Before we knew it, the grand square was spread out before our eyes.
“It’s so fancy!”
Huge trees hung with dazzling ornaments. Marble sculptures depicting the glory of the Gods. Huge fountains spewing colorful water.
A golden altar stood in the middle of the room, with seats for the guests around it. There was a designated corner for snacks, where attendees could exchange words with others and relish the delicacies.
“You can take a breather. I must prepare to receive His Majesty.”
Professor Munich hurriedly disappeared.
“Students can enjoy the snacks that have been prepared….”
Professor Richter who was talking sweetly suddenly panicked seeing us vanish from her side.
The children had already left her side and were scurrying toward the table piled high with treats.
I was one of them.
“What shall we eat first?”
Glossy chocolates.
Fresh fruit pudding.
Breads and cookies filled with jam and cream.
As I was deeply contemplating a crispy dacquoise was thrust in front of my face.
“Eat this.”
Fritzka said bluntly.
“Are you giving me this?”
As I stared into his handsome, freckled face, Fritzka quickly looked away.
“I-I don’t like dacquoise. I want you to eat it and get rid of it.”
I glared at the dacquoise in Fritzka’s hand thinking, ‘This is a snack that any child would love. Does he really dislike it?’
Seeing my questioning pink eyes Fritzka faltered.
“Do you perhaps not. like these?”
Fritzka looked very confused.
“Then I’ll give you something else. I think you’ll like this one….”
Fritzka quickly turned to grab another snack.
Kathrine appeared out of nowhere and took a bite out of the dacquoise in Fritzka’s hand.
“Ew, ew! Get your dirty lips away from me!”
“Why are you trying to feed my friend something you she doesn’t want to? Haa! And at home, you even eat my share of dacquoise!”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“Stay away from my friend!”
Kathrine and Fritzka lunged at each other getting entangled in an instant.
‘What to do…’
As I pondered, I heard Jacob sigh next to me.
“Those crazy guys started again.”
Fights like this happened quite often.
I felt someone gently grab my arm and pull me away.
It was Brantley.
He led me to a quiet table. Cakes with giant strawberries on top were stacked. There was a tiny castle-shaped cake among them.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen such a pretty cake before. Look at these strawberries! They must be very delicious!”
Brantley smiled, seeing me excited.
“They’re the color of your eyes.”
He cut a piece of cake with a strawberry on it and handed it to me. I eagerly took a bite.
I was already quite hungry, and the strawberry and cream flavor melting in my mouth felt like heaven.
A childlike giggle escaped me.
“You got some on you.”
Brantley wiped the corner of my mouth with his thumb. His hand was soft and warm, making me feel nice.
“Hehe.”
“You’re like a baby.”
“What?”
I playfully dipped my finger into the cake’s cream and smeared it generously on Brantley’s nose.
Brantley looked dumbfounded at the unexpected blow.
“Look who’s a baby now!”
“Geez..”
Brantley grumbled, but a grin spread across his face.
As we continued to playfully enjoy our cake, someone approached us.
“Are you His Highness Prince Hart’s daughter by any chance?”
I turned around, blinking my eyes in surprise. The man, who appeared to be a noble, smiled broadly.
“Pink eyes! You must be Princess Hanelope.”
“Princess Hanelope?”
At the man’s words, the other people started gathering around us. Large shadows cast by the adults loomed over Brantley and I.
“I heard the Princess was coming, but I didn’t realize she was already here.”
“Haha. His Highness has been keeping his daughter hidden. It’s the first time we see her.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting the Princess. I’m Baron Hinzels.”
“I’m Marquise Franzel, and I was also curious about….”
I was caught off guard by the sudden attention.
Being the focus of attention was not something I wanted.
“Hello! Nice to meet you.”
I greeted politely as I had learned, and the adults burst into laughter.
“The Princess looked so cute while greeting!”
“However, wasn’t the posture perfect? My son is fifteen, and he still makes mistakes sometimes.”
“Moreover, as His Majesty’s only granddaughter, I didn’t expect her to be so polite.”
Suddenly, one of the nobles who had been praising me suddenly reached out to pat my head.
As I stood there stunned, Brantley pulled me behind him.
At that moment, the gazes of the nobles turned cold. The interference of an unfamiliar boy was unpleasant. Even I became apprehensive.
However, it was Brantley who spoke calmly, without batting an eye at the nobles.
“I am Brantley Eisen. Pleasure to meet you all. But…”
Brantley’s silver eyes coldly focused on the hand extended in my direction.
“I learned that touching someone without permission is considered rude. My friend must have been quite surprised.”
The adults paused at Brantley’s words.
Among the nobles, behaving with “manners” and adhering to etiquette was considered more valuable than life itself.
There was no exception to that, even if the other person was a child.
“M-My apologies.”
When the other nobles gave him disapproving glances, the noble who had reached out hastily withdrew his hand.
The nobles were amazed at the astonishingly dignified boy.
“Is that child the heir to Duke Eisen?”
“I heard Duke Eisen keeps his illegitimate child confined. How did he end up here?”
“The heir to the Eisen Duke, a follower of the Temple faction, now here with the Prince’s daughter…”
Just then, a figure strode through the crowd.
He was a decent looking man. Smiling, he greeted Brantley and me.
“I heard you two are the brightest students in the academy, and it certainly seems that way.”
The man said wryly.
‘Who is this man?’
His face seems oddly familiar. As I stared at the man, a boy’s face flashed into my memory.
‘No way!’
Someone unexpectedly intervened between us and the man.
“The brightest person in the academy used to be Young Master Ulrich Fork, but he was unjustly kicked out.”
The woman who appeared with a pitiful voice was Asta Appel.
She was as radiant as ever, with an appearance warm enough to make anyone forget about her sharp remarks. Asta still draped a smile like it was nothing.
Asta asked with a bitter smile, “Marquis Fork, how is Master Ulrich doing?”
“Ulrich is still a little down. But soon he’ll get over it.”
The man who had spoken to me and Brantley replied sorrowfully.
The man who resembled Ulrich was none other than his father, the Marquis of Fork.
I did think of encountering him someday, but it was too sudden.
The Marquis of Fork, however, showed no sign of concern at his son’s expulsion from the Academy.
Instead, the others began to gossip.
“Young Master Ulrich was kicked out of the academy after His Highness Prince Hart’s daughter was admitted, right?”
“Don’t you think it’s too suspicious that Ulrich, the top student, was suddenly kicked out, and Princess Hanelope has been the top student since then?”
‘Haahh.. If you’re going to gossip in front of the kids, can’t you speak in a lower voice! I can hear you!’
Seriously, the adults here are so inconsiderate.
Brantley, who is much younger than me, squeezed my hand reassuringly in his tiny little hand.
‘But of course, his hands were much bigger than mine, comparing.’
Asta glanced at me and Brantley, who are clinging to each other like chicks, suddenly cast a meaningful glance at the crowd and then turned with a sly expression.
“I hope Ulrich can pull it through, because I also had a similar experience.”
“The Saint faced a similar experience! Was it related to….”
“Yes. I was misunderstood and cast aside by His Majesty.”
Asta nodded with a wry smile.
Truly, her acting skills didn’t get rusty.
Her composure had not changed a bit since she fell from grace. Even those who had severed ties with the temple would kneel and apologize if they saw her face now.
Indeed, everyone around us was full of pity.
Asta swept a sorrowful glance at me.
“Regretfully, it happened in front of Princess Hanelope. Lady Hanelope must have been quite shocked. I can only apologize for such.”
Such a vile trick.
People chattered as if they had been given permission to do so.
“I didn’t know that Princess Hanelope was present when the Saint was expelled.”
“Come to think of it, things have been weird since she showed up…”
“A high ranking Imperial physician was tortured and thrown out…”
“Wherever Lady Hanelope goes, someone gets punished. Is this all a coincidence?”
People spread rumors and chatted incessantly.
‘Who could have possibly spread these absurd rumors?’
It had to be Asta. How predictable!
I sighed in frustration. Asta made her comeback and definitely didn’t disappoint as a protagonist.
“Hanelope, are you okay?”, Brantley whispered worriedly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
He said it like a grown-up.
‘Brantley is going to protect me?’
I just heard the cutest thing ever!
When I blinked and looked at him, Brantley nodded confidently, as if to say, ‘Just trust me’.
Notes:
A dacquoise is a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream on a buttery biscuit base.
Before we knew it, the grand square was spread out before our eyes.
“It’s so fancy!”
Huge trees hung with dazzling ornaments. Marble sculptures depicting the glory of the Gods. Huge fountains spewing colorful water.
A golden altar stood in the middle of the room, with seats for the guests around it. There was a designated corner for snacks, where attendees could exchange words with others and relish the delicacies.
“You can take a breather. I must prepare to receive His Majesty.”
Professor Munich hurriedly disappeared.
“Students can enjoy the snacks that have been prepared….”
Professor Richter who was talking sweetly suddenly panicked seeing us vanish from her side.
The children had already left her side and were scurrying toward the table piled high with treats.
I was one of them.
“What shall we eat first?”
Glossy chocolates.
Fresh fruit pudding.
Breads and cookies filled with jam and cream.
As I was deeply contemplating a crispy dacquoise was thrust in front of my face.
“Eat this.”
Fritzka said bluntly.
“Are you giving me this?”
As I stared into his handsome, freckled face, Fritzka quickly looked away.
“I-I don’t like dacquoise. I want you to eat it and get rid of it.”
I glared at the dacquoise in Fritzka’s hand thinking, ‘This is a snack that any child would love. Does he really dislike it?’
Seeing my questioning pink eyes Fritzka faltered.
“Do you perhaps not. like these?”
Fritzka looked very confused.
“Then I’ll give you something else. I think you’ll like this one….”
Fritzka quickly turned to grab another snack.
Kathrine appeared out of nowhere and took a bite out of the dacquoise in Fritzka’s hand.
“Ew, ew! Get your dirty lips away from me!”
“Why are you trying to feed my friend something you she doesn’t want to? Haa! And at home, you even eat my share of dacquoise!”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“Stay away from my friend!”
Kathrine and Fritzka lunged at each other getting entangled in an instant.
‘What to do…’
As I pondered, I heard Jacob sigh next to me.
“Those crazy guys started again.”
Fights like this happened quite often.
I felt someone gently grab my arm and pull me away.
It was Brantley.
He led me to a quiet table. Cakes with giant strawberries on top were stacked. There was a tiny castle-shaped cake among them.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen such a pretty cake before. Look at these strawberries! They must be very delicious!”
Brantley smiled, seeing me excited.
“They’re the color of your eyes.”
He cut a piece of cake with a strawberry on it and handed it to me. I eagerly took a bite.
I was already quite hungry, and the strawberry and cream flavor melting in my mouth felt like heaven.
A childlike giggle escaped me.
“You got some on you.”
Brantley wiped the corner of my mouth with his thumb. His hand was soft and warm, making me feel nice.
“Hehe.”
“You’re like a baby.”
“What?”
I playfully dipped my finger into the cake’s cream and smeared it generously on Brantley’s nose.
Brantley looked dumbfounded at the unexpected blow.
“Look who’s a baby now!”
“Geez..”
Brantley grumbled, but a grin spread across his face.
As we continued to playfully enjoy our cake, someone approached us.
“Are you His Highness Prince Hart’s daughter by any chance?”
I turned around, blinking my eyes in surprise. The man, who appeared to be a noble, smiled broadly.
“Pink eyes! You must be Princess Hanelope.”
“Princess Hanelope?”
At the man’s words, the other people started gathering around us. Large shadows cast by the adults loomed over Brantley and I.
“I heard the Princess was coming, but I didn’t realize she was already here.”
“Haha. His Highness has been keeping his daughter hidden. It’s the first time we see her.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting the Princess. I’m Baron Hinzels.”
“I’m Marquise Franzel, and I was also curious about….”
I was caught off guard by the sudden attention.
Being the focus of attention was not something I wanted.
“Hello! Nice to meet you.”
I greeted politely as I had learned, and the adults burst into laughter.
“The Princess looked so cute while greeting!”
“However, wasn’t the posture perfect? My son is fifteen, and he still makes mistakes sometimes.”
“Moreover, as His Majesty’s only granddaughter, I didn’t expect her to be so polite.”
Suddenly, one of the nobles who had been praising me suddenly reached out to pat my head.
As I stood there stunned, Brantley pulled me behind him.
At that moment, the gazes of the nobles turned cold. The interference of an unfamiliar boy was unpleasant. Even I became apprehensive.
However, it was Brantley who spoke calmly, without batting an eye at the nobles.
“I am Brantley Eisen. Pleasure to meet you all. But…”
Brantley’s silver eyes coldly focused on the hand extended in my direction.
“I learned that touching someone without permission is considered rude. My friend must have been quite surprised.”
The adults paused at Brantley’s words.
Among the nobles, behaving with “manners” and adhering to etiquette was considered more valuable than life itself.
There was no exception to that, even if the other person was a child.
“M-My apologies.”
When the other nobles gave him disapproving glances, the noble who had reached out hastily withdrew his hand.
The nobles were amazed at the astonishingly dignified boy.
“Is that child the heir to Duke Eisen?”
“I heard Duke Eisen keeps his illegitimate child confined. How did he end up here?”
“The heir to the Eisen Duke, a follower of the Temple faction, now here with the Prince’s daughter…”
Just then, a figure strode through the crowd.
He was a decent looking man. Smiling, he greeted Brantley and me.
“I heard you two are the brightest students in the academy, and it certainly seems that way.”
The man said wryly.
‘Who is this man?’
His face seems oddly familiar. As I stared at the man, a boy’s face flashed into my memory.
‘No way!’
Someone unexpectedly intervened between us and the man.
“The brightest person in the academy used to be Young Master Ulrich Fork, but he was unjustly kicked out.”
The woman who appeared with a pitiful voice was Asta Appel.
She was as radiant as ever, with an appearance warm enough to make anyone forget about her sharp remarks. Asta still draped a smile like it was nothing.
Asta asked with a bitter smile, “Marquis Fork, how is Master Ulrich doing?”
“Ulrich is still a little down. But soon he’ll get over it.”
The man who had spoken to me and Brantley replied sorrowfully.
The man who resembled Ulrich was none other than his father, the Marquis of Fork.
I did think of encountering him someday, but it was too sudden.
The Marquis of Fork, however, showed no sign of concern at his son’s expulsion from the Academy.
Instead, the others began to gossip.
“Young Master Ulrich was kicked out of the academy after His Highness Prince Hart’s daughter was admitted, right?”
“Don’t you think it’s too suspicious that Ulrich, the top student, was suddenly kicked out, and Princess Hanelope has been the top student since then?”
‘Haahh.. If you’re going to gossip in front of the kids, can’t you speak in a lower voice! I can hear you!’
Seriously, the adults here are so inconsiderate.
Brantley, who is much younger than me, squeezed my hand reassuringly in his tiny little hand.
‘But of course, his hands were much bigger than mine, comparing.’
Asta glanced at me and Brantley, who are clinging to each other like chicks, suddenly cast a meaningful glance at the crowd and then turned with a sly expression.
“I hope Ulrich can pull it through, because I also had a similar experience.”
“The Saint faced a similar experience! Was it related to….”
“Yes. I was misunderstood and cast aside by His Majesty.”
Asta nodded with a wry smile.
Truly, her acting skills didn’t get rusty.
Her composure had not changed a bit since she fell from grace. Even those who had severed ties with the temple would kneel and apologize if they saw her face now.
Indeed, everyone around us was full of pity.
Asta swept a sorrowful glance at me.
“Regretfully, it happened in front of Princess Hanelope. Lady Hanelope must have been quite shocked. I can only apologize for such.”
Such a vile trick.
People chattered as if they had been given permission to do so.
“I didn’t know that Princess Hanelope was present when the Saint was expelled.”
“Come to think of it, things have been weird since she showed up…”
“A high ranking Imperial physician was tortured and thrown out…”
“Wherever Lady Hanelope goes, someone gets punished. Is this all a coincidence?”
People spread rumors and chatted incessantly.
‘Who could have possibly spread these absurd rumors?’
It had to be Asta. How predictable!
I sighed in frustration. Asta made her comeback and definitely didn’t disappoint as a protagonist.
“Hanelope, are you okay?”, Brantley whispered worriedly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
He said it like a grown-up.
‘Brantley is going to protect me?’
I just heard the cutest thing ever!
When I blinked and looked at him, Brantley nodded confidently, as if to say, ‘Just trust me’.
Notes:
A dacquoise is a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream on a buttery biscuit base.