All the new students were immediately directed to enter the empty auditorium, which contained no seating. They formed lines according to their assigned classes. Ard stood right behind Eva, who absolutely refused to let Ard move away from her.
Eva was standing in the very front line because she was scheduled to give the welcoming address as the top scorer in the entrance exam. Ard glanced at the back of his line; he saw an annoyed Alicia, Milia attempting to calm Alicia, and Claudia, in the seniors' line, still observing him.
The Academy Head's welcoming speech began. Ard, ignoring the speech, kept staring at the back of Eva's head.
"What exactly does this Princess want with me... she's so weird. Does she plan to kill me?" Ard muttered to himself while staring at the back of Eva's head.
"Tap... tap," Ard turned back. His eyes widened once more, and he genuinely tried not to scream and fall over in shock.
"Hello, my name is Beatrice Anastasia Rellios. What's your name?" she asked.
"Ard," Ard answered briefly. "Ugh... this time it's Princess Beatrice... the Princess I protected until I died in my sixth life when I was her knight... she's in Class S too, apparently... I know she's strong, but not as strong as Eva... maybe even weaker than Alicia," Ard muttered to himself.
"Which kingdom are you from? Why does your face look like Fredonia's Third Prince?" Beatrice whispered.
"Um... I'm from a village in the Holy Orthus Empire, yes, that's right," Ard whispered back.
"Hey, Beatrice, stop making noise."
Ard turned to see Eva looking back, staring at Beatrice, who returned her sharp gaze. The atmosphere around them grew tense as the two princesses stared at each other as if preparing to fight, with Ard trapped right in the middle.
"Oh man... you two will kill each other in the future, and I'm stuck between you, just like in my sixth life, but not now, please! And why is everyone showing up at the academy? First Alicia, Milia, Claudia, and now Beatrice. What in the world is going on... am I the weird one, not going to the academy for nine lives? What about my plan for a peaceful life until I'm old?" Ard muttered to himself, overcome with anxiety.
Suddenly, "slide," Eva grabbed Ard and switched positions with him, so now Ard was standing at the very front of the line. Naturally, the instructors and the Academy Head, who was giving the welcome, saw it, which made Ard even more nervous and unable to speak. Ard glanced back because the tension behind him was escalating: Eva, who had her back to the stage, and Beatrice continued to stare each other down.
"H-hey," Ard murmured.
Eva and Beatrice ignored Ard. Finally, Ard gathered his courage, pulled Eva's hand, and swapped their positions again. Of course, Eva and Beatrice were confused, and both stared sharply at Ard.
"Um... fighting isn't good. Peace is beautiful, my grandma always told me that, hahaha," Ard stammered randomly. "I don't know which grandma said that, but just don't kill each other here," Ard muttered to himself.
"Hmph," Eva turned back to the front, while Beatrice looked in another direction. Ard let out a sigh of relief, feeling a huge burden lifted from his shoulders. Soon after, the Academy Head invited Eva to give her speech. "Clutch," Eva suddenly gripped Ard's wrist and pulled him along with her onto the podium. Of course, Alicia, who was still furious, Milia, who was still trying to calm Alicia, Claudia, and definitely Princess Beatrice who had almost just attacked Eva were all shocked to see Ard being dragged up there.
"Huh... huh... what is this?" Ard muttered, being pulled by Eva.
"Be quiet and come with me," Eva snapped.
Before Ard could respond, he was already being pulled onto the podium. The entire auditorium fell silent because Princess Eva had brought a boy—no one knew who—up onto the stage. All eyes of the new students, from Class D to Class S, stared at Ard, who now stood next to Eva, feeling extremely nervous.
Eva immediately began her address as the representative of the Empire and the top student from yesterday's exams. Ard remained silent, looking down at his shoes, which might hold the answer to the question in his head: What is happening right now?
Ard briefly saw Alicia, who was so angry she was biting her lip, watching him stand next to Eva, and Milia staring intensely at him from the Class S line, Claudia stunned in the senior Class S line, and Princess Beatrice looking furious at Eva. Then he quickly glanced at Eva, who was speaking next to him.
"Ugh... why did this Princess have to drag me up here... what is her goal?" Ard muttered to himself, genuinely feeling uncomfortable.
After 12 minutes of torture on the podium, Eva finally ended her address. But then Eva sat down in the row of chairs on the podium and, naturally, pulled Ard along until the staff provided a chair next to her. Ard sat beside Eva with a stiff body. He was confused about where to look, and ultimately decided he was most interested in the wooden floor of the podium, which certainly wouldn't stare back at him.
"Tap," suddenly, Eva touched his trembling hand. Naturally, Ard quickly pulled his hand away in shock. Eva immediately turned, then looked down. Ard saw a brief hint of sadness on her face, though it quickly returned to being expressionless.
He once again turned to look at Alicia, who was glaring at him. "Haaah," he finally sighed and, "tap," he placed his hand on top of Eva's. Eva instantly looked up at Ard, who smiled at her. Eva immediately looked back forward, but this time her head was held high and she wasn't looking down anymore.
Ard felt a sharp gaze from across the podium. He quickly glanced to see Alicia, who looked disappointed and angry. Her face seemed to be emotionally asking, "Why are you holding her hand, my Prince?" Ard looked at Alicia and mouthed, "Sorry, this is for the greater good." Alicia seemed to understand, covered her mouth, and nodded slowly, but after that, she turned to look elsewhere, avoiding Ard's gaze.
"Huff... Alicia is calm again... wait a minute (glancing at Eva next to him). Could the tragedy that affects this Princess next to me, the tragedy that turns her into a vicious Queen in the future... because she doesn't have a boyfriend or because she ends up as an old maid? No way, right?" Ard questioned in his heart.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Eva asked in a whisper, having glanced back at Ard.
Ard immediately looked forward again. "It's nothing," Ard whispered back to Eva next to him.
"Hehe... you're funny," Eva replied, letting out a soft, whispered laugh.
Ard turned to look at Eva next to him, and for the first time, he saw Eva's face looking relaxed, laughing, and appearing like a normal girl her age. Ard realized that Eva actually looked beautiful when she smiled.
"Huh... she can make a face like that? I... I've never seen it before... even though I've known her for nine lifetimes," Ard muttered to himself.