Chapter 351 Distancing Ourselves from the Scene
Once we finished our delicious snacks, the three of us sauntered our way back to our respective classrooms before the bell tower rang. There was a little time left before the thirty-minute break came to an end, so we better get to the classes in time or earlier.
Since we relaxed at the back of the campus, we happened to pass the courtyard on our way. The courtyard was still as congested as usual, but we noticed that there was a particular spot where a number of students flocked.
"What's up with people?" I pondered. "Why do they gather themselves there?"
"I don't know," Iris shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe they want to see something?" "We would gather attention if we went there," my sister noted. "Let's distance ourselves and observe."
We stopped under the shade of the exterior hallway of the right wing and then observed the situation from a distance. There was no need to activate skills, so we just gathered information through our eyes. Even if we were tens of meters from the flock, our bare eyes were keen enough to see what was going on there. From what I could see, the crowd consisted of mostly female students from all grades. The majority of them were the female students of the first year, and they were all excited. For the reason why such a group of girls flocked to one place, there was something, or rather someone, that attracted them. The moment I caught a glimpse of that person, I immediately knew why the girls were going crazy on him. But before I could say anything, Iris intoned my thoughts out loud. "So it's the empire's crown prince, huh?" Just as Iris said, the one they were flocking to was indeed the crown prince of the Empire of Dixon. The firstborn of Emperor Jeffrey Dixon, His Imperial Highness Edward Dixon. He was also attending the academy, and he was currently a third-year student. Prince Edward was a handsome, tall, and slightly muscular young man with blonde hair and exuding blue eyes. In addition to his outward appearance, the crown prince was a smart student, coupled with his shining charisma. Overall, I could say that he was a prince charming straight out of fairytale books. He was the embodiment of every girl's dream. I could understand why many girls were going crazy when he was around. Even though the girls were surrounding the prince, they could not get near him. As the prince walked in the courtyard with a smile that melted girls' hearts, his three companions were tagging proudly around him. "His Imperial Highness has many things to do, ladies, so please don't get on his way." One of them, a young man with silky turquoise hair and sharp navy-blue eyes, coldly told the people around them to give the prince space while pushing his eyeglasses. His name was Celeste Korper, the son of a count of the empire. From what I had heard from my sister, he was skilled with nothing but magic, and he was quite knowledgeable and intelligent. Apparently, he was a bookworm who always shut himself in the library. In spite of that, he was still a close confidant of the prince, and it was anticipated that he would become the prince's adviser. "Serious as always, huh, Celeste?" The one behind the prince with a deep voice made fun of Celeste with a haughty tone. "Come on, let them see the greatness of His Imperial Highness." The student who just spoke was named Warren Clavel. He had a good physique with long, straight red hair and amber eyes. Like Celeste, Warren was also the son of an imperial count. He was the opposite of Celeste. While Celeste was the brain, Warren was the brawn. Warren was versatile with various weapons but almost had no talent for magic. He was actively doing dungeons and missions in the guild. He often challenged strong students, but he never had the confidence to fight my sister. He was probably well aware that he was no match for someone with a double level. "You know what, meathead? Once you become the lord of your domain, I could predict that it would crumble to dust." "What did you say, Four Ey—?!" "Good grief." The last one among the three shook his head as he made Warren not lose his composure. "We are still in public, everyone. Please watch your words." "Sorry, sorry, Francis. I lost my cool." Walking by the prince's side was a young man named Francis Aethel, a son of one of the three archducal families of the empire. His silky white hair was gleaming, and his purple eyes exuded gentleness. He seemed kind and thoughtful. He had been the prince's best friend since childhood, as the imperial royal family had a closer relationship with the Aethel family than the other two. They considered one another as brothers from another mother. "The imperial crowd prince and his entourage... are they that popular in the academy?" I asked. "As you can see, they quite are," my sister responded. "It already has been like that since I attended the academy. Given their qualities of being good-looking and talented, there is no doubt why they become role models and gain a reputation among the students." "I see."
The crown prince's entourage were the heartthrobs of the academy. Each one of them was an heir to their domain. And unfortunately, they were all taller than I was. The nobles had more access to nutrition than commoners; therefore, most noblemen were blessed with height. "Your Imperial Highness," Francis whispered to the prince. "Here she is." "I know, Francis," the prince replied. Suddenly, the prince and his cohorts stopped walking near the fountain at the center of the courtyard, and so did the crowd. Soon after, a woman appeared, followed by several female students. Judging from her size alone, it was immediately apparent that she was a high-ranking noblewoman.
"It's His Imperial Highness's betrothed, Lady Christine Grise!" Christine Grise was the daughter of an archduke in the empire and the fiancee of Prince Edward. She was in her second year in the academy and a classmate of my sister in the second-year's elite class. She was a young woman with long purple hair and sharp eyes of the same hue. She had a dignified stature and a stoic and collected demeanor. Her followers were composed of students who came from families that supported the Grise Archduchy. Actually, she was the vice president of the academy's student council this year. As everyone could guess, the prince was the current president. So Christine had been assisting and guiding the prince in governing the students. As soon as they saw her, the girls surrounding the prince and his friends made her theirs. Even though they were head over heels toward the prince, they were not foolish enough to obstruct her way to the prince. "Your Imperial Highness, I would like to speak to you regarding the meeting with other council members," she said with a serious tone. "I would like to remind you to attend the meeting after dismissal." Hearing what Christine just said, Prince Edward let out a sigh. "Christine, I know that you are a diligent student, but I don't like it when you have to remind me of anything." "But I am the vice president, Your Imperial Highness. It's my responsibility to—" "Even if you are my betrothed, you cannot always act like one here in the academy, where we are just other students. You cannot just keep ordering me around." The tension in the air was thick, and the students around were simultaneously silent and gossiping with each other. They knew how to read the situation, and they decided not to interfere. Meanwhile, I was shocked by how these two interacted. "Are they always like this?" I asked my sister. "It is like they are strangers." "..." Big Sis did not answer me immediately and stared at the scene for a while with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "They were not like that last year. They were rather cooperative with each other and could be seen together most of the time. I don't know what's up with them, but I think something happened." "Hmm... That's strange." As I scratched my chin, I continued observing the situation. "..." Christine briefly lowered her head. "I am very sorry for my attitude, Your Imperial Highness. My job is done here, so I better go to remind the other members." After that, Christine turned her back and walked away from the courtyard, as did her followers. The prince of his cohorts did not say a word, and they walked to the other side. The girls followed close behind.
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