Chương 3: [Chapter 3] The Beautiful Woman Who Catches the Eye
The entrance ceremony was held in a solemn atmosphere.
120 years ago, the nobles of the empire, led by Princess Catherina, gathered to learn from the wise men of the time. This gathering eventually developed into what is now known as Caten.
Throughout the city, remnants of the emperors of the past remained, and the Saints left behind accounts of their miraculous encounters. Now, all nobles above the rank of baron were required to educate their children at the academy from the ages of 12 to 19.
Although it was formally a voluntary pursuit of knowledge, in reality, it was a forced summons, a form of hostage-taking.
This regulation applied to the imperial family as well. The 17-year-old prince, who stood on the podium to conduct the entrance ceremony, was flanked by student council members.
The prince's blue-green eyes had a unique reflective glow, as if they shone with their own light, leaving a deep impression on the students, even those at the back.
These eyes were a symbol of the Visto family's heritage, the most noble family in the empire.
Among the descendants of the three ancient heroes, at least one member of each generation of the Visto family was born with these special eyes. Perhaps it was because of this uniqueness that the Visto family was chosen as the imperial family, while the other two heroes became vassals.
In the current generation of the imperial family, the prince's sister, Princess Camille, also had these eyes, which was a remarkable thing.
Prince Abellus gazed at the new students with a piercing stare.
"How could the three heroes, who defeated the evil dragon Kyan, have achieved such a feat in human form?"
Most students were taken aback by Prince Abellus's sudden question, exchanging nervous glances with each other. However, there were a few who sparkled with enthusiasm. Prince Abellus took note of them. Whether they had the ability or not, those who dared to answer his question could be of use to the imperial family.
"It's because they used magic!" a girl exclaimed. Prince Abellus turned his attention to her.
"In school, we must follow the rules. Raise your hand and wait to be called upon before answering."
The girl looked embarrassed and closed her mouth. Prince Abellus was pleased to see other students raising their hands.
As the future emperor, Prince Abellus had learned from a young age how to make people follow the rules. Publicly embarrassing someone was a good way to keep others in line.
"Megara, answer."
The most eye-catching student among this year's freshmen was undoubtedly Megara Rikanedros. Prince Abellus, who was already acquainted with her, called out her name without hesitation.
Megara, who was well-bred, looked slightly surprised when the prince, who was not her fiancé, called her name in a familiar tone on official grounds.
She was a beauty who even caught the attention of the boys around her with her surprised expression.
"I think it's because they had courage," she replied. It was an answer that praised the bravery of Visto, the ancestor of the imperial family. Of course, if asked directly, she would say that all three heroes were brave and decided to fight the evil dragon.
She was a clever girl. Prince Abellus smiled in satisfaction. Beautiful and clever, too. That girl would cause a great stir in the social circle when she grew up.
"That's not wrong, but it's not the answer I was looking for," Prince Abellus said, his eyes scanning the auditorium as he subtly took note of the students who were slowly lowering their hands. There were a few who had raised their hands but quickly put them down.
They weren't bad either. If they grew up well, they might be of use.
Just then, his eyes landed on a small girl sitting in a corner seat. She had platinum blonde hair tied up in a neat ponytail and was standing with the students of the lowest social status, but there was something peculiar about her.
Her straight back and shoulders, which were slightly slouched, were not typical of girls her age, even those from strict households. However, her clothes were too plain, and she didn't wear any jewelry, making it unlikely that she was from a high-ranking family.
What was strange, though, was that she was looking down, her eyes cast downward.
Her expression was stiff and unyielding, with a cold indifference.
Among the other students, who were all trying to catch the prince's eye, she was the only one who seemed to be in a different world.
She was quite pretty, though.
Prince Abellus concluded that she wasn't from a notable family and simply evaluated her as such.
Megara's shiny honey-blonde hair was captivating, but in terms of social status, platinum blonde was more valuable in noble society.
Her small face was slender, and her delicate nose was straight. If she grew up well, she might become an even greater beauty than Megara.
Her features were flawless, but not strikingly beautiful. If her expression remained as gloomy as it was now, her beauty would not shine through.
Soon, there were no more students who seemed eager to answer. The prince watched this with satisfaction and slowly spoke up.
"I'll tell you the answer. The lesson that all students who have entered this school must engrave in their hearts for life is that the three heroes were able to defeat the evil dragon and the Visto Empire became strong because of their noble minds. Only a noble mind can continuously develop human culture and make humans more valuable than others. It is because of their unyielding noble minds that the descendants of brave Visto are treated as masters."
The students' eyes sparkled as they felt that the answer was magnificent.
Prince Abellus smiled slightly. He had a talent for inspiring others.
Although he didn't have his younger sister's caution or his older sister's talent for strategy, it was because of this talent that his father had chosen him as the successor among the three siblings.
"From the moment you entered this school, you will follow the student council's rules. We take seriously the laziness that was tolerated in your respective families. Any behavior that goes against the rules will be dealt with according to the school's regulations, and we will fully support your efforts to learn."
Suddenly, Prince Abellus felt a piercing gaze on his face and turned to look for the owner of the gaze. His eyes briefly met the direction of the pretty girl with platinum blonde hair from earlier.
It was strange. The girl was still not looking at him. Yet, it felt as if she had been staring at him just a moment ago.
Prince Abellus had a hunch that he needed to think more about this. However, to be honest, he often ignored his hunches.
Therefore, Prince Abellus decided not to waste his time on the poorly dressed young girl and spoke to the entire student body.
"That concludes the entrance ceremony. Those who want to review the school rules can go to the student council room, and the rest can head to the main hall. The prefects will guide you."
Throughout Caten, there were dormitories of varying quality, each catering to students who could afford them. Although there were countless halls, the ones that the student council paid attention to were similar.
Prince Abellus slowly observed the students as they gathered and left the auditorium.
***
Neris held Diane's hand and headed towards the main hall. Diane had no problem walking on flat ground, but she needed someone to hold onto on sloping surfaces, lest she fall. The passing students had already begun to stare at Diane.
"Do people always stare like that?"
Neris had seen the contemptuous glances and indifference of the other students towards her. How could she forget the way they looked at her?
Although they were still young, those "young" students could become just as cruel as adults. Every time Neris saw people glancing at Diane and her, her mood plummeted.
"It's like that at first," Diane replied maturely. Neris didn't express her dissatisfaction out loud. She simply entered the main hall in silence.
The main hall, with its black and white checkered marble tiles, was bustling with new students, their attendants, and teachers. Neris gazed at the teachers with a cold eye.
Two high-ranking teachers and dormitory supervisors were guiding the high-born young ladies and gentlemen. The relatively low-ranking and timid students were looking around nervously.
When Neris was a student, the teachers seemed intimidating and high-ranking adults. However, to her, who had become the prince's consort, they were now nothing.
Neris gazed at a girl who stood out in the main hall. The unforgettable honey-blonde hair, doll-like features. It was Megara.
Megara was standing next to Hoffman, the highest-ranking teacher in the school.
Neris had seen her face during the entrance ceremony, but seeing her up close again, with her chin held high, made Neris's head bow down due to her long-ingrained habit.
Megara was the prince's mistress, and Neris was his official wife, but it was Neris who had to act like she didn't exist in any situation.
The prince's favor clearly leaned towards Megara, and Neris had been intimidated by her since their student days.
Every student in this hall was Neris's enemy. They might be innocent and curious now, but soon they would find the weakest person and make them their plaything.
And the person who would 'designate' the weakest person was Megara, who came from the highest-ranking family among this year's freshmen. Neris was well aware of this fact.
Suddenly, Megara seemed to sense Neris's gaze and turned her head slightly towards her.
Her lavender-blue eyes, which had been endlessly praised in the social circle after graduation, still shone beautifully even at her young age.
"It's humiliating just to be in the same space as you. I don't understand. Why do you exist? Who likes you?"
"You, you stink. No matter how much you wash, you stink. You lived with the commoners, so I thought that smell wouldn't come off."
When Neris was a bit older, Megara's words, spoken while looking directly at her with those lavender-blue eyes, came to mind.
The vividness of the memory made Neris flinch, and she lowered her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, she was sweating, and her hands clenched into fists. Diane whispered to her.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
Neris shook her head. Honestly, what was the point of saying anything? Diane was kind now, but as time passed, she would change her attitude, just like everyone else.
The two girls waited patiently. Finally, when the head of the language department, a popular teacher known for being kind to students, finished her introduction, Neris approached her and spoke up.
"Professor Alex."
"Oh."
Professor Alex looked surprised by the title Neris used, and her expression changed when she saw Neris's eyes.
"You're not...?"
"I heard your introduction earlier."
Neris hadn't actually listened to Professor Alex's introduction, but she brushed it off. Professor Alex smiled kindly.
She remembered Neris's attitude from earlier, during the entrance ceremony. Although her clothes were shabby, her confident demeanor was something that could only come from a noble lineage.
Of course, that was to be expected from a member of the royal family.
"The young lady is a wonderful noblewoman. Your pronunciation is perfect."
The way Neris spoke was typical of people who had received strict education from a young age in the imperial palace. Diane looked at Neris with an admiring expression, unaware of this fact.
However, Neris didn't particularly want to receive praise from Professor Alex. After being adopted, she had worked several times harder than others and had learned etiquette according to the strict standards of the Duchess of Elantria.
It was only natural that her pronunciation should be perfect, Neris thought.
"I'm Neris Truede, and this is Diane McKenna. Could you tell us which dormitories we'll be staying in?"
Neris already knew where she would be staying, but she asked formally.
Professor Alex read out the names of the dormitories, as Neris had expected. The old, communal dormitory was located a short distance from the school grounds, and the beautiful dormitory with a view of the lake was also a short distance from the school grounds.
From now on, their paths would diverge. Diane left with her maid, looking a bit disappointed, and Neris set off to find her own dormitory without much enthusiasm.
The sunlit Caten was in the midst of a blooming summer, with green leaves covering the brick walls.
The path was familiar and narrow. Neris knew a shortcut, so she walked down a quiet alleyway, avoiding the other freshmen.
Once the semester started, the children would take over this path and bully her, but for now, she was free.
And this time, she planned to make those who had bullied her pay the price.
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