“I heard the Duke’s House is being very frugal.”

Most tried to hide it, but there was a trace of contempt in their expressions.

One of the crowd muttered lowly.

“After all, she’s just a commoner.”

Eliza jumped up.

“You! You! Those rotten things!”

And then rolled up the sleeves of both arms.

“Don’t worry, Miss. I will handle it right away.”

“No!”

I quickly grabbed Eliza, who had reached for the carriage door handle. I didn’t want to create an incident that would be remembered for a long time on the first day of the Academy.

“That’s enough. Let’s not get childish and angry about such things.”

I tried to calm Eliza down calmly.

“But Miss!”

Eliza thrust out her trembling fist.

“My fist is itching like this! Aren’t you even angry?”

“No. It’s not worth it.”

My indifferent attitude finally made Eliza hesitate and sit back down.

“Yes… If that’s what you want, Miss, I have to follow.”

“Thank you. For trusting me.”

The carriage soon stopped at the end of the road, and as soon as we got out, a man with twitching hair hurried to meet us.

“Have you arrived, Your Highness?”

He bent his waist with every word, making me worry about his back.

“Ah… Yes…”

I was taken aback and stuttered.

“I am the headmaster of the Academy, Master Grims.”

He was still busy bowing, the headmaster Grims.

“I see.”

“I have received twenty letters from the Duke requesting your presence for the last three months, and everything is ready.”

Sweat covered Master Grims’s forehead, but he was too busy spilling words to catch his breath.

“I’ve prepared the highestgrade suite for your dormitory room. The furniture was imported from craftsmen from the Eastern Continent, and the uniform was specially made with the highestgrade fabric to fit your size.”

His voice was so loud that the surrounding students could hear.

I turned slightly pale. It was clear that I would receive more resentment for receiving special treatment.

“There’s no need to go that far.”

Before I could say it was unnecessary.

“Ahem. Ahem. I will carefully check it as the Duke’s representative and report back to him.”

Eliza cut in first, and then narrowed her eyes to look Master Grims up and down.

Certainly, here is the translation of the provided text:

“The standard of the academy is far from matching the duke’s house, after all.”

Once again, the murmuring voices of the students were heard.

It seemed only a matter of time before she was branded as a commoner’s daughter who was pretentious and indulged in luxury like in the original work.

“Miss, let’s go see the room first.”

But seeing Eliza’s face burning with a sense of mission, I couldn’t dare to say no.

The dormitory room was just like Principal Grims said, like a hotel suite. It even took up the entire top floor of the building.

The room was filled with glittering things as if they were gilded. The furniture, meticulously carved out of wood, was also coated with gold.

“Is this a party hall or a dormitory room?”

At my brief review, Master Grims nodded his head vigorously.

“As per the duke’s request, I have specially brought items that are too expensive even for the imperial palace.”

I put my hand to my forehead.

At this point, it seemed that 80% of the blame for the original work’s heroine being swept away by such terrible rumors was on the duke and his wife.

“You have worked hard.”

At my single word, the principal started to well up with tears.

“You appreciate my effort, sniff, don’t you?”

“No, no!”

But Eliza poured cold water on it.

“This is not it!”

Sitting on the sofa and trying it, Eliza jumped up.

“The gentle wrapping around the waist and the snugness that doesn’t chafe the hips. At the same time, there should be a solid feeling that supports the legs comfortably! It’s too mushy!”

Master Grims began to pour out sweat like rain.

“Ha, if you say so……”

“Oh, how fortunate that we brought all the duke’s furniture. Isn’t that right, Miss?”

“Uhhuh.”

When I reluctantly replied, Eliza smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry, Miss. I will quickly inspect all the furniture and throw away what needs to be thrown away and select what can be used.”

“Throw away”

Master Grims, who seemed to fall asleep soon, did not care as Eliza rolled up her sleeves and busily moved around the suite room.

“Oh, it would have been a disaster if we hadn’t brought two more carriages. It would have been a big problem if our Miss had used the bad furniture and got a burn on her skin.”

“Bu, burn!”

I quickly signaled to Master Grims, who looked like he would fall backward, that he could go now.

Smooth sailing seemed unlikely from the first day of the academy.

I lay in bed staring at the strange ceiling until late at night.

The stormlike move finally made me feel that I was really in a different place.

I never thought I would miss the oldfashioned furniture and wallpaper of the duke’s room that was strange to me.

And that I would miss the strange lady I had clung to so as not to go to the orphanage.

“Sigh. I’ve been an adult for so long.”

I blinked my eyes.

Not even a child looking for her mother.

“I’ll be independent in a few years.”

Contrary to my grumbling, my heart felt heavy as if a stone was placed on it.

I remembered the duchess’s embrace, holding me tightly until the end.

She will undoubtedly feel left out when I leave far away and become independent.

I was already feeling overwhelmed by how to explain it.

I sighed and tossed again.

That’s when I heard a squeak.

I froze for a moment. A thief? A ghost? Especially in this dark room without a single candle.

I even heard the footsteps approaching.

I clutched the blanket tightly.

And when the footsteps came right up close.

“Haya!”

I threw the blanket over Inyoung’s head and quickly jumped off the bed to run away.

But before the blanket landed on Inyoung’s head, Inyoung caught it too easily. And I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Kirian?”

There was only one person who could move so quickly.

“Why are you here?”

“I had a nightmare. I’m scared. Put me to sleep.”