I Start with a Bad Hand!

“Because I receive support from her.”

“What…?”

At my response, Roxanne’s small frame began to tremble with shock. I was relieved we weren’t discussing anything more important when she was in the student council room, but her reaction seemed overly dramatic, and I was just as taken aback.

Breaking the brief silence, I asked Roxanne, “Why are you asking about that?”

What I wanted to know wasn’t just why she was asking, but why *Roxanne* was asking. It seemed natural for someone receiving support to get financial aid. Perhaps she was surprised by the scale of Godwin’s generosity, but her reaction seemed to be one of shock, not admiration.

‘Why does Roxanne seem to be hearing this for the first time, when even Cedric and the Duke know about it?’

Could it be a lack of communication within their family? Yet Cedric was extremely protective of Roxanne, and if I remember correctly, the Duke also cared for her in the original story.

‘…Maybe they didn’t tell her to avoid worrying her?’

Then again, who knows what goes through the minds of those in high positions? They likely have their own reasons, unfathomable to someone like me.

“…Why you?”

That question left me at a loss for words, so I smiled awkwardly. Someone else, however, couldn’t let it pass without a response.

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

Agnes, who had been standing with a somewhat casual posture, straightened up as she met Roxanne’s gaze. The title she hastily added made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. Roxanne, seemingly aware of the awkwardness, responded in a slightly flustered and brusque tone.

“There’s obviously a reason for the support… or rather, there must be. Saying ‘why you?’ makes it sound like Dietrich isn’t deserving.”

Roxanne’s face flushed as red as Agnes’, yet her expression remained stoically indifferent, betraying no sign of her earlier shock.

“…I didn’t mean it that way.”

At that moment, there was a sharp sound of papers being shuffled, and a low voice echoed.

“That’s enough. All of you.”

Irene, looking thoroughly exhausted, had cleared away her salad and stacked her desk high with documents.

“Roxanne, bring me the organized materials I asked for. And if you have personal matters to discuss, take them outside the student council room.”

“Shall we… go?”

Agnes, unable to hide her slight indignation, watched Irene raise and lower her eyebrows in a subtle signal. Shoulders slumped, Agnes cast one last glance at Roxanne before the door closed. As soon as we were outside, she lowered her voice and asked me,

“Why is the Princess of Elexion suddenly acting like that towards you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she was just shocked that I was getting support.”

“What’s so shocking about that? But to speak like that in front of you?”

“Yeah… maybe she doesn’t like the idea of her aunt’s money being used by someone else?”

Agnes, grumbling about how unfair it was for us to be kicked out, responded nonchalantly to my comment.

“Why would that be any of the Princess of Elexion’s business? Her aunt’s money is her own to use as she pleases.”

That’s true. I smiled slightly at my own small-minded thought. Agnes, noticing my expression, gave me a nudge.

“And there’s a rumor that the Princess of Elexion has more dresses than there are students in the academy. Do you really think she’s worried about her aunt’s money?”

“Is that even possible? How do you know this?”

“Ever since we enrolled, rumors have been flying around. They say more than ten carriages bearing the Elexion ducal crest arrived at the academy. Of course, people would talk.”

“The fact that the dormitory can accommodate all that luggage is more surprising.”

My dry response seemed to make Agnes think I didn’t believe her. She expressed her annoyance by poking my side repeatedly. As I bent over under her relentless assault, I asked lightly,

“So, how does it feel to know this?”

“Know what?”

“That the Princess of Elexion has an enormous collection of dresses.”

“I’m jealous.”

Agnes looked at me with an incredulous expression at my candid reply.

“Is that all? Anything else?”

“I think it must be nice.”

Though if it were me, I’d invest in real estate… Before I could finish the thought, Agnes poked me hard again with her iron-like finger. The force made me bend over again, bringing me eye-level with her. She grabbed my shoulder and whispered,

“That could have all been yours. How can you just say it must be nice?”

Her exasperated expression showed she was genuinely frustrated. Seeing my silence, she started pounding her chest and stomping her feet in agitation.

“It’s not just about the safe. Roxanne could be enjoying everything that should have been yours. How can you be so calm?”

“…We don’t know that yet. No one’s confirmed it. If I get my hopes up now, I might just end up disappointed.”

“Yeah, well, it must be nice to be so doubtful. So relaxed.”

Half-standing and half-leaning on me, Agnes clung to my arm and pulled me along. As I followed, she leaned back, bringing her face close to mine.

“You’re letting someone else enjoy everything that should have been yours, and you’re just okay with it.”

All I could say, with a laugh, was,

“It’s not mine.”

***

“Are you expecting someone?”

“…Yeah.”

When I turned my head again at the sound outside, Icarus, who had been buried in his book, asked me.

“How did you know?”

“You keep looking at the door. Who are you waiting for? Curly hair… no, Bardi?”

“No.”

“Horatius?”

“…”

“Horatius.”

Although I didn’t respond, Icarus spoke with certainty. Was it that obvious I was waiting? Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat briefly and turned my attention back to the documents in front of me. But I couldn’t focus at all. I was aimlessly copying words into my notebook, trying to force my depleted concentration back together.

‘Irene should have contacted me by now…’

Translating the text containing Dietrich’s soul fragments was taking longer than expected. The main reason was the gap in my English studies.

‘English was supposed to be manageable, but… this isn’t easy.’

Reading long English texts again after several years was mentally exhausting. Moreover, Dietrich’s vocabulary was quite sophisticated and unfamiliar. Unseen and unheard words popped up in every sentence, forcing me to consult the dictionary multiple times before moving on.

“Which Horatius?”

“Who do you think? The one closer to me.”

“Hmm.”

Looking satisfied, Icarus shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the text he was translating. Despite claiming not to be a good student, he was dedicated to this task. As I watched him sit with perfect posture, moving his pen quickly, I was momentarily lost in thought.

“Dietrich, are you inside?”

At that moment, a soft knock accompanied by a low voice came from the door. I looked at Icarus, who was sitting at my table, and he mouthed, ‘Again?’ with a sullen expression.

“I can’t help it. It’s not good if rumors spread about the prince coming in and out of my room.”

Even though I whispered a reasonable explanation into his ear, Icarus lingered reluctantly. I had to push him into the bathroom. Ignoring his grumbling from inside, I opened the dormitory door to find a Horatius standing there.

“Just a moment…”

But the Horatius before me wasn’t the one I was waiting for. With a faint scent of cinnamon tickling my nose, Irene’s brother stood there, looking neat and tidy. The sound of a pen scratching quickly from behind me stopped abruptly.

“Klaus?”

“Dietrich.”

“What brings you here…?”

I subtly turned my head to look around the room. The desk was cluttered with various documents, and there were traces of someone having been there just moments ago. I couldn’t let Klaus into the room under these circumstances. Standing in the doorway with an awkward smile, I blocked his way, but fortunately, Klaus didn’t seem to find it odd that I wasn’t letting him in.

“Oh, I came to give you this.”

He handed me a bouquet of deep blue flowers with a bright smile. Taken aback, I hesitantly accepted the bouquet. The wrapping was simple, but the blooming petals were fresh and the stems were neatly arranged.

“I saw these on my way and thought of you because of their color.”

Anticipating my question of why he was giving them to me, Klaus bit his lip and then answered with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

“Um…”

“Is it not to your liking?”

Seeing my flustered expression, Klaus asked, his face showing a hint of nervousness. His expressions were so transparently readable.

“…No, it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“That’s a relief.”

Klaus still had one hand behind his back, standing awkwardly. Curious, I glanced in that direction, and he let out a light, embarrassed laugh.

“I brought another one, just in case you didn’t like the first.”

He revealed another bouquet, this one a mix of bright, colorful flowers. But accepting a second bouquet without understanding the reason made me step back slightly. Sensing my hesitation, Klaus rubbed the back of his neck and said,

“Actually, this is a bribe. I wanted to ask you for a favor, so I thought I’d try to make a good impression.”

“You don’t need a bribe for me to do you a favor… What kind of favor requires such a gesture?”

“It’s a bit early, but I didn’t want to ask too late this time.”

With slightly flushed cheeks and a stiff posture, Klaus’s calm voice and playful green eyes made it seem like he was casually asking to borrow a notebook. But the words that followed, laden with tension, were a request that couldn’t be answered with just two bouquets.

“Would you go to the Spring Ball with me?”

A scoffing sound came from a corner of my room.