Elisabeth von Kassel grumbled as she walked through the hallways of the Grand Academy’s General Building.

  Her father recently gave her a simple letter. He urged Elisabeth to try her best to ‘court’ and ‘calm’ down the crown princess, Alexa Theresa.

  To be fair, Elisabeth knew that it was one of her jobs when she came to this school. She was supposed to cultivate her as a close connection, and she was, somewhat, a good acquaintance of Her Highness back then.

  Until that Phoebe girl entered.

  Since then, the crown princess grew increasingly icy in her treatment of her peers. Noble girls like Elisabeth once always flanked and interacted with her freely, now, those were the old days.

  She could still see many of her ‘friends’ try to praise and latch on to the princess, but both her duties to studying and preparing for the throne meant the distance was growing, and Phoebe’s presence made it worse.

  “I don’t like this at all…” Elisabeth muttered. “This isn’t easy. Papa, why give me such a massive task?”

  She turned a corner and planted her back on the cold wall, sighing to herself tiredly, a scowl still placed on her perfect face.

  Elisabeth wasn’t a slouch, yes.

  But she was just one girl. Facing off against the saintess, the princess, and worse of all, that one-eyed knight of Alexa Theresa was a task nigh impossible.

  “Court her,” Elisabet grumbled again. “There’s just no way I can imagine getting there. She’s too difficult…and she pisses me off.”

  Alexa Theresa is surrounded nowadays by smart people, friends of hers who can easily see through me.

  She remembered her exchange earlier. While her fake honeyed words and praises broke through the princess’s abnormally high ego, it was clear that behind her, Phoebe was eyeing Elisabeth with muted suspicion.

  It was like she had an attack dog ready to pounce on fakes like Elisabeth!

  But, as the eldest daughter of the House of Kassel, Elisabeth cannot back down without trying. At this rate, her father’s position as grand regent would be in shambles, and should he fall, it would bring grave dishonor to the Kassel family.

  She placed a hand on her chest, vowing to do her best.

  Even if she was a mere young woman stuck in these halls, she still was Elisabeth von Kassel, known to her peers as the Queen of Ice. She was the best damned student of the Grand Academy, both in magecraft and other subjects.

  Not that it meant anything, she wasn’t planning to foolishly confront the princess like a barbarian would. So she had to create a strategy here. If she could just get close to her…and perhaps, discredit those annoying lackeys of hers…

  Maybe I can turn things around.

  Worst comes to worst, if she failed, she still tried. Ultimately, in Elisabeth’s view, that was what mattered for a noble like her. Even if the odds were against her, she must play her card and influence the big game playing around her.

  She must butter up the princess, and get her into a potential detente with her father.

  I just have to bite my pride a bit.

  +++

  “My, how beautiful, those eyelashes of yours are truly inspiring.”

  “Really now? My maids worked hard for this…”

  “Your Highness, you should really try this cake. I even baked it myself.”

  “Unbelievable, it’s so good!”

  Alexa’s eyes shone brightly as she took a delicate spoonful of the cake offered to her. On the other hand, Elisabeth smiled widely as she urged Alexa to enjoy the offerings.

  Elisabeth’s friends at the moment were gone, it was just her surrounded by her maids. On the other hand, Alexa had Phoebe and Adele with her, both girls enjoying the tea party as well.

  All in all, it was a good start in Alexa’s mind. Elisabeth may be a peasant spawned by that balding old bureaucrat, but she indeed was at least somewhat living up to her standing.

  Alexa knew that as the Duke of Kassel’s daughter, Elisabeth was trying hard to be superior to her peers. She was friends with everyone, perfect in her magic, and capable in dance, literature, music, and every other subject in their curriculum.

  The boys fawned over her, and the girls looked up to her, and even Alexa Theresa would have felt jealousy bubbling in her depths, if not for the fact that she believed her supremacy was so great by birthright alone and she didn’t need to show it off by skills.

  Yes, yes, that’s right.

  Alexa took another spoonful of the strawberry cake.

  So she bakes. So what? I’m still better.

  And so, Alexa was in a strange place. She was trying to convince herself of her complete superiority to someone who can bake a good cake, all while trying to hold off from feeling good when Elisabeth continuously praised Alexa.

  Elisabeth clearly was a trained sycophant. Scarily so. And Alexa, on the back of her mind, knew that, but she simply couldn’t help it. She was falling for the woman’s spells.

  Oh no, I finished my slice.

  She glanced awkwardly at Phoebe and Adele.

  I need to retreat from this place…but…but she’s just so good…

  Alexa wanted to pull her hair out. This was a massive dilemma. It was as if this girl knew Alexa’s weak spots way too well!

  No, no, calm down, she hasn’t done anything egregious yet.

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  Alexa smiled as Elisabeth talked kindly to Phoebe and Adele, and the girls would sometimes joke and laugh a bit, even if it was somewhat forced.

  I’m sure, if she tries anything, I’ll see through it. There’s no reason to overreact. Maybe she really is just being nice, and befriending me?

  Oh no, I’m totally falling for it. Hold the line damn it! What will Wilhelm think of you if you fall for this?!

  “And so,” Elisabeth smiled cutely as she clasped her gloved hands together. “Your Highness, if it isn’t too offensive to ask…may I inquire about you and my father’s recent quarrel?”

  “Ah…” Finally, Alexa’s mood soured. That somewhat calmed the anxiety in her heart. Once push comes to shove, it seemed she could still regain her mind’s proper functions. “Yes, Sir Ludwig and I are having a little spat at the moment. You need not concern yourself with it.”

  Alexa waved her off, taking the teacup in her hands to sip and enjoy it.

  “Ah, is that so?” Elisabeth placed a hand on her heart, her face crumpling as if she was hurt. “I’m sorry, but that kind of fight still doesn’t sit right with me. To see two honorable individuals fight like that—”

  “But Sir Ludwig isn’t honorable!” Phoebe suddenly shouted, nearly dropping her fork. “U-um, I mean…”

  Phoebe deflated, her face slightly red.

  “Sir Ludwig allowed his soldiers to harm so many innocent people,” she puffed her cheeks at Elisabeth. “J-just, what are you even saying? Just because Sir Ludwig is your father, you don’t need to—!”

  “You think my father is a bad man?” Elisabeth said, with slight tears appearing in the corner of her eyes. “My, is that truly the saintess’ opinion of him? Is this true, Your Highness?”

  “I…ugh…” Alexa found her tongue tied, that little act of Elisabeth made her look strangely vulnerable, reminding Alexa of Phoebe.

  Goodness, she’s way too good an actor. How can I insult someone like that?

  She tried to mark Elisabeth as an annoying little peasant so that she would have the prerequisites for starting a verbal spat, but it didn’t work. She was stunned.

  “I’ve heard many words coming from Her Highness' mouth about my father,” Elisabeth continued to tear up, using her handkerchief to wipe her eyes. “It’s just…so hurtful. Is he really so bad? I can hardly believe it. He always took good care of me.”

  “W-well, maybe that’s how he treats you, but he has been quite rude to me, and awful to my subjects,” Alexa tried to smile smugly. “So you’re a bit biased, Lady Elisabeth.”

  “Is that so? So I’m on the wrong side after all? I-I can’t…don’t tell me that’s the case…”

  “Well, you don’t have to be on the wrong side. You can join us instead!”

  “But then, I will betray my good father with that action. Can you not recognize that it is impossible?”

  “What matters more to you anyway,” Alexa finally crossed her arms, her annoyance finally overcoming the effect of Elisabeth’s scarily convincing crocodile tears. “Family, or nation?”

  “Family, of course,” Elisabeth said, her tone vulnerable yet firm. “Isn’t it the same with, Your Highness? Will you let Anastasia on the wayside, your last close family member, if she did some unscrupulous things?”

  Tsk, don’t use that on me.

  Sure, Alexa’s little sister was still a bit of a brat whenever Alexa met her in the Monile Palace. But the girl was growing slowly to be a better person.

  Alexa was quite sure that when Anastasia entered this school soon, she would be a student that’s at least not unpleasant.

  But she did have a point. Would you betray your kin just because they fumbled? In the world of nobility, family was important. A noble house can only stand if its members protect each other.

  Sure, they can infight internally, but when an outsider comes in to break them, they must band together and defend the honor and position of the family. That was just how things work.

  Alexa may be influenced by her soul from the modern world, but Alexa Theresa was a woman who prioritized family too. As Elisabeth spoke, that part of her was related to the sniveling noblewoman.

  Ugh, this is so annoying.

  “What do you want from me?” Alexa asked, feeling a headache creeping up on her.

  “Please, Your Highness,” Elisabeth clasped her hands again as she teared up, almost like she was praying. “I just wish for you both to talk this out and cool down. Please, soften your tone at admonishing my poor father too. I beg of you.”

  “F-fine, I’ll try it,” Alexa said, looking away. “...Can we just get on with happier stuff? This talk bores me.”

  “Of course, Your Highness!” As if a switch was flipped, all the tears in Elisabeth’s eyes were wiped, and she was back at serving Alexa and her friends with both food and praise.

  The tea party continued without incident.

  +++

  It’s been days now.

  Elisabeth closed her left hand into a fist. She listened this morning again to another one of Alexa’s speeches.

  The problem with her speeches was that Elisabeth simply couldn’t even tune them out. It was like a mandatory thing, everyone stopped without a choice to listen to her ramblings and rants.

  And Alexa Theresa didn’t hold back. This time again, she revealed groups of nobles allegedly embezzling from the Empire’s budget, close allies of her father, and members of the Imperial Diet.

  Apparently, the evidence was found by the Royal Guard. She demanded justice again, and she demanded action from Ludwig to punish his cronies, threatening that he’d be dishonoring the Empire otherwise.

  As Elisabeth listened to this new round of humiliation, dread and hatred grew in her heart. It was as if that little talk with Alexa Theresa went nowhere.

  She said she’d try to soften her tone, but nothing. She already spied on her camp a bit herself.

  Wilhelm.

  That man with that eyepatch. The commander who commanded the Defense Forces in defending Perlsenstadt, the undefeated monster of the battlefield who never lost a single battle against demons, and even personally faced Archdemons himself.

  He was the one egging Alexa on. These weren’t her words, no, she wasn’t exactly that smart to be able to speak so eloquently and so insultingly.

  No, this was a well-designed imitation of the princess’s contemptuous and domineering tone. A scripted speech given to her every day to rile up the public against her father and his allies.

  If I fail at this, my family will be destroyed.

  She was already preparing her next measures, gathering allies slowly among the daughters and sons of nobility. She even had a few already passively spying on the princess.

  It was difficult, because she was up against Sir Wilhelm and Sir Henry, both powerful knights who had much more experience in these kinds of games than her.

  But she had to get a better picture of everything. If desperate measures were needed to potentially get rid of the princess herself, she’d do it.

  Diplomacy failed after all. She looked down at her gloved hand as a flicker of cold blue flames came out of it. But how will I do such a thing without implicating myself?

  She needs to do it well, and stealthily, while keeping her reputation as an innocent model student.

  For her family, for herself—

  “You’re not liking this, aren’t you?” A cold voice interrupted her from behind.

  It was still early morning, so no one should be going to the student council’s room. As Vice President, Elisabeth always resolved to get up early and be first here.

  A chill came up through her spine, as she looked at her back. It was another man with a terrifying aura about him.

  Still, she cleared her throat and elegantly smiled.

  “You must be Sir Henry, no?”

  “And you’re Ludwig’s daughter,” Henry said, walking close to Elisabeth. He looked down at her. “Hmm…her speech just ended. Ain’t she a bit cruel to your good father?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Good, that means we start out in a consensus. Would you like to discuss this conundrum with me?”

  A grin appeared on Henry’s face, as Elisabeth looked up at the man.

  What the hell does he want from me?