Something’s Strange? (1)

After that day, I officially started receiving lessons from Father. That doesn’t mean my daily routine changed dramatically or anything; I just replaced the time I usually spent studying magic with Father’s lessons.

As Father began teaching in earnest, my magical skills started to increase noticeably. To be honest, until I met Father, I felt somewhat stuck, but as soon as that barrier was broken, I began to grow as if seizing the moment.

‘Isn’t this totally a growth event?’

My current state is comparable to using an experience boost item or participating in an experience boost event commonly found in games. They say that when it comes to studying, including magic, the earlier you start learning, the more efficient it is, and honestly, I’m starting quite late compared to others. I need to learn actively when I have the opportunity like this.

So, how should I put it, I think I acted a bit hastily. Unlike simple studying, with magic, you can visibly see your progress as you learn, so I couldn’t help but get absorbed in it. No, I didn’t do anything wrong. Really.

“Is something the matter, Lady Walpurgis?”

“Huh, what?”

As Reinhardt said himself, he came again not long after. The purpose of his visit was, as he mentioned last time, the final test before the entrance exam.

However, the so-called practice questions based on past entrance exams from the Academy were surprisingly easy. I wonder if it’s because I’ve been studying hard, or if the Academy sets easier questions than expected… Looking at it roughly, it might be both.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Ah, he’s calling me.

“What did I just say?”

What did you just say? Well, surely…

“You said the entrance exam isn’t a big deal, Your Highness.”

“I didn’t go that far. And that was what I said earlier.”

“Pardon?”

Oh, really? Then what was he saying?

“I was asking if something was the matter.”

“Matter? Yaaawn… Excuse me, nothing’s the matter.”

Ah, a yawn came out while speaking. I’d like to open my mouth wide and yawn properly, but I can’t with Muriel watching me with sharp eyes from behind. Last time when I yawned while studying alone, she scolded me so much. I thought my ears would start bleeding from all the nagging.

“Are you tired?”

“Ah, no. I’m not tired at all. You know, people sometimes yawn for no reason, Your Highness.”

“How about erasing those dark circles under your eyes before speaking?”

Huh? Dark circles? Are there any? As I absentmindedly rubbed around my eyes, Reinhardt sighed softly and said,

“I’m lying.”

“Ah…?”

What, did I just get tricked?

“Is the future supreme ruler of the Empire telling lies?”

“Didn’t you lie first? Answer honestly, Lady Walpurgis. How many hours did you sleep?”

Um, how long did I sleep? I definitely saw sunlight coming through the window… Oh, I’m not sure.

“I’m not sure, Your Highness.”

No, wait a minute, why are you looking at me with such a pitiful gaze?! Well, you’re supposed to look at me like that later. They say that’s exactly how Reinhardt looked at ‘Ariel Walpurgis’ when she lost everything and fell. But not now, right? Isn’t it too early?

Gasp, I didn’t unknowingly trigger a Reinhardt likability decrease event, did I? That would be troublesome! No matter what, Reinhardt and I need to remain engaged until the original story begins!

“Let me change the question. What was it like outside before you fell asleep?”

“Well, the sunlight was quite dazzling.”

Reinhardt’s expression changed again. It’s as if he’s looking at an idiot.

“What were you doing to stay up so late?”

“Huh? Well, lately I’ve been learning magic from Father. And as I’ve been learning, unlike before, I can see my achievements growing, so I got absorbed in it… and…”

My voice gradually became quieter towards the end. I couldn’t help it because Reinhardt’s eyes were getting increasingly cold as he listened to my words. No, I can’t do anything about you looking at me like that. Did I know I would be this weak?

In my previous life, when I was a man, I often pulled all-nighters. I stayed up all night playing games, studying before exams, and finishing assignments the night before they were due. If you counted all the energy drinks I drank, they would probably form a mountain. It wasn’t just me; most college students probably did the same.

Thinking based on those times, I overlooked the fact that my current self doesn’t get much stronger even with the help of caffeine. At first, I asked Muriel to bring me coffee, and when I got sleepy again, I secretly drank coffee with extra coffee powder sprinkled in while Muriel was asleep, but I ended up collapsing as soon as the sun rose…

Well, I’ve gotten much weaker! As I continue learning magic, there will probably be many occasions where I need to stay up all night, so I feel the need to get used to it starting now. I’m not sure if energy drinks exist in this world, but if I look around, I might find something similar, right?

“So you stayed up all night?”

“Rather than staying up all night, I did fall asleep…”

“Go to sleep right now.”

“Pardon?”

Huh? Why is this suddenly happening?

“Your Highness. No matter how you look at it, this is…”

“Do I need to add ‘imperial order’ to make you understand?”

“Have a good rest, Your Highness.”

“The sun is still high in the sky.”

With a final word to go to sleep quickly, Reinhardt came out into the corridor. Somehow, throughout today’s conversation, she seemed even more clueless than usual, and to think she had stayed up all night. And the reason is even more ridiculous. What? She enjoyed studying magic so much that she kept drinking coffee to stay awake? Does that even make sense?

“Really…”

She’s a lady I can’t quite figure out. I thought she was different from the noble ladies I’ve seen so far, but lately, I often think that it’s not just a matter of degree, but that she feels different on a human level.

Reinhardt chuckled and unconsciously touched his lips. It always felt strange to him that he could smile like this.

“It really is a strange feeling.”

When conversing with her, he finds himself speaking comfortably without realizing it. Pushing aside all the complicated political circumstances and whatnot, he speaks purely, honestly to his emotions.

Reinhardt found this fact very pleasing. No matter who he is, he’s still human after all. He needed an opportunity to somehow revive the emotions that were gradually wearing away while living in the Imperial Palace.

This was a very small yet significant variable that Ariel herself hadn’t noticed. Originally, that role was supposed to be played by the ‘protagonist’ Ariel had in mind.

The power struggles in the Imperial Palace and the wolf-like nobles trying to get scraps falling from him. Reinhardt, who was closing off his heart, tired of them, found in the protagonist the first being he could comfortably interact with without any thoughts.

Living in a colorless world, Reinhardt began to slowly find his own color from that day on.

But the development that should have happened has already been overturned. It was Ariel, not the protagonist, who breathed color into Reinhardt’s gray world. The color she painted wasn’t flashy or neat, but that’s why it felt even more vivid.

“You there.”

“Yes, yes! Your Highness!”

Muriel, who had been standing quietly in the corridor, hurriedly raised her head at the sound of Reinhardt calling her. Although she was starting to feel somewhat comfortable when talking to Ariel, the other party was, after all, the future emperor of this country. As a mere maid who could be disposed of with a single gesture, Muriel couldn’t help but be on high alert whenever dealing with Reinhardt.

“What are Lady Walpurgis’s usual sleeping hours?”

“I believe it’s about 6 hours, as far as I know.”

“6 hours…”

It’s shorter than he thought. She should be sleeping at least 8 hours. He, as the Crown Prince, only sleeps about 6 hours because he has duties to attend to, but Ariel shouldn’t have much to do, so why is she sleeping so little?

“When she wakes up, tell her to increase her sleep time.”

“Yes, yes, Your Highness.”

“I’m going to see the Duke. If she wakes up before I leave, put her back to sleep.”

“But, is that appropriate?”

No matter how you look at it, isn’t it a bit much to keep sleeping when a member of the royal family has come and gone? But Reinhardt lightly shook his head.

“It’s fine today since I just came to see her face anyway. Tell her not to worry about it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Leaving Muriel bowing behind him, Reinhardt headed towards the Duke’s office.

‘There’s quite a lot to talk about today.’

Usually, he would have suggested having a chat with Ariel, but since they’ve reconciled, the topic will change quite a bit. Now he can finally have a proper conversation about Ariel, Reinhardt thought to himself without realizing it.