0&1 Ch 21.5

“I’ll do my best so you don’t feel Mr. Dot’s absence.”

Since when did Alex start calling Dot ‘Dot’? Did they become friends while I was asleep?

“That’s impossible.”
“I’m sorry, but servants aren’t allowed in the academy. I guess I’ll just have to try harder.”

Alex spoke without malice, but Dot was hurt.

“The Academy’s rules are unfair! But please, I’m begging you.”
“Yes. I’ll start by practicing cutting apples into rabbit shapes.”

That’s not necessary…

Alex actually accepted the fruit knife like he meant it. The knife disappeared into his large hand, like a toy. Then he began peeling the apple with smooth, practiced movements. He was stripping the whole peel off, so how did he plan to turn it into a bunny? It was so strange that I couldn’t look away.

It’s not like I want a rabbit shape or anything.

No, it’s Dot and Alex who want to carve a rabbit shape in the first place, right? Why do I even care?

Anyway, Alex didn’t need to practice cutting fruit.

“No… I don’t need vitamins. I’ll exercise instead.”

“But you say that, and then all you ever do is breathing exercises!” Dot said. 

Alex, beside him, looked surprised. “Is that true?”

“Yes, it is!”
“What are you talking about? I ride horses regularly…”
“You do it for thirty minutes a week, Your Highness!”

“This is serious.”
“You might lose all your muscles!”
“This is terrible.”

I thought they were conspiring against me, but Alex’s face was serious. He was moving his head up and down, measuring my muscle mass.

Huh?

He seems serious.

But I didn’t hate exercise.

Joffrey had plenty of other things to do besides ruining his reputation. I just didn’t have time to exercise.

When Sir Baumkuchen’s lessons were canceled, exercise was removed from Joffrey’s schedule.

I thought it was admirable that I made time to practice horseback riding on my own. Even if it was just so I could escape when necessary.

“Your Highness, how long can you run for?” Alex asked.

“I don’t know. An hour, maybe.””
“Your Highness, may I touch your body?”
“What? No.”

But Alex approached me with a worried look on his face.

“Dot?” I called out to him, but Dot’s eyes lit up.

“Come to think of it, Sir Alex is a great knight, isn’t he? Could you help the Prince exercise?”
“Of course. Your Highness, excuse me for a moment.”

Alex grabbed my shoulder and rubbed my forearm. Then he put both arms under my armpits and touched my back and waist muscles.

What are you doing? Dot? Dot looked at Alex, slightly startled. Don’t watch, stop him!

“Ugh? Alex!”

It was more than I could bear, it was so ticklish. His large hands held me tight, and I couldn’t move.

Alex stepped back only after my face turned bright red.

What! Seriously!

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
“How is that possible? With you touching me like that!”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I haven’t trained enough to be able to tell just by looking,” Alex said apologetically.

What! Seriously?!

Something’s not right here.

I looked back at Dot. I wanted him to sympathize with me, but Dot just nodded in understanding and was asking Alex questions like a guardian who had accompanied me to the hospital.

“Is he okay? I told him to exercise, but he only goes for walks sometimes. I’m really worried.”
“He takes walks? That’s good. I think his muscle mass is normal for an adult male.”
“I see! That’s good to hear, Your Highness.”

Dot was delighted.

There was so much I wanted to say, but it had disappeared. I rubbed my waist and asked Dot, still feeling strange, “Were you that worried?”

“Yes. When you were young, you loved playing outside and spending time in the garden. But at some point, you only went out when you had to.” Dot sighed and said, “There’s nothing we can do. I’ll leave the Prince in your care, Sir Alex. You’re a professional. Please take good care of him.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

The strange meal ended on a warm note.

The next morning, Dot came out to see us off at the inn.

“This is a good luck charm for the exam, Your Highness.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“This tea will clear your head. Drink it if you get thirsty during the exam. And here’s some chocolate. You’ll need the calories if you’re thinking hard. And this is…”

Dot handed me various items, and finally gave me the pen that last year’s top-ranked student had used for the exam.

Where did he get this?

Thanks to him, if I fail, I can blame it entirely on myself. I took everything Dot had given me and entered the academy.

From early morning, the academy was shrouded in fog. Students were entering the strange building that looked like something out of a game.

Alex, who had a different exam subject, parted ways at the main gate.

“I’ll go straight to the study room after the exam. Your Highness, please wait for me.”
“Okay. Good luck on your exam.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure I pass,” Alex made a vow.

What will happen?

Will Alex pass? He was supposed to pass next year, so he might fail.

To be honest, that was part of the reason I brought Alex here.

It was almost impossible for him to fail based on his abilities. If he did fail, it would mean that Alex being a junior was a very important setting in the game.

Alex kept looking back as he walked to the practical exam room. I smiled and waved at him.

Unlike Alex, who was taking the practical exam, Joffrey had to take the written exam. It was an exam that tested his knowledge of history and writing skills.

The written exam room was a large lecture hall. I walked between the sparsely seated people and sat down at my assigned seat.

The sound of paper turning and the smell of ink. The tense atmosphere of quiet conversation was familiar.

It was a strange feeling. A very familiar and friendly feeling.

It was my first time at the academy, but the interior of the lecture hall was no different from a high school classroom.

The only differences were the high ceilings, the many pillars, and the large school grounds.

High schools don’t usually have lakes.

The genre of this game was a romance game plus a school story. The students were walking around in school uniforms.

My assigned seat was by the window at the back of the classroom, which reminded me of the past. I used to sit in a seat just like this.

Actually, I didn’t listen to the lecture and slept the whole time.

In front of me, Yoo Yeon-ho would sleep with his head on the desk.

As I was lost in memories, there was someone sleeping with their head on the desk in front of me.

Huh? Isn’t it the entrance exam today?

I tapped the chair in front of me.

“The exam has started. Wake up.”

Did they give up on the exam?

“Ugh…”

The person in front of me raised their head like a zombie. I looked back hesitantly. For some reason, I was looking forward to seeing Yoo Yeon-ho’s unmotivated, sleepy face.

“Oh, Your Highness? You’re here,” Lowell said with his eyes half closed. I couldn’t tell if he was closing them or if they were just open. Every time he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol hit my nose.

Disappointment drained away like an ebb tide, replaced by confusion.

Aren’t you the same age as me?

Isn’t your coming-of-age day next year?

This wasn’t just a matter of drinking wine with a meal. That wouldn’t have caused such a smell.

Lowell looked like he’d been drinking heavily. Did he go out like that yesterday and end up at a bar?

Wow. If this were real, that bar would be in big trouble.

“How much did you drink?”

“I don’t know.”

His face was haggard, as if he hadn’t slept or sobered up yet. His voice was hoarse. Anyone could see that he was in no condition to be there, and all the students’ attention was focused on Lowell.

“I’m sorry. Let me just sleep for a bit.” Lowell collapsed again.

I’m a little confused.

Of course, Yoo Yeon-ho isn’t here.

Lowell Montblanc, a playboy character who likes to have fun. I couldn’t quite grasp his personality, but it seemed like he was getting closer to the source material.

Lowell was dozing off like a madman, but got up again when the examiner arrived.

“The exam is three hours long. You may leave the room one hour after the exam starts. Please submit your exam papers here,” said the examiner.

Lowell’s back was visible. He was resting his chin on his elbows on the desk.

I couldn’t tell if his eyes were open. But as soon as the exam papers were distributed, he moved his arms and began writing his answers.

It was only natural. Lowell was in the same grade as Joffrey and the heroine. There was no way he would fail here.

But why did I think he would doze off?

Because it was something Yoo Yeon-ho often did?

Yoo Yeon-ho didn’t have light brown hair like that, and he didn’t drink alcohol before exams.

It was a strange thought. Everyone else was concentrating on the exam, but I was thinking about something else.

I had to focus.

It was no laughing matter if Joffrey failed the exam.

I read the first question. Like Duke Pie’s exam, it was an essay question.

Overall, it wasn’t very difficult, so I was able to answer everything I knew.

I read over what I had written and checked for consistency between paragraphs. There were no problems.

I won’t fail.

I put down my pen and looked around. Lowell yawned and stood up, so I got up with my answer sheet and followed him. But no one else stood up except Lowell.

Only a little over two hours had passed.

The other examinees were still working hard on their answer sheets.

The student sitting next to me glanced at me. It was the look of someone looking at someone who had given up on the exam.

… I won’t fail, right? Surely not?