Chapter 25

“Would you like to go back first? I need to write my punishment report.”

“Sure, Bri.”

When Briseyes spoke with a smile, Demian responded affectionately and caressed her cheek.

“I’d like to have dinner together later.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

“You must come back quickly. Mother will be returning this evening.”

“Yes.”

Briseyes now hated Demian, but she hated his mother even more. Abenr Di Mays, the matriarch, was someone who deeply loved her son. However, she was ill-tempered, hating her daughter-in-law because she loved her son.

Briseyes was completely fed up with her attempts to crush her spirit and control her.

“I’ll see you later then.”

“Yes, Demian.”

He looked at her as if reluctant to part, but soon turned around, took Delilah’s hand, and walked away.

“You should have an affair too, Bri.”

“Ronald?”

“Wouldn’t that be fair?”

Briseyes had occasionally conversed with Ronald, who ranked 15th overall. He was the eldest son of a Count’s family and had quite an aggressive personality.

“With whom?”

“Look around. If you said you wanted to have an affair, many men would line up.”

Ronald glanced away as if suggesting himself, then looked back at Briseyes.

“Who would do that with someone like me?”

When Briseyes gently declined, he exhaled and said:

“If someone like Demian can have an affair, who would refuse you if you wanted one? Even if you became a divorcee looking for a second husband, how many people would line up?”

After Ronald said this, Callisten grabbed his shoulder firmly and said with a smile:

“Right? I think so too, Ronald.”

“Ah, um, Your Highness…”

“Not ‘Your Highness,’ but Callisten. We’re all friends here.”

When Ronald nodded, Callisten raised one corner of his mouth and said:

“You have good eyes. Why would our Bri keep looking at a guy like that when she has nothing to envy?”

“Stop it, Cal.”

Despite Callisten’s words, Ronald smiled as if it was fine, and everyone pretended to pack up while listening to their conversation.

“Let’s go, Bri.”

Seeing that Briseyes looked troubled, both Saturn and Evusi urged her to hurry.

“Let’s go together.”

“I’ll come too.”

Callisten and Casius also ended up joining them.

“Bri!”

“Yes?”

“If you find the report difficult, let me know! I can help too!”

“Yes, thank you, Ronald.”

Ronald knew that Briseyes ranked 1st overall, but he still found himself saying that without thinking.

Callisten, who had been smiling at him, looked at him with a strange expression before following Briseyes.

On the way to the library, Briseyes casually said to Callisten:

“Don’t do unnecessary things.”

“What unnecessary things?”

“What else? If you had a conscience, wouldn’t you know?”

“Hmm.”

Callisten shrugged as if he had no idea and looked at Briseyes.

“I clearly warned you.”

At Briseyes’s words, he smiled as if he couldn’t help it and pressed his shoulder against hers. As he kept moving closer, she gradually moved sideways as if she didn’t want to touch him.

They were walking diagonally, making the path to the library increasingly longer.

After walking for quite some time, they arrived at the library and began searching for materials related to criminal law.

Briseyes selected books about records of confinement on Lesis Island, the history of the Lamerdin region, and rebellions caused by economic hardship, then brought them to her seat.

“What are you doing?”

Meanwhile, the books Callisten brought were…

“Oh, don’t worry about it.”

The books he brought were about divorce. Books about how nobles’ divorces proceed and even old newspapers.

“Callisten, why do you need those?”

“I’m trying to divorce my Emperor Father.”

He said this and completely blocked any further questions from Saturn and Evusi. Though he said that, Briseyes knew he was doing this because of her divorce.

“Your Highness, you should do that in secret.”

Casius smiled as if flustered, but Callisten raised one corner of his mouth as if he thought Casius was foolish and said:

“I am doing it secretly.”

Casius also selected books similar to Briseyes’s, while Saturn and Evusi initially chose the wrong direction but then selected similar books after seeing theirs.

“Since it’s a 20-page assignment, shall we divide the workload? I’ll create the table of contents.”

Briseyes spoke skillfully as she played with her fountain pen and began writing on blank paper. Callisten watched her write as if entranced.

“I’ve already prepared for this topic, so creating the table of contents isn’t difficult.”

Briseyes quickly created the table of contents and then divided it into five parts.

“Why are you doing so much?”

Callisten frowned when he saw that Briseyes had taken on too much work.

“We should all struggle together. Why should you struggle alone?”

“Why should we all struggle together? I should just take more…”

“Since we’re doing this together, I think it’s better if we all share the work equally.”

Casius also commented that Briseyes had taken on too much work. Yet she seemed accustomed to such situations, as if she was used to taking on the burden.

“That’s right, Bri.”

“We didn’t agree to work together for this reason. We wanted to work with you.”

Saturn and Evusi also agreed with this sentiment.

“How about dividing it like this?”

Callisten divided the table of contents into five equal parts.

“This way, you’ll work too hard, Cal.”

“I don’t mind working hard.”

“I agree with that.”

When Casius agreed with Callisten’s words, Callisten smiled and said he was indeed a loyal subject.

“I think that’s good too.”

“Let’s do it that way, Bri.”

Briseyes was relieved that her research portion had been reduced. Thanks to this, she thought she could study other subjects during that time.

“Shall we complete the research in three days?”

“Sounds good.”

With that, everyone began organizing their notes for their assigned portions.

Callisten didn’t even look at the books they had brought and only read the divorce litigation books he had brought, occasionally checking on Briseyes.

As if he looked at her whenever he got tired of reading.

When the study session ended and everyone was about to go their separate ways:

“Kaz, I’ll give you a ride.”

Briseyes knew that Casius walked rather than taking a carriage.

“The three of us will ride together then.”

“You should go separately.”

“Sir Casius.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“The three of us will ride. That’s an order.”

“Yes.”

As soon as they left the Academy, Callisten and Casius reverted to their ruler-subject relationship, causing Briseyes to glare at Callisten without realizing it.

“You look so pretty even when you glare, Bri.”

“Be quiet.”

“If I look at you quietly, you won’t know.”

He said this and tried to take Briseyes’s hand. She avoided his hand and got into the carriage first, with Callisten immediately following and sitting beside her. She considered moving to the opposite side but didn’t want to make a scene in front of Casius.

“From now on, Duke Rozefel will serve as my guard and accompany me home from school.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Briseyes frowned at Callisten’s words and said:

“Really? I wanted to go home with just you, what a shame.”

“I take back what I just said. Duke Rozefel, I’ll send you a carriage, so ride alone.”

“What? Ah, yes. Thank you, Your Highness.”

Briseyes sighed and looked out the window, feeling she wouldn’t be able to say what she wanted to Casius.

“What would you like to do after graduation, Bri?”

After the carriage had been quiet for quite some time, Casius broke the silence with a question.

“You can trust Duke Casius.”

Callisten said this when he saw her hesitation.

“I’m going to kill my father and become Emperor.”

After Callisten made his bombshell declaration first, everything became easier. He only maintained formalities in front of people he didn’t trust.

“Well, that’s surprising. New information.”

Casius chuckled at Briseyes’s sarcastic remark.

“I plan to take revenge on the relatives who ruined my family. And I’ll reclaim our family’s territory.”

“I see.”

Briseyes responded as if entranced by Casius’s words.

“I’m going to get divorced.”

“What? But today…”

“I did that on purpose today. I’m gathering evidence that Demian has taken a mistress. I need many testimonies from objective third parties.”

Casius opened his eyes wide at her words and said:

“Gael’s family is my family too. Gael once saved my life.”

Casius looked directly at Briseyes as he spoke.

“I’ll help with anything I can. So if you need my help, please tell me anytime.”

Briseyes smiled at Casius’s words. She felt confident that he would help her someday, even if she didn’t bring up the subject now.

As she looked at Casius with relief while speaking, Callisten noticed the strange atmosphere between them and said:

“When I become Emperor, Bri will be my Empress.”

It was like the instinctive wariness of a wild animal.

Casius already possessed the gentle and generous nature that Briseyes liked. Plus, he had trustworthy integrity and humility.