“Is this the place?”
“If the letter is to be believed, this is it.”
Another letter was delivered to the two people who had once again become the academy’s hot topic due to the Elixir incident.
[To the Evergarden family. I will see you at 10 PM in Room F on the 5th floor of the academy.]
The letter had no sender’s name, no pleasantries, just a single line stating the direct purpose.
In some ways, it was a very rude and presumptuous letter, but it depended on who sent it.
A dragon emblem was engraved on the wax sealing the letter.
It was the emblem signifying the Imperial Family of the Empire.
“Felix, listen carefully. Once we go in, bow your head first. And don’t utter a single word afterward. If there’s royalty beyond this door, you could lose your head for a single word.”
“Ugh?! Is this stricter than visiting the division commander?”
Felix and Rosaria arrived at the location at the appointed time.
Before knocking on the door, Felix grabbed Rosaria’s shoulders and earnestly urged her.
The Imperial Family of the Empire held immense power.
The highest crime in the Empire was insulting the Imperial Family, so there was no need to say more.
“Still, our position right now is difficult for anyone to recklessly touch, so that example is really extreme. But I’m just telling you to be careful. I’ll do all the talking.”
“Then can’t you just go alone?”
“It said, ‘To the Evergarden family.’ That includes you.”
“Hieeek…!”
‘I really don’t want to.’
Rosaria, whose liver had turned cold at Felix’s urging, hesitated and refused to enter, but she had no choice but to follow.
“Then… shall we go?”
“Gulp.”
Knock, knock-
[…Come in.]
“Excuse us.”
After making thorough preparations and knocking lightly, permission was granted from beyond the door, and Felix carefully opened it.
“We greet the sun of the Empire.”
“W-We greet the sun of the Empire.”
Felix, who entered the room next, immediately knelt and greeted, and Rosaria hurriedly followed suit.
‘Right now, there’s someone from the Imperial Family in front of me? Ugh, I’m so nervous…’
Rosaria, kneeling, swallowed hard, sweating profusely.
“Raise your heads.”
Afterward, permission to raise their heads was given.
However.
‘Huh…? That voice is familiar?’
She couldn’t hear it clearly from beyond the door because it was echoing, but now that she heard the voice up close, Rosaria felt strangely familiar with it.
With that sense of unease, Rosaria rose from her spot and gazed straight ahead.
Then.
“…Huh?! You, you’re…!?”
A familiar face appeared before Rosaria’s eyes.
“Rachel!?”
Before Rosaria was Rachel Smiren, a student who had taken the same exam during the joint test.
Rosaria, who had been nervous, was startled when a familiar face popped out, and she pointed at Rachel and shouted.
Then.
Sreung-
“How dare you address the Princess so lightly. Do you truly wish to die?”
“…!?”
A chilling blade, appearing from who knows where, touched her neck.
‘Yikes…! Is there a sword on my neck right now?’
Rosaria’s body froze for a moment as the sharply honed blade touched just below her chin, as if it would slice her neck off at any moment.
Even though she was caught off guard (or rather, too surprised), the fact that someone could close the distance so quickly and aim a sword at her neck meant that this person was incredibly skilled.
“Please forgive her rudeness, Your Highness. My sister is still clumsy and lacks etiquette.”
“It’s alright. I haven’t revealed it until now either. I understand. Please withdraw your sword.”
“Yes.”
Swish-
“…Hoo.”
Felix, who had been prepared to shatter the blade aimed at Rosaria’s neck and run away at the slightest sign of trouble, bowed his head and begged for forgiveness, causing Rachel to dismiss the guard with a gesture.
“It’s been a while since we’ve faced each other like this, hasn’t it? I hope you understand. Right now, I am the Fifth Princess of the Empire.”
“I-It’s alright… Yes…”
‘Rachel was a princess?! I had no idea?’
Rosaria, still surprised by the fact that Rachel was a princess, calmed her pounding heart and replied.
“Then, I’ll give a brief introduction. I am the Fifth Princess of the Empire, Rachel Obina.”
“But… Professor Felix. Or rather, it seems the eldest son of the Evergarden family already knows.”
“I was also surprised. I didn’t expect my sister to take the exam in the same group as Your Highness.”
“How did you know… I certainly kept my identity a complete secret.”
“As a matter of fact, I only found out just now.”
However, Felix wore a relaxed expression, as if he already knew that Rachel was a princess.
‘I already knew. It’s in the original story, after all.’
Of course, Felix, who had devoured the original work, couldn’t help but know her identity in advance.
‘But, why is Rachel revealing herself at this point?’
However, Felix didn’t show it, but he was very confused inside.
Rachel Obina. The Fifth Princess of the Empire, she was a character who also appeared in the original story.
Among the nine heirs to the Empire, she ranked fifth and was fundamentally a person without any obsession with power.
This was because she genuinely loved magic and found joy in accumulating knowledge, a person full of academic zeal.
That’s why the reason she entered the academy in the original story, hiding her identity, was also because she wanted to purely enjoy research without the pressure of being a princess.
But he was surprised that such a person would contact them first and even try to reveal her identity.
“I was really surprised, Honorary Professor Felix. Clearly, your reputation was truly the worst just half a year ago.”
“I can say it’s the result of my efforts to correct my past mistakes and repent.”
“Indeed… No matter how I think about it, it only seems like you were acting to create that worst possible image until now…”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Let’s move on from that. Do you have any idea why I called you here?”
“I understand to some extent.”
After a brief exchange of glances, Rachel began to get to the point.
“You’ve created something truly amazing. I’ve already passed the request to the Magic Tower, but they still haven’t been able to figure out the Elixir’s recipe and ratio, or even what ingredients went into it.”
“It’s our family’s secret, so it’s difficult to reveal.”
“How far do you think the impact of this will spread? Right now, it’s only spread to the vicinity of the capital, but before long, the name of the Evergarden family will be shouted throughout this entire Empire.”
“It wasn’t an intentional act… but I think it’s a welcome thing that my family’s status is rising.”
“But you know that if someone without any backing shows outstanding behavior, they are likely to be targeted, right?”
“Of course.”
“That’s why I’m making a proposal. Honorary Professor Felix… no, Felix Evergarden, the eldest son of the Count Evergarden family.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I will become that backing for you.”
“……..!?”
“Backing…?”
‘This is quite surprising?’
Felix was startled by Rachel’s statement.
He had somewhat expected the intention to make connections appropriately since the Elixir’s performance was outstanding, but he hadn’t anticipated that she would so openly try to bring them into her faction.
‘Given Rachel’s personality, she’s not the type to come out like this.’
‘Then is she a transmigrator? No, if she were a transmigrator… she’s been acting too much like the original story until now. And if
she were a transmigrator, she would know that we are also transmigrators, so she wouldn’t probe us like this.’
‘Then…’
“Your Highness. Perhaps, is the atmosphere in the Imperial Family currently quite threatening?”
“…!?”
‘There’s only one conclusion.’
‘Rachel’s life is in danger right now.’
After a moment of thought, Felix asked, and Rachel’s face rapidly turned cold.
There were only two reasons why Rachel, who was so cautious and had no desire for power, would take such sudden action.
Either she was a transmigrator, or something would happen if things continued as they were.
And as Felix expected, Rachel seemed to be closer to the latter.
“This is unexpected. Felix Evergarden.”
“I apologize. It’s just my humble opinion.”
“…Would everyone please leave?”
“But, Your Highness.”
“It’s alright. It seems that the story after this will require strict confidentiality.”
“….Understood.”
Swish Swish-
‘The presence that filled the room until just now has disappeared. That was fast?’
Rachel dismissed the guards who were inside the room.
Then Rosaria felt that the presences she had felt since earlier had disappeared in an instant.
This also meant that the story they were about to tell was very important and required strict confidentiality.
“…Felix Evergarden. Perhaps, do you know about the Ninth Prince?”
“Are you referring to the Ninth Prince? I believe he turned twelve this year…”
“He is currently missing.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s just called missing, but it’s already a confirmed fact among my siblings that he is dead. Perhaps the news will spread in the newspapers in two weeks.”
“…That sounds like someone intentionally killed the Ninth Prince.”
“That’s right. And I know the culprit.”
“The culprit…?”
“My brother. The Third Prince is the culprit.”
“Gasp.”
At Rachel’s bombshell declaration, Rosaria couldn’t close her mouth and made a sound.
After her statement, it seemed that the future development would be very different.