Chapter 3 – Ladies Alighting from the Carriage (9)

The guy who used to shoot daggers with his eyes as if his pride was hurt whenever he talked about his feelings.

‘What kind of wind blew this time?’

And yet, he showed no sign of embarrassment when saying such things. Filled with surprise, Daniel chuckled.

“How would I know anything? I just hope you can accept your feelings a little better. You should know your heart better than I do.”

Daniel chuckled and gave a brief nod to the servants bringing out the main dish. Demetrian could only stare at his sleek face with a somewhat bewildered expression.

As if understanding Demetrian’s inner turmoil, today’s lunch main dish was salmon steak. Even though it was a dish made perfectly by the skilled chefs of the imperial palace, flown in directly from the North Sea, to him, it wasn’t genuine seafood cuisine.

* * *

The next library Chloe visited wasn’t the Ridote Library or the Imperial Library she had initially considered, but the library of the Imperial Academy. Ostensibly, it was because of an errand for Etienne, but in reality, it was because she knew she would encounter Bjorn in front of the Imperial Academy library today.

Because that’s how it was on the day she remembered.

On the day she confided about her ‘dream,’ the thing Mirabelle asked most about was how things developed with that ‘handsome prince.’ It was natural since the greatest interest for young ladies their age was romance.

‘Did that prince say that? That he’s been in love with you all along?’

‘Yeah, he said he proposed the engagement during the negotiations because of that.’

He confessed that he didn’t miss the opportunity to fulfill his first love, even though he could have received additional compensation or gained significant benefits from trading specialties like magic stones and furs.

‘Did you think so too? When did he say he fell for you?’

‘Well, I don’t know about that…’

In the solemn court of Scandar, the only person she could rely on was her husband, who claimed to have loved her for a long time, and thus love that didn’t exist was born… This story sounded romantic enough to young ladies who had just come of age.

‘Ah, I should have looked more closely when we met last time.’

I was too distracted by seeing the escort up close for the first time.

Mirabelle murmured, and a sudden thought crossed Chloe’s mind.

‘If His Highness doesn’t have feelings for me yet, shouldn’t I make him fall for me before he leaves Gotiue…?’

Come to think of it, his face had oddly frozen when she talked about the Almoe Garden, which was somewhat distant from the kind face that always smiled with his eyes. She was the only one going to Scandar as a consort, and thinking about the lonely life in Shevik… it would be sad without the affection of a kind husband.

‘I acted foolishly when we met suddenly last time… but if I behave properly when we meet as originally planned, it should be fine.’

Recalling that, Chloe decided to build her relationship with Bjorn just as before until he returned to his home country.

So, she waited for Etienne, who was busy throughout the festival week, to ask her to return the books for him.

‘Oh dear, 5 silver? I won’t even have anything left for the errand fee.’

‘The overdue fee is only a few dozen bronze. Please, help me out, okay?’

When Etienne handed her 5 silver, just like she remembered, Chloe, who had intentionally left her schedule open, gladly headed to the Academy. Paying attention to arrive at the same time as back then.

‘Back then, this money seemed like a small amount. This time, I’ll add it to my business funds.’

The difference of a few dozen bronze compared to 4 silver was insignificant compared to the spending of a noble lady, but now the circumstances were different. Chloe realized that this small amount could buy at least one magic-contaminated accessory in Marcone.

“I’ll run into the Prince before entering the library.”

In the carriage heading to the Imperial Academy located on the outskirts of Gotiue, Chloe explained to Mirabelle what would happen today in detail. Mirabelle wasn’t one to dismiss what Chloe said as nonsense, but it was still better to prove it if she could.

‘Meet His Highness, earn money, and show Mirabelle evidence. It’s a triple win.’

As they parked the carriage at the main gate and entered the campus with just Mirabelle, they began to feel the glances of people. It was always like this when she came to meet Demetrian or Etienne. Unlike Ridote, where she could wear her own clothes freely, the Imperial Academy required uniforms, so noble ladies entering the Academy in regular outing attire naturally stood out.

Mirabelle’s eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar stares they were receiving.

“Master, aren’t you going to class? Wouldn’t Ryan be curious?”

“Stop it, really.”

Chloe stifled a laugh at Mirabelle’s imitation of Ryan’s tone, speaking in a creeping voice. The incident with Ryan when they parted ways had become a secret joke between them since the night she confided everything to Mirabelle.

‘Master, the Day of Light is a weekday… aren’t you going to the academy?”

It wasn’t something to feel guilty about pretending to be an Academy student, but that day, the sudden question had caught her off guard.

That day, Mirabelle, who hadn’t been very talkative, couldn’t hold back her sudden burst of laughter and answered on Chloe’s behalf. Unaware that Chloe was contemplating how to maintain the dignity of her ‘master.’

‘She doesn’t go to the Academy. You got fooled, haha.’

‘Wha…?’

Receiving a shocking answer to a thoughtless question, Ryan blinked his eyes blankly.

‘Oh, why did she have to say that?’

Chloe, erasing her embarrassed expression, spoke calmly.

‘You learned something, right? Remember this when you’re out making deals and interacting with people.’

Chloe began to fabricate words, hiding her flustered face.

‘An offense is the best defense, and if you bluff convincingly, people will believe you. Push forward shamelessly.’

Just like you got fooled. 

Even then, Chloe was pushing forward boldly. Subtly crossing her wrists to show them, as if reminding him not to forget how he almost got a criminal record. At that sight, Mirabelle burst into laughter once more.

‘I’ve seen her act coy, but these days…’

Thanks to living five more years and returning, I’m discovering a new side of my milk sister. Naturally, this side was more entertaining.

Bjorn Scandar was, in other words, the longest-staying student at the Imperial Academy.

He entered the five-year Imperial Academy around the age of fifteen like everyone else, but at twenty-seven, he still held a position there. Apparently, not feeling the need to graduate, he hadn’t chosen a major and only took one or two classes per semester, delaying graduation.

He had no intention of becoming an official, and it was a forced enrollment to disguise his life as a hostage as studying abroad, so there was no particular reason to graduate, but it was certainly an eccentricity.

Since he only took one or two classes, he only came to the Academy one day a week. That happened to be today, the last day of the week, when Etienne asked Chloe to return the books.

Come to think of it, Etienne had a small share in the affection Chloe would receive in Scandar.

‘He’s been quite useful lately.’

Thanks to him, she had prevented the separatists’ terrorist attack, found Ryan through his student notebook, and could borrow books from the Imperial Academy Library with Etienne’s access pass. Etienne, who had been frail and always seemed weak and naive, felt more like someone to be underestimated than a brother.

‘In front of our parents, I call him brother to avoid getting scolded…’

While she was thinking that, Mirabelle nudged Chloe’s arm and gestured with her head.

“It’s him.”

Mirabelle whispered with an intrigued expression, raising one corner of her mouth. Across from where they were walking, at the library entrance, stood Bjorn.

True to his reputation as the longest-staying student, he wore a dress shirt under his unbuttoned uniform jacket and draped a robe with elaborate embroidery over it. As he handed the books he borrowed to his escort, he lifted his head to see who was approaching.

“Your Highness, hello.”

Chloe greeted him with the same words she had used on that day.

“Ah, young lady. Nice to see you again.”

Bjorn brightened his face and greeted Chloe. The escort, who had caught Mirabelle’s interest last time, tactfully stepped a few paces aside.

“Yes, the weather is really nice today. Have you been well?”

But the wind blew her hair carelessly… The day was indeed sunny, which is why she had greeted him like that back then, but the timing seemed slightly off.

“Yes, it is.”

As Chloe held onto her bonnet, feeling embarrassed, Bjorn chuckled softly. That laughter was quite different from the graceful smiles he had shown in the social circles here.

“What brings you to the Academy?”

“My brother asked me to do something for him. I heard you rarely visit the Academy, so it’s a fortunate coincidence, Your Highness.”

Chloe repeated the words she remembered saying that day.

‘It might not be exactly the same down to every word, but as long as it sounds similar, it should be fine.’

Glancing at the book in Mirabelle’s hand, Bjorn nodded as if understanding.

“You seem to have a close relationship with your brother.”

“Oh, that,”

Chloe almost mentioned Bjorn’s sister, whom she would only learn about after going to Scandar, but quickly changed the subject.

“Haha, something like that.”

“Is he at the Police Department now?”

“Yes. You know about that?”

“I’ve seen him when he was attending the Academy, and I occasionally visit the Police Department.”

A crooked smile spread across his face. 

Was it a kind of bitter smile?

One of the duties of Scandar heirs residing in Gotiue as hostages was to advocate for Scandarians who committed crimes in Gotiue or nearby and were detained at the police department. Scandarians, who generally disliked the Empire, would often be uncooperative during interrogations unless their prince was present, fearing they might suffer some injustice despite being caught for their own wrongdoings.

‘If not for times like these, when would we ever hear the voices of our people?’

That duty felt utterly pathetic and humiliating to him, but his agreeable father interpreted even this positively. Bjorn’s fist clenched slightly.

Though Chloe couldn’t know his feelings, she guessed it wasn’t a pleasant topic, so she simply nodded as she remembered doing at that time.

‘Now he’ll probably ask about Madame Etoile’s salon.’

“By the way, it seems you have a connection with the library, my lady.”

“What?”