Adele, First Night Of A New Life (C-O-A Pre Pt. 3)

 The Imperial Academy changes into a boarding school starting in the high school levels.

"Adele, nice to see you here. If I get lonely in the middle of the night, can I come and talk to you?"
As I was checking the key given to me at the entrance and the room number on the door, Julius came out from the adjacent corner room.



"Absolutely not. I'll kick you out immediately."
I answered briefly and turned the key in the lock.
A window in the back, a desk, a closet, and a simple bed on the opposite wall.
It was unremarkable, but not bad. I threw my luggage on the bed and pulled off my jacket.

"Wow, the room looks exactly the same as mine. But it's a really plain room, isn't it? I heard that the girls' dormitory is built the same way."
Julius entered uninvited and spoke in an excited voice.
He was wearing a fancy shirt, with ruffles on the neck and cuffs.
Is this guy always wearing this kind of lounge-wear? Is he serious? (He’s making fun of Julius’ wardrobe)

"Why does your room have to be next door to mine …?"
I asked with disgust in my tone as I opened the closet.

"It's arranged by grade. Everyone situated on the 4th floor of the north wing is a first-year in the Knight course, and it seems they go down by rank after my room."
I felt my temples twitch as he responded without hesitation.


Starting this spring, we are moving on to the Knight course at the Imperial Academy.
I've been number two for three years since middle school, and for nine years since elementary school.
Always just behind Julius, that has become my fixed position.

However.
I think the gap is shrinking, both numerically and physically.
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it's by a margin of error, it's a very close call.

In three years, perhaps, I'll stand on the same level as this guy.
Then, I'm going to howl at Julius Khan, who takes whatever he wants with that cool face of his.

"Hey, Adele, are you sure you only packed this one trunk? Isn't that too little?"
"It’s enough. If there's something I need, I can go back and get it."

The Imperial Academy was built over the building of the former Principality's aristocratic parliament.
Naturally, it was not far from the old Arita Castle, and the mansions of the major noble families were only a short horse ride away.

Even so, the reason why the high school went to the trouble of changing to a boarding school was probably to put the students under even more control in preparation for the coming of age ceremony in three years.

"Hmmm. Well, I hope you don't mind if I leave some of my stuff here."
"Why? Screw you."
"It's fine. I can just use that corner."
"If you leave your stuff here, I’m throwing them away immediately."

Julius clicked his tongue as he sat down on the bed.
"I'm thinking of putting up a big canvas, which would make the room quite small."
"A canvas?"
"Yeah. I'm thinking of painting a picture."

In surprise, I turned to face Julius.
"You can paint?"
"Of course, don't you remember? In my elementary school class, I was often praised by the teacher."

I don't remember what kind of paintings Julius was making in elementary school, because it had absolutely nothing to do with my life, but it was still a bit surprising.

I thought I knew what Julius was capable of in all areas of the Knight Course, from swordsmanship, martial arts, and horsemanship, to classroom learning of tactics and such, but it was refreshing to see that there was another world outside of those obvious areas.
Living in the dormitory from here on out, we may learn about aspects of each other's classmates that we didn't know before.



"Actually, originally, I wanted to go to the civilian course instead of the military officer course and become an artist."
"Why don't you just start now?"

Although I don't care what he thinks about his career path, it still pisses me off a little to hear it from the guy who is leading the Knight course.

"I guess you’re right? Yeah, it couldn’t be so bad, an artist … At my house, my father doesn't like it when I draw. That's why I've always wanted to paint to my heart's content in the dormitory. Like the beautiful scenery of the Arita Castle."
"I get it, it’s fine."(he’s saying he doesn’t care about his issues)
"When I finish it, I'll give it to you and you can hang it on the wall there."
"I don't need it."

"Really? I thought you’d like a picture of a pretty girl."
Julius got up from the bed, talking to himself.

"It would be great if I could ask her to model for me or something. There's something immoral about that kind of thing, isn't there?"
He passes by me. Smiling slightly and looking at me, his blue eyes like trees in early summer.

Ah-this guy’s a genius at getting people irritated.

"The seniors told me that the walls of the dorms are pretty thin.."
Julius changed the topic as if nothing had happened and tapped the wall next to the door.

"If you talk in your sleep and shout the name of the girl you like, I might hear you, so be careful, okay? --I don't mind if you hear me, though."
"Julius, don’t kid around. You've been blabbing a lot lately. If you go too far, the Empire will take notice. You stand out from the crowd, you know."

I said as I let out a sigh, and Julius looked back at me with both eyes narrowed slightly.
I've heard girls gossiping that his incredibly well-rounded face looks like a sculpture of a mythical god, and I wondered what Julius thought about that.
I'd never want to be like a god or anything like that if I were him.

--I hate to admit it, but if I have any reason to envy this guy, it's something much, much different.

"Thank you, Adele. You're so sweet. --Why don't you come to the stable with me after you unpack? You'll have free access from the senior class. It's been a while since we've had a run."

The serious look that flashed across his face for a moment quickly disappeared, and Julius opened the door to the corridor with his usual, daringly unguarded, calculated smile.
I sigh.

"Okay. I'll finish up here, so go on ahead."
"Oh, why don't we take a look at the girls' dormitory while we're there? We can't go inside, but they said they're moving in today. Cornelia and Tiana, too."

The moment the door closes, he throws her name into the air, probably aiming for the right moment, and I look up at him, flustered.
The blue in his eyes looked at me with a clear grin, trying to provoke me.

Oh, God, that guy's no good.
I've always thought he had a bad personality, but lately I've been questioning what in his mind.



Maybe the “coming-of-age ceremony” approaching is what’s giving me all this anxiety.
He’s ridiculous, what more does he want when Tiana looks at him with such passion?
I'm not proud of it, but if I were to wander around the entrance of the dormitory, Tiana would come running out with a broom and we'd have another big fight on our hands.

I lay on my back on the bed and look up at the bleak ceiling.

-I heard the girls’ dormitor is built the same.

Julius’ words come back to me.

Built the same?
So, Tiana will be looking up at this ceiling every night from now on … Hmm.
I felt a light tingle in my stomach.

I looked at the wall where the bed was pulled up. So Julius' room is on the other side.

--The walls of the dormitory are quite thin.

I remembered his words again.
I felt like he wasn't kidding, so I raised myself up from the bed.

At any rate, it’d be best to move the bed.
I decided to put it on the opposite wall. I can't move the closet because it's built-in, but I can move the desk.
I stood up, folding up the sleeves of my shirt.

If the rooms are sorted by grade, then, even if I surpass Julius for the top spot next year, it's unlikely that he'll fall below third place, so for the next three years, Julius and I will be in the same room next to each other. There's no such thing as too much self-preservation. I also want to do something about the key to my room. If I let anyone in without permission, I'll throw them out immediately. After all, three years of our lives depend on it.


Three years.

In three years … the coming of age ceremony will take place.

I shook my head to shove away the thoughts, and lifted the cheap desk with both hands.

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