“Ugh!”
Prince Kydel glanced at me, so I glared at him too.
‘Kidnapping people and making them see this!’
Then he averted his gaze.
Meanwhile, the director was concentrating on examining the glass jar. The parasite that had been wriggling violently soon stopped moving and sank down.
“...Is that okay?”
The director smiled at Prince Kydel’s question.
“I don’t think you need to go to Tunbar.”
He nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry.”
I entered the palace like a shadow without leaving a record and searched through the imperial archives. It was not good for the Second Prince or anyone else to know about my existence tonight.
I was sleepy and tired, but it was true that it was quite enjoyable as a one-night adventure. And it was rewarding.
Prince Kydel walked me to the palace servant entrance.
I decided to tease him one more time before we parted ways.
“This illegitimate child will now leave. Now, you alone can take credit for saving him, right?”
“...”
I laughed and stretched my stiff neck, and the hazy dawn sky came into view.
When I turned around because there was no answer, Prince Kydel’s expression was stiff.
“This is a method no one has ever tried before, so if it goes wrong, I will hang you. I am treating you as pitifully as you want, are you dissatisfied?”
This person seemed to have a secret. You should not be grumpy just because you stayed up all night.
He straightened up, so I kept my mouth shut and pulled my hood down. He probably wasn’t the type of person who would joke about his morality.
“Is this the debt you owe me for bringing me the carriage?”
He nodded.
“Don’t worry about anything else.”
I pretended to lock my mouth and went outside. The first hired carriage was passing by at dawn.
By the time the sun had set, the two men in the Second Prince’s palace bedroom were exhausted and lying down.
Second Prince Grayon was exhausted from the vomiting and diarrhea that had continued all day, and Locard Kydel was patting his back and cursing him.
The parasitic infection that had plagued him like the old curse of the Amata tribe that had been conquered by them had been cured in such a humble way.
It was a secret that they would not tell until they died. The horrible smell and the corpses of the bugs in the vomit.
It was a gain if anything to learn the identity and countermeasure of the strange disease that had protected the Amata tribe’s land from outside forces for so long.
The next day, Grayon, who had come to his senses, pointed to the remaining mud and asked Locard,
“Where did you get that?”
“Director Royman prepared it... and with the help of the goddess of fortune.”
The help of the goddess with a very foul mouth.
Grayon frowned even more in his exhaustion.
“The goddess of fortune?”
“I’ll tell you next time.”
Locard, who was as exhausted as a sick person, got up with difficulty.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Academy.”
Locard walked, feeling a strange heat from the excitement of saving his lord from danger and the exhaustion from staying up all night.
Lorisha came to mind. He hated the way she kept talking about being an illegitimate child. Sometimes, it felt like she was testing his reaction.
However, when he thought of Grayon’s reaction on the beach at Zebron, he came to understand Lorisha’s attitude to some extent.
She had probably experienced such exclusion and discrimination all her life, and that kind of self-defense had become ingrained in her.
He could have said that the reason His Highness was in good health was thanks to that bastard Lorisha, but he decided to spare that.
When the time came that he wanted to show her off to him, it would be better to adorn her with today’s achievement.
Grayon hydrated and nourished himself for a few days, then regained his strength. Then he went out hunting and caught three foxes to present to the Emperor.
Prince Orl had one that the servants had brought to him.
Everything in the Count's house seemed to have returned to its old routine. Misha also happily returned to the academy, but the Countess had lost her smile.
At Misha's party, she overheard the cadets whispering nearby while Misha was giving his congratulatory speech.
'Oh my. Isn't that a famous speech? Do you think that's appropriate now?'
'Shr probably don't know what it means...? You saw the grades. It's not much different from not taking the test, it's last place.'
'I'm really upset. I've always admired the Third Lion, but his daughter is like this... Her grades have improved a little, but she won't be expelled, right?'
The shocked Countess went to rest in her inner room. She pretended to have something urgent and sent a servant to interrupt Misha's congratulatory speech, and the Count continued to give a welcoming speech for the guests.
The Count's welcoming speech was exactly as the Third Lion the Imperial Academy cadets had dreamed of, and Misha's failure was forgotten.
However, the Countess was sick for several days.
After recovering her body and mind, she went to the academy and met the dean of the academy.
The dean of the academy listed the exams Misha had taken in front of her and explained,
“After the first exam, I contacted the Count to discuss Miss Loire’s grades. I was afraid that she might misunderstand our academic policy.”
The Countess felt a strong sense of betrayal from her husband since the Count already knew about this situation. However, she kept her expression intact.
“However, the Count generously understood and entrusted Miss Loire’s education to us.”
She understood the dean of the academy’s intentions.
‘Since the Count also agreed, please stop arguing about your daughter’s grades.’
That made her even more angry. As a father, if he had known about this absurd situation, he should have protested fiercely. How could he have let this happen!
This was his own daughter, and Misha was the legitimate daughter of the Loire family!
The dean of the academy carefully continued speaking, observing the countess’ anger.
“Miss Loire’s grades have improved somewhat in the last exam, but if she doesn’t rise to the upper-middle ranks in the final exam...”
“And if she can’t?”
“She will be expelled. This is different from expulsion, and there are no restrictions on retaking the entrance exam in the future, Countess.”
“...Ha!”
“The Imperial Academy is an educational institution for elite talents who will assist His Majesty the Emperor and lead the future of the Empire. I believe you know that the strictness of the Academy’s academic discipline is a time-honored tradition.”
“Is that all you have to say to me?”
That was all.
After the dean left his room, the Countess’s lips trembled.
She had never felt such humiliation and misery before. The fact that she had to chew and swallow this treatment because her child was mortgaged made her feel an unbearable anger.
The Countess quickly took the gold bars and boarded the carriage.
Misha, who was heading to the academic office when she heard that the Countess had visited the academy, missed her and ran to the carriage.
“Mother! Didn’t you mean to leave without seeing me?”
“Get in.”
Despite the Countess’s cold order, Misha smiled and got into the carriage.
Prince Kydel glanced at me, so I glared at him too.
‘Kidnapping people and making them see this!’
Then he averted his gaze.
Meanwhile, the director was concentrating on examining the glass jar. The parasite that had been wriggling violently soon stopped moving and sank down.
“...Is that okay?”
The director smiled at Prince Kydel’s question.
“I don’t think you need to go to Tunbar.”
“How about adding some five-spice herb, which is good for dehydration? Diarrhea is very hard on the body.”
“Oh! That’s a good idea.”
The director searched the shelves for five-spice herbs as if he were happy about my suggestion.
But Prince Kydel stood in front of me. It was as if he was blocking the director.
“You mean...?”
“Oh! That’s a good idea.”
The director searched the shelves for five-spice herbs as if he were happy about my suggestion.
But Prince Kydel stood in front of me. It was as if he was blocking the director.
“You mean...?”
He nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry.”
I was secretly annoyed that he had kicked me out at the exact moment when it was supposed to be fun.
But it was also true that Prince Kydel’s judgment was right. My role was just right up to this point.
But it was also true that Prince Kydel’s judgment was right. My role was just right up to this point.
I entered the palace like a shadow without leaving a record and searched through the imperial archives. It was not good for the Second Prince or anyone else to know about my existence tonight.
I was sleepy and tired, but it was true that it was quite enjoyable as a one-night adventure. And it was rewarding.
Prince Kydel walked me to the palace servant entrance.
I decided to tease him one more time before we parted ways.
“This illegitimate child will now leave. Now, you alone can take credit for saving him, right?”
“...”
I laughed and stretched my stiff neck, and the hazy dawn sky came into view.
When I turned around because there was no answer, Prince Kydel’s expression was stiff.
“This is a method no one has ever tried before, so if it goes wrong, I will hang you. I am treating you as pitifully as you want, are you dissatisfied?”
This person seemed to have a secret. You should not be grumpy just because you stayed up all night.
He straightened up, so I kept my mouth shut and pulled my hood down. He probably wasn’t the type of person who would joke about his morality.
“Is this the debt you owe me for bringing me the carriage?”
He nodded.
“Don’t worry about anything else.”
I pretended to lock my mouth and went outside. The first hired carriage was passing by at dawn.
***
By the time the sun had set, the two men in the Second Prince’s palace bedroom were exhausted and lying down.
Second Prince Grayon was exhausted from the vomiting and diarrhea that had continued all day, and Locard Kydel was patting his back and cursing him.
The parasitic infection that had plagued him like the old curse of the Amata tribe that had been conquered by them had been cured in such a humble way.
It was a secret that they would not tell until they died. The horrible smell and the corpses of the bugs in the vomit.
It was a gain if anything to learn the identity and countermeasure of the strange disease that had protected the Amata tribe’s land from outside forces for so long.
The next day, Grayon, who had come to his senses, pointed to the remaining mud and asked Locard,
“Where did you get that?”
“Director Royman prepared it... and with the help of the goddess of fortune.”
The help of the goddess with a very foul mouth.
Grayon frowned even more in his exhaustion.
“The goddess of fortune?”
“I’ll tell you next time.”
Locard, who was as exhausted as a sick person, got up with difficulty.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Academy.”
Locard walked, feeling a strange heat from the excitement of saving his lord from danger and the exhaustion from staying up all night.
Lorisha came to mind. He hated the way she kept talking about being an illegitimate child. Sometimes, it felt like she was testing his reaction.
However, when he thought of Grayon’s reaction on the beach at Zebron, he came to understand Lorisha’s attitude to some extent.
She had probably experienced such exclusion and discrimination all her life, and that kind of self-defense had become ingrained in her.
He could have said that the reason His Highness was in good health was thanks to that bastard Lorisha, but he decided to spare that.
When the time came that he wanted to show her off to him, it would be better to adorn her with today’s achievement.
Grayon hydrated and nourished himself for a few days, then regained his strength. Then he went out hunting and caught three foxes to present to the Emperor.
Prince Orl had one that the servants had brought to him.
***
Everything in the Count's house seemed to have returned to its old routine. Misha also happily returned to the academy, but the Countess had lost her smile.
At Misha's party, she overheard the cadets whispering nearby while Misha was giving his congratulatory speech.
'Oh my. Isn't that a famous speech? Do you think that's appropriate now?'
'Shr probably don't know what it means...? You saw the grades. It's not much different from not taking the test, it's last place.'
'I'm really upset. I've always admired the Third Lion, but his daughter is like this... Her grades have improved a little, but she won't be expelled, right?'
The shocked Countess went to rest in her inner room. She pretended to have something urgent and sent a servant to interrupt Misha's congratulatory speech, and the Count continued to give a welcoming speech for the guests.
The Count's welcoming speech was exactly as the Third Lion the Imperial Academy cadets had dreamed of, and Misha's failure was forgotten.
However, the Countess was sick for several days.
After recovering her body and mind, she went to the academy and met the dean of the academy.
The dean of the academy listed the exams Misha had taken in front of her and explained,
“After the first exam, I contacted the Count to discuss Miss Loire’s grades. I was afraid that she might misunderstand our academic policy.”
The Countess felt a strong sense of betrayal from her husband since the Count already knew about this situation. However, she kept her expression intact.
“However, the Count generously understood and entrusted Miss Loire’s education to us.”
She understood the dean of the academy’s intentions.
‘Since the Count also agreed, please stop arguing about your daughter’s grades.’
That made her even more angry. As a father, if he had known about this absurd situation, he should have protested fiercely. How could he have let this happen!
This was his own daughter, and Misha was the legitimate daughter of the Loire family!
The dean of the academy carefully continued speaking, observing the countess’ anger.
“Miss Loire’s grades have improved somewhat in the last exam, but if she doesn’t rise to the upper-middle ranks in the final exam...”
“And if she can’t?”
“She will be expelled. This is different from expulsion, and there are no restrictions on retaking the entrance exam in the future, Countess.”
“...Ha!”
“The Imperial Academy is an educational institution for elite talents who will assist His Majesty the Emperor and lead the future of the Empire. I believe you know that the strictness of the Academy’s academic discipline is a time-honored tradition.”
“Is that all you have to say to me?”
That was all.
“Please cheer on Miss Loire so that she can get good grades in the final exam.”
However, the academic director said that didn’t have any hope for Misha Loire.
The rule of expelling students based on their first semester grades was created precisely because of students like Misha Loire.
Among the students who entered the Academy after memorizing model answers from past exams with the help of tutors from the Academy or competent tutors, there were often cases where they were unable to keep up with the Academy’s education after entering.
It was not uncommon for cadets to live carelessly and ruin the mood, just wanting a diploma. This happened because the cadets were the children of powerful nobles.
So it was several years ago that the system was reorganized to filter out such people at the beginning. The Imperial Academy was supposed to be an educational institution that produced only the best.
The academic director thought that the Countess did not know or had forgotten that the person who set up that system was none other than Count Loire.
However, since it was his job to deal with such bewildered parents, he tried to treat the Countess as seriously as possible.
The Countess said persistently.
“There will be a way. There is always a way.”
The academic director answered with a gentle smile.
“The way is clear. Miss Misha will triple her final exam scores.”
Now that you say that! There is no way my daughter could do that!
The Countess suppressed her anger. She could not be an exception when it came to her children.
She took a small box out of the bag on her lap and pushed it onto the desk. It was the same motion as when noble ladies took out cigarettes from their bags.
While the Countess looked calm, the dean checked the small gold bars inside.
The dean closed the box and pushed it back in front of her.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, Countess. I hope you'll be home by the time I return. Please make sure you haven't forgotten anything."
However, the academic director said that didn’t have any hope for Misha Loire.
The rule of expelling students based on their first semester grades was created precisely because of students like Misha Loire.
Among the students who entered the Academy after memorizing model answers from past exams with the help of tutors from the Academy or competent tutors, there were often cases where they were unable to keep up with the Academy’s education after entering.
It was not uncommon for cadets to live carelessly and ruin the mood, just wanting a diploma. This happened because the cadets were the children of powerful nobles.
So it was several years ago that the system was reorganized to filter out such people at the beginning. The Imperial Academy was supposed to be an educational institution that produced only the best.
The academic director thought that the Countess did not know or had forgotten that the person who set up that system was none other than Count Loire.
However, since it was his job to deal with such bewildered parents, he tried to treat the Countess as seriously as possible.
The Countess said persistently.
“There will be a way. There is always a way.”
The academic director answered with a gentle smile.
“The way is clear. Miss Misha will triple her final exam scores.”
Now that you say that! There is no way my daughter could do that!
The Countess suppressed her anger. She could not be an exception when it came to her children.
She took a small box out of the bag on her lap and pushed it onto the desk. It was the same motion as when noble ladies took out cigarettes from their bags.
While the Countess looked calm, the dean checked the small gold bars inside.
The dean closed the box and pushed it back in front of her.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, Countess. I hope you'll be home by the time I return. Please make sure you haven't forgotten anything."
After the dean left his room, the Countess’s lips trembled.
She had never felt such humiliation and misery before. The fact that she had to chew and swallow this treatment because her child was mortgaged made her feel an unbearable anger.
The Countess quickly took the gold bars and boarded the carriage.
Misha, who was heading to the academic office when she heard that the Countess had visited the academy, missed her and ran to the carriage.
“Mother! Didn’t you mean to leave without seeing me?”
“Get in.”
Despite the Countess’s cold order, Misha smiled and got into the carriage.
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