episode_0015

The day after the Imperial Academy entrance ceremony.

Ahead of the academy’s first lecture, most of the freshmen were extremely excited and boisterous.

Everyone from aspiring knights who look like elites at first glance to adventurers with different looks in their eyes.

but…

The main auditorium where the new students of the Faculty of Magic gather.

There was only silence here.

A suffocating silence.

Among them, Louis pursed his lips with a stern face.

“Irene. Did you get into some kind of accident?”

“Oh, no… .”

Louis, who was very nervous. Irene, who was shrunken and had her shoulders hunched.

and…

The gazes pouring down on the two of them, even ones that felt hostile.

-Mumble mumble.

-What the heck, that guy. He’s creepy.

-Ugh… Why does that noble lady carry something like that around?

-You want me to take a class with someone like that? Ugh.

‘… I didn’t do anything, but this is how I can get this reaction. And I’m right next to you.’

Louis heard the soft muttering from afar with his excellent hearing.

I was dumbfounded by the treatment I had never received in my life.

It’s so absurd that I can’t even get angry.

A questioning gaze was fixed on Irene.

‘… It’s definitely creepy. I don’t think it was like this yesterday.’

Irene felt fine yesterday, but for some reason she feels a little uneasy today.

Even Louis was a little shaky in the morning.

but…

‘But it’s definitely not to the extent of hating it like that.’

“Just in case, don’t stay more than 3m away from me.”

Louis, on the contrary, pressed closer to her.

Instead of expressing disgust like them, to protect her like he said yesterday.

This was because the discomfort he felt was less than 10% of what others felt.

The blood of Blazer flowing through Louis.

That instinct even offsets the constitution of a witch who is hated by everyone, saying, ‘But it’s well-ripened.’

… If Esti had known, she would have been shocked and wondered if there was such a family.

However, Irene doesn’t know about such circumstances.

She quickly clung to Louis.

As if frightened by the gaze, his voice trembled.

“Yes, yes… .”

‘As expected, these two are the only ones who are special.’

Of course, pretending to be scared was all an act.

She was rather used to being hated like this.

It’s just that my time with Estee yesterday was extremely unusual.

‘… Now that I think about it, when I was with her, other people didn’t look at me like that. The servants, and that woman named Shepor.’

When I thought of Estee, a little warmth spread through my cold heart.

I don’t remember receiving such looks yesterday when I was stuck with her, so I was quite happy.

That’s why Irene opened her mouth worriedly.

Unusually for a cynical person like her, she was sincere.

“But, is the princess really okay…? I was really looking forward to today’s class… .”

“What can I do if the door is locked and you don’t wake up? I can’t force the door open and go in.”

“That’s true too… .”

This morning, Esti wouldn’t wake up no matter how many times I knocked on the door.

​

So the two of them headed to the classroom alone.

No matter how sloppy it was, Esti was still a princess. I couldn’t bring myself to wake her up.

It was a bit discouraging for Irene, who had been determined to wear a dress today as well.

A sigh of discontent escaped me without me realizing it.

“Haa, you ate so many cookies at night.”

“What’s that, Estee? How much did she eat?”

“I heard the maids chatting this morning, and they ate… ahem, eight cookies the size of their palms all night.”

‘Actually, there are thirty, but I don’t want to tell my boyfriend that, so let’s cut it down to a reasonable number.’

“Hmm. I see.”

‘Did you listen in on the trivial chatter between the maids? Because you were worried about Esti who wouldn’t wake up. … The love between women is also quite touching.’

After that, the two continued talking about Estee.

Since they both think of Estee as the other’s lover, they are careful with each other.

“By the way, Prince Louis. Don’t you want to see the princess in her dress again?”

“… … ? Well, if Estee wears a skirt like yesterday. She can even sell her soul. ”

“Haha. Then… .”

The two are absorbed in their common interests, not even caring about what other people think.

If things went on like this, it was clear that the conversation would continue until the lecture started.

However, their plot was suddenly cut off.

“———Is that really Princess Esti’s story!!!?”

“… … !!?”

It was because a woman with impressive, curly blonde hair suddenly barged in.

The noble lady who had verbally abused Irene yesterday was Shepor.

“She, Shepor Youngae… ?”

“Yes! I am Shepor, the second daughter of the Vernon family!”

Shepor, who is so proud of his family that he speaks of it so loudly that it sounds like he is saying ‘Bernooong’.

Irene and Louis blinked in bewilderment.

The person who just yesterday looked at me like a bug is now smiling and talking to me warmly in just one day. It’s a natural reaction.

But Shepor paid no attention and kept his face covered.

‘It’s a bit disgusting, just like when I first saw you yesterday… but it’s okay, for the sake of Princess Esti!’

Yesterday, I heard the princess say directly, ‘This person is my friend.’

Why would she pretend to be Irene for no reason?

Plus, Estee became her friend…

‘If I become friends with this person, I will be able to become friends with Princess Esti too! Until the day I can touch the Princess’ cheek, I will do my best! Me!!’

If you become friends with her, it means you’ll be able to hang out with Estee somehow.

If I could just become friends with Estee, my awkwardness wouldn’t matter.

Because she’s dead set on anything small and cute.

Besides, being friendly with people she didn’t like was something she was used to as she was used to breathing as a socialite.

That’s why she clung to Irene so affectionately.

“There’s an empty seat? Ms. Irene, is it okay if I sit next to you?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s… .”

-dump.

“Haha. Thank you.”

‘… No, what are you going to do if you sit down before I even finish speaking?’

“Anyway, the princess wore a skirt yesterday? Can you tell me more about it?”

Shepor’s chatter echoed throughout the auditorium.

To distract attention from Irene, his voice was more hoarse than usual.

The venom was released from the eyes of the onlookers.

-Whisper whisper.

-Hey, I feel a little bad about this… .

-You’re surrounded by the eldest daughter of the Archduke of Blaisère and the second daughter of the Viscount Vernon. You have a lot of connections.

-I couldn’t really feel it because the prince was shy, but the noble lady definitely had a different vibe.

-Yeah. I feel like I’m going to be in big trouble if I say anything.

‘Those things…?’

Although, in the meantime, Louis’ pride was slightly damaged by being pushed aside by the mere second daughter of a writer. Anyway.

As the hostility towards her subsided, Irene’s hunched shoulders straightened a little.

It was a bonus that I was happy because I intuitively felt that my academy life was going well.

‘Looking at your eyes, it seems like you’re influenced by my constitution. Are you tolerating it because I’m the princess’ friend? That’s good. You’ll be comfortable from now on.’

“… Yes. I am honored to be living in the same mansion as the princess, thanks to the princess’s favor… .”

“What, what what what… Uh, with Princess Esti, the same… !!?”

That’s why Irene secretly showed off her relationship with Estee.

I am this favored by the princess. So please don’t bother me unnecessarily in the future.

‘Hey, let’s try selling our name.’

“Yes. Actually, he even asked me to take a bath with him… .”

“What what what what what what what!!!?”

‘… What? Don’t touch my woman, is it something like that?’

At that show, Shepor’s face turned bright red, and Louis avoided eye contact, pretending not to hear anything.

* * *

The conversation seemed like it would go on forever under the topic of Estira.

But fortunately for Shepor.

The boasting disguised as gossip came to an end before she became blinded by jealousy.

“After we washed together, I suggested that we put on a dress… .”

‘Why can’t I take a bath with the princess? I can wash your soft skin thoroughly with my own hands without damaging it… . . . ‘

-Crunch, crunch.

“———Be quiet.”

A woman entered the auditorium, her shoes clicking as if to interrupt Shepor’s thoughts.

With his long red hair and flowing robe, and the air of sophistication he exuded, it was obvious to anyone that he was a professor.

… But now, the expression is much more murderous.

-Quiet.

‘Oh, look at that expression. It’s scary.’

All the cadets, including Seth, kept their mouths shut.

Because even if you just look at it, it was a face that would make you tired if you made a mistake.

Afterwards, she stood on stage and opened her mouth.

-Crunch.

“I am Stella, a royal magician and a professor who has recently been appointed to the Imperial Academy. So don’t talk back to me.”

“… … … .”

The atmosphere in the auditorium froze in a different direction than before.

No. How can the first thing you say to freshmen be ‘don’t talk back’?

Even here, there are nobles like Louis and Shepor.

The cadets kept their mouths shut, thinking they had been caught in the wrong hands.

But the new professor, Stella, who was the one who froze everyone, looked around the classroom without paying any attention.

‘I wonder where it is… um?’

“Is there a student who is late or absent from the first day?”

Stella’s face turned twice as cold as before as she glanced around the classroom.

Irene, who has heard all kinds of insults in her life, and even Shepor, who is not easily flustered, had stiff expressions.

The one who raised his hand was Louis, who was relatively unafraid.

‘That guy is Esti’s teacher. He’s as eccentric as I’ve heard.’

“King Stella. The third princess is currently resting in her quarters due to health issues. Please understand.”

“Tsk. How on earth from day one.”

“… … !!!!?”

Stella frowns and clicks her tongue even though the 3rd princess is sick.

Most of the people present were shocked.

Not only was it rude, but I also thought that was the kind of reaction a teacher should have when his immediate disciple was sick.

When it comes to Irene, I think, ‘Is she a witch too?’

However, there was something else that was shocking.

-Whirlwind.

“The first class is free-form. Use some magic and have fun before you go in.”

“… … What?”

Stella turned around and went back as if she had seen everything.

Even Louis was so dumbfounded that he gasped in frustration.

———However, not everyone would have been that shocked by this alone.

There are so many eccentric people among magicians.

The real reason why everyone was surprised was…

“It’s late, late… !!!”

-Thump thump.

Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps running with short legs, with quick steps, was heard.

-Squeak.

“Sorry for being late… Huh?”

Just as Stella was about to leave the auditorium.

The third princess, Esti, who was said to be in poor health, appears.

-Smile.

“Hehe, Master~♡ I’m a little late~.”

I was so out of breath that I ended up greeting him with a word that sounded more like ‘Ssunni’ than ‘Teacher’.

Stella, who had been frowning until just a moment ago…

——Because I waved my hand at the Third Princess of the Empire.