The Princess Knight is Too Strong

The Eve Ceremony.

A tradition to cultivate the “instruments” of new students entering Polaris Academy.

Where you have to swallow several bowls of sweet and stiff foods like cookies or cakes without tea in front of seniors… not really.

“I’m looking forward to the Eve Ceremony.”

“Me too.”

It’s just an ordinary gathering.

Nominally, it’s a small event where new students and current students gather together the night before the entrance ceremony, which marks the beginning of the new semester, to build friendships in advance.

A normal tea party where seniors and freshmen gather in one place to get familiar with each other’s faces, ask questions about academy life, and so on.

And fireworks to watch after the sun sets.

However, the part about “getting familiar with faces” becomes a bit complicated.

Most of Polaris Academy students are second or third-generation politicians, power holders, nobles, or capitalists from the four countries.

There is at least an implicit rule that on the day of the Eve Ceremony, during the daytime or afternoon, there should be a separate gathering for new students and current students from the same country to get to know each other.

Getting to know people from other countries comes after that.

It can be considered an unofficial kind of initiation.

“Was the Failon Kingdom’s preliminary gathering at 1 PM?”

“Yes. I think we should leave around 1:10 PM.”

It seems strange that we’d need to leave at 1:10 PM for a 1 PM appointment, but here too, we need to consider the peculiarities of my status.

I am a princess of the Failon Kingdom, and all the academy students attending the preliminary gathering of Failon Kingdom natives are of lower status than me.

In such a situation, what if someone arrives later than me?

Regardless of what I might think of that person, they would immediately be branded as inconsiderate, that much is clear.

Even though I don’t care much, others would think that way on their own.

So it’s better if I deliberately arrive late.

“Princess, please look at this.”

“?”

“Between the blue dress and the white dress with a purple gradient, which one looks better?”

Holding two dresses in her hands, Delphina asked.

She’s been agonizing over this for 30 minutes already. I replied with a tired expression.

“Just wear anything…”

“That won’t do!”

Delphina threw down the dresses she was holding and rushed to me.

“First of all, what is this dress you’re wearing! It’s not mourning attire, why such a dull color…”

Delphina kept shaking her head while tugging at the hem of my black dress.

“But I like this one.”

With such a face exhausted from fatigue and this dull hair color, wearing a fancy dress wouldn’t suit me anyway.

“No way. That’s exactly why you should dress more splendidly.”

Delphina firmly shook her head. Then, she roughly flung open the wardrobe, grabbed a handful of dresses, and approached me.

“Take off that dull dress without any decoration!”

“Eek.”

“Now, try this on first! I’ll help you change!”

“P-please spare me.”

I pleaded in a shrinking voice.

But my plea, as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, didn’t reach anyone.

And for the next full hour, I had to be thoroughly ravaged by her hands.

“I hate dresses… I hate changing clothes…”

“This is terrible, the Princess has broken down.”

Delphina muttered, covering her mouth.

“Well, I did make you change a lot.”

“So cruel…”

Thirty minutes before the Eve Ceremony began.

After returning from the preliminary gathering of Failon Kingdom students, Delphina once again worked me up, saying that for the Eve Ceremony two hours later, I needed to wear a much more splendid dress than at the preliminary gathering.

Already drained of energy from the preliminary gathering, I had to serve as Delphina’s dress-up doll without a moment to catch my breath after returning to the dormitory.

Delphina kept spouting not-so-funny slogans like “This is all for your sake, Princess!” as she tormented me, but I don’t believe it.

I couldn’t help but be horrified when I heard that she had deliberately chosen a seemingly modest dress for the preliminary gathering.

I felt deeply betrayed. Delphina, I thought you were a good person.

Evangeline has been deceived again.

“Princess, if you don’t maintain proper posture, your carefully put-on dress will get ruined.”

As if I care about that.

Throughout the carriage ride, I consistently ignored whatever Delphina said.

“Ah, Princess. We’ve arrived.”

The evil dress-up demon said.

I deliberately didn’t answer and got out of the carriage, holding Delphina’s hand.

“Are you sulking?”

Delphina casually asked.

Instead of answering, I glanced at her expression, and sure enough, she was smiling.

Isn’t the proper way to ask such a question with anxiety?

“Don’t worry! I definitely chose the most splendid one so that you’ll catch the Prince’s eye!”

“What!”

I was startled and shook off Delphina’s hand.

Completely forgetting my resolution to ignore her.

“What on earth are you saying!”

“My goodness.”

Delphina opened her eyes wide and tilted her head.

“…Hehe.”

Then, suddenly narrowing her eyes, she chuckled to herself.

“You don’t have to be shy.”

“W-what on earth are you saying?”

Surely, she’s not having the audacious thought of becoming some love cupid between me and that guy?

“Delphina. Let me tell you out of concern, I and that prince…”

“Come on, save your excuses for later!”

As if she had no intention of listening to me, Delphina grabbed my hand and headed towards the first-floor hall where the new semester’s Eve Ceremony was being held.

I thought inwardly, suppressing my anger.

This is all because of that prince.

I’ll snap his joints when I see him.

Regardless of that, led by Delphina’s hand, we passed through a large door decorated with red leather, and the interior of the large hall came into view.

Thick and splendid carpets were laid across the entire floor without gaps, and pristine standing tables were neatly arranged in rows.

Sitting tables were placed in the corners with three or four chairs per table, while the standing tables were mainly located in the center.

“Let’s go in, Princess.”

Delphina said with a warm smile.

I won’t trust you even with that expression now.

I deliberately put on a sulky expression and followed Delphina into the hall.

‘Princess, you should soften your expression.’

Delphina’s whispering voice echoed in my ear.

‘You can use telepathy too?!’

‘My mother taught me.’

Surprised, I also asked using telepathy, and Delphina’s answer came back.

‘…Ah, sorry.’

I asked something unnecessary.

‘Princess, Princess.’

Delphina whispered again. The fact that she kept whispering suggested that sending telepathy as if speaking normally was still difficult for her.

‘The Prince is over there.’

‘So what?’

Despite frowning, I turned my gaze toward where Delphina was secretly pointing, and I saw the back of the Prince’s head, surrounded by students who appeared to be from imperial noble families.

The Prince, who had been turning his head incessantly while conversing, suddenly turned toward us.

…Oops, caught.

“Princess Evangeline!”

The Prince waved his hand with a welcoming voice and walked quickly, almost running, toward us.

‘Delphina…!’

‘Enjoy your time together!’

Either Delphina didn’t hear the telepathy I sent, or she pretended not to hear.

Or maybe she thought I was just being shy and deliberately ignored it, sending only her own telepathic message before slipping away to the side.

Before I could catch her, she had already slipped in among nobles from the same kingdom.

As I was looking helplessly at Delphina, who had disappeared before I could grab her, the Prince lightly tapped my shoulder.

“Eep?!”

The problem was that the dress I was wearing now had a design that exposed my shoulders.

At the shrill scream that escaped from my mouth, the Prince was startled and asked:

“P-Princess?”

“You startled me!”

When I snapped at him with a sharp voice, the Prince scratched his head in embarrassment and excused himself.

“I’m sorry. I… didn’t know your shoulders were so sensitive.”

“Th-they’re not sensitive. I’m just… not used to clothes that expose my shoulders.”

But because I’m generous, I decided to let it slide this time, like a man.

“Well, I’ll overlook it this time.”

It’s definitely not because I’m embarrassed about screaming.

As I nodded to myself, I heard the Prince muttering.

“By the way, both of you can use telepathy. That’s impressive.”

“…Pardon?”

What did he just say?

“How did you know we were using telepathy?”

Telepathy is originally a technique for conveying sound to allies at a distance without shouting, or for conveying sound without being heard by the enemy on the battlefield.

The principle is to create a closed passage made of magical power in the air, directly sending sound without it being scattered or degraded.

In other words, it doesn’t make sense that the Prince, who was talking with other people at a distance, would notice that we were using telepathy.

Since the sound can’t be heard, even ordinary people watching from the side wouldn’t know whether telepathy was being used.

“Ah, you mean that?”

However, if there’s one exception…

“I realize I didn’t mention it. I am a magician.”

“What?”

At the Prince’s statement, casually revealing “I’m a magician” as if he’d just gone for a neighborhood walk and bought ice cream, I asked back in astonishment.

“What did you say?”

“A magician.”

“…You’re a magician, you say.”

“My, I forgot to tell you.”

Toward the Prince who was smiling proudly, I quietly asked:

“Even for a magician, noticing telepathy wouldn’t be easy.”

“I’m level 6. Reading the flow of magical power in the air is easy.”

Magicians are leveled according to their magical or academic achievements.

The lowest is level 1. And as achievements increase, so does the level.

The highest level recorded in history by a great magician was level 11.

Even if not that high, if one reaches an achievement of level 8 or 9, they satisfy the minimum maginot line to be called a “great magician” by general consensus.

That’s the level among magicians, and for someone to achieve level 6 at the mere age of 17…

“Well, to tell you the truth, I only noticed Lady Delphina’s telepathy. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see yours, Princess.”

The Prince shrugged nonchalantly.

Yet as my expression remained unchanged, the Prince asked:

“By any chance, does the Princess not prefer capable men either?”

“Unfortunately not.”

Even if you were the most outstanding man in this world, I would never fall into your arms, you fool.

“I see.”

The Prince acquiesced and stepped back one step.

I unconsciously asked out of curiosity:

“Are you leaving already?”

I expected him to cling more persistently. It was surprisingly quick, and he was the one who made room first.

“Princess, what did you just…”

However, the Prince seemed to have interpreted my question a bit differently.

‘Oops.’

“…Hmm.”

Instead of saying anything, the Prince wore a strange smile, then made an expression of feigned regret as he explained:

“Given my position as an imperial prince, I know so many people. If I’m away from my place for too long, others might feel neglected.”

“I see.”

So what?

“Then, my fiancée, until another opportunity.”

“I keep telling you, stop calling me…”

I said to his back as he turned away, but he was already surrounded by other nobles who had rushed over upon seeing him turn around.

Moreover, not only imperial nobles but also those from the Republic and Holy Nation were mixed in beside him.

Surprisingly, those from the Kingdom were not visible, and that was because…

“Princess Evangeline!”

“Oh, if it isn’t the Princess Knight!”

“We’ve been waiting! I’ve always wanted to meet you…”

All those from the Kingdom had flocked to me.

It seemed they had been waiting for my conversation with the Prince to end, so I had to be surrounded by people who were trying to speak to me almost in a clamor, unable to move an inch.

But wait, I just saw you all.

What was the preliminary gathering for…