#121. I Don’t Want You Going Back There
Chapter 5
The season was beginning to thaw. The snow piled in the academy courtyard was melting, and the dry branches of trees were swelling with new sap.
Graduation was drawing near.
“Blanche!”
The one called turned her head. Her silvery hair, falling down to her waist, was half-braided, half let loose.
The high collar buttoned all the way to her throat made her look refined rather than stifled.
The years at the academy had stretched her height, transforming her once doll-like cuteness into an elegant charm.
“Laura.”
The one who had called her was Laura Sandberg Wellington, granddaughter of the academy’s headmaster.
The two had known each other even before enrollment, but since Blanche had decided to stay on at the academy as a researcher after graduation, they had grown much closer.
Waiting for Laura to catch up, Blanche adjusted the books in her arms.
“Heading to Professor Baird?”
Professor Baird was in charge of the laboratory Blanche was joining. His field was agriculture.
Blanche, in particular, intended to study seed science.
“Yes. And you?”
“I’m going to see Grandfather. Want to walk together part of the way?”
“Sure.”
The two strolled side by side across the courtyard.
Perhaps time had dulled Blanche, or perhaps it was the closeness they’d built, but when Laura linked arms with her, Blanche didn’t shake her off—she simply smiled.
Carefully stepping only on the paving stones to avoid the muddy ground where the snow had melted, Laura asked:
“When are you heading back to the capital again?”
“After the graduation ceremony. Since I’ll also need to stop by my homeland, I thought it best to set aside plenty of time. I already explained it to the professor and asked for his understanding.”
Blanche had decided back in her third year that she would stay at the academy.
So normally, by now, all the paperwork should have been completed.
But Blanche’s case was unusual.
By rights, she should never even have been admitted to the academy, being a peace envoy.
It was precisely to resolve that matter that, after graduation, she would be traveling back and forth between the capital and her homeland—through procedures far more complicated than Laura could imagine.
“Do you really have to go back yourself? If you asked His Grace the Archduke, surely he would take care of it for you.”
Because of the many events around her enrollment, there had once been rumors of discord between Blanche and the Archduke.
But after the Hermich affair, when the Archduke rushed from the north to her side, and after Blanche continued visiting him faithfully every vacation, the display of closeness left no one in the Empire misunderstanding their relationship anymore.
The Emperor himself was still well and indulged them to live freely while they were young.
Blanche didn’t deny that the Archduke could easily handle things for her.
“But my homeland has issued a summons as well.”
Laura’s lips jutted in a pout.
“I don’t like you going back there.”
Her gaze fell on Blanche’s ankle.
Four winters ago, Blanche had returned from a visit home during vacation with an injured ankle.
It had been hidden under socks, and since Blanche had never spoken of it, Laura didn’t know how she had been hurt or how serious it was.
But the fact remained: Blanche had left perfectly fine, and returned with such a severe limp she could barely walk. Worse, she had forced herself to return before fully healed, and when asked about her homeland, she deflected awkwardly.
That alone was enough to guess at the truth.
So within the academy, the Lamore Kingdom’s reputation had sunk to the bottom.
Even before, Lamore had been seen only as “Blanche’s country.” Now, seeing Blanche apparently mistreated there, the academy’s view of the kingdom had only worsened.
“That’s why I need to go,” Blanche said, almost as if to fan Laura’s misunderstanding.
“I plan to settle it this time. Later, when my research takes me abroad, I can’t keep seeking the kingdom’s permission each time, can I?”
She was right. The paperwork alone could take ages.
Research demanded vast amounts of time, yet sometimes required swift action.
Though she disliked the idea of Blanche returning, Laura could understand, as a scholar, not wanting to carry such risks.
“If anything happens, promise me you’ll tell me. I’ll help as much as I can.”
At the fork between the research wing and the main building where her grandfather stayed, Laura gripped Blanche’s wrist, making her promise again.
Her friend’s greatest flaw had always been shouldering too much responsibility.
“I will. And thank you—for always caring.”
Blanche nodded with a relaxed smile. Laura resolved that when she met her grandfather today, she would ask him to grant Blanche some extra consideration.
With that decision, she headed off.
“I will. And thank you—for always caring.”
After parting with Lady Wellington, I made my way to the laboratory.
I arrived a little early, so Professor Baird greeted me while still in the middle of his research.
“Oh, Miss Blanche! Just a moment.”
Deciding the experiment could be left as it was, he set down his flask and led me into his office.
There, I received the paperwork I had requested, and we spoke about my expected return date.
“For now, I’ve marked it as a semester of leave, but that’s only procedure. If you can come back earlier, do so. It’s best to begin your research as soon as possible.”
Of course, I have no intention of coming back. The rest of my life will be devoted to turning my kingdom into a second empire.
But I can’t exactly announce that now. This is my alibi.
Everyone in the Empire—even His Majesty—believes I will remain here.
They think my trip home is only a temporary visit to sort paperwork.
So when upheaval strikes Lamore and the throne changes hands, no one will suspect me of orchestrating it.
His Majesty might realize, but in such turbulent times, he wouldn’t say so aloud.
Thus I would play the role of “the unwilling one, forced into becoming the kingdom’s second-in-command.”
Life had taught me that people easily let their guard down around a ruler who claimed no interest in power.
Though from my perspective, I always wondered—how could someone uninterested in power become a ruler in the first place?
“Yes, I will. Honestly, I feel like every moment counts. If not for this trip home, I’d already be deep in experiments.”
“Still, don’t rush. Impatience leads easily to skewed results.”
Unaware of the truth, the professor gave me a lecture on a scholar’s mindset.
He even went so far as to pick out topics that might be helpful for my research. I could only feel guilty.
But then, the lab won’t collapse just because I’m gone. The kingdom, however, will soon be unable to function without me.
“Thank you for making time for me today.”
“Once the paperwork’s done, we’ll be seeing each other daily anyway. No need for such formality.”
After finishing a consultation about a career path I would never pursue, I bowed politely and left.
Having been active since morning, I still had plenty of daylight left—and much more to do.
“…And that’s why I advised you not to devote yourself only to studies, but to increase your chances of contacting the Archduke.”
My next destination was the townhouse.
Naturally. If I was returning to the kingdom, Count Grif had to be involved—he was the bridge between me and home.
Unlike the rest of the Empire, Count Grif knew this was a true return.
Though, unlike my real intent to depose the king and take the seat beside the throne, he believed it was merely an exchange of hostages.
Yes.
I had never abandoned the goal the king gave me during my first winter vacation: “If you cannot win back the Archduke’s favor by graduation, I will replace you as peace envoy with Langrisha.”
Of course, I had no intention of reconciling with His Grace.
So naturally, the kingdom judged that I had failed to win him over and commanded my full return.
“I already chased him down to the north every vacation. Any more would just make me look pitiful, wouldn’t it?”
Knowing we would meet again soon anyway, I replied coldly. Amazing, really, that I had endured his nagging for four years.
Whether for his own career or out of self-delusion that it was for my sake, Count Grif had hounded me relentlessly ever since I came back injured four years ago.
During the semester he was bearable, but on every vacation trip to His Grace, he interrogated me afterward about our conversations, about how I applied his so-called lessons—even the smallest details.
Of course, since much of what His Grace and I spoke of concerned our past lives, I couldn’t tell the truth. I had to invent dialogue, and that was far harder than merely hiding that I was the one rejecting his courtship, not the other way around.
Once I swapped the roles, though, the story sounded perfectly convincing.
