Chapter 2.2

“…Are you sure you’ll be okay?”  

Even on the day she went to take the entrance exam for the Academy, her uncle adjusted her collar with a worried face.  

Her uncle had always worried about her since she started living at the Marquisate three years ago. He warned her that the Marquis was not someone who engaged in anything that didn’t benefit him, and that it would surely be tough.  

Recalling those times, she forced a bright smile to reassure her uncle and nodded.  

“I just have to do what I’ve always done. Anyway, there will be only stupid kids who are more stupid than me.”

Though she spoke confidently, she was also nervous. Her heart was pounding so fast she could feel it.  

She rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt, straightened her clothes with trembling hands, and left the room.  

When she opened the heavy main gate and stepped out, the Marquis’s carriage was already waiting. Inside the luxurious carriage sat Enoch, in a very arrogant posture.  

He was also scheduled to take the Academy’s High School entrance exam, so whether she liked it or not, they had to stick together for the day.  

Rolling her eyes, she climbed into the carriage.  

“Hello, Young Master.”  

Enoch frowned and ignored her greeting, but she didn’t mind and took her seat.  

She had endured three whole years here. Dealing with his temper was nothing new.  

However, considering his natural disposition, Enoch seemed especially out of sorts today. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, had he perhaps studied all night?  

“Ahem.”  

Her cough echoed in the otherwise silent carriage.  

She was truly grateful that the Academy wasn’t far from the Marquisate. If she had stayed in that carriage any longer, she might have suffocated.  

“Can you keep your distance? It’s unpleasant to be around you.”  

As soon as they got out of the carriage, Enoch twisted his lips and ordered her. She glared back at him.  

Likewise, Young Master.  

She retorted, though only in her mind.  

If she said it out loud, she’d probably be dragged away for criticizing the absurdity of the class system too harshly. Lifting her head, she realized Enoch was already gone.  

Wherever Enoch went was none of her business. In fact, it was quite convenient. She snorted and walked toward the exam hall.  

As she walked, she noticed a massive crowd gathered in one corner of the hallway.  

Wow, how many people are there? And with the exam about to start, why are they all gathered there?  

Just as she was about to steer clear of the crowd, she caught sight of a boy’s face among the people.  

“…….”  

In the center of the swarm, standing like the eye of a storm, was a boy with a white, delicate face and a faint smile. Even though so many people surrounded him, he remained calm and composed.  

His angelic golden hair, amethyst-colored eyes, fine features, and clear skin were strikingly beautiful.  

Wow, I’ve never seen purple eyes before. And I’ve never seen a boy so fair and handsome.  

Enoch’s appearance was decent, but she didn’t want to admit it.  

Well, with looks like that, it’s understandable why people flock to him. Who doesn’t like attractive and beautiful people?  

She glanced curiously at the boy in the crowd, then continued walking toward the exam hall without hesitation.  

* * *  

The entrance exam was challenging if it was challenging, and easy if it was easy. Since it was from the Imperial Academy, the questions were certainly of high quality, requiring a lot of thought and taking some time to solve. However, having prepared diligently at the Chernor Marquisate for the past three years despite Enoch’s bullying, she was able to take the exam without much difficulty.  

When the exam ended, she left the exam hall feeling quite comfortable and satisfied.  

Regardless of her mood, fatigue washed over her, and she pressed her eyelids as she headed outside the building.  

Neither the Marquis’s carriage nor Enoch was in sight, so she leaned against the building’s outer wall to wait for Enoch. She had been standing there for a while when she suddenly felt a presence.  

“Hello.”  

It was the angelic boy who had been surrounded by people earlier. She waved back reflexively.  

With a face as beautiful as sunlight, he smiled and asked her,  

“Hey, there’s no one else here but you, right?”  

She parted her lips, then nodded. The boy let out an exaggerated sigh of relief and grinned.  

“Phew, that’s a relief. Sneaking out was tough.”  

Sneaking out? Come to think of it, he seemed to have shaken off the people following him, as he was alone now. He looked much more relaxed than before.  

The boy, who had been staring at her intently, spoke to her in a friendly manner.  

“Are you here because you want to be alone too?”  

Even when she shook her head hesitantly, the boy continued talking without pause.  

“Oh, really? You came to take the exam too, right?”  

“…Yeah.”  

She was unsure whether to use informal or formal speech, but since the boy’s tone was very casual, she decided to respond informally as well.  

Why is he so excited, even blushing? Did he do well on the exam? Could he have done better than me?  

While she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, the boy, who was looking at her with sparkling eyes, began bombarding her with questions again.  

“How was the exam? Was it very difficult? Will I see you again on the entrance ceremony day?”  

“Huh? Oh…”  

“By the way, can I ask your family name and name?”  

“Um…”  

Seeing her lukewarm reaction, the boy, who had been firing off questions nonstop, suddenly looked like he realized something.  

“Oh, sorry. I wasn’t being a gentleman. I got too excited.”  

Excited? Why is he excited?  

As she tilted her head, looking at the boy whose cheeks were slightly flushed, he smiled gently, his violet eyes capturing her image. His eyes, drawing soft and rounded lines, were indeed pretty, but aside from that, she felt quite flustered.  

Why is he smiling at me like that? Is it a habit?  

“Ah, I should have introduced myself first. I’m….”  

Even as he spoke, he didn’t avert his steady gaze. Just then, as she was feeling burdened by his gaze for several seconds, a familiar voice came from somewhere.  

“Hey, what are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you. The carriage arrived, but we couldn’t leave because of you.”  

“Ah.”

Enoch, who was stomping down the hallway from the opposite side, grabbed her wrist irritably without even looking to see who was beside her. The rough grip made her wrist ache.  

Before she could turn to look at the boy or say goodbye, she was already being dragged along, and soon she found herself at the front gate.  

“Okay, now let go.”  

When she twisted her wrist roughly to free herself, Enoch frowned and let go.  

She also frowned, rubbing her sore wrist as she walked toward the carriage.  

“…….”  

Just before getting into the carriage, she looked back at the building, but the boy from earlier was nowhere to be seen.  

* * *  

Soon after, news spread that she had tied for first place with a male student named ‘Leonard Klein.’  

Amidst the distinguished nobles, she was delighted that it was she who had achieved first place, but she was also curious about who Leonard Klein was. 

If his surname was Klein, could he be from the Klein Ducal Family?  

Her curiosity was soon resolved.  

“Well done.”  

The Marquis remained expressionless even upon hearing the news that she had achieved first place in the Imperial Academy entrance exam. His words of praise were empty, and his slightly raised lips seemed to suggest 1he believed his judgment was correct. That was all. His reaction was entirely different from her uncle, who had been genuinely happy for several days.  

She responded to the Marquis with an equally cold expression.  

“Thank you.”  

“Yes, you must continue to achieve good grades in the future.”  

Although they weren’t close, their conversation was as chilly as a winter wind.  

She adjusted her posture and rolled her eyes.  

“The entrance ceremony is next week, so prepare well. And also….”  

Strangely, as the Marquis continued speaking, his trademark expressionless face began to crumble. He spoke with a trembling voice.  

“The person who tied with you for first place is the Young Lord of Klein.”  

“…Is that so?”  

Could it really be that Young Lord of Klein? 

She was slightly surprised.  

With her hands behind her back, she raised her eyebrows as the Marquis continued in an oddly trembling voice.  

“No matter what happens, you must defeat Klein, understood? You must defeat Leonard Klein.”  

The Marquis, who approached her with uncharacteristic agitation, gripped her shoulders tightly. It hurt as her bones were pressed hard, but she tried not to show it.  

“You don’t have talent with the sword, so at least in other subjects… you must defeat him. Push Leonard Klein aside.”  

His piercing teal eyes, identical to Enoch’s, stared at her sharply.  

“Can you do it? Of course, you can. Do you know how much money I’ve spent on you so far?”  

He had a lot of money, yet he made a fuss just because he paid for some books and tuition.  

She wanted to say that, but doing so would put her life at risk. She swallowed hard and nodded to indicate she understood.  

“You must defeat Klein, at least. No matter what other family it is…!”  

“…….”  

She continued to stand with her hands behind her back, looking at the Marquis with strange eyes.  

She knew that the Klein Ducal Family and the Chernor Marquis Family weren’t particularly close, but something felt odd. Their ranks were different, so why was he so competitive?  

Well, it wasn’t her concern.  

She didn’t know why the usually cold Marquis was being so emotional, but being sponsored meant becoming a trophy for that family. She wasn’t unaware of that when she accepted the Marquis’s offer, so there was no reason to feel hurt or surprised.  

Besides, the Marquis wasn’t giving her a difficult command.  

She just had to do what she always did. Whether it was Leonard or Klein or whoever, she just had to win.  

“I understand, Your Lordship.”  

Yes, there’s nothing difficult about it.  

With her hands clasped behind her back, she nodded slightly.