Blue hydrangeas filled the entire windowsill. The petals were wet and seemed to greet me, trembling now and then as if to say hello.

What... Is that why these were in front of my door?

“I’ll take them away.”

“Huh?”

My mind, which had gone blank, suddenly cleared.

Khalid mumbled from behind me, looking a little sad.

“I didn’t know you were angry. I crossed the line. Sorry.”

“No... Why flowers all of a sudden?”

“The magic stones are all gone, so the window was empty. I thought you might feel lonely, so I brought them.”

I didn’t know what to say.

After I used up all the purple magic stones lined up there, of course the space had become empty.

I did think it looked lonely... but honestly, I didn’t expect Khalid to care about things like that.

“I’ll move them right now.”

“You...!”

Without thinking, I grabbed the hem of Khalid’s clothes just as he started to walk away.

“Why don’t you ever get mad at me!”

“You should get angry! I left without telling you before, but this time, you left a note and even brought a present. Why aren’t you complaining and acting mean to me?”

“No, I’m not angry... really.”

“Ugh, I was being so unfair just now! I was totally in the wrong!”

“You’re using a lot of hard words today...”

Somehow, I felt both angry and embarrassed. He cared about all my little things, but I just got upset on my own.

“It’s annoying! You’re too nice!”

“Only to you.”

A big shadow fell over my head. Khalid hesitated, but finished what he was saying.

“I only want to seem nice—to you.”

“...”

My lips, which had been shouting, froze.

I blankly stared at Khalid’s back as he walked away. The bow and arrow in my hand fell to the ground.

Thump, thump. It felt like someone was tapping my heart with a small hammer.

“Ruby, I want to go to the capital with you in autumn, too... What are you doing?”

Khalid touched the suction-cup arrow stuck to the back of his head.

“Huh? Uh?”

I hurriedly lowered my hand, still holding the arrow.

“I caught you...”

“What?”

“A good-looking bug...”

Khalid frowned a little.

“I really don’t get what you’re saying.”

Yeah... me neither.

I didn’t know what I was doing either.

That evening, the castle was lively for the first time in a while.

The senior knights had returned safely, so it felt like a festival.

I got excited too and ran all over the place, but every knight I met picked me up and spun me around, so in the end, I had to run away from them.

No way those magic stones worked that well!

I slipped away behind some decorations, not wanting to get caught.

If you listened to them, you’d think my decorations and cheers could split the sky, move mountains, and make them invincible against anything.

“A young lady, what are you doing here? You need to go to the dining room.”

“Oh, Hazel... Save me, please.”

I reached out to Hazel.

Hazel, after hearing what happened, raised her eyebrows and hugged me.

“Our young lady will be so busy every year now.”

“This is my first and last time... I’m on strike!”

“I support you.”

With Hazel’s strong protection, I went into the dining room. Dad, Mom, and Grandpa were already there.

Seeing Dad’s seat finally filled made me feel happy.

“You’re late.”

“Hehe. I’ll eat two bell peppers as punishment.”

Dad raised his eyebrows, surprised.

“You should eat four, but you’re trying to get away with two, huh.”

“What? How did you know?”

Who told on me?

I glared at Mom and Grandpa.

They wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“To celebrate the master’s return, I’ve prepared a lot of things!”

The chef happily pushed in a trolley. Soon, a feast covered the table.

“So good...”

I munched on meat covered in cream sauce. Dad smiled and put an even bigger piece on my plate.

When the feast was in full swing, I started to look around.

Should I say it now? When should I say it?

Mom noticed my fork slowing down.

“Ruby, are you full?”

“It’s not that... Actually, I have something to say.”

“Family, I—Ruby—have something to say.”

“...”

“I want to go to school!”

Clatter.

Dad and Grandpa dropped their utensils. Mom calmly wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“School? You told Dad you’d study at home.”

I felt embarrassed. It was true.

When I first got the Academy pamphlet, I acted all proud.

“Academy? Hmm, I need a more customized education. In the fresh air of the North... What do you think, Dad?”

“That’s smart, but give Liam his glasses back. He’s talking to trees over there.”

So Dad decided to get me a private tutor, and that was that.

“Sorry for changing my mind, but I want to try this camp first.”

I pointed at a paper stuck to the pamphlet.

“Autumn camp?”

“Yes! If you help pay the fee, I’ll become a better person and make you proud.”

“It’s not about money, Ruby. Can you live away from home? It’s almost ten days.”

I stared at Dad, not understanding the problem.

“Yeah, yeah. Does that even make sense? Let’s just... invite all the Academy kids up North! Yes, that’s better!”

“No, I don’t want that.”

I shook my head at Grandpa.

My goal is to visit the Academy in the capital!

The mood was tense. I sadly tapped at my dessert.

“Is it not allowed...? Because I changed my mind?”

Dad let out a long sigh.

“It’s not like you can’t go.”

He relaxed his shoulders and said,

“Okay. Then, shall we all go to the capital this autumn?”

“That sounds good,” Mom replied lightly.

I slowly looked up and blinked.

“All of us are going?”

“Would we send a troublemaker alone? Never.”

“I’m not going there to cause trouble!”

Not that I’m just going to have fun at the camp, either!

Dad laughed at me.

“Your cheeks look just like you’re planning something.”

He poked my cheek with his long finger.

I puffed out my cheeks.

“Ow...”

How did he know?

He’s weirdly sharp about these things!

Ch.12

Time passed, and autumn came.

The capital’s Rietta Academy was very lively.

It was the start of the fall semester, and more importantly, time for the new student camp.

This year, the mood was even more excited because...

“The Zebbert princess came to the capital, right? To join the camp?”

Everyone was talking about the “princess of the North” joining.

Last year, she amazed everyone at the Spring Festival.

Not only did she survive in the harsh North, but she also commands the frightening Duke Zebbert’s household.

They said that when people saw her silver hair and cold blue eyes, they froze up. She was still young, but everyone agreed she had a strong presence.

“But why isn’t she here?”

Red leaves covered the ground at the camp opening ceremony.

Everyone looked around for the princess.

“She should be here by now...”

Both new students and parents were looking for her.

But...

“Okay, this ends the opening ceremony.”

The silver-haired, blue-eyed girl never showed up. It seemed the Zebbert family didn’t even attend the ceremony.

“Was it just a rumor?”

“I heard the Duke, Duchess, and the old Duke all came to register in person.”

“And they’re staying at the townhouse, right? Maybe they got the camp date wrong?”

“No way.”

People looked confused. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Then someone pointed.

“But who’s that boy at the end?”

“Oh, that’s the transfer student line. Wait, isn’t he the one who won the horseback riding competition at the Spring Festival?”

“Yes! I heard the Zebbert family is sponsoring him!”

People sighed.

“He really looks special...”

The boy drew everyone’s eyes.

He had dark blue hair and sharp eyes. He looked bored with everything.

Even though he wore the same Academy uniform, his build stood out. The two tear-shaped marks under his eyes made him even more mysterious.

“Even though the princess isn’t here, this year’s Academy will be interesting.”

“Yes, it will... Oh! What are you doing?”

One of the people talking suddenly frowned.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“Maids shouldn’t be here. Please leave.”

“I’ll go now.”

The maid quickly bowed her head and left the hall.

In a quiet part of ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the Academy, she took off her maid clothes.

“Ugh, it stinks.”

She had found the discarded uniform after a noble family fired many servants. Of course, it was very dirty.

She took off the maid dress and revealed her usual black turtleneck underneath.

“I guess the Academy isn’t right...”

She remembered the round heads she’d seen before.

“It’s hard to sense magic in the capital.”

The woman wiped the sweat from her forehead.