ONE

Rosalia, who came out of the bedroom, looked up at the sky. It was clear and dazzling weather without a single cloud.

However, to Rosalia’s eyes, it only looked like a sky full of dark clouds. She couldn’t enjoy the nice weather because she was uncomfortable.

There was only one reason. It was because she thought she would fail a course when she was about to graduate. That was also in the science of art that Rosalia always had confidence in.

How much is tuition for a semester…?

At the Royal Academy, she had to attend the entire semester to retake even one subject.

However, considering the letter she received from her mother some time ago, she couldn’t even dream of resuming the course.

Rosalia, the oldest of the five siblings, would either have to quickly get a job in a good place and earn money, or return to her hometown to care for her family.

The early death of Rosalia’s father had left Baroness Xane alone to care for her.

Baroness Xane was apparently a decent enough family to send Rosalia, the eldest daughter, to the Royal Academy in the capital, but in fact, she was barely making ends meet with the money she borrowed.

Rosalia, who described her situation, was sighing deeply and someone was shouting happily behind her.

"Lia! Let’s go together."

Looking back helplessly, she could see Sasha walking quietly, sucking on a lollipop.

Sasha spoke to her in a friendly manner.

"I guess you skipped breakfast this morning. I didn’t get to see you at the restaurant."

"Yes. I have no appetite."

Rosalia sometimes wondered how Sasha, a celebrity at the academy, was shyly close to Rosalia herself.

Sasha had been close friends with Rosalia since they stayed in a room next to the dorm when she entered the academy three years ago. There were seven girls sharing the same floor, and Sasha used to invite only Rosalia to her room.

Unlike Rosalia, who goes quietly to school as if she were there or not, Sasha was an attractive one who caught everyone’s eye. Sasha, who ties her red hair higher than the roses in midsummer, was very thin.

Of course, in Rosalia’s opinion, Sasha’s charm was more cheerful than her remarkable beauty.

Sasha was very relaxed and positive. She was often late for every class while she slept, and she didn’t mind at all obtaining a C on her grades because she hated the teacher while working late. Rather, when she saw that he gave her C’s, not F’s, the professor joked that he gave her very generous grades.

Anyway, troubled Rosalia and Sasha, who have opposite tendencies, cheerfully asked.

"More than that, Lia, it’s a good day. Why does it look like you’re going to die so early in the morning?"

Rosalia, who was walking with her eyes fixed on the ground, calmly replied.

"Of course, it’s because of the art."

Sasha, who knew that Rosalia had been distressed about art lectures all this semester, shrugged and advised pettily.

"Why are you so sure? You can work hard now. Is drawing a portrait a big deal? You can draw it all the rest of the time."

"Today’s class is the last one."

"Yeah. Draw it all this time. What’s the problem? You have enough skill, Lia."

Sasha’s overly positive attitude did not help Rosalia at all.

Sasha laughed and added.

"If you fail art studies and attend another semester, I’ll attend with you. So I won’t feel alone."

Rosalia thought to herself depressed.

This is Sasha’s friendship….

Anyway, her feeling of despair did not improve despite her friend’s kind words that she would attend the additional semester together.

From Rosalia’s point of view, she was definitely doomed.

How can I finish my partner’s portrait in such a short time when there’s only an hour left in art time?

It’s not over, but there was no dot on Rosalia’s drawing paper.

"Oh, really, this semester is ruined. Why did you partner with Prince Lucian?"

Feeling desperate, Rosalia ran her hand over her face.

"But in the eyes of others, you’re the lucky one, aren’t you? You can look at Prince Lucian’s face for so long."

Sasha’s calm tone lingered like a curse in Rosalia’s ear.

Prince Lucian.

Just thinking about it, she had bad luck and misfortune.

Why did she become Prince Lucian’s partner?

With “Prince Lucian,” who is called Honey by all the people?

It would have been better to be paired with Thomas Letoma, who constantly evaluates all the spirituality of the academy as ugly. Then drawing a portrait would not have been a problem at all.

Rosalia recalled without realization.

I didn’t even say I liked it…I just stood still.

The day three months ago was as clear as a nightmare in front of her eyes.

The classroom was noisy when the teacher told them to draw portraits of each other and they would be presented as final exams.

The students were busy looking for partners among themselves.

Rosalia only tried to accompany Judy, who sat next to her. Both were unpopular students with a shy personality who sat in the back row.

However, Prince Lucian, who was sitting by the window in the distance, suddenly approached Rosalia and suggested.

"Lia, partner with me."

Others marvel that he is wonderful, but with a sheepish grin up to his eyes.

It’s a combination of the Academy’s top celebrities and ordinary women.

The noisy art conference room was silent for a moment.

Prince Lucian said again as he closed his eyes affectionately.

"You agree to partner with me, don’t you?"

Rosalia’s fatal mistake was that she had been embarrassed by the many eyes that had been on her for a moment and nodded her head.

She should have refused then.

Prince Lucian, whether male or female, teacher or student, was the object of everyone’s envy. As a beloved Prince of the Kingdom of Bolten, he was a figure who would one day ascend to the throne when the time came.

A classmate with such high ranking royalty!

Rosalia was crazy when Prince Lucian painted her portrait for three weeks.

Rosalia was the child of a fallen noble. A family that could not enter the capital because they had no money and no power. A 19-year-old girl who could not even buy expensive dresses because four younger siblings were stuck one after another.

Still, Rosalia was able to attend the Royal Academy because the Baroness, who lost her husband earlier, invested a lot of money to raise her eldest daughter smartly with tears.

However, Rosalia was shy by nature, so she did not build good connections at the academy, where prominent aristocratic children of the Bolten kingdom gathered.

At the academy, which is famous not only for cultivating but also for secretly finding a future spouse, Rosalia built only small friendships with young children her age.

Anyway, what Rosalia thought was the reason Prince Lucian proposed a partner to the commoner was because of the law of the land.

As the saying goes, “If you stand still, you’ll be in the way,” but other babies follow Prince Lucian so intensely that the prince, who was tired of their support, praised Rosalia, who was not his fan.

Others may envy Rosalia, who became an art class partner with Prince Lucian with a sweet personality, but it was the worst test for Rosalia herself.

"What does it matter? It looks like I’m going to fail."

Rosalia calmly confessed.

"Sasha, you know my family is poor. If I don’t graduate this time, my family will be ruined. Not long ago, I received a letter from my mother. The whole family is desperately waiting for me to graduate safely."

"Well…"

Sasha, who had been thinking hard about the heavy subject, spoke up.

"Why don’t you find a man to marry instead of going home? If you bite a decent man and leave, your mother will be satisfied. Is graduation a big deal?"

"Sasha."

"Honestly, everyone goes to an academy for that purpose. Look at Prince Lucian. He can get expert education separately in the Royal family, but he doesn’t have to go back and forth to the academy for three years."

"It is not a situation where I can find my spouse comfortably with a Prince. I have to earn my academy diploma and somehow raise my family’s honor."

"Think about it. Why would you be in the academy of the capital city in such a situation? It is thanks to the mother’s desire to marry her only daughter as well as possible. Graduation is not the issue right now. You have to find a good marriage partner and enter debut at social circles."

Rosalia’s face became even more Parisian with Sasha’s appearance as if she was catching a cloud.

Somehow, Rosalia, who was beginning to feel nauseous, was dark in front of Rosalia’s eyes because of Sasha’s cheerful opinion that followed again.

"Well, Lia. I’ve been thinking…maybe, really, maybe Prince Lucian chose you as the future Princess."

She didn’t think a reasonable reason would come back even if she asked her why she thought that, but Rosalia asked out of politeness.

"Why?"

"Mmm."

Rosalia thought to herself.

"It’s okay. You don’t have a good reason, do you?"

Sasha, who was struggling, said as if passing lightly.

"No, wait and see. The Prince might propose to you. We’re supposed to be waiting for the graduation ceremony."

Rosalia was wise, so this time she didn’t ask, “Why?” She just nodded and carried her heavy feet into the art room.

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