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Chapter 7: Leo gets gossiped about.
In a certain room, during twilight.
Basked in the red evening light from the large window, a person was sitting on a large sofa, sipping black tea elegantly.
The red evening sun reflected against the golden colored hair, making it look almost statuesque.
The expression of the person clad in the light was different from what it was a while ago, when they were entertaining the freshman, it was now peaceful, yet cold. But yet, the manner in which they held their teacup was somehow rather feminine.
And then, the sound of a knock reverbed through the silent room.
「– I have just now returned.」
The smiling individual was the young man who was standing at the entrance to the tea party until now. With dark brown hair and grey pupils, it was an extremely common appearance in this country.
However,
「
 I have been waiting for you.」
He was supposed to be the real owner of the room but, he did a deep bow.
「It sure has been a while. Did you enjoy yourself? – Albert-sama.」
「Please just call me Al.」
Receiving the sarcastic comment, the young man simply shrugged his shoulders and calmly replied.
「While I was in this form, 」
He spoke as he moved across the room, loosening his outdoorsy boot straps and then sat down on the sofa with a ‘thud.’
Even as he casually crossed his legs, his rough actions somehow seemed to overflow with dignity.
「Well then, Al. Did you go down into the city again? Please get it together, can you stop such distasteful hobbies.」
「Is it really that distasteful?」
「Yes. Going around flashing a gold coin in the faces of poor people who are barely scraping by to watch their reaction. Other than distasteful what would you call it? 」
「You sure are harsh. I’m not just flashing it around, I’m giving it to people, if I feel like it anyway. – Ah, black tea for me too, 」
The young man lifted his hand but his request was not answered.
「Before that, please return me to my former appearance.」
The person who held Prince Albert’s appearance glared at the young man and requested.
「Oops, sorry my bad, Natalia. Disguise Cancel」
Once the young man spoke, light covered over the two people and in the next instant, the ones sitting on the sofa were different people altogether. In place of the young man was the blond and beautiful Prince Albert. And then, facing him – in place of the one who had the prince’s appearance until just now, was a girl with flaxen hair.
She was, Prince Albert’s cousin, Natalia von Klingbeil.
「Seriously, when you said it was work as the Student Council President, you didn’t tell me that I’d be forced to go to a tea party as you yourself.」
「Aw come on, don’t be so mad, my cousin. At any rate, I couldn’t possibly stand entertaining those little girls who buried themselves in make-up and perfume, nor the muscle-brained boys either as well.」
「I can’t stand them either! 」
Being flatly shot down, the prince just smiled and tried to dodge the topic.
「The goal of the Student Council hosted tea party was to survey the freshman. For that, I did properly do my duty. Before I went down into the city, I stood at the door as Al, and carefully observed each person. All 58 freshman, I figured out their name, face and roughly their personality.」
Natalia knew that this bold declaration was not just an exaggeration. Her cousin possessed pointlessly large amounts of intellect and talent – Enough to make everything in this world boring to him.
「
But, some of the people with large amounts of magic power were able to notice the magic of the disguise. A few people were saying my「body looked like it was glowing」. 」
What Albert used on his and Natalia’s bodies was a full body coating with magic, it was a technique in order to show other people a different appearance. Those without higher amounts of magical power than Albert won’t be able to see through it – meaning, there is no one in the whole Empire that is able to see through the disguise – but those with fairly high amounts of power themselves will be able to notice a glittering substance wrapped around the concealed body.
「It was about you. Of course, you took note of those 「few people」for me didn’t you? 」
「Well of course but
」
Natalia hesitated. Taking that as dissatisfaction, Albert decided to explain the reasoning behind his actions a little bit more.
「Won’t you take a look at this, Lia.」
What was a presented was, a worn out coin. The carefully crafted edges have been sawed down, as it hung on a leather string.
「That is
」
「That’s right. It’s my – no, the 「Gold Coin King’s」first gold coin. 」
Once Albert nodded in satisfaction, Natalia unconsciously moved her hand to her chest. Under the soothing dark green dress, was something given to her by Albert from a long time ago, it hung the same gold coin. It was the symbol of the oath and bonds that lay between Natalia and Albert.
The Gold Coin King.
That is, the second name that Albert decided to take on once he was enthroned.
For the Weiz Emperors and their sons, they inherited a certain treasure from one generation to the next. It was told to be hardened dragon’s blood, and it was golden. One day, a certain Emperor reached his hand over it and it turned into a golden chalice. Again, for a certain prince it turned into a golden spear, it guided their rule from there on.
「For the dragon’s gold that was given to me, once my hands touched it, at the same time it turned into a gold coin. It was the first time it’s ever happened. Chalice stands for good harvest, Spear stood for conquest, and so continued many other metaphors and symbols but, this is such a simple and frank blessing that was promised isn’t it.」
「Albert-sama
」
Natalia murmured while frowning.
Gold coin, it was a blessing that anyone would desire, for the prince who held such a blessing, Natalia knew that he would by no means have a calm and quiet life.
Gold meant riches, gold meant beauty, gold meant the truth.
Along with many other virtues that meant power and obedience, it was gold.
The prince that was promised with exceptional beauty and peerless fortune, many would try to curry favor, and many more would try to contend against him.
「Everyone kneels before me – no, they kneel before my gold coin. However, with their simple flowery words they offer, and their freely given loyalty, it’s all situated on top of thin ice, much like this blessing. It is a fragile existence, but I can’t simply ignore it. Isn’t that right, Natalia? 」
Natalia did not say anything. Once before there existed an infamous blessing that fascinated and attracted many people with even worst dispositions and natures than flora’s charming ability, it eventually led them to go insane. Natalia knew and understood such things.
「Even you, as the daughter of a duke, to get accustomed with poison you have to taste it didn’t you? It’s the same as that. I go down to the lower city, and burn the image of greedy men that covet money into my eyes and warn them about it. This is the true form the cheerful prince that entertains those innocently smiling and laugh ladies.」
「Well, I understand the feeling but, don’t
」
「It truly is a distasteful hobby.」
Albert continued while scratching his cheek.
「I get that. But that’s why I’m searching.」
「For the owner of this gold coin?」
「Mm. The first gold coin I ever gave away, you’re such a nostalgic coin, so innocent, yet seeped in greed.」
Just thinking of that person, the prince’s face began to soften.
「I told you the story right, Lia. About the only person that let their guard down against me and made me think it was a good idea to give it to them. In the midst of the sea of avaricious and repulsive eyes – Ah, of course you were different, generally speaking I don’t give coins to people I don’t like anyway – there was a young boy, who was pure as a baby and looked at the coin with innocent eyes.」
「Mhm. It was about the boy who didn’t know that you were Albert-sama in disguise and preached to you and sent you flying right? When you came back with a black eye and smile on your face, I totally thought you had become crazy.」
「Rude. – But, that’s right huh. I was crazy, crazy happy. To see such a refreshing and simple desire for the coin, I thought that maybe perhaps my gold coins weren’t all bad after all, it was enough to make me reconsider.」
Squinting his eyes, the words that came out had a happy tone to them. However, he then gave a slight sigh, and stared at the coin in his palm.
「And so, it’s been two years since I forced the coin onto that boy. It had been just a whim but I thought it would’ve been nice to form a bond with that boy but – two nights ago, the coin suddenly returned to be.」
「Returned? That is
」
「When I handed it over, it was bound to the new owner as their fortune, I created the gold coin after all. For it to come back to me like it was lost, must mean he’s either dead, or no longer has use for the gold coin and has come here, close to me – well, since he had no magic power at all, the latter is impossible.」
The latter was impossible, he said but he did not confirm it.
「I see
so you went to search for that boy? Did you find him? 」
「No
」
Albert sat up and poured his own tea, that motion was somewhat elegant as he took a big sip.
「I did not find him. As I feared, it might
」
He peered into the cup. A painful smile rose to his lips.
「Just like this, will all who comes close to me be lost when drawn to this repulsive gold coin.」
「Albert-sama!」
Natalia wanted to correct him, but Albert simply replies 「I already said you’re different didn’t I.」 However, his light attitude could not conceal the loneliness that was in his voice.
Natalia was flustered. Even while Albert was to be the one to carry on the current generation, he was also her precious cousin. She did not want the peerless king to mature all in his lonesome, but she couldn’t do anything but tearfully and clumsily try to comfort him.
For Natalia, Albert wasn’t just a member of the opposite sex that she was interested in, he was a younger brother that she wanted to protect. Just like this, he has confided in her many times before, as if it was a cry for help.
「Don’t say such things anymore. I have found it. Albert-sama’s bud of hope.」
「Bud of hope?」
「Mm. You are acquainted right? Leonora von Harkenberg
 The tragic Claudia-sama’s beautiful orphan.」
Albert swiftly raised his face.
「You’ve been thinking about her as well
? 」
「Mhm」
Natalia recalled the events from the tea party and begun to spoke.
「A little while ago, we were talking about how people who had high magical powers could see through the source of the disguise and it’s magical nature right? Amongst those people there was one – No rather, she was by far the most perceptive.」
「What do you mean?」
「It was while I was incognito as Albert-sama, and proceeding with the tea party. She – Leonora was staring at me with a strange look on her face the whole time. Then afterwards, as the prince when I went to greet all the students, she clearly told her servant 「It’s fake, there’s no need for introductions」 and then quickly left. 」
Albert softly repeated 「Fake
」
It was a habit when he was thinking about something.
「I see
 Then as I thought, during that time as well
」
「That time?」
Natalia asked in return.
「When Albert-sama was standing at the entrance gate?」
「Yeah. She gave me, who was dressed like a servant, an imperial grade curtsy. After that, when her panicking servant was questioning her, she retorted him. It was splendid.」
「That’s
 ! 」
Albert nodded.
「Seeing the pomegranate embroidery on my clothes, it seems that even the servant also noticed that I was someone of high-ranking. The pomegranate is the royal symbol, only those who are close with the imperial family would be allowed to wear it. After he became panicked and gave a deep bow, this time it was her that held him back. While saying ‘the pomegranate doesn’t wish for this’ as well.」
「You mean, she not only saw through Albert-sama’s disguise, but also showed forethought for your intentions as well
? 」
「Mm. Using 「Pomegranate」as a metaphor right. As far as freshmen are concerned, this year she’s 12 years old. It’s not something an ordinary, or as a matter of fact, someone raised in the lower city, can do.」
Natalia nodded in agreement with the look of admiration on her face.
「That’s true
 If I’m not mistaken, from when she entered the dorm she already had a lot of elegance and personality.」
She remembered when she was secretly watching the girl’s figure. It was as beautiful as the spirits, with a refined elegance untouched by man.
Natalia softly floated a smile and took Albert’s hand.
「Hey, Albert-sama. If it’s her she might be about to ignore the gold coin’s influence and continue on in a greedless manner.」
「



」
The prince did not say anything. However, since he didn’t refute it on the spot, Natalia thought that he held just a tiny thread of hope.
「The violet eyes of the Harkenberg can see through the truth — . Sure, someday, she’ll be able to find Albert-sama’s charm, not that of the gold coin, and protect it.」
After being passionately pleaded, before long Albert started to consider coming into contact with the girl for himself. Wondering how Natalia would think about that, Albert silently smiled.
「
That might be true. Thanks, Natalia.」
Finally seeing that her cousin’s expression has started to brighten, Natalia’s heart was lifted.
「Ah, however」
She suddenly remembered.
「Just like me, It seems that Bianca-sama also holds some interests towards that girl. She must be concerned about being called a fake as well while I was incognito.」
「Bianca is?」
「Mhm. Well, if I had to say it, it’s more concern about getting her beloved oniisama taken away from her. Thus, she’s keeping a lot of vigilance while around her
」
Albert murmur’s 「Well that’s troublesome」in a serious tone while shrugging his shoulders.
「It’d be nice if she doesn’t do anything impudent like mess with Miss Leonora but
」
「Yeah. Leonora is the Harkenberg family’s member, but she was from the lower city. Not a part of the high ranking aristocrats, and even the lower strata of citizens, she has a very delicate standpoint currently doesn’t she? 」
「Mm.」
His long white finger tips tapped on top the table. Albert utilized his superior intellect, and worked out how the situation will play out.
「Ever since the door was opened to ordinary citizens that had magical powers, the balance between them and the nobles have always been shaky. Especially since after the merchant family’s Oscar Bernstein had entered, the tension had further increased. If right now, Bianca were to drive Miss Leonora into a corner then — 」
「And if the Bernstein faction will supports Leonora, 」
「Mm. A war will start, in this academy.」
Both of their faces darken at the prospect of the worst possible outcome.
「That won’t happen, if I go and advise Bianca-sama.」
「Ah, Then me too, I’ll go as well.」
The two trusted people devised together a simple plan, to cross with Bianca in one of the upcoming days and inform her not to create a divide between the factions.
However.
Taking too lightly their own younger sister’s ability to take action was something the both of them would come to regret –.