Chapter 5
Ah. Come to think of it, that knight…
I looked around, remembering belatedly—the knight with the pretty violet eyes.
But Mikael was nowhere to be seen among the group.
I wanted to ask him something…
Last night, I had thought of going to see Mikael, but I overheard Sarina speaking.
Sarina… Come to think of it, does she like the Duke?
She must have worried about me because she likes him.
Because the Duke had lost something by becoming my father.
Even if Sarina hated me, I could understand.
“Lady, it’s time for breakfast.”
“Ah.”
I flinched. It was Sarina who had spoken to me.
Her brilliant red hair drew the eye instantly.
I faced her expression—stern, but faintly pale.
That paleness probably came from living under the Duke’s chilling aura.
“Yes.”
Sarina must love the Duke in secret.
I was quick to notice things—maybe because I grew up in an orphanage.
And come to think of it, yesterday she’d said, “I thought I finally had a chance because someone disappeared.”
Was Father still thinking about the one who disappeared?
Was Sarina dreaming of becoming the Duchess?
“This way, milady.”
I followed behind Sarina, step by step.
A one-sided love… She frightened me, but at the same time, I found her human.
And I wanted to tell her—
I won’t be here for long.
…So don’t worry.
We walked down a long corridor until we reached a strangely ornate room.
Sarina opened the door for me. For a moment, our eyes met.
There was a fierce light in hers—perhaps from her high ambitions.
How old is Sarina, I wonder?
Seventeen at most…
Why the Duke, though?
I knew he was handsome, but still—he’s twenty-five.
Something about it felt off.
Sarina’s too good for that.
As I spaced out with that thought, Sarina guided me to sit in a chair.
She stepped back.
Sitting alone at a long table felt strange.
Then the opposite door opened, and someone in a white chef’s hat walked in, smiling brightly.
An incredible smell filled the room, and my eyes widened.
“Wow…”
I gasped before I could stop myself.
When the chef lifted the lid, I saw meat and bread.
“This is sirloin steak, milady. I also added pineapple, which I thought you might enjoy.”
“Sirloin?”
“It’s beef, milady,” Sarina explained from beside me.
At the orphanage, I learned that if you didn’t eat while the food was there, it disappeared.
I’ve seen pictures of nobles cutting meat with a knife in storybooks.
Clumsily, I tried to copy that.
The moment I put the meat in my mouth, happiness bloomed inside me.
It was delicious. Tender.
Only after eating three more bites did I realize people were watching me.
Do nobles always get watched while they eat?
Something felt odd…
Maybe because I’d eaten too fast, I soon felt full.
I slowly put down my fork.
The people watching looked visibly surprised.
“I’m full.”
“…?”
“But milady, you’ve hardly eaten! Barely five pieces of meat.”
“If milady doesn’t receive top-level nourishment, there’ll be people His Grace will personally—mmph.”
The servant stopped mid-sentence as another servant covered his mouth.
I tilted my head. The servants smiled awkwardly when our eyes met.
Everyone seemed tense—then Sarina suddenly spoke up.
“Milady, what about the bell pepper?”
“…Bell pepper?”
“The green sliced vegetable beside your meat.”
The green, mushy thing.
“It looks gross.”
“Please eat it.”
“But I haven’t finished the meat yet…”
“You must eat evenly for your health.”
Sarina was scary. If it were someone else, I might’ve just laughed it off.
But I slowly ate the bell pepper.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they looked between me and Sarina.
I knew it.
It’s awful. I hate bell peppers.
Maybe the chef noticed my sulky face, because he smiled warmly at me.
“It’s wonderful to see you eat so well, milady.”
…That’s a compliment, right?
I liked compliments.
It made me happy right away, simple as that.
I swallowed the bell pepper without chewing much and smiled.
“Chef, you have a lot of hair.”
He praised me, so I should praise him too.
The chef blinked, flustered.
His hair peeked from under the white hat—so that meant he had plenty.
The headmaster back at the orphanage had none at all.
“Ah, is that so?”
“It’s amazing.”
“Haha…”
The chef laughed—half moved, half amused—and that made me happy too.
Being on good terms with whoever gives you food is basic survival.
“……”
The onlookers had strange expressions.
Especially Sarina—her face was complicated, but when I put another piece of bell pepper in my mouth, she finally backed off.
Everyone still looked nervous that I might put my fork down again.
I didn’t understand why, but—
I should grow up healthy.
Still, meat was much tastier than bell peppers.
“Good morning, milady. I’ve heard much about you.”
“Good morning.”
“I’m Ehin. I’ll be in charge of your education for the next month.”
Ehin had soft, reddish-orange hair and looked younger than Sarina.
When I looked to Sarina for an explanation, she said:
“He’s the student body president of Royal Fes Academy—he breaks the all-time top record every year.”
Royal… Fes?
That reminded me of what my friend Madeleine once told me:
[Adele, did you know? There’s an academy even the Crown Prince attends. My dream is to go there one day. The name’s so pretty—Royal Fes Academy.]
“Ah…”
“They said the ‘Child of Prophecy’ was here, so of course I had to come. I even made special requests to the Duke himself!”
Ehin had a kind face, with honey-brown eyes that curved softly when he smiled.
Even without trying, he didn’t feel scary at all.
He seems like a good person.
Energetic and bright.
As I looked up at him, he sat across from me and said:
“Everything you learn with me will be reported to the Duke—what you studied, your attitude, and your progress. Is that okay?”
To the Duke?
That meant he cared about me.
If he didn’t, he wouldn’t bother checking.
My throat felt a little ticklish.
“Yes.”
“From now on, call me ‘Teacher,’ okay?”
“…Teacher.”
I had a teacher now.
“I’ll ask you a few questions. It’s not a test—just answer honestly, okay? I need to know in order to teach you properly.”
I nodded obediently.
“First question—Adele, do you know what the Child of Prophecy is?”
A hard question right from the start.
I tried not to stammer as I answered:
“They just asked me if I could hear the spirits’ voices. I said yes, and then suddenly everyone started calling me the Child of Prophecy. That’s why I came here.”
“I see. Yes, you’re the first Child of Prophecy to appear in hundreds of years. Do you know anything else about that?”
“…No.”
Ehin wrote something on a sheet of paper, then looked up again.
“Then, Adele, you’re not only the Child of Prophecy—you’re now the sole young lady of House Alcibiades. Do you know what rights and duties come with that?”
I blinked.
“…Eating well?”
“Eating well…?”
He echoed me, looking startled. I nodded earnestly.
“I eat bell peppers too, and I go to bed early, and it’s good if I eat a lot, and I have to study hard.”
“…Hmm. That’s actually very good. An excellent learning attitude.”
Did I do well?
I glanced at Sarina, but she avoided my gaze.
“Then, last question—what do you know about the Hasfelt Imperial Family?”
The Imperial Family. Again.
Until I turned eight, the orphanage and the Imperial Family were two entirely separate worlds.
But ever since coming here, I heard about them every single day.
I slowly answered:
“…My friend told me that His Highness the Crown Prince goes to Royal Fes Academy.”
“Ah, that’s a very important piece of information. You have a good friend.”
Ehin wrote carefully, but I was too happy to be praised to notice.
“Yes! Madeleine is my precious friend. She’s really kind, too.”
“…”
Ehin stopped writing and looked up at me.
After a pause, he smiled softly.
“I see. She must be a very good friend to you.”
He set down his pen.
I grinned, delighted by his understanding.
Then, after some thought, he took out a thick book trimmed with gold.
It gleamed faintly. Unlike the picture books I knew, this one was filled with words.
But I wasn’t afraid—after all, I had a teacher now.
“Adele, you’ll learn many things with me in time. But since this is your first day, I’ll tell you the most important one. Do you see this last line here?”
“Yes.”
“Can you read it aloud?”
“I can’t read.”
Ehin didn’t seem surprised.
He just fell quiet, thinking of another approach.
“Then let’s repeat after me, okay? Start by remembering this name.”
That, I could do.
“I’ll repeat after you.”
“Good. Imperial Year 818—”
“…Imperial Year 818.”
He was four years older than me.
Keeping eye contact, he continued:
“Kasmahan.”
“Kasmahan.”
“Sugar.”
“Sugar.”
“Hasfelt.”
“Hasfelt.”
Kasmahan Sugar Hasfelt.
I repeated it carefully, wanting to memorize it perfectly—my first real lesson.
But could someone’s name include ‘Hasfelt’?
I thought only royals could have that.
Kasmahan Sugar Hasfelt.
The name sounded sweet and beautiful.
“That’s a pretty name.”
“He is His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“…What?”
“For now, at least. I mean, he will soon become His Majesty the Emperor. He’s only twelve now, but there were emperors who ascended at ten, you know.”
I was so shocked I forgot what came after that.
My eyes went round, but Ehin didn’t elaborate.
It wasn’t time yet, his face seemed to say.
He’d said this was the most important thing to know.
Why is the Crown Prince’s name the first thing I need to learn?
At that time, I didn’t understand—but later, I would.
Because that was the name of my future husband.
It truly was the most important piece of information.
Crown Prince Kasmahan Sugar Hasfelt.
A boy who would, from age fourteen, be called His Majesty the Emperor.
The radiant next sun of the Empire, its rightful heir.
The boy who would one day rival the Duke and call himself my protector.
But as an eight-year-old girl, I knew nothing of that yet—
I only did my best to memorize his name.
