Please Be Patient, Grand Duke

As Canillian and the principal entered the exam room, everyone came out of hiding and let out the breaths that they’d been holding, unable to hide their curiosity any longer. They whispered among themselves and commented harshly on his pretty face and petite frame, despite not knowing his age nor his origin.

Claude tucked his gloves in his back pocket and opened the lid of his canteen, choosing to ignore all the hushed gossip around him. He was calmly drinking his water when a group of students swarmed around him, led by Count Tholin. The group courteously stood behind the Count, not meeting his eye.

“This is the first time in four years that I am seeing him, and his face still makes me sick.” Tholin stared at the spot that Canillian had been standing in just a moment ago, and his expression soured just like his sour opinion. Claude just wiped his mouth and closed the lid of his canteen while Tholin continued to belittle Canillian. “It occurs to me every time. Who would have thought that was a man? As a man myself, he brings shame to us all.”

“Shame, you say. Has Canillian Vale done something to offend you?” Claude asked, raising an eyebrow.

“His entire existence is shameful. Anyone who sees him would think he is crude. I bet, without a doubt, he is an illegitimate child.” Tholin’s freckled nose wrinkled up in distaste.

Count Tholin had despised Canillian from the beginning, not just Canillian, but all males with handsome faces. He didn’t even try to hide it, and poor Canillian just happened to be his next target.

Tholin ground his teeth as he spoke further, “For the academy to take in someone like that… The Marquis must be shameless.” In an instant, the atmosphere became heavy.

Claude loosened his hand that was holding his horsewhip. How dare the Count belittle the Marquis who was on the same level as the Duke. “Count Tholin,” Claude’s voice warned him with forced kindness. Hearing his stern voice, Tholin relaxed his face and smiled sweetly, and he seemed slightly embarrassed, which Claude found rather irritating.

“My apologies. My words were a little brash.”

“Hmm… A little, you say? For something so little, you may find yourself without a tongue quite soon.”

“Excuse me?”

Claude bit into his lip so hard that he tasted blood, then he turned around and walked over to his horse to stroke its long mane in the hopes that that would calm his nerves down. The magnificent black horse, which had been gifted to him personally by the King, mischievously bumped its forehead into Claude’s shoulder in response. It usually had no reason to leave the paddock; had he ridden the horse all the way here? The people that were watching Claude grab the engraved leather reins could not hide their wonder at its beauty.

“If you are going to continue to run your tongue like that, try and keep it controlled. Canillian Vale is the son of the Marquis. A mere count like you trying to compare with the Marquis, who has the King’s favor? You are such a fool.”

“M, my Lord!” Tholin stuttered.

“Is your head full of the excretions of your livestock? If not, you would know not to disgrace the Marquis like that.”

Tholin couldn’t refute this, and his face glowed bright crimson as he bit his lip. Claude was right, the King’s affection for the Marquis was something that no one could deny. Not only that, the Lord’s mood was beyond low, and his words were sharp like a knife. In situations like these, it was best not to argue.

With his face still hot, he politely bowed his head, “It was my mistake. But with that kind of face, don’t you think he will become the target for sodomy?”

Claude halted his hand that was stroking his horse’s mane as the Count continued to test his nerves, unable to let go of his pride, “Did you just say ‘sodomy’?” Claude asked as he marched towards him. Just as Tholin’s curly hair bristled up, Claude grabbed his shoulder. “I will keep your concern in mind. The target for sodomy, you say?” His voice was as cold as the North Pole, “Such wild imagination.” The warmth in his whisper turned icy-cold as he stared towards the door of the exam room that Canillian had entered.

Canillian is taking his entrance exam. Aren’t you curious to know what grade and class he will select? Hmmm. Eddie seemed to have an eye out for her. I know him, right? Eddie Kirkham. Claude cursed to himself with a grave expression and pushed the door open. Once inside the room, Canillian sat down at a desk and saw that the teachers of the academy stood around the room.

Claude felt a burning sensation in his heart as the emerald-green eyes glanced around. Even in front of all these people, Canillian Vale didn’t show any signs of nervousness; there wasn’t a trace left of the old naïve Canillian.

As Claude made his way to his assigned seat, Prince Wade, who was sitting at the front of the room, smiled as he glanced around the room, “Now that everyone is here, let us start the exam. Principal.”

“My words came out harsh. I am concerned, as he is the adored younger brother of Lord Kieran. My apologies,” Tholin resigned with a weak smile.

Claude flipped back his hair that was drenched with sweat and turned around, taking a step toward him, and Tholin flinched at the sight of Claude getting closer to him. His smirk looked as if it was drawn on his face perfectly, and he walked with grace while the shadow of his whip hit his knee with each step; Tholin felt chills down his spine.

Lia was disappointed as they’d told her that only nobles could enter the academy so she was looking forward to it, but she must’ve judged the academy too highly. She looked at the exam paper in front of her and contemplated how she should react since the questions were things she had perfectly mastered two years ago.

She immediately wrote down the answers but then found herself facing a serious dilemma. They taught etiquette for high society, but why was learning about harvesting season considered unimportant?

And, they showed all the accomplishments of great artists and poets so why not the population of the country, or the state of its poverty? Was this what the academy had come to, not teaching about the basic concept of helping people? She didn’t want to doubt the academy, but there was nowhere on the paper that answered her question.

Mr. Theodore had once claimed that without the nation’s support the royal family would not have power. Although he did not support aristocracy, he did believe that “true royals” were those who guided the nation on the right path.

Lia, who had experienced both the life of poverty and the life of a royal, found Theodore’s words amusing when she’d asked what they taught at the academy. He had said, “They teach about the society. You will learn about the society where everyone gains as much as they work for and are not bound by their birth. To understand this, you must learn mathematics and literature.”

These words were difficult to comprehend, but something about them had sparked her curiosity. However, the feeling of displeasure grew as she continued to read through the paper. The questions were almost entirely about the elegance of the royal, the history of the empire, or the hierarchy of the royal families.

Lia calmly continued to write down her answers when suddenly, she had a realization of what they were testing her on. Canillian Vale had appeared out of nowhere and they wanted to know if he had the qualities to become a true royal. They were examining her to decide whether to be raised to the ranks of nobility!

As she filled in her answers, her mood dampened, and her expression became hard. If this was the kind of place the academy was, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be here. Jolted from her thoughts, the examiner rang the bell to signal that time was up, and she quickly placed a full stop on the last question. Then, several moans and sighs were heard in the hall, because the other students were still in the middle of checking their answers.

“You didn’t skim over the questions, did you?” Eddie asked as he grabbed the paper Lia was holding. Lia was not in the mood to smile, so she bowed her head and stood up.

“Wait here. The papers are marked immediately,” Eddie said firmly.

Lia nodded and sat back down to massage her sore neck. She’d sensed that someone had been staring at her for a while, and when she turned her head to see who it was, she saw Claude leaning on the windowsill with his arms folded across his chest. He was glaring at Eddie, and then he looked back at her, and the moment their eyes met, Lia attempted to smile, but it felt awkward. Claude then turned his head away, looking angry. What is his problem?

As Lia was thinking about Claude’s bizarre reaction, the teacher exclaimed in excitement, “You got full marks, Mr. Canillian Vale!”

Impressed by her achievement, the principal gave her a high five. “This is the first time since Kieran Vale. As expected, you can’t fool blood. Well done, Canillian.” Following this, the whole class erupted in applause, and Lia smiled as she got up from her seat.

Wade, who was sitting at the front, opened his eyes wide in surprise and laughed loudly, “That’s wonderful, Canillian. The rumors of your intelligence must be true.”

“I just have a good memory, I guess,” she replied shyly.

“That’s the hardest part. Anyway, since you received full marks, you can choose what grade and class you want to be in,” Wade announced.

The principal nodded his head after hearing what the prince had to say, and he stroked his short mustache as he said, “Normally, you would also be able to choose your dormitory, but you will not need to as you are residing outside of the campus. In my opinion, grade nine sounds good for you.” The principal then walked over to Lia, who was standing awkwardly, and he proudly patted her shoulder.

The teachers that stood around the room all clapped, and their eyes shone in anticipation as they awaited her decision. Whichever grade she selected was the grade that the Marquis would aid since he was supposed to be the Marquis’s precious second son, whom he adored so much. For this reason, all the teachers tidied up their appearance and tried to draw her attention.

“Do I have to decide right now?” Lia was caught off guard at the unexpected privilege and blinked her mesmerizing, large eyes.

The principal smiled warmly and shook his head, “No. Just tell us within the week. Admission is only next week anyway.”

“Oh, okay. Then I will send a letter within this week.” As Canillia delayed her decision, the teachers simultaneously relaxed their tense shoulders.

“Would you like a tour of the academy? Sir Eddie could take you.” A dark shadow fell over the principal while he looked around the room for the appropriate tour guide.

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Claude had suddenly appeared behind him and gave a polite smile, “I can do it.”

“You, Claude?”

“You know why. I have been waiting for Sir Canillian’s admission.” The principal shooed the dean away and shook his head. Grinning from ear to ear, Claude put his hand around Lia’s waist and said, “Let’s go.”

His voice was friendly, but the strength of his grasp was more than necessary, and it was as if he was dragging her forward while she tried to keep up with Claude’s pace. They walked past the wall with portraits of previous principals, then past the large wooden ten-seater table by the windowsill, as well as the old-fashioned sofa, while Claude’s legs continued to gain more speed.

With no care for the stares they were getting, he grabbed her hand tightly and said, “You can’t pick grade nine.”