Today, Weizsacker Imperial Academy was boisterous since early in the morning.
Weiz Empire was the number one power in the continent. And this academy gathered the sons and daughters of the nobles of that very empire as well as superior commoners from inside and outside the country. Its building had luxurious white walls, and was overflowed by extravagant ornaments, as if being an embodiment of the dignity of the empire.
When the morning bell at the affiliated church rang, the students whose eyes were full of curiosity successively came out to the clean hallway swept by the academy’s servants.
Amidst them, there was someone who was conspicuous and stood out the most. Walking towards the corner of the hallway, she was a beautiful young lady with a blonde hair, her outlook excellent to the utmost. When the surrounding students recognized her figure, they all bowed simultaneously.
“Good morning, Bianca-sama.”
“Good morning.”
The dress wore by this blonde haired girl could be surmised as a top quality apparel at a glance, and she was called Bianca.
She was the younger sister of the president of this academy’s student council and the first imperial prince, Albert. Her age was fifteen, and she was a beauty admired as the empire’s flower.
Her face still had a trace of childishness on it, yet her expression was resolute. She greeted the one of the followers who was drawing close to her.
“Good day, Margrette. Are you too, planning to see the Young Marchioness Halkenberg?”
“Certainly, Bianca-sama! Amongst the people who attend this academy, who does not know about the [ Flora Catastrophe ]? Claudia-sama’s posthumous daughter had finally been found after twelve years! As expected, I can’t help but feel curious about her!”
“True. Albeit she was discovered in the slum, she is still someone who shares the Halkenberg’s blood. Surely, she has an unmistakable elegance inherent to her. Don’t you think so?”
Behind the folding fan, even as she posed that question, her lips made a squeak, indicating that she actually thought the opposite. Her pupils pranced to the corner of her eyes, flickering with a light that was like a cat playing with its prey.
Bianca turned to the gate which was visible from the hallway and scrutinized with her ice blue pupil.
“Being late by a day….. I heard, even the welcome party organized by Onii-sama was also delayed by a day for her. As the first imperial princess as well as the president of the junior division, isn’t it naturally my duty to examine the character of this newcomer who had imposed on the whole academy?”
“Of course!”
The academy accepted students starting from the age of twelve, on which they would be placed in the junior division for four years until they are fifteen. Then, they would spend the next three years from the age of sixteen to eighteen in the senior division. Bianca was a fourth year student – in other words, the highest in the junior division. She was also at the apex of the junior division’s student body.
“Oh my…..”
One of her followers incidentally raised her voice.
“Over there, at the direction of the inner hallway, isn’t it Natalia-sama? So she also came…..”
At the direction she was pointing at, there was a girl with a flaxen hair standing quietly, accompanied by several people. She gently concealed her face with a folding fan in a graceful manner apparent even from afar. Bianca snorted upon recognizing that alluring figure.
“Well, Natalia-oneesama is the kind of people entirely uninterested in rumor. Nevertheless, the fact that she has showed here means that she is curious. She even took the trouble of coming to the junior division’s building.”
“That is certainly true, Bianca-sama. Natalia-sama is Prince Albert’s older cousin and the first ranked candidate to be the empress. Now that someone whose rank may exceed hers appeared, she must be greatly troubled deep in her heart.”
“Well.”
Bianca gossipped maliciously.
“Even if she does not worry that much, I myself will gladly get rid of any inappropriate woman who get close to Onii-sama.”
From her tone of voice, it was obvious that the ‘inappropriate woman’ she was talking about also included Natalia herself. The followers around her tried their best to follow suit with stiff smiles on their faces.
Princess Bianca was a broad-minded girl with gorgeus and strong-willed facial features. On the other hand, Natalia was a talented young duchess whose intellect was admired as number one in the empire. With her delicate looks and prudent manner, she was already a personage who can represent the high society at an age as young as sixteen. One is the leader of the junior division, while the other is a talented girl who had distinguished herself in the senior division, causing the female students mostly being split into two forces. For a noble, which banner they are under was an issue of the utmost important. Therefore, the appearance of someone who could be a third force might very well exacerbate the situation even further. Many young ladies felt secretly unhappy because of this.
“Here she is.”
Bianca’s sharp murmur made the crowd immediately went astir. Several tens of gaze simultaneously turned to the iron door that led to the stone-paved path which passed through the hallway.
Those piercing gazes were composed by a variety of intent.
Gazes infected with anxiety, gazes colored by pure curiousity, gazes containing a little anticipation…..
The one who was expelled from the academy because of a false accusation, Young Marchioness Claudia Von Halkenberg. She fell into a commoner status, and afterwards traded her life in exchange for giving birth to a girl. After twelve years, that girl had finally been found. Only a short time had passed since then, but she was already smeared by various rumors and speculations. Naturally, right now it was she who was about to pass the door of this academy.
Creak…..—–
The moment the heavy iron door squeaked as it was opened, everyone’s breath was taken away.
Sorry for the mild cliffhanger! But the next good stopping point is pretty far, so…..