The First Encounter Event

The morning after the graduation party, I woke up at the usual time. The maid assigned to me, Chiyo, greeted me cheerfully. She helped me get dressed before going downstairs for the family breakfast.

I stood in front of the dining room, staring nervously at the door. Chiyo and the servant manning the door peered at me in confusion, but I didn’t have the courage to enter. Today started just like any other day, to the point that I imagined I would see Miyuki seated on her usual position if I opened this door.

“Good morning, Akari. What’s wrong?”

A voice came from behind me.

“Ah, Onii-sama.” I turned around and faced my eldest brother, Himemiya Fuyuhiro.

He was a dashing young man, with the same blonde hair and blue eyes as Miyuki. As he was five years older than me, he’d already graduated from the academy and was currently working in the ministry. Fuyuhiro wasn’t present for last night’s party, however I had no doubt that he already heard all about it. After all, the person condemned was his own younger sister.

“Were you waiting for me?” Fuyuhiro asked as he gestured at the servant to open the door.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. I want to greet you before you go to work, since it’s been quite hard to see you lately.” I pretended to sulk as I followed behind him.

I automatically glanced at the chair Miyuki always sat on, but as expected, it was empty. My chest throbbed painfully and I quickly averted my gaze.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Did I make you lonely?” Fuyuhiro reached out and patted my head. “I’ll be taking some days off this week, so I can spend more time with you. Will it be enough to make you forgive me?”

“Really?!” I beamed at him. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it!”

As we sat down next to each other and chatted amicably, the door swung open once more, admitting the head of the house. Himemiya Tatsuo, the current duke of the Himemiya Ducal Family.

“Good morning, Otou-sama!” I greeted him with a bright smile.

“Good morning.” Fuyuhiro, ever so curt, only offered him a slight nod.

“Good morning, Akari, Fuyuhiro.” Tatsuo took his seat at the head of the table. “Akari, did you sleep well last night? The weather is getting colder now that it’s almost winter.”

My shoulder inevitably tensed when I thought he might question me about what happened at the party last night. “Y-Yes, of course. How about you, Otou-sama?”

“Good, good. I’ve only slept for a few hours, but it should be more than enough. You’ll be attending the academy as usual, right? It must be quite lonely for you now that His Highness has graduated, but make sure you study well.” Tatsuo smiled warmly at his daughter.

“O-Oh…yes, of course, Otou-sama. You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be fine.” I smiled back at him.

During the family breakfast and even during the short exchange before I went to the academy, no one said a word about Miyuki or the party last night. Everything went on as usual in the Himemiya household, even though one of the family members suddenly disappeared. On the carriage ride, I idly wondered if this was normal in the noble family.

Before being adopted into the Himemiya Family, I was just a normal commoner. I lived together with my mom in the village not far from the capital. I never knew who my father was, since my mom would always look so sad whenever I asked about him, so I learned not to ask anything I wasn’t supposed to. I thought I’d grow up just like this, find a stable job and a good man, then make a happy family of my own.

However, everything changed in the spring when I turned fifteen.

My magic power manifested, and I learned of my noble heritage.

In this kingdom, only nobilities could wield the power of magic. Those who showed potential in being a mage would be enrolled into the Royal Magic Academy when they turned fifteen years old. Anyone who hid their magically gifted child would be executed for treason, so my mom had no choice but to send a letter to my noble father, asking him to take care of me.

I was honestly startled when I learned that my father was one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. The Himemiya Ducal Family had existed alongside the royal family since the kingdom’s founding and boasted enough wealth and influence that everyone knew about them. Upon learning that I possessed magic power, my father adopted me into the family as his youngest daughter.

I had to separate from my mom, but she told me to do my best, since this was a chance for me to live a better life. On the day my father took me to his house, he told me that I had two other siblings—an older brother and an older sister. During the whole trip to my new house, I was constantly anxious. Would my siblings accept me, who’d been raised as a commoner my whole life? What if they hate and torment me? Can I still go back to my mom if they don’t like me?

When the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, I was so nervous that I felt like throwing up. But, her presence saved me.

I climbed down the carriage with the help of my father and looked at the enormous mansion looming before me. I gulped nervously and about to take my first step toward the grand entrance when someone darted out of the house and lunged at me.

“Hello! You must be Akari!”

That person grabbed both of my hands and beamed at me. I was taken aback by her sheer beauty. She had flowing, soft blonde hair that framed her perfectly sculpted face. Her sky-blue eyes, the same shade as mine, curved into crescents as she smiled warmly.

“My name is Miyuki, and from today onward, I’m your big sister! Nice to meet you, Akari!” She introduced herself in high spirits.

“I-It’s nice to meet you too…” Bolstered by her warmth, I found myself able to smile more naturally. “…Onee-sama.”

Creak!

With a loud sound, the carriage halted to a stop in front of the academy.

“Ojou-sama, we’ve arrived.” The driver’s voice brought me back from past memories.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.” I climbed down the carriage and walked into the academy building.

Even though everyone at home acted like nothing happened, the same thing couldn’t be said for people at the academy. Everywhere I went, all I heard was people whispering to each other, their curious glances stuck at me like filth that couldn’t be peeled off.

“Ugh…I should hurry up and get to my class.” I lowered my gaze and quickened my pace.

The students of Royal Magic Academy needed only two years to complete their study, then they could choose to continue their education in other specialized institutions or pursue a career right away. Now that the second years had graduated, only the first years were left in the academy. After the final exam in two more weeks, we’d have our spring break, and return as second year students in spring.

“Akari-sama, good morning!”

Someone suddenly tapped my shoulder.

I halted my steps and turned around warily. Just as I expected, several noble girls were surrounding me. They all wore amicable expressions, but after all the harassment I went through this year, I learned the hard way that nobles could commit the most atrocious act while still smiling prettily.

“Good morning…do you need something from me?” I asked, slowly inching backward.

They must’ve noticed my wariness, because one of them raised their hands as if to placate me.

“Ah…no, not exactly. Since we’re heading to the same class, do you mind walking with us? We never really had the chance to talk to each other, right?”

I stared at her suspiciously. These girls had never even acknowledged my presence from the beginning of the school year, just because I was an illegitimate child. Most of the other students also ignored me, while those who were my sister’s followers harassed me. It was suffice to say that I only had a few friends in the academy. But now their attitude changed drastically, most likely because Suoh-sama publicly showed his affection to me.

“I…”

I was racking my brain to find a plausible excuse when someone swooped in to save the day.

“Hiya, Akari! Good morning!”

Someone put their arm around me as they greeted me loudly.

“Ah, good morning, Daichi-sama.” I glanced at the young man who was grinning like a big dog.

“Daichi, stop running off like a dog, you idiot! And don’t put your arm around Akari—you’re going to break her!”

Following right behind him was Hijiri, who’d run out of breath after chasing the big dog—Daichi.

“Hijiri-sama, good morning.” I greeted him politely as Hijiri forcibly yanked Daichi’s arm off of me.

“Good morning, Akari. You should firmly reject him if he did this again to you. This idiot doesn’t know how to control his own power, so it’ll be bad if he hurts you.” Hijiri started nagging.

“Hey! At least I know enough to be careful around Akari! Why do you always treat me like an idiot—!”

I listened with a wry smile as those two bickered back and forth. They were always fighting even though they also went around together. Usually they would have Suoh-sama break them up, but since he already graduated…

“Stop it, you two.”

Yep, just like that—wait.

I quickly turned around, unable to believe my eyes. Suoh was standing there in his uniform, as if he’d never graduated.

I wasn’t the only one surprised—the girls who’d been approaching me also squealed in delight.

“S-Suoh…sama?” I timidly called out to him.

“Yes, what is it, Akari?” Suoh came to me and caressed my hair, showing a meltingly sweet smile that he reserved only for me. “Did you sleep well last night? Did you feel anything strange, especially your magic? I heard a great shock can affect your magic and make it go berserk, so I was worried, especially since you possessed the greatest amount of magic we’ve ever seen.”

I quickly shook my head. “I-I slept well last night, thank you for your concern. But why are you here, Suoh-sama? Didn’t you already graduate…?”

“Do you not want to see me, Akari?” Suoh’s gentle eyes drooped in sadness. “I came here because I missed you, but if you don’t want to see me…”

“No, that’s not true!” I quickly refuted him. “I-I missed you as well, Suoh-sama! It’s just…I’m worried that…you’ll get in trouble for coming here…”

Suoh burst into laughter. “Thanks for worrying about me, but no one dares to scold the crown prince. Well, no one except you, I suppose.” His laughter subsided as he narrowed his eyes in nostalgia, perhaps he was reminiscing about the first time we met.

*****

It happened right after the entrance ceremony. I was the rumored illegitimate child of the duke, and no other students wanted to get involved with me. As a result, I got lost while trying to navigate the academy’s vast grounds. I was half in tears after circling the same place for more than ten times when Suoh-sama found me. He treated me warmly just like any other person, and his kindness touched my heart.

I was so weary of other people’s cold treatment and adapting to a whole new environment that I inevitably burst into tears. Suoh-sama patiently stayed with me and comforted me until I stopped crying. He offered me his handkerchief, which was made out of the most expensive silk I’d ever seen.

“T-Thank you…and I’m sorry for taking your time.” I bowed to him at the time. “Ah…I haven’t asked for your name as well. My name is Akari—Himemiya Akari. You are…?”

Suoh snickered. “This is the first time I actually had to introduce myself. I am Kuzuryuu Suoh—the crown prince of this kingdom.”

I instantly blanched when I realized how big of a blunder I’ve committed. Only the royal family possessed his rare silver hair, yet I failed to realize it because I was so preoccupied with myself. “I-I’m very s-so-sorry, Your Highness—”

Suoh waved his hand dismissively. “No, there’s no need for you to be so formal. I like it better when you act casually with me. Now, dry your eyes and let’s go back to the class. I’m sure your teacher is looking for you.”

“I-If you say so…” I looked down at the handkerchief in my hand. “Um…I’ll make sure to wash it clean before returning it to you. I’m really sorry for the trouble.”

“You don’t have to return it.” Suoh said. “You can just throw it away after using it. I still have plenty of spares, so—”

“You can’t do that!” Before I realized it, the words already left my mouth.

I covered my mouth in panic, but Suoh had already heard my words. His face was frozen in shock. Thinking back, I should’ve stopped there, yet at the time, I simply decided that I couldn’t stand his wasteful habits.

“Do you know just how expensive this silk is?! If you sell this in town, you can feed a family of four for a few months! A few months, you know! And you’re telling me to just throw it away?! We commoners don’t pay taxes just for you to waste it away like this!”

I panted, out of breath after letting it all out. Suoh’s face was frozen stiff, a truly priceless expression. It must be his first time getting scolded by a girl, one who was a half-noble to boot. I quickly lowered my head, thinking that I’d be kicked out of the academy before I even get to pass my first day.

The next second, I heard a roar of laughter. And not just any ordinary laughter—it sounded like he was really, really tickled. I slowly looked up and saw Suoh laughing out loud, holding his sides as if it hurt from all the laughter. I bet if he weren’t a prince, he’d already be rolling on the ground.

“Haa…how refreshing. This is the first time I’ve been scolded like that by anyone.” Suoh flashed me a smile after he was done laughing. “Thank you, Akari.”

My eyes widened at the unexpected gratitude. Thrown into a strange world of nobles with their stiff rules and malice hidden behind their smiles, I never thought I’d find someone who needed me for being myself. It felt like I was acknowledged, and that was all that mattered. I didn’t need anyone else’s approval.

In the end, I burst into tears once again, and only managed to get to my class after the first period was over.

*****

“…Akari?”

“Y-Yes, Suoh-sama?” I snapped back to attention, only to find him glaring at the girls who’d approached me earlier.

“Who are they? Your friends?” Suoh asked, suspicion laced his voice.

“They’re…” I glanced at them.

The girls had gone pale and they shot me pleading looks. It made me realize if I said anything bad about them, I was sure Suoh-sama would thoroughly crush them, the same way he did to my sister. At that moment, I understood what it meant to wield power over someone else. It must be something that every noble was born with, and yet…

“They’re my classmates. They simply wanted to walk together to our class.” I answered honestly, and the girls’ expression turned into relief.

“Oh, is that so?” However, Suoh’s face remained cold. “Do they not know where their own classroom is after a whole year of enrolling?”

“Huh?” I was confused. “No, that’s—”

“P-Please forgive us, Your Highness! We remember the way! Please forgive us for intruding!” The girls bowed and apologized repeatedly before scurrying off like something had frightened them.

“Akari. Do you want to go with them?” Suoh turned to me, his golden eyes unreadable.

Chills ran down my spine for some reason, and I had a feeling that I had to choose my answer very, very carefully.

“…no, I want to stay with you a bit longer if you’re okay with it, Suoh-sama.” I tugged at his sleeve and smiled innocently.

Suoh’s golden eyes softened, and he returned to being the Suoh that I knew. He pulled me into his embrace, murmuring, “It makes me want to come here every day, just to see you again. Unfortunately, I only came today to clean up the Student Council’s office.”

I flailed in embarrassment. “U-Um, I didn’t really mean it that way! Suoh-sama, you shouldn’t get yourself into trouble!”

Suoh chuckled before he let me go. “You’re the one who shouldn’t get into trouble. You’ll be late to class at this rate.”

I gasped as I checked the time. “You’re right! I should leave now! Hijiri-sama, Daichi-sama, shall we go?”

I parted from Suoh while pulling the other two young men with me. We were in the same class, after all, and if I was going to get scolded by the teacher, I wanted to make sure they would get scolded, too.