Dumbfounded, Teron shot back immediately.
“Apparently you had a nosebleed last night.”
“A nosebleed? Why?”
Only now did his head finally clear, and Teron pushed himself up, swinging his legs to climb down from the top bunk.
“Get lost. Right now.”
“No, thanks.”
Even after being cursed at, Leopold gave a small chuckle.
“It's obviously because you kept overusing your teleportation magic that you're in pain. Don't even think about going anywhere, just stay lying down.”
Even though it was morning, the blood rushed to Teron's head.
“You're starting off with another one of those remarks that make me question your intelligence. Shut your mouth and get out of the way.”
“Intelligence? My intelligence is in question? Stop projecting. Who was the one who knew exactly how dangerous his little instant teleportation was and stubbornly refused to quit until the very end?”
“...Are you still holding a grudge about yesterday? The First Prince of Deluah really does grind his body and soul over the most trivial things. Truly astonishing.”
At his sneer, Leopold's temple twitched for a moment. But that, too, was only an instant.
The First Prince gazed quietly at Teron, then said softly,
“Fine. You're safe, so that's enough.”
“...What is this, first thing in the morning? I have to go to class, so-”
Teron stopped mid-sentence, biting his lip briefly, then letting go. Leopold spoke as though he'd expected it.
“I've already handled the administrative side, so you don't need to worry. And as for the professors...”
“They won't even know I was gone.”
“No, surely not. That can't be true, Teron.”
“Delusions are free, so think whatever you like.”
Leopold's sudden invasion of the dorm room stirred up quite a bit of irritation right from the morning.
After glaring with murderous eyes at Lloyd, who was loitering by the door and playing dumb, Teron Meyer tried to climb down from the top bunk, only to end up in yet another argument with the damned First Prince.
The cause was the First Prince's lunatic behavior... in other words, his abnormal symptoms.
Only after hurling curses for a good long while at Leopold, who insisted he needed rest and wouldn't let him get out of bed, was he finally able to drive them all out.
And so, for the first time in two weeks, he came to attend classes at the Academy.
As he sat quietly in a corner of the classroom with his book open, the professor came in.
The administration professor glanced at Teron, who was sitting there meekly with his book open.
He was someone who had never shown the slightest interest in him before.
Even so, perhaps a student appearing after two weeks of absence had caught his eye.
“Teron Meyer. Present the assignment I gave last week, right now.”
He had thrown out an utterly unreasonable demand.
Naturally, Teron had no presentation, no assignment, nothing at all, and the professor twisted his face with a look of contempt.
“This is what happens when something lowborn and rootless sets foot in this place.”
The professor clicked his tongue. The children around him giggled.
No matter how much the First Prince, Leopold Deluah, favored a single commoner, he couldn't stop mockery at this light a level.
Especially since this class contained not only classmates but students from other years as well. They hadn't seen Leopold's favoritism toward Teron up close.
And every student of the Royal Academy disliked Teron Meyer. So sneering came easily.
The children cackled as they made Teron Meyer into a laughingstock. Leopold, who was in the same class, gradually turned cold in the face.
He glanced at Teron. There wasn't the slightest change in the expression of the boy, who wore his everyday clothes with his hair bound short with a cord. It was exactly the same as when he'd been absorbed in a book at the library.
His eyes, which seemed to gaze into empty space, were cold, giving no hint whatsoever of what he was thinking. The mouth that so frequently twisted when he looked at Leopold now hung naturally open.
What was he feeling right now? What was he thinking? Leopold couldn't tell. And that made him all the more curious.
Even knowing it wasn't the case, Leopold kept his eyes fixed on Teron, worried he might have been hurt.
The professor pressed on with his provocation.
“Teron Meyer, answer this. What was the purpose behind establishing the Elara Treaty? Explain the principles of the administrative structure that the treaty created. Now.”
“The Elara Treaty is an agreement the kingdom created to recognize the autonomy of noble territories while strengthening central control. The central Royal Council decides policy, and each territory enforces its own autonomous laws through a noble council, operating under a dual administrative system.”
For a moment the professor couldn't say a word, then knit his brows heavily in displeasure.
Teron Meyer, that crazy bastard... even with the professor staring straight at him, blinked slowly and gradually lowered his gaze.
What an incredible little bastard, Leopold thought, drawing a breath and swallowing his laughter. He watched blankly as Teron bit down hard on his lip.
Then, all at once, he realized something.
He's in bad shape.
Teron's face was pale. He was enduring pain.
It had been over half a year now that Leopold had watched him closely, trailing after him without flinching even at his verbal abuse.
Changes in Teron's expression were extremely hard to read, but he could at least tell the state of his body. He was sick. It was clearly the aftereffect of the teleportation magic.
The professor seemed even angrier at Teron's insolent attitude. He clicked his tongue and spat out his next question.
The first question he'd asked earlier was, at least, material the professor had explained before.
But...
“In that case... you can explain the issue of power distribution among the noble coalition raised in the amendment to Article 4 of the Elara Treaty.”
The amendment to Article 4 of the treaty had received final approval only a month ago. The bureaucrats took great interest in this treaty, which accelerated the kingdom's corruption. Though all they were really doing was picking at it so they could line their pockets further.
Leopold knew this because he was a prince. Since it wasn't even all that important a matter, only someone like the heir of a great lord would likely be aware of the amendment's final approval.
Teron was no great lord's heir; he was a commoner with no backing, nothing at all. In other words, the professor was simply picking a fight.
Teron Meyer slowly raised his eyes. He stared at the professor and his lips parted. Then, all of a sudden, he whipped his head around.
Their eyes met. Leopold sucked in a breath and slowly creased the corners of his eyes. It was an awkward smile.
Teron ignored Leopold completely. He turned his gaze back to the front, then quietly bowed his head and shut his mouth.
Seeing Teron unable to say anything, the professor sneered with practiced ease.
“What on earth have you done since enrolling at the Academy? Do you spend all your time coming up with excuses to shirk your assignments?”
“......”
“It seems you mistook this place for a boarding house. When someone shows you grace, you ought to think of repaying it, yet the sight of you deliberately choosing ingratitude is truly a spectacle.”
He'd been quiet for a while, and now here it was again. Leopold hadn't wanted it, but anger boiled up in him of its own accord.
Had holding back just because the man was a professor been the wrong choice? Did he intend to stop only after receiving his just deserts?
Teron Meyer, why were they so desperate to belittle and torment him?
He was by no means someone who deserved to be looked down on. Apart from their paltry bloodlines, what in the world did those people have that was better than Teron?
They fell short in ability and in intellect alike. Most of them weren't even decent swordsmen. On the strength of bloodline alone they received an education, and on the strength of bloodline alone they went through life commanding others.
Did this even make sense?
Really... did it make sense?
The blood rushed to his head, then went cold in an instant. Leopold couldn't stand it and moved to open his mouth.
In that moment, his eyes met Teron Meyer's for the second time. The ponytailed boy glared at Leopold with an unmistakably fierce look.
...What?
Stay put. Step in and I'll kill you.
The meaning in that gaze was clear.
He couldn't cross him. As unjust and infuriating as it all felt, to Teron this too would be nothing but dreadful meddling.
Leopold tapped the desk twice with his finger. He let out a sigh and stayed silent.
The professor poured out a few more taunts. The students sneered along each time. Then, before long, they lost interest. A peaceful stretch of time resumed.
When class ended, Leopold went straight over to Teron.
He dragged him off to an empty lounge and slammed the door shut.
“Copy this.”
He tossed a bundle of parchment onto the desk. Sheets densely covered in writing were mixed in with blank ones.
Teron looked at him and answered in a thorny tone.
“Copy what?”
“It's the assignment you absolutely have to turn in later in history class. I brought paper for you to write on, too. Just copy it here.”
“What is this now?”
“I don't want to watch you get picked on.”
Leopold pulled out a chair and sat down at the desk. He gestured for Teron to sit, but Teron wouldn't listen in the slightest.
He made a show of touching the parchment with his hand, and then, wouldn't you know it, he moved to open the door and walk right out.
“Where are you going? Stay put.”
“Stop doing useless things.”
“What's useless about it? Doesn't Professor Hawin find you especially hard to stomach?”
“What business is it of yours?”
I'm the one sponsoring you, and I'm the student council president of the Royal Academy. Therefore I have a duty to prevent the unfair discrimination directed at you.
That's what he would have said in the old days, but now, before he knew it, different words came out of him.
Absurdly enough, appeals to emotion worked remarkably well on the relentlessly rational Teron Meyer.
“Every time I watch the way that professor behaves toward you, my mood hits rock bottom. I never want to see a sight like that again. I want to step in myself and put a stop to it. But you won't let me.”
“...Don't worry about it.”
There, see. Didn't his tone soften?
