Late at night.
Just as I was starting to think it might be better to give up waiting and put Estelle to bed,
Josephine came to see me.
The moment she stepped into my front doorway, I could see the anxiety and excitement she couldn’t hide on her face.
“I’m sorry for coming this late, Winter.”
“It’s fine. I was expecting you.”
Josephine’s expression lit up with hope.
“Could it be that Her Highness Estelle is here—”
“Josephine!”
I didn’t even need to answer.
Before she could finish her question, a figure rushed out from behind me.
It was Princess Estelle, who had escaped the royal palace and was hiding in my home.
When Estelle threw her arms tightly around Josephine, a deep sigh escaped Josephine’s lips.
“You’re safe. Thank goodness.”
“It’s all thanks to Baron Winter. And thanks to you as well, Josephine.”
“I opened the window of the model palace half in doubt… but he truly came.”
Josephine turned to look at me with tender eyes.
“Thank you, Winter.”
“Didn’t I promise? More importantly, let’s go inside first. There may be eyes watching.”
“You’re right. Let’s do that.”
Dahlia who had been nodding off sleepily brightened up and brought tea. With grave expressions, Estelle and Josephine shared what they had gone through that day.
“So something like that happened. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay by your side, Your Highness.”
“I realized how cruel and terrifying Queen Bridget truly is… and how powerless I am. I thought that if I stayed quiet and lived without drawing attention, I could at least live in peace. But… I suppose that was all just my illusion.”
“Then what do you plan to do from here, Your Highness?”
Officially, the princess is now missing.
And Josephine has secretly escaped from the Royal Guard’s prison.
She cannot openly remain at Estelle’s side.
Estelle spoke with a firm expression.
“Please listen carefully. I’ve decided to stay at the Academy for the time being.”
“At the Academy?”
“Yes.”
Josephine glanced at me before asking,
“May I ask why the Academy?”
She seemed worried that I had been dragged into this because of her request for help.
But that concern was unnecessary.
It was actually my suggestion that Princess Estelle stay at the Academy.
In the original story of Judgment of Candela, after being harassed by Queen Bridget, the princess seeks out her guardian and supporter and takes refuge at the Academy. The plot unfolds the same way.
I had subtly nudged things along and added my own influence.
Because in the original game, Princess Estelle was the one to whom the Candela Knights ultimately pledged their loyalty.
From my standpoint, preparing for the Candela Knights’ assault that would occur in the third year of the main story, it wouldn’t hurt at all to place her in my debt.
The princess answered.
“Baron Winter has helped me greatly in making this decision. He arranged for me to meet with the Headmaster of the Royal Academy.”
“The Headmaster here would be…”
“Count Orlando Chambers.”
Josephine nodded calmly, waiting for further explanation.
As a diligent soldier, she likely wasn’t very familiar with the political landscape of the royal capital.
Estelle continued.
“Sadly, there are very few nobles in this capital who would support me at the risk of falling out of favor with Queen Bridget. Count Chambers is one of the few who has the courage to stand against her.”
“I see.”
“He’s… how should I put it? If I’m being kind, he has strong principles. If I’m being less kind, he’s an eccentric who doesn’t care much about the mainstream powers or public opinion.”
“And he said he would support Your Highness?”
“It’s less that he supports me and more that he opposes Queen Bridget. He criticized her for starting a succession dispute while the King and the Crown Prince have not even passed away, and said that even if such a situation were to arise, by principle, I the eldest daughter should inherit the throne.”
“Then, Your Highness… are you planning to stand in open opposition to Queen Bridget from now on?”
Estelle pressed her lips together.
“To be honest, I’m still not sure. I don’t want to fight. With my father and my brother still alive, I don’t feel comfortable stepping forward to claim the throne. But… I don’t have a choice. I have to protect myself.”
“I see. I spoke without thinking.”
“I understand. The reason I’m telling you and the Baron all of this is because I want your help. Josephine, if you stay by my side, you may face unfair pressure and serious threats from now on. Even so, can you fight for me?”
Unexpectedly, Josephine took a long time to answer.
As the daughter of an exiled noble family and as a female knight, she had spent her entire life striving to prove her worth.
And standing with Princess Estelle meant that if Estelle were to lose the struggle for the throne, everything Josephine had built could turn to nothing.
She must have been quietly searching her heart, weighing whether she possessed the conviction to accept that risk.
But as someone who had played Judgment of Candela, I already knew what choice she would make.
When Josephine looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite put into words, I gave her a single, small nod.
As if having made up her mind, Josephine knelt.
“My life has always been a series of battles against hardship and prejudice, yet I never knew what meaning any of it truly held. But now, I will decide that for myself. I will stand by Your Highness and become a wall that does not fall.”
“Thank you, Josephine.”
Estelle extended the back of her hand, and Josephine gently pressed her lips to it.
“More importantly, I’m curious about your plans going forward, Your Highness.”
“For the time being, I will remain at the Academy and, like Count Chambers, reach out to the moderate nobles who do not belong to the Queen’s faction. Until now, they’ve been scattered and unable to wield much influence. But if I can unite them, they could become a significant force.”
“Then what would you have me do?”
“For now, return to the prison and act as though you never escaped. That way, you can avoid the Queen’s retaliation.”
“Retaliation?”
“My father once told me that the royal family maintains a secret unit tasked with carrying out the Crown’s dirty orders. The man who came to my bedchamber was likely a soldier from that unit. It wouldn’t be good if it were revealed that you were the one who killed him.”
“……”
Josephine’s expression darkened for a brief moment.
Because she herself was the commander of that very secret unit the princess had just mentioned.
They seemed quite close. Hasn’t she told her yet?
Only the King and a handful of elders knew its true identity, so Estelle likely had no idea that Josephine was the Candela Knights.
Estelle spoke.
“Since an incident occurred at Isola Palace, I have the right to request an escort again. I would be pleased if Josephine would volunteer once more.”
“I will carry out your command.”
With that, their immediate course of action was settled.
It was already dawn, as the hour had grown late, so both Josephine and Estelle decided to stay at my house for the night.
Dahlia had already cleaned up the empty room on the second floor, so it could be used as a bedroom right away.
“However, there is one thing I am curious about.”
“Go ahead.”
“Does Your Highness intend to continue staying in this house?”
Josephine’s face soon flushed red after asking the question.
She was worried that, in a situation like this, it might seem as though she were scrutinizing her fiancée’s living arrangements.
Estelle let out a soft laugh and replied.
“No, that’s not the case. The headmaster has agreed to lend me an unused official residence. Still, I chose one as close as possible so that I could receive the baron’s help in case of an emergency.”
“Then…”
“It seems I’ve unintentionally become your neighbor, Baron.”
With that, of the five top-tier official residences at the Academy, one now belonged to Princess Estelle, joining mine, Monastrel’s, and Sophia’s.
Josephine asked,
“But is that truly all right? Won’t there be talk about Your Highness staying outside the royal palace…?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared a justification for that.”
“A justification?”
“I’m thinking of officially enrolling in the Academy while I’m at it.”
Estelle turned to me and gave a small smile.
“So I look forward to your guidance, Baron Winslet. Or should I call you Professor Winslet now?”
***
“Hey, hey, do you know why Academy students get stronger in September?”
“Ah, don’t start that.”
“Because…”
“I said don’t.”
“Because school starts today. Hahaha!”
“Good grief. Looks like the end of break finally drove you insane.”
The Academy’s second semester had begun.
The bombing terror attack that took place in the capital during the break had cast a somber mood over the entire city, and the students had undoubtedly been affected as well. Still, perhaps because they were young, they recovered quickly.
They were already focusing on their upcoming studies and the changes ahead.
Among all the changes at the Academy, the one that drew the most attention was, without question, the new transfer students.
The fact that the princess of this very kingdom had enrolled at the Academy caused an uproar across the entire campus.
So many onlookers crowded in to watch the entrance ceremony for the transfer students that I had to push my way through the throng just to reach the auditorium.
“Wow, even Professor Winslet is here.”
“I guess it’s true they invited every professor.”
“Royalty really is something else…”
An unusually large number of professors attended the ceremony as part of the protocol for the princess, and I was one of them.
However, I hadn’t come to see Princess Estelle.
Four transfer students had been selected in total, two from the Magic Department and two from the Knight Department.
Jamie Frawley, Koyo Miller, Pierre Chauvin, and Princess Estelle.
Of the four seated in the auditorium chairs, there was only one I had business with.
A new recruit of the Candela Knights and the protagonist of Judgment’s Candela, a boy with white hair and steadfast eyes. Pierre Chauvin.
Our eyes met.
As I lifted my gaze slightly, I saw what I had been looking to confirm.
[Notification]
[A death flag has been raised by this character.]
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