Chapter 79
The principal of Serendia Academy had never felt his stomach knot so painfully.
The guest seated across from him was the man second only to the king in this country, Darius Knightley—though people called him Duke Clockford.
The influence of this country's most powerful man remained unchanged even within Serendia Academy.
Moreover, the duke's grandson, Felix Ark Ridill, the Second Prince of this country, was currently enrolled there.
If an intruder disguised as a teacher from another school had been present at the chess tournament overseen by the Second Prince, the academy could hardly avoid being criticized for inadequate security.
Fortunately, the intruder had been captured immediately, and the Second Prince had not suffered so much as a scratch, but the principal could not imagine Duke Clockford overlooking the matter.
The principal suppressed his trembling and stole nervous glances at Duke Clockford's expression.
The duke was just past sixty, and white strands had begun to show in his pale blond hair, but he did not give the impression of being old or worn-out. He had apparently captivated countless noblewomen with his beauty in his youth.
Even in old age, the sharpness of a blade that had never dulled lingered about him.
He was strict and ruthless. No court noble was unfamiliar with the extent of his formidable capabilities.
"I've heard the report."
The instant the duke opened his mouth, the air in the room seemed to grow abruptly heavy.
Feeling an invisible pressure on his back, the principal unconsciously tensed his stomach.
"The school festival?"
The principal answered the duke's terse question in a hurry.
"O-of course, with His Highness's safety our top priority, we will cancel it..."
"Proceed."
The principal could not defy that terse command.
Even questioning why was forbidden in the presence of this duke.
The principal knew that someone who had once questioned the duke's orders had been driven from the country.
"W-we'll hold it without fail after strengthening security!"
"Good."
Just as the duke nodded, a knock sounded on the door of the reception room.
"Come in." It was the duke, not the principal, who told the visitor to enter. That fact made it abundantly clear who ruled this room.
"Excuse me."
The person who opened the door and entered was the duke's grandson—the Second Prince of this country, Felix Ark Ridill.
He bowed to his grandfather with his usual gentle expression, touched by the slightest hint of apology.
"It's been a long time, Grandfather. I am terribly sorry for causing you such concern this time."
The duke asked his grandson, who was apologizing with such sincerity, in a quiet voice.
"Are you injured?"
"No. I found it reassuring that you came running here, Grandfather. Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule."
When Felix politely expressed his gratitude, the duke silently nodded in reply.
Though the exchange was curt, the principal quietly breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that the duke had rushed here precisely because he loved his grandson.
He had been terrified when the duke ordered him to force the school festival to go ahead, but surely that, too, was because His Grace had some plan in mind.
Ah, yes. Of course! His Grace must have been looking forward to seeing his dear grandson shine. That had to be why he had ordered the festival to proceed!
As the principal convinced himself of this, the duke glanced briefly at him.
"I wish to speak with Felix for a while."
Understanding the unspoken command to leave, the principal immediately rose to his feet.
Even if he was the principal of this academy, once Duke Clockford told him to leave the room, he had no choice but to obey.
Once the principal had left the room, Duke Clockford's composed features twisted ever so slightly.
With loathing—and revulsion.
"You disgraceful wretch."
Felix did not so much as change expression at the duke's low, contemptuous words.
However, the gentle expression had vanished from Felix's face, and his blue eyes, like glass marbles stripped of all light, reflected the duke with lifeless indifference.
He looked like the very image of a puppet.
"You neglected to remain vigilant against outsiders. That carelessness caused this incident."
"With all due respect, 'Minerva' and 'the Institute' have long been friendly schools of Serendia Academy. Excessive vigilance would have been discourteous."
"Don't talk back to me."
Brushing aside Felix's emotionless rebuttal with a single sentence, the duke said coldly,
"Make the school festival a success. You must. I have invited the lords to the festival. Show them Felix Ark Ridill's dignity—and, by extension, the authority of House Clockford."
The time to decide who would be the next king was drawing near. In the not-too-distant future, the king would name one of his three sons as his successor.
That was precisely why Felix had to make his presence known at this school festival.
Having understood the duke's intentions, Felix bowed slightly and said in a voice devoid of emotion,
"...As you command, Duke Clockford."
＊ ＊ ＊
After returning to his room, Felix went straight to the closet and pulled out a change of clothes.
They were neither the academy uniform nor the glittering attire befitting a Second Prince.
They were understated clothes for going out, in subdued colors, with all gaudy ornamentation removed.
When he removed the uniform jacket he had been wearing and draped it over the sofa, a white lizard slid smoothly out of its pocket. Once the lizard, Will, landed on the floor, he transformed into a young man dressed as an attendant.
"Your Highness, that outfit... surely you don't mean to..."
"I thought I'd take a break from everything for once... Is that all right?"
Felix gave the flustered Will a cheerful smile. Most people would have nodded without a second thought if he asked them with such a beautiful smile, but Will steeled himself and offered his advice.
"There are only two days until the school festival... aren't there? Considering what happened at the chess tournament the other day, you should refrain from going out at night until the festival is over..."
"This is only a prediction, but I think that if Duke Clockford succeeds in showcasing me at the school festival, he'll assign me some sort of role next."
"Diplomacy with another country, slaying a dragon, or perhaps announcing an engagement."
Felix predicted that, once he had used the school festival to showcase himself to the lords, the duke would take some action to create an even grander talking point.
"I have almost no free time left... You'll lend me your strength, won't you, Wildiane?"
Will gazed at Felix with a grave expression and gave a small nod.
The next instant, Will's figure blurred and melted away as though dissolving into water. When the distortion regained its shape, the person standing there was no longer a young man in an attendant's uniform, but a man with exactly the same appearance as Felix.
This was Will's greatest specialty: illusion magic. As a high-ranking water spirit, Will was not skilled at combat or sensing, but when it came to illusion magic, no one could match him. That was why he was so useful as Felix's double whenever Felix slipped out of his room.
Will now had Felix's hair, eyes, and skin, and every one of his delicate, beautiful features was perfectly identical to Felix's.
The only difference was his somewhat sorrowful expression.
Felix quietly addressed his double.
"This will surely be my last chance to take a breather."
Will said nothing. He merely wore a sad expression.
Seeing his own face looking sadly back at him was a strange sight, and Felix spoke with a wry smile.
"Of course, I won't ever lose sight of my most important goal."
Felix closed his pale eyelids, then slowly opened them.
Beneath his long golden lashes, his beautiful eyes, blue tinged with the slightest hint of green, glowed eerily, a dark flame of resolve burning in their depths.
"'Felix Ark Ridill—I'll do anything to etch this name into history'... That vow has never wavered, not once, in ten years. Once this final respite is over, I'll become anything—even the duke's puppet or dog."