*KNOCK*

“Ouch!!!”

“You bastard! Why are you here?!?”

“Is this how you greet a friend you haven’t seen in years?!?”

“Yes!! If that friend happened to be a stupid prince who would move from Empire to Empire without a single notice!!”

In the outskirts of the academy, I found Alex happily humming while wearing commoner clothes. A clear sign that he came incognito.

This is a huge problem...I can’t just let him enter the ceremony in this state.

“Tch...so mean. Anyway, why don’t you sit down with me? The grass is cool.”

“You bastard!! Do you realize the amount of headache you are giving me?!?”

I said while sitting down.

“Haha~ Anyway, listen up. Duke of Arma, Simon. I am confident he is furious against you. I am just here to warn you.”

“You could have done it through the Orb…”

Simon Arma...what a bother!

“Well, it’s just an excuse to see your face. But he is indeed furious, after all, you killed his men and halted the movement of slaves.”

“Talking about them...is the warehouse ready?”, I said while looking at the moon above us.

“All most...You have to start bringing your goods to complete them.”

I still have a lot of work to do...I will make sure that the next time I visit the capital will be at least half a year later.

“Yeah...I have to start working on Elz too.”

“Do not worry...you have plenty of time. Anyway, where is William? I’ve been looking forward to meeting him.”

Did the last part of his sentence seem a bit dark?...might be my imagination.

“He is inside. I am confident he has some plan of his own. So, try to go along with it. Okay?”

With this Alex finally snapped.

“Go along with him?!? Isn’t he my friend?? Why can’t he just spill his plan to us?!? It’s hard to look at my sullen sister every day!!!”

“Hmm~ Well, why don’t we record his apologies tomorrow? That way, we could at least improve the mood of Princess Catherine.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea...glad your brain works in these situations.”

Though I am pissed off by his last words...it’s good that he has calmed down.

“So, what is the real reason you are here?”

Obviously, it’s not just for warning me or even visiting us. Just what could be the reason that made him come all the way here?

“Ah...th..that. Right. No real reason.”

“Liar. Do you want me to announce your arrival to the whole academy?”

“AHHH!!! I just came to visit someone I like!! Are you happy now??”, He said while looking like a red tomato.

Honestly...what did I even expect from him...sigh

“Ohhh~~ Who might the lucky Lady be?”

It’s not an exaggeration to say that there might be a queue of ladies waiting to be his fiancee in Lysandra.

“It’s not something you should be worried about. More importantly, just who is Lily? On my way here, her name always pops up if I talk about William.

“Haah...so even you came to know about this. It’s kind of annoying...I mean, her advancements on me are blatantly visible. Though William is using her completely.”

“Well, I don’t care about some side character idiot...All I need is a little time with the one I like. So, help me, bastard. After all, isn’t your partner Lady Fiona?”

“Uwah!!! I left her all alone. Thanks to you!!!”

“Oh! You better get back then. I will talk to you again once the ceremony is over.”

“Right, I will see you so-”

[You idiots!!!]

““William?””

William’s voice resounded in both of our ears.

[I just heard from Sebastian...Alex is a fool. I know that already! But what happened to you Arthur?!?]

“Hey, calm down and tell us what happened.”, unfazed by William’s insult, Alex spoke in a calm manner.

[Arthur!! Lady Fiona is in trouble! Come here this moment!!]

“Give me a minute.”

______________________________________________

A couple of minutes ago, in the building.

A platinum blonde girl could be seen happily chatting with girls who clearly looked like the part of upper nobles. 

Her being ignorant of the numerous eyes focused on her was quite commendable. Despite being the fiancee of the Crown Prince, she showed up with the first prince. It should have been a situation that could easily cause a civil war, but with things the way they are...no one could raise a sword against each other.

Though she still remained as the most hated girl of the academy, the students couldn’t do anything because she showed up with a Duke. 

How dare she show up here?? She is troubling Lady Lily just by existing.

Is a thought that existed on everyone’s mind. Everyone was struggling to have their expression calm and composed.

However, a single student, namely the son of Marquis Clifford. Although he used to harbor respect towards Fiona during the start of the academy, following his father who hailed nothing but insults at her, he too made light of Fiona.

And the fact that she had nothing but silence in response to all bullying and harassment gave every single student a sense of superiority.

*SPLASH*

A red liquid was poured on Fiona’s beautiful black dress. In an instant, her eyes went cold and the temperature started dropping.

“Oh my, I am sorry. I should have poured this at the dustbin but...oh well, it doesn’t make any difference.”

“Hahaha!!!”

In response to his voice, a roar of laughter rose throughout the building. The girls on Fiona’s side however remained calm. 

They know...that with Arthur on the campus, this Marquis’s son will not be leaving scratch-free.

“...”

“Tch...silence, even now? Well, I suppose for someone who hides behind the Duke’s back, their mouth doesn’t work, right?”

“...”

“But, look at you now!! He abandoned you!! He left you all alone, in the middle of the battlefield!! Though he had a majestic look, I suppose at the end of the day is nothing but a spineless prince!!!”

At this sentence, Fiona’s eyes got even colder. Though no one noticed, the ceiling of the building was slowly being covered by a layer of snow.

Seeing the un-responsive Fiona, the second wave of laughter spread out.

One of the girls, who was clearly shrouded by a massive amount of make-up and perfume came forward, towards Fiona.

“You should take care of your self, Lady Fiona. You are nothing but a bother to our saint, Lady Lily.”

William was looking at the scene unfolding from a corner.

Are they idiots?!? Anymore, then Duke Landon will not think twice to start a war. Uwahhh~~ Why was I born in this troublesome generation?!? Arthur, come fast you fool!!

“Do you not know how to speak?!?”

The furious Marquis’s son finally snapped at Fiona who had silence as the only answer.

*GRAB*

“...AH!”

“Haha~ where is your Prince now?! He is nowhere to be seen!!”

This was when the girls finally started to move. They knew...that this boy had lost all reasoning and took violence as an answer.

“Leave her hand.”

Out of nowhere, in a spot next to the two, Arthur appeared suddenly.

“Pr...Prince!!”

The surprised boy, let go of Fiona’s hand at once and jumped backward. 

Black Mana…

The ones proficient in magic all had their hands covering their throat. The sheer amount of magic concentrated in one place left them unable to breathe.

*GRAB*

Just like how the boy caught Fiona’s hand, Arthur without any effort lifted him up into the air. His legs were kicking the air, with a tinge of hope to hop onto any support available.

“Do you realize the mistake you’ve done? All of you here!! She is the daughter of Duke Landon! With just a thought...your territories would be completely wiped away!”

Even after the numerous amount of warnings Duke Landon gave me...I got careless. I thought these assholes weren’t foolish enough to touch her with me around.

Color slowly started draining away from the hanging body’s face. 

“Not only is she the symbol of Hastings Dukedom...she is the sole owner of Luxica! Do you realize the amount of authority she has?!?

Fools...complete fools. And Fiona too! Why can’t she retaliate back?!

“Fiona.”

“Yes, Arthur.”

“Tell me. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to wipe Marquis Clifford’s name out of the dictionary? The girl who spoke to you...the one who looked like a walking makeup shop. Do you want me to wipe their territory too? Anything. For now...your order is my command.”

A small smile crept up the face of Fiona. For her, who had no one to lean onto...with everyone against her. Just hearing a couple of sweet words...though filled with rage was enough to fill her heart with happiness.

For the ones standing on the receiving end, things were quite different. On one hand, the boy was on the verge of dying. On the other hand, they finally understood the power behind the Duke’s words. 

They were terrified by the words Arthur spoke. What would happen to their family, their territory? A state of uncertainty and fear spread among the students. These students are young...who were unable to control their faces as a frightened expression appeared on everyone’s face.

While smiling, “Arthur, I am fine. As you can see, I am unharmed. Before he dies, please let him do-”

Before Fiona could respond, another voice broke out.

“Duke Arthur, please let him down!!”

“Huh?”

Looking at the pink-colored hair, irritation grew in Arthur’s face.

“Lad...Lady Lily!!”, the boy squealed out her name with great struggle.

“Duke Arthur, let him down this instant!”

Yep! Bye Lily...you have been an important piece in my plan. Though, I wish I could have used you for a little longer. It’s not my fault if you run towards death itself.

An amusing thought that rang on William’s head.

*THUD*

“Sure, you can have that lump of meat. But, may I ask you one question?”

Unfazed by Arthur’s naked hostility, Lily who was checking up on the boy spoke up in a cheered tone.

Is he finally taking the initiative to talk to me?

“Yes, Duke Arthur! You can ask any question to me.”

“Before I ask a question. Please understand that for disturbing a conversation between two high-rank nobles, you will be facing prison for a week-”

“What?!?”

This time a bright smile appeared on the face of both Fiona and the other girls.

“Uh-uh. I never gave you permission to talk. Do you want me to extend your vacation?”

“Bu..But!”

Before she could talk, Richard shut Lily’s mouth...preventing her from talking anymore. None of the students could believe the words that rang out of Arthur’s mouth. Their saint...their idol is going to rot in prison and they can do nothing to prevent it.

“Thank you for shutting that hole, Richard. Anyway, answer me. Why did you want me to leave that asshole down?”

Richard let go of Lily’s mouth to let her talk.

“Bec...Because vio...violence is bad!!”

A smile...a smile cold enough to freeze anyone found itself on Arthur’s face.

What a naive little child…William, I can see how she was perfect for your plans.

“Is that so? Violence is bad. Hmm...Hey, I have confidence in my memory. They are never wrong. So, why wasn’t I able to hear your voice when that asshole caught Fiona’s hand?”

Lily’s face drowned in despair.

I screwed up!! Who is this?!? The Arthur I knew would never do thi-

“Fiona, did you hear her voice?”

Still having a smile, “No, I fear not.”

“Bu..but”

*BOOM*

A violent, uncontrolled wave of mana spread everywhere. Now, even those who weren’t sensitive to magic were unable to breathe. The ones who were sensitive already fled out of the building...but their escape didn’t matter. Because, they too slowly fell to the ground, clenching their throat for air.

*BAM*

In response to Arthur, Leo too undid his mana to safeguard Lily. A small line separating black mana and red mana appeared. True to his position, son of the Magic tower’s headmaster, he managed to somehow block Lily from Arthur’s violent wave.

“Hmm? Not bad. But it’s still disappointing.”

*BOOM*

Arthur was right on point. Compared to Arthur’s massive mana pool, Leo’s was minuscule. He too soon ran out of mana. Silas and Richard both were busy saving themselves from Arthur.

At this point, a single line of truth ran on everyone’s mind...a truth that sends a chill throughout their body.

He is not incompetent!! He is a Lion who never hunts!!!

“Ahhh!! Arthur! You leave me no choice!!”

Saying so, a tall young man with shining Golden hair walked forward, facing Arthur face to face.

I understand his rage...but staying quiet here would leave me in a bind. The first news would be that the crown prince stayed silent while the first prince ran amok. If I don’t fight back now, nobles would easily start forming….haahh...why did I have to be born as a prince? For my love to work...I have to do years of planning. And at the end...somehow or the other the plan is on the verge of falling. 

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

“I have no intention to hold back, even if it’s you, William.

“Oof. I am glad that you are not going easy on me.”

Looking at both the prince standing against each other, Fiona was stunned silent. She realized that she had been wrong the whole time...despite facing each other, despite having an imposing air around them...they held no hostility against each other.

Why?! Something’s wrong...these two. They are planning something. Something beyond anyone’s ability here to understand. And just why did Prince Alexander come here all of a sudden?!

The mad clashing of both Golden mana and Black mana left everyone astonished. Sound enough to make you deaf reverberated throughout the whole academy. 

In the middle of these waves, two boys stood. One with a cold smile, a smile devoid of emotion...the other had a kind smile, one would think that he was looking at his favorite drama.

Between them, however, stood mana thick enough to strangle anyone. It could easily be seen that William’s mana pool rivaled Arthur both in terms of quantity and density. 

“Yo...Your Highness, Please save us!!”

“That’s it, Your highness...defeat him”

“““Crown Prince William!!!”””

William’s name was repeated several times. Students slowly put their barriers up...though it breaks every single time they try. They had a hope that their Crown Prince would save them.

The Crown Prince, on the other hand, had a thought that betrayed his kind smile.

Shut it, idiots!! The only reason I can hold on is because, Arthur is busy protecting both Fiona and the other Ladies on her side. If he is not, even I would have a tough time.

“*sigh* Taking care of you brothers is such a hassle~~”

In an environment that proved to strangle anyone walking on it, a boy with bright white hair and brilliant yellow eyes walked unfazed towards the point of trouble. Despite being covered by commoner’s clothes, he had an air of nobility around him which he couldn’t hide.

“Hey, Arthur. I will take care of the girls. Why don’t you focus on William?”

“Haha~ Sure!!”

“Wait! Why are you in here?!?”, William shouted in a voice filled with surprise.

Every student was thrust into confusion. 

First name basis with both the prince?! Who the hell is he?!? White hair and yellow eyes. Wait could it be-

“Good to see you, Prince Alexander.”, Lady Hazel Alex spoke out first.

Alexander?!? As in Alexander Lysandra...the crown prince of Lysandra Empire?!? What is he doing here?!, Was a thought that everyone shared.

“My! Lady Hazel! Glad to see you remember me! How about we chat later?? I have a task of protecting you four from a monster’s mana.”

“Fufu~ we sure can.”

*BAAAMM*

Another mana wave colored purely white surface itself. Protecting the ladies beside Alex from both the black and golden mana.

*BOOM* *BAAM* *BOOM*

Ah fuck!! Now even Alex is on Arthur’s side!! I really want to sign my resignation form!!

“Do you want to end this?”, Arthur asked William with a sly smile on his face.

[I would love to!]

[You do realize that I am not gonna leave you, right?]

[Look, Arthur. I love Catherine. I have to keep up this plan-]

[Hey, asshole. For that plan of yours, you spoiled Fiona’s academic life!]

*BAAM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

[Well, umm...sacrifices?]

[Well...I am going to sacrifice you right now...right here for a better future.]

[Wait!! *sigh* Umm...How about this? Tomorrow morning along with Alex, I will apologize to Lady Fiona.]

[By falling on her legs.]

*BAAM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

[Ye..Yes. I will. My mana is running low. Just end this with a big boom or whatever.]

[Tch...fine]

[Oii!! What is this?!? Chatting without me!!]

[Ah!! Alex! You idiot! Why are you even here in Zemira?!? Do you want to die?]

[Hey, no...tomorrow morning. You better explain everything to me tomorrow. Alright?]

*BAAM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

[Fine!! Now let me rest, you douchebags!]

[Umm...what about the party?]

[Well, this is William’s graduation party. Can’t really spoil it without a dance.]

[Stop beating around the bush. You just want to dance with the one you like.]

*BAAM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

[The one he likes? Hahaha~ I hope that your love isn’t as hard as mine to achieve!!]

[Only if you let me dance with her!!]

[Don’t worry, Alex. The one thing William is good at is acting.]

[Thank you for the compliment but you too have to play along. And as for the Marquis’s kid, I will call for the knights. So no harm, right?

[[Yep! Okay]]

*BOOOOM*

Just as the three discussed, they ended the whole clashing with a bam. And what followed the loud sound was a deafening silence.

Dust everywhere accompanied by lingering traces of mana. Many glasses toppled over.

The students were frightened and relieved. With their hands trembling, they all somehow managed to rise...only to witness the three princes looking at each other.

A power hub. That was what it was. Two current Crown Princes and a Duke. Facing each other brought chills down everyone’s spince.

“*sigh* Honestly, you two. Did you really had to it today?”, an exasperated William’s voice broke the silence.

“Eh? What do you want me to do? I just helped Arthur. Nothing wrong in it~”, a cheerful voice responded to William.

Apologetically, “Sorry. Seeing that asshole catch Fiona’s hand, made me unexpectedly angry.”

“Right. Knights!”

A couple of shivering knights moved forward on William’s command.

“Drag him out. By tomorrow evening, I want Marquis Clifford in the palace answering for his son’s crime.”

“Yes, Your highness!”

Seeing one group of knights dragging the unconscious body away, William issued another command.

“On Duke Arthur’s order, Lily Dormer will be inside the prison for a span of one week. The crime is interrupting two higher nobles’ conversation. Oh and...Handle with care.”

““Pfft””, both Arthur and Fiona snickered out.

“Wai...Wait. Your Highness, please!! Not the prison!! Please let me free!!!”, Lily’s voice resounded against every corner of the building.

“Your highness, please rethink.”, Leo on seeing Lily’s condition, pleaded to William.

“Prince William, please reconsider your order.”, Silas too begged William.

“Crown Prince William. Don’t just follow Duke Arthur’s order.”, on Richard’s voice, William finally snapped.

“Ah..Silence.”

“““...”””

“*sigh* Duke Arthur is already considerate on giving only one week of prison time to Lady Lily. If he wished, he could make it many times longer.”, William responded with a tired voice.

“I can?”

“...”

“OKAY…”

“Take her out.”

The knights slowly dragged out the crying Lily. Seeing the situation unfold, all the students were thrown into a dilemma. 

They couldn’t understand the current situation. Even Fiona who was confident in reading expressions couldn’t believe what William just said.

Isn’t his lover Lady Lily? Why does he not look the slightest bit worried? He sent her to prison with his own hands!!

They were all confident that William was a person who would never hurt Lily. 

How? Did we misunderstand something?

Such questions rang in everyone’s mind, only to end up with no answers.

Looking at the extremely confused Fiona, Arthur smiled and whispered into her ears. 

“I will clear every question you have. But you may have o wait until tomorrow.”

*NOD* *NOD*

"Wait...the dress is spoiled isn't it?"

"Ah...Yes, Unfortunately"

"Hmm...One sec"

Arthur bent down and touched the part of the dress that was in contact with the juice. A couple of seconds later, droplets of juice separated themselves from dress and floated on top of Fiona's head.

*SNAP*

"I can't turn back time. But I can make the present a lot sweeter.", saying so Arthur snapped his fingers.

In an instant, the droplets of red liquid reformed into a crown. Two seconds later, the liquid crown completely froze revealing a floating red crown o top of Fiona's head.

"Woahhh!!"

"...So beautiful!"

Words of praise rose from the shivering students.

"Thank you, Arthur.", Fiona spoke with a tinge of blush along her cheeks.

"Hehe~"

“Ahem...Right. I sincerely apologize for the commission we Princes have caused. For those of you who are unable to breathe properly…”

William raised his hands and a light made of Royal gold descended from the ceiling. Instantly, the students’ chest and lungs felt lighter. They were able to breathe properly at last. Their trembling hands stopped and their mind was put into a state of peace.

“Pita, huh. Why doesn’t she ever show up in front of me?”, Alex complained quietly in William’s ear.

“She’s shy.”

“Hmph. Maybe you should let Pita get together with Ani.”

Ani is Alex’s spirit. A fire spirit that is both cheerful and strong. Strong enough to completely wipe away a forest. It was the spirit that saved Alex during his birth.

“Yeah...but not now.”

“Wait...why won’t your spirits ever show themselves in front of me.”, Arthur joined the conversation.

““They are scared of you.””

“Ri..Right.”

“Anyway, it’s blatantly visible. But let me spread the warning. Just as Duke Arthur said, any more violence against Lady Fiona will not be tolerated. If you think that you can overlook my warning, please remember that Lady Fiona has both Hastings Dukedom and Ellen Dukedom behind her back.”

At William’s words, everyone including Fiona was surprised. They never imagined that the Crown Prince William would support Lady Fiona.

My plan is almost complete. Duke Landon is furious with me,  Lady Fiona does not have any trust in me and somehow I managed to make sure that Duke Landon, Lady Fiona, and Arthur stayed on good terms. And if I didn’t say anything today, Arthur would kill me. Well, the cat was out of the bag the instant Lily was sent to prison.

“Now that what had to be done is over, let’s continue the party...Ah. The place is a mess.”

““We will help.””

The three princes quickly cleaned up the mess and restored the building to its former glory. In the meantime, the students were busy composing themselves. After all that has happened, despite composing themselves, they were all in a daze.

“Now that everything has been restored...let the music begin!”

With William’s words as a command, the musicians despite being shaky delivered a beautiful melody, fit for a dance.

“Now then! Before anyone takes the lead-”

Alex with a slight blush along the cheeks situated himself in front of a lady with beautiful green hair.

““““Hmmmm???””””

Arthur, Fiona, William, and even the girls were looking at the scene with high curiosity.

“Lady Hazel, will you give me the privilege of having a dance with you?”

Though nervous, Alex stayed true to his original title and asked Hazel out for a dance like a gentleman.

“It would be my pleasure, Your Highness Alexander.”

““““Phew””””

Everyone left out a breath of relief. Richard though was looking at the two dancing from a corner. It’s his fiancee after all.

“Ahem...It would be a waste to not dance. So Fiona, shall we?”

Arthur too like Alex bent like a proper gentleman and asked Fiona for a dance. Fiona’s mouth curved up to relieve a beautiful smile. 

Ah...she is pretty.

The boys who looked at the two unconsciously stared at them.

“Well, I suppose after all the dance sessions you got from Her highness Diana, it would be a waster to not dance at least once.”

Fiona while taking Arthur’s hand said with a smug tone.

*SWOOSH*

Elegant movements. They almost looked like they have been practicing for years. Perfectly in sync with no extra movements.

“If not for the mouth of yours, I would have thought you were beautiful.”

“My My~ I suppose I should send you to Her Highness Diana. I am pretty sure she knows the best way to teach you on how to treat ladies with respect.”

“Please! Anything, but that.”

“Haha~~!”, After laughing, Fiona spoke in a more serious tone, “Thank you, Arthur.”

“For?”

“For protecting me today. If not for you, I would have lived thinking that my academic life was nothing but a waste of time.”

“Please...you don’t have to thank me. But Fiona, how do you manage to stay strong despite the massive amount of hostility you face every day?”

*SWOOSH*

After hearing the question, Fiona looked eye to eye with Arthur. While flashing a bright smile, she said.

“Diamonds don’t shatter.”

“Fiona…”

Arthur was left astonished by the answer Fiona gave.

“Yes?”

“Wasn’t that embarrassing?”

*POOSH*

Fiona in an instant became bright red. From her nose to ears, she was completely covered in a blush.

“Ah! A red Fiona!”, Louisa shouted from the side.

“Sh...Shut up! You too, Arthur!! Forget everything that happened!!”

“Pfft...HAHAHA~~!! DIAMONDS DON’T SHATTER!!! WHAT A LINE TO SAY ABOUT THEMSELVES!!”

“Yo..YOU!!! SH...SHUT UP!!”

*TAK* *TAK*

Looking at the blushing Fiona trying to stamp the cheerful Arthur while dancing, the students couldn’t help but give out a wry smile.

She can faces like these? 

Soon the cheerful dance came to end. Alex and Arthur kept changing partners, to make sure that none of the abandoned fiancees are left alone. William stood along with musicians, making sure that the best songs are played one after the other.

As for the idiots with Lily, they all fled the academy. Probably sad because of what happened to Lily.

One by one, students started boarding their respective carriages. Alexander rushed towards Zemira’s palace. 

“I have to greet the Emperor and Empress first!! See ya. Oh and Arthur, I am crashing in your place today.”

Hazel, Cecily, and Louisa too headed back to their houses.

Arthur dropped Fiona back at her house. Their journey in the carriage was filled with uneventful businesstalks.

Finally, after escorting Fiona down from the carriage.

“Fiona, please come to the palace tomorrow. William has something he wants to say to you”

“Hmm...Is that so?”

Ah...a cold voice. Well, it’s William’s headache to calm her down.

“Well, thanks for today. Thanks to you, I had an extremely fun day.”, Fiona said while bowing down to Arthur.

“No matter how much time you say this. I’d just respond, ‘It’s my duty’. But it is true that I too enjoyed the ceremony. Though, I should probably apologize to Duke Landon tomorrow.”

“Oh please. You’ve already done enough. As for the Clifford family, I will report to you about the moves I make.”

“I am looking forward to it.”

“Good night, Arthur.”

“Sweet dreams, Fiona.”

"Oh...and the crown will melt in a few hours. It might be good to take it off."

Arthur said while pointing towards the floating crown.

After Fiona disappeared into her mansion, Arthur looked up into the sky and murmured

“Isn’t Fiona the only noble lady whom I have called on a first-name basis?”

---

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