In a dormitory room, Albert Frau Robelia Ridill, the third prince of the Ridill Kingdom, sat elegantly on a sofa, sipping tea. The Serendia Academy dorm was more spacious and better furnished than the one he had at Minerva. Albert couldn't help but feel the influence of Duke Crockford in the finer details, souring his mood.
"So, Patrick, what are the results of the investigation? Have you found any weaknesses in my elder brother Felix?"
Patrick, seated opposite Albert, nonchalantly nibbled on tea sweets, taking out a notebook as he mumbled.
"*nom* here's *nom* the report."
"Stop talking with crumbs falling everywhere, it's unsightly!"
"Oh, come on! Wipe your mouth first!"
Albert scolded the laid-back Patrick, who, despite being a servant, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, sipped tea, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"The tea you chose, Your Highness, is delicious."
"Of course, it's my carefully selected blend… but never mind that! Where's the report! Have you found my brother's weakness?"
While giving a tension-free reply, Patrick flipped through the pages of his notebook.
"First of all, regarding His Highness Felix's reputation…"
"Skip the positive parts. Tell me about the negative aspects."
"The thing is… Nobody would say anything negative or reveal his weakness. After all, we are at the academy where Duke Crockford's influence is in power."
Albert grumbled. Patrick continued, casually turning the pages. For more chapters visıt novel-fire.ɴet
"As a matter of fact, he excels academically, always ranking at the top in both theoretical and practical subjects like swordsmanship and equestrian. His achievements as the student council president are also noteworthy. He is well-mannered, amiable, and there's really nothing to criticize."
Indeed, compared to his half-brother Lionel and his other brother, Felix was a slender and elegant young nobleman. However, unlike his appearance, he excelled in swordsmanship.
Initially, Albert suspected that Felix enjoyed preferential treatment from the instructor, yet witnessing Felix's mastery of the sword during training dispelled any doubts about his genuine prowess.
Felix's standing in social circles was equally impressive; he navigated interactions flawlessly, even with obstinate old nobles, employing a persuasive and diplomatic approach that yielded notable successes, including recent triumphs in trade negotiations with the Falforia Kingdom.
Even from Albert's biased perspective, it proved challenging to pinpoint specific reasons for his resentment toward Felix. Nevertheless, a disconcerting absence of human warmth left an unsettling impression, rendering Felix somewhat eerie even in the eyes of his half-brothers like Albert and even the king.
"Any word on Felix's romantic entanglements? Any scandal involving a lady from here or there?"
"Hmm, everyone around is saying that it's either Miss Eliane Hyatt, the daughter of Duke Reinberg, or Miss Bridget Graham, the daughter of Marquis Sheilbury, might be the potential fiancée candidate…. but the situation in that regard remains unclear."
Felix initiated a dance with Eliane at the festival's evening party, and during the winter break, he ventured into the Duchy of Reinberg. From this, it appears that Eliane holds a slight advantage. Despite these events, no official engagement announcement has been made.
"Miss Eliane seems to be a suitable match for my brother—indeed."
"It seems Your Highness has a preference for Miss Bridget."
"Fool, Patrick! One shouldn't speak aloud what others hold in their hearts!"
Albert scolded, his cheeks flushing white, and snapped back to reality, awkwardly clearing his throat.
"Ahem… Regarding the matter occupying my thoughts, let us keep it between us for now. Promise me, will you? Absolutely no divulging, all right? Mum's the word?"
"I won't breathe a syllable~"
As Albert covertly contemplates whether the laid-back tone of his servant is truly fitting, Patrick nonchalantly flips through his notebook and interjects, "Oh, by the way~."
"It appears that His Highness Felix has two favored students ~"
"The first is Glenn Dudley, a second-year student in the advanced class and a disciple of the Seven Sages—Lord Barrier Magician. When His Highness Felix visited the Duchy of Reinberg, Glenn accompanied him as a guard~"
At the mere mention of Glenn's name by Patrick, Albert's eyes gleamed, prompting him to rise from his seat.
"I recognize that name! He portrayed the hero Ralph at the school festival!"
"It appears that even the role of Ralph was handpicked by His Highness Felix, you see~"
During the school festival, Albert wasn't yet a student at Serendia Academy, but his mother insisted he attend.
Since then, it had been decided that Albert would leave Minerva and transfer to Serendia Academy.
"My adorable Albert, from now on, you will attend Serendia Academy."
Albert, reluctantly attending Serendia Academy's festival as instructed by his mother, found his attention unexpectedly captivated by the stage.
The tale of the hero Ralph started as a mundane and boring performance, but in the latter half, with the change of the protagonist, an overwhelming production unfolded. Amidst explosions, flights through the sky using magic, and the heroic rescue of the heroine Amelia, Albert couldn't contain his excitement.
While an honor student at Minerva with decent magical abilities, Albert struggled with flight magic and couldn't master it. Watching Glenn Dudley freely soar through the sky struck Albert as immensely cool, akin to a genuine hero like Ralph.
"That's unfair, elder brother! It's unjust to have someone as amazing as Senior Dudley as a servant!"
Certainly, Felix seemed to have strategic foresight in choosing Glenn Dudley as his close aide. Ah, what a cunning brother! He was already eyeing a potential candidate for the Seven Sages.
As Albert expressed his frustration, Patrick continued the report, casually munching on cookies.
"Oh, and one more thing. It seems that His Highness Felix refers to a certain female student as ‘Little Squirrel' and treats her like a pet~"
"W-What!? Treating a female student as a p-p-pet!?"
"Yes~. When we asked the female students, we received testimonies like these~"
Saying so, Patrick opened a page with multiple testimonials from female students.
"Ah, that girl. She appears to have piqued His Highness Felix's interest, but it certainly feels almost like doting on a pet."
"Yeah, yeah. A young girl like her is suitable as a pet for the student council."
"As a woman and a student council member, there's no way she could be acknowledged. She's rather shabby. His Highness, being kind, took pity on a stray dog and decided to keep her in the student council."
Albert, forgetting that his servant was devouring cookies, was struck with shock.
"This is inhumane! Is such a thing allowed!?"
"Well, the rumored ‘Little Squirrel' Monica Norton is the student council treasurer, a second-year student in the advanced class. She was taken in as an adopted daughter by the wife of the former Count Kerbeck from a monastery. She seems to be the attendant to Isabelle Norton, the daughter of the current head family."
"The House of Count Kerbeck? Aren't they a major noble family in the eastern region!"
The House of Count Kerbeck, governing a vast area in the eastern region, is a powerful aristocracy with a brave and formidable army. Their military strength is said to rival even the kingdom's dragon knight order.
"For my brother to treat the adopted daughter of such a major noble family as a p-p-pet…"
"Miss Monica Norton is mistreated by the Kerbeck, and she is bullied by the daughter, Isabelle. There have been testimonies that she's scolded and ridiculed by Isabelle even within the academy."
"H-How pitiful… mistreated by the Kerbeck and then treated as a pet by my brother…"
Albert, with a pale face, hung his head for a moment but eventually raised his eyebrows sharply and, with a loud voice, declared.
"All right, I've decided, Patrick. I will win over both Glenn Dudley and Miss Monica Norton and bring them into our camp!"
Perhaps Glenn Dudley and Monica Norton know the weaknesses of Felix, who rarely shows vulnerability to others. Even if he couldn't obtain the desired information, if he could bring Felix's favored students into his own camp… surely, he could make that brother of his feel regret.
In front of Albert, burning with ambition, the laid-back servant, unfazed, casually savored the last cookie.