Chapter 03
“Lady Catherine, how have you been?”
Yulia quickly approached Catherine, who had her arms wide open, and embraced her.
The sweet scent of perfume emanating from the woman so close tickled Yulia’s nose.
“Congratulations on your graduation! My dear children.”
Catherine gently stroked the backs of the two she held in her wide arms, speaking softly.
“So Yulia, you ended up as this year’s top graduate after all?”
“I wasn’t very confident this semester, but I got lucky.”
“How can you be so humble!”
Catherine smiled warmly, her sparkling red eyes fixed on Yulia.
This adorable little blessing who rolled in—pretty, smart, and humble—she was so fond of her that she couldn’t help it.
“Thanks to Yulia, our Jerome also managed to graduate safely, didn’t he? Even while busy studying, you took such good care of my son. You’ve worked really hard.”
Catherine patted Yulia’s back repeatedly and guided them toward the chairs.
“Oh, this is no time to be standing around. Hey there, bring me that special tonic I got from Dr. List.”
Catherine pointed at a maid standing behind her.
The maid in a white apron immediately left the reception room and returned carrying a square box wrapped in blue cloth.
“Here, this is for Yulia.”
“Huh? I haven’t even finished what you gave me last time!”
Yulia waved her hands in surprise.
“Just take it. It’s my graduation gift to our proud sponsored student. You’re so skinny—how will you ever get anything done looking like that?”
Lady Catherine put on a deliberately stern expression, grabbed Yulia’s slender wrist, and shook it.
Yulia’s wrist dangled easily up and down in Lady Catherine’s hand.
“Take it once a day without fail. It’ll boost your appetite and help you gain some weight.”
Yulia couldn’t help but feel moved by Lady Catherine’s care for her.
The Duberts were more than just her sponsors; they looked after her so attentively.
Yulia silently vowed never to forget this kindness.
“Oh! I heard this year’s Royal Academy graduation ball is being held at the newly built Dunkirk Hotel in the city?”
Catherine asked, bringing her golden teacup to her lips.
“Yes. Everyone seems to be looking forward to experiencing their first night of madness after graduation.”
“Well, it’s been several years since you became adults… I’ve always worried that you were wasting your precious youth just rotting away at school. Why do you have to study for so long?”
Catherine grumbled, popping a cookie from her plate into her mouth.
The basic curriculum at the Royal Academy was five years, from age fourteen to nineteen, when students became adults.
After completing the five years of basic education, students had to choose between two paths: stay at school for advanced studies or go straight into society to gain practical experience.
Yulia had chosen the former and received three more years of advanced education.
‘The longer your education, the more money you earn!’
For her, the answer was always just one option.
“That sounds like so much fun!”
“Right. Jerome, tell us how it was after you get back.”
“Huh? Yulia, you’re not going?”
Catherine asked, her eyes going wide.
“No! I’m not going. Since I’ve graduated, I need to start preparing for employment right away to match the companies’ hiring schedules. Honestly, I’m already late.”
Yulia adjusted her large glasses and took a sip of the chamomile tea in front of her.
She was truly fixated on nothing but her own success.
To get into a top-tier company, there was a mountain of things to prepare—from basic background knowledge like the company’s founding history to preparing a list of anticipated questions from the working-level staff and executives!
“S-still, why don’t you go have some fun with Jerome? Studying too much when you’re young makes life boring!”
“To gain one thing, you must give up another.”
At Yulia’s firm attitude, Catherine, unable to hide her fluster, spoke again.
“D-don’t be like that. Go see the newly built hotel, meet your friends…! I heard the hotel is providing rooms for the attendees too. Where else would you get an opportunity like this? The graduation ball is a major highlight of the Royal Academy, and it’s a huge event. Everyone is dying to attend—how can you just throw away such a chance?”
Since the ball ran from early evening until dawn the next day, the building hosting the party had rooms where attendees could rest at any time.
Of course, the rooms weren’t just for simple rest.
It wasn’t uncommon for couples who hit it off while enjoying the ball to go into a room together.
‘There’s even a term like “graduation ball couple” for a reason.’
Yulia shrugged as if it had nothing to do with her and looked at the pattern on the teacup she was holding.
Hmm… Was this a teacup made by Shifga’s subsidiary?
“Then h-how about this? I’ll give you some allowance so you can have a good time with Jerome! Think of it as my gift, just empty that little head of yours for one day and go enjoy yourself.”
Yulia’s ears perked up at the word “allowance.”
Money was the area she was most interested in, next to success.
Noticing the subtle change in Yulia’s expression as she gazed seriously down at her teacup, Catherine smiled and pushed forward.
“I’ll give you 800 Larque! How’s that? That should be plenty to buy a pretty dress and a nice bag, right?”
800 Larque was a large sum—enough to buy a dress, a bag, and even shoes, with money left over…
The leftover money could go toward buying books for job hunting or be sent to her grandfather as living expenses.
Having calculated everything in her head, Yulia looked up, her blue eyes sparkling.
Click.
The faint sound of a coachman’s whip urging the horses and the clatter of hooves could be heard.
The luxurious carriage bearing the Isheid family crest was passing through the wealthy district where the capital’s most famous aristocrats lived.
Kasian, who had been sitting upright the whole time, turned his head toward the window and looked outside.
Through the carriage window, the unique mansions of various aristocrats passed by, flaunting their magnificent forms.
Just then, a person crossing the street caused the carriage wheels to stop.
“Wow, is this Dubert Castle? They say they’re the richest in the Tritan Empire, and the estate really is huge.”
Lucas, sitting across from him, leaned toward the window and spoke.
Kasian, who had been sitting like a statue facing forward, suddenly turned his head to carefully examine the outside, making Lucas wonder if there was something worth seeing.
Without even replying to Lucas, Kasian fixed his gaze on a woman exiting the Dubert gates.
Yulia, her brown hair neatly tied back, was leaving Dubert Castle carrying a large box in both hands.
Was she carrying something that heavy all by herself?
The ever-expressionless Kasian’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Huh? That woman is wearing your academy uniform. Her ribbon is the same color as yours, so… that means she’s a graduate from this year?”
Lucas, with his face pressed to the window, spotted Yulia and muttered.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something more, a purple curtain snapped shut, blocking his view.
Kasian took his hand from the curtain he had just closed, turned his body, and faced forward again.
“…What the?”
“What?”
“Why did you suddenly yank the curtain shut?”
“I didn’t know you were looking.”
“What’s wrong with his personality…”
At Kasian’s cold response, Lucas straightened his leaning body.
There had been no conversation the entire way to the castle, so he had tried to start one using the scenery outside, but the chilly wind still blew fiercely.
“Seeing that uniform reminds me. Kasian, you’re going to the academy graduation ball this time, right?”
“I have to go.”
“That’ll be fun. Enjoy it for me too. It’s my lifelong regret that I didn’t graduate from the Royal Academy. My dream was to attend and build some solid connections.”
“Fun, you say…”
“How about taking this chance to become a graduation ball couple for even more fun?”
Lucas asked with a playful smile.
Kasian leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and lightly ignored his question.
Graduation ball…
A small hope crept into his mind that maybe he could have an ordinary conversation with her at the ball.
…As if that would happen.
Kasian forced himself to erase the useless expectation.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the vast garden of Isheid Castle.
Getting off the carriage, Kasian didn’t even glance at Lucas following behind him and walked alone through the castle gates.
The butler, Avil, unsure whether to follow his master or approach Lucas who had come as a guest, finally made up his mind and hurried over to Lucas.
“Hello there, young master Lucas. You must be tired from the long journey. Have you been well?”
“Oh, Avil, long time no see.”
“His Highness had some urgent business…”
“It’s not the first time Kasian’s acted like that, is it? Just show me to the room I’ll be using. I should be grateful you even came to the station to meet me.”
Lucas shrugged in response.
Avil, constantly conveying apologies on behalf of his cold master, signaled to the servants standing behind him.
The servants began moving Lucas’s luggage one by one.
“Young master, will you be staying for a while this time?”
“Who knows? Will I be staying long? I doubt that guy will let me stay at the castle for long.”
Lucas looked up at Isheid Castle.
“I’m not even sure if I can be of any help.”
“Oh my goodness…!”
Lady Catherine snapped open the fan in her right hand and began fanning herself dramatically.
Anyone could see she was showing off her newly acquired fan.
“I always knew our Yulia was pretty, but now that she’s all dressed up like this, she wouldn’t pale in comparison to any woman in the empire, would she?”
“Oh, you flatter me.”
Yulia smiled shyly and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
A woman with an awkward expression stood inside the round marble-framed mirror.
The golden embroidery stitched along the hem of the elegantly shimmering blue dress was absolutely beautiful.
