A few days had passed since the whirlwind of my thirteenth birthday. Today, the carriage didn't stop at a gala or a boutique; it came to a halt in front of the towering, iron-wrought gates of the Magic Academy.
I stepped out onto the cobblestones and took a deep breath. I was wearing the academy uniform—a sharp blend of obsidian cloth and silver trim. Honestly, I really liked it. It was practical yet elegant, and it suited my silver hair and pale complexion perfectly. All the paperwork, the secret meetings, and the grueling entrance exams were behind me.
Finally… I'm here.
I didn't know exactly what was going to happen next in these halls, but I knew one thing: it better be interesting.
As I walked toward the gate, a guard stepped into my path, his hand resting casually on his spear. "Hey, kid… where are you going?" he asked, looking down at me. "Are you here with your family? Or did you come here for some other reason? Visitors aren't allowed past the line today."
Then his eyes fell on my clothes, and he paused. "…Wait a second. Why are you wearing the academy uniform?"
He narrowed his eyes, leaning down to get a better look at me. "You still look like a child… don't tell me—are you actually a student of this academy?"
I adjusted my collar and looked him in the eye, my voice calm and regal. "Yes. I am a student. And today is my first day."
He blinked, clearly stunned. "Oh… so today is your first day…" He trailed off, scratching his head as he tried to recall something. "Ah! Then you must be that special girl whose admission was approved early. The prodigy everyone was whispering about."
He kept muttering to himself, trying to pull a name from his memory. "What was the name… what was it… was it… Neria Elowen?"
I felt a vein throb in my forehead. I frowned slightly, my voice sharpening. "What? How do you know her name?"
Then I straightened my back, radiating the authority of my bloodline. "No. My name is Aurelia Valencrest."
The moment that name left my lips, the guard's expression changed completely. His face went pale, and he scrambled to offer a deep, respectful bow.
"Oh! My apologies, Princess! Please forgive my rudeness!" he stammered. "We were informed about your arrival as well, but you came in such a normal carriage, without a royal escort, that I thought…"
He hesitated, looking embarrassed. "…that you might be that commoner, Neria Elowen."
I ignored the comment about my "normal" arrival. "Leave that," I said, my heart skipping a beat. "You said Neria… her admission is here? How is that possible? I can't believe that."
Just as the words left my mouth, a familiar, playful voice drifted from behind me.
"Looks like someone likes me a lot. You're already talking about me before you even walk through the gate?"
I turned sharply. It was Neria. She was standing there in the same uniform, looking entirely too smug.
"You… how are you here?" I demanded. "Did your admission also happen early?"
She crossed her arms and tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yes. My admission happened. I suppose you can call it a reward for my good karma."
Then she stepped closer, a teasing smirk on her face. "But it looks like your admission only happened because you're a princess. Am I wrong?"
The jab hit its mark, and I felt my competitive spirit flare up. I replied immediately, "I got admission because of my ability, Neria. But you… you must have cheated to get in two years early."
Before she could fire back, the guard interrupted us, looking nervous. "You both should go inside quickly. Classes are about to start, and the professors don't take kindly to tardiness."
"Fine," I said, turning away from her.
"Fine," she echoed, matching my stride.
We walked through the courtyard in silence. I noticed Neria glancing at me from the corner of her eye. The academy rules allowed us to slightly modify our uniforms to suit our personal styles, but I hadn't changed a single stitch of mine. Yet, somehow, Neria looked… different.
(Inner thought)
Are we really allowed to modify uniforms? Then why does hers look slightly more tailored than mine? What exactly did she change? And why does she still look this good in basic wool?
"Neri, so you finally came."
Both of us turned at the sound of the deep voice. It was Lucien. When he saw Neria, his expression was warm and normal, but when his eyes shifted to me, his entire demeanor changed. He looked shocked, his eyes scanning my uniform.
"You… you're also here?" he asked, his voice a mix of surprise and something else I couldn't place. "Don't tell me your admission also got approved."
He looked at my uniform again, as if making sure it wasn't a hallucination. "…It did, didn't it?"
Neria answered for both of us. "Yes. I'm here now, Luce."
I added, "Yes, my admission was approved. But I didn't know you were actually a student here, Lucien. I only knew that you were staying in our kingdom for 'studies'… I didn't realize it was the Academy."
Neria watched us for a moment, her eyes darting between my confused face and Lucien's blushing one.
(Neria's thought)
These two are definitely going to become lovers one day… they're practically glowing. I should leave before I become a third wheel.
She slowly started to back away, trying to slip into the crowd of students.
Lucien ignored her attempt to flee, looking at me. "I'm in my second year."
"Oh… I see," I said, feeling a bit out of the loop. "Then can you tell me where my class is?"
Meanwhile, I noticed Neria was successfully sliding away. "Where are you going alone like that?" I called out. "I'm coming too."
She stopped and looked back, annoyed. "You should stay here and talk to your Prince."
"No. You're coming with me. We're in the same year, aren't we?"
"Why should I wait for you?"
And just like that, our bickering started all over again. Lucien stood there, caught between us, completely silent as he watched two of the most talented girls he knew argue like toddlers.
After a moment, I huffed. "At this rate, we'll be late. I'm going."
I turned and walked away toward the main building. Lucien and Neria just stood there for a second, watching me go. Then, the realization hit Neria like a ton of bricks.
"If she's getting late… then I'm getting late too!" she gasped, and she quickly bolted after me.
After asking three different seniors for directions and getting lost twice in the sprawling stone corridors, we somehow managed to reach our classroom. We were standing outside, catching our breath, when a woman with a stern face and sharp glasses approached from behind.
"You two must be the new students," she said, not waiting for an answer. She opened the door and ushered us inside.
"Everyone, pay attention," the teacher announced, her voice silencing the chatter of the room. "I want to introduce your new classmates."
All eyes turned toward us. The room was filled with the children of high-ranking nobles and talented mages. The teacher pointed at me first.
"My name is Aurelia Valencrest," I said, my voice projecting with royal confidence. "It's nice to meet all of you."
The room erupted into polite clapping. Then the teacher pointed at Neria.
"My name is Neria Elowen," she said with a bright, charming smile. "It's nice to meet you all. I hope we get along well."
Again, the class clapped. And then—my eyes landed on someone in the third row.
Darian.
Of course he's in this class. I don't forget handsome, cold faces so easily. He was the boy from the garden. Neria saw him too, her breath hitching slightly.
(Neria's thought)
Wait… that's him. The guy who caught me at the party.
Darian was leaning back in his chair, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. He was looking directly at Neria.
(Neria's thought)
Why is he smiling at me like that? Is he making fun of me because I fell?
I noticed the intense eye contact between them. This was getting interesting.
The teacher cleared her throat. "You can go and sit now. Since you've missed the first few days, you can take the previous notes from Darian. He has the best records in the class."
We both said, "Yes," in unison.
But in my mind, I scoffed. I didn't need anyone's notes. I had a photographic memory and a decade of private tutoring. I could study on my own.
Neria, however, was having a crisis.
(Neria's thought)
I'd rather fail this entire semester than ask him for help… but if these magic formulas are as hard as they look, I'll have to.
We walked over and sat in the two empty seats together.
(Another Class — Lucien's POV)
Across the academy in the second-year wing, a lecture on advanced mana manipulation was going on. Usually, Lucien was the top student, but today, his eyes were fixed on the window.
"Aren't you going to tell me what's wrong?" a whisper came from the seat beside him.
It was Aveline. She was leaning over, her quill paused over her parchment. "What are you thinking about? You haven't been paying attention at all today."
Lucien turned his head slightly and looked at her, his expression carefully neutral. "Aveline… it's nothing," he said calmly. "I'm still listening to the lecture."
Aveline narrowed her eyes at him, clearly unconvinced. She knew him too well. "I don't believe you. You haven't written a single word."
Lucien let out a quiet sigh, feeling the heat rise to his neck. "I told you, it's nothing. Just stay quiet, or the teacher will scold you."
Aveline crossed her arms and pouted, turning back to her notes. "Fine. Don't tell me then. See if I care."
Lucien looked forward again, pretending to focus on the chalkboard, but his mind was miles away.
(Inner thought)
Auri looked really cute in that uniform today… really, really cute. No… way too cute for her own good.
He could still see her face clearly, the way the silver trim of the uniform made her eyes glow. He was in deep trouble.
(Break Time — Neria's POV)
The bell rang, signaling the end of the first period. I sat at my desk, flipping through the academy-issued magic theory books with a look of pure frustration.
(Inner thought)
What am I even supposed to do with these? The diagrams look like someone spilled ink on the page, and the explanations are written in ancient riddles. These books are so weird…
I sighed, resting my cheek on my hand, feeling the weight of the missing lessons.
(Inner thought)
And now I regret not asking for notes earlier. Why did I think I could just understand everything on my own? I'm talented, but I'm not a mind reader.
I glanced around. The class had mostly emptied as students headed to the courtyard for snacks. Only a few remained. I looked over at Aurelia, who was reading her book with a calm, focused expression as if she were reading a fairy tale.
(Inner thought)
There's no way I'm studying like her. She's built different—probably sleeps with a textbook under her pillow.
My eyes slowly shifted toward the one person I didn't want to talk to. Darian. He was sitting alone, quietly organizing his things.
(Inner thought)
…I guess I have no choice. My grades depend on it.
I stood up, my heart beating a little faster against my ribs. I walked toward his desk and stopped right in front of him. I tried to make my voice sound as normal and casual as possible.
"The teacher said I should take notes from you…" I said, holding out my hand slightly. "So… can you give them to me?"
Darian didn't even look up at first. He finished closing his inkwell, then slowly raised his head. His eyes were cold and indifferent.
"No."
The silence that followed was deafening. I blinked, my hand still hanging in the air.
(Inner thought)
…Excuse me?
My expression stiffened. I felt a surge of indignation.
(Inner thought)
He just refused? Just like that? What kind of person even does that? The teacher literally told me to come to him, and he just said 'no'?
I clenched my fist at my side, my pride stinging. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me get angry.
"…Fine," I said, my voice clipping short.
I didn't argue. I didn't beg. I just turned around and walked back to my seat, my footsteps heavy on the floorboards. I sat down and opened my book again, staring at the pages with an annoyed glare.
(Inner thought)
Great. Just great. Now studying on my own is my only option. I hope he trips on his way to lunch.