WebNovels

Chapter 11 - Her reputation

Fifth Month, the 3rd day, 13:45. 

"WELCOME, Dame Adela," greeted a man who seemed to be an aide, or maybe, a professor? A guard knight guided me inside, and this man soon came to welcome me by the main building's lobby. Dark hair, blue eyes, tan, tall, and lean. He seems familiar, but I can't recall his name. 

"I'm Chion Soren, I've been informed that you have inquiries regarding the hiring of a special instructor."

Ah, yes. Chion Soren. One of her many sponsored scholars. He was one of the few bright students with a humble background I came across before as a student myself. From what I remember, they were classmates in the same department. It seems he's working here now, for her too. 

"Yes. I've recently resigned from my previous job, and I'm currently looking for a new one. What are the requirements I need to apply for that position?" I went straight to the point and he was shocked standing hearing my words. 

"Pardon me for asking the obvious, but are you not working as the emperor's personal knight?" Chion asked, confused. I simply smiled at him.

"I've resigned. There's only so much I can do for him, and I wish to settle down at a young age," I responded with a low voice. 

From the moment the oath was broken, I have already set the limitations on what I can do for him. And now that I've resigned, I could simply ignore him, but that would be unbecoming of me as a previous knight and a citizen of this land. Because after all, he is still the emperor, this land's supreme monarch. 

"Is that so…" Soren trailed off. " Well, I think you have more than enough qualifications to be the special instructor we need. You can meet the headmistress now for the interview, while we can handle the papers needed for your application. All we need from you is to sign the papers for easy verification."

I blinked. I am a bit… flabbergasted. Since when has it been so easy to land a job here in the academy? And a position of a special instructor at that? 

"I believe the headmistress is in her office at the moment. This way please," he gestured me to the direction of the headmistress's office. I brushed off my confusion and I simply followed after Soren. 

With a normal walking pace, I was able to look around the changes that have been made in this building. There were more portraits and displays for trophies and certificates. I can recognize familiar ones too. Nevertheless, there has been so much change since I last walked in these halls. 

A few moments passed and we finally arrived by the door of the office. Soren knocked on the door and announced our presence, "Madam Headmistress, it's Chion. I'm with the person applying for the special instructor position." 

"Come in!" 

I could feel myself tense up in excitement as I heard her voice. 

Soren twisted the knob and pushed the door open, giving way to me. I walked inside and my eyes immediately landed on her.

Familiar fierce golden eyes that shine like the sun, short dark wavy hair, and skin pale as snow. She carries a confident yet calm atmosphere, and I'm happy it hasn't changed since we last saw each other. 

As our eyes met, I could see her smile fading, her face slowly showing the shock after seeing me. I simply smiled as I placed my right hand on my chest. Out of habit, I bowed like a knight to her. 

Haelyn Destiny Bloodwyn… The seventh and youngest imperial child, the Headmistress of the Seraphina Academy, and the current Duchess of House Bloodwyn, the house of the late empress dowager. 

"I greet the Headmistress, Duchess Bloodwyn. It's been a while, Your Imperial Highness—" Before I could even finish my sentence, she dashed to my direction and tackled me into a tight hug. 

I caught her and maintained the balance of our colliding figures so we wouldn't fall and get hurt. Just after that, I can hear the door closing. It must be Soren giving us privacy.

Haelyn is Hael's twin sister. Not one person in this kingdom is unaware of House Oleander's close relationship with the remaining imperial children, the Royal Twins. It wasn't strange for us to know and befriend each other. However, the last time we saw each other was before the civil war, whereas she relinquished her right to the throne as an imperial child. 

We remained close and quiet for a few more moments until she herself backed away. 

"I was about to write to you. How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Her worried tone and shaking gaze confused me. How unusual. She's normally composed, but she looks shaken up at the moment. 

Has the news reached her already?

I smiled, faintly. "Well, I resigned from my beloved job and abandoned the Oleander name. I'm basically homeless—"

"You're hired. Screw the interview, I know you too well. Come and sit over here—CHION! Serve some tea and fresh milk!" 

Haelyn quickly pulled me over to the wide sofa. With all seriousness, she stared directly in my eyes and asked in a grave tone;

"That bastard did something to you, didn't he?" 

Oh. She must've heard it from that information guild in advance. Every information she receives is always so reliable. 

I remained quiet. Despite being one of the many people who do not know anything about the oath between me and her brother, Haelyn is often too sharp. From the moment I was knighted, she was the only one who questioned my devotion to Hael. 

"Do you actually want to be his knight?" 

Somehow, I'm reminded of that moment a few years ago. My lips began to form a smile as my hold on her hand tightened. 

"I simply didn't want to be his knight anymore." 

Short and simple, but it's not a lie. 

It truly is a shame that he had to betray me. Despite the desire to live for myself, I would have willingly died from his hand, but he had to ask his minions to do dirty work, as he'd always done. Was I not even worthy of being killed by my own master? Disrespectful—is what I'd like to say and think, but that's just pure emotional bullshit. That would just make me look like some obsessed fool. 

Haelyn stared at me for one moment, seemingly unsatisfied with the answer I'd given her, but then sighed, giving up. She then leans closer, our foreheads then touching. 

"I'm proud… ecstatic that you've chosen to live for yourself this time."

I can feel the confusion washing over my system… The face of the angry grand duke and his words flashed in my mind once again. 

"You're acting like some mad puppet, Dame Adela." 

Despite what everyone has told me, I never thought that way, but now… have I always looked so lifeless to the point that I seemed like a person with no purpose?

Who was I when I was with Hael…? 

"By the way, Haelyn…" I decided to break the silence and change the topic. "What's with the hiring for a special instructor? Is the academy short-staffed now?"

Special instructors are experts with deep knowledge and extreme practice in one particular subject, only without experience in professional teaching. They are given practical-based topics to teach students and often assist professors.

Haelyn then shook her head and relaxed her back. "It's not that we're short staffed, it's that we have a number of students the professors refuse to have in their class, all because of their problematic behavior." 

I raised a brow at her emphasis on the word 'problematic'. 

"Don't you have a policy that expels a student for problematic and violent behavior?" I asked her again and she nodded. I became more puzzled. "Then why are you ignoring that policy and hiring special instructors for each of them instead?"

"Well, I talked to each of them, and they all have strange yet similar thoughts regarding their behavior and attitude towards their education, as well as their life here in the academy." 

Ah… of course. Haelyn herself was a peculiar student with flowing empathy towards her fellow students. It was the one reason why she sponsors many people, even as an Imperial Princess. 

"All of them are overflowing with godsend talent and insanity. Kicking them out would only result in this empire's end," she explained and it doesn't seem like she's exaggerating. "Their problematic behavior is simply them feeling caged by the limited knowledge of their own professors. And that is the problem that I've noticed ever since the now Grand Duke Langstone, Caius Valentino Langstone, dropped out of the academy."

I froze for a moment. 

"What?" 

Haelyn glanced back at me and smirked. 

"Hael's rival dropped out due to one reason; he doesn't feel like he's learning anymore." 

Not because of his succession? Not because he wanted to focus on the Southern lands?

"Where did you even learn this?" I asked, baffled. From what I recall, they're not even close enough to have such an exchange. She chuckled at my reaction. 

"Well, that's another story for another time," she answered vaguely and swiftly changed the topic. "In any case, I have always wanted to hire a new special instructor with actual talent and passion for teaching specialized subjects. But I haven't been able to focus on that at all until this problem was brought up about two weeks ago. "

Out of every word that came out of her mouth, I was focused on her term—specialized subjects…? This feels suspicious… Why does this sound different from the special instructor I know?

"From the poster, you didn't specify the number of instructors you need," I pointed it out and she nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I only needed one, for all of them." I turned to her, brows crunched in the middle. I'm more confused than ever. 

"Hold on, you mean I have to teach major and practical subjects being taught in their respective courses and year level, all in one classroom?" 

Haelyn raised a brow at me, confused. As if disgusted by the fact that I just asked an obvious question. 

"I mean, can't you? Thee Adela Rosalie Oleander—the unbeaten top student of the entire academy since its founding, can't teach those specialized subjects she deemed easier than taking down a fucking dragon?"

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