"I welco all of you to my kingdom."
Harvey and Jas stepped forward with a graceful precision, placing their hands over their chests and bowing their heads respectfully. "Your Majesty."
I noticed that all the students around followed suit, mimicking the gesture with varying degrees of elegance. Even Rodolf, who usually seed to disregard rules, bowed his head—no doubt his upbringing as a prince was kicking in.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp whisper, almost a hiss, from a few classmates away. "Amael!"
It was Victor. He was signaling for to bow my head and perform the customary greeting. But I feigned ignorance, keeping my gaze firmly fixed on the Queen. This was the woman who had turned her back on my mother when she needed help the most, even voting against her help. I couldn't bring myself to show her any respect.
Around , my classmates exchanged anxious glances, their faces pale as they silently pleaded with to bow. Their eyes practically scread at to lower my head and avoid any unnecessary trouble, but I remained straight.
Queen Tanya's gaze swept across the hall, taking in the sight of all the bowed heads. Inevitably, her eyes landed on —the one person who dared to stand upright, unbowed. Her greenish-yellow eyes briefly flashed a golden hue, reminiscent of Alvara's, before she spoke again.
"Raise your heads," she said.
There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone straightened up.
Harvey offered a warm smile as he spoke. "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. It is truly fitting for royalty. We deeply appreciate the efforts made to ensure our comfort."
"I am delighted to hear that," Tanya replied, her voice carrying a note of pride. "Vanadias is the most beautiful city in Sancta Vedelia. I hope that during your short stay here, you will co to understand why."
Her words were undeniably arrogant, especially in front of figures like Harvey Indi Zestella and Jas Raven, who represented other powerful nations. Yet, I had to admit, there was truth in her claim. Of all the capitals I had seen, Vanadias was indeed the most breathtaking.
"We are very much looking forward to it," Professor Raven responded with a respectful nod.
"As you should be," Tanya replied, casting a glance at Toran, who imdiately turned and exited through the sa door she had entered.
While we waited for Toran's return, Tanya engaged Harvey and Jas in a discussion about recent events in the kingdom and the current state of security. The conversation was cordial. It was clearly not the first ti those three t and spoke to each other.
After a few minutes, Toran returned, and Tanya quickly addressed us.
"I would like to introduce you to the royalty of my Kingdom. So of them may already be familiar to you."
As she spoke, several figures entered the hall, their footsteps echoing off the alabaster floor. They were dressed in elegant royal attire.
Among them, I recognized familiar faces—Kendel, Sephira, and Allen. But they weren't the only ones. There were new faces as well.
Kendel was the first to step forward.
"I am the First Prince, Kendel Teraquin," he announced simply. Today, he wore attire far removed from the academy's uniform, a regal ensemble that made him look every inch the elven prince he was ant to be.
Next up was Allen, who introduced himself with a faint smile. "Second Prince, Allen Teraquin." His usual arrogance seed to have vanished, replaced by a more subdued deanor.
Where had his trademark smirk gone? Ah, that's right—I broke it. The mory made the corners of my lips twitch with a hint of satisfaction.
[]
Shaddap.
A new face appeared next in line. "Third Prince, Glamir Teraquin," introduced a young elf with green hair, his smile charming. He seed slightly younger than Kendel, but there was a confident air about him.
Glamir's gaze swept over our group, lingering on the girls, particularly on Celes, Elizabeth, Selene, and Alia—the ones who stood out the most for their beauty. His lingering stare was bold, almost provocative, as if he were deliberately looking to stir trouble.
Amused, I watched John step protectively in front of Alia, shielding her from Glamir's wandering eyes. She blushed at the gesture. anwhile, Victor seed blissfully unaware of the tension, though Selene wasn't; she quickly took his hand, claiming her territory.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, seed utterly indifferent to Glamir's gaze, her expression unreadable, while Celes crossed her arms and shifted uncomfortably. It was as if these guys forgot all about their supposed elven superiority when faced with the allure of world-class beauties.
Yet, despite Glamir's outward charm, I noticed a flicker of disdain in his eyes when he looked at anyone who wasn't elven or royal. It reminded of the hatred Alvara and Kendel harbored for other races, though Kendel's disdain had always been more overt.
Next, a young girl stepped forward, likely around my age, though perhaps a bit younger. She had long green hair and matching green eyes, her figure more developed than one might expect, drawing the lecherous gazes of so of my more foolish male classmates.
How are they any different from that sleazy elf? "Second Princess, Neia Teraquin," she introduced herself. The fake warmth in her smile faded the mont she noticed the inappropriate stares from the boys, replaced by a look of disgust that reminded of Alvara. However, Neia's disdain wasn't quite as intense as Alvara's; it was more of a mild repulsion.
In conclusion, it seed that Glamir's children were also racist.
Finally, Sephira made her entrance. She was dressed in a beautiful gown, but her expression was tense, her movents stiff. "Sephira Teraquin," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Notably, she didn't ntion her title as a princess or even fully embrace her last na, hesitating for a mont before saying it.
There were probably other princes and princesses from different branches of the royal family, but these seed to be the key figures. What surprised most was that Tanya allowed Sephira to introduce herself at all. Did she harbor so genuine care for Sephira, or was it all just a bluff to deflect the kingdom's racist reputation? Perhaps it was a bit of both.
Of course, Gamir was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't bla him—getting thoroughly humiliated by his niece was likely a blow too painful to bear in public. And speaking of Alvara, who was supposed to be the face of the Teraquin house, she didn't make an appearance either.
It was clear—she despised us.
"The Exam may start tomorrow, but until then, there are plenty of things for you to learn—starting with the culture of our kingdom. Toran, lead them to the museum," Queen Tanya ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Toran responded with a respectful bow.
"And Glamir, Neia, Allen, and Sephira will accompany you as well," Tanya added, standing up and casting a glance at Harvey. "Lord Zestella, we need to discuss matters."
Harvey t her gaze with equal seriousness, nodding as he followed the Queen, leaving Professor Raven to oversee the rest of us.
As soon as Tanya departed, Neia Teraquin approached Lykhor. "Lord Lykhor, what a pleasant surprise," she giggled, her eyes gleaming as she started a conversation with him.
Lykhor returned her smile, though his eyes scanned the room. "Do you know where Alvara is?" He asked.
Neia's smile faltered for a brief mont before she regained her composure. "My elder sister isn't feeling well and is resting."
"A sha," Lykhor replied, his voice tinged with disappointnt.
"Do not worry about Elder Sister," Neia said, moving closer to Lykhor, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "Let's talk—it's been a while, after all."
anwhile, Sephira hesitated on the sidelines until Sirius Raven, with his characteristic confidence, called her over. It was a bold move, but as a prince of the Raven family, Sirius was untouchable. No one would dare to speak against him from the Teraquin's side.
As the group mingled, Glamir approached Alia with a dazzling smile. "May I know your na, Miss?" He asked, his voice smooth as silk.
Before Alia could answer, John stepped forward annoyed.
"Alia," he said before narrowing his eyes. "Alia Tarmias."
"Huh?!" I couldn't help but cough, caught off guard by John's unexpected boldness, much like everyone else around us.
Alia's face turned a deep shade of crimson, her lips quivering as she looked at John. She seed ready to sink into the ground from sheer embarrassnt.
Damn, John—you've sure grown up. I could never muster the courage to say sothing so straightforward and embarrassing at the sa ti.
[]
Please, I don't need to die of embarrassnt right now.
Yet, despite the awkwardness, John's words had the desired effect. Glamir's confident deanor cracked for a split second, his cheeks twitching before he quickly moved on to find another target for his attention.
Lastly, there was Allen, quietly trailing behind everyone else, not engaging in any conversation. When he noticed watching him, his face drained of color, and he imdiately averted his gaze, making sure to keep as much distance from as possible.
Figures.
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