Wilhelmina Mina hurriedly grabbed a slice of pizza, staring at Albert’s unrefined way of eating, yet he still looked elegant. Albert wore his military school uniform, a simple and crisp black outfit with silver lines that highlighted his tall, slender figure. His neat chestnut hair and eyes like water-colored crystals added to his refined appearance.
Noticing Wilhelmina Mina’s gaze, Albert explained the badges pinned to his chest: “This is the intermediate department brotherhood president’s badge, and this one is an award from the previous youth military competition.”
“Oh?” Wilhelmina Mina was interested. “Which category?”
The young man smiled humbly, “The all-around category.”
The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, looking particularly cute. Albert watched her with interest and laughed.
“You’re really impressive,” the girl sincerely praised. “Is military school interesting?”
“That depends on how you understand ‘interesting’,” Albert replied. “If you like mechanics, spaceships, strict schedules, and dizzying high-speed flights in space, then you might find it interesting.”
A radiant light covered Wilhelmina Mina’s face. “I find it interesting. So you can pilot a spaceship?”
Albert laughed. “Yes, Your Highness. I have elective piloting courses. After entering the advanced department, combat science students all take this course.”
“So, what’s it like to pilot a spaceship in the universe?”
Albert stared at the little girl, a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. “It’s not romantic at all, Your Highness. First, the cabin is humid and stuffy. During flight, you’ll feel dizzy. After leaving the atmosphere, meteorites and space debris can hit the hull and kill you at any moment. Even if you dodge the debris, you’re still exposed to enemy fire…”
Wilhelmina Mina stared blankly at Albert, his teasing smile now quite obvious, leaving her at a loss.
“That’s war, Your Highness. If you want to enjoy cruising in space comfortably, you should take a passenger spaceship,” he said, finishing his pizza and wiping his hands with a napkin.
His fingers were long and pale, completely unlike a soldier’s hands.
Wilhelmina Mina reacted, her face turning red. She sensed the contempt and hostility from the other person, deepening her embarrassment.
Silenced by shame and anger, she pressed her lips together, put down her juice, and stood up.
“Are you leaving?” Albert asked.
Wilhelmina Mina glanced up, her gaze sharp enough to make the Selberg family’s young master feel a chill.
“I have a history test this afternoon,” she said, lowering her eyes as she grabbed her schoolbag and turned to leave.
Albert hesitated, sighed regretfully, and pushed away from the table to chase after her.
Outside, Wilhelmina Mina was hit by the cold wind, reminded she had already given her coat to Patrick. Not wanting to return for Albert’s cape, she raised her collar, hugged her arms, and rushed toward the dormitory.
Chapter 17
Albert chased after her, but she had already shrunk to a dot in the distance. Snowflakes drifted down, melting on his skin and bringing bone-chilling cold. It was at least a five-minute walk to the junior dormitory.
He grabbed the shawl handed by the driver and rushed into the snow. At that moment, a girl blocked his way, joyfully exclaiming, “Albert, you really came?”
“Annabel?” Albert stopped.
He looked again, and Wilhelmina’s back had completely disappeared.
“Oh my, it’s so cold outside! Let’s go inside,” Annabel pulled him back into the house. “I heard you came to the academy, and I thought they might be mistaken. I haven’t had lunch yet.”
Albert signaled to the driver, who ran toward the direction where Wilhelmina had gone. Annabel didn’t seem to notice and enthusiastically pulled Albert toward the elevator.
Wilhelmina ran furiously into the dormitory. The snow on her hair and body melted in the warmth, soaking her clothes and making her shiver. She sneezed twice, cursing Albert in her heart, and angrily returned to her room.
“Oh my God, didn’t you bring an umbrella?” Angela looked up from her desk, jumping in fright. “Poor Willy, let me run a bath for you. First, wipe your hair.”
Wilhelmina threw her bag on the floor and grabbed a towel to dry her hair. Before the bath water was ready, she sneezed several times. This prompted Angela to find the dormitory supervisor. By the time Wilhelmina came out of the shower, the school doctor was already in her room.
“I think Your Highness has caught a bit of a cold,” the doctor said, prescribing medication and instructing Wilhelmina to rest for half a day after taking it.
“But I’ll miss my history quiz,” Wilhelmina protested.
“I’ll help you ask for leave,” Cairns said, “You’re so lucky. Maybe you can sneeze on me so I don’t have to take the test.”
“Go away!” Wilhelmina exclaimed.
After Angela brought hot milk and left for class, Wilhelmina let out a long breath, feeling a surge of shame and anger. She struggled to understand Albert’s behavior. Her anger raised her body temperature, causing dizziness. The cold medicine took effect, and she fell asleep.
It wasn’t a comfortable sleep. Wilhelmina experienced waves of dizziness from her fever and had a strange dream where she piloted an Explorer spacecraft, dodging meteorites and light beams. As a blinding light beam shot towards her, she screamed in terror, desperately trying to steer the ship.
“No! Grandma… Owen! Owen!”
“Shh… I’m here. Baby, don’t be afraid, I’m here…”
The gentle voice gradually calmed her.
Hans Borg gently wiped the girl’s bright red face with a damp cloth. The child moved restlessly but didn’t open her eyes. “Her temperature is too high.”
We should use a fever injection,” the doctor suggested.
Hans Borg touched Wilhelmina’s hair and nodded, “Mind the dosage.”
Wilhelmina’s dream changed. She found herself back in Monslanda during summer at Cloud Sparrow Manor, wearing a new dress made by her grandmother, running through the cornfield with her playmates, puppies barking ahead.
She ran into an open area, the sun glaring down.
Opening her eyes, the view was dim. This wasn’t Monslanda but a small dormitory at Odin Royal Academy.
In the chair by the bed, the young secretary slept, his features gentle and marked by fatigue.
Wilhelmina felt hot, her body sweating—a sign of breaking the fever. She didn’t throw off the blanket.
She stared at Hans Borg’s sleeping face and gradually fell asleep again.
When she woke up next, it was day. The secretary was gone from beside her bed.
A week later, Wilhelmina ran into Parker in the library. He walked unsteadily, but his wounds seemed treated, and it appeared no one was bothering him anymore.
Wilhelmina wanted to greet him but stopped, considering his awkward status. As they passed, she nodded. Parker glanced at her, his lips moving but saying nothing.
That night, returning to the dorm after self-study, her dry-cleaned coat lay on her bed. She hung it up. The school had issued her a replacement coat, and she hadn’t worn this one again.
The New Year arrived with heavy snow. The school was closed for two weeks, but with final exams immediately following the break, Wilhelmina and the others didn’t slack off, still having plenty of schoolwork.
The annual New Year gathering was held in the golden hall of the Palace of No Worries. After a turbulent year, this joyful ball seemed especially precious. The royal family needed to demonstrate the stability of the royal house, while the noble elites sought to network with the new heir.
The grand ball lasted all night, with men and women dancing together. For children not yet in the social circle, the appeal of exquisite pastries was even greater.
