The Lady Wants To Rest

I too gave my respects.

“It is an honor for me to meet the President. My name is Rubia d’Grandia la Roxanne.”

It truly was an honor for a mere entrant to meet the President of the continent’s best, Renault Academy, as soon as they finished their entry exam.

However, from the looks on our faces, it appeared that it was not I, but the President who felt honored.

I peered at his deeply moved face. It was a face that appeared to have met a once-in-a-millenia genius, so my face only grew gloomier and my heart heavier.

***

“I apologize for suddenly asking for your attendance. I’m sure you were very surprised.”

I felt the need to prevent his misunderstanding from growing any deeper.

“President, if you have called me here because I performed well on the exam, it is a misunderstanding. Though I have performed well on this exam, it was a result accompanied by luck, and it is hard to say my own abilities are that outstanding.”

“Luck, you say?”

I tried my best to appear sincere and honest.

“Yes, it is rather forward of me to say so, but there must be more than a few questions that I had answered correctly by coincidence. It is a score that came to be from a miraculous combination of coincidence and luck, and cannot be seen as my own abilities.”

The president looked at my eyes for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh.

“Oh my. It appears your Highness has misunderstood something. I am not struck with awe by merely your exam score. There is no reason for me to be at such awe because you had solved a few more problems.”

Grandfather President grew agitated as his voice grew louder.

“It is not only because of your exam score, but the answer your Highness had written on your answer sheet! Though they were short sentences, they clearly understood and looked through to the core of the issue at hand.”

“……”

“Amongst the answers you had submitted were even those which you had answered better than the professors of that specific field. It is an unimaginable and incredible occurence. I could not sit still after reading your answer sheet.”

He looked at me with a truly moved expression.

“To have such a talented student attend the Academy when I am in office! This is what I felt. Though there are only a few years till my retirement, it is my final wish as the Academy’s President to have your Highness’ talents bloom like flowers!”

“No… President, please do not work yourself up….”

“It’s alright. There is no need to feel burdened. Your Highness seems to not only have outstanding talent, but also a benevolent and humble character. It is truly incredible.”

No! That’s not true!

I barely tamped down my desire to shout my true feelings.

As I saw the Grandfather President grow excited like an adolescent boy, I hardened my resolve.

It wasn’t like me to drag my feet. Cutting the Gordian Knot. Let’s resolve this complicated problem now.

“I’ll reject it.”

“…What?”

At that moment, the president’s eyes froze. It was as if he had heard something impossible.

I said even more firmly.

“I would like to reject my acceptance.”

***

Deafening silence fell on the president’s office.

“D, did… I hear wrongly just now, Your Highness?”

Slight guilt welled up in me, but I stood firm.

‘Everything’s already been ruined. Let’s not waste any time and look for a different method.’

Of course, I held some affection towards Renault Academy due to my past.

However, I had come to leisurely eat and play, I hadn’t come to laboriously achieve something at the Academy.

‘It’s a shame, but I’ll have to find another way. What should I do?’

I held back a sigh.

I, who had lived for a thousand years, knew well. To eat and play was not entirely easy as it sounded.

Was there not a person in the world who disliked lazily eating and playing? However, there were few people in the world who had the capabilities to do so. It was just that hard.

‘It can’t be helped. Since the situation has come to a dead-end, I’ll have to find another method.’