Chapter 15: The Cold Gaze of Royalty.

The teacher’s hoarse voice announced the end of today’s lesson.

Classmates immediately rose from their seats and gathered in clusters around the room, chatting happily.
Whenever someone boasted, praise flowed in at once.

In noble society, this was how one learned the art of survival.

The academy taught more than just magic.

Amelia remained seated at her desk, quietly waiting for his arrival.

From every direction came condescending glances—looks that pitied the girl who could join none of the conversations.

Family business mattered, of course—but in noble society, so did socializing.

Those who stood outside the circle were ruthlessly shunned.
Exclusivity was absolute.

To Amelia, who came from the provinces, it had been incomprehensible at first.
But perhaps this was simply how nobles raised in the capital had always been.

Reese had unjustly isolated her.
And once isolated, the group had cast her out entirely.

Still—there were people like Marie whom she met at lunch today, and Julius and Sarju.
Without them, these three years at the academy might have broken her completely.

Suddenly the classroom stirred.

She looked up.
A man stood at the entrance.

Tall.
Red-haired.
A youth in his mid-twenties, perhaps.

He wore not a school uniform but knight’s attire—and carried a sword.
In the Royal Magic Academy, only royal bodyguards were permitted to bear arms.

She remembered Julius saying Sarju’s guard detail needed reevaluation.
It seemed the prince’s habit of wandering alone had finally earned him a proper knight escort.

The red-haired knight stood at the doorway, scanning the room.

His crimson eyes—matching his hair—found Amelia among the students.

Still clutching the ruined bag to her chest, she stood.
From behind the knight stepped Sarju, walking straight toward her.

“Amelia—sorry to keep you waiting.”

His usual gentle expression had been replaced by unmistakable delight as he called her name.
The classroom buzzed at the sight.

“Why her, of all people…?”

Someone—perhaps Emira—muttered.

“Your Highness. I told you not to step in front of me.”

The red-haired knight offered a pained reminder, but it clearly did not reach Sarju’s ears.

“Sarju-sama.”

She couldn’t help calling his name in gentle reprimand.
He looked faintly sheepish.

“I was just so excited to see your materials… I’ll be more careful.”

At Sarju’s words, the red-haired knight’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“His Highness… accepting someone’s advice…?”

He muttered, then turned pleading eyes toward Amelia.

Sarju’s guards truly had their hands full.

“…I’m sorry. The materials I was supposed to give you—”

Amelia placed the battered bag on her desk.
Classmates who had been watching closely drew in sharp breaths.

They clearly had never imagined the contents were meant for Sarju.

“Why is it in this condition?”

Sarju asked, frowning at the sodden bag.
Amelia hesitated only a moment over how to answer.

She could claim she had accidentally gotten it wet herself.
Sarju would surely forgive her.

But after being targeted with such one-sided malice, simply enduring it no longer felt right.

Certainly, adapting to the strict hierarchy of nobility and maintaining harmony with others were important.
Yet—as Julius and Sarju had feared—allowing baseless rumors to dominate the academy to this degree was a serious problem.

So she decided to tell him everything.
Besides—she could not lie to royalty.

“After stepping out for lunch, I returned to find this bag had been thrown into the courtyard fountain.”

She spoke calmly and slowly, fully aware of the impact her words would have.

The classroom erupted in murmurs.
Sarju’s face hardened instantly.

“It was left here in the classroom?”

“Yes.”

She nodded quietly.

“Lies!”

A sharp cry cut through the noise.

Turning, Amelia saw Emira—surrounded by her usual clique—glaring at her.

“Your Highness, don’t be deceived! She’s only saying this to get your attention!”

Instead of admitting guilt, Emira turned the accusation back on Amelia.

“She threw it into the fountain herself. You all saw it, didn’t you?”

Pressed for agreement, the young ladies around Emira exchanged uneasy glances.
To say yes would mean lying to Sarju.
To say no would earn Emira’s wrath.

“Answer me—now!”

“Y-yes…”

“I saw it too.”

“It was definitely her.”

Three of the girls reluctantly complied under Emira’s irritated pressure.

They would likely be dragged down with Emira’s downfall.

It was a pity—such talented students who had earned their place in Class A.
But they had chosen to prioritize Emira over Sarju.
They had made their choice.

Yet Emira—Julius’s fiancée and a marquis’s daughter—had just publicly called Amelia’s statement a lie.

Curious how Sarju would react, Amelia quietly looked up at him.
But he appeared not to have heard Emira at all.
He had already opened the ruined bag and was examining the soaked pages.

“…These are completely unreadable now.”

“I’m sorry. Someone kindly used wind magic to dry them, but the contents couldn’t be restored.”

Sarju looked genuinely disappointed.
He had truly been looking forward to the materials.

“Um—the original drafts are still in my dormitory room. I can rewrite them by tomorrow—”

“Rewriting this much would be exhausting… Wind magic, you said?”

“Sarju-sama!”

Perhaps panicked by being completely ignored, Emira rushed forward and tried to grab his arm.

But the red-haired knight blocked her instantly.

“You may not approach His Highness without permission.”

His stern tone and gaze made even Emira falter.

“I-I am His Highness Julius’s fiancée! You should be the one to step back!”

She quickly recovered and glared at the knight.
Her pride was impressive, at least.

“…My brother’s?”

Only now did Sarju react.

“Yes! I am Emira Kiedari—His Highness Julius’s fiancée!”

Finally, Sarju’s gaze shifted from the documents to her.
Emira seemed relieved for a moment—until she saw the icy coldness in his eyes.
She looked around in panic, seeking support.

But no one dared approach.
Sarju’s expression—far colder than anyone had ever imagined possible—held them all frozen.

“Kaido. Bring my brother here. We need to make it perfectly clear who is responsible.”

The knight hesitated at first—he could not leave Sarju’s side.

But Sarju insisted that if he went himself, he would wander the school again.
Better to wait here.
The knight hurried out.

A short while later he returned—Julius at his side.

“Ah—Julius-sama!”

Emira rushed toward him in relief.
But Julius, who had apparently been briefed on the way here, walked straight past her to Amelia.

“Eh…? Julius-sama?”

“Amelia. Is this the materials in question?”

“Yes. It was in this bag.”

She nodded and handed it over.
Julius took it and stepped up to the teacher’s podium.
His guards positioned themselves to block both entrances.

“Everyone—take your seats. First, I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

He smiled pleasantly.