Inside the envelope were two neatly folded sheets of letter paper. Adrian immediately pulled out the top one. As it turned out, the second sheet was completely blank, with nothing written on it.
The thick, glossy sheet he held bore a short sentence scrawled in a hurried hand:
“Permission is granted to remain in the royal capital during the vacation.”
Below that was the royal seal of the Rustavaran family.
What was that supposed to mean? For an invitation, the wording felt oddly authoritarian—more like an order than a request. Adrian stared at the luxurious letter in his hand, wondering if there was some hidden intent behind it, but it seemed that the message was exactly what it appeared to be: an invitation to the capital. Nothing more.
As Adrian silently stared down at the letter, the prince—sensing something strange—raised one eyebrow.
“What is it?”
Mikhail glanced at the messenger, but the man, bound by duty to protect the sender’s identity, merely replied, “I’m sorry, but I cannot say.”
Oh really? Then I’ll find out myself.
With a dry smirk, the prince casually strode over and snatched the letter right out of Adrian’s hand.
At the same time, the messenger cautiously pointed out the impropriety of Mikhail’s actions, reminding him that royal correspondence ought to be treated with respect.
“Your Highness, it is not appropriate to read another person’s letter without permission…”
“I know.”
He was already more versed in court etiquette than anyone else.
Scoffing as if to say And who are you to lecture me on etiquette?, Mikhail boldly read through the letter addressed to Adrian. Adrian didn’t resist, instead watching the prince’s expression carefully. Mikhail skimmed the brief message, then looked up at the messenger and asked,
“Who sent this?”
The messenger hesitated for a moment before replying,
“…It’s from Queen Armin.”
Mother, huh? Still meddling as always.
Mikhail ran a hand roughly through his hair. The messenger then turned to look at the young man standing quietly beside the prince. It was his duty to collect a reply to the letter, but it was clear from Adrian’s expression that he had no idea what to do—likely because this was his first time receiving a royal invitation.
“If you’ve finished reading the letter, please write your reply on the blank sheet included in the envelope. I’ll deliver it to Her Majesty directly.”
The messenger politely urged Adrian to write a response.
What the hell am I supposed to write?
Hearing the request, Adrian glanced over at Mikhail. The prince, noticing the uncertain look in Adrian’s eyes, spoke up.
“Just write that you’ll leave in the first week.”
“…But I wasn’t planning to leave the Academy during break.”
“Then write that instead.”
Then Mikhail added,
“Doesn’t matter what nonsense you write about not coming—they’ll just send you the same letter again. Over and over. Until you say yes.”
That’s how the royal family communicates.
He spoke bluntly, almost indifferently. Anyone else would’ve called it an honor and immediately penned a reply saying they’d be thrilled to stay in the capital all break. But this roommate of his—a commoner—didn’t seem to grasp the situation. That look of reluctance on Adrian’s face irritated him for some reason.
“I’m not staying in the capital all break either. I’ll just show my face for a bit and head back to Basamiel.”
“I…”
“Adrian.”
Just as Adrian tried to protest again, Mikhail cut him off sharply. His expression made it clear that even thinking about it was exhausting.
“You really are hopeless when it comes to tact and timing. The Hedera Company’s name must be crying.”
“Me…?”
Adrian blinked, incredulous at the unexpected jab. Mikhail carried on, unfazed.
The royal hospitality of Rustavaran was known across the continent for being second to none. And someone like Adrian—his own roommate—was more than qualified to receive that level of treatment.
“You don’t have anything else to do over break except look after plants, right? Just think of it as a chance to relax at the palace.”
“….”
The warmth in Adrian’s golden-brown eyes instantly cooled. What a damn way to put it.
Mikhail, too, seemed to realize how his words had sounded and went silent. Though he had meant what he said about resting comfortably at the capital, he probably could’ve phrased it better.
“If you’ve made up your mind, please write your reply.”
Not exactly the friendliest of roommates for having spent a whole semester together, huh?
The seasoned messenger smiled politely, trying his best to maintain decorum between the two young men. Adrian let out a low sigh, muttering as if the whole thing was just a headache.
“Why is Her Majesty… extending such an invitation?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t presume to speak on Her Majesty’s behalf. The content of the letter expresses her will—please respond accordingly.”
She must’ve heard about the party.
Mikhail, leaning against the wall, silently watched Adrian, who was frowning as he stared down at the letter.
“I’m going to write that I appreciate the invitation, but won’t be able to accept.”
Adrian spoke, eyes fixed on the letter paper in his hand, but clearly addressing the messenger, not Mikhail. His voice was firm and clear—deliberately loud enough for the prince beside him to hear. With calm fingers, he pulled out the blank sheet still tucked inside the envelope.
Mikhail clicked his tongue and folded his arms. “Sure, go ahead—do whatever you want.”
The messenger quietly waited as Adrian briskly scrawled his reply with a quill, then carefully tucked it away into his uniform.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
The messenger closed the dormitory door behind him. Mikhail and Adrian turned their backs on each other at the same time, smirking in mutual annoyance.
But just a few days later, it became clear that—unfortunately—Mikhail had been right.
***
With vacation underway, the dorms at Basamiel Academy had become a whirlwind of noise and activity. A student climbed onto a carriage in front of the main building and shouted to someone still standing below.
“If you end up stopping by the Callina region like we talked about, you better come to our estate, alright?”
“Of course! We always vacation somewhere near there in the summer, so I think I can make it.”
“That’d be amazing. I’ll have the guest room ready as soon as I get home!”
“…I might not be able to. You know that, right?”
“I know!”
The student plopped into his seat and leaned out the window, waving enthusiastically. The girl standing outside responded to her boyfriend’s hopeful call with a cheery, “Yeah! Of course!” It was a tender, youthful scene.
Adrian, who had inadvertently witnessed the fresh-faced couple’s emotional goodbye, smiled softly and gave a small nod. He was just returning from the main greenhouse after checking on the Kevish seedlings he’d planted. The leaves had turned a deeper green—perhaps a sign they were adjusting well to the new soil—and that alone had lightened his mood considerably.
But that peace didn’t last long. As soon as he reached his dorm room, it came crashing down.
“Good afternoon. Lovely weather today, isn’t it?”
It was the same man from before—the one who had delivered the last letter. Dressed in the Rustavaran royal uniform, the messenger greeted Adrian with a bright smile.
“…Hello.”
Adrian reluctantly replied, then reached for the doorknob, only to pause.
“Do you… have business with me?”
“Ah, I appreciate you recognizing me. I bring a letter from the royal family.”
He pulled an envelope from his breast pocket and held it out toward Adrian. It was the same as before—identical, even down to the paper inside.
“….”
Mikhail had been right.
Adrian closed his eyes with a sigh. There’s no getting out of this, huh.
“Please, come in.”
He trudged into the room and hastily scribbled I will visit during the first week of break onto the blank sheet. Just as Mikhail had said—better to deal with it quickly and be done with it. He sealed the letter, handed it to the messenger, who received it with a cheerful, “I’ll make sure this reaches Her Majesty safely,” and tucked it away carefully—
Clack. The dorm door suddenly swung open, and Mikhail walked in.
He instinctively narrowed his eyes at the unfamiliar presence in the room, but upon recognizing the messenger, his expression quickly returned to its usual indifferent calm. Then he caught sight of the letter being tucked into the man’s inner pocket.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness. It’s a fine midday, isn’t it?”
Just as he had done when greeting Adrian, the messenger smiled and bowed to Mikhail. The prince accepted the greeting with a nod, loosening his school uniform’s tie as he spoke to Adrian behind him.
“I’m leaving tomorrow. Want me to request travel clearance for two people instead?”
“….”
Adrian gave a sulky nod.
They gonna have ‘meeting the family’ arc omg