Chapter 52: You Really Are Something

There was no family crest on it at all, and the decoration was no different from the standard style of ordinary wealthy people.

Inside the carriage, the esteemed Princess Veronica was leaning against a cushion, holding a delicate pastry in her hand, nibbling at it with a bored expression.

“Why isn’t she back yet…”

She muttered softly, “Making Her Highness wait this long.”

Veronica’s expression was somewhat impatient. She looked around the carriage’s interior with great dissatisfaction.

This carriage was far too ordinary.

Not only was the exterior plain, but the interior was also extremely simple.

There were no soft cushions to sink into, and even the windows were pitifully small.

And—

She glanced down at the dress she was wearing.

A simple, plain long skirt with barely any decent adornment.

It was completely unworthy of her status as a princess of the kingdom.

Her tone carried undisguised disdain.

In the past, something like this would never even have been brought before her eyes.

But now—

Veronica sighed and stopped complaining.

She finished the remaining pastry, her gaze falling on the empty seat across from her.

She was the Princess of Rune. She should rightfully enjoy the best treatment.

But hardly anyone truly took her seriously.

That detestable attendant officer always bowed his head in agreement, then turned around and reported her “indiscretions” to her father.

The people in the royal court would whisper behind her back.

“As expected, she has no magical talent. She can’t even control her temper.”

“She’s nothing more than a decoration.”

Those surface-level courtesies and respect were merely a performance for her “royal status.”

At every opportunity, those malicious words would worm their way into her ears.

She didn’t want to think about them, but those words insisted on burrowing into her mind.

Every night, every moment she was alone, they would surface, leaving her both furious and helpless.

They haunted her like a nightmare.

Veronica’s fingers unconsciously tightened, grinding the pastry crumbs in her palm into dust.

Her round face, still carrying childishness, now showed a weariness that shouldn’t belong to someone her age.

Since coming to the Academy, she hadn’t been happy.

All the students around her could use magic, while she could only observe from the sidelines.

Those intentional or unintentional glances were like needles, constantly pricking her.

She hated this place, yet she couldn’t escape.

It was no different from that magnificent, opulent royal palace.

Just then—

A knock came from outside the carriage.

The next moment, the carriage curtain was pulled open, and the light from outside surged in, making her squint slightly, her brow furrowing.

She was about to snap, but when she saw who it was, she suppressed her words, leaving only clear displeasure on her face.

“Where exactly did you go—”

She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze freezing.

Only then did Veronica notice that there was another person beside her maid.

That person was slim but wore a loose black robe.

The brim of the hat was pulled very low, almost covering most of their face.

Wearing something like that in broad daylight—it looked suspicious no matter how you saw it.

Veronica took a second look and felt a flicker of interest.

“Who is this?”

The maid pursed her lips and smiled, deliberately playing coy instead of answering.

But the person behind her moved on their own.

They reached up and pushed the hat brim back, revealing a clean, handsome face.

Under the sunlight, the young man’s expression was a bit nervous and tinged with helplessness.

Yet it also seemed so sincere.

Veronica was taken aback, and the now-revealed Harvey lowered his head, bowing to her properly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness, Princess. I am Harvey.”

The moment she saw that face, Veronica’s expression turned cold.

It was him.

The male servant she had initially assumed was being ostracized by other servants and assigned to attend to her.

At the time, she had even been merciful and wanted to seek justice for him.

After all, if someone didn’t fight back against this kind of bullying, they would only be treated even worse.

Regardless of whether this person was genuinely willing to serve her, he had come to the Academy, and Veronica felt she had a responsibility to protect him.

But then, in a sudden turn, it was revealed that this guy was actually one of Duke’s Daughter Lavia’s men.

She remembered that day’s humiliation clearly.

At that time, she had her maid investigate, but no news came, and later, she was exhausted by the Academy’s coursework, so she had put it off until now.

For a moment, the atmosphere was awkward.

Veronica’s face darkened as she turned a cold eye on this “caring” maid.

“Who told you to bring him here?”

The maid’s heart tightened under that glare, and she instinctively straightened up.

She was older than Veronica, and although her background couldn’t compare to a princess, it was by no means low in the royal capital.

But at that moment, she quickly suppressed any excess expression and softened her attitude.

She knew all too well what mood Her Highness was in right now, and she also wanted to help her relax properly.

After all, she had finally managed to get out of that palace.

“Your Highness, it’s—”

She wanted to take the lead, take the blame upon herself, and then slowly explain.

But before she could get more than a few words out, she was interrupted.

“Your Highness, I heard you wished to go out and tour the city.”

Harvey stood outside the carriage, his gaze steady as he looked at Veronica inside.

“But the situation outside the Academy is more complicated than you think.”

At these words, Veronica’s expression grew even more unpleasant.

She hadn’t intended to pay this person any mind, but now he had cut in directly, speaking as if his opinion was only natural.

“A servant of the Duke’s family is going to teach Her Highness the Princess—”

Before she could finish, Harvey shook his head.

“Both young misses are just as unfamiliar with the streets as you are.”

He looked seriously at the plump princess. “If you insist on going out, and something goes wrong, the responsibility will fall on them.”

“They can’t bear that.”

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

The maid was stunned, her expression shifting slightly as she instinctively looked at Veronica.

She suddenly regretted bringing this person here.

This guy had no sense of the atmosphere.

How had she forgotten? It was the same last time.

He had disregarded Her Highness’s temper and firmly forced her to give up on changing areas.

Veronica took a deep breath.

The anger that had been at the tip of her tongue was choked back by these words.

She understood.

And precisely because she understood, her expression grew even uglier.

She could, of course, not care.

She was a princess. If she wanted to go out, she could go out—she didn’t need to listen to anyone’s opinion.

But what he said was—they couldn’t bear it.

Her gaze unconsciously swept over her two personal maids.

Both maintained proper expressions on their faces, but a flicker of tension hadn’t been completely hidden.

They were waiting for her reaction.

Veronica’s heart sank slightly.

If it were other servants, she wouldn’t care so much.

But these two were different.

They were among the few people she could trust.

But she was the master.

And now she had to restrain her own thoughts because of their ability to bear the consequences?

This thought made her very uncomfortable.

Veronica gritted her teeth, and a surge of defiance rose within her.

She stared at Harvey, her tone cold.

“So what?”

“Does Her Highness the Princess have to consider the bearing capacity of people like you every time she wants to leave the house?”

She was being sarcastic.

But the moment the words left her mouth, she knew they didn’t hold up.

Staring at Harvey, who remained neither humble nor pushy before her, what appeared in her mind was the image of this guy standing cautiously beside Lavia.

What right did he have? Why wasn’t he afraid of her, but afraid of that woman Lavia instead?

That woman, that afternoon, had also, had also…

Remembering what happened that day, Veronica’s chest heaved with anger.

It wasn’t the first time she had realized her own limitations, but having them pointed out to her face still made her furious.

It was as if her willfulness was being laid out for others to see.

The atmosphere around the carriage was tense. No one dared to speak.

Veronica stared at Harvey, trying to force him to back down with her authority and expression.

But Harvey didn’t flinch.

To her surprise, he actually let out a helpless sigh right in front of her.

“If Your Highness still insists on going out, then please allow me to accompany you.”

“?”

The three women present had varied expressions, but they all looked at Harvey in unison.

This guy?

What exactly is he trying to say?