Due to the curse cast by the chieftain of the monster tribe, Lumia had never revealed herself to the world. Having never mingled with other nobles and, apart from her family, associated only with her handmaiden and Gelwood, she remained unaware of the vicious underbelly of aristocratic society.
Of course, she had received an education from Sir Gelwood and her father, but the gap between someone who had lived that knowledge since childhood and someone like her, who had merely heard about it, was inevitably vast.
“Wow… So this is the Royal Academy…!”
For Lumia, it was simply important to receive professional education at the kingdom’s best academy.
“Hoho, you really seem pleased?”
Now arriving at the Royal Academy with Ronica, her now-deceased handmaiden, Lumia felt all her fatigue wash away, replaced by pure joy despite this being her first arduous journey.
It felt like she had stepped into a whole new world; the scenery of the academy grounds was brimming with excitement.
“Yes! It’s truly amazing!”
The entrance ceremony was held almost immediately. Numerous young nobles gathered in the auditorium.
“There are so many people…”
There were at least a hundred students present.
Among them, Lumia stood nervously as she followed the principal and recited the oath, her voice strong and clear.
“I swear! Article 1! In the pursuit of learning, there is no higher or lower status; under the sacred scholarship, everyone is equal!”
Lumia genuinely cherished that phrase.
Having had to conceal her identity due to the curse, she was unable to disguise herself as anyone of higher rank than a baroness without the risk of exposure. Therefore, she had to become a baroness from some unheard-of border territory, making this oath perfect for her situation.
Thus,
“Professor! I have a question!”
Lumia embraced her education wholeheartedly, following the first article of the oath without concern for status.
She was simply too happy.
Unlike her past days of solitary study filled with worries, now there was someone to instantly answer her questions.
She passionately engaged during class and, after school, without hesitation, sought out her professors to clarify her doubts.
It felt like a new world had unfolded before her.
The dull days of her past seemed to be rewarded, as her pursuit of knowledge took flight.
She sat in the front row during lectures and was always the first to raise her hand in response to the professors’ questions.
But that enthusiasm became her downfall.
Unbeknownst to her, Lumia did not understand the grim realities of noble society and failed to recognize the futility of the oath forbidding class distinctions.
As a result, she attracted the scornful stares of Deron’s gang.
That was when it began.
For the mere reason that a nameless baroness from a border territory dared to speak up during class, her harrowing ordeal commenced.
“You insolent girl! If you’re of low birth, just keep your head down.”
“W-Why are you doing this…? We all swore an oath…”
“Hahaha! An oath? What nonsense are you spouting, you foolish girl?”
“I… I just want to learn…”
“Oh? You want to learn, huh? Congratulations, you can learn from us starting now.”
“W-What will I learn…?”
“Life lessons, you little brat!”
Thwack!
Thump!
“Kya!”
Every day, Lumia was dragged to the back of the schoolyard, where she had to endure terrible experiences.
Her face bore bruises, her neck was cut, but no one came forward to help her or even apply ointment to her wounds. Thus, she suffered for three years, enduring a myriad of tortures, including cruel games of tag and group harassment.
“Heh heh! If you get caught, you’re a goner! So better run fast, little brat.”
“P-Please… stop it…”
Crack!
“Ahhh!”
“You stupid girl! Whether we stop or keep going is up to us! Now, since I’m feeling generous, I’ll give you ten seconds to run.”
Simply because she was bothersome.
That was how brutally she was treated.
Even so, Lumia did not give up.
With a bruised face, she sat in the front row, doing her best, pouring herself into her studies and experiments.
Despite the fact that her enthusiasm and stubbornness might only provoke them further, she refused to surrender.
As a result of her determination, she enjoyed the honor of being named a top student.
And then,
“Damn it! So you’re going to share that glory with us, right?”
Deron’s gang also became top students, ultimately graduating as valedictorians.
For Lumia, who only wanted to learn, this didn’t feel unfair.
She was only sad that she had to leave the Academy after three years.
“Heh heh. So, our miserable destiny is finally over? Feeling relieved, Erenscia?”
“Now we don’t have to see your face again, so smile. Heh heh.”
“Live well! Don’t forget the life lessons we’ve taught you over these three years!”
That was the end of it.
The three years of hell had concluded so anticlimactically.
But she wasn’t resentful.
It was relieving, as they had said.
She would never see them again.
She would never meet them again.
Returning to the Northern Regions, Lumia worked harder than ever to forget the memories of the past. It seemed those memories were gradually fading away.
The pain and scars she had suffered appeared to disappear into oblivion.
No,
Had their names not appeared on the candidate list, they surely would have vanished.
But when she saw their names, the throbbing of her scars began anew… If only the suppressed memories hadn’t rekindled…
If only they hadn’t flared up after I’d done my best to bury them.
And in that moment, Lumia realized.
Three years of hell were not something that could be easily forgotten.
“Oh, here come the candidates.”
Lumia opened her eyes at Gelwood’s remark.
And then she saw,
Kyle running toward them from a distance.
Behind him, Blund dashed over, his face as pale as snow.
And lastly, Deron, whose face wore the same somber expression she had during those horrifying games of tag.
A smile almost escaped her lips, but she forced herself to hold it back.
Since they had gone in the opposite direction of Elden, they likely hadn’t brought back the crest.
They probably just gave up after being chased by the massive monsters lurking in the caves.
Lumia stood up and decided to personally greet Kyle.
“Ho ho. You’ve returned early! How was it?”
It was scary.
It was terrible.
I’d like to give up.
Those were the words Lumia wished to hear.
But…
“Look here! Your Grace!”
What Kyle pulled out was none other than the crest of the Grand Duchy—a crest that should have belonged to Elden and was supposed to be in the cave a good 800 meters northeast.
Lumia took it from him.
“……”
“I nearly died, Your Grace! But I brought it back after a fierce struggle!”
“……”
Soon after, Blund and Deron arrived.
They both looked like they had a lot to say, but instead just shot Kyle a glare, leaving Lumia utterly uninterested in whatever drama had unfolded among them.
Shivering.
Trying to suppress her trembling hands, Lumia asked Kyle, barely managing to keep calm.
“Elden… You didn’t see Lord Elden, did you?”
“What?”
“Wasn’t Lord Elden there?”
“Your Grace, why do you care about him—”
“Answer my question.”
Kyle was caught completely off guard. Somehow, after handling the Winterfell crest, the Third Northern Duchess was less than pleased.
Indeed, Lumia was furious.
“Ah…Well, he wasn’t there…?”
She sighed deeply, her grip on the crest tightening.
Just the thought of that good-for-nothing man, that villain, whom she even confessed her feelings to, sent a shiver down her spine.
She had employed her very last resort, one that she loathed to use due to the disgust it brought her.
But where in the world was Elden, who had headed northeast?
Lumia was seething with rage.
It was humiliating.
Despite her confession,
Despite visiting Ariel,
She found herself facing another failure.
Lumia was beginning to suspect that Elden hadn’t even tried.
His absence felt like a rejection of her confession.
She shook with anger.
Her face flushed with shame.
She had dedicated so much planning to a strategy that had a guaranteed 100% success rate.
It was full proof!
How could it not work?
After all, she had promised him victory, so his participation was practically assured.
That fierce motivation was entirely necessary to show Elden just how terrifying the deadly game of tag could be!
What in the world was going on?
Why did her plans never feel like they bore fruit?
Her stomach churned with frustration, and she swallowed down feelings of nausea as she scribbled a confession note, only to end up as the butt of the joke.
Could it be possible that she miscalculated from the very start?
Did Elden really withdraw out of a desire for atonement?
Ridiculous.
That wasn’t possible!
It couldn’t be!
“Your Grace…? So I won the second evaluation…right…?”
“Shut up.”
Lumia snapped at Kyle, her frustration spilling over.
Her emotions were completely clouding her rational thought.
She had utilized the sacred festival of her family as a means for vengeance, and so she had to win. But Elden, the slippery snake, always seemed to escape her grasp.
And just then,
“……!”
Elden appeared on the forest path, casually strolling back to the starting point.
He was munching on some fruit like it was no big deal.
Seeing him so carefree lit a spark of fury within Lumia.
She was at her limit.
She wanted nothing more than to stride over and slap his smirking face.
But, remembering how her own feelings mirrored the malice Deron and his crew displayed toward her over the past three years, she bit her tongue and held herself back.
At last,
Smash-!
Lumia tossed the emblem that Kyle had brought to the ground, storming her way down the mountain.
The emblem hit a rock and shattered into pieces.
Just like Lumia’s ideals and convictions shattered along with it that day.
As Elden reached the starting point, taking a loud crunch out of his fruit, he looked over at the frozen expressions of Deron and Blund and asked them,
“What’s going on? The mood seems rather off.”
Crunch, Crunch-!
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