Chapter 40

A Strange Girl… Prince Keith’s Perspective

I am Keith, the second prince of the Kingdom of Lawrence. I look up to my older brother, the first prince Richard. My brother even serves as the Student Council President of the Royal Academy.

Since I had reached the age of ten, I assumed I would commute to the Royal Academy just like Brother Richard and Sister Margaret. However, Father suddenly ordered me to “enter the dormitory.” Until last year, both my brother and sister had been commuting. The Academy is right next to the Royal Palace, so there is no reason we couldn’t. Most nobles commute from their family mansions; only lower-ranking provincial nobles or commoners who passed the entrance exam stay in the dorms.

I wondered why Father suddenly said such a thing, but I couldn’t go against his orders.

“Prince Keith, I shall enter the dormitory as well.”

I was happy that Ralph and Hugo, who used to play with me at the Palace as my schoolmates, joined the dorm as well. There are no attendants in the dormitory. Regardless of what happens during class, it’s lonely not having anyone to talk to.

Brother Richard is entering the dorm too, even though he only has one year left. When I asked if he was dissatisfied with the arrangement, he scolded me.

“Father is asking us to become independent.”

That might be true, but several of my brother’s schoolmates entered the dorm as well—does that count as being independent?

While my brother’s and my schoolmates joined the dorm, Sister Margaret’s schoolmates did not. Apparently, unlike men, noblewomen require a lot of personal maintenance. I wondered how Sister would manage. I felt a bit sorry for her. Furthermore, Sister is a terrible morning person. I know this because every morning at the Palace, the court ladies and maids make a huge fuss to ensure she isn’t late for school. In the dorm, she’s all alone. Will she be okay?

Moving into the dorm takes forever, which is a nuisance.

“They should have moved the beds in beforehand,” I grumbled to Ralph while waiting in the dining hall for my room to be ready.

“Standard dorm students only bring a single wardrobe trunk—look at that female student over there. That’s likely why there’s no need to move things in early.”

Since she was small, she was a first-year. However, assuming that only lower-ranking nobles stay in the dorms, I figured she wasn’t in Class A, so I glanced at her once and forgot about her.

Clang! Clang!

“That bell rings an awful lot.”

“I heard some students don’t own watches, so the bell informs them of the time.”

I was appalled by Ralph’s words. Is there actually a noble who doesn’t own a watch? While I was reeling from the shock, Hugo stood up.

“That’s the lunch bell. It seems we have to go get the food ourselves. I’ll go get it.”

In front of the counter, several people were lining up with trays. Just as I was feeling dismal about having to eat breakfast and dinner here from now on, I heard my brother’s voice shouting.

“Do you intend to curry favor by spoiling Keith? Our Father put us in the dormitory because he wanted us to become independent. Do you intend to go against his will?”

It seemed Hugo had done something to anger my brother.

“Keith, come here and apologize to this lady.”

I went to my brother’s side. However, I didn’t think there was any reason for me to be scolded.

“Brother, I didn’t ask for this. This guy just did it on his own…”

I was intimidated by my brother and scolded to reflect on my behavior. But the female student I was supposed to apologize to was nowhere to be found, and even my brother looked a bit awkward. I wondered if it was the girl I saw earlier—the one who entered the dorm with only a single wardrobe trunk.

“A strange girl.” My first impression of Patience Granger wasn’t very good. It was because Hugo’s line-cutting resulted in me being subjected to my brother’s intimidation. I was taking my frustration out on her a little.

At the entrance ceremony, I was chosen to give the greeting as the representative of the new students. Naturally, my brother gave the welcoming address as the Student Council President. Since I came right after his magnificent speech, I was nervous. However, Ralph and Hugo praised me, saying I was “splendid.” It might have been flattery, but I felt a bit relieved.

I am in Class A, of course. For first-years, it’s based on status so that’s a given, but from the second year onwards, it’s determined by grades. I absolutely must stay in Class A. Both my brother and sister have maintained their spots in Class A.

Self-introductions are boring. I only listened to the first few people and the beautiful Louise, but I was surprised to find that the last person, Patience Granger, was the girl who had run away. If she’s from a Viscount family, shouldn’t she commute from her mansion? The fact that she was only granted Household Magic seemed fitting for such a tiny girl. Somehow, the lingering feeling of being scolded by my brother made me keep an eye on her.

Yet, that shrimp keeps skipping grades one after another. It’s somewhat irritating. On top of that, she even got a certificate of completion in Magic Practicum. The teacher is an old lady, so she’s probably being soft on her. It’s unfair. I’m over here being given “passionate” (intense) instruction.

I earned grade skips for Math, Language, Magic Theory, Dance, and Music. I thought that was a fairly satisfying result, but Patience actually passed every single subject and skipped to the second year.

“The Granger family is a scholarly house,” Ralph comforted me.

I decided to leave the studious shrimp alone, but for some reason, at Sunday dinner, she was sitting at the same table as my brother and sister.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. The shrimp didn’t answer; Sister did.

“Patience is my lady-in-waiting, chosen by Mother.”

If Mother chose her, I must not interfere. I understand that much.

“Make sure you take good care of her,” I told her firmly. Sister is bad in the mornings.

Somehow, this Patience manages to wake Sister up by herself and get her to eat breakfast. As expected, Mother makes no mistakes.

In the second-year Language class we skipped into, Louise was eagerly questioning Patience: “How did you become a lady-in-waiting? Tell me!” But if you aren’t prepared to live in the dorms, it’s impossible. Besides, I didn’t think Louise could ever wake Sister up. Unlike that girl, she’s a normal noble lady.

However, that girl is useful. Mother ordered me to eat lunch in the High Hall (Salon) with my brother and sister, but I get scolded if I leave my vegetables, and sometimes I end up making my brother angry. Patience, sitting at the same table as a lady-in-waiting, has de-escalated my brother’s anger several times. I don’t quite understand how she does it, but I’ve started to respect her a little.

And yet, there she was, blushing because that eccentric Albert proposed to her. Sister apparently turned him down, but I bet the girl herself thought she’d hit the jackpot.

“Hmph. Only an eccentric would propose to someone like you.”

I said it because I was somehow annoyed, but as I was reflecting that I might have been a bit too harsh, I saw that girl going out into the town all by herself. Does she have no sense of danger?! Does she have no refinement as a noble lady just because she’s a shrimp?

“You! Where have you been?”

I unintentionally stuck my head out of the carriage window and yelled. That girl had the nerve to say coolly, “I was just taking a short stroll.” She really is a strange girl. But for some reason, she’s on my mind.

I’ll keep quiet about her going out. She’s diverted my brother’s anger several times, after all. I am not one to forget a debt.