"How about joining the Kavalíro Corps? I can write a recommendation letter for you—one that will get you straight into the Kavalíro Training Camp of Glorious."
Prince Orangel's declaration stole the breath from everyone in the room, especially Lizzy. Eh… why am I suddenly being recruited? she screamed inside her mind. She searched the prince's expression for a hint of playfulness or doubt — yet found none. His offer for her to join the Kavalíro Corps rang frighteningly sincere.
"The interrogation ends here. Thank you for coming and answering our questions truthfully." Revanio suddenly moved, his broad back blocking Lizzy's view of Orangel — as though determined to stop the conversation right there. Whatever his intention was, Lizzy couldn't tell, but he clearly didn't wish for that topic to continue.
Lizzy, still adrift in her thoughts, didn't realize she was being pulled out of the room by the shoulder length-haired young man. Seeing this, Prince Orangel grinned and hurried after them, with Baron Flitcher and Uncle Wyat trailing behind.
"Miss Hawtorn, please think carefully about my offer. With the talent you possess, graduating from the Training Camp would be effortless for you. You'd quickly become the youngest Kavalíro in the Kingdom of Glorious." Prince Orangel sounded almost earnest — struggling to match his steps with Lizzy, who was being dragged along by Revanio.
"This girl can't even control her own strength. How do you expect her to join the Kavalíro Corps?" Revanio retorted sharply.
Prince Orangel's grin only widened. "Precisely because she cannot control it. That is why she must join Training Camp—to learn how."
Lizzy instinctively glanced at the prince. And truthfully… she was tempted. The phrase learn to control your power echoed in her head. She didn't want to cause any more disasters — not like today, and not like that night. If she continued like this, it was only a matter of time before she committed another unforgivable mistake.
"I… I'll—"
Bump!
Lizzy's words died as she slammed into Revanio's back. The young man had suddenly stopped walking. For some reason, Revanio fixed Prince Orangel with a cold, razor-sharp glare — a silent warning.
"Your Highness," he growled, "you cannot teach a rhinoceros how to wield a weapon. It would be disastrous to let such a creature loose with blades in hand."
Baron Flitcher and Uncle Wyat, who had been listening in from behind, struggled desperately to hold back their laughter. Meanwhile Lizzy felt deeply insulted.
Did this man just compare her to a rhinoceros?
"What do you mean by that?! I am NOT a rhinoceros!" Lizzy barked, instantly grabbing Revanio's tied-back hair. To her credit, she had never trained with weapons — her martial arts background relied on raw power: punching from kickboxing, kicking from taekwondo.
"Why are you offended? You do have the strength of a rhinoceros!" Revanio snapped back, shocked by her sudden attack. Lizzy only tightened her hold, as if trying to rip his fiery hair straight from his scalp.
"Let go! At this rate, people really will think you're some violent beast!"
"I'm not letting go until you take back what you said!" Lizzy yelled, her temper igniting.
Rather than stop them, Prince Orangel burst into delighted laughter. "Splendid, young lady! This is the first time I've ever seen Captain Calyx brought to his knees like this! Hahaha!"
"Her strength truly is terrifying," Baron Flitcher added, now genuinely convinced that Lizzy had indeed punched Prince Orangel into the sky earlier.
Uncle Wyat looked entirely satisfied beside her. "I told you, didn't I?"
"If you don't want to be compared to a rhinoceros, then let go of my hair!" Revanio was truly struggling now; Lizzy's grip refused to budge. He knew the girl was strong, but how in the world was her strength surpassing his?
"Take back what you said!" Lizzy demanded, relentless.
"All right, all right! I won't compare you to a rhinoceros again!" Revanio finally surrendered. Lizzy's strength was terrifying — if she stayed stubborn for even a moment longer, he might very well lose all his hair.
"There you go!" Lizzy released her hold and stared at Revanio with a deadly seriousness. "You really shouldn't grow your hair long if you don't want me to yank it again," she warned.
A chill ran down Revanio's spine. Perhaps… after this, he should indeed ask Morgana to cut it short. Lizzy's power was absolutely beyond his expectations — no wonder she managed to stand against the Kavalíro Squad and Gardisto on her own.
"But Prince Orangel is right, Miss Hawtorn," Baron Flitcher added thoughtfully. "It would be better for you to learn proper control at the Training Camp. Unless," he paused, "Captain Calyx intends to teach you himself?"
Revanio shuddered again. Listening to Lizzy's chatter on a normal day was already enough to drain him — if he had to teach her, he'd lose his mind within a week.
He shook his head violently. "No, thank you. In that case, Your Highness, I gladly hand her over to you."
Prince Orangel's grin brightened. His eyes sparkled as though he'd been waiting ages for this moment. "Wonderful! I'll send the recommendation letter to the Calyx Residence tomorrow morning. Let's work together, Miss Hawtorn." He extended his hand toward her.
Lizzy's eyes widened before she clasped his hand with both of hers. "I'll do my best!" she declared, bending forward with earnest determination.
"Now that we've become acquainted," Orangel continued warmly, "how about I escort you home? That way, we can familiarize ourselves more." He gestured toward a royal carriage waiting outside — majestic, drawn by stallions adorned in golden armor.
"W–When did they get here?!" Lizzy gaped. The Royal Family is terrifying. How can they casually travel around in something this extravagant?! This is giving me goosebumps!
She glanced at Revanio, who seemed deep in thought. He did not stop her this time — but even so, Lizzy felt uneasy riding in such a grand procession. It felt… too much.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I must pick up my cousin from the Academy," she refused politely, bowing her head slightly.
At that, Revanio snapped toward her. "You haven't picked up Milliane?!"
Lizzy immediately felt the weight of his glare — a terrifying, bone-chilling glare. "I'll go now!" she yelped, sprinting away as fast as she could.
"Hey! Wait!" Revanio reached out, but Lizzy's figure had already shrunk into the distance.
He turned back and saluted Baron Flitcher. "Commander, I must go. I can't let that troublemaker cause another incident." And with that, he dashed after her.
"Huft… I forgot I promised to treat that girl," Uncle Wyat groaned, trudging away from the Gardisto Department.
Now only Prince Orangel and Baron Flitcher remained standing at the entrance, the royal carriage still waiting at the roadside. The Prince looked at the older man with curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
As though sensing the question forming, Baron Flitcher shrugged. "I only heard that Miss Hawtorn is a distant relative of Morgana Calyx from the Kingdom of Zarvan. Beyond that, I know nothing."
Prince Orangel nodded, his gaze shifting to where Lizzy and Revanio had long disappeared. "This will be interesting," he murmured, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
⊱⋅ ────◇✦◇──── ⋅⊰
Lizzy had no idea why Revanio insisted on following her. She mentally prepared to cover her ears in case he started scolding her again. She was too tired to run anymore, so she walked — leisurely this time — allowing Revanio to catch up naturally.
The two of them walked side by side. Lizzy kept her lips sealed the entire time. She knew that whatever she said would probably anger him.
"To be honest," Revanio finally said, breaking the silence, "I still think joining the Kavalíro Corps is a bad idea. That place is full of nobles. The moment they learn who you really are, you'll be arrested."
His words shattered the stillness around them.
Lizzy froze. Her body forgot how to walk, her foot caught mid–step, sending her stumbling forward. Thankfully, Revanio had quick reflexes; he grabbed the back of her gown to keep her from hitting the ground.
"Hey! Watch your step!"
The red-haired girl bowed her head, still leaning forward, supported by his grip. "There's no point worrying about nobles," she muttered.
"I'm already known by the Royal Family anyway. I probably got marked the moment I punched one of the princes."
Her bleak tone made Revanio confront reality. Without thinking, he released her gown.
Lizzy fell — straight forward — her lips landing squarely on the stone pavement.
"…Revanio, you bastard," she hissed weakly.
Instead of helping Lizzy up, Revanio only stared at her with a grave, unreadable expression. "You're right. Which is why you can't afford to be careless anymore. If he ever discovered your identity, forget being arrested—he would execute you on the spot. Foolish as he may look, he's still a general. Orangel Glorious, the man you just met, is the commander of the entire Kavalíro Corps."
Lizzy dusted off her gown, which was now coated in grit from her unfortunate fall. Her hazelnut eyes lifted toward the reddening sky, trying to recall the face of Orangel Glorious.
"Still… if no one had told me he was a prince, I never would've guessed it. He completely lacks that majestic aura the Royal Family usually has." It was precisely because of that that she immediately believed Uncle Wyat's claim that Prince Orangel was a shameless pervert.
"How should I put it…? He's not elegant or dignified at all," she muttered, glancing sideways at Revanio. The one who actually looks elegant and majestic is this shoulder length-haired grouch, she thought bitterly.
"Don't be like that," Revanio replied, unfazed. "He was spoiled since childhood. His parents gave him anything he asked for."
Oho? Lizzy's eyebrow arched with shameless curiosity. "You sound awfully close to him. What exactly is your relationship with that prince?" she asked as she followed him down the path.
Without looking back, Revanio answered, "Just childhood friends."
Lizzy couldn't tell if he was being truthful. His voice and expression were too difficult to read. And yet — maybe it was only her imagination — but she sensed a faint tremor in his tone… as if there was something he wasn't saying.
And whatever that was, Lizzy had no way of knowing. She barely understood Revanio as he was. But one thing she was certain of: Revanio and Prince Orangel must've been very, very close in the past.
The rest of the walk was silent, both lost in their own thoughts. But the moment they arrived at the Academy, Milliane was nowhere in sight. Lizzy and Revanio's faces turned pale at the same time.
"Eh? Where's Milliane?!" Cold sweat dripped down Lizzy's back. Tremors spread through her body as panic seized her mind.
What if Milliane was kidnapped?! Or fainted from exhaustion while waiting for me and got taken to a hospital?! Dark possibilities swarmed inside her head like spiraling storms.
Revanio ignored her spiraling panic and immediately scanned the surroundings, calling out sharply, "Milliane! Where are you?!"
"Brother! I'm here!"
They turned to find a cheerful little voice behind them. Milliane walked toward them, munching snacks beside a quiet boy with deep-blue hair. The boy smiled politely upon seeing her older siblings.
"MILLIANE! I'M SO SORRY! HUWAAAAA!" Lizzy rushed forward and hugged the girl tightly. Relief broke into soft sobs when she confirmed Milliane was safe.
"Are you all right, Milliane?" Revanio asked, joining them with a worried frown.
Milliane nodded happily in Lizzy's arms. "Lizzy, you were so late! Luckily Cossie stayed with me until you came," she said excitedly.
"Cossie?" Lizzy and Revanio turned to the quiet boy beside her.
Realizing he was being observed, the boy politely bowed. "My name is Constantine. I'm Milliane's classmate."
Unexpectedly, Lizzy's eyes sparkled. She gently released Milliane and studied the boy with delight. He may look cold, but he clearly cares about Milliane… What a good kid!
"Thank you so much for keeping her company, Constantine. As thanks, I'll treat you to some ice cream!"
But Constantine shook his head. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I have to go home soon."
Lizzy looked a little disappointed — she wanted to see more interaction between the two children. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
Constantine shook his head again. "My house is close by," he said, pointing toward a small turning path.
The red-haired girl followed the direction he pointed out — past the main road, up a short flight of steps leading to a raised residential area. Beside the turning stood a large, elegant mansion with iron gates.
Lizzy gulped. Don't tell me… another noble child?
"The residence of Viscount Norman Mimosa," Revanio muttered, then looked at Constantine. "Thank you for being friends with my sister."
Though Revanio's words were polite and warm, his eyes radiated something completely different — an unmistakable hostility. From Lizzy's perspective, he looked exactly like an overprotective older brother jealous of the boy befriending his little sister. Realizing this, Lizzy fought the urge to laugh.
Constantine bowed once more and waved at Milliane before leaving. "See you again," he said, polite to the very end.
"See you!" Milliane and Lizzy chimed together, waving with bright smiles.
"He's such a polite child," Lizzy said loudly — purposely so someone would hear. "And very considerate too, staying with Milliane the whole time. Completely different from those arrogant noble brats."
Revanio grumbled under his breath, clearly displeased. Lizzy hid a triumphant smirk.
"Cossie is very nice! He always helps me," Milliane chimed happily.
Fufufu… Lizzy felt delight bloom in her chest as Revanio's expression darkened even further. She rarely saw him look like this — so sulky and childish. It was honestly refreshing. But when she continued staring at him, he glared back with a strange look, and Lizzy quickly turned away.
Truly, the two of them would never get along.