🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 04…
I barely slept.
Tislin walked into the classroom with a rough, tired face. After the shocking events of yesterday, she had stayed up all night, only managing a short nap by morning. Her mind was still half in a dream.
To make matters worse, the first class was with Professor Thalis, who never tolerated even the slightest distraction. Tislin had to pinch her thighs repeatedly just to stay awake.
She and Sierra, who had also stayed up, kept pinching each other’s hands to survive the hour.
Honestly, the Administration Department classes weren’t that interesting to Tislin.
Most students might have thought the same, but for heirs of noble families or those aiming to become bureaucrats, doing well in these classes had a clear incentive.
Tislin, however, was neither an heir nor interested in becoming a bureaucrat, yet she had chosen the Administration Department. Her parents had expressed concern about that decision.
“If you’re going to the Royal School, wouldn’t it be better to join the Liberal Arts Department?”
“Or even the Magic Department. You’re not an heir, and you don’t plan to be a bureaucrat. I don’t understand why you want to learn something so complicated.”
Her parents’ point made sense. After all, Tislin had lost her place as heir when her younger brother was born, so entering a department that might make her a better marriage prospect seemed reasonable.
But Tislin chose Administration anyway, mostly because her previous education had been interrupted. Everything she had been learning as heir became “unnecessary” after her brother’s birth.
Even as a child, she vaguely knew that playing around all the time wasn’t a good thing. That leftover feeling had pushed her into the Administration Department.
In the end?
It wasn’t bad. She wasn’t studying as obsessively as some students aiming to be top bureaucrats, but among the 40 or so students in her department, she consistently ranked around fifth or sixth.
Her ranking at the Royal School wasn’t a life-or-death matter, but it felt good to see her efforts reflected in results.
Making a friend like Sierra was a bonus too.
“Alright, last announcement. Students graduating next year must take the summer graduation exam. Many fail because they wait confidently for the winter exam and miss their chance to graduate.”
“Many fail!”
“Many!”
A few students in the back mimicked the professor’s tone and giggled. The professor glared sharply and quickly caught the culprits.
“Mr. Hixston, Mr. Aloin. You think you’re so confident in the graduation exam that you can mock me? I see. You must be sure you’ll graduate even with deductions in this class.”
The graduating students, all obsessed with every point, clicked their tongues at Hixston and Aloin’s arrogance. Soon, they would have to beg the professor in the office.
“Why do they even mock the professor when it’s obvious?”
Tislin shook her head at Sierra. Some boys at this age just couldn’t resist making a scene.
“Ah, professor, wait!”
Hixston and Aloin rushed toward the door, trying to follow the professor’s icy retreat, but stopped abruptly.
A man blocked the doorway. His long shadow stretched across the classroom floor.
In the Administration Department, where uniforms were usually optional except for official events, his sharp uniform and raven-black hair stood out. And those strikingly blue eyes…
“Gasp. Sir Damian Ksanov?”
“You know me?”
“Not really… I saw you in the newspapers.”
Hixston awkwardly stepped aside, letting everyone see Damian Ksanov clearly.
Tislin, who had turned her head like everyone else, went pale.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you visit yesterday too?”
“Yes. I was in the lounge. Back then…”
The students who had been in the lounge yesterday naturally looked at Tislin.
‘Oh no!’
As soon as she caught their gaze, Tislin bolted from the classroom and grabbed Damian’s arm.
They had known each other for a long time but weren’t particularly close. Still, there was enough familiarity between them for Damian to silently follow Tislin without starting a scene.
The classroom buzzed again with yesterday’s topic. Sierra quickly escaped out the front door, wary of the commotion.
They went to the quietest, least visible corner of the campus. Tislin, barely catching her breath, demanded:
“Why are you here?!”
Even she thought her question was ridiculous. Of course, he was here because of the engagement. But what she meant was—why come all the way to the Administration Department class? Not that it really mattered.
The important thing was to somehow smooth over this awkward situation.
“The engagement… I didn’t say we should get engaged. I told you back then, it wasn’t about engagement or marriage. I would never arrange that without discussion.”
“You never asked me if it was okay. Tis, calm down.”
A large hand pressed gently on Tislin’s shoulder.
Startled, she looked up and quickly averted her eyes, muttering as if reciting something she had memorized.
“It must be my parents’ mistake. I don’t know why the Archduke accepted it, but the announcement hasn’t been made yet. Nobody knows. We can still cancel! I’ll send a letter to break the engagement. If the Archduke asks you, just say you agreed to cancel. Even if my parents don’t know, the Archduke will listen to you.”
No answer.
Tislin fidgeted with her skirt, uneasy. Their shadows overlapped, making the situation even more awkward.
Damian ignored the shadows and calmly asked:
“Tis.”
“…Yes?”
“Why do you have to do that?”
What? She didn’t expect that question. So he was willing to continue the engagement?
“What do you mean?”
“I have no objection to this engagement.”
“Because it’s the Archduke’s decision? But he would accept if you didn’t want it. Our family isn’t that helpful to the House of Luxen anyway. Same goes for Adelind.”
“Yes, probably. But is that a reason not to be engaged to you?”
Of course, Damian didn’t really care who it was, as long as it benefited the Archduke or Adelind, and the person wasn’t physically unbearable.
Tislin didn’t want that.
“…What if I don’t want to? Can you cancel it if I refuse?”
She couldn’t meet his eyes, speaking while looking away.
The large hand on her shoulder slid off, brushing her sleeve. Her heart raced uncontrollably.
Damian sighed, lowered himself to her eye level, and asked in a soft voice:
“Why?”
Tislin stubbornly stayed silent.
When Tislin was determined, even Adelind, the most stubborn in Luxen, couldn’t win. Damian, who was usually dragged around by Adelind, had no way to force her to answer.
“Come on, it’s not unbearable. Endure it. I’ll treat you well.”
His gentle, almost sweet tone was different from how he spoke to Adelind or other nobles.
Still, if he hadn’t spoken this way, Tislin wouldn’t have stupidly hoped and confessed her feelings like this.
