*IN HEIDI'S JOURNAL*
"The fourth princess, Leonora Von Vermillion, 15 years old. Her reputation of the most beautiful girl in the Western Continent has earned her the moniker, "The Pink Lotus of Vermillion." She is humble and kind to everyone who crosses her path and never boasts about her appearance."
*END OF PAGE*
"Well... as the axiom goes, one must never believe what they read... as I have discovered that Princess Leonora is the Everest-Proud princess..." Heidi thought as she examined Leonora's face. Leonora looked at the Professor and yelled, "Stop staring at me! If there's something you want to say, then speak your mind. Now, I've allowed you into my bedroom, but that doesn't mean that I have accepted you as my imperial mentor." Heidi nodded as a sign of approval and understanding the princess's point.
"The purpose of this interview is to assess the princess's natural temperament, and the secondary goal is to measure her academic level by a simple competency test. I doubt she would obey me if I directly ask her, maybe I should start to get to know her a little better by chatting for some time." Heidi thought as she continued staring at Leonora's face. She took a deep breath and spoke, "Princess, since my arrival, it seems that you found me unpleasant, correct?" Leonora replied in arrogance, " Obviously! I already told you that I hate teachers!" Professor Heidi asked, "But is that your only reason?" Leonora got aggravated, and she screamed while slamming her hands on the table, "Shut up! I thought that I hated carrots and green bell peppers the most! But I was wrong! Because guess what I hate more than that! IMPERIAL MENTORS!!!!"
"Suddenly, I have been reduced to the same level as vegetables." Heidi thought as she heard Leonora screaming. Heidi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Princess, you dislike carrots and bell peppers?" Leonora covered her mouth as Heidi asked that question, showing her embarrassment. "Yes, very much," Leonora answered in a soft tone. Heidi responded, "I suppose that is quite juvenile, yes?" Leonora boasted in confidence, disagreeing with Professor Heidi's statement by saying, "What?! I am 15 years old! I'm a magnificent adult! When I can't eat dinner, or I am in trouble, I'm patient until the evening to eat sachertorte, a dessert that tempts me tremendously! See? I am mature!" "Yes, my princess that is mature." Heidi said but completed the rest of the sentence in her mind, "--for a child."
Heidi continued, "You like cake, will you please tell me why you dislike teachers?" Leonora answered angrily, "Hmph. I don't deal with peasants, ma'am!Besides, you won't even understand!" Professor Heidi said, "Princess if I don't know the reason, then I cannot perform better. As a mentor, I believe that I want to build trust between me and y--" Leonora interrupted by saying, "I'd be a fool to trust someone like you!"
As the wind blew into the room through the open window, Leonora took a deep breath and decided to tell Heidi about why she felt hatred towards all imperial mentors. She spoke, "You want the truth? No teacher has genuinely given me attention, every single one of them has been pre-occupied with my mother's mood. They don't really care about how the student fares, or how we might feel. They just want to impress the Queen by saying complicated words and will not try to make me understand their teachings." Heidi thought, "I see. The princess has complex emotions because of her royal station." However, Leonora added on, "But most of all, I hate studying. Teachers make me study so; therefore, they are my mortal enemy!" Heidi cleared the misconception by thinking, "Strike that; the emotions aren't complex at all." Heidi inquired, "Whenever you're given a lesson, how do you usually respond?" Leonora answered, "I run away from all the lessons. Sometimes I sprint as fast as I can; whereas the other times, I flee on horseback."
Leonora walked over to her cabinet that was filled with shiny golden trophies. She boasted, "These are the trophies I received for my athletic prowess. So tell me, are you intimidated by my talents?" Heidi replied without any expression, "Yes, your highness. I'm trembling on the inside."
The Professor thought, "How will I convince her? Without question, if I ask her to take the test, she will run away." Leonora looked at the Professor and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Professor Heidi replied, "Nothing. It's just... I have a little test that I'd like you to take--" Before she could complete her sentence, Leonora sprinted away with the blink of an eye. But before Leonora could get her hands on the doorknob, Heidi came running and blocked her exit. Leonora was shocked, and she screamed, "Huh?! You can keep up with my sprint?! Not bad, Professor! Not bad!" Heidi tried to console her by saying, "Don't worry, it only consists problems on basic mathematics, comprehension, history, and geography. As long as you do it with sincere effort, you'll be fine." Leonora shrieked at the top of her voice, "NO! I WON'T! I cannot believe you tried that! You mentors think that you're so smart! But you all stupid mentors are all the same!" Heidi responded, "Now, you needn't throw a temper, tantrum." Leonora yelled, "You left me, no choice!" She sprinted towards the window to plunge into thin air and escape from the mentor. On the way, she bumped into a table, and a book fell on the floor. The Professor got it before Leonora attempted to grab it from her. Heidi ran and hid under the couch so that Leonora couldn't snatch the book away from her. She opened the book to read the following words:
*IN THE JOURNAL*
Today's regret
The maid obediently bought my melange to me. I couldn't thank her. I'm hopeless, a lost cause. Why is it so difficult?
*ON ANOTHER PAGE*
Today's regret
I accidentally spilled coffee on a book that dearest sister Brunia was kind enough to lend me. I WANT TO DIE.
*END OF PAGE*
My word! Leonora writes with such vulnerability." Heidi thought as she read the diary. Heidi rolled out of the bottom of the couch and said, "Your highness, you keep a sad but a very reflective and vulnerable diary." Leonora, obviously embarrassed and ashamed, responded, "NO! I don't, because it's not mine. It's Licha's. Yes! My baby sister Licha must have left this in my room by mistake." Heidi raised an eyebrow and said while walking towards the door, "Alright then! In that case, I shall return it at once." Leonora stopped Professor Heidi with her trembling hands and spoke, "Please give it back!" Heidi turned around and inquired, "Will you take the test then?" Leonora answered arrogantly, "YEAH! When elephants fly!"
Heidi went in front of an open window and started yelling the following words from Leonora's diary: "August 10th; Today's regret; I picked the bell peppers out of my food again, I am a moron who deserves to die." Leonora screamed with tears in her eyes, "Damn you! Stop it!" Professor Heidi merely looked at her and started yelling out words from her diary again, "August 11th; Today's regret; I ran away from my lessons like a complete coward! Ugh! Why me?!" Leonora eventually gave in and shrieked, "Yeah fine! I'll take your stupid test! I PROMISE NOT TO RUN AWAY! Just cut it out, you sadistic tutor!"
Leonora said while writing the test with tears in her eyes, "You know, I could have you locked up for the way you treated me!" In the meanwhile, Professor Heidi observed the diary and read one of the pages.
*LEONORA'S JOURNAL*
I am not very sociable, and I run away from my lessons or anything else that I dislike. But I want to fix that part of me desperately so that one day, I can grow up to be a magnificent woman like my sister, Brunia.
*END OF PAGE*
Heidi wondered if Leonora would just wear a mask of excessive pride to hide her weaknesses. She says in her thoughts, "In your life, Leonora, maybe you never had anyone to understand you. But I am not going to ignore your feelings and just make your study. If I do that, I am not fulfilling my duties as an imperial mentor, as that ignorance would never allow you to grow out of what you are now. You can never improve if you keep running away from your problems, Princess Leonora."
After completing the test, Leonora put her head down to rest. Professor Heidi announced, "Well then, your highness, I will see you at the reception hall at 4 in the evening. Your attendance is not optional, I will begin my lessons only if all four princesses are present and accounted for." Leonora raised her head and replied, "I am not going to come! And I don't need a royal tutor!" Heidi said while departing from the room, "Suit yourself then."
Leonora stared at her, leaving, and she screamed, "She didn't just leave, did she? It's not like I wanted her to remain here! But how insensitive can she be that she would just go!? Ugh! I HATE HER SO MUCH! I will complain to my mother about this! A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Leonora thought, "Hmph. Of course, she came back! But now it's too late! However, I suppose I will hear her out." Leonora spoke, "ENTER."
"Excuse me, your highness, I have the item you requested." said the servant who entered the room, thereby shocking Leonora since it was not Professor Heidi. Leonora replied politely, "Wait... what are you talking about? I made no requests." The servant answered, "Oh, that's peculiar. I was instructed to give this to Princess Leonora." Leonora opened the cover to reveal a sachertorte requested from Heidi to give it to her. It came along with a note saying, "Thank you for your hard work. Regards, Heidi." Leonora decides to let her off the hook but not to do anything else Heidi says.
"Well... your highness, you may have your way; this time." Heidi thought as she was walking to Princess Brunia's room.
*IN BRUNIA'S ROOM*
Brunia closed a book while saying the following words to herself, "Professor Heidi Witzenberg, you have nothing to teach me, ma'am, don't waste my time."