Chapter 43
It wasn’t just that.
Even the dormitories within the academy were provided for free.
Pantora Academy’s dormitories were said to be incredibly luxurious, as they were meant for the children of nobles who lived outside the territory.
It was rumored that every detail—from furniture and decorations to even the toilet paper in the bathrooms—was top-notch.
The dormitories for the professors, by comparison, supposedly looked shabby.
Of course, the costs for such luxury were said to be anything but ordinary, much like tuition fees.
And yet, they offered such a place for free!
Reading the letter, I couldn’t hide my astonishment.
But Estelle immediately refused the dormitory.
Her reason was simple: the house wasn’t that far away, and she wanted to broaden her horizons by seeing and experiencing things outside the academy rather than just studying indoors.
‘Of course, considering the stats, commuting might be better for me too…’
Part of me felt it was a shame to give up the dormitory.
‘Well, Estelle’s choice matters most.’
If she didn’t want it, it was right not to go.
Still… why did it feel like I was being kept so far away, even though I knew better than anyone that she would be commuting?
‘What’s going on with me? The time apart from Estelle shouldn’t be any different than before.’
I guessed it was because the academy was an unfamiliar territory.
I had no worries about places I knew well, like the library or the farm, but I had never set foot in the academy before.
‘I have no idea what Estelle will do or experience inside. I can only rely on the stat parameters. It’s too nerve-wracking!’
I knew I was being overprotective, at least logically.
But after the gang incident last time, it was hard to feel at ease.
“Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? You’re not seriously doubting me, are you?”
Estelle pouted at my concern and glanced sharply over her shoulder.
Seeing her playful expression made me smile for no reason.
And as I laughed, the vague tension and anxiety eased.
I covered my mouth and chuckled softly.
“Yeah. You are family. Sorry, sorry. I was worrying for no reason.”
I raised both hands to about head height, signaling I would stop worrying.
Estelle’s expression immediately brightened into a satisfied smile.
Ding—ding—ding.
As we arrived at the academy, a large bell rang.
At the same time, the surroundings began to stir.
“Ah, I guess it’s time to go in.”
“Seems like it. Go on, have a good entrance ceremony, and enjoy your first class! Don’t be nervous!”
“Yes. See you tonight. You’re the one who’s nervous, Reina.”
Estelle adjusted her bag, then raised her hand high, waving from side to side as she walked into the academy.
“Reina really worries too much,” she muttered softly, though that only made her all the more admirable.
As she went inside, she brushed her hair from her shoulders and closed her eyes briefly.
The sparkle in her eyes and her bright smile vanished in an instant.
In their place was a cold, emotionless gaze and a blank expression.
Her face seemed so chilling that it almost looked angry.
The atmosphere had changed.
Estelle seemed like a completely different person.
Yet one thing remained unchanged.
“Woah… wow.”
“Who is she?”
Her appearance immediately drew attention.
Even with the shift in atmosphere, Estelle captivated everyone’s eyes.
But she seemed unaware of their gazes—or, if she knew, she didn’t care.
She simply walked toward the main auditorium with graceful, dignified steps.
Meanwhile…
“Ugh… can I really endure this?”
In the main auditorium of Pantora Academy, filled with new and current students, a child muttered quietly.
Keeping his head low to avoid attention, the boy’s name was Sial.
With ordinary brown hair, brown eyes, and a face full of freckles, he looked like a completely normal boy.
‘Why did I accept that offer back then…?’
Sial wanted to go back to that day when a major turning point had occurred in his ordinary life.
“A sponsorship… for me?”
“Yes.”
It was the day he unexpectedly won a student competition.
An elderly gentleman approached him and offered sponsorship.
At that moment, Sial was delighted.
Because now he could continue painting, something he almost had to give up due to his family’s financial situation.
Yet he also felt anxious.
The condition of the sponsorship was graduation from Pantora Academy.
Could someone as ordinary as him survive there? Could he even take the exams properly?
But Sial didn’t want to give up painting.
‘I’ve heard there are many excellent teachers at the academy.’
Studying there meant he could paint as much as he wanted, making even better artworks. His heart raced at the thought.
“Thank you!”
So Sial accepted the offer.
Like the saying goes, effort doesn’t betray you; he was accepted into Pantora Academy.
Thanks to focusing on studying more than painting for a while, he managed to pass.
‘Though barely…’
Most of those who took the exams didn’t pass, so even if it was close, he did reasonably well.
Sial felt a sense of pride in himself.
Yet as the day of enrollment approached, fear crept in.
From the moment he arrived at the academy to now, sitting in the auditorium, he had seen no one in a similar position.
Faces he hadn’t seen at the exam. Fabrics and accessories unlike anything in his world.
‘Everyone must be nobles. I’ll be eaten alive.’
Bone and all, he thought. He wouldn’t even get to start studying art.
Sial shrank slightly in his seat.
“Ahem. Please pay attention. We will now begin the entrance ceremony of Pantora Academy.”
Even with the announcement of the ceremony…
“Greetings, new students. I am the principal of the academy…”
Despite the principal’s dry, grating voice echoing throughout the hall, Sial remained hunched low to avoid attention. Very low.
Then…
“Following the principal’s address, we will announce the academic scholarship recipients. Estelle, please come forward.”
Suddenly, the principal’s uncomfortable voice ended, replaced by a younger one.
At the same time, the atmosphere shifted noticeably.
‘W-what’s happening?’
Just moments ago, the hall had been filled with chatter, laughter, and excitement.
And now, in an instant, silence and tension fell over the crowd.
Sial flinched at the sudden change.
“Who is that girl?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before. Where is she from?”
A murmur spread around.
Unlike before, everyone’s conversation revolved around the same topic.
Curious, Sial raised his head cautiously like a wary animal listening closely.
“Wasn’t she just called the top academic scholarship student? Then she must have taken the exam, meaning she’s a commoner?”
“But there’s no way someone with that appearance is a commoner. She must have taken the exam to hide her true status.”
“Right. And think about it—how could a commoner become the top academic scholarship student? She must be a noble.”
Top academic scholarship? Hiding her status?
Every word piqued Sial’s curiosity.
‘I have to know. I’m curious.’
Despite his fear, his curiosity got the better of him, and he carefully lifted his head.
What he saw on the stage astonished him.
Warm pink hair that shone like gold, eyes like a serene forest full of life, skin as clear as spring water, lips like drops of red ink, and a perfectly balanced, graceful figure.
A creation as if God himself had poured his heart into it, standing right in front of him.
