All soldiers of the Republic are naval personnel.

Though the term “navy” exists because there was once an army, the navy’s status became overwhelmingly dominant since all areas bordering hostile nations are seas. The army was mostly absorbed into the navy or transformed into security organizations.

Outside the main gate of the First Naval Academy—commonly called Conifer—where this history remains as a vestige in its name, a man was holding his fifth cup of coffee at a café.

The school was bustling with parents attending their children’s entrance ceremony. But since the ceremony had already begun, the café where the man sat was nearly empty.

The café owner assumed this broad-shouldered young man, who had been sitting there since early morning, was a family member of an entering cadet. He looked curiously at him, wondering why he hadn’t gone inside despite the ceremony having started.

The young man seemed to be hesitating whether to go in or not, repeatedly picking up and putting down his bag. The café owner, wanting to offer some friendly advice, approached the young man with coffee and a few cookies fresh from the oven.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

The young man, who had looked up expecting his sixth ordered coffee, flinched and pulled his top hat lower over his face. Café owner Feder tilted his head curiously and continued.

“You’ll regret it later.”

“I doubt that very much.”

The young man muttered something unclear, then absently picked up a cookie and bit into it.

The red cookie, rich with buttermilk, was sickeningly sweet. The young man grimaced and quickly reached for his coffee. The tight line of his mouth, visible beneath his hat, finally relaxed slightly. Seeing this, Feder smiled.

“Not a Conifer graduate?”

“I am, actually.”

“Well, you must have only focused on studying during your school days. My shop has been a cadet favorite for fifty years.”

The young man clicked his tongue briefly, as if just remembering something.

“I never liked sweet things, so I didn’t know. Do many students come here?”

“You’re lucky it’s entrance day. Normally the upperclassmen would be here for ceremonial duties, and you wouldn’t even find a place to sit. Did you really never hear of Rouge-Sucre during your school days? I’m a bit hurt.”

“Ah. Now that you mention it, I might have heard people mentioning it as a meeting place…”

As the young man shook his head, Feder spoke in a gentle voice.

“Even if you don’t say it, you’ll be disappointed if you miss seeing them. Whether it’s your sibling or cousin, go inside. As a graduate, they’ll let you in even now. And when it’s over, bring them here. I’ll give you special service.”

The young man smiled bitterly at Feder’s considerate words. Feder was puzzled by that strange smile, but the young man shook his head and hurriedly took out paper and pen from his bag.

“Not a sibling or cousin. If anything, I’m just an unrelated guardian who happened to be on shore leave. Here.”

The young man handed over a piece of paper with something written on it. Taking it reflexively, Feder saw it was a check for a considerable amount.

While Feder examined the check, the young man placed money for his coffee on the table separately and stood up. He was unusually tall, even for a café that mostly served cadets.

“When a cadet named Aira Til comes in, please give her that service. She’s still young, so she’ll probably like the cookies more than I did. I appreciate it.”

Only then did Feder feel like he recognized the young man’s jawline from somewhere. As he searched his memory, Feder turned over the check. He looked closely at the signature he had initially glanced over, assuming it was just a name, and his eyes widened.

“You’re…”

“The coffee was delicious. I’ll be going now.”

Feder grabbed the young man as he turned to leave. Beneath the deeply pulled top hat, a faint wrinkle appeared on his unusually pale chin for a naval officer. Feder instinctively exclaimed:

“Please give me your autograph!”

The young man, Jens Will, opened his mouth slightly, then sighed.

* * *

‘There was no need for me to come. What a waste of time.’

His secretary Kle would already be meeting with the principal. Once the discussion about the sponsorship ended, he would find the princess—no, former princess Aira who had given up her royal status—and deliver the necessary documents. There was no need for him to be involved in that process.

‘Why did she want a guardian like me? What is she really curious about?’

She didn’t seem to be after money. If that were the case, becoming a Will family scholarship recipient would have been enough. But she had specifically requested Jens Will’s personal guardianship.

Jens hailed an automated carriage and crossed his arms as he got in.

Automated carriages were vehicles that moved by their own power without horses. However, the upper class detested the sight of carriages moving on their own, likening it to being pulled by ghosts. As a result, expensive automated carriages were designed with horse-shaped automata pulling them while the carriage itself also provided power.

But horse-shaped automata were incredibly inefficient, and ordinary citizens simply chose regular carriages without horses. Though they might be mocked for calling them “horse” carriages despite the absence of actual horses.

Although Jens belonged to the Republic’s highest social class, he despised such empty formalities.

Sitting in a common horseless automated carriage, he instructed the driver who wasn’t actually driving horses to take him to the train station, and sank back into his thoughts.

‘But what exactly does a guardian do? Is buying snacks enough?’

With his family’s influence, he had never needed sponsorship, and during his time at the naval academy, his social circle was so limited that he didn’t even have friends who received sponsorships.

It was telling that he hadn’t even known about that café, which according to the owner was frequented by so many cadets that their traces covered the walls.

He had never wanted to attend the naval academy. It was ironic that he was still tied to the military.

Although he had hastily suggested enrolling in the military academy to keep Aira alive, Jens smiled bitterly at his own contradiction.

Pushing her into the military that he so desperately wanted to escape from. He could only hope it would be more bearable than the Empire.

‘You don’t even love yourself.’

Stop talking. I know that well enough.

‘The egg has already cracked.’

People have voices that match their age.

No matter how intensely one lives through just 16 years, it’s impossible to have a voice that has experienced everything from life to death.

Her voice wasn’t that of a sixteen-year-old. Even for an imperial royal who had been through all kinds of hell.

That discrepancy kept bringing it back to his mind.

That voice. Those words.

He hoped that clear-eyed girl wouldn’t kill herself. The two hands that had grabbed him felt warm and vivid. Enough to make him want to grant her any wish.

Jens slowly closed his eyes, opened them again, and called to the automated carriage driver.

* * *

The entrance ceremony was boring.

The boys and girls standing around her had passed through several difficult stages to enter this prestigious school, so despite having to stand there doing nothing for quite some time, they couldn’t hide their joy.

But Aira, who had gained special admission with a recommendation letter from the prestigious Will family, swallowed her boredom silently.

What am I doing now?

Just somehow forcing my way into the Will family. Like I did with Luten before.

Remembering the past, Aira shuddered. Back then, Luten had been gentlemanly. He had the dignity befitting a king. He was admired not only in the Archipelago but also in the Empire and the Republic.

Then, why?

Had he changed after meeting her? Or was his cruelty innate?

If Luten had become that way because of meeting her, would Jens also change because of her?

No, that couldn’t be.

During the past year she had spent with Jens, he had only shown her emotions somewhat resembling pity, with absolutely no interest in her. Far from interest, he seemed like a person whose emotions had completely withered away.

It was surprising to see the current Jens showing even slight reactions of disgust, discomfort, and puzzlement. It made her realize he had at least this much emotion in the past.

Perhaps that’s why Aira felt regret.

‘You don’t love anyone.’

I shouldn’t have said that. When she blurted out words she had once heard from him in the past, blinded by her own goals, Jens showed no outward reaction.

But Aira knew the thirty-year-old Jens who was even more skilled at hiding everything.

That’s why she detected the subtle tremor behind the twenty-four-year-old Jens’s ash-gray eyes that resembled an icy sea.

“Hey. Where are your parents?”

Since the Republic actively encouraged female soldiers, they weren’t completely absent, but male students still overwhelmingly outnumbered female students among the new cadets.

That’s why the lively-looking girl with golden-red hair and freckles standing next to her kept wanting to talk to her.

When Aira silently stared at her, the girl blushed and added:

“It’s nothing really. There are only twenty girls among us new cadets. I thought I’d greet your parents in advance. Since we probably won’t get to see our parents much from now on…”

“I don’t have parents.”

Perhaps because she was trying not to reveal her Empire accent, her voice came out harsher than intended. But however the girl misunderstood her words, her eyes immediately grew moist.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea…”

“…”

In truth, her father was alive, but the Emperor was a person who meant nothing to her. Aira turned her head sharply, not wanting to think about him.

The girl, hesitating awkwardly, carefully said, “Then perhaps you have other family…”

“No.”

Though she had more than enough siblings to make her sick, Aira didn’t want to think about them. Her expression became more blank as she tried to bury her hatred and pain.

Feeling sorry for her, the lively girl abandoned her plan to greet the other female classmates and continued to fidget beside Aira.

Just then, a man with short chestnut-brown hair strode purposefully toward her from a distance.

“Miss Til?”

Aira raised one eyebrow. The man bowed politely.

“I am Roji Kle, Mr. Jens’s secretary.”

So this is the secretary he said he would send to the entrance ceremony.

Aira nodded. The girl standing next to her murmured “Could it be…” at the mention of Jens.

“There are a few admission and sponsorship documents that need your signature…”

“I understand. Let’s go.”

Kle, who had given her a strange look, hesitated before speaking.

“The young master is here as well.”

“What?”

Aira stopped mid-step and turned to look at Kle. Even Kle looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected his employer to come.

“Mr. Jens Will is waiting for you.”