Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Knock, knock.

Under the cloudy sky, cold raindrops began to fall.

“It’s still raining outside. Let’s take it slow; there’s no need to rush, right?” Lucas said, glancing at the dreary weather.

Rosen frowned slightly. “We only have two weeks left. There’s no point in wasting time here.”

“Come on, Rosen. Don’t be so uptight,” Lucas replied with his usual playful tone.

Rosen wasn’t swayed by Lucas’s casual attitude and responded firmly, “If that’s how you feel, why not ask President Cecilia? She’s the leader of this team after all.”

“Ah, but asking Cecilia is a bit…”

“Why? It’s easy for you to ask me, but hard to ask Cecilia? You’re not close enough with her?” Rosen teased, her tone sharp.

“Hey now, no need to put it that way. Sure, I *could* ask Cecilia, but I just feel more comfortable asking you, Rosen.”

[Isn’t that the same thing?] Airsya chimed in, her voice puzzled.

‘Yeah, it is,’ I thought.

[Is he an idiot?]

‘No, that’s just how he is.’

Rosen, uninterested in continuing the conversation, simply turned her head away, ignoring Lucas.

Meanwhile, not far behind us, I overheard another conversation.

“I swear, that’s not what this is about,” Elliot was saying.

“Are you sure about that?” Arian Marquis pressed, looking at him suspiciously.

“I’m just tagging along with Kamon for fun, nothing more. The Fren Guild is doing fine without me meddling in its affairs.”

“Hmph.”

Arian was grilling Elliot, clearly suspicious that his inclusion in the expedition might be related to similar ambitions for the Fren Guild’s interests.

Lois, standing beside Elliot, shook his head and chimed in, “Don’t worry, Arian. Elliot doesn’t get involved in guild matters. If it were Diana who came, then maybe you’d need to worry.”

“Hey, Lois, do you want to die?” Elliot snapped, his fists clenching.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Lois snickered, clearly enjoying riling him up.

Bren, trying to ease the tension, smiled at Arian. “Honestly, Elliot’s telling the truth. We’re just here for the trip with Kamon. No need to worry about guild business.”

At this, Arian finally seemed to back off, though she still looked somewhat doubtful.

‘She’s really putting in the effort,’ I thought, realizing Arian’s motivation to secure something valuable from this expedition for her family’s guild.

Just then, Cecilia called out from a short distance away.

“Kamon, we’re almost there.”

“Huh?”

“My house. The Romanoff Dukedom. We’ll be there soon.”

Indeed, the Romanoff Dukedom, one of the foremost regions in the empire, wasn’t far from Flance Imperial Academy. Despite only passing through a few towns and villages, we were already nearing our destination.

Rosen came up beside me, playfully tapping my shoulder. “Nervous?”

“Nervous? Why would I be?” I replied.

“Well, you’ll be meeting the Duke himself. Think that ‘daughter-obsessed’ man is going to leave you alone?”

“…”

Rosen’s grin widened, her words laced with implication. I shrugged, not committing to an answer. Based on what I knew of Cecilia’s behavior and the rumors about Duke Romanoff, it did seem likely that complications could arise.

‘This could be a headache…’

[Just claim her as your own, Kamon,] Airsya suggested gleefully.

‘Quit talking nonsense,’ I shot back, shaking my head at her usual antics.

I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Cecilia had feelings for me. Her appearance, personality, and behavior made her an attractive and charming young woman. Still…

“…”

From my perspective, though, the idea of pursuing a romantic relationship with one of the characters in this novel, especially as Kamon Vade, felt surreal.

‘I’m not Kamon Vade, I’m Kang Hyunsoo,’ I reminded myself.

“Alright, we’re almost there. Everyone get ready to enter,” Rosen called out to the group.

As everyone shifted their attention forward, we saw the sprawling plains spread out before us, with a massive city standing at its center.

Even from this distance, it was clear the city was bustling with activity, with streams of people constantly coming and going.

“How many gates and entryways does this place even have?” Lucas muttered in awe.

Cecilia smiled softly and answered, “Twenty-three. They were planning to add another one in the north, but I’m not sure if it’s finished yet.”

“Twenty-three gates?” Lucas exclaimed, eyes wide.

The city where Duke Romanoff resided, *Roxell*, was one of the three largest cities in the empire. It was centered around an enormous plain, producing enough food to feed half the continent each year.

The city, which had developed along the life-giving Ukrates River, was often referred to as the Empire’s breadbasket.

From the laborers and slaves working the fields to the bustling commercial districts feeding all those people, the sheer scale of the city left one speechless.

As we approached the city gates, a soldier standing guard recognized Cecilia at the front of our group.

“Lady Cecilia?” the soldier called out.

“Oh, it’s been a while,” Cecilia responded, waving at him with a smile.

“Look, it’s the Lady.”

“Lady Cecilia’s back.”

Whispers began to spread quickly, and before long, a crowd had started to gather around the city entrance.

“What…?” I muttered under my breath, taken aback by the sudden commotion.

Rosen, standing beside me, smirked. “It’s not just Duke Romanoff who dotes on Cecilia. She’s adored by everyone in the Romanoff family. Even regular citizens hold her in high regard.”

She turned to me and added, “That’s who’s sticking close to you, Kamon. Here, people would kill to protect her. You might want to watch your back.”

“Uh, what?” I asked, startled by her serious tone.

“Haha, I’m just joking. Or am I?” Rosen laughed, but her words felt less like a joke and more like a warning.

[The crowd’s getting bigger,] Airsya noted, and she was right. More and more people were swarming toward us, all eager to catch a glimpse of Cecilia.

***

“Phew, I almost got stuck there,” I sighed.

“Wow, our president is really popular around here,” Elliot remarked, his voice full of awe.

“Feels like her word could be law here,” added Lois, nodding in agreement.

Lucas chimed in, “Yeah, who knew she had this kind of pull?”

The three of them were buzzing with chatter about Cecilia’s influence, clearly impressed by the attention she garnered as we entered Romanoff’s inner castle. Thanks to the head of the guard, we had managed to avoid the chaos and made our way into the fortress.

The inner citadel, at the heart of the massive city, was as grand as you would expect for one of the empire’s Five Electors. It was the residence of none other than Duke Romanoff, one of the most powerful men in the continent.

After passing through layers of fortifications and the sharp gaze of countless guards, we were finally inside. But then…

“The Duke is currently in a private audience with a guest. The representatives from the academy will need to wait for a little while,” an elderly butler informed us.

“No problem, Uncle Sihen!” Cecilia replied brightly.

The old butler, Sihen, looked at her with the kind of fondness one might show to a beloved granddaughter. “You’re just the same as ever, Lady Cecilia.”

“No way, I’ve grown up a lot!” she said, beaming.

“Haha, is that so?”

Watching the exchange between them, the rest of us remained silent, unsure how to respond to their warm familiarity. It was clear that everyone here adored Cecilia, which only added to the sense of her immense status in this place.

At that moment, Rosen stepped forward and asked politely, “Sorry to bother you, but will the wait be long?”

The butler, Sihen, nodded thoughtfully. “It’s hard to say. The Duke is still in conversation with his guest, and I cannot predict when they’ll finish.”

Cecilia, unfazed, turned to us with a suggestion. “If it’s going to take a while, why don’t we go ahead and pick out our rooms? No need to stand around here waiting.”

However, Rosen quickly shook his head. “No, Cecilia.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“You may be home, but we’re here on academy business. It’s only proper that we greet the Duke first. It’s basic courtesy and protocol.”

“Oh, right! Thanks for the reminder, Rosen,” Cecilia said, her smile as innocent as ever.

As she smiled brightly, Rosen nodded in approval. The atmosphere felt warm and collegial… for most of us.

“Tch, so how long are we going to have to wait, exactly?” Lucas grumbled under his breath.

“Shh, quiet, Lucas,” Arian scolded, frowning at him.

“What? I’m just saying, it’s getting a little restless here.”

Arian’s face remained tense as she replied, “We’ll have to wait until the Duke is ready to see us. What else can we do?”

“Hmph, for once, I completely agree with Lucas,” said Elliot, who was sitting with Bren and Lois as they murmured among themselves.

Meanwhile, Chelsea remained silent, standing alone with her hand brushing her sword, lost in thought.

[Are we really just going to stand here waiting?] Airsya complained, spinning around in the air in frustration.

‘What does it matter? You don’t have to wait. Go look around or something.’

[Look around at what? These human-built castles are all the same. What’s there to see?]

‘Pretty sure I saw you gawking when we first came in.’

[That’s… different! I wasn’t *gawking*!] Airsya huffed.

As I quietly bantered with Airsya, the tension was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

Sihen’s brow furrowed as he looked toward the source of the noise. “It seems the Duke’s meeting has concluded.”

A servant rushed up to Sihen and whispered something in his ear. Sihen nodded once, then turned to us, gesturing with a respectful bow.

“This way, please.”

With the butler leading us, we followed him deeper into the fortress, heading toward Duke Romanoff’s office. As we approached, I noticed the massive door was still closed, but as if waiting for our arrival, it swung open just as we reached it.

*Creaaak!*

And then—

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” a familiar voice said, sounding far too familiar for comfort.

“Huh?”

“What the—?!”

“Why are *you* here?”

Cecilia, Rosen, and the rest of us stood frozen in shock as a figure stepped out of the Duke’s office—a figure we all recognized instantly.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Is it strange that I’m here?” said none other than **Diana Fren**.

Rosen was the first to regain her composure, her voice low as she asked, “Diana Fren, what are you doing here?”

Diana shrugged casually, as if her presence needed no explanation. “It’s not strange at all for someone from a merchant guild to meet with high-ranking nobles during the break, is it?”

“What?”

“I’m here for business, of course, Vice President Rosen.”

Without missing a beat, Diana’s sharp eyes swept over to me, and her tone shifted, cool and dismissive.

“There are some faces here I’d rather not see, so I think I’ll take my leave.”

Not waiting for a response, Diana turned and began to walk away, her attendants following behind. But before she could make her exit—

“Hey, Diana. Hold on a second.”

Elliot, who had been relaxed and joking until now, suddenly called out with a tone sharper than I’d ever heard from him.

However, Diana didn’t even pause. “No, I don’t feel like talking right now. Let’s catch up some other time, *dear brother*,” she replied, laughing softly to herself as she continued walking out.

Elliot clenched his fists tightly, his face dark with anger, but he stayed silent as Diana and her entourage disappeared into the hallway.

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