*Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh*

"HAAA!"

Vigorous slashes broke the air as the wooden blade hit the defenseless practice doll. And the practice doll was broken with the last strike.

Speak of anger as the wielder of the wooden sword tossed it on the ground and walked across the empty training grounds in silent rage. He wasn't taking things too well these past ten days and he was never someone patient enough to wait for results.

He walked to the nearby servant who held a basin of water for his master to wash his face off sweat but the moment this master saw his own image in the water, he just couldn't stop his hate from flowing outside. He violently washed his face with no grace whatsoever and grabbed the towel to dry it off before throwing it at the face of the servant. Witnessing all that, another servant in a black suit stepped up.

"Your Highness, Professor Henrich is here to see you." Said the Servant presenting the man who stood one step later to him.

"Your Highness, it pains this old man to see the bright star of our Kingdom in such distress." Professor Henrich came forward to the Prince who wasn't even looking.

"Any news?" The Prince asked.

"I am afraid that it is as if there isn't any news at all. The other side is completely forcing the matters to be only handled by them." The Professor said.

Infuriating as it was, the Prince turned around and showed his face to Professor Henrich who gasped and lowered his head.

"You do realize that when I said find Leon Dark, it wasn't an order you were meant to fail." Prince Edward said in a complete composure yet with a subtle, hidden, and negative emotion concealed in his words.

The Professor's face darkened even more as he saw the face of the Prince who had a dark bruise around his left eye.

"It seems that the Archduchess is planning on a field trip for the First Year to the Miasma Forest north of the city. We can use this time while the others are distracted and search for him thoroughly." The Professor said.

"Good." The Prince nodded, "This outrage of nobility from the east has to reach an end. That Leon did all the sinister things inside the academy and I let him off the hook with a beating but to hurt Lena and attempt to murder her… then kill all those innocent guards and my personal Knight? This can't be left unpunished."

"But Your Highness, there are a lot of consequences on handling this matter yourself. Please, let the Knights…"

"Enough!" Prince Edward lashed, "How am I supposed to be a King if I am not able to subdue the likes of Leon. And who said I am handling him? I will deliver him to the Royal Court unharmed to answer and be judged."

"A wise decision, Your Highness." Professor Henrich bowed his head while saying so.

As the bright-haired young Prince conversed with the wealthy looking Professor, three intruders walked in on them.

"Your Highness, Professor Henrich." A girl spoke as she approached the two.

"Nora." Prince Edward's face lit up as he saw the girl.

"Oh! If it is not Lady Nora! Hm… I'll be taking my leave then, Your Highness. Excuse me." The Professor bowed to the Prince and walked away.

"You are excused." The Prince saw the man off with cold eyes and gazed at Nora and the other two girls, "Diana and Lena came as well. How is your hand now, Lena?"

"Thank you for asking, my Prince. Lady Nora did a marvelous job with the treatment." Lena Hart spoke as she showed off her hand.

Lena managed to interrupt Leon during the escape right but she was overpowered into a bad position and faced mortal danger as Leon was really attempting to kill her. On the other hand, Lena was treated by the Prince really well after he dumped her all that time which was something she considered a blessing in disguise.

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"Hmph! To lose to Leon of all people, you really need to work on your skills, Miss Lena."

Yet the one who decided to ruin Lena's attempt was none other than Diana Dark. The sister of the most infamous Leon Dark. She was brown-haired green-eyed which was different from a typical Dark family member thanks to her mother's strong genes.

Back to the topic, Lena didn't seem to be taking this one very well causing her to lash right back at Diana.

"Well, it seems Lady Diana still insists on her opinion especially after what happened to your older brother, Young Lord Dean. Wasn't it that he was held a hostage by your Younger Brother and…"

"Half-brother!" Diana said right away as if calling Leon her brother felt like eating shit on an empty stomach.

Lena smiled as if this part was what she was aiming for.

"No matter! You have one very murderous half-brother, Lady Diana. If you may, don't blame us normal people when we face freaks no one can handle."

Lena's words indeed stung a bit on Diana's skin but she wouldn't be a member of the peak of the Noble Society if she can't deal with the likes of Lena.

"Look at us, arguing all these unpleasant things about your finger when his Highness was injured this morning." Diana left Lena in the dust and walked off to Prince Edward, "I hope to accompany Your Highness to treatment. Such a thing can't be let to leave a mark."

Diana's words were touching as the Prince didn't know how such a girl could be so charming and mature. In such situations, the Prince would lose his words and feel like it is hard to know what to say which may make things really awkward for him.

With his left hand, he reached into his pocket and as if this action calmed him down, the words came to him right away.

"If the lovely Lady Diana is so worried for me then I find it my duty to comply." He said and with his right hand, he held Diana's hand and let her touch his eye, "Or maybe Lady Diana can just heal me with her presence."

"I… I hope I know such a spell, Your Highness." Diana replied in a soft tone as she was nowhere as bold as before when the Prince took the initiative to flirt.

"I would request you to let me deal with this as your proud Prince, though. One minor hit shouldn't phase a warrior." He said.

"Indeed." Diana said bashfully and proceeded to the main topic, "There is a meeting right now in our class. The Professors will explain the details to the field trip we are heading out to in a few days."

"I will make sure to not miss it, my Lady. Please, save me a seat right next to you." He said.

"Right away."

Diana smiled widely and ran off to the Academy main building as Lena excused herself and followed dejectedly. The one who remained behind was Nora Frye, the girl who was at the center of the fight between Prince Edward and Leon Dark.

She was a girl with dark hair and clear blue eyes. Her skin was fair and her attitude was collected and serene. As she looked straight into the Prince's eyes with no hint of lying before his feet of throwing herself on him like the other girl, he sighed visibly and took his left hand out of his pocket.

"Can you… help me with this, please?" He pointed at his bruised black and blue right eye.

"By your order." She said and opened a waterskin that was hanged from her belt.

She slowly cast a water manipulation spell and the liquid flew off the waterskin then she walked closer to the Prince and guided the transparent sphere of water above his eye. She then cast her recovery spell and waited for a couple of minutes until the bruise on the eye was almost healed.

"This is the best I can do, Your Highness." She said, "Please, find someone adept into Light Magic to completely remove the pain."

Her attitude was cold at the moment but the Prince couldn't help but pass his right hand through her hair caressing her cheek in an act of addiction as he pushed her straight long hair behind her ear.

"You know I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He said, "I know it is sad for you to lose a friend that way but I promise you that he will not face injustice."

"It is alright, Your Highness." She said keeping her calm and natural face.

Seeing her like this, the Prince couldn't help but to try and poke the situation more trying to get her to talk.

"This bruise…" He pointed to the eye she just healed, "It wasn't from a fall as I claimed."

She looked at him as if she already knew it, making him feel more awkward.

"I just wanted to talk with my cousin, Alice. I thought that telling her that I would ensure justice would fix things but…" He laughed awkwardly, "She is a violent one."

Nora Frye took a deep breath in and nodded.

"Lady Alice has a lot to be angry for but I think taking it out on you, Your Highness, is crossing the line." Nora said sincerely.

"I know." He nodded, "If I want to be a good King, I must be able to endure my subjects and know when to put them in line. Sadly, my young cousin can be quite rebellious. My Father the King had experienced the same thing with my Aunt when they fought over the Throne thus it was bound that Alice and I would inherit some animosity. It just came unannounced."

He spoke in sadness as he wasn't trying to take out what he felt at all. He then laughed pleasantly.

"I still can't figure out why talking to you can be so easy?" He asked.

"I hope to remain of help to you, your Highness." She bowed and kept standing by him.

"Alright. Let's go catch that class, shall we?"

The Prince cheerfully shifted his mood to the better and invited Nora forward towards the Academy. As he wasn't looking, Nora looked at the left pocket of the Prince with estimating eyes.

She may sound like the calmest girl around the Prince but she is the one who knows his secret. She was there from when it all began after all.