Chapter 2
Chapter 2
It was just another ordinary day.
“Damian, you’re top again this time? At this rate, you’re really going to become an imperial knight!”
“Exactly! The top and second place students in the knight department always get scouted by the Imperial Palace!”
“For a knight, joining the imperial knights is basically the dream job! You get to protect the royal family even during war!”
“I’m jealous. Seriously, so jealous!”
Surrounded by my classmates from the knight department of the Imperial Academy, receiving their envious stares and words was something I had grown used to.
Just like they said, from the moment I entered the academy until now, right before graduation, I had never once lost the top rank in the knight department.
But that ordinary daily life changed in an instant.
Because—
What is this memory…! It’s not mine…! But it feels like it is…!
One day, along with a sudden headache, unknown memories crashed into my mind.
But soon, I realized something even more shocking.
I… was a reincarnated person. So I really ended up in a romance fantasy world I used to enjoy reading.
Honestly, it was a huge shock.
It affected my academy life quite badly.
“Ugh…”
“Damian, what’s wrong with you lately? You don’t seem focused.”
As memories from my past life flooded in all at once, I spent most of my time trying to organize them in my head. Even during simple sparring classes, I ended up taking hits from basic attacks.
Because of that, rumors started spreading that I might soon lose my top rank.
That useless commoner. So he’s finally showing his true colors.
“Yeah, serves him right. I’m actually satisfied.”
Of course, those rumors spread the most among the noble students.
In the first place, I was born into an ordinary household in this world. I learned various weapon skills from my father, who was a mercenary.
The weapon I was best at was the sword, so I entered the knight department of the academy.
Anyway, I couldn’t keep getting lost in thoughts about my past life.
At this rate, I might not only lose first place, but even second place, just like those nobles were saying.
My goal was to become an imperial knight so I could improve the lives of my parents and my only cute little sister.
“Kyah!”
“What are you doing, bumping into people like that, you disgusting commoner?”
“I’m already annoyed, and now this? You picked the wrong day.”
As I was heading back to the dorm after finishing light sparring with my friends during the graduation exam season, I saw two male students threatening a female student.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
As a senior student about to graduate, I couldn’t just ignore this.
I quickly stepped in front of the girl and blocked the two boys.
“What the—!”
“Hey, hey. That’s a senior, a senior.”
One of them seemed to have enough sense to notice my tie color and realize I was a senior.
In the knight department, the hierarchy between seniors and juniors was strict, so they couldn’t just act carelessly.
Even if the senior was a commoner, they had to obey orders. That kind of strict system was already established.
Because once you became a knight, you would be assigned to knight orders where nobles and commoners served together.
In such a place, if a noble junior refused to follow a commoner senior’s orders, everything would fall apart.
In war, that kind of conflict would cost lives.
So the Roseshill Empire had created a law that once someone became an official knight, their noble or commoner status would be ignored until retirement. Only the title “Knight” mattered.
That was why, even in the academy, students had to control themselves in advance.
“Tch. You’re lucky, damn commoner.”
Whoosh.
The two of them turned and ran away.
Honestly, even in front of a senior they were acting like that. They probably weren’t from the imperial knight order or the imperial knight division. Most likely, they were heirs from noble families.
Shaking my head at their arrogance, I turned toward the girl they had been threatening.
But the moment I saw her face, I froze.
“Th-thank you so much, senior… If you hadn’t helped me, I would’ve been in real trouble…”
Why is the Crimson Empress here?!
The Crimson Empress.
The main character of the romance fantasy novel The Empress Cannot Love, a story I used to read and whose ending completely destroyed my mental state.
Even though she was the youngest princess with the lowest claim to the throne, she eventually became Empress.
Because she was a regressor.
I don’t know if she’s before or after her regression right now, but I should definitely keep my distance.
The reason she is called the Crimson Empress is simple.
She killed other princes and princesses to take the throne. That was the only way she could survive.
Because of that, the story had a very dark and tragic tone despite being a romance fantasy.
Most importantly, even the male lead who became her partner at the end died, meaning she ended up unable to love anyone, just like the title said.
She was a very tragic protagonist.
So staying away from her was the correct choice.
If I got involved, an extra like me would die like an insect under her influence.
“No need to thank me. It’s just what a senior should do. Anyway, I’m busy so I’ll be going now…”
“Lady Yuria, there you are!”
Before I could escape after lightly accepting her thanks, another female student ran toward the Crimson Empress.
“We were worried! You suddenly disappeared!”
“T-Toki… I’m not alone right now…”
“What? Oh…!”
This was bad.
There was no way to deny it now.
Not only had her name been spoken, but the other girl was also addressing her respectfully.
Still, I had a plan to escape.
“Huh? There’s another one now? Are you two friends?”
I pretended to focus on the open book in my hand, acting like I had just noticed the second girl arriving.
“…You’re acting, aren’t you?”
The atmosphere around Yuria Rosehill, the Crimson Empress, changed.
So this is the moment after her regression.
Before her regression, she was softer and never spoke so casually. After suffering countless hardships and dying unjustly, her personality changed after she regressed.
So the Yuria Rosehill in front of me was definitely the post-regression Crimson Empress I remembered.
“What are you talking about, junior? I’m just here for my graduation exam…”
“You’re pretty good at acting, senior. You might fool others, but not me.”
I was screwed.
I tried my best to act naturally, but I underestimated a regressor.
“…I greet Your Highness the Princess.”
“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you? Who I am.”
“I only guessed from your name and your companion’s attitude…”
I lowered my voice so no one else nearby would hear.
“I like it. You understand how to act in this situation. Most students would have caused a scene.”
This is bad.
“I’ve decided. You will become my knight.”
“Pardon…?”
And just like that, I became the forcibly appointed close aide of the Crimson Empress.
Oh… my… god…
◈
“Damian, why do you look so dead?”
“Graduation is coming soon, so I’m just a little emotional.”
That was a lie.
I was mentally broken because I had been told by the Crimson Empress that I would become her knight.
Even though I asked to be left alone because I would keep everything secret, her will was absolute.
Well, I could understand her.
From her perspective, I was a valuable talent she wanted.
What am I going to do… am I getting dragged into the succession war?
For someone like me, who knew how cruel the future ahead would be, it was hard not to feel rejected.
I just wanted a peaceful life with my family.
I chose this path only because of the good salary and guaranteed pension after retirement.
But that meeting yesterday ruined everything… no, if I didn’t have my past life memories, this wouldn’t have happened…
I sighed.
If it’s come to this, I’ll use my knowledge from my past life to help her become Empress in a stable way and avoid a bad ending.
But I couldn’t stay desperate forever.
I had to choose the best possible path to survive.
For my family’s happiness, I will do everything I can.
“Next. Damian.”
Before that, I had to finish this graduation exam as top student.
Only then could I freely move within the Imperial Palace as an imperial knight.
“Come forward, Damian. I am curious whether you will remain first place again this time.”
“As always, I will simply do my best.”
I took the practice longsword and pointed it at the professor.
Then I moved forward quickly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel clashed as I swung my sword fiercely.
“Haha! Just as expected! You are truly a genius of the sword!”
The professor laughed as he blocked my rapid strikes.
But he wasn’t actually at ease.
In all our past exams, I had the upper hand in our record.
And I intended to remain first place, so I was fighting at full strength.
“This is the end, Professor!”
A red aura flickered along my blade.
“You’ve awakened aura after all!”
Slash!
My practice longsword cleanly split the professor’s practice sword in two.
A perfect strike.
This should be the finishing blow. I had even used aura, which I had been hiding until now.