The Departure for the Academy
After the grand banquet where I met Soleia, the days that followed were as peaceful as I had anticipated. It was almost too peaceful, to the point where I felt suspicious. It felt like the calm before a storm. The longer the tranquility lasted, the more a nameless anxiety welled up inside me. Just how terrible were the things waiting for me at the academy that it was this quiet? Caught between relief and suspicion, those deceptively calm days passed, and at last, the day to depart for the academy dawned.
The room was a flurry of activity as I packed. The maids were more meticulous than usual, inspecting my clothes with eagle eyes, and Kalia finished her preparations for the journey in silence. The reflection in the mirror seemed a little more grown-up than before, but my mind remained a tangled mess. 'So, I’m finally going. To the academy.' If the original story held true, this place would be the epicenter of every conceivable incident and accident. I would have to get swept up in the protagonist’s love life and endure the scrutiny of her rivals. But, come to think of it, I had absolutely zero desire to be in a romantic relationship with the protagonist. If I wanted to stay near her—the key or tool to solving the plot—I would have to withstand the jealousy of the other male leads, but I figured that might be manageable.
Above all, the thought that this was the place where I’d have to run into that capricious Soleia—who seemed like she’d be even more exhausting than the protagonist’s entourage—gave me a strange sort of comfort. It was a benefit, if you could call it that, that the male leads seemed like a lower difficulty level by comparison. Of course, both would be a massive headache. If only I hadn't met her. I really shouldn't have gone to the garden that day. I should have just endured the fatigue. I found myself regretting it for no reason.
The written engagement had arrived from the Imperial Palace a few years ago. The Valenvalt family often entered into strategic engagements with the Imperial family. And the original protagonist of this engagement wasn't me, but Kyle. I hadn't known because the webtoon never touched on this backstory, but it was a fact I only learned after facing the information in reality. 'Just how useless can you be, Kyle?' I harbored a deep resentment toward him. If he had just done his part, I wouldn't have ended up the protagonist of this exhausting engagement.
Still, if there was one silver lining, it was that the engagement with Soleia was broken off quite easily in the original story before graduation. Now that I was Cassian, I wouldn't have the worst relationship with her like in the webtoon, and since Soleia herself seemed to dislike this engagement, I figured it would work out somehow. 'Yeah, it’ll work out somehow.'
I looked out the window and saw the branches swaying in the wind. The cold air of the North was still biting. But soon, I would leave this familiar chill behind and dive into the glamorous yet suffocating academy in the heart of the Empire.
“Cassian, the carriage is ready.”
As I turned at the maid’s voice, my eyes fell upon Soleia’s letter tucked into a small bookstand on my desk. Fatigue washed over me again, but at the same time, a strange sense of anticipation stirred. After all, this was a fantasy world, wasn't it? And it even had an educational institution with the romantic name of ‘Academy.’ My goal was firm. First, solve the incidents. And while I’m at it, I will definitely meet my lifelong partner there. I planned to marry as soon as I graduated, have children, raise them quickly, and then immediately hand over the title of Margrave to my grown son or daughter. Then, I would slip away to live a happy, leisurely life with my wife. That was the simple yet grand dream I cherished.
The last few years had been relatively peaceful, but this world was fundamentally not friendly to me. Being tossed about here and there, my longing for such a peaceful life had only grown more desperate.
When I left the room and arrived at the door where the carriage was waiting, a crowd from the estate, including my parents, had come to see me off. As I headed toward the carriage, taking in each of their faces, I felt a new wave of emotion. It had already been several years since I was dropped into this strange world. While my parents and Kalia were still the only ones with whom I shared a deep bond, life here wasn't bad. I exchanged brief farewells with my parents and climbed into the carriage. My mother seemed unable to hide her anxiety over the fact that I couldn't take a maid with me. It was a strict rule of the academy that students could not bring personal servants, and while it was possible to be escorted to the academy, only one escort knight was permitted inside.
This was because there was already a knight order protecting the academy, and there were more than enough common servants to attend to the students. It wasn't just about avoiding the waste of manpower; there simply wasn't enough space to accommodate them. The high-ranking nobles hated this. To those who had spent their entire lives leaving their bodies to the hands of others, being told to detach their familiar hands and feet was no easy task. To them, a personal servant wasn't just a servant; they were an extension of their own bodies. It was said that countless young nobles whined about not wanting to go before admission because they couldn't endure such a strict lifestyle, but that was a story that had nothing to do with me.
'What’s so difficult about eating and dressing on your own?' If anything, the academy’s system, which kept a reasonable distance, seemed much more comfortable to me than having someone attached to me 24 hours a day. The carriage door closed, and the heavy wheels began to roll.
***
After traveling for quite some time, the carriage entered a familiar bustling street and soon stopped in front of a flower shop. I had come to bid farewell to Mary, who had become my only friend in the North. Kalia stepped down first to open the door, and I followed with a practiced motion. Mary was already waiting in front of the shop. Since I had sent word in advance via letter, she must have been expecting me.
Kalia and Mary were now acquainted, so they exchanged silent greetings with light bows. I felt a sudden pang of embarrassment, remembering the time when Mary first saw Kalia and asked with sparkling eyes if she was that knight, and the time I had poured my heart out to her. Come to think of it, it had been a while since they met, but the relationship between Kalia and Mary was still distant. It was partly due to their starkly different personalities, but also because they lacked the time to have a proper conversation. Pushing aside the idle thought of whether this was my fault, I greeted Mary.
“It’s been a while. I’ve been so busy with academy preparations that I haven't been able to come by lately. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been great! But what about you, Cassian? You look a bit pale.”
Mary asked in a worried voice. She was sharp as ever. “Haha, I’ve just had some concerns about going to the academy.”
“Is it perhaps because of what you mentioned before—about finding a marriage partner at the academy?”
Ah, I had said that, hadn't I? We talked so much that it must have been something I threw out when we ran out of topics, but hearing it again now was quite embarrassing. I wondered if I should have kept my mouth shut, but I swallowed my embarrassment and replied.
“It’s not just because of that. It’s just a normal worry. Like, will I be able to get along well at the academy?” That wasn't a lie.
“If it’s you, Cassian, I’m sure you’ll do just fine! You’ll probably make friends so quickly that you’ll forget all about me!”
“That won't happen. My memory isn't so bad that I’d forget Mary just because I made a few friends.”
“That’s true. That was a slip of the tongue. Regardless, the things you’re worried about won't happen. Because you are a wonderful person, Cassian.”
Whenever I talked to Mary, I felt my self-esteem being replenished. She always overflowed with a positive energy that brightened everything around her. I smiled lightly, approached her, and pulled her into a hug. This was by no means an act containing romantic feelings or impure intentions. It was simply a farewell greeting to remember the warmth of a precious friend I wouldn't be able to see for a while, and for my own sake, as I would have to endure alone in a foreign land for a long time. Mary seemed a bit surprised, but soon she carefully hugged me back.
“Mary, see you next time.”
“Next time we meet, you’ll have grown quite a bit taller.”
“That’s right. I’ll probably be so tall that you’ll have to look way up at me.”
“That sounds nice. I’ll look forward to seeing an even cooler Cassian.”
“Yeah.”
We shared the warmth for a moment longer before pulling apart. I climbed back into the carriage, leaving that warmth behind. Just then, as if she had remembered something, Mary asked me to wait a moment and hurried into the flower shop. Before long, she returned with small pouches in her hands.
“It’s nothing grand, but please take these. I combined some flower petals that are good for mental stability… I hope they suit your taste.”
I had wondered what she was bringing out in such a rush, but it seemed she had prepared them the moment she saw I didn't look well. I accepted the gift, filled with Mary’s sincerity, with a smile.
“Don't worry. Even if it doesn't taste good, it’s good for the body, right? I’ll eat every last bit.”
“Haha, if it really tastes bad, you can throw it away.”
“Do not worry. I will eat whatever is left over.”
Kalia had interjected without warning, but rather than breaking the mood, it was actually decent timing. Mary smiled brightly and placed a small pouch in Kalia’s hand as well.
“There’s no need for that. Kalia, you can throw yours away too if it doesn't suit your taste. I prepared one for you separately. I just wanted to make sure you both don't lose your energy on the long journey to the academy.”
At the unexpected gift, Kalia’s eyes widened for just a brief moment. But soon, she bowed her head with her usual disciplined grace. “…I will receive it with gratitude.”
It seemed as though a faint smile had brushed across Kalia’s usually rigid lips. Seeing that scene made my heavy heart feel much lighter. Watching Mary’s hair, which had become slightly disheveled from running, I waved my hand one last time. To check my condition within such a short time and combine petals for mental stability… Mary’s attentiveness always had a way of melting people’s hearts.
“Thanks to your gift, I feel a bit more energized. Thank you.”
“I’m glad. Please, make sure you come back healthy!”
I nodded with a smile. Soon, the carriage door closed, and the wheels began to roll slowly. Through the window, the flower shop grew smaller and smaller, and Mary, standing in front of it, waving until the very end, looked faint in the distance. Inside the carriage, pushing through the cold northern air, the warmth we had just shared and the subtle scent of flowers lingered for a long time.