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Chapter 21
Nova withdrew her gaze from Jeanette and focused back on Julietta.
“I’ve heard about Sien, Your Highness. Good heavens… how could such a terrible thing happen…?”
Letting out an exaggerated sigh as if to make a point, she shook her head slowly.
“He often came to me to talk about his work worries, so I thought he was a passionate child and treated him kindly. I never imagined he was such a frightening boy, not even in my dreams.”
“That can happen. Even I never imagined Sien was that kind of person.”
“Right? Even Your Highness was completely deceived. I’ll be more careful so something like that never happens again.”
Nova placed a hand over her chest as if making a solemn vow.
“Lady Graham.”
“Yes, Head Maid Nova.”
“You, as the princess’s maid, should also stay sharp and alert at all times. If you ever put the princess in danger, I will not stand by quietly.”
At her deliberately stern tone, Jeanette quietly nodded.
“Yes. I will keep it in mind.”
“Don’t be so harsh, Nova. Jeanette is doing more than well enough.”
“Oh… is that so? Then I’m relieved.”
At Julietta’s intervention, Nova nodded awkwardly.
Why is she acting like this? Taking her subordinate’s side all of a sudden.
Julietta wasn’t the type to care about her people. That was something Nova herself had shaped.
So that Julietta wouldn’t easily rely on anyone else.
So that she couldn’t trust anyone other than Nova.
She had carefully molded her over a long time, shaping her into exactly what she wanted…
Anyway, it’s all because of that girl.
Nova glanced at Jeanette out of the corner of her eye. They said Sien’s crime had been exposed because of her.
Because she noticed one of the gifts from the patron was missing, and reported Sien.
What a pointless thing to do.
She had never liked her from the beginning. And now she was doing something even more irritating.
Trying to shake even the princess she had carefully sculpted into the desired form.
The only relief was that neither of them seemed to realize there had been some sort of deal between her and Sien.
If they ever find out I made that child do those things…
Just the thought made her feel nauseous.
Swallowing a groan, Nova forced a smile.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s about time you prepared to return to the academy, isn’t it?”
“The academy?”
At the mention of it, Julietta’s expression darkened noticeably.
“I told you I have no intention of going back. I can just quit that damn academy.”
“But the period for approved leave will end soon. You still need to graduate.”
“No, but…”
Julietta trailed off, then shut her mouth under Nova’s concerned gaze.
“…I’ll think about it.”
At her answer, Nova smiled with satisfaction.
It was reassuring to confirm that Julietta still couldn’t go against her words.
Later
“Your Highness, you’re currently on a leave of absence, correct?”
On the way back to the annex, Jeanette’s question made Julietta flinch.
Tch.
Clicking her tongue, she replied bluntly.
“Yeah, I’m on leave. Might get expelled soon though.”
“Expelled… you mean withdrawal from the academy?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you hear earlier? The leave approval period is ending.”
Julietta twisted the ends of her hair absentmindedly.
“If you keep missing classes, you eventually get expelled.”
“Do you want to be expelled, Your Highness?”
“Of course!”
“Why?”
At the unusually persistent questioning, Julietta’s eyes sharpened.
If it had been anyone else asking, they would’ve already been thrown out.
She stared at Jeanette for a moment, then sighed and turned her head away.
“My classmates already graduated. If I go back, I’ll still be a first-year! Just thinking about it is embarrassing.”
Jeanette’s mouth fell slightly open.
Oh… I didn’t expect that kind of reason.
In this world, academies were structured like a mix of high school and university. Anyone over thirteen could enter as long as they met the requirements.
Regardless of gender or status.
And Montrea Academy is one of the most prestigious in the empire.
Jeanette already knew that from Theo’s notebook. She hadn’t known Julietta was on the verge of expulsion, though.
In any case, Montrea Academy was a place everyone desperately wanted to attend.
For someone like Julietta, who hated studying, she must have worked extremely hard just to pass the entrance exam.
And now she wanted to quit over something like that.
“…That’s such a waste.”
“What?”
“The academy.”
“Haa… are we still on that?”
Despite Julietta’s irritated tone, Jeanette was unusually firm.
It was the instincts of a past life in an academic-obsessed society resurfacing.
“You worked so hard to get into such a good academy.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
“And if you attend, your world will expand even more.”
Julietta frowned slightly.
“My world… expand?”
“The more you know, the more things you want to do. The more things you want to do, the more things you end up needing to do. That’s how a person’s world expands, I think.”
Life was long.
To understand what you want, what you dream of, what you desire—
you needed the ability to see the world broadly.
“I want your world to become wider, Lady.”
Education in school wasn’t just about textbooks.
Independence.
How to maintain relationships.
How to fail and rise again.
What you want versus what you must do.
Jeanette thought Julietta should learn those things at the academy.
Though… this is just my wish.
Still, she didn’t want Julietta to continue hating and fearing people forever.
Maybe the academy could heal that part of her.
Julietta glanced sideways at Jeanette’s profile.
What’s with her? Why is she so serious?
She didn’t even notice her own steps slowing.
Walking in pace with her, Julietta clicked her tongue softly.
…She’s weird.
She couldn’t understand why Jeanette cared so seriously about something that wasn’t even her problem.
Julietta fiddled with her fingers as she replayed the words.
“I want your world to be wider,” huh?
She had never heard anyone say that to her before. Not even Nova, whom she had trusted so much.
And she didn’t even go to the academy herself.
…Then did Jeanette feel like her own world was narrow too?
Did she also want to see a wider world?
The academy…
Just as Julietta’s thoughts deepened—
“What is that?”
Her thoughts vanished instantly.
“…An ass?”
Jeanette’s mind scattered at the same time.
In front of Kendrick’s annex, a small backside stuck out from the dense bushes.
A very familiar sight to Jeanette.
Young Master Jeron is here again.
Sensing their presence, the figure stiffened completely.
Flinch. Flinch.
As if trying to hide even more, the body slowly crawled forward.
“What are you doing there, kid? Why are you crawling around like that?”
Even that stopped at Julietta’s voice.
Tremble. Tremble.
The small body carefully emerged from the bushes.
A pale face looked up at Julietta, then brightened slightly upon seeing Jeanette beside her.
Julietta noticed the change and gritted her teeth.
“…Oh? So he’s discriminating now?”
“Um, Your Highness. He is just a young lord… perhaps you could speak a bit more gently?”
“What are you talking about? I’m being very gentle.”
Silence fell at Julietta’s shameless reply.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“W-what! Does everyone have a problem?!”
Only when Julietta’s voice rose sharply did the silence finally break.
