Stripped off Her Title?

Sophie's unexpected act of kindness had left Kathleen speechless. She quickly regained her composure and hurried after Sophie, knowing that their food would soon be delivered to their table.

The canteen was bustling with people, and most tables were already taken. Kathleen found a seat across from Sophie and smiled at her.

Kathleen leaned forward and asked, "How did you accumulate so many contribution points? Did you take on a lot of missions from the missions board?"

Sophie shook her head and said, "Not really. I just haven't had the need to use them much." She turned around to see the waitress approaching with their orders.

"Well, looks like you spent all your points on this meal. Don't worry, I'll pay you back once I've earned enough from completing missions." Kathleen said with a smile, resting her chin on her hand.

The waitress left after placing all the food on the table.

Sophie raised her concern."Isn't that dangerous? No offense, but do you even know how to fight?"

Kathleen's tone turned confident, "Of course I do. Back in the duchy, I defeated a Bull Horn Beast at the same level as me." They continued chatting while enjoying their meals.

Suddenly, a blonde-haired figure appeared in front of their table, pulling a shorter girl behind her.

"Excuse me, do you mind if we sit with you? All the other tables seem to be taken." The blonde-haired girl asked, glancing at Kathleen and Sophie.

Kathleen was surprised to see that the blonde girl was Princess Rowena, the third princess of the Elacnor Empire. Even though the empire was ruled by the Takar imperial family, their laws did not specify that only males could ascend to the throne. This meant that Rowena was fourth in line to the throne.

"Of course, Princess Rowena." Kathleen and Sophie replied. In the academy, there was no need for excessive formality when addressing royalty.

The table was arranged in a square shape, with two people able to sit on each side, allowing a total of eight people to occupy it.

As they settled in, an uncomfortable silence fell upon the table, as they struggled to find a suitable topic to discuss.

With so many princes and princesses in the Takar imperial family, it was nearly impossible to recognize every face unless they held a high rank. It was easy for Kathleen and Sophie since they know about the third princess.

As the silence lingered, Lily decided to initiate a conversation. "Are you and Sophie friends?" she asked, looking at Kathleen.

"We just met today and decided to be friends." Kathleen replied, a smile on her face. "I'm usually alone, so I thought it would be nice to have a friend."

In the academy, the imperial students were often considered arrogant and didn't bother to converse with anyone from other Duchies, let alone their heirs. This made Kathleen and Sophie quite surprised by Rowena's enthusiasm to befriend them.

"So, how about Princess Rowena join us after the meal? We're planning on attending the practical combat classes. Would you like to come along?" Kathleen suggested between bites of the delicious 4-star wyvern meat.

"Sure, that sounds good," Rowena replied with enthusiasm. Lily, who sat beside her, looked surprised and confused.

Lily was taken aback by the swift turn of events. She couldn't help but wonder why Princess Rowena, who hardly spoke to her own siblings, was so keen on spending time with Kathleen. There had to be a reason behind it, she mused silently.

As they ate, someone else approached their table. Kathleen recognized the voice and turned to see who it was.

Max stood before them, his expression nonchalant. "Excuse me, Miss Kathleen," he said, "May I have a moment of your time?"

Kathleen paused her meal and turned to face him. "What for?" She asked.

"This is not something we should discuss here." Max said with a nonchalant tone. "Shall we go somewhere more private?"

Kathleen stood up without a word, but Sophie quickly grabbed her hand.

Sophie leaned in closer to Kathleen, her voice hushed. "Kathleen, do you need me to come with you? I know you're not comfortable with talking to strangers, and I don't trust this guy either."

"Hehe, you're worried about me? No need to be, I can handle myself. I'm not the same Kathleen who used to be afraid of talking to strangers. Plus, we're in the academy, so there's no need to worry about this guy doing anything to me." Kathleen whispered back, chuckling a little.

"We can go to the garden," Kathleen suggested, leading the way outside. Max trailed behind her as they walked through the vast Academy building, where small gardens and courtyards were scattered in front of various facilities, including the canteens.

As they arrived at a spot under a tall tree, Kathleen turned to face him.

"What did you want to discuss with me?" She asked, meeting his gaze.

'No one mentioned that she was so direct when I inquired about her.'

Max turned to Kathleen and asked, "Have you received any message from your black dragon Duchy?"

Kathleen shook her head and replied, "No, why do you ask?"

"Ten days ago, the black dragon Duchy and Alstrain duchy, who have been in a long-standing conflict, surprisingly declared a marriage alliance. Kathleen, as the heiress of the black dragon Duchy, was stripped of her title and betrothed to Maxwell Alstrain, the ninth son of Duke Nicholas." Max informed Kathleen, his words leaving her stunned as he expected.

Max was even more surprised by this news than he was when he failed to awaken his mana.

Max was the product of a union between Duke Nicholas and a maid named Rebecca, a lowly position in the hierarchy of the Alstrain family. Duke Nicholas had fathered many children with maids, but those offsprings were often discarded or dismissed as unwanted by the main bloodline of the family.

After failing his mana core awakening, Max's mother, Rebecca, fell ill, leaving him vulnerable to the constant bullying of his half-brothers and sisters.

As he watched his mother suffer, his anger and hatred towards the Alstrain family and Duke Nicholas grew deeper.