A child who could be cuddled like a soft doll. A little child who followed her around.

A kind, comfortable, and cute younger brother.

But Kirian had no intention of remaining like himself back then.

So when his sister said it was uncomfortable, although it was an insincere heart, he could not extinguish the hope that flared like a small flame.

Kirian smiled thinly and whispered lowly to the sleeping Reina.

Even if it’s an insincere heart,

“I wish my sister was more uncomfortable.”

So that her heart would race so she couldn’t sleep. So that she wouldn’t close her eyes, missing the unseen face. So that her chest would feel tight even from a small breath.

“Just as much as I’m uncomfortable.”

The next day, I arrived early at the classroom for the first lesson.

Since the Duchess has never bent her educational philosophy that I was still of playing age since I was eight, I’ve never taken a proper lesson.

Fortunately, reading and writing were no problem, but there will definitely be a difference compared to other noble young ladies who have received strict home education.

So I waited for the class to start, somewhat nervous.

“Princess Reina.”

Esmeralda came over with a pleasant greeting. And then briefly hesitated.

“Princess, you seem to be quite studious.”

Esmeralda looked at my writing tools and notebook, neatly arranged on the desk. The notebook’s top already had the name of the class, the teacher’s name, date, and time written on it.

I nodded with a serious expression.

“I decided to attend the academy, so I’ll study hard.”

It won’t hurt to maintain high grades for later employment with the academy diploma when I become independent.

Even if I gather enough money to play for a lifetime, playing all the time will be boring, so I might work as a hobby.

“Princess is amazing. Not only skilled in martial arts but also deeply knowledgeable in academics.”

Esmeralda sat beside me, admiring.

Her perception of me was significantly distorted since the archery competition, but no matter how much I denied, Esmeralda would just say, ‘The princess is really modest.’

“Haha.”

I couldn’t muster the courage to correct Esmeralda’s misguided preconceptions, so I just laughed it off.

Then the teacher entered and courteously greeted us.

“Hello. I am Miss Fortz. I will be teaching you the history of the Empire.”

Miss Fortz looked around at us with a refreshing smile.

“Now, I’m thinking of giving a simple test to check your general historical knowledge. I will call out one by one and ask questions.”

Test? Calling out?

I froze for a moment.

The surprise attack was unlike any other surprise attack.

I could only remember the stories the Duchess had told me about the Empire’s history a long time ago.

Kirian Istira, the first Duke of Istira, founded the Empire, but he found it bothersome to rule the country, so he handed the throne over to his own subordinate.

But when Miss Ports asked for an explanation about the Empire’s founding history, I couldn’t say, “The first Emperor was so lazy that he handed all his work to his subordinate, and this trend continues to this day,” could I?

And beyond the founding, I knew nothing else about the Empire.

I watched the students answer the questions one by one anxiously.

Everyone answered smoothly, and every time, Miss Ports nodded with a bright smile.

“Why did the first Emperor of the Empire abdicate the throne?”

The question was directed at Esmeralda.

I looked at Esmeralda, wondering what her answer would be.

“The first Emperor believed that he could not simply issue commands from the palace while the people were fighting against the demons. So despite ascending to the highest place, he handed over his position to his aide, who had served him since childhood, to lead the demon extermination himself.”

Was that how it was packaged?

I looked at Esmeralda with new eyes. She was not merely weak and nice. She was a girl who knew how to live in society.

But Miss Ports seemed quite satisfied, nodding her head heavily.

“That’s right. The Istira Duke’s family has always thought of the ordinary people who suffer from demons, and to this day, they lead the demon extermination with a spirit of sacrifice.”

A spirit of sacrifice?

I was once again taken aback in my mind.

A spirit of sacrifice was nonsense.

Kirian had been tormenting the demons in the back mountain since he was young.

More than once, I had been startled by the scream of a demon while engrossed in reading a novel.

I had seen the scene outside the window, but as I watched Kirian chasing after the fleeing demon with laughter, I even began to feel sorry for the demon.

That feeling vanished when I read the occasional news of demon attacks.

Even the Duke would occasionally come back from the palace, rolling his shoulders and saying, “I worked too hard, and my body’s stiff. I need to loosen up,” and head out with his sword.

The next day, the newspaper would feature headlines like “Duke Istira swiftly exterminates the Hydra threatening the coastal village.”

To them, demons were nothing more than an immersive VR game.

But Miss Ports seemed to know nothing of this, and tenderly covered one cheek with her hand.

“We must all remember to be thankful for the Duke Istira’s family.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, glancing at me.

“Next is Princess Reina!”

Miss Ports fell into thought for a moment.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt while waiting for the question.

“Ah, how about this question?”

Finally, Miss Ports opened her mouth.

“When was the Empire founded?”