Chapter 32

Released:

Since this was a class determined purely by skill rather than a written exam, I had worried the lessons might be too difficult. However, perhaps because it was still the beginning of the first year, it wasn’t as difficult as I expected.

They were teaching things like the flow of magical power or the basics of swordsmanship, so it didn’t feel really difficult.

It helped that when I first learned swordsmanship from Uncle Duncan or magic from Estelle, I had been thoroughly drilled in the theories to the point of exhaustion.

If anything, I had been more concerned that subjects like math or science might be hard for me, but surprisingly, those were optional courses that only interested students needed to take, which was a huge relief.

I mean, I had been terrible at math and science ever since I was a kid, you know?

“Iris, are you planning to take both math and science courses?”

Of course, our outstanding Crown Princess, being in a position to inherit the Empire one day, naturally intended to take all the subjects.

“Yes, His Majesty the Emperor is expecting good grades from me in every subject.”

Wow, seriously. Being the Crown Princess is definitely not a role just anyone can handle.

She must have already received extensive early education since childhood, and yet she still had to learn everything all over again, take exams, and prove herself.

“Then I’ll take all the subjects along with Lady Iris as well!”

And right beside her, Lina declared she would take every subject alongside Iris with her eyes sparkling.

It seemed Lina, for whatever reason, was more eager to gain favor with Iris than with Saintess Estelle.

Well, honestly, before she got closer to anyone, it made sense that Iris seemed like the better option compared to the Saintess, who openly hurled sharp remarks right to people’s faces.

“Ugh, why would anyone take math or science? You seem like people with unique tastes.”

“Oh, Estelle, you don’t like math or science either?”

“No, I don’t! How about you, Sir Theo?”

“Haha, not to brag, but I’ve never really liked them since I was a kid.”

“Ah! Me too! For some reason, I’ve never been good at those subjects ever since I was young~.”

Feeling an unexpected sense of camaraderie with Estelle, I was enjoying our conversation when Iris suddenly stepped forward and placed herself in front of me.

“I-I don’t… particularly like them either, Sir Theo…”

“Oh, really? Then that must be a real pain for you. That’s tough.”

I already knew from the game that Iris was skilled in math and science, so hearing that she didn’t actually enjoy them and was forcing herself to study them was news to me.

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to do something you hate, and to think she had to endure that with subjects like math and science… It was really unfortunate.

“S-So… if you really feel sorry for me… would it be too much to ask for you to take those classes with me, even though they might be boring, Sir Theo…?”

Perhaps because she was asking someone who openly disliked those subjects, Iris spoke in a tone far different from her usual self; her expression was filled with guilt as she made her request.

Ugh, it’s true that I feel bad for Iris, but no matter how sorry I feel, taking classes I don’t even need to take? That’s asking for too much, isn’t it?

“Did His Majesty the Emperor specifically tell you to take those classes?”

However, when I thought about it, it was only mentioned that “His Majesty the Emperor is expecting good grades”. He didn’t say it was mandatory in any way.

“No, that’s not the case.”

“Then don’t take the classes together.”

“What?!”

Iris looked shocked, but there wasn’t anything surprising about it.

“It’s not like His Majesty specifically ordered you to take them. Besides, you’ve already learned all this material, haven’t you? Is there any reason to go through it again? If you need the exam scores, wouldn’t it make more sense to just take the exams without attending the classes?”

The academy’s system was designed so that students who took classes were required to take the corresponding exams, but it also allowed students to take exams solely for the purpose of earning grades without attending the classes.

I distinctly remembered a moment in the game when Estelle had made a similar suggestion to Iris, who had clearly disliked attending the classes alone.

For some reason, Estelle didn’t seem inclined to make that suggestion this time, so I decided to propose it instead.

“Oh, that’s true. That’s certainly an option. As expected of you, Sir Theo… You’re amazing.”

Being praised for suggesting she skip classes felt… a bit strange, to say the least.

Well, if it cheered Iris up, that was all that mattered.

“Hmm, that’s a shame.”

Estelle, for whatever reason, clicked her tongue as if disappointed but didn’t say anything further.

***

“It’s not like His Majesty specifically ordered you to take them. Besides, you’ve already learned all this material, haven’t you? Is there any reason to go through it again? If you need the exam scores, wouldn’t it make more sense to just take the tests without attending the classes?”

Lina stared at Theo with an incredulous expression on her face.

Is it because he’s a commoner? The way he thinks is truly ridiculous.

To Lina, Theo’s suggestion sounded utterly ridiculous.

Telling someone to skip classes and just take the exams to get the grades?

That was something completely unacceptable among nobles.

Even at the academy, only commoners occasionally engaged in such behavior. Nobles, however, considered it an act of disrespect and would never do such a thing.

And yet, here Theo was, casually proposing this to the Crown Princess herself. To Lina, it was only natural that he came across as utterly lacking in manners.

However.

“Oh, that’s true. That’s certainly an option. As expected of you, Sir Theo… You’re amazing.”

The words that came out of Iris’s mouth were nothing like what Lina had expected.

That it was a valid method, or that Theo was amazing.

It was truly so ridiculous that Lina was left speechless, but she knew she had to say something, anything.

In reality, it wasn’t about etiquette or appearances; losing the time she could spend alone with Iris was a far greater loss for Lina.

“But Lady Iris, only commoners usually skip classes and take just the exams. Don’t you think doing something like that might not be… appropriate? If it were to affect your reputation… I would be terribly worried about that.”

Her tone, expression, and even her gestures conveyed deep concern.

To anyone watching, Lina appeared to be speaking out of pure sincerity, as though she had no personal agenda whatsoever.

“Reputation, huh… That could definitely be an issue.”

But the one who responded wasn’t Iris; it was Estelle.

“Considering how much the Crown Princess just loves her reputation like the Empire, maybe you really should go to class, Iris?”

The biting sarcasm in Estelle’s words made Lina’s expression falter for a moment.

“Lady Estelle, are you insulting the Empire right now…?”

“What’s there to insult? I’m just stating the truth.”

Estelle merely shrugged, as if to say “Why are you getting so angry when I’m just telling you the truth?”.

“You said she loves her reputation like the Empire, didn’t you? I can’t accept you referring to the Empire in that tone.”

“Well, if you can’t accept it, what exactly are you going to do about it?”

“Hey, Estelle, why are you suddenly picking a fight with Miss Lina? Calm down for a moment, okay?”

As the exchange between Lina and Estelle grew increasingly heated, Theo stepped in to mediate.

“Oh, Sir Theo. I’m sorry. I realize I might have spoken too harshly about a place that’s also your homeland.”

The moment Theo intervened, Estelle’s expression shifted and she quickly apologized.

She had said those words in the hopes of getting Iris and Lina to go to their class so she could spend some time alone with Theo. But regardless of her intentions, the Ermunt Empire was still Theo’s homeland, and she knew he likely held it dear.

“No, you don’t need to apologize to me. But, um… wouldn’t it be better to apologize to Iris?”

“It’s fine, Sir Theo. I wasn’t particularly offended. Honestly, even I know the Ermunt Empire is obsessively fixated on its reputation.”

Lina felt confused.

She was certain she was on Iris’s side, the Empire’s side.

And yet, Estelle’s remark had clearly been an insult to the Empire, but Iris had simply shrugged it off as if she wasn’t bothered at all.

What’s going on? She doesn’t feel like the Crown Princess I know.

The Iris Lina had heard about through rumors was a Crown Princess who cherished the Empire deeply, someone praised as destined to be a ruler far greater and wiser than any emperor before her.

But the Iris standing in front of her now didn’t seem to cherish the Empire at all; in fact, it almost felt like she was saying there was something wrong with it.

“…Do you not consider reputation… that important, Lady Iris?”

Still taken aback by Iris’s demeanor, which felt far from noble, Lina asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“It’s not that I don’t think it’s important. A good reputation is certainly better than a bad one. But whether it’s worth forcing yourself to do something just for appearances or giving up all your time with people you care about… well, I’m not so sure.

As Iris spoke honestly about her thoughts, Lina found herself thinking,

…She’s incredible. To stand by her own beliefs like that…!

Her confusion lasted only a moment before it was replaced by admiration.

If Theo had said the same thing, Lina would have scorned him and dismissed him. But to Lina, whose eyes were already blinded by Iris’s status, everything about the Crown Princess seemed admirable.

3 responses to “Chapter 32”

  1. JimmyJohns05 Avatar
    JimmyJohns05

    Lina is like a cult follower lol kinda cute too bad she’s classist

    1. F Avatar
      F

      Nah, I might be down bad, but even I’m not down THAT bad. Lina might be cute and is nice that she’s Theo’s favorite, but she’s still just a dumb, rude bit*h right now.

      1. EstelleIsBestelle Avatar
        EstelleIsBestelle

        i can fix her

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *