Academy's Second Seat [part 1 ]

Chapter 3: First Class (1)

"Your Highness, how have you been? You look exceptionally beautiful today."

Sweet words.

"Your Highness, to be able to control magic to this extent already... You truly are the Empire's treasure!"

Honey-coated tongue.

"Your Highness, I heard you've become the Academy's second seat. As expected, you've achieved such a high rank so quickly. Soon, you'll be able to claim the top spot."

However, they were the ones I despise more than anyone.

Their kind existed within the imperial palace.

They always wore a smiling face, spouting sweet words like candy, but behind their backs, they hid blades.

They were always ready to stab me if I ever fell.

That's why I couldn't afford to make mistakes.

I always had to plan ahead and prepare for everything.

And, wearing a smile as my mask, I too had to sharpen my blade.

That way, I could parry my opponents' attacks if I ever stumbled.

"...I should change into my school uniform."

'Huh?'

At first, it was just suspicion.

"...enjoy their youth."

'...'

'Rudy Astria.'

He had been on my radar even before I enrolled in the Academy.

The second son of the Astria dukedom, a family responsible for one of the Empire's pillars.

Yet, from what I had heard, he wasn't someone I needed to worry about.

He was rumored to be a discarded child of the Astria family.

After hearing what my spy in the Astria family reported, I knew the rumor to be true.

He was immature, arrogant, and authoritarian.

As expected from the Astria family, his magical talent was outstanding, but even that paled in comparison to his elder brother.

In short, he was a bundle of inferiority.

Someone consumed by inferiority was the best prey in social circles.

The most important thing in social circles was to filter out the praise and understand the intentions behind it.

Those filled with inferiority craved praise, making them easy prey in social circles.

But who was this person standing before me?

A smile crept onto my lips.

It had been a while.

It was truly a long time since I had seen my plan go awry like this.

This person was not a bundle of inferiority.

Instead, he seemed like a bland person with no interest in his surroundings.

He had pushed away everyone who approached him.

I could understand driving away the insects trying to pick up his falling crumbs, but he even pushed away me, the princess.

He neither flattered nor challenged me, just pushed me away.

When I met him directly, he was very formal, and when I tried to engage in conversation from the seat beside him, he ignored me.

And then there was his speech, a perfect opportunity to show himself off.