Chapter 23.2
Lia was disappointed as they’d told her that only n.o.bles could enter the academy so she was looking forward to it, but she must’ve judged the academy too highly. She looked at the exam paper in front of her and contemplated how she should react since the questions were things she had perfectly mastered two years ago.
She immediately wrote down the answers but then found herself facing a serious dilemma. They taught etiquette for high society, but why was learning about harvesting season considered unimportant?
And, they showed all the accomplishments of great artists and poets so why not the population of the country, or the state of its poverty? Was this what the academy had come to, not teaching about the basic concept of helping people? She didn’t want to doubt the academy, but there was nowhere on the paper that answered her question.
Mr. Theodore had once claimed that without the nation’s support the royal family would not have power. Although he did not support aristocracy, he did believe that “true royals” were those who guided the nation on the right path.
Lia, who had experienced both the life of poverty and the life of a royal, found Theodore’s words amusing when she’d asked what they taught at the academy. He had said, “They teach about the society. You will learn about the society where everyone gains as much as they work for and are not bound by their birth. To understand this, you must learn mathematics and literature.”
These words were difficult to comprehend, but something about them had sparked her curiosity. However, the feeling of displeasure grew as she continued to read through the paper. The questions were almost entirely about the elegance of the royal, the history of the empire, or the hierarchy of the royal families.
Lia calmly continued to write down her answers when suddenly, she had a realization of what they were testing her on. Canillian Vale had appeared out of nowhere and they wanted to know if he had the qualities to become a true royal. They were examining her to decide whether to be raised to the ranks of n.o.bility!
As she filled in her answers, her mood dampened, and her expression became hard. If this was the kind of place the academy was, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be here. Jolted from her thoughts, the examiner rang the bell to signal that time was up, and she quickly placed a full stop on the last question. Then, several moans and sighs were heard in the hall, because the other students were still in the middle of checking their answers.
“You didn’t skim over the questions, did you?” Eddie asked as he grabbed the paper Lia was holding. Lia was not in the mood to smile, so she bowed her head and stood up.
“Wait here. The papers are marked immediately,” Eddie said firmly.
Lia nodded and sat back down to ma.s.sage her sore neck. She’d sensed that someone had been staring at her for a while, and when she turned her head to see who it was, she saw Claude leaning on the windowsill with his arms folded across his chest. He was glaring at Eddie, and then he looked back at her, and the moment their eyes met, Lia attempted to smile, but it felt awkward. Claude then turned his head away, looking angry. What is his problem?
As Lia was thinking about Claude’s bizarre reaction, the teacher exclaimed in excitement, “You got full marks, Mr. Canillian Vale!”
Impressed by her achievement, the princ.i.p.al gave her a high five. “This is the first time since Kieran Vale. As expected, you can’t fool blood. Well done, Canillian.” Following this, the whole cla.s.s erupted in applause, and Lia smiled as she got up from her seat.
Wade, who was sitting at the front, opened his eyes wide in surprise and laughed loudly, “That’s wonderful, Canillian. The rumors of your intelligence must be true.”
“I just have a good memory, I guess,” she replied shyly.
“That’s the hardest part. Anyway, since you received full marks, you can choose what grade and cla.s.s you want to be in,” Wade announced.
The princ.i.p.al nodded his head after hearing what the prince had to say, and he stroked his short mustache as he said, “Normally, you would also be able to choose your dormitory, but you will not need to as you are residing outside of the campus. In my opinion, grade nine sounds good for you.” The princ.i.p.al then walked over to Lia, who was standing awkwardly, and he proudly patted her shoulder.
The teachers that stood around the room all clapped, and their eyes shone in antic.i.p.ation as they awaited her decision. Whichever grade she selected was the grade that the Marquis would aid since he was supposed to be the Marquis’s precious second son, whom he adored so much. For this reason, all the teachers tidied up their appearance and tried to draw her attention.
“Do I have to decide right now?” Lia was caught off guard at the unexpected privilege and blinked her mesmerizing, large eyes.
The princ.i.p.al smiled warmly and shook his head, “No. Just tell us within the week. Admission is only next week anyway.”
“Oh, okay. Then I will send a letter within this week.” As Canillia delayed her decision, the teachers simultaneously relaxed their tense shoulders.
“Would you like a tour of the academy? Sir Eddie could take you.” A dark shadow fell over the princ.i.p.al while he looked around the room for the appropriate tour guide.
Claude had suddenly appeared behind him and gave a polite smile, “I can do it.”
“You, Claude?”
“You know why. I have been waiting for Sir Canillian’s admission.” The princ.i.p.al shooed the dean away and shook his head. Grinning from ear to ear, Claude put his hand around Lia’s waist and said, “Let’s go.”
His voice was friendly, but the strength of his grasp was more than necessary, and it was as if he was dragging her forward while she tried to keep up with Claude’s pace. They walked past the wall with portraits of previous princ.i.p.als, then past the large wooden ten-seater table by the windowsill, as well as the old-fashioned sofa, while Claude’s legs continued to gain more speed.
With no care for the stares they were getting, he grabbed her hand tightly and said, “You can’t pick grade nine.”