# 32 - 32
* * *
The white tower.
The dream of countless scholars and a treasure trove of world knowledge.
but….
“No time to appreciate it.”
There were too many people walking around.
“The atmosphere is suddenly tense.”
The number of scholars and students residing in the White Tower, as well as their attendants below, was already large, but now the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince would also come.
Knights and soldiers from the Imperial Palace, as well as court ladies and servants…
“Why are there so many Fraser knights too?”
When the Grand Duke said he would appoint knights for me, I thought of five or six people.
This amount was enough to accompany a lady.
Moreover, I was not going to a remote or frontier area, but rather visiting the White Tower where respected scholars gather to devote themselves to research and learning.
“This is equivalent to a cavalry platoon, isn’t it?”
I glanced at the knights who were following me.
It appears that Grand Duke Assis Fraser had dismissed half of the Order Knights that he had brought with him when coming to the Imperial Capital.
“There are a fair number of nobles as well. It went well.”
I am, strictly speaking, a 15-year-old girl who has not yet attended her graduation.
However, I am the granddaughter of Grand Duke Fraser, who need not stand at strict attention just because the Imperial Family is visiting.
Of course, I was still the naughty child in the Grand Ducal House, and various rumors followed me like a tail.
Even if the treatment I receive at the Grand Duke's Castle changes, there is no one to acknowledge it now because I have no connections in the high society of the Imperial Capital.
But by bringing such a large number of knights, I can indirectly show that my standing within the Grand Ducal House has greatly improved compared to what it was before.
I exchanged a brief greeting with the dean of the White Tower, who quickly left. He seemed more confused by me than by Schulz-Schmidt, who had returned after a long absence.
“Although he seems more confused by Rock Culvoucher, who came with me, than by me.”
Thanks to Rock's skill, the complicated greetings ended succinctly.
I obtained a temporary entry permit from the dean to enter the private section of the “Heaven Library,” the pride of the White Tower that can hold up to one hundred thousand people.
Schultz-Schmidt, who smiled at me slightly, excused himself and entered the building accompanied by the deputy dean.
Rock looked busy, and it seemed he had a lot to discuss with the President.
“Rock, I want to take a tour of the library.”
“Ah, I will take care of you immediately...”
"No. Finish talking. A knight or two are enough for me. This is the Noble White Tower, after all."
When I said this intentionally while looking at the dean, he looked proud inside.
Rock pointed to the knights and bid me farewell, telling me to enjoy myself.
Okay then.
First candidate for the lead role (male).
Let's meet the Crown Prince.
But first.
“…Can you follow me a little further?”
“We have a duty to provide the young woman with close protection.”
When I spoke to the two knights who were following closely behind me, a deadpan response came immediately.
“So, can you stay at a distance that will allow you to arrive quickly if necessary?”
Stay one meter away.
“You can't rush that much in an emergency?”
Two meters.
“Are you soldiers instead of knights?”
50 metres.
"good."
Deciding to compromise at this distance, she pretended to walk toward the library while smoothly sliding into a side corridor.
Where might the Crown Prince be?
Of course, I had memorized it long ago while playing.
* * *
“That's the beauty of shortcuts.”
She quickly managed to reach the back of the Heaven Library by passing through a corridor where pure white flowers were clustered like snowflakes.
“This is a place that can only be accessed by the dean, the elders among the Binyoma clan, and immediate members of the imperial family.”
It is a place that the “former” empress loved.
Olivia, first empress of Emperor Alessandro.
It was said that she visited this white tower frequently during her life because of her great interest in learning and the arts.
“Thanks to this, a small garden was created here exclusively for members of the imperial family.”
I knew from the game that Ferdinand, the current Crown Prince and one of the main male characters in the game, always visits this garden whenever he comes to the White Tower.
“It actually went better.”
I could have met the Crown Prince with more certainty than meeting him at the Imperial Palace.
“If not now, the Crown Prince will head to the harsh battlefields, and I won’t be able to see him again until he’s fully grown.”
To see the end of the Crown Prince, you definitely had to make at least one impression during your childhood.
In my case, since I need to get an A, I have to follow the paths with all the main male characters until just before the end.
I hid in a convenient place while I looked at the beautiful marble fountain with mermaids carved on it, the swing with elegant ivy vines, and the spacious staircase.
Ferdinand.
While I was constantly practicing proper greetings, etiquette, and the most attractive and harmless smile possible.
I heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps coming down the marble staircase.
When I turned my head in that direction, I unconsciously took a light breath.
The shock I felt when I first owned this game.
I was similarly astonished.
“He is truly the Crown Prince.”
Sky blue ceremonial robes contrast with bright red eyes.
A boy was walking, dressed in a uniform that only Crown Prince Ferdinand would wear – clothes similar to those worn by priests but embroidered with gold thread in the formal splendor that characterizes the imperial family.
After seeing countless gaming characters including Tullia, I thought I wouldn't be surprised by anyone anymore.
But seeing the Crown Prince's face directly gave me a slight feeling of tension, surprise and excitement.
This must be due to the fact that the protagonist is male.
While I was about to make a light sound so that the Crown Prince would not panic and leave.
“Crown Prince.”
A noble and attractive feminine voice rang out.
I immediately held my breath as if I was stopping my heart.
Click click.
A woman was approaching the Crown Prince, and the sound of her heels on the yellow marble floor and stairs was elegant.
That person is…
Someone I've seen a lot of in illustrations.
She is the Empress.
Empress Karme.
The empress whom the emperor married after the death of the first empress.
Empress Karmi was in a similar evil position to Tullia, but unlike Tullia who almost always died, she was a villain who sometimes died and sometimes did not.
The cases in which Empress Karmi did not die were mostly due to failure to meet one condition.
That is, the failure to kill the Crown Prince.
“Because the relationship between the Crown Prince and Empress Carmi is portrayed as the worst.”
Of course, as in most power struggles, they occur only internally.
On the surface, Empress Karmi is portrayed as more angelic than anyone else.
“I already sent you clothes for today’s outing to the White Tower, didn’t I? Why didn’t you wear them?”
“Clothes tailored to the Second Prince’s sizes do not fit me.”
“Ah. The servants must have made another mistake. Well then...”
Empress Karme turned her red lips into a smile.
“Dave is now 15 years old, and his height is growing rapidly as a young man.”
"Yes."
“It is a pity. Crown Prince. If Empress Olivia… that is, if the previous Empress had not forced the divine power into her womb in this way, the Crown Prince would not have looked like this either.”
It was a voice full of compassion and empathy.
That was very noticeable.
If I had not seen Empress Carmi's smile, I might have truly believed that that voice belonged to an Empress who considered the Crown Prince, whom she did not give birth to, as her son.
but….
“If that were the case, the Crown Prince would have grown up not with this boyish appearance, but as a young man befitting his true age, and His Majesty the Emperor would have no reason to feel uncomfortable looking at the Crown Prince and avoid him as he does now.”
Every word she spoke was nothing but an insult directed at Ferdinand.
“The former Empress’s impatience has left deep wounds in her son. Unfortunately.”
Crown Prince Ferdinand raised his red eyes and looked silently at Empress Karme.
“…”
At that moment, I could see the smile of the Empress – who was standing at the top of the noble ladies of the empire and who should have nothing to fear – cracking slightly but unmistakably.
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