“People flocked to you too?”

Kirian’s eyes sharpened for a moment.

“No,” I was about to answer but then remembered that on the first day they did gather around me. Specifically, when five carriages showed up. Thinking about it, I only got scolded.

I was too embarrassed to say this, so I beat around the bush.

“No one was interested.”

Kirian’s eyes relaxed again.

“That’s a relief.”

I didn’t know why my lack of popularity was a relief, but Kirian’s face was more relaxed.

“Why did you suddenly enroll? You’re not even of age yet.”

I casually threw the question that Kirian had been avoiding once again. Kirian tilted his head towards me, his face puzzled for a moment.

“I thought you might have no friends, so I came to be your friend.”

He grinned slightly.

“I did well coming since no one was interested.”

“Ha!”

I let out an involuntary hollow laugh at Kirian’s shameless, mischievous smile.

(This is a time separator.)

Kirian silently watched Reina eat her food combatively.

Perhaps she was upset, for she gave short answers to questions and occasionally glanced at him resentfully.

But that was fine too.

I felt sorry for Reina, but I had no intention of honestly divulging why I enrolled in the academy.

I enrolled fearing that something might happen at the banquet as I had told my parents, but I had other purposes as well.

“Are you upset, sister? I’m sorry.”

Reina shrugged her shoulders, wearing a puzzled expression.

“Me? Upset? I don’t know what you mean. I messed up the test and have no friends, so why would I be upset? I feel great.”

Kirian chuckled and pushed his portion of dessert towards Reina.

“I keep feeling sorry whenever I’m with you.”

It seemed it was time to break off his sister’s engagement.

(This is a time separator.)

After dinner, Kirian escorted Reina to the dormitory before heading to the men’s dormitory.

Unlike with Reina, thanks to the duke who hadn’t sent a single letter, there was no penthouse on the top floor of the men’s dormitory, not even a vacancy. Master Grims repeatedly bowed in apology, but Kirian thought it worked out well.

Thanks to that, he could choose a roommate.

When Kirian opened the door to the room he would be using, the roommate who had arrived earlier clumsily stood up.

“Hello, Your Highness.”

Towards the awkwardly bowing roommate, Kirian gestured for him to be at ease.

“Just call me by my name.”

Despite Kirian’s refusal, his still tense roommate nodded, bowed again, and introduced himself.

“I’m the second prince of Cxia, Gerald Cxia. Please call me by my name as well.”

Kirian reached out with a broad smile.

“Nice to meet you, Prince Gerald. I’ve always wanted to meet you, and it seems our paths have crossed.”

(This is a time separator.)

A few days later, a letter from the King of Cxia arrived for me.

“To Princess Reina Istira,

I have sent a letter to my son as well, but I am writing to you because I think he might not have told you.

Next month, I will give both princes the opportunity to attend the cabinet meeting.”
Every year during the rainy season, the damage from the monster Elding’s attacks was severe, so this would be a place to propose a solution.

I am looking forward to showing a good side at the charity party.

King Leopold II of Ksia

P.S. I heard you failed the etiquette test. I express my regret.」

I read the letter several times, covering only the last line, and chewed over its contents.

It was clear that the test was for the crown prince’s position.

And I had an obligation to do my best to help him as Hees’s contracted fiancé.

As soon as the class was over, I carefully cut out the last line of the letter with a letter knife and went to the upperclass building where Hees was taking classes.

I could easily find Hees, who was a head taller than others.

“Sorry for coming out of nowhere. Can we talk for a moment?”

Hees greeted me cheerfully, who had come without notice.

“It’s really nice that you came out of nowhere?”

Hees was good at even paying empty compliments.

Moving to the library, I handed him the letter right away.

“I received a letter today.”

As soon as he saw the signature written on the last line of the letter, Hees’s expression suddenly darkened.

“Ah, the letter has reached Reina as well.”

I banged on the library desk.

“You should have told me as soon as this happened. It seems that time is running out now, what were you thinking?”

Hees gave a bitter smile.

“I didn’t want to burden Reina as the charity party just finished, and you’ve been working hard for months.”

Hees looked at me with worried eyes, not knowing that I had blown all the points I had earned at the charity party in the etiquette test.

I felt a pang of guilt, but I couldn’t tell Hees about the etiquette test because it was embarrassing.

I will make up for it in the State Council.

I waved my hand, vowing to work twice as hard as I did at the charity party.

“Ah, Hees, you’re so goodnatured that it’s a flaw. How are you going to survive in this harsh world?”

I snatched the letter back and flicked it.

“I’m fine, so let’s plan quickly.”

Hees eventually nodded.

“Okay. Let’s think about the strategy together.”

As I quickly took out paper and pen, Hees grabbed my hand to stop me.

“But, don’t overdo it.”

At Hees’s firm voice, I paused.

“If you overdo it, I won’t attend the State Council at all.”

Hees was indeed too good to be true. I waved my hand again.

“Ah, don’t worry. There’s no need to overdo it.”

As I comforted Hees’s hand and picked up the pen again, I paused ambitiously as I began to write the first sentence.

“By the way, what is Elding?”

Looking at Hees’s awkwardly frozen smile, I seemed to have asked another question that lacked basic knowledge.