Episode 51
Elonia and her entourage entered the forest path leading to the Theology Department.
A pristine white building peeked through the trees in the distance, its temple-like architecture quite striking.
There were only two buildings in the Theology Department: the temple-like structure and the dormitory.
It was a stark contrast to the sprawling training grounds and open spaces of the Swordsmanship and Magic Departments, and the grand buildings of the Academic Department.
“This seems… a bit small for Lucid Academy.”
“The Theology Department has the fewest students.”
“And Ravanta isn’t a very religious nation.”
“That’s true.”
Elonia nodded, remembering the cultural differences she had struggled to adapt to after her reincarnation.
One of the biggest differences was the prevalence of female Emperors and high-ranking noblewomen in Ravanta, unlike Heilan.
And the religious aspect had also been a shock.
‘Heilan is obsessed with religion.’
The national religion of Heilan was the Church of the Calamity God Sirius.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that almost everyone in Heilan was a devout follower.
But Elonia didn’t believe in the Calamity God, or any god for that matter.
‘If there was a god, Mother wouldn’t have died like that.’
“He” wouldn’t have abandoned his chosen apostle.
‘…No, stop thinking about it.’
It wasn’t a pleasant memory, so Elonia quickly pushed it aside.
Come to think of it, that boy was in the Theology Department.
As expected, Llewellyn spoke up, his voice laced with disdain.
“Ugh, I hate this place. It reminds me of that guy.”
It was obvious who he was talking about.
Lucius Allen.
The hostage prince from Heilan whom Llewellyn particularly disliked.
Elonia had never met him, but she knew about him from Llewellyn’s constant complaints.
“But you won’t see him today, right, Llewellyn?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Huh? Why?”
Elonia asked.
Llewellyn, his hands on his hips, explained,
“Normally, the hostages are allowed to visit the town near the academy on weekends. But the headmaster banned them from leaving the dorms today because of your visit. He didn’t want them to cause any trouble.”
“They’re all confined to their dorms, Your Highness. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Hey, I was explaining it first! Why are you acting all responsible?!”
The Asta brothers started bickering again.
Elonia, however, couldn’t simply watch them argue this time.
She had a general idea of how the Heilan hostages were treated.
But this was the first time she had heard it directly.
‘They’re just children… That’s too harsh.’
It was always the strong who waged wars, and the weak who suffered the consequences.
A bitter taste filled her mouth.
‘…Wait a minute.’
Elonia suddenly sensed a presence behind a distant tree.
A gust of wind blew, revealing a glimpse of a red-embroidered cape and silver hair.
‘Red embroidery… The Heilan hostages’ uniform?’
There was no mistaking it.
The figure quickly ducked out of sight, but Elonia was sure she had seen someone.
“Your Highness, there’s someone suspicious.”
As expected, Ricardo and Ethan, their senses sharp, had also noticed the presence and whispered to Elonia.
Fortunately, the Asta brothers seemed oblivious, too engrossed in their argument.
Elonia glanced at them, then stopped her knights.
“Let’s go back.”
“But Your Highness…”
Ethan protested, but Elonia shook her head firmly.
She didn’t know who the child was or why they were breaking the curfew, but they would be in trouble if they were caught.
‘…And they looked quite small.’
Elonia didn’t want to put a child, who was clearly still young, in a difficult position.
The only thing she could do was pretend she hadn’t seen anything.
Ricardo, understanding her intentions, nodded.
He was also someone who had been saved by Elonia’s kindness.
Ethan still looked confused, but he obeyed his master’s orders, suppressing his killing intent.
Elonia gave Ethan a grateful nod, then tugged on the Asta brothers’ clothes, interrupting their argument.
“Alberich, Llewellyn, stop fighting and let’s go back.”
“Huh? Why? Aren’t you going to see the Theology Department? You were looking forward to it.”
“I’m not interested in the Theology Department anyway. And watching you two fight is tiring. Let’s go back.”
“…?”
Elonia was known for her stubbornness, but this time, it felt different.
Besides, they couldn’t force her to stay if she wanted to leave.
They turned back, retracing their steps.
Only when they were completely out of sight did the Heilan child emerge from behind the tree.
“…Why?”
Lucius’s red eyes were filled with confusion.
He knew the princess was visiting, but he hadn’t expected her to visit the Theology Department, especially considering Ravanta’s lack of religious fervor.
But she had come, and unfortunately, he had been caught.
He had resigned himself to punishment, assuming he was doomed.
But Elonia’s actions were unexpected.
It was as if she didn’t want to cause trouble for the Heilan hostage hiding behind the tree.
‘That’s impossible. Why would the Ravanta princess care about a Heilan hostage?’
But Elonia had left, concerned for his well-being.
Lucius stared at the spot where she had disappeared, then quickly returned to the dormitory.
But the question lingered in his mind.
***
“Dad, I’m back.”
“Elonia.”
Elonia, upon returning to the Imperial Palace, headed straight to Artius’s office.
Artius, who had been reading documents with a serious expression, jumped up from his chair, taking her bonnet and cape.
“Did anything happen?”
“Nothing happened. Everyone was well-behaved.”
Elonia glanced at the document he had been reading.
It was a letter from Heilan.
The contents of the letter, arriving just before the new academy enrollment period, were obvious.
It was the list of hostages for this year.
Most likely, Simon would be coming to replace Dolce.
She was relieved that Olivia wouldn’t be coming, since Ravanta had always requested male hostages.
Simon was still years away from turning thirteen, but Elonia, her mood dampened by her experience at the academy, reached for a pudding with a troubled expression.
‘I don’t regret killing Dolce.’
But the thought of that innocent child being treated like a hostage here filled her with regret. She wished she had spared his life.
But it was done. Regret was pointless.
The best she could do now was pretend she didn’t know.
Fortunately, Artius, busy preparing a pudding for her, didn’t notice her troubled expression.
“Did you find any departments you liked?”
“Hmm… The Academic Department and the Magic Department, I guess?”
Elonia replied vaguely, taking a bite of her pudding.
The sweet custard cream and Artius’s casual question offered her a small measure of comfort.
“Why? Didn’t you like the Swordsmanship Department?”
“I think Lady Asta and Ethan are enough. Oh, right, there was a strange person in the Magic Department.”
“A strange person…?”
Artius’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Elonia, finding his reaction excessive, ignored him and continued to eat her pudding.
“It’s not what you’re thinking. Her name is Professor Caroline, and she kept telling me I’m a genius and that I should join the Magic Department.”
“Professor Caroline… I understand why you found her strange.”
“You know her?”
Caroline must have been quite eccentric for Artius to relax so quickly.
Artius sat down beside Elonia, wiping the pudding from her mouth with a handkerchief.
“She was already teaching when I was at the academy. She might be strange, but she’s a skilled mage.”
“Oh.”
“But she’s never taken a particular liking to any student, as far as I know. Her reputation even reached the Academic Department. She was always complaining about the lack of talent in the Magic Department.”
“So, what you’re saying is?”
“You must be truly exceptional.”
That old woman had a good eye.
Elonia was confident in her magical abilities, but it was still nice to be acknowledged, especially by Artius.
Her mood lifted, and a smile spread across her lips.
Artius had been worried about her subdued demeanor, so he was relieved to see her smile again.
But his relief was short-lived.
“So, do you think bribery would work on Professor Caroline?”
“…What?”
Was he hard of hearing?
What had his daughter just said?
Artius was bewildered.
Elonia, after finishing her pudding, clarified,
“She seemed really eager for me to join the Magic Department. Maybe I could use that to skip the preliminary interview or something?”
“…Where did you learn such things?”
Artius swore he had never taught Elonia such underhanded tactics.
He quickly scanned his mind for potential culprits.
The cunning Llewellyn?
Or the sly and mischievous Ricardo?
But the unexpected answer caught him completely off guard.
“Alberich.”
“Alberich? Duke* Asta’s eldest son?”
“Yes.”
Alberich, with his honest and earnest appearance, occasionally bribed Elonia with sweets like pudding and cake.
Elonia, oblivious to Artius’s internal turmoil, continued casually,
“I think it might work on Professor Caroline. Mages aren’t exactly known for their law-abiding nature.”
“…”
“Are you listening? If you agree, the headmaster won’t object either.”
“…”
Should he reprimand her for suggesting such a thing?
Or should he agree to keep her happy?
Torn between his duties as a father and his desire to see her smile, Artius made a decision.
“No.”
“Huh?”
Was he going to scold her?
Elonia tensed up, seeing his serious expression.
But his next words were…
“You’re the only Imperial Princess and the heir to the throne. Why would you resort to bribing a professor? Use your power and authority.”
“…Excuse me, old man.”
She should have known better than to expect a normal response from him.
***
Meanwhile, in Olivia’s room at the Heilan Royal Palace,
A young boy with curly blond hair stood outside the closed door, knocking timidly.
“Sister Olivia.”
“…”
There was no response from inside.
Simon, the Third Prince of Heilan, frowned, then gathered his courage and knocked again, a little louder this time.
“Sister Olivia, it’s Simon. May I come in?”
“…”
Olivia still didn’t answer.
Simon’s face fell, but he quickly sighed, resigning himself to the situation.
‘She’s not going to open the door again today.’
It wasn’t the first time, but it still hurt.
He was about to turn away, knowing that Olivia was scary when she was angry, when he saw Felix approaching from down the hallway, accompanied by Tristan.
“What’s the matter, Simon?”
“B-Brother.”
“Is Olivia being stubborn again?”
“…No, she’s probably sleeping and didn’t hear me.”
Simon made excuses for Olivia, not wanting her to get in trouble.
But Felix wasn’t fooled.
He clicked his tongue and knocked on the door.
“Olivia, I know you’re awake. Open the door.”
“…”
Creak.
The door finally opened after a long silence.
Olivia only opened it halfway, peering out to confirm Felix’s identity before glaring at Simon.
Simon flinched.
Felix sighed and reprimanded Olivia.
“Olivia, stop taking your anger out on Simon.”
“…Anger? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. You’re going to Ravanta, just like you wanted.”
“…But why does Simon have to come with me? If you need to send a royal, I can go alone.”
“No, Ravanta has always requested a high-ranking male hostage.”
“You didn’t say that when you demanded a royal to replace Brother Dolce!”
“Olivia, be reasonable. What can you do alone? Do you want to end up like Dolce, with your head on a platter?”
“…!”
The mention of Dolce made Olivia’s olive eyes widen in fear. She instinctively covered her neck with her hand.
She turned away from Felix, refusing to meet his gaze.
“Dolce threw a tantrum because he didn’t want to go, and you’re so eager to go to Ravanta, the nation that crushed us…”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you still have feelings for Lucius. Forget about it. He’s destined for greater things. I won’t give him to you, no matter how much you beg.”
Lucius.
Olivia’s hand trembled at the mention of his name.
She wasn’t as foolish as Dolce.
She understood the message.
Felix sighed, ready to leave her alone.
“If you understand, then come out of that wretched room. It’s not even your room. It’s Chelon’s—”
“It’s my room!”
Olivia suddenly shouted, her voice filled with a newfound defiance.
*****
T/N: From now on, I’ll use ‘Duke Asta’ to refer to Lady Asta when her title is mentioned in the text. Her title, ‘공작’, literally translates to ‘Duke’. I had previously been using ‘Duchess’ as a translation, but I will be switching to ‘Duke’ to be more accurate.