The situation was mindboggling and suffocating.

When did you make a hurt face for being treated like a flirt?

You acted as if you were the kindest, purest person, and you spread honeyed words all over your mouth, then what? Don’t annoy me?

I’ll never look at you again.

‘Get out of my head! If you come back, I won’t let you go!’

Grinding my teeth, I took out an imaginary mallet.

I beat the annoying little Nikolai in my head.

Bang! Bang! Despite my efforts, they did not disappear.

They were as malicious as the real Nikolai.

“Don’t lie, Elizabeth.”

“You like me too.”

“You’ve already fallen for me, haven’t you?”

“You’re no different from other women, acting aloof.”

“It’s much easier. You’re about to open up just because I treat you a little better.”

I swung my mallet more vigorously.

I wanted to drive away every single strand of Nikolai’s black hair, even a shadow.

But nothing was easy.

I didn’t even know that I was actually waving my arm.

“Elizabeth, what are you doing? Are you hurt?”

Franz asked, half perplexed and half worried.

I finally lowered my arm and let out an awkward laugh.

“A bug…”

“Better say you were doing calisthenics.”

“Yeah, combining it with exercise.”

“…You’re something else.”

How did other teachers endure the contemptuous gaze of a 10yearold?

Was this also included in the job and salary?

Thanks to Nikolai, I could return to being a racehorse running towards victory.

So I couldn’t be easily excited.

“Now, shall we really plan the schedule?”

“You’re finally going to work? That’s great, Elizabeth.”

“As promised, I’m going to drastically reduce the fencing training time.”

“What about theology classes?”

“I’ll put that on hold until I find suitable textbooks.”

“Now you’re talking!”

“Why do you hate theology? Other professors said you were doing well in class.”

“I don’t hate theology; I hate the Goddess of Healing, Morasinshia.”

“Why?”

“She only saves the people she wants to save. What kind of god is that?”

A painful memory seemed to flash across Franz’s cute face.

‘Didn’t he say his mother died of illness? He must remember everything since he’s so smart.’

I pictured Franz praying earnestly to the Goddess of Healing in front of his sick mother, and my heart ached.
The plan to find the second artifact using the Crown Prince had to be revised, but the desire to help Franz was sincere.

I flipped through the thick stack of Franz’s educational materials.

“Emperor studies, economics, foreign languages, instrumental performance grades are excellent. Relatively poor were literature, mathematics.”

“The professors were just incompetent.”

“Don’t blame others, Franz. That’s the most ignorant thing to do.”

“Don’t nag, Elizabeth. It’s normal for a child to be ignorant.”

Ah, my mouth hurts.

With a throbbing head, I changed the question.

“How are the new literature and mathematics professors?”

“The mathematics professor is soso.”

“And the literature professor?”

“He’s the worst.”

Franz stated bluntly.

“I don’t like his appearance from the start. If you’re a man, you should have charisma like His Majesty. He just giggles like a girl.”

“Douglas has a smiling face, but he’s still handsome, isn’t he?”

“Was your taste such a shabby bookworm, Elizabeth? Totally disappointing.”

My real taste was someone tall and lean, with an indifferent expression, cold eyes.

A person with long hair tied tightly together, and eyes blue as the South Pacific sea.

The genius swordsman Claudia, who can defeat the entire elite knight squadron alone.

Normally, I would be resenting my fate of meeting my favorite on the guillotine, but today was different.

Because of the tiny Nikolais that appeared again after erasing Claudia.

‘It’s all about Nikolai. Going around in circles to Nikolai. Is the conclusion Nikolai anyway? Sigh…’

My mind was disturbed.

Especially since Franz began to look at me with contempt again.

Now I really needed to focus on the work.

“Ahem. How will the art class proceed?”

Franz asked, pretending to be uninterested.

“I’m planning to invite an art professor. What do you think as a student?”

“When did you find out?”

“About what?”

“That I… like… drawing.”

What a big secret, Franz stammered.

“You’ve stolen clothes to draw pictures, haven’t you?”

“You’re a quickwitted teacher even though you’re irresponsible.”

“Thank you for the compliment, student.”

“And what else did you find out?”

Franz asked with subtle expectation.

“Your hand’s wound was also a hint.”

“Hand?”

“When you train in swordsmanship, you usually get wounds on your palms. But you had severe wounds inside your middle finger joint. Wounds created by holding a pen with a messy hand? Because you would have forcibly used something that doesn’t fit your hand.”

“That’s right.”

“You must have drawn pictures secretly in the dark. I can tell by the ink splashed on your sleeve.”

Instead of answering, Franz shrugged his shoulders.

Now it was my turn to ask.

“What are you hiding? If you like drawing, just draw.”

“Elizabeth knows only one thing and ignores two others. How will it help the empire if the Crown Prince draws well?”

“What’s wrong with having artistic talent?”

“I’m already criticized as a weak Crown Prince. Just imagine the rumors if I draw pictures in my room. Reducing sword training and increasing art lessons would be the worst choice.”

“But we have to do it.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about anything. I’ll let you draw confidently. Under the best teacher.”

I patted my chest with a gesture of trust.

Franz clapped with a gloomy expression.

“I really want to learn such baseless confidence, Elizabeth.”

“Have I failed so far? Just trust me, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“It sounds like you’re saying you’ll place the precarious Crown Prince on a pedestal. Is this a misunderstanding?”

“You’re sharp for our Franz, aren’t you, even though you have a bad personality?”

“Elizabeth! What are you planning again?”

I was about to answer in a low voice when there was a knock.

Knock, knock.
“Your Highness, it’s Douglas Nettleton. May I come in?”

“Isn’t there a literature class today?”

Franz was puzzled, but he soon allowed him to enter.

I seemed to know the reason why Douglas had come to the Crown Prince’s palace without notice.

‘He’s noticed that I’m avoiding him. What should I do?’