37

Reeling.

Her legs were weak. Her head thought she shouldn't do this, but her body didn't work out. She was no longer able to stand on her two feet, so she collapsed as if she had fallen into place.

"Miss Lucia!"

There was a cry of surprise from Cecilia. Her head and vision were spinning. The mental panic caused her body to collapse without being able to endure it..

And the focus of vision that turned white gradually returned. The light that had been pouring out whenever she blinked helplessly gradually became in shape. He had a fairer skin than most ladies. He also had a high nose. His melancholy eyes were so deep that she wanted to keep looking at them, jet black.

"…!"

Elena's eyes were strained by the fact that it was black. Her whole body's senses returned, and she realized that it was someone's arm that was firmly supporting her back and waist.

'Y-Your Majesty.'

It was Crown Prince Sian who reflexively supported Elena, who lost her balance and collapsed.

"… Let me go."

When she finally tried to get up, Elena's gaze collided with Sian's gaze looking down at her.

Oh, how hurt she was by that indifferent look. It remained a place of entertainment that would not be erased by any ointment or treatment, and she has suffered until now. She didn't want to face him anymore. If she could heal this pain, she would erase him from her memory one by one.

"Let me go, please."

At Elena's urging, Sian felt strange. He tried to hide it, but why did that look in her eyes, staring at him, make her look so sad and pained.

"Are you alright? You have to go see a doctor!"

Cecilia made a fuss next to her apparently worried. However, Elena shook her head, barely standing up with Sian's support.

"Get some rest, and I'll feel better."

"Your complexion is not so good."

"… I want to rest."

With Elena's desperate eyes, Cecilia could no longer force her to speak. Elena barely managed to recover her body and mind, but showed perfect manners as usual and thanked her.

"I thank Your Highness the Crown Prince for his care."

"…"

Sian's eyes looking at Elena, expanded slightly. Even in the event that she was not feeling well enough to fall into a state of unconsciousness, the etiquette and movements that Elena displayed were so painstaking that they could be used as an example for the royal family. It was an exemplary appearance that seemed to be a direct rewrite of the saying that the royal family should not be disturbed until the moment of death.

"Are you sure you're okay? I'll take you to the dorm."

"No, I really want to be alone. Let me go, please."

Elena, who asked Cecilia for understanding, turned around. So much for the ugliness. She clenched her back teeth and kept her balance so that the line would not collapse. She didn't want to look ugly until her final return. It was a self-respect that Elena wanted to protect until the end.

"I can't. I don't feel comfortable sending her as it is."

Cecilia could not resist seeing Elena walking and tried to follow her again.

"Are you worried about her."

"How can I just let her go when she might fall again!"

Sian saw Elena moving away with a casual glance and calmly stopped her.

"It seems that she needs more than your concern… The respect that you send her pretending not to know."

"Your Highness is saying things again that I don't know."

Cecilia did not hide her frustration, as if she thought the language was lost on him. Sian stood at the corner and watched Elena until she was so far away that she was smaller than his fingernails.

Who the hell was that young lady? It was certainly a quality that made her seem simple, but why did this quality also ooze the discipline and moderation that was found in the adults of the imperial family?

He wondered constantly, but he didn't have time to dwell on trivial questions. It was more urgent for him to go directly to the west side of the academy, which was not easy to get to.

"Let's finish what we haven't said, Cecilia."

There was a female student who was watching Elena from a distance, as if she was barely walking, not knowing when she would collapse. The schoolgirl's name was Mitchell. For a while, she belonged to Princess Veronica's faction, but now she was riding the line and following Avella, the eldest daughter of Duke Reinhardt's family.

"What, a fly's entangled again?"

She came after Cecilia, who looked like a thorn in the eye, and saw Elena. Although she pretended to be sick, it seemed to be an obvious move to attract Sian's attention.

"I'll let Lady Avella know as soon as possible."

Mitchell twisted her mouth as she watched Elena move away. She was already looking forward to seeing how Avella would punish the bitch who wagged her tail at Crown Prince Sian.

***

"…"

Elena leaned against the lamp post as she finally left the scene. Her pale face looked like a sick person who could have collapsed at any moment. Elena walked with heavy steps on the bench in the square. Then she sat down and collapsed.

Her mind was still in turmoil. At this moment, Elena seemed to be the only one left alone in the square, where countless students were passing by. Her mind was foggy. She didn't think about anything. She didn't hear a sound.

"Just… A little bit…"

She was out of sorts and her consciousness was becoming more and more blurry. As if her body and mind had reached this point, it forced her to rest.

Elena fell asleep on the bench. But her mind was awake and tormented her with memories of the past that she didn't want to think about.

"I will no longer be hung up on Your Majesty. I can't see Ian hurt because of me."

Elena nodded at the nightmare. A pained groan came from between her lips. Her expression was painfully contorted and her forehead and neck were damp with cold sweat.

"Ah!"

Elena woke up with a scream. Her breathing was unsteady and her complexion was as pale as ever, as if the lingering effects of the nightmare were still lingering. Still, she felt much lighter than before because she had rested a little.

Elena, having trouble getting up from the bench, felt a sense of incongruity. She felt uncomfortable and she had a tight back. Her head turned to the blatant gaze of someone.

"…!"

Elena couldn't believe her eyes. It was a good thing that she didn't have the energy, but under normal circumstances, she would have screamed in surprise. It was such a hair-raising surprise.

'Why is this man here?'

Ren sat with his legs crossed at the end of the bench, staring at Elena with his unique stiff eyes.

'Since when were you here? No, what's more?'

Normally, she would have responded with instantaneous energy, but today she could not. Her body wasn't feeling well, and her sharp mind seemed to have stiffened up, so she couldn't fulfill her role.

"Who are you?"

Ren snapped.

"What are you doing here sleeping?"

"…"

"I'm asking you. Who are you?"

Elena replied because she could no longer ignore what Ren said.

"Oh, hello, senior."

"Introduction, not greeting."

"A freshman who entered this year Lu…"

Ren cut the conversation off.

"Lucia, right?"

"H-how did you get my name?"

Elena's eyes grew wide. The fact that Ren already knew the name of the identity that should be thoroughly hidden was not as welcome as it should have been.

"You must have a name tag?"

"Ah!"

Elena was relieved to see the name tag on her right chest.

'Be calm, Elena.'

Even considering the circumstances before and after, they met by chance. No matter how good Ren was, there was no time to learn about Elena. Elena's distracted spirit became clear as she calmly looked back and discerned the situation.

"Let's continue with the introduction, shall we? Not by name, but by something else."

As Ren continued to show interest, Elena asked back boldly and changed the topic.

"I know you, too. You're Senior Ren from the Sword Department, right?"

"That's not the answer to my question."

When Ren came out too hard, it was Elena's side that was rather embarrassed.

'I'm going crazy. I can't just take it.'

Now, Elena was not Princess Veronica. It was unreasonable to think that Lucia, the daughter of an upper-deck lord, would be strong enough to stand up to Ren, who might be leading the emerging nobility of the empire. She was going crazy with worry, but she had to maintain a low profile.

"I think it would be boring for you to know about me. Because I'm nothing important."

"You, am I funny?"

As Elena continued to slink away, Ren lowered his voice and stared at her. His untamed eyes were the most menacing thing in the world.

"No."

"But why do you keep changing the subject? Why don't we finish introducing ourselves?"

Elena was tense. She couldn't think of any way out of this situation.

It was then. A big raindrop fell and soaked Elena's nose.

'Rain?'

The sky, which had been clear earlier, disappeared and dark clouds loomed thickly. The number of raindrops, which had been falling one or two at a time, increased geometrically and soaked her shoulders. Elena was very grateful for the sudden rain that had come at a completely inopportune time.

"I'm not feeling well… Can I put off my introduction for next time?"

Immediately, the raindrops became thicker. The students who were relaxing in the square ran into a nearby building to take shelter from the rain.

"Isn't it the consideration of a senior to be fooled by the excuses of a junior? Goodbye then."

Elena said goodbye with a smile that was just enough not to look ugly, and tried to escape as if she was running away without looking back.

'I'm glad he didn't catch me. The crisis seems to have been averted… Huh? Uh!'

She was relieved to think that she had escaped from Ren, but it was a disaster.

Elena's foot, which stood up from the bench and was only looking forward, caught something.

"Oh!"

Elena lost her balance and fell cheek-to-cheek as she weighed forward. Reflecting on the floor, her palm was peeled off, and her stockings were torn to the ground and wounded.

"I didn't tell you to go?"

Elena, who fell on the ground, raised her head, and Ren, who deliberately tripped her, looked down with an evil smile.

Reeling.

Her legs were weak. Her head thought she shouldn't do this, but her body didn't work out. She was no longer able to stand on her two feet, so she collapsed as if she had fallen into place.

"Miss Lucia!"

There was a cry of surprise from Cecilia. Her head and vision were spinning. The mental panic caused her body to collapse without being able to endure it..

And the focus of vision that turned white gradually returned. The light that had been pouring out whenever she blinked helplessly gradually became in shape. He had a fairer skin than most ladies. He also had a high nose. His melancholy eyes were so deep that she wanted to keep looking at them, jet black.

"…!"

Elena's eyes were strained by the fact that it was black. Her whole body's senses returned, and she realized that it was someone's arm that was firmly supporting her back and waist.

'Y-Your Majesty.'

It was Crown Prince Sian who reflexively supported Elena, who lost her balance and collapsed.

"… Let me go."

When she finally tried to get up, Elena's gaze collided with Sian's gaze looking down at her.

Oh, how hurt she was by that indifferent look. It remained a place of entertainment that would not be erased by any ointment or treatment, and she has suffered until now. She didn't want to face him anymore. If she could heal this pain, she would erase him from her memory one by one.

"Let me go, please."

At Elena's urging, Sian felt strange. He tried to hide it, but why did that look in her eyes, staring at him, make her look so sad and pained.

"Are you alright? You have to go see a doctor!"

Cecilia made a fuss next to her apparently worried. However, Elena shook her head, barely standing up with Sian's support.

"Get some rest, and I'll feel better."

"Your complexion is not so good."

"… I want to rest."

With Elena's desperate eyes, Cecilia could no longer force her to speak. Elena barely managed to recover her body and mind, but showed perfect manners as usual and thanked her.

"I thank Your Highness the Crown Prince for his care."

"…"

Sian's eyes looking at Elena, expanded slightly. Even in the event that she was not feeling well enough to fall into a state of unconsciousness, the etiquette and movements that Elena displayed were so painstaking that they could be used as an example for the royal family. It was an exemplary appearance that seemed to be a direct rewrite of the saying that the royal family should not be disturbed until the moment of death.

"Are you sure you're okay? I'll take you to the dorm."

"No, I really want to be alone. Let me go, please."

Elena, who asked Cecilia for understanding, turned around. So much for the ugliness. She clenched her back teeth and kept her balance so that the line would not collapse. She didn't want to look ugly until her final return. It was a self-respect that Elena wanted to protect until the end.

"I can't. I don't feel comfortable sending her as it is."

Cecilia could not resist seeing Elena walking and tried to follow her again.

"Are you worried about her."

"How can I just let her go when she might fall again!"

Sian saw Elena moving away with a casual glance and calmly stopped her.

"It seems that she needs more than your concern… The respect that you send her pretending not to know."

"Your Highness is saying things again that I don't know."

Cecilia did not hide her frustration, as if she thought the language was lost on him. Sian stood at the corner and watched Elena until she was so far away that she was smaller than his fingernails.

Who the hell was that young lady? It was certainly a quality that made her seem simple, but why did this quality also ooze the discipline and moderation that was found in the adults of the imperial family?

He wondered constantly, but he didn't have time to dwell on trivial questions. It was more urgent for him to go directly to the west side of the academy, which was not easy to get to.

"Let's finish what we haven't said, Cecilia."

There was a female student who was watching Elena from a distance, as if she was barely walking, not knowing when she would collapse. The schoolgirl's name was Mitchell. For a while, she belonged to Princess Veronica's faction, but now she was riding the line and following Avella, the eldest daughter of Duke Reinhardt's family.

"What, a fly's entangled again?"

She came after Cecilia, who looked like a thorn in the eye, and saw Elena. Although she pretended to be sick, it seemed to be an obvious move to attract Sian's attention.

"I'll let Lady Avella know as soon as possible."

Mitchell twisted her mouth as she watched Elena move away. She was already looking forward to seeing how Avella would punish the bitch who wagged her tail at Crown Prince Sian.

***

"…"

Elena leaned against the lamp post as she finally left the scene. Her pale face looked like a sick person who could have collapsed at any moment. Elena walked with heavy steps on the bench in the square. Then she sat down and collapsed.

Her mind was still in turmoil. At this moment, Elena seemed to be the only one left alone in the square, where countless students were passing by. Her mind was foggy. She didn't think about anything. She didn't hear a sound.

"Just… A little bit…"

She was out of sorts and her consciousness was becoming more and more blurry. As if her body and mind had reached this point, it forced her to rest.

Elena fell asleep on the bench. But her mind was awake and tormented her with memories of the past that she didn't want to think about.

"I will no longer be hung up on Your Majesty. I can't see Ian hurt because of me."

Elena nodded at the nightmare. A pained groan came from between her lips. Her expression was painfully contorted and her forehead and neck were damp with cold sweat.

"Ah!"

Elena woke up with a scream. Her breathing was unsteady and her complexion was as pale as ever, as if the lingering effects of the nightmare were still lingering. Still, she felt much lighter than before because she had rested a little.

Elena, having trouble getting up from the bench, felt a sense of incongruity. She felt uncomfortable and she had a tight back. Her head turned to the blatant gaze of someone.

"…!"

Elena couldn't believe her eyes. It was a good thing that she didn't have the energy, but under normal circumstances, she would have screamed in surprise. It was such a hair-raising surprise.

'Why is this man here?'

Ren sat with his legs crossed at the end of the bench, staring at Elena with his unique stiff eyes.

'Since when were you here? No, what's more?'

Normally, she would have responded with instantaneous energy, but today she could not. Her body wasn't feeling well, and her sharp mind seemed to have stiffened up, so she couldn't fulfill her role.

"Who are you?"

Ren snapped.

"What are you doing here sleeping?"

"…"

"I'm asking you. Who are you?"

Elena replied because she could no longer ignore what Ren said.

"Oh, hello, senior."

"Introduction, not greeting."

"A freshman who entered this year Lu…"

Ren cut the conversation off.

"Lucia, right?"

"H-how did you get my name?"

Elena's eyes grew wide. The fact that Ren already knew the name of the identity that should be thoroughly hidden was not as welcome as it should have been.

"You must have a name tag?"

"Ah!"

Elena was relieved to see the name tag on her right chest.

'Be calm, Elena.'

Even considering the circumstances before and after, they met by chance. No matter how good Ren was, there was no time to learn about Elena. Elena's distracted spirit became clear as she calmly looked back and discerned the situation.

"Let's continue with the introduction, shall we? Not by name, but by something else."

As Ren continued to show interest, Elena asked back boldly and changed the topic.

"I know you, too. You're Senior Ren from the Sword Department, right?"

"That's not the answer to my question."

When Ren came out too hard, it was Elena's side that was rather embarrassed.

'I'm going crazy. I can't just take it.'

Now, Elena was not Princess Veronica. It was unreasonable to think that Lucia, the daughter of an upper-deck lord, would be strong enough to stand up to Ren, who might be leading the emerging nobility of the empire. She was going crazy with worry, but she had to maintain a low profile.

"I think it would be boring for you to know about me. Because I'm nothing important."

"You, am I funny?"

As Elena continued to slink away, Ren lowered his voice and stared at her. His untamed eyes were the most menacing thing in the world.

"No."

"But why do you keep changing the subject? Why don't we finish introducing ourselves?"

Elena was tense. She couldn't think of any way out of this situation.

It was then. A big raindrop fell and soaked Elena's nose.

'Rain?'

The sky, which had been clear earlier, disappeared and dark clouds loomed thickly. The number of raindrops, which had been falling one or two at a time, increased geometrically and soaked her shoulders. Elena was very grateful for the sudden rain that had come at a completely inopportune time.

"I'm not feeling well… Can I put off my introduction for next time?"

Immediately, the raindrops became thicker. The students who were relaxing in the square ran into a nearby building to take shelter from the rain.

"Isn't it the consideration of a senior to be fooled by the excuses of a junior? Goodbye then."

Elena said goodbye with a smile that was just enough not to look ugly, and tried to escape as if she was running away without looking back.

'I'm glad he didn't catch me. The crisis seems to have been averted… Huh? Uh!'

She was relieved to think that she had escaped from Ren, but it was a disaster.

Elena's foot, which stood up from the bench and was only looking forward, caught something.

"Oh!"

Elena lost her balance and fell cheek-to-cheek as she weighed forward. Reflecting on the floor, her palm was peeled off, and her stockings were torn to the ground and wounded.

"I didn't tell you to go?"

Elena, who fell on the ground, raised her head, and Ren, who deliberately tripped her, looked down with an evil smile.