The road near the bookstore, where Tilia left earlier than expected, was warmed by the summer sun.
Although the sun was hot, Tilia had no plans to return home just yet.
Her father was still in the mansion, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to show her off to his guests as a trophy.
If so...
She was about to head to another bookstore when she suddenly stopped, struck by a thought.
Maybe it's because of the heat. A memory suddenly surfaced in her memory of the ice cream that the man bought her not so long ago.
“It was very tasty.”
Recalling the taste of the best ice cream she had ever tasted, Tilia's gaze wandered aimlessly.
Her white hand fumbled in her rather stuffed pocket. Now that her life has become more comfortable, Tilia's financial situation has also improved.
She no longer had to give money to George Ambrose, which meant she could keep her entire allowance from the academy. Plus, the unexpected gift of books cut her expenses dramatically.
Having received new wealth, Tilia decided to pamper herself a little.
“Should I go and buy some?”
Of course, her desire to go to the ice cream parlor was not only due to her appetite.
"Judy would love it too..."
The face of her only friend, who loved sweets just like her, came to mind.
In the years they had spent as roommates, Tilia had often been in Judy's debt. She took countless snacks from Judy without any shame.
“Anyway, I’ll get my allowance back as soon as next semester starts.”
Opening her pocket to count the money, Tilia moved on with a determined look.
Her destination was an ice cream parlor with fresh strawberries - the same one that Ilex Davenport had shown her.
"It's more expensive than I thought."
That was the first thing that came to Tilia's mind when she looked at the price list outside the store.
"I can't afford it."
She came to this conclusion by calculating how much ice cream she needed to buy and comparing it with the money she had.
Suppressing her disappointment at her apparent failure, Tilia maintained her composure and stuffed the money back into her pocket.
She couldn't even afford to buy one, let alone one for Judy and Countess Wells.
It's a pity. Despite these thoughts, Tilia pretended not to be bothered, and just as she was about to turn away, she noticed the sign.
“This is...”
After looking at the colorful advertisement, Tilia hurried to the store.
- What would you like to order?
- Um, about the sign outside...
- Oh, you mean a promotion that has been going on for a month? Yes! If you buy three or more, we'll give you a free vanilla ice cream. Want to order three?
- Oh, no...
Tilia thought for a moment before carefully asking the friendly saleswoman:
- Is this store a branch of a larger metropolitan store?
- No, miss! This ice cream shop was first opened by my uncle. Strictly speaking, this is the main store, at least until we open a branch.
Hearing the saleswoman's enthusiastic response, Tilia looked at her blankly for a moment, then nodded slowly and left the store.
Oh. While trying to quickly get away, she caught her foot on a wooden stand supporting a sign outside the store.
Tilia quickly grabbed the sign, setting it upright again. Gently releasing it, she read the beautifully written words.
[Grand opening. Buy three, get one free.]
“He definitely said he came here with his ex-girlfriend. He said he had been wanting this ice cream for a long time.”
Remembering Ilex's words, Tilia walked along the heated sidewalk.
There was no other branch. This was the only one.
“Then why?”
Chasing the question, which now confused her even more, Tilia continued to walk.
She again felt the confusion she had struggled to overcome begin to buzz loudly in her head.
Walking along the hot afternoon road, she felt as if she was trying to untangle a knot that just wouldn’t come undone.
Maybe it was because the sun overhead was unbearably bright.
For some reason her throat felt dry.
***
The day everyone has been eagerly waiting for, or praying would never come, has finally arrived. It was the first day back to the academy.
After a long summer vacation, the Royal Akansis Academy began its second semester and was completely empty.
The reason was obvious - the final year students who failed the first exam of the semester did not return.
Unlucky fourth-year students who failed the first exam were automatically placed on academic probation. They had to wait another six months before retaking the first exam.
Thus, the final year students who were now walking around the campus (albeit with gloomy faces) were the select few who managed to pass the first exam.
Unlike other academies where the first semester began in the fall, the Royal Academy of Acansis was famous for starting its academic year in the spring.
The reason was also related to final exams.
Unlike other academies that held formal examinations or allowed thesis to be written in lieu of graduation requirements, the Royal Academy of Acansis required its students to pass a rigorous two-part final examination.
Most graduate students failed the first part, not the second.
The sentimental first headmaster of the Royal Academy hoped that even students who had failed miserably in their first examination would be able to enjoy a happy end to the academic year and a New Year.
To this end, the school principal went against all odds and chose summer rather than winter as the time of year when the students learned of their first failure.
If he had just ordered the final exams to be a little easier, everyone would have been happy.
He took the long route instead of finding the obvious solution.
However, the spring semester, introduced for a seemingly insignificant reason, had unexpected consequences.
In the spring, the social season began, and the royal family and various government agencies recruited new members.
Thus, graduates of the Royal Academy could either show off their brilliant diplomas in high society, or get a job immediately after graduation.
Of course, the work in question for the nobles was not ordinary.
By work they usually meant...
“When I finish my studies, I want to work as the crown princess’s chief maid.”
An honorary position with no salary or pension.
- Don’t you need a recommendation for this?
- Mrs. Smith said that she would write me a letter of recommendation as soon as I finish my studies. She said that I could become her best student on the first try.
Tilia involuntarily heard the conversation of the girls sitting nearby and smiled furtively.
If she had told these noble ladies of her ambitions, they would likely have been stunned.
Her goal was to work as a foreign consular officer in Ontario, a position that offered money rather than honor and even included housing.
Collecting her thoughts, Tilia straightened her tattered bag.
Her luggage had been sent in advance by her father, who, oddly enough, was still kind to her, making it an unusually calm moving day for her.
In fact, it wasn't just unusual - it was the first time she had experienced something like this.
Reflecting on the incredible run of luck she had recently experienced, Tilia confidently stepped forward.
Thinking of the official document hidden in her tattered leather bag, she felt her step lighten.
Just last week she was hanging around the capital’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pretending that she had some business there, and then a certain advertisement fell into her hands.
It reported that the Foreign Consulate of Ontario, in order to strengthen relations with the Royal Academy of Acansis, would award additional points to its graduates.
But that wasn't the only good news.
On the next page, next year's hiring plan states that new employees will be provided with official housing.
Places of residence will be allocated based on the distance of the applicants from the consulate - priority will be given to those whose home is furthest away.
Unless each new employee came from the opposite end of the continent, it was obvious that Tilia would get one of these residences.
Tilia, who had planned to live in a hotel for the first few months even if she got a position at a foreign consulate, was so excited about the hiring plan that she wanted to jump for joy right there.
The day she carefully carried the notice home, she put her hand on her pounding heart and let her imagination run wild again.
She was glad that she had persevered and kept her inner castle safe despite the violence from her father and brother.
In the end, the world has always been on the side of those who endured.
But it was too early to let down our guard.
She still had to graduate from the academy - the most important step on the path to achieving her dreams.
With this final obstacle in mind, Tilia tightened her grip on the handle of her old leather bag.