Chapter 180

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]

Chapter 180

“Uuugh.”

Lately, Lefia couldn’t bring herself to raise her head.

If you asked if something had happened, well, yes, it had.

But if you asked if it was something she experienced as a foreigner, the answer was no.

The students here treated her better than anyone else.

Then what exactly had happened? Why couldn’t she hold her head up high?

‘Karl, what are you doing...!’

A corner of the academy square had been under construction, and suddenly, a statue appeared.

A man carrying an injured imperial soldier, running while bathed in light pouring from the sky.

His clenched jaw, determined eyes, the expression of someone determined to save another...

It was a magnificent statue, even if it didn’t quite capture Karl’s real-life charm.

It wasn’t just anywhere, but at the academy, his name forever enshrined alongside other heroes of the Empire.

Every time she passed by, she would hear first-year students say, ‘This person here is still a student at our academy!’ It always made her happy.

Whenever Karl’s name was praised, a shy smile would spread across her face, and she would be startled by her own reaction.

But that was one thing, and having the face of the person she liked so prominently displayed was a bit embarrassing.

To be precise, it wasn’t Karl who was embarrassing, but her own feelings for him.

“Lefia! You’re here again.”

A female classmate she had been friends with since their first year approached her.

She was from some noble family, but Lefia still couldn’t remember the name of the territory.

“Were you looking at Karl’s statue again?”

“N-no, I wasn’t!”

“Oh please. You know this is the perfect spot to see his statue.”

Lefia almost asked how she knew that so well. for new novels

If she had actually asked, her friend would have grinned and teased, ‘Caught you! Why so sensitive? Are you jealous?’

“Anyway, let’s go. We have 10 minutes left before class.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

The next class was ‘Imperial History – Advanced (2),’ focusing on wars and the resulting changes in the Empire.

To understand the Empire’s history, one must first understand its history of conflict.

Only then could one be treated as an imperial citizen, even if they weren’t one, when living in the Empire.

For that reason, Lefia was more dedicated to the history class than anyone else.

If the people of her homeland, Lasker, knew this, some would be saddened, and others would be furious.

She might have renounced her title as princess, but her royal lineage remained.

Even though they were cooperating with the Empire now, the people of Lasker had fought against them in the past.

In that context, it would be uncomfortable for them to see Lefia, a former princess, trying to assimilate into the Empire more than anyone else.

That’s why Lefia didn’t want to return to her homeland.

When Karl visited the parents of the other women, she was a little envious but said she was okay. She said she didn’t need to go to Lasker, and that was the reason why.

‘What can I do? I may be Laskeran, but who made me live as an imperial citizen?’

“At this rate, Karl’s name might even appear in the Imperial Diplomacy and Theology classes.”

As the students chuckled at the joke, Lefia blushed.

‘Wow...’

Karl was everywhere. He was all over the academy.

The other students just laughed it off as a famous senior being featured, but it was different for her.

From her perspective, Karl was everywhere she looked, and it was making her heart race!

First the statue, and now through the textbook with the professor’s passionate lectures.

She heard from other students that there was even a special lecture scheduled for the weekend!

But was this the end? Of course not. It was just the beginning.

“Did you hear the news?”

“What news? Did someone break up again?”

“Not that! I just heard that there’s been a sudden surge of noble children wanting to enlist in the military. They say they want to experience their limits by serving as soldiers or something.”

Cough!

Lefia, who was having coffee alone at a cafe after class, choked.

Noble children suddenly wanting to enlist in the military. This could only mean...

“Is that because of Karl? I can’t think of any other reason.”

“I’m guessing the same. With statues of him all over the Empire and his name being so well-known, it seems like more people are thinking that his military service was the start of it all.”

“No way. That’s just because Karl is amazing.”

According to the students’ conversation, the Ministry of War was troubled by this trend.

Naturally, it becomes very difficult to manage when children from noble families enlist as soldiers.

The vast majority of conscripts are commoners. If a noble joins them, it could disrupt the hierarchy.

Even though Karl never acted arrogantly or demanded special treatment as a noble and faithfully fulfilled his duties, there was no guarantee that everyone would be like him.

If they caused trouble, it would only tarnish the reputation that Karl had built for nobles.

Besides, their parents might not be as reasonable as Karl’s.

Clearing her throat, Lefia nodded silently.

‘He was truly an amazing person. To think he would even start a trend of military enlistment.’

She could now understand the saying that a good influence spreads faster than wildfire.

“Oh!”

“Wow!!”

The quiet cafe suddenly became noisy.

As Lefia was about to raise her head to see what was happening...

Thump—

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Karl sat down in front of Lefia and continued speaking as if it were nothing.

“Lasker. Let’s go. This summer break.”

“What? B-but...”

“If they say anything, just ignore them. A daughter wants to visit her parents, a son-in-law wants to visit his in-laws.”

It was none other than the Empire’s war hero speaking like that, so Lefia couldn’t help but nod.

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]