Chapter 79
"Is this the right way to the dormitory?"
"Probably. The paper we got at the gate says to take this path."
"Unfamiliar places are quite inconvenient. I should have come here beforehand."
"Don't be ridiculous. Have you forgotten how long it took to get from the Royal Capital to this town?"
"Still, not even knowing the way is a problem, isn't it?"
"We should quickly get information from the guards who arrived earlier."
"What about the guards who entered the dormitory?"
"I believe there are about five who entered as laborers."
"Isn't that too few?"
"This place may be a school, but it's a den of former soldiers. If they all thought we were guards, it would seem like too many."
"That's true, but still."
Unlike the tree-lined path from the gate to the school building, the road leading to the dormitory was much more plain. The grass along the paved path was cut short, with not a single flower in bloom. The building visible in the distance was larger than I had imagined, so I felt relieved that it wouldn't be too inconvenient, and I committed the route to memory as I headed toward the dormitory.
"I wonder who Hale's roommate will be?"
"You sound so detached."
"Of course."
Hale narrowed his eyes at Snow while gripping the key to his assigned dormitory room that had been handed to each of them.
In the dormitory, rooms are assigned as shared between two people regardless of status. Having been informed and agreed to this in advance, the three of them checked the numbers on the keys they received at the gate, and as a result, only Hale's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Even if our rooms are separate, aren't they next to each other?"
"I just hope my roommate is someone quiet."
"Hale isn't good with words, after all."
"Maybe because Mother talks enough for both me and Father."
Snow nodded in agreement and lightly patted Hale's shoulder as if to comfort him, then silently gazed at Renato walking ahead.
The Rotish family, the leading faction under the current king. Though a Count family, they hold status and power equivalent to high-ranking nobles, and as a military noble family, they control the army. Celestia Rotisch, the granddaughter of Fildé Rotish and the next head of the family, is a person who overwhelms others just by being present, unconsciously influencing those around her. Since parting with Celestia, Renato has remained silent, his cold gaze fixed ahead. This is the usual Renato, making one doubt if the Renato they saw earlier was just an illusion.
Even on the way to Taurus, Renato's eyes were somewhat detached, showing no emotional fluctuations, a stark contrast to his usual self. This left Snow and Hale confused, desperately trying to adjust their perception of him in their minds.
Renato only acts strangely in front of his brother Ludweek and Celestia, after all.
"She was truly a wonderful person, wasn't she?"
Renato, who showed not even a flicker of interest in school-related topics, didn't react at all. So Snow brought up Celestia, thinking this might get a response.
Without stopping, Renato glanced back slightly. Snow smiled at him and continued the conversation.
"As someone often cited as a role model for young daughters, her posture and manners were incredibly beautiful."
Renato didn't know of Celes's existence until he heard about her from his brother Ludweek. It was at the fortress where they first met and lived together that he became drawn to her character. Wanting to know even the smallest details about Celes—what she ate, what she was interested in—Renato cast a questioning glance at Snow, as if asking for an explanation.
"Young children before coming of age attend social events with their parents. There, they are always told to look up to those two or three years older as role models. The name often mentioned as such a role model is Lady Celestia. Rumors spread that her etiquette was utterly perfect, and adults who saw her in person would tell their daughters about her... something like that."
"You know quite a lot about this."
"My family's little princess was also told the same by our mother."
"Isn't Snow's sister only three years old?"
"Yes."
"Even as a role model, isn't the age gap a bit too large...?"
Ignoring Hale, who was left speechless, Snow silently nodded slightly without interjecting and observed Renato. Noticing that the air around him had softened just a little, Snow continued the conversation.
"For noble women expected to be perfect ladies, age doesn't matter when it comes to role models, does it? Besides, she is the granddaughter of the female hero Hale admires."
"Being the granddaughter of that person, it's only natural she would be seen as a role model..."
"Since she's skilled enough to enter field training within a year of enrollment, the Rotish family must be secure, right?"
A long time ago, romance novels written for the masses became popular. One of them, so blatantly based on a certain noble, was traded at high prices for a time.
The story of a female hero who, while her husband fought on the battlefield for the country, acted as the proxy head of a Count family and dominated the social circles, was so obvious in its inspiration that it became clear to everyone who the model was. The character of the former Rotish family matriarch, admired across generations, spread even among the common people.
That's why Celestia, with such famous grandparents, is always under strict scrutiny and expected to be perfect. Snow had pitied her, thinking how hard it must be to live like that, despite never having met her...
"Celes is an amazing person."
That one statement sums it up perfectly.
She is not the kind of person to be pitied or sympathized with.
As Snow and Hale nodded in agreement, Renato smiled happily, as if he himself had been praised. Seeing this, Snow and Hale exchanged glances, then let out small laughs. Noticing Renato's steps seemed lighter, they walked alongside him, continuing to talk about Celestia until they reached the dormitory.
※
Renato is highly cautious and sensitive to malice in others. He is extremely cold toward those not within his inner circle, but all of this is his form of self-defense.
"......"
So, even as he stands at the wide entrance of the dormitory, silently casting cold, disdainful glances around him, inwardly, his heart is probably pounding with anxiety... or so Snow and Hale arbitrarily interpret.
Even the two aides, who are close to Renato, misunderstood him as arrogant and cold until they got to know him better. That's how noble yet terrifying his gaze and aura are.
"It's like we're a spectacle."
At Snow's low, intimidating voice, the students gathered at the entrance swallowed hard. Though they desperately fought the urge to look away, they couldn't help but fix their eyes on the noble presence before them.
To lower nobles, royalty is an existence above the clouds, and to commoners, they are no different from mythical creatures. Those fortunate enough to live alongside such a special person for the next few years were overwhelmed with emotion, casting aside etiquette, manners, and consideration. As a result, a sideshow was born.
Their feelings are understandable.
However, at this rate, they won't be able to head to their dormitory rooms or even greet these students properly.
Snow glanced sideways at Hale, who nodded back, apparently thinking the same thing.
Confirming that Hale had stepped forward to shield Renato behind him, Snow took a deep breath to raise his voice and disperse the gathered students. But just before he could, he slowly exhaled.
"What is the meaning of this...?"
"This is a bit excessive for welcoming fellow students we'll be living with from now on."
Two figures descended the front staircase, parting the crowd of students. Judging by their similar features, Renato and the others deduced they must be brothers and quietly watched as they reprimanded the students.
"What a way to welcome someone. Those with no business here, return to your rooms immediately."
"If you wish for His Highness, whom we respect, to remember your face, quietly leave this place now."
In contrast to the boy who frowned and intimidated, the other spoke gently.
By the time the two descended the stairs, most of the students gathered at the entrance had returned to their rooms.
"There is a separate dormitory head, but... well, I'd appreciate it if you could understand. I'm Roberto Rotish, acting as the deputy dormitory head."
"I'm his younger brother, Liam Rotish."
Hearing they were the deputy dormitory head, Renato and the others quietly observed the boys standing before them, wondering if they held the highest status in the dormitory. But their eyes widened at the mention of the name Rotish.
"Are you two from the Rotish family?"
"Oh, haven't you heard from Celes? We're her cousins."
"I had heard that her cousins were at the military school, but..."
"Then that's good. If you need anything in the dormitory, rely on us."
Renato looked up at Roberto, who gently patted his head, then shifted his gaze to Liam standing beside him. With dark gray hair and faintly red eyes, they resembled Fildé more than Celestia. Realizing they were from the Rotish family and likely supported Celestia as the future head, Renato quickly let down his guard. He softened his expression and gave them an endearing smile.
"Being overly cautious isn't good, but to let your guard down just because Celes's name was mentioned... what is this...?"
"It's because they're Celes's family. That's not something we should interfere with."
"I suppose that's true..."
Since the birth of the Third Prince, the factions of the queen and the concubine have been moving behind the scenes. Renato, directly affected by the fallout, has faced poisonings and assassination attempts, betrayed by those close to him, and repeatedly put in danger. Roberto and Liam had heard from their grandfather that Renato was a difficult child. There were few people he could trust and rely on, and one of those few was Celestia.
Though they tried to be as considerate as possible, it would be difficult for the two, who would graduate in a few years, to earn the same level of trust from Renato as Celestia had.
Even so, when he straightened his posture and looked up at them with sparkling eyes, they couldn't help but find him adorable.
Determined to help Renato with all their might, the two turned around, moving their heads from right to left as if searching for someone. Roberto, who spotted the person first, raised his hand and called out.
"Billy!"
"Huh...!?"
Billy, unremarkable at the school but holding a position akin to the second-year representative in the dormitory.
Though he comes from a good family and isn't bad-looking, if the Rotish family members weren't around, he would likely be the target of envious gazes from the other students.
But reality is harsh. Billy, who often challenges Celestia and loses, is actually pitied by the students.
"...Why me?"
He wasn't particularly close to Roberto or Liam, only exchanging greetings. Once, when passing by in the dormitory, Roberto had patted his shoulder and said, "Keep at it," but Billy still didn't know what that was supposed to mean.
For now, since he was called, he hurried down the stairs, cautiously approaching the group that still had half the remaining students staring intently at them.
Unaware of the tragedy that would soon befall him...
"I thought someone close to Celes would be better, so I called Billy."
While Roberto said this with a refreshing tone, Billy tilted his head with a suspicious expression, completely opposite in demeanor.
"This is Billy Hewton. He's in the same class as Celes."
While Roberto continued his explanation, Billy stood silently beside him. He nodded slightly, thinking that "close" meant being in the same class, but then tilted his head again, wondering why it had to be him when there were others in the same class.
"He supports and defends Celes from the shadows, like... Celes's knight...? He's recognized by the military school students as her knight."
"What...!?"
What does he mean by knight!? What does he mean by recognized by the students!? Billy shouted, embedding those questions in his cry, as a sudden chill made his shoulders tremble.
"Celes's... knight...?"
Turning his face slowly toward Renato, who spoke in an incredibly low and cold voice, Billy froze under a gaze far colder than when he first entered the dormitory, and the clear hostility directed at him made him stop dead in his tracks.
"...Tch, hah, tch..."
No, I don't remember becoming a knight! Even though Billy wanted to explain this, the voice that came out of his mouth was pitifully hoarse and faint.
"Isn't Billy Celes's buddy?"
It hasn't been decided yet, and Harrison has never said anything like that to him, so Billy desperately shakes his head from side to side, but Renato's hostility only grows stronger as he glares with wide, piercing eyes.
What is this? Is this some kind of retaliation for usually getting involved with Celestia...!? Snow and Hale pity Billy, who is on the verge of tears, but they quietly avert their gazes to avoid the unavoidable sparks of conflict.