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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: What Did You Mean Yesterday?
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"What did you mean by what you said yesterday?"
I don't remember much of the conversation that followed after I botched my opening line.
We both said something, but neither of us had the chance to react properly.
Fortunately, something new came up after the engagement ceremony, so we didn't have to face each other awkwardly.
"Young Master, a letter has arrived for you. It's an invitation."
"That seal... The Academy, huh. It arrived sooner than I expected."
"There's no way the imperial family wouldn't know that you've completed your coming-of-age ceremony."
Right. They wouldn't overlook the son of the Iron-Blooded Duke.
I skimmed the invitation Rita handed me.
The Academy.
An institution created by the imperial family for the children of noble houses who won't inherit their family titles.
Here, these noble youths hone their skills, find jobs through recommendations, and become workers for the empire—
That's the Academy's official founding principle.
In reality, though, it's a place to select hostages to strengthen imperial power and groom talents to serve as the imperial family's hands and feet.
But now that I knew which world I'd fallen into, it looked different to me.
'The setting is the Academy, huh.'
Yeah, there's no more convenient place for meeting all sorts of guys.
It was amusing now, worrying about whether I should hold a social gathering to round up the male leads.
This world pushes the story forward on its own, whether I want it to or not.
I have to keep that in mind if I want to survive.
'That doesn't mean I can just sit back and do nothing, though.'
I wrote a reply in elegant script, sealed it, and handed it to Rita.
"Is the thing I asked you to look into ready?"
"Yes, I've obtained the list of Academy enrollees."
With that, Rita handed me the list.
It briefly listed the names of the enrollees, their families, and any notable points.
I'd had this list prepared to scout out potential male lead candidates in advance—
But that wasn't actually a high priority.
As I thought right after learning the truth of this world, those kinds of people would stand out naturally anyway.
It doesn't hurt to know ahead of time, but there's no need to put in extra effort for it.
'Pouring effort into that could even backfire.'
Approaching them first with the name 'Dominica' attached would make most of them wary rather than welcoming.
No matter how sociable I am, that's a tough barrier to overcome.
The real reason I prepared this list was something far more important.
'Subordinates to protect my body... No, friends.'
My personal safety.
For my safety—which takes priority over everything in this world—I need friends to protect me.
If someone could read my mind, they might laugh in disbelief.
Like, "You're not heading to a battlefield; why worry about safety at the Academy?"
But that's just ignorance talking.
If they really thought about what it means for noble children from all over the empire to gather and live together in one place, they'd understand what I mean.
People from every corner of the nation, all kinds of folks crammed into one spot...
That's basically the army, right?
It's been twenty years since my reincarnation, but I still vividly remember.
That private first class who microwaved six eggs shells and all, causing a massive explosion!
Sergeant Joo who smuggled booze into the guard post, got caught by the battalion commander, and ended up doing the full-course punishment!
Gathering people from all over the country means running into folks who defy common sense.
Of course, equating Academy life to the military is a bit of a stretch.
The Academy is more like a university than the army, even if it draws people from across the nation.
Still, caution is needed.
The ones flocking to the Academy are noble brats who lived like princes and princesses in their territories.
A properly socialized noble might be fine, but some hick from a backwater fief is more likely to act out.
And then there are those lightning-fast plot developments unique to romance fantasy.
Female-oriented romance fantasies don't hold back on violent crimes.
The odds of me being targeted are low, but there's plenty of reason to guard against stray sparks.
'Gotta be careful. At least until the story ends.'
Safety first, above all.
I need to live like a last-year private who's cautious even of rolling leaves.
And one more thing.
'I need to build connections here too...'
Protecting my body from the story is the top priority right now, but I have to think beyond that.
Why does the Academy exist?
As I already explained, its true purpose is hostages and talent recruitment.
But its surface purpose is job placement for nobles without inheritance rights.
In other words, nobles without succession rights have to fend for their own livelihoods.
I won't end up penniless and cast out thanks to the Dominica family's prestige, but...
Still, I should line up a job.
You never know what the future holds.
And the best job available at the Academy is—
'Civil servant. Becoming a civil servant is the way to go.'
Civil servants get low pay and high stress in the modern world, but that's only there.
In this world, civil servants are court nobles.
Nobles who reside in the imperial palace instead of their territories, handling all sorts of duties.
For a noble without land to inherit, it's the ultimate promotion.
And to get into the imperial palace, connections are key!
I won't meet actual court nobles at the Academy, but building good relationships with their children will smooth the path to employment.
In that sense, the noteworthy people on the list are—
'Those from weak families but skilled in swordsmanship or magic.'
Or children of court barons.
And even better if they have leverage I can 'persuade' them with.
'Guys who are poor or love living extravagantly would be perfect.'
As the young master of a grand duchy, I have plenty of money to spare.
Deep bonds with cash might be hard, but—
It's perfect for forging ties that overcome my family's notoriety.
I scanned the list and memorized the names of promising candidates.
As I was outlining plans for my present and future like this, Rita gave me an additional report.
"And the family head has a message for you, Young Master."
"Father, for me?"
"'Go see the future of the empire,' he said."
I looked at Rita, wondering what that meant, but she didn't continue, so there must not have been more.
'Go see the future of the empire?'
What was that supposed to mean all of a sudden?
I picked up the list again and checked it over.
But even on a second look, there was no one on it who warranted talk of the 'future of the empire.'
Especially not someone the Iron-Blooded Duke would personally emphasize in a message to me.
As I tapped my fingers on the desk in thought, an idea flashed through my mind.
'No way—is the Crown Prince enrolling in disguise?'
No, that couldn't be.
It was my own thought, but it didn't make sense.
The Academy is for those with nothing to inherit.
Why would the Crown Prince, heir to the throne, come to a place like that?
Plus, from my research on the Academy, no imperial family member had ever enrolled since its founding.
Not even the Crown Prince, let alone anyone without throne succession rights.
So if the Crown Prince suddenly enrolled, it'd be unprecedented.
But for some reason, I had a strong premonition.
That the Iron-Blooded Duke's 'future of the empire' referred to the Crown Prince.
'Come to think of it, the Crown Prince rarely appears at official imperial events.'
The last time was probably his investiture as Crown Prince.
Enrolling at the Academy in disguise afterward was utterly incomprehensible—
'Ah, romance fantasy.'
...I got it.
In a romance fantasy, that makes perfect sense.
And it's too natural for a Crown Prince to be among the male leads.
Plus, thinking back, there was a power-wielding male lead type.
'Looking at the list, I'm the highest in rank.'
But as an evil extra, there's no one above me?
That can only mean one thing.
The Crown Prince really is enrolling in disguise.
I pressed my throbbing temples and thought.
'Now I've got another headache.'
The Crown Prince, of all people.
For someone aiming for a peaceful civil servant life, he's someone I absolutely must not stand out to.
If I get on his bad side, I'm done for; even currying favor won't help.
Because the Crown Prince is a prime male lead candidate.
In other words, he's a top contender to steal my fiancée away later.
'But hoping he doesn't notice me is a long shot.'
In this Academy, the most noteworthy person to the Crown Prince would probably be me, from the Dominica family.
He might even approach me first.
I swallowed a sigh and thought.
'Best to just play dumb.'
They deliberately left him off the list so he wouldn't be exposed.
So matching that by pretending not to know is the smart move.
If he finds out I figured it out, his already high guard will skyrocket.
It's not something I can handle on my own anyway, so let it slide.
'I think that's all I need to know.'
That wraps up my to-do list for now.
Next up is spending time with my fiancée, now that we've gotten past that awkward first meeting.
Yesterday, I got swept up in an unexpected situation and messed up, but I won't repeat the same mistake.
'This time, I'll build trust with a proper response.'
Buy trust and suppress hostility.
That's how I avoid getting tangled in the romance fantasy plot.
With that firm resolution, I went to meet Laura—
"What did you mean by what you said yesterday?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The words you said about my eyes—what did you mean by them?"
"..."
The moment we met, she grilled me about yesterday.
How the hell do I answer this?