Yes, if I think about it, the Emperor was the one who started all this. It's a bit strange to say that to a sick person, but what can I do? He's already sent more than seven teachers!
Although it was nominally the Emperor himself who had personally selected and sent a teacher for me, who was lacking in learning, this was simply a device to create a competitive situation between me and Veronica.
If I were to be so low-level that it would be embarrassing to create a confrontational structure, it would be seen as a fight between adults and children.
Moreover, just because it was a show-off, it didn't mean that the content I was learning was nonsense. All the teachers the Emperor gave me were geniuses who were renowned throughout the empire.
What that means is that they were all really picky and self-centered, to put it vulgarly, a bit tasteless.
To them, learning was a subject of truth to be deeply explored, not something to be avoided.
They considered it blasphemous for me to doze off or think about something else, and they were horrified that I might not understand the material in class.
I never thought I'd say this myself, but I miss Cesare so much.
Anyway, I studied for about twenty days, enduring all kinds of contempt and persecution - of course, this may only be felt by me. Irina, who learned from the same teacher, said that she was very patient and kind, unlike when she was in college.
As a result, I was able to pass the Branford College entrance exam in just three weeks, even if it was just a hair's breadth.
“So what we are trying to say here is that in this way a common purpose is given to other activities...”
Time is up. I was just glancing at the clock, and then I lightly tapped the table with my fist. Just enough for the teacher to notice and look at the clock.
“Ah, it’s already this late. I’ll stop here for today, Your Highness”
Finally, I stood up gracefully.
“Thank you for teaching me, Baron Bobillia.”
“Well, then, let’s see... For the case on page 627, please submit by next time, describing in detail two appropriate strategies and the resulting outcomes that would have been appropriate to successfully carry out the case.”
The corners of my mouth that had been smiling automatically hardened.
Yes. It seems that all the teachers in the world think that their students only listen to their own lessons.
“I will do that.”
As I nodded, half giving up, Baron Bobillia left without looking back.
Now there was only one problem: Dmitry.
“It was very impressive, Your Highness.”
Dmitry approached, clapping briefly.
Impressive, what on earth is that? My half-closed, sullen expression?
It was a remark that felt very vulgar. I wrinkled my nose a little.
“Why did you come here?”
It was half intended to be offensive, but the other half was pure curiosity.
Even though it was a public schedule, it was rare for anyone to attend the Princess's class. It was basically a very, very, very boring time. Once you entered, you couldn't leave midway, and the class time was basically three hours.
When I lived in the back alleys, people always said that nobles would do nothing all day long and just play around. That saying was only half true.
I was bored after doing nothing for a hundred days and a thousand days, so I went crazy and started studying strange subjects. In short, things like this theory of war. I held two thick books, each over 800 pages long, in my arms with great difficulty.
“Please.”
“Yes. Anyway, once I go out the door, I’ll just ask the servant to bring it in.”
It's not like my arm will fall off after just a few steps. But Dmitry insisted on taking the book from my hands with an annoyed attitude.
I watched him hand the book over to the attendant with skeptical eyes.
Anyway, it was unusual. Often, men think that women can't do anything with their own hands.
“Why did you really come here?”
“Because I miss you.”
It was the second time I asked, and it was a completely different story. I glared at him. I couldn't believe anything he said.
I still haven't forgotten the incident at the time of Entremette. Once an impression is made, it lasts a long time.
“You, aren’t you busy today? Laskan is busy with the monthly report.”
“He is His Highness the Duke, and I am at best a Marquis.”
I guess so. As of now. His nonsense is not something that has been going on for a day or two, so I asked what I was curious about.
“What was the result of the family council? Was it in your favor?”
“Yes. I think the succession to the throne will be possible within this month without any problems.”
It was a fortunate thing. Especially when I thought of Laskan, who had been struggling day and night for him. I was able to laugh heartily because it was a problem that had been troubling me lately.
“That worked out really well.”
I don't know exactly what he did to the Marquis, but judging from the fact that the old man's once stubborn stance changed in just a few days... it seemed like the weakness he had caught was not ordinary.
I was really curious as to what the weakness was, but both Laskan and Dmitry kept their mouths shut because they were in sync in this case. Well, it wasn't like I couldn't guess.
“So you came here to brag now?”
“I told you, I wanted to see Your Highness.”
“...Are you asking me to believe that right now?”
Dmitry laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking.
I briefly pondered what was so funny about what I said, then turned my back on him without hesitation.
He followed quickly. His smile was mischievous.
“I didn’t know my credit was this low.”
“I’m considering destroying whatever little credit I have, so I think it would be best to keep quiet.”
“If I told you it was love at first sight, you probably still wouldn’t believe it.”
I stood still. Dmitry burst into laughter again, perhaps because my expression was unusual.
“Your Highness, you sometimes tend to underestimate your own beauty.”
“...Appearance is such a small part of me. It’s not everything about me. How can you fall in love just by looking at that?”
“Nevertheless, it’s a good place to start. Whether it’s love, friendship, or political support. People are weak to what they see.”
I could relate to that. I would often get angry at Dmitry’s speech or attitude, but when I saw his handsome face, I couldn’t stay angry for long. It could be because I’m particularly weak to handsome faces.
“So you’re not asking me to seriously believe that nonsense about love at first sight?”
“Have you ever heard the rumors about Batistan?”
While I was slowly getting used to this empty talk, I was also starting to get annoyed.
Whenever he asked me something I found difficult to answer, he would change the subject like this. Anyway, what was he going to say next?
I shook my head slightly.
“Your family? No.”
“Then, have you never heard the legend that the first Marquis of Batistan loved the founding of Ridrian?”
I know that, but I just couldn't easily connect the legendary 'that' Marquis with this snake in front of me.
I sighed and answered as if giving up.
“I have heard of it. It is a very famous story.”
Probably everyone in the empire has heard of it at least once.
A silver-haired female Marquis who boasted tremendous military power. The daughter of the Eastern Admiral fell in love at first sight with the founding of Ridrian and betrayed her hometown and comrades.
Her evaluations are still polarized. In the empire, she is honored as a founding contributor and a symbol of eternal oaths, while in the east, she is regarded as a lovelorn traitor.
Anyway, it was a pretty famous story to the point that it was adapted into a children's storybook.
“It is said that the first Marquis of Batistan made a pact with the devil to gain power. This is a common legend. When a woman achieves something in a male domain, she is often feared and revered. She is often disparaged as having borrowed power from the devil.”
“...”
“But this time, it was real. She really did make a deal with the devil, and in return, she received power and a curse.”
“...”
“She literally ‘goes crazy’ with the target. Her madness towards the Ridrian Founding Nation was a curse. That’s why she could cut down her family, her colleagues, and her former fiancé without hesitation. For the sake of Ridrian’s empire. And it is said that the curse is still being passed down through the blood of the Batistan family.”
“..."
“Until a few generations ago, the eldest sons of the First Marquis did not hold the title for long. They either went mad and abdicated, or committed a misdeed and were driven out, or...”
Dmitry made a gesture of cutting his throat with his thumb. The meaning was clear: kill yourself.
It was a somewhat creepy story. I hugged the arms that were giving me goosebumps with both hands.
"...Is this an appropriate topic for our conversation right now?”
“So I’m telling you, please don’t laugh so shamelessly in front of me. Unless you want to be the target of my ire.”
“...”
“First of all, I am also Batistan.”
He answered with a smile, narrowing his eyes.
The green-colored eyes that street artists drink instead of hallucinogenic drugs were strangely sunken. They held just the right amount of desire, so much so that even a forced smile couldn't hide it.
No matter how much I think about it, I think I'm just too perceptive. He already likes me, or at least he's pretending to like me.
I stared into his face as if trying to find some hidden truth.
Olga had warned me several times that I should never date anyone who blames others for their emotions.
Such people easily arouse sympathy in a woman's heart, and the moment she confuses sympathy with love, her life becomes miserable.
Every word of that was correct. I shrugged my shoulders and answered.
“That’s something you should figure out on your own. I can understand that you like things or fall in love with things on your own.”
“...”
“I can’t go crazy with you. So if you want to be on my side, you better learn how to deal with those messy emotions.”
Although it was nominally the Emperor himself who had personally selected and sent a teacher for me, who was lacking in learning, this was simply a device to create a competitive situation between me and Veronica.
If I were to be so low-level that it would be embarrassing to create a confrontational structure, it would be seen as a fight between adults and children.
Moreover, just because it was a show-off, it didn't mean that the content I was learning was nonsense. All the teachers the Emperor gave me were geniuses who were renowned throughout the empire.
What that means is that they were all really picky and self-centered, to put it vulgarly, a bit tasteless.
To them, learning was a subject of truth to be deeply explored, not something to be avoided.
They considered it blasphemous for me to doze off or think about something else, and they were horrified that I might not understand the material in class.
I never thought I'd say this myself, but I miss Cesare so much.
Anyway, I studied for about twenty days, enduring all kinds of contempt and persecution - of course, this may only be felt by me. Irina, who learned from the same teacher, said that she was very patient and kind, unlike when she was in college.
As a result, I was able to pass the Branford College entrance exam in just three weeks, even if it was just a hair's breadth.
“So what we are trying to say here is that in this way a common purpose is given to other activities...”
Time is up. I was just glancing at the clock, and then I lightly tapped the table with my fist. Just enough for the teacher to notice and look at the clock.
“Ah, it’s already this late. I’ll stop here for today, Your Highness”
Finally, I stood up gracefully.
“Thank you for teaching me, Baron Bobillia.”
“Well, then, let’s see... For the case on page 627, please submit by next time, describing in detail two appropriate strategies and the resulting outcomes that would have been appropriate to successfully carry out the case.”
The corners of my mouth that had been smiling automatically hardened.
Yes. It seems that all the teachers in the world think that their students only listen to their own lessons.
“I will do that.”
As I nodded, half giving up, Baron Bobillia left without looking back.
Now there was only one problem: Dmitry.
“It was very impressive, Your Highness.”
Dmitry approached, clapping briefly.
Impressive, what on earth is that? My half-closed, sullen expression?
It was a remark that felt very vulgar. I wrinkled my nose a little.
“Why did you come here?”
It was half intended to be offensive, but the other half was pure curiosity.
Even though it was a public schedule, it was rare for anyone to attend the Princess's class. It was basically a very, very, very boring time. Once you entered, you couldn't leave midway, and the class time was basically three hours.
When I lived in the back alleys, people always said that nobles would do nothing all day long and just play around. That saying was only half true.
I was bored after doing nothing for a hundred days and a thousand days, so I went crazy and started studying strange subjects. In short, things like this theory of war. I held two thick books, each over 800 pages long, in my arms with great difficulty.
“Please.”
“Yes. Anyway, once I go out the door, I’ll just ask the servant to bring it in.”
It's not like my arm will fall off after just a few steps. But Dmitry insisted on taking the book from my hands with an annoyed attitude.
I watched him hand the book over to the attendant with skeptical eyes.
Anyway, it was unusual. Often, men think that women can't do anything with their own hands.
“Why did you really come here?”
“Because I miss you.”
It was the second time I asked, and it was a completely different story. I glared at him. I couldn't believe anything he said.
I still haven't forgotten the incident at the time of Entremette. Once an impression is made, it lasts a long time.
“You, aren’t you busy today? Laskan is busy with the monthly report.”
“He is His Highness the Duke, and I am at best a Marquis.”
I guess so. As of now. His nonsense is not something that has been going on for a day or two, so I asked what I was curious about.
“What was the result of the family council? Was it in your favor?”
“Yes. I think the succession to the throne will be possible within this month without any problems.”
It was a fortunate thing. Especially when I thought of Laskan, who had been struggling day and night for him. I was able to laugh heartily because it was a problem that had been troubling me lately.
“That worked out really well.”
I don't know exactly what he did to the Marquis, but judging from the fact that the old man's once stubborn stance changed in just a few days... it seemed like the weakness he had caught was not ordinary.
I was really curious as to what the weakness was, but both Laskan and Dmitry kept their mouths shut because they were in sync in this case. Well, it wasn't like I couldn't guess.
“So you came here to brag now?”
“I told you, I wanted to see Your Highness.”
“...Are you asking me to believe that right now?”
Dmitry laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking.
I briefly pondered what was so funny about what I said, then turned my back on him without hesitation.
He followed quickly. His smile was mischievous.
“I didn’t know my credit was this low.”
“I’m considering destroying whatever little credit I have, so I think it would be best to keep quiet.”
“If I told you it was love at first sight, you probably still wouldn’t believe it.”
I stood still. Dmitry burst into laughter again, perhaps because my expression was unusual.
“Your Highness, you sometimes tend to underestimate your own beauty.”
“...Appearance is such a small part of me. It’s not everything about me. How can you fall in love just by looking at that?”
“Nevertheless, it’s a good place to start. Whether it’s love, friendship, or political support. People are weak to what they see.”
I could relate to that. I would often get angry at Dmitry’s speech or attitude, but when I saw his handsome face, I couldn’t stay angry for long. It could be because I’m particularly weak to handsome faces.
“So you’re not asking me to seriously believe that nonsense about love at first sight?”
“Have you ever heard the rumors about Batistan?”
While I was slowly getting used to this empty talk, I was also starting to get annoyed.
Whenever he asked me something I found difficult to answer, he would change the subject like this. Anyway, what was he going to say next?
I shook my head slightly.
“Your family? No.”
“Then, have you never heard the legend that the first Marquis of Batistan loved the founding of Ridrian?”
I know that, but I just couldn't easily connect the legendary 'that' Marquis with this snake in front of me.
I sighed and answered as if giving up.
“I have heard of it. It is a very famous story.”
Probably everyone in the empire has heard of it at least once.
A silver-haired female Marquis who boasted tremendous military power. The daughter of the Eastern Admiral fell in love at first sight with the founding of Ridrian and betrayed her hometown and comrades.
Her evaluations are still polarized. In the empire, she is honored as a founding contributor and a symbol of eternal oaths, while in the east, she is regarded as a lovelorn traitor.
Anyway, it was a pretty famous story to the point that it was adapted into a children's storybook.
“It is said that the first Marquis of Batistan made a pact with the devil to gain power. This is a common legend. When a woman achieves something in a male domain, she is often feared and revered. She is often disparaged as having borrowed power from the devil.”
“...”
“But this time, it was real. She really did make a deal with the devil, and in return, she received power and a curse.”
“...”
“She literally ‘goes crazy’ with the target. Her madness towards the Ridrian Founding Nation was a curse. That’s why she could cut down her family, her colleagues, and her former fiancé without hesitation. For the sake of Ridrian’s empire. And it is said that the curse is still being passed down through the blood of the Batistan family.”
“..."
“Until a few generations ago, the eldest sons of the First Marquis did not hold the title for long. They either went mad and abdicated, or committed a misdeed and were driven out, or...”
Dmitry made a gesture of cutting his throat with his thumb. The meaning was clear: kill yourself.
It was a somewhat creepy story. I hugged the arms that were giving me goosebumps with both hands.
"...Is this an appropriate topic for our conversation right now?”
“So I’m telling you, please don’t laugh so shamelessly in front of me. Unless you want to be the target of my ire.”
“...”
“First of all, I am also Batistan.”
He answered with a smile, narrowing his eyes.
The green-colored eyes that street artists drink instead of hallucinogenic drugs were strangely sunken. They held just the right amount of desire, so much so that even a forced smile couldn't hide it.
No matter how much I think about it, I think I'm just too perceptive. He already likes me, or at least he's pretending to like me.
I stared into his face as if trying to find some hidden truth.
Olga had warned me several times that I should never date anyone who blames others for their emotions.
Such people easily arouse sympathy in a woman's heart, and the moment she confuses sympathy with love, her life becomes miserable.
Every word of that was correct. I shrugged my shoulders and answered.
“That’s something you should figure out on your own. I can understand that you like things or fall in love with things on your own.”
“...”
“I can’t go crazy with you. So if you want to be on my side, you better learn how to deal with those messy emotions.”
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