“Walter…”
“You know no one comes this way, Edith.”
Walter savored her lips for a while before pulling her into his arms. Even though it had been several days since their picnics had taken a similar direction, he was proud of his body for responding so faithfully to the sound of Edith’s sweet voice.
“Tomorrow is the first day of class, so you should go to bed early today, Edith.”
“…”
Thud-thud—
Walter removed her shoes, letting them fall to the ground, and headed towards a small glass greenhouse in the garden. Although it was called a glass greenhouse, it was a clever place where the interior couldn’t be seen from the outside.
“Walter, are you trying to prevent me from going under the table again…?”
“You’ve fallen for the same trick four times, M’lady, and now you’re noticing the fifth time.”
“…”
Edith looked sadly at her shoes moving further and further away, then hugged him tighter. She could clearly feel his excitement due to their close contact, their bodies inevitably pressed against each other.
It was a secret to Walter that the first academy class she had longed for had begun to fade from her mind.
──────────✿◦•
The next day at noon, Walter and Edith finished their early meal and boarded a carriage with the Imperial Crest to head towards the academy.
“Edith, we’ve passed the front gate, so start getting ready to get off.”
Walter gently shook Edith, who was dozing off on his shoulder, to wake her up.
“It would be quite disappointing for the professors if you fall asleep during the first class.”
“…”
The words woke Edith up, and she glared at him with a grudge, but to Walter, it was endearing.
Nothing pleased him more than the fact that she was more focused on the stimulation he provided than on the first class at the Academy.
Soon, the carriage came to a stop. Walter suppressed a light laugh and got off first. Edith took the hand he held out and carefully stepped on the ground.
Although they had been informed in advance by Cassius and had expected it, there were quite a few people who came to see the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
“Wow… They look so good together.”
“When will the Imperial Portrait be released?”
Edith followed Walter’s lead with a smile on her face, but inside, she couldn’t hide her surprise.
It was the first time since the Crown Prince’s Investiture Ceremony that she received the attention of so many people at once. It was all very unfamiliar to her, as she had lived an ordinary life in the countryside.
“He really resembles both the Emperor and the Duke of Lexion.”
Then, a voice of admiration reached her ears and stuck in her mind. From there on, all she heard were compliments about Walter’s handsome face and robust physique.
『 … As expected, Walter is very popular.』
Edith was not oblivious to that fact. Objectively speaking, Walter had a very attractive face. It wasn’t just because of the pleasure he gave her in the greenhouse, but he was really handsome.
The Duke of Lexion and the Emperor were both famous for being as handsome as they were powerful, and Walter, born of their blood, was undoubtedly an extraordinary combination.
Moreover, his unique background as a former stableman… It was clear that it would ignite the hearts of the ladies.
Edith knew from experience that the sight of Walter skillfully holding the reins and leading a horse at full speed was enough to arouse the desires of even the most chaste lady.
When her thoughts reached that point, Edith pouted slightly. She had never felt this uneasy before, except when he stayed at Lowell Manor with Mrs. Leah.
It wasn’t as if he had become more precious to her after he had pleased her yesterday in the greenhouse and even in the bedroom. Absolutely not.
“Greetings to the Little Sun and Moon of the Empire. It’s an honor to greet you at this place.”
As they reached the specially built building for the education of the Imperial Family’s heirs, five scholars appointed as professors for imperial studies and other disciplines bowed to the two of them.
They were all prominent scholars in the Academy who would teach political science and other subjects to Walter and Edith.
“You don’t know how much we’ve both been looking forward to the classes. Let’s go inside.”
Walter shamelessly spoke without changing his expression. Edith recognized his outrageous lie right away, but the professors did not.
“I am honored by your kind words, Your Highness.”
“It was rewarding enough to study under the patronage of the Duke of Lexion, but to serve the man who would one day become Emperor, I could ask for nothing more.”
The scholars were not pretending. They were genuinely moved by Walter’s sweet talk.
Agnas XIV, who survived the bloody power struggle between the princes, never visited the Academy, let alone received the education typically reserved for a Crown Prince.
When such an Emperor mentioned that his son and daughter-in-law were very interested in studying at the Academy and had asked them to organize classes for them, the scholars finally felt recognized and useful.
And as if living up to their expectations, Walter and Edith sat down and looked like a painting come to life.
Especially Edith, with her back straight and sparkling eyes, made them want to draw a portrait and show it to the noblemen and ladies who tend to deviate.
“It seems that the Duke of Lexion was right about both of you having a great love for learning, just like Lady Leah. Now, let me briefly look at the history of the empire.”
“Can blood be deceiving? We would be grateful if you could impart your knowledge to us.”
Walter smiled mischievously and lifted a textbook. He then took something out of his jacket pocket and secretly hid it inside a textbook.
Walter, who did not want to make any mistakes during class with Edith, had already studied the study materials in advance before class. What was more important to him was to satisfy Edith, who had many dreams of attending the Academy.
[Important places in the Academy]
Walter carefully flipped through the information booklet Cassius had created.
[Nearby famous dessert shops]
As he read through the tiny letters, unexpectedly, a question came to him.
“Your Highness. Do you happen to know where this place is?”
“Nearby famous…”
Walter, who had been absentmindedly reading the booklet, felt a chill run down his spine, and it seemed like time stood still.
But then the professor smiled softly.
“Yes, that’s correct. Currently, it’s known as Rivers Island, a famous tourist destination near the capital.”
“…”
Walter breathed a sigh of relief and began searching for a place he thought Edith would enjoy.
