“Is it a good thing or a bad thing to have a great rival?”

At the question from his father, Emperor Robert, the first face Patrick thought of was Duke Rosalind.

‘That smug guy. He knows how great he is, which makes him even more irritating.’

When his son’s expression hardened, Robert smiled.

“A great rival is actually rare to come by.”

Even though his path to becoming emperor had been full of challenges, if his opponents had been great, losing would have been easier to accept.

‘It’s when you lose to someone obviously lacking that it really gets frustrating.’

To Emperor Robert, Duke Rosalind seemed far superior to his father, Prince Frederick—unless it was all just a facade carefully crafted by Isabelle.

The day before Patrick entered the academy, Robert gave his beloved son, the crown prince, some advice.

“Work on improving yourself. Think of this as an opportunity to discover your weaknesses. That alone is a big achievement.”

Attending the academy as the crown prince came with enormous pressure.

Everyone would be watching to see if he possessed the qualities fitting of his title.

There would be those who rejoiced at every mistake he made, and others who would be disappointed.

Patrick looked at his father.

Empress Sophia and Emperor Robert—he loved them and respected them above all others.

‘I have to show Father that I’m not someone to be ashamed of.’

After hesitating for a moment, Patrick asked,

“Grades are important too, right?”

Robert smiled softly.

“It won’t be easy. I heard you have the highest entrance score this year. You should probably let go of any greed for perfection.”

As an emperor, Robert was pleased with the current situation—the academy was becoming more competitive, and talented graduates with top marks were flowing into the administration and the imperial court.

But as a father, he felt bad that Patrick had to enter the academy under such circumstances.

With this in mind, Robert added playfully,

“Still, there should be a few young nobles who are just there to laze around. You should be able to avoid coming in last.”

Patrick laughed with his father but secretly hoped there were plenty of lazy nobles around.

***

Sophia, too, was worried about Patrick’s time at the academy.

When they were alone, she spoke to Robert.

“I don’t know if we did the right thing.”

Robert gently hugged Sophia.

“Still, it’s better for him to be within the boundaries of the academy.”

“‘Better’ doesn’t mean it’s good. Patrick and Duke Rosalind will get caught up between the bourgeoisie and the nobility. People won’t leave them alone. Definitely not.”

“There have always been such attempts. Now that the two of them will be in the same place, people will see it as a great opportunity. For Patrick, the academy will be a good experience. It’ll be good training too. And Duke Rosalind will learn something as well.”

Sophia was worried about Patrick but also felt it was necessary for him to experience the political environment and factions as preparation for being the crown prince.

“I just hope Patrick can overcome it. That way, he’ll gain confidence.”

Patrick was probably consumed with concerns about Duke Rosalind.

For Robert and Sophia, however, Duke Rosalind wasn’t the real problem. They had been through too much to be concerned about just him.

The real problem was those who would try to use either Patrick or Duke Rosalind for their own ends.

Sophia thought of Isabelle.

‘Isabelle hasn’t let go of her ambitions… Duke Rosalind may end up being used because of her.’

No matter how much Duke Rosalind had been exposed to aristocratic society from a young age, he was still too young.

‘Isabelle will never be able to harm us. What worries me is that she might hurt her own son.’

***

When Patrick finally entered the academy, his anxiety actually lessened.

Even though he had to live under constant scrutiny, he enjoyed taking classes and spending time with peers his age.

It wasn’t easy at first, but he gradually adjusted.

No matter how close the academy was to the palace, it wasn’t the palace.

Everyone Patrick encountered was kind. It was only natural.

The students were excited just to be attending the same classes as the crown prince.

During the first month of the semester, every time Patrick showed up, there was a buzz of excitement. By the second month, the students began to grow accustomed to his presence.

Although they still looked at him whenever he appeared.

Over time, some began treating Patrick as they would any other peer.

Lady Michaela Shirin, daughter of Baron Shirin, was a year ahead of Patrick.

Having taken the same classes, they became naturally acquainted and began having casual conversations.

One day, Michaela made a half-joking complaint to Patrick,

“Professor Spoon puts test questions on material he only casually mentioned, not what he emphasized in class. Can’t you order him to stop, Your Highness? Or at least give him a pointed look?”

Patrick smiled regretfully at her playful request.

“I can’t do that. While I’m attending the academy, I’m just a student too. No matter how hard or inconvenient it is, I’m still just a student.”

“Oh… I see. Still, I wanted to at least give it a try.”

Patrick was inwardly grateful to Michaela. Thanks to her, other students seemed to find the courage to talk to him as well.

In gratitude, Patrick always greeted Michaela warmly whenever they saw each other.

Michaela became the first and only girl to have casual conversations with the crown prince.

As a result, she began drawing attention as well.

Patrick’s life at the academy appeared to be going rather smoothly.

In contrast, Duke Rosalind’s situation was different.

***

Duke Rosalind had been confident.

But that confidence quickly turned to disappointment after he entered the academy.

He had prepared thoroughly before starting.

He previewed the academy’s lessons to secure good grades and followed Isabelle’s advice to build connections with young nobles he would meet at the academy.

‘Who knew that would come back to bite me?’

The sycophants were tolerable.

What truly disappointed Duke Rosalind and made him feel betrayed were those who tried to incite him to plot against Crown Prince Patrick.

Specifically, because he had realized their true intentions.

To them, Duke Rosalind was just a tool—a convenient weapon and shield to use against the crown prince.

Realizing this today, Rosalind suppressed his anger and returned to his estate.

The conversations he had overheard at the academy revealed a harsh reality.

‘They saw me as nothing more than a tool.’

Most of those he had dealt with before were seasoned elders, so he hadn’t noticed it at the time.

But the academy was different. The students were still young, and their true feelings were easy to discern.

The sneers and scornful remarks about him behind his back replayed in his mind.

“Practically an orphan, right? His father’s gone, and his mother’s family is in ruins. And yet he acts so high and mighty with that pretty face and that fancy title of duke.”

No one stepped up for him—not a single person.

What made it more bitter was…

‘They’re not wrong.’

In reality, the Duke Rosalind household consisted of just him and his mother.

‘They flattered me to my face while mocking me behind my back.’

Most infuriating of all was himself—for only now realizing it.

In hindsight, everything became clear.

He hadn’t been dealing with the elders as skillfully as he thought. They had merely been playing with him.

‘I thought I was more clever than my age… thought I had some great talent or something.’

He suddenly remembered Gloria Gareth, who had held a grand debutante ball last month.

The eldest daughter of the empire’s most powerful family, Gloria had not entered the academy.

Like many young noblemen, Duke Rosalind had entertained a small hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could gain the support of the influential Gareth family.

Now, he realized the truth.

‘She didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary trouble. The Gareth family… doesn’t have to bother with things like this.’

Looking back, he had been a fool who didn’t even realize he was being used.

‘I thought I could outshine the crown prince at the academy… but the truth is, both my household and I are nothing but hollow shells. To the Gareth family or the emperor, I’m of no value.’

The memories of his foolishness made him furious.

‘I should have figured out sooner why the emperor never saw me as a threat.’

Duke Rosalind did not yet have the power to contend with either the elders or the emperor.

‘Even if I can’t stand against them, at the very least, I need to think for myself and make my own choices. If I’m going to be used, it should be because I chose it.’

***

From that day on, Duke Rosalind quietly continued his life at the academy.

Patrick, too, did nothing more than diligently participate in his classes.

The crown prince was closest to those who took the same classes as him.

Perhaps that was the natural way of things, even if it wasn’t what Duke Rosalind had expected.

Both the students who entered the academy that year and their parents had anticipated fierce social activities and gatherings due to the rivalry between the two.

But everything was too quiet. Life at the academy was peaceful and uneventful.

The uproar before the semester began seemed pointless.

When it became clear that Patrick had no intention of forming his own faction, Duke Rosalind felt a sense of futility.

‘Was it just me who had such lofty expectations and delusions…? Was I the only one who didn’t see it?’

If Patrick was satisfied playing the role of an ordinary student, Duke Rosalind had no reason to complain.

It was only the people clinging to him that made things difficult to endure.

It seemed someone was displeased with how peaceful the academy was.

***

The seasons smoothly changed.

Romantic relationships were now a common occurrence at the academy.

Although the ratio of nobles to bourgeoisie was shifting, the number of female students remained low.

Many families still sent their daughters into society rather than to school.

Unless they were particularly gifted or had a special purpose, noble families rarely sent their daughters to the academy.

Everyone expected the ratio of female students to increase this year.

Three months into the semester, a rumor spread that Crown Prince Patrick had been rejected by a girl. Soon, articles appeared on the matter.

They reported that the crown prince had been turned down by a female student at the academy.

This rumor quickly spread across the empire, which was hungry for gossip.

As the story of Patrick’s rejection turned into a major scandal, Duke Rosalind realized what the traditionalists were after.

They were trying to use the scandal to shift the political landscape.

‘No wonder they’re being left behind. Making such a fuss over a simple rejection.’

At nineteen, Duke Rosalind was old enough to be disillusioned with the world and its people, but too young to fully escape them.

There were always people around him eager to report the latest news about the crown prince.

Duke Rosalind had heard the rumor that Patrick was on friendly terms with a certain female student.

When he heard it, he couldn’t help but feel envious.

‘He even has the freedom to enjoy such things.’

Meanwhile, Duke Rosalind had to waste precious time listening to the ridiculous schemes and plans of petty people, all to strengthen his position as a duke.

However, the speed at which the scandal grew made him suspicious.

‘Was it really genuine?’

Duke Rosalind had a bad feeling that his name might get dragged into this mess.

As a result, he kept silent whenever anyone brought up the matter.

But some people just didn’t know when to quit.

“Getting rejected by a girl? Looks like the crown prince hasn’t even adjusted to academy life properly yet. Seems like he’s only interested in fooling around, doesn’t it?”

Duke Rosalind silently stared at the person who had spoken.

When he didn’t react as expected, the person awkwardly backed off, and the group quickly changed the subject.

Worried, Duke Rosalind asked his mother about the incident, hoping to confirm her involvement.

Isabelle smirked.

“It wasn’t me. Though it is quite amusing.”

Isabelle simply enjoyed the gossip of those who complained about the emperor and empress, claiming the imperial family had no dignity.

‘Is that something to enjoy? Aren’t we part of the imperial family too…?’

Duke Rosalind felt disappointed in his mother’s attitude.

He also realized that his mother wasn’t looking as far ahead as he had thought.

And he began to doubt her intentions.

‘Was she ever truly serious about strengthening House Rosalind, even if it meant pandering to the elders?’

Once that doubt took root, he couldn’t stand meeting the people his mother introduced to him.

He even began to wonder if the low quality of the people surrounding him was partly his mother’s doing.

In the past, Duke Rosalind believed that anyone would recognize his excellence once he entered the academy.

‘But in reality, even at best, won’t I just end up as a puppet or a shield for the elders?’

Having steadily built up his abilities, Duke Rosalind was beginning to realize that the reality was quite different from what he had imagined.

Though his worries deepened, no clear solution had come to mind yet.

He even considered seeking out Crown Prince Patrick.

‘But what would I even say? That I regret the commotion and it wasn’t my doing?’

To win the crown prince’s favor? Simply to clear up a misunderstanding?

Duke Rosalind found himself questioning the root of the matter.

‘What is it that I really want to do, in the end?’

One thing was clear: there was something he didn’t want to do.

‘I don’t want to deal with the people surrounding me.’

He found it increasingly difficult to face them with a smiling expression.

‘Then just don’t do it.’