Melissa, known as Mel in The Duke’s Daughter Banished to the Frontier After Her Fiancé, the Second Prince, Was Stolen by Her Stepsister, Becomes a Saint in the Empire.

Aubrey, known as Bray in The Count’s Daughter, Driven Out by Her Stepmother and Half-Sister, Is Loved by the Crown Prince in the Empire.

Caroline, known as Carrie in The Marquis’s Daughter, Who Lost Her Parents and Had Her Inheritance Stolen by Her Uncle, Is Loved by the Second Prince in the Empire.

Noah in The Hidden Child of a Border Marquess, Who Fled from the Succession Struggle Among His Half-Siblings, Is Surrounded by Beautiful Girls in the Empire and Is at a Loss.

Bray came up with these trendy romance-novel-style self-introductions. Though everything after “in the Empire” was a blatant lie, Melissa thought the first half was an accurate description. None of them shared more details about their pasts, but just that much was enough for their shared academy life.

Melissa had been worried about making friends at the academy, especially after being so easily cast aside by Jacqueline, whom she once considered a friend. However, as soon as Bray approached her, she forgot those worries entirely.

Unlike the children of the Imperial nobility, who had to consider factional politics and read between the lines in every conversation, they could enjoy a peaceful academy life. It was also Melissa’s long-cherished dream to live in the Imperial capital. Every weekend, she would go out into the city with Bray, Carrie, and Noah, listening to street performers play various instruments and sing.

Melissa, who was destined to become a commoner, was truly glad she had chosen an academy in the Empire rather than her homeland. However, she couldn’t help but worry about the other three, who would eventually have to return to Wainwright and live as nobles again after graduating.

In one of her frequent letters, Rose suggested she befriend the Imperial nobles, showcase her piano skills, and build connections for the future. But Melissa replied that she wanted to prioritize her time with her close friends. Rose was happy for her, saying she was glad Melissa had made friends.

Among the academy’s upper and lowerclassmen from Wainwright, they were warned about things to be cautious of as foreigners. In turn, they helped new students who entered after them. Since most of them had been wounded in some way and forced to leave their homeland, they were all kind and supportive of one another. Gradually, Melissa’s once-limited circle of acquaintances began to expand.

Still, at night, an emptiness would creep into her heart, threatening to swallow her in loneliness. On such nights, she would gaze at the blue-green ribbon.

Since before enrolling, Melissa had been sending letters to Nate, who remained at Duke Johnston’s estate. Considering that Amelia might read them, she wrote only trivial matters and inquiries about Nate’s health.

Then, sometime after she entered the noble academy, Nate’s letters finally began arriving.

The crumpled envelopes contained only short messages: Are you well? I’m doing fine. No need to worry. I want to hear the piano. Do your best in the Empire. There were no answers to the questions in Melissa’s letters.

Realizing that her letters were likely not reaching Nate, Melissa still continued to write. If she sent many, perhaps at least one would get through. Even if he didn’t receive them directly, at least he might hear that she was writing to him. So she carefully composed letters that wouldn’t be problematic even if someone else read them.

Nate’s letters were Melissa’s most treasured possessions. Though his messages were short and curt, it was clear he was terrible at writing, yet still making the effort just for her. That thought alone made her happy. She kept them in a small treasure box along with the ribbon and reread them every night before sleeping.

One day, in one of Nate’s letters, there was a strange line: Don’t let Patrick hear your piano. It unsettled her, but she decided not to worry about it. She would ask Nate himself when they reunited. Until then, she wouldn’t play the piano in front of her brother.

Time passed, and Melissa entered her third year at the noble academy. At fifteen, she was now old enough to apply for the Telfort International Music Competition in the fall.

To apply, she needed the signature of either her father or a member of Wainwright’s royal family. However, since she couldn’t let her father find out about her aspirations to become a pianist in the Empire, she had to forego this year’s application.

Before the final graduation exams, she would disappear, renounce her noble status, and, after the graduation ceremony, change her nationality to the Empire’s and become the commoner Mel. Then, as Mel, she would enroll in the Empire’s magic academy. Next year, in the fall of her sixteenth year, she would apply for the competition without any worries.

International law prohibited unauthorized access to a person’s nationality records unless by royalty, so she didn’t have to worry about her family finding out. In the magic academy, she planned to abandon her wig and act as if she were an entirely different person from Melissa Johnston of the noble academy.

At the end of her third summer at the noble academy, the new semester began, and as usual, Melissa and the others gathered in the piano practice room she had reserved for the year.

Their routine was simple: Melissa played the piano while the others studied. It had become their customary way to spend after-school hours.

“You’re all going to the Empire’s magic academy, right?”

Carrie asked as Melissa paused for a break. With only six months left until graduation, she was naturally curious about everyone’s plans. Noah, who not only read the Imperial newspapers but also had Wainwright’s newspapers delivered daily, was the first to respond.

“The newspapers said that Wainwright’s magic academy is temporarily withdrawing from the international magic academy treaty for the next few years due to experimental curriculum changes. By the end of this month, they’ll officially announce that, starting next year, Wainwright nationals will no longer be able to enroll in foreign magic academies. We’ll only be able to attend Wainwright’s magic academy.”

Melissa was surprised by this news. Then, she remembered the letter she had received from her father a few days ago—an order, not a letter from a parent to a child. It had instructed her to return to Duke Johnston’s estate after graduating and enroll in Wainwright’s magic academy. She had assumed it was because Amelia had completed her magical training, but this was the real reason.

“I didn’t know that. Noah, as always, you’re diligent and well-informed. …I see. In that case, I think I’ll quit the noble academy and become a commoner in the Empire. I’ll enroll in the Empire’s magic academy as a commoner. My uncle forced me into this academy, but I’ve always planned to escape, even if I had to become a commoner.”

If Carrie became a commoner in the Empire, then Melissa would have a companion when she enrolled in the magic academy.

“The magic academy is under the queen’s jurisdiction. They’re probably trying to lure the third prince to Wainwright’s magic academy.”

“The third prince?”

Bray, intrigued by Carrie’s unexpected remark, leaned in, and Melissa and Noah waited for her to continue.

“There’s a third prince, born to a deceased concubine, whom His Majesty has been hiding from the queen. He’s my age and likely to enroll in a noble academy in another country. That’s why my uncle forced me to enroll here—to find the third prince in the Empire. …Well, it’s better than being thrown out on the streets, I guess. My uncle keeps sending me letters demanding that I investigate not just students my age but also underclassmen. It’s exhausting, so I haven’t even bothered looking. But I can say for sure—he’s not in this academy.”

(Translator note: no idea how they jump to the wig thing )

“Eh!? You noticed I was wearing a wig?”

Melissa was shocked by how casually Carrie mentioned the wig.

“I figured you had your reasons, so I kept quiet, but I noticed about a week after we enrolled. What about you two?”

“I think it took me a month.”

“I realized at the entrance ceremony!”

Hearing Carrie, Noah, and Bray’s responses, Melissa slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

“If everyone is going to Wainwright’s Magic Academy, then I’m the only one parting ways. Honestly, becoming a commoner is a bit nerve-wracking, but I’ll manage somehow. I’ll write you a letter once things settle down.”

Though Carrie wore a lonely expression as she spoke, Melissa, too, was becoming a commoner and heading to the Empire’s Magic Academy.

They had built their friendship over the past two and a half years—Melissa chose to believe in that bond.

With that resolve, Melissa shared her plan to become a pianist in the Empire with the three of them.

Half a year later, on a warm spring day, it was the entrance ceremony for the Magic Academy in the Wainwright Kingdom, where Melissa was born.

The ceremony hall was filled with new students and their families, seated and waiting for the event to begin. Since Melissa had stayed in the Empire until the last possible moment before departure, she had come directly to the Magic Academy without stopping by the Johnston Ducal household, meaning she had not seen her family yet.

Sitting together without parental accompaniment, Melissa, Bray, Carrie, and Noah couldn’t help but laugh—it felt just like the entrance ceremony at the noble academy three years ago. Just like back then, Melissa wore the same teal ribbon in her hair as a keepsake.

The higher-ranked nobles sat closer to the stage, and the seats were arranged in tiers, looking down upon the stage. From their seats at the very back, the four of them could see the entire hall.

This year, since His Highness Prince Christopher, the second prince, was enrolling, the King and Queen were seated in the special guest area to the right of the stage, along with His Highness Prince Eldred, a second-year student at the Magic Academy. The young man sitting in the front row, on the far right, was likely Prince Christopher. On the left side of the stage, foreign and domestic dignitaries filled the special guest seating. Due to the introduction of a new education system, the number of distinguished guests was higher than in previous years.

“That black-haired guy—is that your Nate, Mel?”

Bray pointed at a black-haired young man sitting behind the row occupied by the Johnston Ducal family, positioned near the center of the front row.

It was the first time in three and a half years Melissa had seen Nate’s back.

Nate occasionally turned his head from side to side, scanning his surroundings, making it clear that his long bangs still hid half of his face as always. Though Melissa couldn’t see it from this distance, he was likely wearing the artificial rose that signified new students.

Looking at Nate’s now broad, mature back, Melissa’s heart began to race. There was no way she could simply reach out, place her hands on his face, and cast light magic at such close range anymore.

“Yeah. He’s not ‘mine’ or anything, but that’s Nate. And the blonde lady sitting in the front row—that’s Amelia.”

Seated on either side of Amelia, though their faces weren’t visible from behind, were a silver-haired gentleman to her right, likely her father, and a silver-haired lady to her left, likely her grandmother. Since upperclassmen didn’t attend the entrance ceremony, her brother wasn’t present.

Melissa felt neither emotion nor sorrow upon seeing her family’s backs for the first time in five years. They had long since forgotten about her, and she had stopped caring about them. They were not her purpose here.

After a while, the stage lights brightened, signaling the start of Wainwright’s Magic Academy entrance ceremony.

The principal gave an opening address, followed by speeches from renowned foreign magicians and scholars. Then came the new student representative’s speech.

The representative was none other than Amelia Johnston.

Despite Prince Christopher’s capabilities, the calculating Amelia had refused to relinquish the position of new student representative, even if it meant embarrassing the royal family. She had a reason—last month, Amelia had become engaged to His Highness Prince Eldred.

Though a duke’s daughter now, Amelia had originally been a viscount’s daughter and did not carry noble blood. This was her chance to showcase her excellence before everyone, and she wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Last autumn, it was announced that Prince Eldred would be officially named Crown Prince the following summer. The King, who favored the third prince, had reluctantly conceded to the Queen’s demands to name Eldred as Crown Prince in order to protect the third prince from the Queen’s influence.

Soon after Eldred’s appointment, Amelia had immediately secured her engagement to him. Her swift political maneuvering in orchestrating this engagement was terrifying.

Amelia, seated in the front row, rose with perfect grace and ascended the stage elegantly.

Her long, slender limbs, porcelain-white skin peeking from beneath her uniform collar, shining golden hair, rose-red eyes, and symmetrical, well-shaped features—she looked like a doll sculpted by the gods. As she slowly emerged from the dimly lit audience and stepped into the bright stage lights, her appearance became even more vivid, and the audience couldn’t take their eyes off her.

The last time Melissa had seen Amelia was when she was eleven. Now, at sixteen, Amelia had blossomed into an unbelievably beautiful young woman.

With a blooming smile, Amelia began speaking in a voice as clear and melodious as ringing bells.

“With the arrival of warm spring, we—”

“Your Majesty! I stand before you to make an accusation against Amelia Johnston, the fiancée of His Highness Prince Eldred, for murder!”

A figure strode onto the stage, cutting off Amelia’s speech and declaring an accusation toward the King.

The person who had interrupted Amelia’s moment was Nate.

His long bangs had been swept back, revealing a face identical to Amelia’s.

The entire audience fell into stunned silence. The surreal sight of two identical, impossibly beautiful individuals and the shocking declaration left them too bewildered to react. All eyes turned to the King, awaiting his response.