Chapter 1: By a Twist of Fate, I’m Attending the Royal Academy in Disguise
“YOU’RE so shameless!!”
Behind one of the school buildings at the Royal Academy of the Emeroade Kingdom, Cesia crossed her arms and glared at the group of ladies. Daughters of nobles all. They surrounded her and hurled insults.
“Oh? Can you be more specific?” she challenged. “Is it my family? Or perhaps, my appearance? Or could it be my grades?”
The girls quieted down, at a loss at Cesia’s impudent refusal to give in. Their pampered upbringings led them to believe she would submit if they just overwhelmed her with sheer numbers.
Cesia was disguised as Lady Selene Diane, the daughter of a viscount. Selene’s flowing, richly blonde hair and beautiful, ocean-blue eyes were her distinctive features, and Cesia’s black hair and purple eyes had been magically altered to match them.
Graduating from the Royal Academy was a marker of prestige, so it was customary for young lords and ladies in the royal capital to enroll, even though it wasn’t strictly required. The real Selene had refused to attend, so Viscount Diane had called on Cesia to go instead.
I can see why Selene didn’t want to attend, Cesia thought.
Selene’s fiancé, Lord Raymond Chaser, was a focus of great affection from the ladies at the school. The young nobleman was celebrated for his academic and athletic achievements, and his attractiveness was widely praised. He was even the president of the Academy’s student council. In this kingdom, it wasn’t uncommon to change one’s betrothed before their official entrance into high society, so many, many ladies were trying to displace Selene from her position as his fiancée. Though it was hardly commendable, Viscount Diane’s decision to set up Cesia as Selene’s double was an effective way to deal with his daughter’s challengers. Cesia’s physical resemblance to Selene made her an appropriate choice, too.
At the Academy, her days consisted of routine harassment, and she was constantly called out behind the school buildings. These so-called ladies would tear Cesia’s notes and textbooks to shreds; this was such a mundane occurrence that Cesia was confident that she surpassed even the teachers in her skill in restoration magic.
Not cowed by Cesia’s defiance, one girl kept up the insults. “I’m saying that you aren’t worthy of Lord Raymond.”
“Oh? Are you implying that you are, Lady Rosary Hilton?” Cesia shot back.
They weren’t in the same class, but there weren’t many students in a single year. Cesia had memorized most of the names, faces, and parents’ ranks of all the students at the school.
“Yes, I am. I’m the daughter of a count. A viscount’s daughter should know that you normally wouldn’t even be permitted to speak to me.”
Cesia smiled at Rosary’s statement. Why do all the spoiled girls at this school always say the same things? Is there a ladies’ how-to guide on bullying they all follow? If there was, she wanted to see it. She could publish a manual on how to fight back against their bullying. It would be an autobiography based on her real-life experience. After two years at the Academy, with graduation just ahead, Cesia was a professional at being bullied.
“Of all people, I wouldn’t expect someone like the daughter of a count to be unfamiliar with the Academy’s foundational principle: equality, regardless of position,” Cesia cited. “So long as we’re students of this school and within its premises, we’re equal, even with someone like His Royal Highness, Prince Marcus.”
Officially, at least.
Cesia returned fire, bringing up the popular second prince. However, this school for young nobles was a miniature replica of high society. It wasn’t a good idea to pick a fight with those above one’s rank. On the other hand, the tactics had been left up to Cesia, and Selene would marry Raymond right after she graduated, anyway. Then, Selene would become a marchioness. There was no need to suck up to anyone, so Cesia had full latitude to continue her determined resistance.
They should be the ones worried that bullying the future wife of a marquess will work to their disadvantage once they leave the shelter of the Academy, she thought.
“Oh dear! Disrespectfully bringing up His Royal Highness like that… Is that how a lady should talk?”
“Is teaming up to harass a single person something a lady should do?” Cesia retorted. They weren’t stupid. They would use any means to force Selene out of her marriage with Raymond, and with graduation approaching, the bullying only intensified. “I can’t break off the engagement with Lord Raymond from my end, you know. He’s the heir of his house, and I am, as you are all aware, the daughter of a viscount. With my status, it’s impossible.”
If they had to do something, Cesia sincerely hoped they would focus their efforts on seducing Raymond instead. She was fed up with how pitiful the harassment was. Tearing up her textbooks, hiding her things, not telling her about important announcements, and so on; everything they did was childish. Their how-to guides must not have had anything else written in them. It was a waste of time to even bother to catch the culprits and get back at them.
“Lord Raymond is a gentleman,” Rosary said. “If you asked it of him, I’m sure he would break off the engagement without causing any offense.”
Cesia frowned, annoyed at Rosary’s statement. Her words didn’t seem to be getting through to them. “Everyone, are your ears all right? Or do you think it’s a problem of language ability? The teachers tell me that my pronunciation of the official language is perfect, but…” Cesia said in a mocking tone and smiled confidently.
“How rude!” Agitated, one of the ladies splashed water all over Cesia with a flower vase she was holding for some reason. With water dripping off of her, Cesia opened her eyes wide.
I can still only barely use drying magic!
Cesia paused, then said, “You really did it this time.” She glared at the girl holding the vase, who let out a small shriek of fright.
Cesia’s policy was, as always, unrestrained resistance. Besides, I’m soaked. Anyone can see that I’m the victim here. Even if she took her revenge a bit too far, she just had to make sure no one found out. As long as there were no visible marks, it would be fine.
She was born differently from these spoiled ladies, standing around her silently glaring. She knew that words or water wouldn’t break a person. The fastest way to do that was to break their spirit.
Just as a smiling Cesia was about to open her well-proportioned lips, someone shouted.
“Everyone! A teacher is coming this way!”
As the slightly husky voice echoed throughout the area, the girls scattered like a bunch of baby spiders. Their speed was impressive, and it came with the cliched parting remark, “We won’t forget this!”
They might actually have a reference book somewhere.
In the newly emptied area behind the school building, an exasperated Cesia was pushing back her soaked hair when someone suddenly poked their head around the corner.
“Selene, are you okay?”
Cesia looked at her, then said, “Maria, you purposefully picked that time to show up, didn’t you?”
With red hair like a burning flame and jade green eyes, the student named Maria gave a friendly smile as she walked up to Cesia. “You looked like you were just about to beat them to a pulp.”
“Next time, show up before I get water splashed all over me.”
Maria Hawke was the daughter of a count and one of Cesia’s few friends. In a way, their similarities brought them together. Maria didn’t show up at the Academy often, but despite that, her test scores put her at the top of the class. Thanks to her brilliance, the Academy overlooked her insufficient attendance. Cesia had heard that she was often absent due to her inborn weak constitution, but the Maria standing before her now was strangely brimming with life.
“Those girls have gotten more intense lately. That must be the first time they’ve ever splashed water on someone,” Maria said, lightly touching Cesia’s hair. The water all over Cesia began to disappear as if being sucked away—Maria had just cast drying magic.
“Hey, you dried out my skin, too,” Cesia complained.
“Oh? Aren’t you supposed to say ‘Thank you’ first? How ungrateful.”
“I’m not going to be grateful for someone who stands by and smirks while watching me get bullied.” Cesia turned her face away from Maria. “Hmph!”
“What a performance!” Maria laughed. “It makes me lonely to think that I’ll only be able to see it for just a bit longer…”
“Do you know how hurtful what you’re saying is?” Cesia glared at her “kind” friend.
Unbothered, Maria smiled gracefully. “After we graduate, we’ll still be friends, right?” She grabbed Cesia’s hand.
Cesia was momentarily taken aback. Maria rarely initiated physical contact, so her hand suddenly being held surprised her. Maria was taller than Cesia, with a slender body. Her hand felt cool, so Cesia unconsciously grabbed Maria’s hand with her other hand.