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"That was quite a smooth ride," I commented to Johanne, who had exited before me.

"It\'s all thanks to the upgraded roads," Johanne replied. "The Leonamon company took charge of the highway engineering, constructing roads with concrete and asphalt. They also enhanced the design standards to accommodate modernization, ensuring horse-drawn carriages can travel smoothly and safely. These roads are built to withstand various weather conditions without deterioration.

I must say, Leonamon did an excellent job with this road construction."

"Is that so?" I exclaimed, amazed. I had heard that Leonamon was also the company behind the creation of the "smartphone." Rumor had it that they were responsible for crafting that heavenly-tasting wine and the delectable pastry known as "cake." Furthermore, I had heard that Leonamon was also poised to revolutionize the musical industry, further driving the world toward modernization.

The owner of such a company must indeed be a genius, introducing several innovations that were slowly transforming our world into a modern one.

"I suggest you enlist the owner of the company to our cause, Princess, to ensure their cooperation in your quest to ascend to the throne in the future," Johanne advised.

"I don\'t expect it to be easy to become the Queen of Milham, especially considering there have been no female monarchs in Milham\'s history, and because some of my siblings are also vying for the throne. But I\'ll give it my best shot," I declared.

The people of the Duchy of Sierra welcomed me warmly upon my arrival. The maids bowed as I made my way toward the Sierra estate. Standing at the front of their grand house were Mistress Elara Sierra and her daughter, Charlotte Sierra. Madam Elara greeted me with a curtsy and a slight lift of her elegant skirt.

"Welcome to our humble estate, Princess Myrcella," Elara greeted.

"I appreciate the warm welcome," I replied with a curtsy.

Beside me, Johanne made a gentlemanly bow. "Thank you for allowing me to accompany her."

"As the son of Duke Whitlock, you are also warmly welcomed here," Elara acknowledged. "Anyway, it wouldn\'t do for you both to linger outside. Why not come inside? I\'ll prepare something for you. Would you prefer coffee or tea? I also have some cakes from Leonamon, if you\'re interested."

"I\'d love some tea and cake, please," I requested.

"Tea and cake sound perfect to me as well," Johanne chimed in.

"Vicky, could you please prepare tea and cake for our guests?" Elara ordered a maid who stood behind her.

The maid bowed respectfully. "Yes, Mistress," she replied before swiftly disappearing to attend to the task.

As we made our way into the estate, Elara turned to me. "So, you wish to speak with my daughter, Charlotte, is that correct?"

"Yes, I do," I confirmed.

"Is it concerning the Prince?" Elara inquired.

I noticed a slight change in Charlotte\'s expression at the mention of the Prince.

"Yes," I affirmed.

"In that case, I\'ll leave you three alone to discuss whatever it is you need to," Elara announced.

"Thank you," I replied gratefully.

After leading us to a room and the maid had delivered our refreshments, Elara and the maid exited the room.

I lifted the teacup to my lips, savoring the warmth of the tea. It was perfectly brewed. Setting the cup down, I observed Charlotte, who seemed a bit nervous, her hand trembling slightly as she held her teacup with elegance.

"You appear a bit nervous, Charlotte," I remarked.

Setting down her saucer with the teacup on top, she replied, "Of course I am. Your sudden arrival caught me off guard, Princess. I think anyone would be a bit nervous in this situation."

"Don\'t fret," I comforted her with a gentle smile. "I simply wish to have a conversation. It concerns my brother, Julius, who appears to have strayed from the path and become somewhat of a rebel. As you\'re likely aware, Julius is endeavoring to seize the throne by demanding it from my father should he emerge victorious in the King\'s Game."

"I understand," she replied.

"Do you have any insight into why he\'s behaving this way?"

She seemed hesitant at first, but then she gathered herself and said, "I think I might know why."

"Would you mind sharing?" I prompted.

"I\'ll try to explain..." She took a slight deep breath before continuing, "I believe Prince Julius has ended up this way because of me."

"Why is that?" I inquired, curious about Charlotte\'s reluctance to divulge further information.

"Well, it\'s probably because I may have wronged him in some way. Something that a simple apology won\'t fix," she admitted with a hint of regret in her voice.

"And what could that be?" I pressed, eager to understand the root of Julius\'s grievances.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I\'m afraid I can\'t say more than that."

"And why is that?" I persisted, sensing there was more to the story.

"Because I fear Prince Julius would resent it, and revealing any more might only worsen his feelings," she explained solemnly.

***

After that meeting, I decided to travel back to the Academy City to recruit the people I wanted to join us in the King\'s Game. Just like our journey from the castle to the duchy, the ride was smooth, and I hardly felt the carriage shake.

"Seems like Miss Charlotte is keeping something to herself," Johanne commented.

"Does it seem that way to you?" I replied. "Well, I have a hunch now about why my brother was acting out."

"You do?" Johanne inquired.

"Yes, and it\'s something trivial," I confirmed with a shrug.

Even though Charlotte hadn\'t revealed it, I figured it out on my own. Julius was simply heartbroken because his crush was in love with someone else. That was the extent of it. However, I couldn\'t understand why he was acting so drastically. It seemed unlikely that someone would react so strongly to a mere heartbreak.

I may not have experienced heartbreak myself, but I doubted it could lead to such extreme behavior.

If that was truly the case, then what was driving him to act this way? I had a theory. Those with fragile hearts are easily manipulated, especially when they\'re at their lowest point. I suspected Julius was being manipulated somehow. This meant that his attempt to usurp Father wasn\'t his own idea, but rather the result of someone else behind the scenes, pulling his strings.

If that\'s the case, then my resolve to stop him only grew stronger. I had to put an end to his misguided actions.

"We\'re here, Princess," Johanne announced, peering out the carriage window. I followed his gaze and beheld the grandeur of the Milham Academy of Magic Knights. "I\'ve texted Leon that we\'ve arrived. He said he\'ll come to meet us as soon as possible."

After a while, the carriage came to a halt, and the coachman opened the door. Johanne stepped out first, assisting me as I followed suit. As I emerged, my eyes met with a male student—his black hair, red eyes, and strikingly handsome features rivaling even Johanne\'s, coupled with a tall, muscular physique.

I felt a strange sensation wash over me, nearly causing me to fall to my knees. It was a sensation I had never experienced before. What was this?

Eh? What\'s this? Could this really be the man known as the weakest and most unskilled student in the school? He certainly didn\'t appear that way to me. His physique, the way he carried himself, and even his aura exuded strength. It seemed as though the rumors I\'d heard about him were nothing but lies.

"Nice to meet you," he greeted me with a graceful bow, his movements not as fluid as Johanne\'s but still elegant nonetheless. "I\'m sure you\'ve heard of me already, but allow me to introduce myself anyway. I am Leon. I have no noble lineage, hence no last name. I hope my introduction was satisfactory, Princess."

I was momentarily taken aback, but I quickly composed myself and replied, "It\'s fine. The way you carry yourself suggests you could rival the etiquette of nobility. Did you learn from someone?"

"Thank you for saying that. And as for your question, I did learn it from someone," he replied, nudging the woman next to him, whom I hadn\'t noticed until now. When I turned to look at her, my eyes widened.

"Princess Titania..." I exclaimed. The Princess of the Bethlan Kingdom stood beside him, glaring at me as if I were her mortal enemy. Ah, right. She was going to be my opponent in the next student council presidential race. Was her glare directed at me for that reason? I had heard rumors about Princess Titania and Leon dating, so it wasn\'t difficult to guess why she was here.

But why the hostile glare?

"Just so you know, this man is mine," she declared, hugging Leon possessively. "And I don\'t appreciate you going out of your way to talk to him. Whatever you have to say to him, I\'ll be present too!"