It had been a little over a month since Lizzy joined the Kavaliro of Glorious Camp Training. In the end, Prince Orangel decided to teach Lizzy how to fight using an axe, just as Milliane had suggested. The result? It exceeded everyone's expectations. Apparently, Lizzy truly had a talent for wielding heavy weapons.
After undergoing long training sessions with the best Axe Master in the Camp Training, Lizzy's movements when swinging the weapon gradually became more fluid. On top of that, Prince Orangel always held sparring matches with other members every day, allowing Lizzy's combat experience to grow even further. In a short amount of time, Lizzy became the most popular Trainee there — especially since she was the youngest among all the other Trainees.
"Hiyah!"
With agility, Lizzy swung her axe toward her opponent. Her movements were smooth, and each swing carried tremendous weight. Even a slight hit would easily slice a body apart, like cutting tofu.
Wung! Swish! Wham!
Lizzy's opponent was a second-rank lieutenant. He shuddered in fear when the axe stopped right beside his leg, nearly hitting him had he not dodged in time. Everyone watching burst into loud cheers, and the atmosphere in the Arena became extremely lively.
From one of the seats, Prince Orangel watched the training match with great enthusiasm. So far, Lizzy had always made him proud — never once embarrassing the Prince who had written her letter of recommendation. Although her academic scores were somewhat disappointing, in all other aspects Prince Orangel was very excited about Lizzy's future development.
"Your Highness, where exactly did you find that girl?" asked Brigadier General Harvin, who was sitting beside the Prince.
That question did not make Prince Orangel look away from the Arena at all. He continued to observe Lizzy's every movement without missing a single second. "Just a coincidence. She's a distant relative of someone I know," he replied casually.
Brigadier General Harvin seemed unwilling to disturb the Prince any longer. He focused on watching the match as well, occasionally praising Lizzy's combat techniques. She had only been trained for a short time, yet her abilities had already surpassed those of her seniors. Brigadier General Harvin truly could not comprehend it.
It did not take long for Lizzy to corner her opponent. The whistle signaling the end of the match sounded after her opponent collapsed onto the ground, trembling in fear. Meanwhile, thunderous applause filled the arena from the spectators' seats. Lizzy did not want to boast, but for the past month she had never lost a single sparring match against anyone.
Perhaps that was also why Prince Orangel waved and smiled at her casually, as if greeting a close friend. As soon as Lizzy exited the Arena, the young man immediately approached her with a bright expression. His white hair and eyes appeared dazzling in Lizzy's view. There was no denying that Prince Orangel possessed good vibes capable of turning a gloomy atmosphere bright in an instant. Lizzy, who had been in a bad mood due to hunger, now felt cheerful upon seeing Prince Orangel.
"Your Highness!" Lizzy politely bowed to the member of the royal family. After all, she was not yet ready to face the large guillotine blade standing in the back yard of the Temple.
"Miss Hawthorn, once again, you were amazing today. Inviting you to join the Camp Training was not a mistake," Prince Orangel praised her sincerely.
Lizzy smiled shyly. There were many people around, and they had become the center of attention. "You're exaggerating, Your Highness."
Prince Orangel laughed. "I'm serious. If this continues, you might graduate sooner than expected. After officially becoming a member of the Kavaliro Forces, how about joining the Elite Unit?"
For some reason, Lizzy laughed along — but once she realized what the Prince meant, her eyes widened completely. "W-what?! Do you mean the Gold-Armored Elite Unit?!" Lizzy exclaimed in shock.
"That's right! I might even appoint you as my personal guard," Prince Orangel added casually.
Lizzy could not believe what she had just heard. She had indeed planned to join the elite forces to gain access to the royal library, but she never imagined things would progress this easily. It felt like a dream.
"Your Highness, please don't give me hope," Lizzy said while shaking her head, trying to stay grounded. If she dreamed too high, the fall would be devastating.
Unfortunately, Prince Orangel looked serious about his words. "I already asked Her Majesty the Queen for permission to make you my personal guard. However, she said she wants to meet you first."
See? Just when Lizzy was lifted into the air, her wings were immediately broken.
Lizzy felt as if she lost her footing the moment she heard the word 'Queen.' How was this possible?! How could she become involved with the Queen — said to be a tyrant — in such a short time?! If Lizzy's identity were discovered by the Queen, she would be executed on the spot.
"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Your Highness." Lizzy finally found her voice after recovering from the shock. The image of the approaching angel of death sent chills down her spine.
"Why not? Among all the Kavaliro members here, you're the only one I trust the most. I can't entrust my safety to anyone else," Prince Orangel said earnestly.
Your trust is a burden, Your Highness, Lizzy cried inwardly, worrying about her future. "R-really? I thought there were many members here you could trust."
Prince Orangel shook his head firmly. "There's no one I trust more than Miss Hawthorn!" His words were undeniable.
Lizzy's shoulders slumped. She had no choice but to nod. "I-I will do my best, Your Highness."
"Are you openly cheating on me, Your Highness?" a familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind Lizzy.
Prince Orangel's white eyes sparkled brightly upon seeing the newcomer. His already radiant aura became even more dazzling, to the point that it hurt Lizzy's eyes. Naturally, Lizzy turned toward the source of the voice out of curiosity.
"Ceres!"
The name and voice were very familiar. When Lizzy looked, it was indeed the kind noblewoman who had escorted her to the Academy before — Lady Ceres Osborn. She had mentioned cheating — could it be that the two of them were dating? Lizzy guessed inwardly. Thinking so, she quickly bowed deeply and apologized.
"I sincerely apologize if my behavior toward His Highness caused a misunderstanding, my Lady. I am merely a new Trainee here."
A gentle yet elegant laugh echoed. Even so, Lizzy remained bent forward until she saw a pair of heels in front of her. "Haven't we already met? I was only joking earlier."
Ceres extended both hands and gently cupped Lizzy's face, lifting it so she would stop bowing. "We meet again, Lizzy."
If Lizzy were a man, she would have already fallen in love with Ceres. Even as a woman, Lizzy was always mesmerized by her beauty. Her gentleness and elegance truly captivated anyone.
"It's an honor to meet you again, my Lady," Lizzy replied politely.
Ceres frowned slightly. "Didn't we agree to be more casual? You can call me Ceres anywhere."
Lizzy shook her head. "I might lose my head if I do that to a noble, Lady Osborn."
Ceres seemed a little disappointed; her clear emerald eyes dimmed slightly. Still, she maintained her gentle smile. "Then when it's just the two of us, call me Ceres, alright?"
Lizzy was completely weak against anything cute, so she could only nod. "Alright, if that's your request."
Only then did Ceres smile happily — and unexpectedly pulled Lizzy into a tight hug. Everyone around them was instantly shocked, including Lizzy herself. Prince Orangel even widened his eyes, feeling sidelined as his role was taken over by Lizzy.
"I didn't know the two of you already knew each other," the Prince said in confusion, looking at the two women questioningly.
From within Ceres's embrace, Lizzy tried to respond, "I'm the one who's more surprised, Your Highness. Who would've thought you two were a couple?"
Prince Orangel's cheeks flushed as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, we've been engaged for ten years now," he admitted.
Lizzy was instantly stunned for the second time. "T-ten years?!" she repeated in disbelief.
With a soft chuckle, Ceres released the hug. "That's right. At the time, the Prince was eight years old, while I was eleven," she explained casually.
For some reason, Lizzy felt guilty for being told private royal family information that should have been confidential. However, she was more shocked to learn that Ceres was three years older than Prince Orangel. That meant the Lady was around the same age as Revanio? Lizzy wondered silently, remembering that Revanio was also in his early twenties.
"It's normal for nobles to be engaged since childhood. We need to build strong chemistry," Prince Orangel said after noticing the strange look on Lizzy's face.
In sixteen years of living, I've never even dated once. Yet they've been engaged since childhood. How ironic… Lizzy complained inwardly. "Is it really okay to tell something like that to an ordinary citizen like me?" Lizzy asked, still imagining the sharp guillotine blade.
Prince Orangel and Ceres smiled in unison. "It's fine, because Lizzy is our friend," Ceres answered sincerely. "I told you Miss Hawthorn is one of my trusted people," Prince Orangel added earnestly.
Lizzy smiled awkwardly, unsure how to react. Deep down, she felt happy to befriend kind nobles like the two of them. Yet at the same time, Lizzy felt uneasy about her true identity. Without realizing it, she began to imagine — if they were to learn who Lizzy really was, would they still care and trust her? Or would they treat her like the people on that planet who saw her as a cruel monster?
It wasn't good to think negatively, but Lizzy felt the latter was more likely. After all, the curse of the color black seemed deeply rooted in every citizen since birth, and it wasn't something that could be changed easily. Realizing this, Lizzy fell silent, lost in the many emotions swirling in her heart.
"Lizzy?" Ceres looked at her with concern when Lizzy didn't respond and instead stared blankly ahead.
"Sorry? Did you say something, my Lady?" Lizzy asked as she snapped out of her thoughts.
Ceres looked worried about Lizzy's condition, but since Lizzy appeared normal, she couldn't press further. Not wanting to be seen as overly protective, Ceres suppressed her concern and repeated her question. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Kavaliro Trainee?"
Hearing that, Lizzy instinctively glanced at Prince Orangel. Seeing him gently shake his head, Lizzy immediately understood that he didn't want her to tell Ceres about the incident at the Gardisto Department. Perhaps it was something he found embarrassing and didn't want Ceres to know.
"I only recently joined the Camp Training—maybe just a little over a month ago," Lizzy answered casually.
"I see." Ceres nodded in understanding before briefly glancing at Prince Orangel again. Then she looked back at Lizzy with curiosity. "How's the training? Has His Highness treated you well? I hope he hasn't chased anyone away again with overly strict training schedules."
Lizzy awkwardly shook her head. "No, my Lady. His Highness has trained me very well. I've learned many combat techniques from him, and he also introduced me to a skilled Axe Master," Lizzy answered honestly.
She didn't think Prince Orangel's training was strict enough to scare someone away — or perhaps Lizzy was simply already used to harsh training. She wasn't sure.
Ceres nodded again, casting a second glance at Prince Orangel, who wore an innocent expression as if under warning. When her emerald gaze returned to Lizzy, she smiled gently as usual.
"Would you like to come with me to the Celebration Festival next week?"
Lizzy's hazel eyes widened in excitement at the word 'festival.' She liked things like that. "Celebration Festival?"
"Next week marks the Anniversary of the Founding of the Kingdom of Glorious, which lasts for three days. On the first day, there will be a parade of the Royal Family and nobility along with cultural processions. On the second day, there will be a grand festival at the Central Square, and on the third day, there will be a Survive in the Wild event at the Royal Gladiator Arena," Prince Orangel explained in great detail.
Lizzy rounded her mouth in surprise upon hearing all of that. It sounded like a very grand event, especially since it lasted three days. Lizzy was very interested and excited — but once she realized many nobles would attend, she felt uneasy again.
"It seems I'll need to help Aunt Morgana watch the shop that day, so—"
"Miss Hawthorn, everyone gets a holiday during those three days. Besides, Morgana Calyx's magic-item shop usually closes whenever there's a major event like this, so you don't need to worry. I'm sure she'll allow you to go to the Festival—or perhaps I should invite Milliane and Captain Revanio as well so it'll be livelier?" Prince Orangel said enthusiastically, clearly the most excited about the event.
At that moment, both Lizzy and Ceres were equally surprised. Lizzy was surprised because she realized she no longer had any reason to refuse their invitation, while Ceres was surprised after hearing the three names Prince Orangel mentioned.
For a moment, Lizzy fell silent, considering the invitation from the two of them. At first, she had been wary of the Royal Family and the nobility, but since Prince Orangel said he would also invite Revanio, Lizzy thought it would be fine to go with them. After making up her mind, Lizzy nodded.
"Alright, let's go to the Festival together," she said, making Prince Orangel and Ceres smile happily.