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Chapter 02
Startled by the sudden low, chilling warning voice, I quickly turned around.
There stood a blond, devastatingly handsome man.
Unlike me and my hopelessly frizzy hair, his was sleek and smooth—just like Emma unni’s at a glance. His face was so pale, as if it had never seen a day of sunlight, that it was obvious he had been raised with the utmost care.
I had never seen a man with such overwhelming presence in my life.
And somehow, his face looked familiar.
Though his brows were furrowed, giving him a fierce impression, with a face like that he clearly wasn’t just anyone…
“I apologize, Your Highness.”
Siana, however, knew exactly who the handsome man was.
The Crown Prince, no less!
At the name of such power, my frail head lowered instinctively.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
“This is the Academy. We don’t stand on status here. Address me as your senior.”
“Yes, sunbae-nim.”
While obediently greeting him, I slowly lifted my head to examine him again.
As expected, someone that handsome couldn’t be ordinary.
The man before me was none other than Liam Grayson—the first male lead candidate from Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?
He was also one of the candidates to become my future brother-in-law.
Naturally, I wanted to take a closer look.
“What are you staring at?”
“O-Oh, nothing.”
Unfortunately, Male Lead Candidate No. 1 seemed a bit prickly—perhaps because he’d been born the Crown Prince.
Still, a prickly character among the male leads was practically a requirement.
It was far too early to eliminate him from the brother-in-law shortlist.
Money? Check.
Power? Check.
Looks? Absolutely.
Even if we excluded his personality, Liam still had plenty of advantages.
“If you’re late to the entrance ceremony, at least pay attention.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leaving behind that warning, Liam returned to the back wall of the auditorium where he had been standing.
Judging from the way he radiated displeasure, it didn’t seem like he was in a bad mood because of us.
“Why is he standing back there glaring at people?”
“Who knows? Maybe he got picked as one of the second-year representatives who had to attend?”
If that were the case, he’d been seriously unlucky.
No wonder he looked annoyed.
“Siana, how do you know so much? Even that he’s the Crown Prince.”
“Gathering information is a tradition in my family. If I’m going to attend this Academy, I should at least know all the important details beforehand.”
Siana pulled a small notebook and pen from her pocket.
It was already crammed full of notes.
Her determination to dig up everything about the Academy was impressive.
“You’re amazing… Siana.”
“Ahem.”
Despite the warning, we started whispering again—and Liam’s piercing gaze returned to us.
Even so, we pretended to look forward and continued whispering until the entrance ceremony finally ended.
After the ceremony, we entered our assigned classroom—Class A.
Siana, who sat beside me, immediately began scanning the room.
“Oh, that one’s from the Aina family…”
There was no way I could memorize everything she explained.
I’d learn their names slowly later.
While everyone was chatting among themselves, the front door opened and a strangely dark aura slipped inside.
“H-hello…”
A small woman stood there, shrinking in on herself as if someone had just shouted at her.
She seemed to have greeted us, but her voice was so faint it didn’t reach the students’ ears.
Maybe it was my imagination, but behind her I thought I saw a strange shadow—like a mixture of violet and gray.
“I-I’m your homeroom teacher… Karen Vale…”
Noticing her timid greeting, I raised my voice brightly.
“Hello, Homeroom Teacher Karen Vale!”
Only then did the students realize she was there and hurriedly turned forward.
Perhaps moved by my help, she looked at me with moist eyes.
“J-just call me Teacher Karen…”
“Hello, Teacher Karen.”
Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any particularly troublesome students. Everyone sat properly and greeted her.
That sight seemed to move Teacher Karen even more.
She pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping her tears.
“I-it’s my first time having such kind students… sniff…”
What kind of students had she dealt with before?
I suddenly grew curious about our seniors.
“M-my subject is Magic Studies…”
Uh-oh.
That subject name poked at my trauma.
After my private tutor had been dismissed because of certain magic-related incidents involving my brain, I’d gone through endless trial and error before finding a decent tutor again.
As a result, my grades in every other subject were fine—but I’d struggled terribly just to score above average in Magic Studies.
“Wow! Magic Studies is my specialty! We hit the jackpot with our homeroom teacher.”
Unlike me, Siana was thrilled.
Of all things, my weakest subject had to be my homeroom teacher’s specialty.
Just thinking about disappointing that delicate teacher made me feel awful.
Teacher Karen handed out parchment containing the Academy regulations.
Imperial Saint Louis Academy Regulations
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All students within the Academy are equal. The use of titles that reveal one’s status outside the Academy is prohibited.
-
Magic may only be used in designated locations, including individual classrooms.
-
Swords may only be used in designated locations, including individual classrooms.
-
Entry into the mountain behind the Academy is forbidden without permission.
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The use of communication devices within the Academy is prohibited.
.
.
.
There was no way I could memorize that long list written so densely.
“So basically, live like a normal person while you’re here.”
I folded the parchment and shoved it into my desk drawer, summarizing it on my own.
“T-then I’ll conclude here… Everyone, have a g-good first class…”
Though the students were supposed to bow, Teacher Karen bowed deeply to us instead and hurried out of the classroom as if fleeing.
Including me, the rest of the students looked bewildered.
“She’s certainly… unique.”
“Yeah. I’m more worried about how someone that timid will manage to teach. What if the students push her around? She won’t faint on the spot, right?”
“Come on, no way.”
I waved my hand dismissively with a laugh.
No matter how timid, she was still a teacher. Surely she wouldn’t collapse mid-lesson.
And if there had been a teacher like that, wouldn’t the principal have already fired her?
Thanks to Teacher Karen’s early escape, we still had plenty of time before first period.
That was when I heard someone call my name from outside the classroom.
“Olivia!”
“Unni!”
Unable to wait for break time, Emma unni had come to visit our class.
The other students didn’t seem to immediately recognize her as the school celebrity Siana knew her to be—but her beauty alone naturally drew their gazes.
For me, this was completely normal and familiar.
“How was the entrance ceremony?”
“Good! I made a new friend.”
“Already? Oh my, I’m so proud.”
Emma unni rubbed my chubby cheeks like I was a steamed bun.
My lips puffed out like a goldfish’s.
“Mmmff—(Let go of me).”
“Once everyone realizes how lovable you are, Olivia, they’ll all want to be your friend. Don’t worry too much.”
It seemed like she was the one worrying.
I signaled for her to release my cheeks, but it was useless.
“So this is your little sister.”
A dark shadow suddenly loomed behind Emma unni.
She was tall with great proportions, but this person was at least a head taller than her.
Rolling my eyes upward, I recognized him immediately.
“See? Isn’t she cute? This is my little sister, Olivia.”
Thankfully, Emma unni let go of my cheeks while introducing me.
Rubbing my reddened face, I greeted him again.
“Good day, sunbae-nim.”
“We meet again, freshman.”
Unfortunately, Liam remembered that I was the one who had been chatting during the ceremony.
“What? You two already know each other?”
Emma unni pulled me into a hug and glared at Liam protectively.
“I just warned her for talking during the ceremony.”
“She can chat a little with a friend. Why stop her?”
Watching Emma unni fiercely defend me, Liam let out a sigh.
He shook his head as if thinking, Emma is impossible.
But something felt off.
According to Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?, Liam Grayson was supposed to be Emma unni’s academic rival.
They were meant to compete over grades—until Liam gradually became conscious of her and fell for her.
But looking at them now, instead of rivals, they seemed like close friends.
“Unni, are you close with this sunbae?”
At my question, she answered as if it were obvious.
“Of course. He’s my closest friend at the Academy.”
“That close?”
Horrified, I stared at Brother-in-law Candidate No. 1.
Was he secretly burning with jealousy over Emma unni’s grades?
Was he pretending to be relaxed—pretending to be her friend?
I must have been staring suspiciously too long, because Liam caught my gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that, little sister?”
Afraid my intentions would be exposed, an excuse popped out of my mouth automatically.
“Because you’re very handsome, sunbae-nim.”
