Chapter 192
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 192
‘I knew it! I thought it was strange that I kept crushing people’s feet no matter how much I practiced until I was blue in the face!’
Finally, I didn’t have to tremble in fear of what would happen if I stepped on the Crown Prince’s toes!
Just as my world was brightening with joy, a question suddenly popped into my mind.
‘But a curse?’
On me? Or rather, on Tulia?
Who, when, and why on earth would someone cast a curse on her?
“Lady Tulia.”
In the meantime, Schuls Schmidt, who had finished off every last winter strawberry, had returned to his usual state as a cold and elegant scholar.
“Now that I think about it, shouldn’t you have a separate greeting with His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince?”
“A greeting? We’ve already danced several times.”
“That would have been a meeting between a lady of House Frezier and a member of the Imperial Family.”
“Yes. I suppose…?”
“The meeting I am referring to is one between a ‘senior’ and a ‘junior.’”
What on earth was he talking about now?
My confusion lasted only a moment before my brain started whirring at full speed.
“Pardon? No, wait a second. Don’t tell me that senior is…”
Schuls Schmidt wore a mischievous smile, quite unlike his usual self.
“It is you, My Lady.”
“…Then the junior is?”
“His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, of course.”
“Teacher.”
I immediately adjusted my posture into a demure sit.
“How could I possibly dare to treat a member of the Imperial Family—and the noble Crown Prince at that—so carelessly? Kicking him, ordering him to fetch water… I could never do that.”
“I didn’t go so far as to tell you to treat him like a slave, but… regardless, you are also my student, so I am asking one more favor of you.”
“A favor? What is it?”
“You might not know this, but the Crown Prince actually had many complaints about my lessons. When he was younger, he used to pick fights, asking how anyone was supposed to follow such difficult and grueling lessons from the start, and if I’d ever researched how to teach in stages.”
“And I… I’m just asking just in case.”
I asked in a voice as calm as possible, as if testing the waters.
“You didn’t say something horrific like, ‘There was a senior who could follow these lessons with her eyes closed,’ or ‘You’re an idiot and a fool for not being able to keep up,’ did you?”
Schuls Schmidt wore an expression of genuine wonder, which was rare for him.
Then, living up to my expectations, he immediately made my blood boil.
“Precisely.”
“…”
“Thanks to that, the Crown Prince studied with gritted teeth, and he expressed a strong desire to meet that senior one day. Since he happens to be free in a few days, let us go see him.”
“Teacher.”
I spoke through gritted teeth.
“What is the real reason you’re doing this to me? I, huh?”
As I went on, my voice grew as fierce as a typhoon.
“I decoded those letters for you, huh? I even prepared these nostalgic snacks for you, huh? I’ve served you with such sincerity, huh? Why are you doing this?”
However, Schuls Schmidt remained as composed as ever in the face of my outburst.
“Because there is a reason.”
“…”
He was so serene that I felt like a trivial leaf fluttering in a light breeze.
Feeling suddenly drained, I slumped down and asked with a rebellious look on my face.
“And what reason is that?”
“The affection I hold for my favorite student.”
“…?”
“You are young, so it is only natural that you do not know. Prince Benjamin of Sorsen Kingdom offered exactly ‘100 Billion Gold,’ did he not?”
“Pardon? Yes, he did.”
What about it?
Schuls Schmidt stared at me in silence.
His gaze was so full of the kind of concern one has for a child near a dangerous riverbank that I felt like a stupid, chubby cheetah rolling around aimlessly in a field.
“Do you know the meaning behind 100 Billion Gold?”
“…What is it?”
What could it be?
I had played The Milk Bread for so long, but I had never heard of any special meaning behind a massive sum like 100 Billion Gold.
“If I, or you, or even the Crown Prince were to give 100 Billion Gold to a specific person, it wouldn’t mean much. But for the royalty of the Sorsen Kingdom, it has a different meaning.”
Schuls Schmidt was, after all, a once-in-a-century genius. He knew so much that he had secured titles like the youngest Vice-Chancellor and the youngest Chancellor.
“There is a very classic behavior unique to Sorsen royalty that has been a dead culture for a long time—so long that even the young nobles of Sorsen hardly know of it.”
The human knowledge dispenser was truly on another level.
“It is to give 100 Billion Gold to the person one wishes to propose to, as a sign of courtship. You could say it takes the place of the engagement rings commonly used on the continent.”
“…Pardon?”
“Perhaps because it has always been a country famous for its wealth… even their method of courtship passed down through the bloodline is like this. It slowly died out because it was criticized for being blatant and vulgar. The Grand Duke or others of a certain age might know of it.”
“…By any chance, if I had accepted the money without knowing, would it have meant I was accepting the proposal?”
“No. It is simply a gesture of sincerity.”
‘What kind of sincerity costs 100 billion?’
As I recoiled inwardly, Schuls spoke up at just the right moment.
“In truth, is 100 Billion Gold a sum one can just call out? It is practically the same as giving away one’s entire fortune. Therefore, it is a way of showing that the proposal is sincere by staking everything they have.”
‘But this is a business deal. Does that mean if I reject the proposal, the business deal is off too?’
“It seems the Prince hasn’t brought up the proposal separately. Judging by your expression, My Lady.”
“Are you reading my mind?”
With a chuckle, Schuls Schmidt finished his tea and spoke.
“So, this is literally…”
“…”
“A proposal from the prince of a wealthy kingdom in the most classic fashion. It is a request to marry you, literally staking everything he owns.”
* * *
That evening.
The day after I sent a letter to Schuls Schmidt asking why on earth he was trying to take me to the Crown Prince as his ‘senior.’
Instead of a reply, the man himself came to visit. Schuls Schmidt spoke to me inside the carriage on the way to see the mages.
“Lady Sophia Frezier has just annulled her engagement with the Crown Prince, has she not?”
“That’s right.”
“And your family is none other than Frezier. The only Grand Ducal House in this Brillant Empire.”
“…”
“At such a sensitive time, if rumors spread that you—a direct descendant of Frezier—received a proposal from a powerful heir to a foreign throne, it will not be good for your reputation. It will cause quite a stir.”
“Ah, so.”
“Yes. I am saying you should use your authority as his senior to subtly blackmail the Crown Prince into suppressing the rumors.”
“Te-Teacher.”
I was so dumbfounded that my words came out slurred.
“Would someone as noble as His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince really listen to my pathetic blackmail… No, wait. I’m sorry. Would he even entertain such a messy request?”
Was it my imagination?
It felt like Schuls Schmidt’s eyes, usually so grave, sparkled with amusement.
“No, more importantly… the Crown Prince isn’t exactly the ‘Crystal of the Social Circle,’ is he? It would be incredibly difficult for His Highness, who has almost no foundation in high society, to perfectly suppress rumors about me even if he intended to.”
“Hmm…”
Setting aside whether my blackmail would actually work on the Crown Prince.
The inner workings of the Imperial social circle were inherently complex.
No matter how royal one was, one had to possess beauty, talent, star power, and luck in equal measure to hold the position of the ‘Crystal.’
Even an Empress couldn’t simply take the top spot in high society at will…
“You are right, My Lady. The Crown Prince has spent his time moving from one battlefield to another, and even before that, he had no interest in high society whatsoever. It is the same as how I, no matter how brilliant I am in academics, cannot influence the Imperial Palace kitchens.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
It was self-praise, but I decided to play along with Schuls Schmidt!
There was only one reason!
“This dull-witted student understands your intent, Teacher!”
“And what might that be?”
“Since the rumors about me won’t even be mentioned if the Crown Prince causes at least some kind of scene in high society, you want me to ask him to cause a little trouble!”
“Ask him?”
“You mean you’ll personally ask His Highness for me, right?”
I let out a bright laugh.
“I knew I could count on you, Teacher! Such ocean-like consideration, worrying that your favorite student might be swept away by the turbulent waves of high society! And such a thoughtful heart, willing to personally ask another student regardless of your own dignity! I won’t forget this even after I die!”
“Lady Tulia.”
“Yes!”
A smile played on Schuls Schmidt’s lips.
“You are very clever. You’ve easily guessed half of my intent.”