Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 50

To my teacher,

Hello, teacher.

The weather has been so lovely lately. I hope you’re taking some time to look at the sky and enjoy your days.

I feel a bit nervous writing this letter today.

Finally, all the exams are over, and the results have been announced.

I am so grateful to say that Vanessa Rose is able to leave Bamberg Academy and go out into the world.

I couldn’t possibly write down everything I’ve received from you, even if I had dozens of sheets of paper.

Thank you so much, teacher. Really.

And additionally, I wanted to mention that I received one of the five graduation honors.

It’s not the highest honor, unfortunately, but I hope you’ll be satisfied knowing I achieved the third-highest score. And I only ask that you grant me the one gift I desire.

You can think of me as shameless, Vanessa Rose, for not knowing my place.

Teacher, would you please come to my graduation ceremony?

Everyone else will have their families there to celebrate with them, but no one will be coming for me.

Won’t you please come?

I want to see you just one more time.

My handwriting is terrible, isn’t it? My hands are just shaking too much today.

Sincerely,
Vanessa Rose

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Vanessa couldn’t leave Honir’s side after that, anxiously hoping for a positive response. Please, please let a positive answer come.

She knew that her teacher cared for her deeply enough. The younger Vanessa didn’t fully grasp it, but Vanessa Rose, now a graduate, understood.

No one sent letters like this to their patron. Sharing every little detail of my daily life.

Most proteges simply summarized their grades and needs, so there was no need for a reply.

But Vanessa Rose, perhaps naively, sent long, affectionate letters once a week.

It must have seemed like unwanted affection at first, but the patron who read them sent back kind replies, despite his busy schedule.

Then maybe he will come. Maybe I can be with someone at my graduation ceremony, like in the novels sometimes… I just wanted him to reveal himself.

But several days passed without any reply from her teacher.

Only two days before the graduation ceremony, dozens of dahlia flowers arrived, undamaged, along with sturdy branches.

“They must have barely found them in a very remote area. The weather was good last year… and there weren’t many cold places in the winter, I heard. It’s originally a precious flower, too,” Lina said carefully. Vanessa quietly stroked one of the flowers.

A tremendous amount of effort must have gone into acquiring them. They must have even used magic to transport them from the lower regions [warmer climates where dahlias could still be in bloom].

But he doesn’t want to attend the graduation ceremony.

“Yeah. That must be it.”

Vanessa smiled faintly.

Vanessa arranged the flowers with Lina. They were already well-trimmed, so there wasn’t much to do. She just tied them with the ribbons she had to make simple bouquets.

The deep brown branches and red buds went very well with the pure white ribbon.

“There’s no one to give them to, so I’ll just have to carry them myself.”

Vanessa held up the bouquet and shook it slightly.

“Pretty.”

“Yeah. Red really suits you. The graduation gown is navy blue, so it’ll look great.”

Vanessa put the flowers in a glass bottle. She decided to dry the remaining flowers and give them as gifts to the people around her. Dahlia flowers symbolize ‘hope, strong life,’ so they would be a good gift.

“Chevati wants to secretly sleep here tonight.”

“That’s a really… good idea!”

“Evan said that too, but I told him to get lost.”

“That’s also a really good idea.”

Both of them muffled their laughter. And they secretly slipped out of the room and folded paper airplanes. Vanessa hid under the Star Dormitory and threw a paper airship at the window of Chevati’s room.

The airship, carried by the wind Vanessa created, kept tapping on the window.

Soon, Chevati opened the window with a sulky expression and snatched the paper. He had an annoyed look that seemed to ask what this was.

But when he saw Vanessa and Lina below, his eyes widened.

‘Come out. Come out!’

Chevati didn’t hesitate for a moment and ran down in his pajamas.

The three of them sneaked into the Moon Dormitory and lay overlapping each other on the floor instead of the small bed.

“It’s so uncomfortable, though?”

“My back hurts….”

“Be quiet. This is what romance is.”

Because it was the last day of the academy, Vanessa thought about saying something touching, but she just stopped. After all, it was a relationship that would continue.

And the next day, they were caught and scolded terribly by the dormitory supervisor.

The banquet hall where the graduation ceremony was held was usually closed, so Vanessa was entering it for the first time.

The high ceiling was made of glass, so the inside of the banquet hall was filled with pouring sunlight.

Was it to see off the students’ last moments? Flowers were scattered all over the floor.

The banquet hall was bustling with students wearing the graduation robes of Bamberg Academy.

Out of the 6th-grade students this year, a total of eight were held back from graduating, so most of the students were able to stand in this place.

“His Majesty is coming in person.”

“Really?”

Lina’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow, I don’t think he’s come in years. Rosenbaum Academy challenged us last time, asking why he only goes to Bamberg.”

“Because Bam Vandalu is the founder. He’s a hero of Priba.”

Everyone was excited and chattering. Vanessa listened to the noisy sounds. The word ‘king’ felt very distant.

“Vanessa, you have to take a picture with me later. Okay? My younger sibling has been nagging me to have you come over and play again every day since they saw you last time.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Vanessa, with me too! With me too, okay? My mother and father both came. My older brother will come too.”

Chevati grabbed Vanessa’s arm and shook it hard. Both cheeks were flushed red.

“Let me take a picture with the top honors student. Thank you.”

Chevati smiled brightly at Vanessa’s playful words.

“Should we take Lina out of the picture since she doesn’t have any honors?”

“Are you kidding me? Hey, come here. Come here!”

Vanessa stood between the two of them, shaking weakly. Lina and Chevati’s playful attempts to hit each other were hitting Vanessa hard in between.

It was very noisy with the excited students wearing graduation gowns that came down to their toes in one space. It was hard to hear each other’s voices well.

In the meantime, a loud footstep came from the hallway, and one student ran in. The student, catching his breath, shouted loudly.

“High nobles are coming too!”

“Who? Are they following because His Majesty is coming?”

“Duke Valder and Count Alban! And a few more!”

“Count Alban is one thing, but even Duke Valder?”

“Duke Valder? I’ve never even seen a portrait or picture of him. He’s famous for not coming to places like this.”

“He’s really handsome.”

Everyone suddenly focused on grooming themselves. If the king and the only duke in Priba, and the count who was among the top three richest, came, this graduation ceremony could turn into a battlefield for employment.

The students were fussing over their hair and trying to smooth out the wrinkles in their graduation gowns. But Vanessa turned pale instead.

Guide, Guide is coming.

Lina whispered.

“Vanessa, are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

Vanessa just stroked the ribbon of the bouquet. Now it will probably be okay. It had been quite a while since she felt her heart tighten at his letters.

Not long after, the principal and professors came up to the platform. The students lowered their voices, but the low murmuring was still there.

But even the professors, who were known to be strict, were only gazing at the students with affectionate eyes today.

Soon, a small door on the side opened. Everyone thought that it was such a small and simple wooden door that ‘surely the king wouldn’t come in through there.’

But surprisingly, the woman who came in was clearly the king who ruled Priba. A face familiar from widely known portraits, and a crown placed on top of her short, black hair proved it.

The students made a sound of inhaling.

Behind her was Gideon. There were quite a few other people, but Vanessa could only see Gideon.

He seemed somehow different. The lines were a bit sharper….

As she stared blankly, unable to take her eyes off him, the man picked out Vanessa accurately from among the many gazes.

Vanessa, who had made eye contact, quickly lowered her head.

Listening only with her ears, she heard the sounds of leisurely footsteps and hurried footsteps mixed together, echoing on the platform. The professors all stood up to welcome the king and nobles, and it seemed that various conversations were exchanged among them.

When the hall was somewhat organized, the principal, who stepped forward, praised the students’ hard work in a loud voice that echoed throughout the space.

“Finally, this day has come. The day our students are freed from the academy.”

Everyone chuckled and held back their laughter. The principal smiled and continued.

“I vividly remember the first time I saw you all. It’s a lie in your eyes, but that’s not true. I remember each and every one of you. Every year it’s like that. Who fell off the wall somewhere….”

One student coughed loudly.

“Someone burned down a precious tree while practicing magic….”

Small laughter spread from the other side.

“I remember the little friend who always comes out of the library the latest, and the students who smiled as they passed through the hallway. So I’m always sad to say my last goodbyes to you.”

The principal smiled gently.

“Thanks to you all, everyone at the academy was very happy. You will now leave the academy and go out into a larger society. So even if you forget the academy, we will all remember you.”

The principal continued softly.

“But you can forget us. But even when you go out to a new place, remember the spirit of Bam Vandalu, the founder of Bamberg Academy.”

The students became quiet for a moment.

“He loved Priba more than anyone else, defended only justice, and valued new achievements rather than what was born with.”

‘So that’s why he tormented us so much in 6th grade.’

‘I understand now.’

Lina and Vanessa muttered. Chevati barely held back her laughter next to them.

“I hope that you will not forget the spirit of Bam Vandalu and that you will have the power to do it only because it is the right thing to do, and to always strive.”

The principal ended his speech with that. The students, forgetting the pain of 6th grade and being captivated by the touching atmosphere, gave enthusiastic applause.

And the principal was about to give up his seat to the king, who was smiling behind him.

The king shook his head a few times, but knowing that it was of great significance to the students, he eventually scratched his head and came forward.

When the crown tilted, someone next to him stomped his feet, but the king didn’t care.

“Ah, I can’t say things like the principal. I’m so glad I’m not the principal. I’m the king, so no one can nag me.”

The king said leisurely.

“Thank you to the wonderful talents who will become the new foundation of Priba. And may you win the new battles you will face again in society. The end!”

The king winked. Everyone applauded greatly at the short but pleasant speech, and the principal also laughed heartily next to him.

Vanessa thought that the king had the power to overwhelm the audience even though he was very easygoing and informal.

Of course, this thought was just an attempt to turn her gaze away. No matter how much charm the king had to attract attention, he could not hold her gaze as much as Duke Valder.

Gideon, who had lowered his eyes, was in a stiff outfit. He was wearing formal attire with a high collar, but it was not as flashy as Count Alban’s by half.

The only things that decorated it were a few pins stuck in to symbolize his position, neat embroidery on his chest, and cuff buttons.

Despite that neatness, his shining appearance and body, which made people whisper around him, were still the same, but somehow his gaze was indifferent to everything.

Also, he was originally a person without any extra fat, but the lines seemed sharper than in the past. Somehow, the expression ‘gaunt’ was right.

Vanessa held back the urge to send a letter right away.

Gideon, are you not feeling well?

But it was just a useless thought. What letter, she couldn’t even make eye contact.

Soon, a total of five people, including Vanessa and Chevati, went up to the platform and received the honors.

It was a very honorable thing. This was because the king himself decided to give necklaces to the five of them.

The king lightly joked with the students, but Vanessa couldn’t hear because she was trembling. All her nerves were focused on Gideon nearby.

‘It’s been quite a while since Gideon’s letters made my heart tighten’?

That was ridiculous.