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On the night the Imperial Palace Ball ended.

Elizabeth headed straight back to the dormitory.

Due to a few remaining tasks and the late hour, she originally planned to return tomorrow, but she used the aftermath of the airship crash as an excuse to head straight to the dormitory.

However, Instructor Ion was nowhere to be seen.

She couldn’t even remember how she entered her room. When she came to her senses, Elizabeth was curled up on the bed.

“……”

She spent the night lost in thought.

Where did it all go wrong?

Her head felt heavy, but her brain instinctively analyzed the cause of the problem, reflecting on her short life.

Elizabeth’s life began with her being born into the royal family of the most powerful and illustrious empire on the continent.

All the powerful authority, noble dragon lineage, and dazzling beauty that made everyone bow down were not results of great effort. She had everything simply because she was born as the Emperor’s daughter.

Yet, she had never once considered it luck.

From the moment she was born, the duties of royalty were demanded of her. Personal happiness or desires were thoroughly ignored, and instead, she received only rigorous training to survive in the power chessboard.

Learning court etiquette, political knowledge, foreign languages for diplomacy, the cultures and basic knowledge of various nations—these were just some of the numerous subjects required for her royal education. Simultaneously, to uphold her image as a princess, every detail from her voice to her mannerisms and stride was meticulously corrected.

Elizabeth’s life was largely public, and her private life was always exposed to countless retainers and the public. Every action and word of hers became subjects of judgment and criticism in society. Who she associated with and what hobbies she pursued had to align with the royal image and serve the empire’s interests; otherwise, she had to let them go.

Of course, all of this was just the basics.

The most important lesson she learned in her childhood was that no one should ever be truly trusted.

The day her most trusted maid delivered her a poisoned cup of tea, acting in place of the cold Emperor and her already-deceased mother.

That day was when Elizabeth first awakened the blood of dragons along with her powers.

Trembling with the fear of death and betrayal as she beheld the maid, who was begging for her life, Elizabeth’s heart turned to ice.

It was the moment she realized that even the one she loved the most could betray and try to kill her depending on the circumstances.

The harsh environment of the royal court made Elizabeth’s thoughts and actions calculated.

At a certain point, she began to view all human relationships solely from the perspective of profit and utility. How to use others and simultaneously gain their trust and loyalty became her constant worry.

More than anything, she always concealed her true feelings, carefully choosing the outward image to present to others while being acutely aware of how they saw her.

There was no noble love between parents and children.

There was no unwavering loyalty between lord and subject.

Thus, Elizabeth resolved not to waver in the face of shifting emotions and lies.

She preferred to trust things that were calculable and manageable over love or loyalty that could vanish at any moment.

She provided what others wanted and, in return, gained what brought her benefit.

Acting according to meticulous plans and thorough strategies, Elizabeth von Galatea became a figure who regarded all the values humanity holds dear as insignificant.

But…

Such a way of life is twisted. It’s not normal.

Naturally, it diminishes.

Her human heart.

It wasn’t a solitude she chose. It was simply a way of life she had to resort to, wanting to avoid experiencing the same wounds twice, not wanting to die.

As a result, contradictory emotions took root in Elizabeth’s heart.

Resolving not to trust anything, she longed for the existence of someone she could genuinely rely on without expecting anything in return.

And just then, a man named Ion Graham appeared before her.

One of the continent’s Seven Heroes and a soldier with remarkable skill. At first, she only calculated what benefits he could bring her, how she could utilize him.

But in the moment the airship was crashing, Ion jumped into the flames without expecting any reward, solely because his student was in danger.

After that incident, Elizabeth thought.

Perhaps Instructor Ion could be the truly trustworthy person she had been seeking?

However, old habits are hard to break. Naturally, she doubted once again. She couldn’t accept his kindness as pure and thought the relationship of instructor and student wasn’t enough.

So, she pondered what she could give to Instructor Ion.

Ultimately, she found that she had nothing to offer.

Money, power, glory, status—they were all things that Instructor Ion had already rejected at least once. After much contemplation, a thought suddenly struck her. Although impossible for the Emperor and First Prince, there was still one thing that only she could offer him.

The satisfaction of revenge.

According to the intelligence department’s reports, there was a deep-seated animosity between Instructor Ion and the First Prince. If she could stir up his resentment and desire for revenge, perhaps Instructor Ion would feel more than just a sense of duty towards her?

…That was the plan.

“It was a miscalculation.”

She had never imagined Instructor Ion would be so furious. What exactly went wrong? Wasn’t mere insult enough? Did his grudge run so deep that he wanted to kill Wilhelm himself?

No, that wasn’t it.

How could she have not realized that Instructor Ion was not the type to be pleased by such things? Was she the one who fell to emotions? Did she make a mistake in her haste, thinking what she had longed for was finally within reach?

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice how much time had passed until dawn had long arrived. Only then did she realize she was hungry and thirsty. It was only natural after spending a day without eating.

As she opened the door to grab something, she caught a glimpse of Instructor Ion ascending the stairs.

“…!!”

Elizabeth was startled and quickly closed the door.

Right now, eating was unimportant. She had to apologize to Instructor Ion as soon as possible. Bad relationships only grow deeper over time.

But then, Elizabeth noticed herself in the mirror. Her hair was unkempt, her complexion pale, and there were slight dark circles under her eyes.

She couldn’t meet Instructor Ion looking like this!

She immediately washed up, did her makeup, changed her clothes, and straightened herself.

Then she went to find Instructor Ion.

Knock knock—

She felt nervous.

She pondered how to calm Instructor Ion’s anger, but ultimately no clear solution came to mind. So, Elizabeth chose the familiar method out of habit.

Ready to accept whatever Instructor Ion demanded, while hoping that even that would suffice. If it weren’t enough, she would bring everything she had to satisfy him.

However, the moment she saw the empty room and the neatly organized belongings as if ready to leave.

Elizabeth’s mind went completely blank.

*

She was certain she had blurted something out.

Something, anything, for a long time.

The moment she realized she lost her composure, she should have left the room, but she couldn’t.

Managing her emotions, hiding her expression, and finding the words to lie evaporated in an instant.

Elizabeth, swept away by her chaotic emotions, spilled everything.

At first, she spoke of using him, the intention behind the invitation to the ball, and admitted her wrong judgments.

She acknowledged her mistakes and pleaded for the first time in her life to rectify them.

But Instructor Ion’s reaction remained unchanged. He simply sat in silence, looking troubled.

After listening to Elizabeth for quite some time, Instructor Ion clarified that there seemed to be a misunderstanding. He explained that his reason for leaving the academy had nothing to do with her.

It was just that something important had come up, preventing him from continuing his duties as an instructor. There were no other reasons, he stated.

However, it wasn’t hard to tell that his words were merely a comforting lie.

Elizabeth left his room engulfed in despair, realizing that there was no longer a way to change his heart.

She had made a huge mistake, but there was no turning back.

She needed a way to change Instructor Ion’s heart. But she held no trump cards in her hands.

Unaware of how she returned to her room.

Elizabeth collapsed to the floor in despair, her strength drained.

Thus, it ended.

Everything was over.

 

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