The Reincarnated Young Lady Will Finally Grasp Happiness This Time! - Episode 4

The next morning, I headed to the academy with my brother and our guard, Lloyd. My brother walked me to my classroom.

“Lia, see you later. Lloyd, take care of her.”

“Understood.”

As my brother left, excited voices from the girls in my class filled the air.

Yesterday, we didn’t have assigned seats, but today, each desk had a name tag.

It looks like Mr. Mark arranged the seating based on yesterday’s evaluations.

My seat was at the very back on the right side, with Lloyd standing behind me.

I glanced at Marina Lastor, the girl I was curious about. She was sitting at the front left.

That meant we wouldn’t have much contact. I sighed in relief.

Classes went smoothly. Since the lessons were the same as before, it felt more like a review, making it easy for me.

Many classmates were people I had known since childhood, so I wasn’t nervous.

I hadn’t spoken to the girls sitting next to me—Viscountess Iris Fixer and Countess Lara Khan—but I gathered my courage and introduced myself.

They both smiled and responded warmly. I had a feeling we would become friends! My academy life was off to a great start.

After class, my brother came to pick me up.

“Lia, how was your class?”

“Everyone seemed kind, and I even made some friends!”

As I cheerfully shared my day, we were about to get into the carriage when—
“Are you Lady Lia, Dirk’s little sister?”

I turned around. Standing there was Prince Ryan, the third prince, along with his guards.

Oh no…

Meeting a prince in a place like this? Even my brother looked a bit tense.

I held back the urge to hide behind him and bowed politely.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Ryan, the shining star of our kingdom.”

Prince Ryan casually waved his hand.

“No need for formalities. So, you’re Lady Lia?”

“Yes, I am Lia Notes, daughter of the Marquis of Notes. My brother always speaks highly of you.”

“I finally get to meet you. Dirk keeps bragging about you but never introduces you. Hmm, now I see why he’s been keeping you hidden.”

Keeping me hidden?

I didn’t quite understand, but Prince Ryan smirked as if he found my confusion amusing.

My brother immediately stepped in front of me protectively.

“Your Highness, is there a reason for this sudden visit?”

“Not really. I just wanted to see Dirk’s precious little sister. I heard you can use light magic, and that intrigued me.”

So, he came out of curiosity…

“Well, now that I’ve seen you, that’s enough for today. See you around, Lady Lia.”

Prince Ryan turned and walked away, leaving my brother standing there with a clearly annoyed expression.

I had a bad feeling about this.

A Sudden Invitation

Half a month passed since that unexpected encounter, and my academy life was peaceful.

I had made friends and almost forgotten about Prince Ryan—until the morning when his servant arrived at my class.

“Lady Lia Notes, Prince Ryan wishes to have lunch with you today. We will come to escort you during lunch break.”

“Huh?! But I already made plans with my friends…”

“We apologize, but please reschedule with your friends.”

“…Understood.”

Ugh, this is a headache…

Maybe I could bring my friends along?

As I was trying to think of a way to escape, I felt a sharp gaze.

Turning around, I saw Marina staring at me intensely.

Did I do something to upset her?

Oh… right. Marina, the Duke’s daughter, was a candidate to become the prince’s bride.

Judging by her glare, she definitely wasn’t happy about this.

I really don’t want to get caught up in any noblewomen’s feuds…

While I was still searching for an excuse, the lunch bell rang.

“Lady Lia Notes, we have come to escort you.”

As soon as the bell rang, the prince’s servant arrived.

My friends waved at me with smiles, saying, “Have fun!”

I’m so nervous…

A Tense Lunch

I was escorted to a special room beside the student council office, reserved for royalty.

“Sorry for the wait.”

As I stepped inside, I saw my brother sitting on a sofa across from Prince Ryan.

The room was different from regular classrooms—luxurious furniture, elegant embroidery on the sofas.

“Prince Ryan, it’s been a while.”

While his servants prepared lunch, Prince Ryan smiled at me, but my brother’s expression was anything but pleasant.

“So, what is it that you need from me today, Your Highness?”

“Need? No reason. I just wanted to have a meal with you. Now, sit.”

Reluctantly, I took a seat next to my brother and started eating, but I was too nervous to enjoy the food.

“Do you have someone you like, Lady Lia?”

“Someone I like? Well, I love my brother more than anyone in the world.”

I smiled at my brother as I spoke. He instantly brightened up.

“No, not Dirk. You don’t have a fiancé, right? What kind of person would you like to marry?”

He’s really pressing me on this…

“Hmm… I’d want to be with someone who loves me and only me. Someone I can support and be supported by, no matter what happens. I wouldn’t want to share the person I love with anyone else…

“Thinking about it, royal brides must have a big heart. After all, they must accept concubines. I don’t think I could handle that. I’d probably be consumed by jealousy and choose death.”

I made it sound like an innocent thought, but my brother must have been nervous, afraid I’d say something reckless.

Hinting at despair due to light magic seemed like a good way to make him lose interest.

“Royalty must have concubines, but being a royal bride would also mean protection. Wouldn’t that be a way to ensure your safety?”

“If it were me… I’d join the church. Rather than burn with jealousy and resign myself to despair, I’d dedicate my life to healing people.”

I smiled, reinforcing my point.

“Besides, I can use both light and water magic. I’m considering becoming a royal court mage.”

The royal court mage position is extremely difficult to obtain, but if I got it, I’d be stationed at the palace, busy enough to avoid distractions. Plus, court mages are free to remain unmarried.

“Having Lady Lia as my bride would make life interesting.”

“Oh, Your Highness, you do love your jokes. There are many excellent candidates suited to be your queen.”

“Indeed,” my brother added. “Throwing Lia into a competition with those ambitious noble ladies would be cruel. It’s better for her to work alongside me as a court mage.”

We both nodded in agreement, pretending not to understand any talk of marriage.

“I see… I’ll think about it. You’re beautiful and can use light magic—perfect for my bride.”

I somehow managed to get through this ordeal.

After lunch, I returned to class completely drained.

Seeing my tired expression, Iris and Lara asked if I was okay.

We chatted until the lesson started, and that simple conversation helped me recover.

Marina was still glaring at me, but I decided to ignore it.

I had no intention of getting involved with her.