Episode 54
A few days later, news of Elonia taking the entrance exam sent ripples of excitement through the Empire.
However, the prospective Magic Department students were less thrilled. The rumor that Headmaster Caroline had personally designed the Magic Department entrance exam sent them into a frenzy of panic and despair.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Palace was in a state of chaos for a different reason.
“Elonia…?”
“I’m busy.”
Artius timidly knocked on the door to her study, only to be rejected.
Elonia had been holed up in her study ever since receiving the letter from Caroline.
She was surrounded by a mountain of magic books, her mind buried in their pages.
Sarah, worried sick because Elonia had been skipping meals, finally reached her breaking point.
“Your Highness, you have to eat!”
“Just a moment, I’m almost done with this.”
“That’s the third time you’ve said that today…! Have you even slept?”
“Yes, about four hours last night. From ten to two.”
“Your Highness…!”
“Four hours is enough. I can sleep all I want when I’m dead.”
“Your Highness!”
Sarah was on the verge of tears.
What had turned her sweet little princess into a study monster?
Elonia felt a pang of guilt, but this was a matter of pride.
She had negotiated with Caroline and managed to pass the interview. Failing the exam would be utterly humiliating.
Elonia steeled her resolve and coldly dismissed Sarah.
The Imperial Palace was in a state of emergency, fearing that Elonia might collapse from exhaustion, just like before.
The lack of sleep was a problem, but her refusal to eat proper meals was an even bigger issue.
Even the most skilled chefs in the palace couldn’t tempt her. She would always say, “Later.”
Everyone in the palace was racking their brains, trying to figure out how to get her to eat.
The only time she ate was in the middle of the night when her energy levels plummeted.
And even then, it was just finger foods she could eat with one hand while reading.
The palace chefs gathered, their faces grim.
“She needs to eat meat.”
“She loves veal steak.”
“But she already rejected that. How about lamb?”
“You idiot, it’s the same thing. She’s refusing anything that might interrupt her studies.”
“The key is to make it easy to eat. What about adding meat to soup?”
“She hates it when soup spills on her books.”
“Ah… Right.”
“She doesn’t like sandwiches either… The sauce and lettuce fall out.”
With Elonia refusing to eat, Artius, worried sick, also started skipping meals.
The palace chefs were facing a potential unemployment crisis.
Just then, one of them raised her hand.
“How about this?”
All eyes turned to Nina, the chef who had spoken up.
She rummaged through her apron pocket and pulled out a cloth bundle, revealing its contents.
“This is…”
“Jerky?”
It was jerky.
“I eat this when I’m too busy to cook.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Her Highness would never eat something like this.”
“That’s right. It’s military rations.”
Nina was met with criticism.
Jerky was something soldiers ate during wartime.
It wasn’t a proper meal.
Nina, indignant, retorted,
“Well, what else can we do?! Is there any other meat dish that’s easier to eat? This is our only option! Do you have any better ideas?!”
“W-well, that’s… But…”
The kitchen fell silent.
The chefs, swallowing their pride, finally agreed.
“Let’s at least use high-quality meat.”
“Obviously.”
“And we’ll blend fruits and vegetables into smoothies so she can get her nutrients.”
“Ah… But will she actually eat this…?”
“It’s worth a shot. We’re all going to get fired at this rate.”
“That’s true…”
The chefs exchanged glances and nodded.
***
A few days later, in the middle of the night,
Elonia, as usual, was feeling hungry.
‘This is so annoying.’
She was fine during the day, but her stomach always grumbled in the middle of the night.
Why did the human body require such frequent refueling?
Elonia pondered this philosophical question, pulling on the bell cord.
A moment later, Sarah knocked on the door, carrying a silver tray.
“Your Highness, I brought you some food.”
“Come in, Sarah.”
Elonia replied weakly, slumped in her chair.
Sarah set the tray on the table and lifted the lid.
Elonia’s eyes widened as she saw the contents.
“Jerky?”
She had expected bread, but it was clearly jerky.
The food she had eaten for ten years straight during the war.
Sarah stammered,
“You’ll ruin your health if you keep eating only bread and chocolate…! You need meat, but you’re refusing all the meat dishes, so I thought I’d prepare something easy to eat… Please, tell me if you don’t like it!”
She would never have served jerky under normal circumstances.
She anxiously awaited Elonia’s reaction, worried that she might reject it.
But to her relief, Elonia was delighted to see the familiar food.
‘This brings back memories.’
Elonia picked up a slice of jerky and took a bite.
It was much higher quality than the jerky she had eaten during the war.
It was tender and flavorful, with a subtle smoky aroma, and most importantly, it wasn’t greasy.
She felt energized, her favorite meat finally satisfying her craving.
“Do you like it…?”
“Yes, thank you, Sarah. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
Sarah’s face lit up.
It didn’t matter that it was jerky. What mattered was that Elonia was finally eating something other than finger foods.
The palace chefs, upon hearing the news, cheered silently in the middle of the night. And Nina, the chef who had suggested jerky, even received a bonus from Artius.
***
A month later,
Artius, styling Elonia’s hair, showered her with worried questions.
“Elonia, have you been sleeping enough?”
“I’ve been sleeping nine hours a day for the past three days.”
“And eating?”
“I finished your portion too just now. And I even took digestive medicine.”
“Don’t be intimidated by the other students, even if you enter the academy.”
“Ugh, you’re so overprotective. I’m not a child.”
“You are a child.”
Right, she was a child.
Elonia clamped her mouth shut.
‘I can’t believe I’m still nine.’
She understood why Artius was acting like a worried parent sending their child off to their first day of school.
Everyone in the palace knew how badly Elonia wanted to enroll in the academy, how she had been studying day and night, sacrificing sleep for her exams.
And she was only nine years old. The other early enrollees had all taken the exam at ten.
In fact, the youngest students in the academy’s history had also been ten years old.
And Elonia was about to break that record.
While it was highly unlikely, Artius was worried that she might be disappointed if she failed the exam.
Elonia, ready to leave, headed towards the carriage with Artius.
“Elonia, no matter the outcome, you are my pride and joy. Don’t be nervous, just do your best.”
“Can’t you just tell me to pass the exam?”
“Pass the exam. I’m giving you all my luck today.”
“Yes!”
Elonia grinned playfully.
Artius, his worried expression finally easing, smiled back.
He took her hands in his and kissed them.
“Come back as soon as you’re done. No, I’ll come pick you up as soon as my meeting is over. Tell me if anything happens. If anyone is rude to you—”
“I’ll get their name and family background.”
“Good.”
They shared a laugh.
Artius gently bumped his forehead against hers and helped her into the carriage.
“Good luck, Elonia.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll be back soon.”
The door closed, the coachman yelled, and the carriage set off.
***
The academy was located on the outskirts of the capital.
The white carriage sped down the well-maintained road, arriving at the academy in no time.
“Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”
Only Ricardo and Ethan were accompanying her today.
Ricardo got out of the carriage first and escorted Elonia.
As soon as she stepped out, she felt the weight of countless gazes.
“They’re staring so much.”
“Well, you are the Imperial Princess.”
“Should I tell them to stop?”
“Don’t be mean to them.”
“You’re the youngest one here, Your Highness.”
“You little…”
Elonia lightly kicked Ricardo’s leg.
But it was her foot that hurt, considering his muscular build.
The rumor that she was taking the entrance exam this year had spread like wildfire.
Elonia, ignoring their curious stares, walked confidently towards the main entrance, flanked by her two towering knights.
“Wait here, Rica, Ethan.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We wish you the best of luck.”
“Crush it, Your Highness.”
Knights weren’t allowed inside the examination hall.
Elonia, encouraged by their support, opened the door.
***
The Magic Department entrance exam was held in a large, tiered lecture hall.
Elonia was the last to arrive.
There was still time before the exam began, but no other students entered after her.
She found an empty seat.
It wasn’t a particularly conspicuous spot, but Elonia, the only nine-year-old among thirteen-year-olds, stood out regardless of where she sat, both in stature and status.
She ignored the students stealing glances at her and reached for the quill Artius had given her.
“Silence, everyone.”
The proctor entered the hall.
The students, recognizing the proctor, murmured amongst themselves.
Elonia was no exception.
‘She’s crazy.’
Why was Caroline here?
The proctors were usually the department heads, just like for the interviews, but as far as Elonia knew, Caroline had never personally proctored an exam before.
And Elonia was the Imperial Princess.
She might not want to stand out, but it was inevitable.
Everyone knew that Caroline wasn’t easily swayed by status, but this was a blatant display of favoritism, bordering on an advertisement.
The assistant, standing beside Caroline, looking resigned, distributed the exam papers.
“You have three hours. Begin.”
And so, the exam began.