I have settled down in my dorm floor after two days. The opening ceremony of the school year was tomorrow, and I have all my things prepared. And so today I was free to roam around the academy grounds.
After eating breakfast in the common dining area with Eric, I was planning on asking him to take me around the palace grounds.
"Eric, do you have plans today?" I asked. "I am free today and I would like to go look around the academy grounds."
After asking Eric, he had a sad frown on his face.
"I am sorry Ysa, I cannot today." Eric said with a sad voice. "I have plans with his highness Prince Noctis today. Because tomorrow is the opening ceremony, us the student council members will be busy preparing."
I remembered that Eric was also a member of the student council. With the crown prince as the president, Eric was his right-hand man and vice president. I remember feeling proud of Eric when he got the position. He would surely be the prime minister in the future, helping Noctis in his rule as king.
"Oh, is that so?" I tried not to be depressed that Eric cannot accompany me. "It's okay, I am sorry for asking you in such short notice. Your student council duties are important and comes first." I said with a smiled, hiding my sadness.
"I am sorry Ysa." Eric frowned. "But I can try and finish my work earlier so that I can accompany you."
"No need Eric." I waved my hand rejecting his offer. "Your job is important. You need to work hard as one of the leaders here in the academy. It would reflect on your future as a prime minister." I scolded him. I did not want him to make a poor job in the preparations for the opening ceremony just because of me.
"I am sorry Ysa." Eric slightly bowed his head.
"It's okay Eric, you are not at fault." I said with a smile to ease his conscience. "I guess I would stay in my room today and read some books to pass time. Oh, I can bake your favorite chocolate muffins. Let us have tea together once you are done with your job."
"That's sounds good." Eric said with a beaming smile.
I know how Eric loves the chocolate muffins that I bake. I am sure that he will be tired after the student council preparations, and so a cup of tea and muffins can help him relieve his tiredness.
"Can I come along?" I heard a familiar voice.
When I looked around, I saw Prince Noctis standing behind me. He was wearing casual attire today, like me and Eric.
"Greetings your highness crown prince." I gave a curt nod.
Inside the academy, we are exempted to give formal greetings to royalty. They said that because in the academy, even though they have royal status, all are equal as learners. But if you ask me, I think they made that exemption to avoid the hassle to give formal greetings every day.
"Greetings your highness." Eric also greeted.
"Good morning Ysa, Eric." Noctis nodded to both of us and took a sit behind me. "I heard you are going to serve tea and the muffins that you will bake. I hope I can be invited as well."
Noctis smiled sweetly at me. In the character description, he was depicted as a cold and calculating man because of the prejudice of the aristocrats around him. It said that the heroine, the holy maiden from another world would thaw his frozen heart.
While living in this world as Alyssa, I learned why Noctis grew up as a cold and heartless man. He was cursed by the demon king of the demon world while he was still in his mother's womb. It is said that his mother was a beauty that is second to none, the fairest of all. The demon king fell in love with his mother when she was still young. But his mother was engaged to the now king, and so when Noctis was inside his mother's womb, he was cursed to be loathed by people and will bring great disaster to his kingdom.
'I guess that the king loved Noctis' mother dearly, not taking the crown prince position away from him even though he had such a curse tied to him.' I thought to myself.
But the same Crown Prince Noctis was smiling brightly in front of me. I cannot but help think where had the cold and heartless crown prince that is described in the novel gone to? The aristocratic faction is still aiming to dethrone him of the crown prince position, backing the second prince, Noctis's half-brother. I heard the battle with the crown prince's faction and the aristocratic faction in politics is raging as of now. And the heroine has not arrived yet in this world, so he should still have that cold attitude described in the novel description.
"Your highness, Ysa had invited me and not you. You should not but yourself in something you are not supposed to." Eric had a mocking smile on his face.
"That is why I am asking if I can join." Noctis' bright smile did a one-eighty degree turn and turned into a cold frown.
'Now there is the cold attitude I was looking for.' I sighed in relief.
"Eric, you should not talk to the crown prince like that." I raised my eyebrow at him. "Of course, you can join us your highness." I said to Noctis with a smile.
If Noctis is the same as the novel described him to be, then he was cruel to his enemies. He killed his enemies in cold blood and carried out his 'monster' name proudly. Eric is in the crown prince's faction, but I wouldn't want him to get in Noctis' bad side.
"Please call me by my name Ysa. Have you forgotten?" Noctis said with a smile towards me.
'He changes his expression way to fast. But his smiling face is something any girl would get swept by.' I groaned inwardly. "Y-Yes, I forgot. Noctis, please join us later." I smiled awkwardly.
"Thank you for inviting me." Noctis took and kissed the back of my hand.
"Noctis, we need to go!" Eric abruptly stood up and started to pull Noctis off me. "We cannot let the other council members waiting for the president now, would we?"
Noctis had an irritated expression on his face and sighed. "Well, we will be going then Ysa. See you later." He let go of my hand.
"See you alter Ysa." Eric said and dragged Noctis out of the common dining area.
"Have a good day you two." I waved goodbye at them. "Now Ysa, what will we do today?" I asked myself.
That was when I noticed two acquaintances came walking my way.
"Good morning Alyssa. It has been a long time." Maris greeted me.
"Hello, how have you been?" Aristia greeted me as well.
These two were daughters from the four great ducal houses like me. They were from House Duplet and House Ainsworth.
"Good morning, Maris and Aristia." I greeted them. Inside the academy, titles are also emitted in greetings. "It has been quite a while indeed. I am doing well. How about you?"
The first and last time I have seen these two were my brother's birthday party six years ago. I was not able to get along with Maris since the first time we met but I was able to forge a connection with Aristia. That was because Aristia was Christian's niece. Well Christian was our family doctor and my parents' close friend.
"Yes, I can see how well you have been doing." Maris sneered.
"Now Maris, be good." Aristia said with a mellow voice. "Well Alyssa, we are here to invite you to go walk around the academy grounds. That is if you are free."
I thought about their offer for a second.
'Well I don't have anything to do today. And the tea I invited Eric and Noctis will be later this afternoon. I guess going for a walk with them will not be so bad, with Aristia acting as a middleman.' I thought.
"Of course, why not." I said with a smile.
Edited by: nalyn