Chapter 27
“But this wasn’t in the syllabus for this year’s lectures. Simply adding a new practical course doesn’t end with just that. You need to set evaluation criteria, create the appropriate forms, inform the students about the sudden schedule change, and explain it all to them!”
On top of that, they also had to send notices to the families of the students participating in the practical course.
No family would want to miss the golden opportunity to make an appearance in the capital, but they still had to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
The Academy’s greatest fear was complaints from noble families.
With so much work already, the idea of taking on even more made Hazel feel faint.
Enoch, who was standing right beside her, caught her before she could collapse, but her spirit was still shaken.
Her head, already filled with so many thoughts, felt like it was about to explode.
Even though she knew she shouldn’t feel this way, anger toward His Highness the Crown Prince, who had issued such a command, surged to the top of her head.
“Is there no way to cancel this now?”
“Since it’s already been approved by His Majesty the Emperor, that would be difficult. Unless, of course, you can turn back time.”
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Hazel’s expectations were dashed by Enoch’s cold words.
Fine, just accept it. There’s no other choice. After all, you’re used to giving up, aren’t you?
Shaking off her brief despair, Hazel collected herself. Since there was no way to undo it, clinging to it wouldn’t change anything.
The evaluation forms for the practical course could be slightly modified from the existing ones, and with Enoch working alongside her, perhaps her workload would decrease, even if only a little. Hazel tried to think positively.
As she quietly organized her thoughts, listing the tasks she needed to complete, Hazel looked up at Enoch with a determined expression.
“Since things have come to this, you’ll have to help me. I’m more familiar with the paperwork, so I’ll handle the final reviews. If there’s anything that could be useful for the field practice, let me know.”
“What do you mean by ‘useful’?”
“Things I don’t know but you do. Even though I teach etiquette, there’s always room to refine the basics. It’s only natural that I don’t fully understand how the Imperial Palace operates. But you know better than anyone, don’t you?”
“So, you’re asking me to teach you about the Imperial Palace?”
“To be precise, the rules within the Imperial Palace.”
Hazel nodded solemnly. Of course, she didn’t think the students would cause trouble in the Imperial Palace.
After all, they represented their families, and any mistake could tarnish their honor as nobles.
But life was unpredictable. No matter how much you prepared, there were always surprises waiting to catch you off guard.
Hazel resolved to prepare thoroughly for this.
“Alright. I’ll tell you what I can.”
His voice was calm, but it carried a sense of reliability.
With Enoch Meyer, a man respected by everyone, on her side, Hazel felt there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish. The thought of having such a dependable ally made the corners of her mouth twitch upward.
If this task went well, her work evaluation might improve, and that would be advantageous during salary negotiations. She might even receive higher pay than she did now.
Hazel nodded to herself at the thought.
‘This is something that can help my career, so I should think positively. There’s no need to assume the worst when I’m determined to finish this without any problems.’
At first, hearing that she had to work with Enoch had felt like the end of the world, but now, she was rather excited.
This was her chance to deal with Enoch strictly on professional terms, without any personal involvement.
Hazel decided this would be an opportunity to sort out her ambiguous feelings. She gave Enoch a look, signaling that she would leave first.
“Well then, I’ll get going.”
She needed to prepare for her next class, and now that she had calmed down, she became self-conscious about having held his hand earlier.
Hazel walked down the hallway, half-fleeing. Her steps quickened until she was practically running.
Enoch, watching her retreating figure, sighed deeply with a conflicted expression.
“I told him not to pull stunts like this.”
* * *
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The door slammed open with a loud bang, and Enoch stormed in.
Crown Prince Theodore glanced at him briefly before returning to his paperwork.
Ignoring Enoch’s fiery gaze, Theodore finished signing the document and waited for his aide to leave before shrugging his shoulders.
“What an uncivilized entrance.”
“Is this really the time to be nitpicking about that?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Enoch ground his teeth at Theodore’s brazen attitude. Letting out a rough sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and glared at the Crown Prince.
Sensing that Enoch might actually lose his temper, Theodore cleared his throat and spoke.
“I merely suggested it to the dean because it seemed practical. There are subtle differences between noble etiquette and Imperial etiquette, and I thought it wasn’t enough to simply learn about it. You’ve experienced firsthand how troublesome those differences can be, haven’t you?”
The etiquette of the nobility and the Imperial Court were not the same.
The Imperial Court’s rules were far more complex and difficult to navigate. For anyone who would eventually work in the Imperial Palace, it was only natural to learn them in advance.
But even so, adding a new course in the middle of the semester was unprecedented.
Enoch couldn’t help but understand why Theodore had issued such an absurd order.
Crown Prince Theodore was the only person who knew Enoch Meyer’s secret.
Without waiting for permission, Enoch plopped himself onto the guest sofa. His expression was one of suppressed irritation, and Theodore had to fight to keep a smile off his face.
“By the way, how’s life at the Academy?”
“Exactly as you intended, Your Highness—backbreaking. And now you’re asking about it?”
Enoch’s forehead throbbed with a visible vein as he scolded the future Emperor. Theodore feigned ignorance and casually shrugged.
“Well, I’m only asking because I’m genuinely concerned. Since you’ve spent so much time with the wild stallions of the Imperial Knights, I thought you might find it unfamiliar. But it seems your evaluations are quite good. They call you the kind and gentle Professor Meyer. The Baron would be shocked to hear that. Enoch Meyer, kind and gentle!”
With a theatrical tone, Theodore exaggerated his words, and Enoch replied in a firm voice.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I suggest you stop while I’m still being polite.”
“It’s because you’re so frustrating that I’m doing this.”
Theodore pouted, his face turning sulky.
He hadn’t initially intended to take things this far.
Knowing the struggles of Enoch’s unrequited love back in the day, Theodore had only meant to give him a little push.
To give him another chance with the first love he couldn’t pursue back then.
But as time went on, he found it amusing and ended up crossing the line a little.
Feigning seriousness, Theodore tried to convince Enoch. It was his way of saying, “Take this opportunity while you can.”
“Professor Hazel hasn’t married yet because of her position as a professor. But she’s twenty-nine now. No matter how firmly she tries to hold her ground, do you think she can last forever?”
“Her choices are her own.”
Enoch’s voice sounded resigned, as if he had given up on something. Theodore closed his eyes tightly.
“So, you’re just going to watch from afar? Like you did back then? Even though you ran off to the Hoover Earldom the moment you were told to wait?”
Enoch remained silent.
He couldn’t even remember why he had fallen for her in the first place. All he knew was that, at some point, he couldn’t stop looking at her whenever she was around.
During their time at the Academy, he hadn’t even considered pursuing her because of the marriage talks between her family and another noble house.
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