Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Educating the Spoiled Princess
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The problems on the 'Saintess Qualification Exam' could be divided into three main categories.
I'd have loved to add more subjects, but time was short, so I stuck to the essentials.
1. Etiquette 2. Politics 3. Organization Management & Accounting
The etiquette section covered manners in the strictest sense—especially the protocols that high society nobles followed when mingling with others.
Everything from greetings that varied by the other person's status and your own position, to conversational etiquette, and a host of other gestures you had to master...
The politics section wasn't some academic study of democratic basics like what you'd learn in school. Instead, I crafted descriptive problems based on real scenarios she might face.
Question 3. As a saintess candidate, you must bring Cardinal A and Duke B into your faction. However, A and B are currently at odds due to some incident. Describe how you would persuade both of them simultaneously, based on the conditions provided in the options below. (Word limit: 1000 characters)
Like that.
Organization management and accounting were just basic common knowledge from business studies.
Of course, not modern common knowledge—this world's version.
Multiple-choice questions on how a leader should manage an organization, plus essay questions where I'd toss her a ledger and have her interpret it or spot errors in the entries.
And astonishingly, Aselina solved every last one.
I'd given her a generous 2 hours and 30 minutes, but based on her usual skills, I'd figured she'd leave half blank and throw a fit at me, whining, "You made these impossible on purpose!"
Of course, solving them didn't mean she got them all right, but her accuracy rate was impressively high.
She aced organization management & accounting, shockingly enough.
She scored pretty well on etiquette, too.
The problem was politics.
She did write answers...
"Aselina. I have a question about your answer to Question 3... What the hell does 'Summon A and B for a three-way meeting and persuade them' even mean?"
"What do you mean? I wrote exactly what I meant."
"...Let's hear your reasoning first."
"Obviously! I'm the captain of the Rose Knight Order, daughter of Pope Mercadie Radain, and the next saintess. There's no way those two wouldn't listen to me!"
...Every politics question that asked for ways to persuade specific people or resolve conflicts got answers like "I'd be able to do it!" or "There's no way they wouldn't heed my words!"
Eline met my eyes, nodding silently as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Aselina. Come over here and sit."
"...?"
Aselina rose from her desk in her office, looking puzzled, and sat across from me on the guest sofa.
"The grading is done. You scored higher than I expected."
"See!"
"But politics was the issue. You got almost every question on political judgment wrong."
"What? No way."
"...Alright. Now I finally get it. Your problem."
I lowered my voice sternly, and Aselina tensed up, watching my face carefully.
"You're not lacking in intelligence. Your thinking is just too rigid."
"..."
"..."
"...I have a pretty good idea of how the Grand Duke usually sees me... But go on. What do you mean by 'rigid'?"
"You can only think in fragments."
I explained my diagnosis to Aselina.
"You were adopted as the Pope's ward at a young age, then rose through the ranks as a high inquisitor and knight captain, succeeding at every turn."
"Of course. It's my proudest achievement."
"And that achievement is holding you back now."
"...What do you mean?"
"Inquisitor and knight captain—a ferocious beast hunting heretics and the Holy Kingdom's enemies with overwhelming force. In a war where you can clearly divide enemies from allies, a beast's methods work fine."
"But this is the Holy Land Beltus. A gathering of nobles and priests, the elite of the elite. In this political arena, where they exchange smiling greetings up front while endlessly forming alliances and stabbing backs behind the scenes, your rigid approach won't cut it."
"In other words, this is an asura field with no eternal hunters or prey. To succeed, you have to ally with yesterday's mortal enemy for your goals and bow to those far beneath you."
"You've only ever lived as someone giving orders to subordinates or fighting enemies head-on. That's why you can't adapt to politics, which demands flexible thinking and responses."
"That's my diagnosis."
Truth be told, I'd already suspected her issue from her usual behavior and background, but the exam results confirmed it.
And she wasn't just anyone—she was a saintess candidate.
In modern South Korea terms, it was like running for parliament.
Even politicians who treat voters like idiots plaster on thick faces come election season, groveling with lame lies like "I'll devote my life to the people."
No way this haughty blonde knight captain would stoop that low...
"..."
Aselina pondered my explanation with a grave expression.
Here was the real issue.
What reaction would she have?
High chance she'd snap, "No way I'd do that!" and accuse me of insulting her.
Of course, I'd anticipated her rebellion—that's why I used Eltero's notarization, binding even myself.
Whether she agreed or not, she'd have to follow my "education" until the saintess selection ended.
She was taking too long to respond, so words alone wouldn't convince her.
Resigned to half-heartedly declare "I'll proceed with the education regardless," I opened my mouth.
"...I see. So that's how it was."
"Huh?"
"It's like my eyes have been opened. I never even considered that angle. A warrior's way differs from a politician's."
Suddenly agreeing?
"Y-Yeah."
"Impressive, Lord Robertus. You've pinpointed and clarified the issue I've struggled with since entering the saintess race—something I couldn't quite grasp."
"Uh, uh-huh."
"So you must have a plan to fix that weakness. I'm looking forward to it."
"Hm."
Her calm demeanor was unnerving—peaceful enough to unsettle me.
"...Why are you so flustered?"
"Didn't expect you'd agree so easily."
"If someone else said that, I'd think they were insulting me. But I trust you, Lord Robertus."
"You trust me?"
"Yes. You've only recently become Grand Duke and came to the Holy Land for the Holy Capital Assembly. You've had no real experience in noble politics."
She stared at me intently.
"Yet you saw through Duke Ferris's schemes and turned them back on him. You even uncovered his betrayal—something even I didn't know."
Those red eyes sparkled with unexpected trust.
"A natural political genius... Well, maybe 'prodigy' fits better. When you say it, I believe it."
"...I didn't realize you trusted me that much."
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have worked so hard to recruit you."
She hadn't figured out the solution, but she'd vaguely sensed her weakness.
And instinctively judged me as the talent to fix it.
Though my persuasion method was way off-base.
"Looks like you didn't reach that position just on your background."
"Excuse me. If I planned to ride my mother's coattails, I wouldn't have taken on dangerous roles like inquisitor or holy knight."
Honestly, this was unexpected.
Her cleanly accepting my consulting.
No need for Plan B, C, etc., that I'd prepped for her resistance. A bit anticlimactic, but good is good.
"Ready for your education, then?"
"Of course. I was shocked when you first said you'd educate me, but I've changed my mind. Things would've gone much smoother if you hadn't tricked me into that contract."
"Maybe."
The notarization was more to prevent her from backing out during training.
"So, what's this education you've prepared?"
"I'll tell you tonight."
"...Pardon?"
"It's 3 p.m. now. Looks like you have no more knight captain duties, so until dinner, get basic etiquette lessons from Eline here."
"Etiquette lessons? My manners are already perfect."
"As a knight captain, maybe. Checking your wrong answers, you seem clueless about how a 'noble saintess candidate' should act at parties or salons. Eline will focus on that."
"Looking forward to working with you, Lady Aselina."
"...You're leaving the lessons to that maid?"
"Just basics. The core lesson—honing your political instincts—that's mine."
"...?"
I flashed a light smile at her puzzled head-tilt, then stood.
Time to get busy again. For tonight's lesson.
"Tonight at 11 p.m. Meet me at my quarters. Obviously... don't tell anyone we're meeting. Come alone."
What he meant was clearly the lesson.
A purely educational session, with no impure intentions whatsoever.
Aselina repeated this to herself dozens of times, but right before leaving her room, she rushed back to her vanity.
She applied red lipstick and spritzed perfume on her neck.
But skipping even this much preparation for a man-woman meeting in the dead of night would be careless.
Thus, clutching her pounding heart, Aselina donned a black robe fully and headed to Robertus's bedroom.
She hurried across the night sky bathed in bright half-moonlight.
Constantly checking for anyone around, she proceeded cautiously and finally reached his quarters, lightly knocking.
"I've been waiting."
The maid Eline from earlier greeted her.
Following her inside.
Through the unlit living room, they reached a door that looked like the bedroom.
"My lord. She's here."
-Come in.
Eline cracked the door and vanished into the darkness.
Feeling her heart thump uncontrollably now, Aselina opened the door and entered the room where Robertus waited.
"You're late."
Robertus sat at a large desk, thick glasses on.
Piles of papers on the desk.
The moment she saw it, Aselina realized.
No chance for the mishap she'd secretly hoped for.
Sighing softly—a mix of slight relief and mostly disappointment—she sat in the prepared chair opposite him.
"...So, what's this education?"
"Simple. With less than a week until the Assembly, the only way to break your rigid mindset is real practice."
"Practice? How?"
He handed her a sheet of paper.
"...What's this?"
"A setup. Profile of the person you'll talk to, your relationship, and what you need to get from them in this conversation."
Aselina frowned, reading it.
"Elizabeth... Duchess?"
As he said, it detailed 'Elizabeth Dritmi,' a duchess—her background, relation to Aselina, and the goal: 'Persuade her for support.'
A profile so vivid and detailed, it felt real. But...
"I don't know her."
"Of course not. I made her up."
Aselina grew more confused about his intentions.
"What is all this?"
"Simple."
Robertus adjusted his glasses with a finger, sitting ramrod straight as he stared at her.
"From now on, I'll be Duchess Elizabeth."
"Pardon?"
"Try persuading me—no, her."