[Raul PoV]
Alright... how exactly did I end up in a situation like this? Wasn't this supposed to be an adventure-fantasy story? Why did the plot suddenly veer into a romantic-comedy drama?
More to the point, why were Princess Alisha and Leon even here?
Looking at the old man standing behind the two of them, I already had a pretty good idea how Princess Alisha had figured out I'd be around this area.
"Aliya, go on ahead," I told her. "The place isn't far now. Should be fine for you to walk the rest of the way alone."
"Understood, Young Master."
Princess Alisha and I simply stared at each other in silence until Aliya walked off.
"You seem quite close and friendly with that prostitute, Raul de Garcia," Princess Alisha said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And here I thought you were just some worthless noble, exactly like the rumors say."
At first glance, her words almost sounded like a compliment. But given her tone and the way she looked down on me, I could tell she was mocking me for keeping company with woman like Aliya, concluding that the rumors circulating about me were true after all.
"You can just call me Raul," I told her. "And I don't see any reason to treat her any differently than I'm treating you right now, Your Highness."
I deliberately emphasized "Your Highness" to throw her earlier sarcasm right back at her.
"In other words..." Princess Alisha stepped closer, our faces now facing each other directly. "You consider me—a princess of a sovereign nation—no different from some prostitute?"
Well... technically, Aliya's status wasn't far off from Alisha's, both belonging to royal families. But I obviously couldn't say that out loud, could I? Aliya's identity needed to stay hidden.
"Of course. I don't see any difference between the two of you," I answered casually.
Hearing my words, Leon, standing behind Alisha, stepped forward, his face clearly furious at me equating his princess with a night entertainer.
"You! Take back what you—"
Leon's words cut off as Princess Alisha raised her palm in front of the white-haired man's face, signaling him to stay quiet.
"What makes you think that way, Raul?" Princess Alisha asked, her expression as flat and unreadable as ever.
"I only just met you, same as that prostitue earlier," I answered her. "At the very least, I know she takes her work seriously and puts real effort into it."
Princess Alisha's cheeks flushed red at my words. I suspected she'd misread my meaning about Aliya genuinely being dedicated to doing her job well.
"Is that so?" Alisha murmured.
She then extended her hand, as if offering a handshake.
"In that case, forgive me," she said, smiling. "Allow me to properly introduce myself."
Her tone shifted, and now her royal presence radiated even more strongly than before—so much so that people passing by on the street stopped in their tracks, sensing Princess Alisha's charismatic aura.
"I am Alisha Romanova, rightful heir of the Tsardom of Slavia, land of the northern peoples. It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Raul de Garcia."
Glancing at her hand, smooth and pale as snow, I could hear people nearby beginning to whisper among themselves, admiring Princess Alisha's beauty and regal bearing.
I shook her hand and answered in kind.
"I am Raul de Garcia, sole heir of House Garcia that rule the Duchy of Toledo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Alisha."
Her hand felt remarkably soft, yet cold at the same time. Was her illness worsening?
"I look forward to working together going forward, my future husband."
[Alisha PoV]
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We parted ways after our introductions. Raul had to return to his academy dorm, while I still needed to stay at the mansion until I could move into Grunbelt Academy's women's dormitory.
Right now, I was soaking in a tub filled with warm water. It felt incredibly refreshing, finally getting to rest somewhere this luxurious. For twelve full days, I'd only been able to sleep in uncomfortable tents, since we'd been pushing to reach the capital as quickly as possible.
"He's a fairly interesting man."
His face was handsome enough, though not quite as handsome as Leon's, of course. He seemed like the type who held to certain principles, if you set aside his habit of frequenting entertainers at night.
Still, I supposed that wasn't really a problem. We can't force someone to love only us, and by the same token, he couldn't force me to fall for him right away either.
We'd only just met. In fact, before this arranged marriage was even planned, I hadn't known a man named Raul de Garcia existed in this world at all.
That's exactly right—our relationship was built entirely on mutual interest. That's simply how things worked in the world of nobility. Family was a political tool, and we both had a duty to fulfill our roles for the sake of our families and the people we led.
"I don't owe him anything, really. Besides, this marriage won't last much longer than the blink of an eye anyway."
I had less than two years left to live in this world. Which meant our marriage would most likely last no more than six months.
[Vlad PoV]
Grunbelt Academy—word has it this is the finest academy in the world for training future mages and knights. But after seeing its students on this first day, I doubt it's all that different from the academy back in the Kingdom of Draconia.
The students here still joked around, laughed, and chattered about foolish nonsense.
Not a shred of ambition in any of their eyes. Their faces, and the weak mana auras surrounding them, made it painfully obvious these students had only enrolled here to secure themselves a comfortable life after graduation.
Their noble families just wanted their family names to shine a little brighter.
Mages and knights ought to suffer more, endure more torment, if they're ever going to forge a truly strong mentality for the future. Watching these idiots, I'd bet good money every last one of them would go running the moment they crossed paths with a genuinely powerful monster.
I suppose I'll need to manipulate a few students here just to make this place a little more entertaining.
"What do you think, Prince Vlad?"
I heard a wonderfully pleasant voice beside me. She was currently showing me around the academy grounds.
"It's absolutely amazing, Elena!" I answered, playing the fool in front of her. "Also, feel free to just call me Vlad. No need to be so formal."
"Alright, Vlad."
So this is my future wife-to-be. Unlike these idiotic students, this blonde girl carried a genuinely powerful mana aura, even if it hadn't fully matured yet.
A beautiful face, a wonderfully arousing figure, and a naive mind—exactly the criteria I favor.
Ughh... I can barely stand it, imagining marrying her, turning her into my personal slave. And how convenient that she's currently caught up in this succession race for Emperor, isn't she?
I'll make sure she wins this succession, and I'll rule the Aragon Empire from the shadows, through her.
Step one: make Elena dependent on me. Getting her to win this succession will be simple enough, using the same method that's already proven effective back in the Novgarad Federation.
Once I've earned Elena's trust, I'll break her mind apart, torment her until she can do nothing but obey my every word, loyal as a dog.
I've always been addicted to watching people who hold justice and righteousness so dear, people just like Elena, crumble into nothing more than a submissive plaything, no better than a cheap whore.
Ugghhh... this hobby of mine really is the best.
Looking at her beautiful body again, my own body trembles slightly, barely able to hold back the urge to get my hands on that luscious flesh. I'm certain no sane man could resist the temptation Elena's body presents.
I have to have her. Whatever it takes.
"President, who's this with you?"
Our footsteps came to a halt. Elena and I turned around, and I saw a black-haired man, hair as dark as my own, walking toward us.
I glanced down at his feet—his steps made absolutely no sound at all. I hadn't even sensed his presence until he called out to Elena.
If this man turns out to be an assassin, I'm as good as dead.
"Ah, Vlad, allow me to introduce him. This is Raul de Garcia, head of the disciplinary committee here at the academy," Elena said, her demeanor shifting noticeably the moment this man appeared. "Raul, this is Prince Vlad, who's just transferred here."
I studied this man named Raul's eyes—black as the darkness of night, his expression betraying not the faintest hint of interest in me whatsoever.
I hate him already.
Judging by how Elena carried herself around him, the two of them clearly shared some kind of special bond.
He then bowed, and turned back to face me with an easy, casual air. "Welcome to the academy, Prince. I hope you find your time here quite interesting."
Tch. Empty, formal words dripping with insincerity.
"President, I wanted to ask when the Student Council plans to finalize the club records for this term? Final exams are approaching, and we should get started soon so we're not scrambling later," the black-haired man said, clearly intent on interrupting my time with Elena.
"Vlad, could you wait here for just a moment? I need to speak with Raul briefly," Elena said, looking somewhat apologetic toward me.
I simply nodded in response to her request. The two of them stepped a short distance away and began discussing something at length.
Just as I'd suspected, there was clearly something special between them, judging by how comfortable Elena's body language became around him, her expression shifting into something entirely different from how she'd spoken with me.
I suppose I'll need to deal with this man first before I can claim Elena fully for myself. Still, something about him felt distinctly abnormal.
My own logic and observation told me this black-haired man's body seemed perfectly ordinary, lacking any of the impressive mana aura Elena possessed. And yet, my instincts were screaming that this man was dangerous.
No matter. I'll destroy anyone who dares interfere with my amusement.
Raul de Garcia... you will die by my hand someday soon.
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