喵绅HCMOIC士网页版

Chapter 98

Chapter 98

“We’ve arrived, Your Highness… Your Highness?”

She’s still using that title, even though I asked her not to.

“Please don’t call me ‘Your Highness’ anymore. All of you.”

“But, Your Highness…”

“We’re in the Empire now. I’m not a princess here, just a student. I’d rather not draw attention to myself.”

“But…”

I gently patted the shoulder of my maid, who had accompanied me on this long journey. She never complained, even though she had been brought to this distant land because of me. She could have left countless times, but she stayed by my side until the end.

That’s precisely why I couldn’t bear to hear the title ‘Your Highness’ anymore. If we clung to that formality, I feared it would only lead to more hardship for both of us.

“Please, call me by my name.”

“I cannot do that!”

“Come on. Try it. ‘Lefia’.”

It was a bit of a comical scene—me insisting she use my name, and her adamantly refusing.

But as always, she eventually gave in.

“…Then, I shall only use that name while we are in the Empire. Please forgive my impertinence.”

“Of course. I can certainly forgive that much.”

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would ever return to my homeland. Knowing my sister, she would likely find any excuse to keep me in the Empire indefinitely.

She probably figured it was easier to have me in a foreign land than to deal with the hassle of keeping tabs on me back home.

“Shall we go then?”

As I stepped out of the carriage, the majestic main building of the academy came into view.

It was breathtakingly grand. A gasp escaped my lips. I had heard tales of the Imperial Academy’s splendor, but I had assumed they were somewhat exaggerated.

I was wrong. It wasn’t exaggerated at all. If anything, it was understated.

“…It’s incredible.”

“I heard on the way here that this is only a small part of the Imperial Academy, Your High… ahem, Miss Lefia.”

“Really? Just how large is it to warrant such a statement?”

“I’ve heard that the grounds of this Imperial Academy are comparable to the size of a city.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but gasp in awe. A city-sized campus, you say?

So this is why everyone says it’s worth studying abroad at the Imperial Academy. If the sheer size is that impressive, the caliber of the people here must be extraordinary as well.

Just as I was about to take a leisurely stroll with my maid, a group of people approached us.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Your Highness. We are from the Imperial Academy…”

“No, not a princess. I’m a first-year student here to study abroad at the Imperial Academy. My name is Lefia.”

“Your Highness?”

The Imperial Academy officials seemed momentarily taken aback. However, they soon nodded in understanding, cleared their throats, and spoke again.

“We’ve been waiting for you, student Lefia. The Ministry of Education would like to provide you with more detailed information regarding your academic life here, so we would appreciate it if you could accompany us.”

“As a foreign exchange student in the Empire, it’s only natural. Let’s go.”

I must not act arrogantly, clinging to my pride as a princess. If any issues arise between the Empire and my kingdom, I will undoubtedly be abandoned.

Objectively speaking, the Empire holds an overwhelming advantage over my kingdom. I’ve been taught that a wise person knows when and where to bow their head.

“I assume the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave you a brief overview on your way here.”

“Yes, they gave me a brief explanation about my upcoming academic life. I understood it right away.”

“Seeing you, student Lefia, it seems we don’t need to worry about your academic performance. To be honest, we’ve seen many noble children of the Empire barely scraping by, on the verge of expulsion. Hahaha!”

By using their own nobles as an example, they are subtly warning me, in the least offensive way possible, that ‘even foreign royalty is not exempt when it comes to academic performance.’

They are making it clear that while they will respect the basics, there will be no special treatment for me just because I am a princess of another kingdom.

This is the Empire, after all. They are saying they will protect their own pride, but they won’t be swayed by external pressures.

“…And, yes, we heard the news. There was a slightly worrisome incident on your way here, wasn’t there?”

“It was just a minor incident. In the end, no one was hurt.”

“That’s a relief. We were worried it might cause difficulties between our two nations.”

Hearing those words, I suddenly recall that moment. And following that, that gentleman as well.

“That reminds me, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“I’m listening.”

“The gentleman who saved me… who is he?”

“Pardon?”

The reaction from the Imperial official is quite peculiar. It’s as if he’s asking me, ‘You don’t know who he is? Really?’

“Did… the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not tell you anything?”

“Well, due to the damage to the carriage, we had to undergo an inspection by the priests, and then we only received apologies from the Ministry officials. I didn’t even have a chance to ask.”

“Ah, I understand.”

The man scratched his nose, shrugged his shoulders, and continued.

“He is a noble of the Empire, Karl Adelheit. He is also the heir to the County of Friedrich.”

Ah, so he’s a noble. Well, with looks that handsome, it’s only natural that he would be—

“He single-handedly rescued hundreds of Imperial soldiers and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. He also received another Medal of Honor for thwarting various wrongdoings by the Luzernes.”

“…Huh?”

Wait, what? Hold on a minute.

“Excuse me, if I’m not mistaken… the Imperial Medal of Honor is…”

“It’s likely the same Medal of Honor you’re thinking of. In the glorious history of the Empire, only a few dozen have received it. It’s truly a testament to honor and glory.”

Seeing his expression and tone of voice filled with such emotion, I think I know what he’s talking about. I’m certain of it.

The Imperial Medal of Honor. I’ve heard that just receiving it once inscribes your name in the history of the Empire.

One’s social status is not considered when awarding it. It’s solely based on what one has achieved on the battlefield, what honorable deeds they have done to further the glory of the Empire.

Even our kingdom has something similar to the Medal of Honor. The difference is that in our kingdom, the recipients are limited to knights.

“He must be a remarkable person. I’ve heard it’s incredibly difficult to receive the Medal of Honor. He must have been a good officer who cared for his subordinates.”

“Pardon? No, Karl Adelheit was an enlisted soldier.”

…What? What is he talking about? Didn’t he say he was a noble? The heir to a count?!

But a soldier? Aren’t only commoners allowed to enlist in the Imperial Army?!

“He voluntarily enlisted as a soldier. He was recognized for his various achievements and was honorably discharged as a sergeant, but his status as an enlisted soldier remains unchanged. Are you hearing all of this for the first time, student Lefia? I heard it was even known in your kingdom.”

“Well… I try to avoid outside news as much as possible.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

I thought that if I showed too much curiosity about the outside world, I might receive harsh looks from my sisters.

Since I was supposed to remain neutral, I had to pretend to be uninterested in any news. I thought it would be enough to just act like a bird in a cage, an ignorant princess.

…Well, looking back now, it was a pointless endeavor.

“Anyway, that’s the kind of person he is. Oh, and not too long ago, he also received the Legion of Honor from the elves.”

“The Legion of Honor… Are you referring to the Légion d’honneur?”

“Oh, you know about that too? Yes, that’s the Légion d’honneur.”

What the…? Why did the elves give him that? Those elves, known for their pride, gave their highest honor, a legacy from their past that they consider their greatest history, to a human?

Is that even possible? Receiving the Medal of Honor twice is already surprising enough, but what’s this about an award from the elves?

“And recently, the Radiant Church has been personally calling him a benefactor, or a Blessed One, treating him with great respect. He recovered a sacred relic of the Church that had been lost for decades.”

“I vaguely heard the news about the recovery of the Church’s sacred relic. I heard His Holiness the Pope was overjoyed. But surely… even that was done by this Karl…”

I stare blankly at the ground. So I was embraced by such a person. Such a person saved me. Me, who was practically cast out, despite being a princess. Such a person accepted me.

‘Good heavens.’

It feels like a jolt of electricity. The happy future I briefly dreamed of is immediately put back in its place.

I simply thought of him as a noble. A good person who readily offered kindness and never hesitated to save others.

She embraced the excitement, thinking that if she ever saw him again, she would thank him, ask his name, and maybe even try to get a little closer.

‘But no. That was impossible.’

They were far too extraordinary, someone I couldn’t even compare myself to. It would be presumptuous of me to even speak to them.

If I ever saw them again, I should probably apologize for intruding.

* * *

“Ah, there she comes.”

Eloise, who had been lounging on a bench, stretched and stood up.

Her gaze was fixed on Lefia, who was being guided somewhere by a group of people.

“Looks like you’ve heard the news too, Eloise.”

Selena sat across from her, her expression stiff.

“Yes, I have. How did you find out? But more importantly, Selena, who’s that woman next to them?”

“It’s a long story. But I can tell you one thing. She’s your classmate. You’ll both be first-years.”

“Hmm.”

Eloise looked at the red-haired human girl sitting next to Selena.

‘She’s not ordinary.’

There are just some things you can sense. And in that regard, Eloise’s assessment was this—

If she became an enemy, it wouldn’t just be nighttime walks that were scary. Every path would become a terrifying prospect.