Episode 1

To my beloved mother,

I read the story about the calf that you wrote about in the last letter. I read it well. It’s a pity that I can’t see that little thing wandering around in person. By the time I go home next time, the calf will probably have grown up.

There’s a chilly breeze blowing in the capital. Still, the dormitory is very warm. The warm air is nice, but sometimes I feel a bit sad too. It’s as if I’m the only one doing well.

Quilts up north must be much colder than here. I worry about Grandma. Ellie has pneumonia. How wonderful it would be if I could bring even one piece of malachite overflowing here back home.

Mother, it’s been so long since I saw your face.

I’m writing this letter while sipping the cherry tea you gave me in hot water. The familiar taste lingers on my tongue, making me miss you even more. And Grandma and my siblings too.

Studying at Berkley Academy itself is an incredible blessing… If I sometimes feel lonely without fully appreciating this situation, does that mean I lack determination?

Next year, I’ll be an adult, so I’ll have to behave responsibly. However, when I read your letters, I became the young child who used to play in Quilts.

I thought I would be going home this vacation, but it fell through, so I feel even sadder. Of course, helping Professor Margaret with her experiments will deepen my understanding. I’ll try to think of this as a valuable opportunity before I enter my senior year.

Even if I receive a teaching assistant stipend, I don’t think I’ll have much to spend it on. Since I’ll be spending my vacation in the lab anyway, I’ll set aside a little bit from the stipend, even though it’s not much. I hope it helps the family during the winter.

In every letter, I complain about missing you and feeling lonely, but… studying at the academy is enjoyable. The study of magical engineering becomes more fascinating and alluring as I learn. When I see machines powered by malachite, I sometimes lose myself in their intricate beauty.

By the way, I saw an article recently about more railway tracks being laid up north. Will the train reach Quilts? I hope that day comes soon.

And you don’t need to worry about me. I could feel your concern and sadness in your letters, and that also pained my heart.

I am truly doing well. I haven’t revealed my old name to anyone. I haven’t come across anyone who remembers the Baron. You mentioned meeting an old friend recently… It seems like you’ve been feeling unsettled since then. If you’re referring to the Marquise of Bluewood, I’ve also met her a few times. I remember her as a respectable and kind person. I don’t think she would have let slip what she said about not pushing. She knows how difficult our situation was back then.

Mother, the name Rose Bell is now more familiar to me. Of course, Father’s unilateral decision to sell the title was wrong. It will remain a perpetual wound in our family. I still get anxious whenever I see a constable. But since we can’t change the past…

I am okay. So please don’t apologize, Mother.

I simply want to embrace you. I want to hear your gentle voice.

I should stop writing now. Final exams are approaching, and I will study hard again to earn a scholarship.

I will write to you again next time.

With love and gratitude, your eldest daughter, Rose.

P.S. I received word that they will soon locate Father at a gambling den. It seems they are searching the gambling houses near the capital. I will visit Father soon. I will also make sure to recover the documents for the estate.

P.P.S. In the next letter, I would love to hear more calf stories.

* * *

Lately, the hottest gossip at Berkley Academy has been this.

Rose Bell has withdrawn from school.

The rumors started spreading around the time when the 3rd-year final exams were over and the vacation was approaching.

The overall grades were posted in the lobby. Underneath the names, Rose Bell, who had always held the top spot, was placed lower down.

At Berkley Academy, no one didn’t know Rose Bell. Despite her petite stature, she was a quiet presence who always went alone, but she was a well-known figure. She was a commoner scholar, one chosen from each class.

During the entrance exam, Rose achieved a perfect score, a first in the history of the academy. She surpassed all the renowned noble students and even took an oath as the student representative at the entrance ceremony.

“Who is she? Which noble family does she belong to? I’ve never seen her before.”

“They say she’s a commoner…”

Various gazes and whispers started following Rose.

It had been just about a decade since the academy had opened its doors to commoners and the gentry class.

Aligning with the changing societal atmosphere, the school had slightly lowered its admission requirements, but the steep tuition fees remained unchanged, just as high as the illustrious reputation. Except for the affluent gentry class that equaled the nobility, the academy was out of reach for the rest.

For commoners without any significant wealth, only a tiny opportunity was granted, like threading a needle’s eye. This was the commoner scholarship system. Only the student with the highest score among the commoner applicants received a full tuition waiver.

However, many scholarship students couldn’t make it past their 4th year and ended up dropping out. The scholarship retention criteria were quite stringent.

They had to place within the top 5 in the overall grades each year. The moment they slipped below that, their tuition support was cut off. Commoners couldn’t afford the exorbitant fees on their own. Most would naturally follow the withdrawal process and leave the academy.

In ten years, only one scholarship student had successfully obtained their diploma without interruption.

Furthermore, both the academy’s students and the faculty did not doubt that Rose Bell would be the second person to achieve this feat.

Among the commoners, Rose Bell was not just an exceptional student; she was an extraordinary genius across the entire academy.

Taking the top spot in exams was almost a given for her. While other academy students enjoyed their youth to some extent, Rose was always holed up in the library, studying.

Above all, Rose Bell’s true brilliance shone in magical engineering. It was a subject that left most other students struggling and in pain. Choosing advanced specialization in magical engineering was almost considered a form of madness.

However, Rose grasped the principles of engineering that most students wouldn’t understand until they reached their fourth year, right from her first year.

The engineering professors all had their eyes on Rose. They were already setting the groundwork to bring her to their labs once she graduated from the academy.

Of course, Rose didn’t receive universal admiration. Her being a commoner and a woman posed significant obstacles for her.

The once firm feudal system was trembling, and the era of power divided not by titles but by wealth had arrived. Among the existing nobility, there were quite a few conservatives who didn’t appreciate this current. They were those who wished to uphold the class hierarchy.

For such individuals, a commoner who took an oath at Berkley’s entrance ceremony didn’t sit well. Rose, who claimed the top spot in overall grades every year and was as unyielding as a fortress even to the aristocrats, didn’t endear herself to them.

Rose Bell was an incredibly uncomfortable presence for someone, like a splinter stuck beside a fingernail.

14th place, Rose Bell.

But the Rose Bell who had been hailed as a century’s genius didn’t secure the 4th place, but the 14th. The 3rd-year overall grades posted in the lobby caused a significant commotion.

What would happen to Rose Bell, who didn’t meet the scholarship requirements? Numerous speculations arose about her. For the academy students who were a bit bored just days before the vacation, this made for good gossip.

“If she just stayed for one more year, she’d graduate. Is she going to drop out? Can’t afford the tuition?”

“Still, how is it possible that she can’t manage the tuition for just one more year? Even if she’s a commoner…”

“You don’t know, huh? Do you know where Rose Bell comes from? Quilts.”

“Where’s Quilts?”

“You’ve never heard of it? Well, there you go. It’s completely rural.”

As usual, Rose paid no attention to the voices whispering about her.

No one dared approach Rose and ask her directly. During her freshman year, a few dared to approach her first. Mostly, they were those who wanted to mock her, poking fun at her for being a commoner.

However, over time, they couldn’t overcome Rose Bell’s indifference and eventually gave up. No matter the torment, Rose remained unfazed. She only reported violations of the rules when they occurred, keeping it quiet within the school. As the poison of their actions backfired on them, their embarrassment grew more distant.

Don’t associate with Rose Bell. At some point, this unspoken rule led to attempts to isolate Rose.

However, Rose seemed to welcome the increasingly solitary life.

In this way, Rose Bell became one of the most famous and enigmatic female students in the academy, even though she had few friends. A phantom haunting the corner desk in the library. A small genius with an impenetrable interior. It was only natural that the academy buzzed with curiosity about Rose Bell’s future.

“Is she going to withdraw like this? The academy might make an exception for a minor slip in grades, especially since it’s Rose Bell we’re talking about…”

“But that would violate fairness!”

Opinions among the people sharply diverged. She’s the perennial top student, so the academy should make an exception. No, that’s an unfair situation.

There was a third perspective.

“She might get a sponsor. Do you think the professors might find a sponsor?”

“Could be. I mean, the engineering professors are fond of her.”

Amidst this, there was one thing that every academy student was universally curious about.

However, how did Rose Bell end up in 14th place?

What had possibly happened to Rose Bell?

The answer came about two weeks before the exams.