CHAPTER 10: FALL IN LOVE
Victoria saw Ignacia and walked toward her. She sat beside her and said, "Lady Ignacia? Am I right?"
"Yes, Your Highness, The Princess" said Ignacia politely. She remembered her from 'Magic Attribute' judgment ceremony and the golden hair was the symbolic of Royal Family including Dignita Family. She used 'The Eyes of Truth' to check her intention.
"You can call me Victoria. Let us be friend, Lady Ignacia" said Victoria nicely.
"Yes, Princess Victoria" said Ignacia politely.
"It's all right to call me only name. You don't need to be formal, Lady Ignacia" said Victoria nicely.
"If so, please call me Ignacia," said Ignacia gently.
Ignacia had heard that her mother, the queen consort, was a princess from small kingdom and died after she gave birth to Princess Victoria. For that reason, there was no noble in Mirarus Empire supporting Princess Victoria.
Ignacia thought that it was good to be friend with her and she did not sense any bad intention from her.
After a short while, Ignacia saw Vulcan, The Crown Prince, and Estella walking inside the class. They were talking to each other delightedly.
Ignacia looked at Estella unconsciously. She was stunned silence with her great beauty, and her dignified character.
"Why are you looking at them so intensely, Ignacia?" Victoria whispered.
"Ah…No, it's nothing," Ignacia said after she came to her senses.
"They got engaged for years," Victoria said.
"I heard about it as well," Ignacia said. She tried to restrain herself after she remembered that Estella has a fiancé. She, Daiki, was executed in his previous life because he wanted a woman who would marry to a son of Shogun. She recalled the time when Daiki's head was cut off traumatically.
"You know, I chose to learn both of magic and swordsmanship like you," Victoria said.
"Is that so? Could I ask for your reason?" Ignacia asked, curiously.
"The thing is, I want to prove myself and you're my inspiration after I knew you are in 'Animus'. So, I started to practice swordsmanship after that. I was practicing it every day," said Victoria nicely.
"You're really amazing. You must practice hard. I saw you passed the entrance exam with the second ranking," said Ignacia nicely.
"Yes, I don't want to disappoint the one who care about me," Victoria said, sadly.
"We can practice together, Victoria" said Ignacia nicely. She could see her point and comforted her.
"Thank you, Ignacia" said Victoria happily.
A few days passed,
Ignacia and Victoria went to the swordsmanship class. Most of students in swordsmanship class were in 'Eques'. There were 3 students including Victoria who practiced themselves hard and passed the entrance exam.
"I believe all of you have the skill of fighting. I will let you all having the mock fight in pairs to increase more of your experiences," said Justin, a sword fight instructor. He was in his middle thirty. He has muscled body, brown hair, and brown eyes.
Justin paired everyone randomly. He paired Ignacia with Victor, a boy who has red hair and red eyes.
"You can attack me anytime, Lady" said Julius confidently.
Ignacia said nothing, then attacked him first. She hit him hard.
"Whoa…" Julius exclaimed after he was almost hit. He did not think she was strong.
Ignacia increased her speed and force to attack him, she won him at the third hit.
"Wow…you are very strong. I like you. Please go out with me," said Julius incoherently.
"No," Ignacia said and left.
"I won't give up, Lady" Julius shouted, then talked to himself, "Who is she? Why didn't I ask her name?"
"Her name is Ignacia De Virtusarium, the only heir to Virtusarium, and the one who is in rare type. She's very famous, guy" said Soren, a boy who has brown hair and green eyes.
"What?" Julius said.
"You heard me. You have to learn more about high society, Julius" Soren said, "Let me give you some advice. You'd better give up. There are many people having an interest in her."
"No, I won't," said Julius confidently.
Soren was speechless with his persistence.
★★★
Two months passed,
Estella passed a group of girls who were talking about Ignacia. They looked at Ignacia who was fighting a mock fight with the other boy.
"Did you see her wielding sword?" a girl said, admiringly.
"Yes, I did. She's very cool," another girl said, admiringly.
"I want to marry her," the other girl said dreamily.
"I think so too. If she was a boy," a girl said dreamily.
Estella wondered why many students admired her crazily. She looked over the field and glanced at Ignacia. She found her a strange person who do something like a man.
The number of students, both boys and girls, who like and admire Ignacia, have increased dramatically.
Ignacia was all right with the girls but not the boys. The girls just admired her and stayed surrounding in a short distance but the boys always approached and confessed their loves to her.
After finished the swordsmanship class, Ignacia walked on the hall way and went upstairs to go to the changing room.
Olivia, a girl who has long, wavy honey brown hair, green eyes, and pretty face, went downstairs looking at her. She stumbled and nearly fell. Fortunately, Ignacia caught her on time.
Olivia was happy to be her embrace. She pretended to lose her consciousness.
"Lady…, Lady" Ignacia called and shook her gently but she had no response. She carried her to go to the infirmary.
"A…" Olivia pretended to regain her consciousness before Ignacia reached to the infirmary. She was worried that she might get caught a lie.
"Oh…Are you all right, Lady?" Ignacia asked and put her down.
"I'm all right now. Thank you for helping me, Lady Ignacia" said Olivia nicely. "I'm Olivia Integritas. I would like to return the favor to you later."
"Don't mind it, Lady Olivia. Please be careful next time," said Ignacia gently and left.
A few day later, Olivia came to meet Ignacia in the canteen. She saw Ignacia having lunch with Victoria.
"Your Highness, The Princess," Olivia said and curtsied to Victoria.
Victoria nodded her head in greeting.
"I would like to give you these cookies as a token of my gratitude for the other day, Lady Ignacia" Olivia told Ignacia nicely. She handed a bag of cookies to her.
"Thank you," said Ignacia politely.
Victoria looked at Ignacia and smiled a smile of the one who knew Olivia's purpose.
"Would you like to join us, Lady?" Victoria asked Olivia.
"Yes, I would like to. I'm grateful for your kindness, Your Highness" said Olivia politely.
"What's your name, Lady?" Victoria asked her nicely.
"I'm Olivia Integritas, an eldest daughter of The Count of Integritas, Your Highness" said Olivia politely.
"I have met Count Integritas a few times. He's very kind," said Victoria nicely.
"Yes, Your Highness" said Olivia politely.
"Did you have lunch already, Lady Olivia?" Ignacia asked.
"Yes, I did, Lady Ignacia" said Olivia delightedly.
"Just call me Ignacia," Ignacia said.
"If so, please call me Olivia" said Olivia nicely.
"All right," said Ignacia nicely.
Julius came toward our group while we were talking.
"Ignacia," Julius called her loudly.
"You're noisy," said Ignacia irritably.
"You're so cold. I like you, Ignacia" said Julius crazily.
"Why don't you stop it? You ruined the mood here," said Ignacia irritably.
"I'm sorry but I really like you," said Julius, depressingly.
"But I don't like you," said Ignacia coldly.
"Let's be friend, then" said Julius, persistently.
"If you stop confessing me, I will consider about it," Ignacia said.
"Okay," Julius said and left.
"He's a real pain," Victoria said.
"You're right," Ignacia said.
★★★
A few months passed,
Ignacia walked in the garden, looking for a tree to take a nap before she went to the next class.
She walked until she found a large tree. She looked around and found no body. She teleported to bare branch which was suitable for sitting and resting without notice.
After she closed her eyes for a short while, she heard the sound of people walking toward the area near her. She looked at the source of the sound. She saw Estella strolling and watching the flower fields nearby.
There was a light wind blowing.
Ignacia saw her happy, beautiful face clearly, it made her heart skip a beat. She tried to restrain her feelings many times but it was hard to do so. She looked at her admirably. She took a book and a pencil out of 'Magic Space', then made a sketch of Estella watching flowers.
Estella felt someone looking at her. She looked around and saw Ignacia doing something on the branch of the tree. She thought to herself, 'Is it all right for a girl to sit on the tree like that? She's very strange.'
Ignacia looked at Estella again. Our eyes met momentarily.
Estella avoided her eyes, then turned and walked away from that area hurriedly.
Ignacia felt that she was cold toward her. She came to her senses and stopped to sketch the picture of Estella even though she finished it more than half. She kept a book and a pencil inside her 'Magic Space', then took a nap.
After Ignacia had a nap, she went to magic class.
"Where did you go? I didn't see you around, Igna" Victoria asked.
"I took a nap in the garden," Ignacia said.
Maximus walked inside the class. He walked toward Ignacia and sat beside her, then whispered, "I'm glad I could sit beside you. You are very popular, Lady Ignacia"
Ignacia ignored him.
"I would like to be your friend, Lady Ignacia" said Maximus gently.
"I will consider about it," Ignacia said. She knew that he will not stop talking if she had no response.
"I'm looking forward to our relationship, Lady Ignacia" said Maximus gently.
"I will consider only friendship without romance. Is that clear, Lord Maximus?" Ignacia said.
Maximus knew that he should not cross the line for now. He said nothing but smiled at her gently.
A few days later, Ignacia finished her swordsmanship class and went to change her clothes.
She bumped into Veronica, a girl who has red hair, and blue eyes, the one whom she met at the birthday party of Princess Estella since she was young.
Veronica was walking on the way with her 2 friends.
Our eyes met momentarily. We threw our glance in the different direction as if we have never known each other.
We passed each other without saying a word, while the friends of Veronica looking at Ignacia admirably.
"She's really cool," one of Veronica's friends said, admiringly.
"I think she's very beautiful when we have a closer look," another one of Veronica's friends said, admiringly.
Veronica said nothing. She did not want to admit the fact that Ignacia was perfect in many ways. She felt irritated somehow.
The next day,
Ignacia were having lunch with Victoria, Olivia, and Julius.
"How could you so great at swordsmanship, Your Highness" Julius asked, admiringly.
"I was practicing it since I was young. And I often have a mock fight with Igna. It made me improve a lot," Victoria said.
"You're great since the beginning, Your Highness" Ignacia said.
"Am I wrong in thinking that Your Highness is in 'Magus' attribute?" Olivia asked.
"No, you are not but I like practicing swordsmanship," said Victoria nicely.
"I see. You are very great, Your Highness" said Olivia admiringly.
"Her Highness has an outstanding skill of fighting with magic power as well, Olivia" Ignacia said.
"But I could not win you once, Igna" Victoria said.
"She's an exception to everyone," Julius said.
"Come to think of it, Lady Margaret, a second daughter of Count Fortuna, she is in 'Sanctitas' but she was attending the sage class and her exam results was outstanding as well. I heard that she was one of disciples of The Great Sage," Olivia said
"You can get more chance if you achieved in another attribute," said Victoria nicely.
"I kind of understand what Your Highness mean," Julius said.
"It's hard to see you say something reasonable, Julius" Ignacia said.
"I agree," Olivia said.
"Argh…you two," said Julius, unwillingly.
★★★