Mabel and Arnos entered the cafeteria. Plenty of tables were already set with chairs. Names were written on the tables, indicating the seats were pre-assigned by teachers or staff.

Arnos, noticing that most of the seats near the cafeteria counter were already occupied, began searching for his assigned seat.

He found his name on a table in the corner near the entrance. Two other names were written there, but no chairs were present—only the names.

"They left, huh," Arnos thought. His eyes landed on another name on the table: Mabel Webbles.

“Looks like we’ve been assigned the same seat,” Mabel said warmly.

“It seems that way,” Arnos replied neutrally.

Both Arnos and Mabel made their way to the table and took their seats. Food was already laid out.

"At least they didn’t give us bad stuff," Arnos thought, glancing at his plate and quickly comparing it to the others.

Mabel, looking around, spotted Marcus sitting at a table with Emily.

Emily and Marcus had a table to themselves, much like Mabel and Arnos. The difference was that, while no one was assigned to sit with Marcus and Emily, the students who were assigned to Mabel and Arnos’s table decided to sit elsewhere.

Marcus and Emily had arrived early, and the assistant teacher at the entrance had directed them to sit at the front table.

“They went with a modest arrangement for the banquet,” Emily remarked, scanning the cafeteria. “I expected something better than this,” she sighed in disappointment.

As Marcus entered with her, he immediately noticed the tables were marked with the names of students. The arrangement seemed deliberate, starting with the royal knight’s daughter, followed by names from the Baron’s family, the Viscount’s family, and the Victoria household, in a clear hierarchical order. Although he didn’t say anything, Marcus quickly realized that the seating reflected the social rankings, even among the elite families present.

“Marcus, what are you thinking about?” Emily asked as she took her seat on the assigned table.

“Nothing in particular,” Marcus replied, taking his seat. “I just noticed the pre-assigned seating at this so-called banquet. It’s odd, don’t you think?” he said seriously.

“Maybe, but I think it’s better this way,” Emily replied.

“You do? And why is that?” Marcus asked, glancing at her.

“No particular reason. I’ve got you at my table, so it works for me. Besides, you know I don’t like talking to strangers. Now, about something more important…”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“We should probably leave early to check out Ares dorm,” Emily suggested, looking at Marcus.

“I see. That’s necessary. We need to find our dorm room number too,” Marcus agreed. He wondered aloud, “Does she know who else has been assigned to Ares?”

“Hey, Emily…”

“Yes?”

“Do you know who the other first-year assigned to Ares dorm is?” Marcus asked neutrally.

“I’m not sure, but I heard it’s some commoner. Probably a mistake,” Emily replied.

“Is that so? I think you’ve met him before.”

“I’ve met him?” Emily frowned, thoughtful. “Don’t tell me—it’s that guy.” She recalled the boy she had bumped into earlier that morning.

“Yup, it’s Arnos, our dormmate.” Marcus considered confronting her and continued in a stern voice, “Speaking of which, why did you cause that incident this morning?”

“He was being disruptive. I simply reminded him how lucky he is to be here. Nothing more,” Emily said curtly, her tone irritated.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “That was your way of reminding him? From what I heard, it seemed more like you were putting him in his place and pointing out his social standing.”

“I wasn’t wrong, though,” Emily responded without hesitation.

“And you decide people’s worth now? Are you God, Emily?”

“I didn’t say that,” she replied, her voice faltering.

“You should apologize to him when you get the chance. He’d forgive you—he told me that himself.”

“Did he ask you to make me apologize? He’s just leaching off you. That’s what people like him do,” Emily shot back loudly.

“That’s not language befitting someone of your rank, Emily. You’re a contender to inherit the kingdom. Need I remind you this kingdom is made up of commoners? These people are your subjects. Isn’t it your duty as a noble to care for them, as your father taught us when we were kids?”

Emily had no retort. She stared at her plate and mumbled, “I understand. I’ll apologize to him. I won’t say anything unnecessary again.”

“That would be the right thing to do,” Marcus said.

“I guess so,” Emily sighed. “But I’m not going to be friendly with him, and you can’t force me to be.”

“I wouldn’t dream of forcing you,” Marcus said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

He glanced at the food before him—pasta and steak. It wasn’t extravagant, but it wasn’t bad.

Certainly, it wasn’t to Emily’s liking. Marcus could guess it from her facial expressions.

Taking a bite of the steak, Marcus thought, "Not bad, but I’ve had better at home."

“It’s terrible,” Emily muttered, her voice low enough for only Marcus to hear.

“Is it? You’d better get used to it. Dorm food won’t be any better,” Marcus replied.

“I guess I will get used to it eventually.” Emily sighed, taking another bite. “It’s not that bad. I guess I can manage if this is the daily fare.”

“This is probably special banquet food. Everyday meals will be simpler,” Marcus said matter-of-factly.

“We could always ask one of our chefs to make food for us, couldn’t we?" Emily asked with a curious look.

“We can’t do that,” Marcus replied.

“We can’t bring our cook?” Emily asked dramatically.

“That’s because—” Marcus began, but Emily interrupted.

“I know the reasons, you don’t have to tell me. It’s probably because not everyone can have a personal cook, and if one person does, others might get jealous. That wouldn’t be good for an educational institute,” Emily said, offering a proud grin at her explanation.

Marcus slowly clapped his hands.

“That was impressive, even I didn’t know all that. Nice one, Emily. Well, Oliver will have to leave tomorrow too, because butlers aren’t allowed. He’s only allowed on the premises today.”

“You can’t be serious,” Emily said loudly.

“Quiet down, others might hear you,” Marcus said, glancing around at the curious looks they were getting from the people in the cafeteria.

“Huh, whatever,” Emily sighed. “I’m making some changes if I ascend to the throne, for sure.”

“To this school?” Marcus asked, smiling.

“Yeah, to this school,” Emily replied firmly.