When Cornelia and Yang Hui arrived at Ashford Academy, the Dean stood at the main entrance with all the school directors to welcome them, their faces filled with excitement.
If Cornelia hadn't sent word in advance, forbidding them from making a grand scene or disrupting the normal order of classes, the entire academy would likely have suspended lessons to hold a massive celebratory ceremony.
"Your Highness Cornelia, Your Highness Yang Hui, we welcome both your Highnesses for this visit."
"You are too kind, Lord Ashford." Cornelia's attitude toward the Ashford family was quite good. For one, they truly looked after Lelouch and Nunnally; for another, the Ashford family had been dedicated to education for generations, cultivating many talents for the Empire. Moreover, they weren't like the nobles in the Imperial Capital who loved to flatter and sycophant; they focused on their own work and were reliable in their dealings.
"The arrival of your Highnesses must be to observe the studies of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally? Prince Lelouch is currently in the sixth grade of elementary school and is having physical education on the sports field. Princess Nunnally is in the second grade and is in her classroom for a history lesson. Please follow me." This was the third reason—the Dean had keen insight and high emotional intelligence, knowing exactly what he should and shouldn't do.
"Yes, though Lord Ashford alone is enough to guide us. The others may disperse; so many people will disrupt the campus order," Cornelia told the group.
Upon hearing this, the directors and school leaders felt a bit disappointed, looking at the Ashford Dean with envy. Who wouldn't want more contact with two such high-profile members of the Imperial Family?
But as for jealousy... there really was none. The reason Ashford Academy had stood tall for so many years was due to the strong support of the Empire on one hand, and the harmonious relationships between the various families on the other. For generations, the Ashfords had maintained these relationships well, proactively choosing to yield in the face of certain interests.
This was a case of the saying: "It is because he does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him."
"Yes, your Highness."
The others left, and the officials of the Settlement also departed to return to their posts, leaving only the temporary person-in-charge and his secretary to follow.
"This kid... how is he still so pathetic?" When the group reached the sports field and saw Lelouch being dominated in a soccer match, Yang Hui rubbed his chin with interest, a very wicked smile on his face.
"Indeed, Lelouch's physical fitness truly needs to be strengthened," Cornelia teased as well. "Having a good brain doesn't mean he can give up on exercise."
"Doesn't he say it often? Those who charge into the array are the pawns, while he wants to be the King commanding from behind the scenes?"
"Oh? He's actually said things like that?" Cornelia's expression carried a hint of danger. She preferred leading from the front, and charging at the head of her troops was her norm. Wasn't Lelouch essentially saying she was a pawn?
"So, Imperial Sister, you know what to do, hehehe..."
Right at that moment, the soccer match for the P.E. class ended. The team Lelouch led suffered a crushing defeat, causing Lelouch to nearly grind his silver teeth to bits.
"Ahaha, we lost again." Lelouch's classmate and good friend, Rival Cardifford, comforted him, though Lelouch remained unreconciled.
"Isn't it because of you?" Lelouch grumbled irritably. "If you hadn't failed to keep up with my strategy, we would have won long ago!"
"Well... about that..." Rival felt awkward. He was a sincere and simple person with a warm and cheerful personality, so he didn't mind Lelouch's complaining.
"Forget it, it was also my oversight for not considering how to fill the hole you left, otherwise we wouldn't have... what's wrong with you?" Lelouch knew he shouldn't blame his teammate entirely—he was just being a tsundere—so he intended to soften his tone. But before he could finish, he saw Rival staring behind him in a daze and noticed the entire sports field had gone silent.
"Cor... Cor..."
"Cor-what? What is wrong with you?"
"Her Highness Cornelia and His Highness Yang Hui!" Rival pointed behind Lelouch and shouted excitedly.
"Huh?" Lelouch froze. He whipped his head around and saw Cornelia and Yang Hui walking toward him, their smiles carrying deep meaning.
"Cornelia! Yang Hui! You... why are you here?" It wasn't until the two stood before him that Lelouch spoke. He didn't even realize his voice was choking up or that his eyes had turned red.
"The Empire is conducting a joint military exercise with Japan, so we dropped by to see you and Nunnally. By the way... shouldn't you call me Imperial Sister?" Cornelia teased.
"Hmph!" Hearing they only visited him and Nunnally "by the way," the moved feeling in the tsundere Lelouch's heart vanished instantly. He turned his head away, refusing to look at them.
"Haha, you brat, you really haven't grown up at all." Yang Hui happily ruffled Lelouch's hair, not caring that his name was used directly. The current Lelouch wasn't the man he would grow to be; though his emotional intelligence was always present, it was currently suppressed by his stubborn pride.
"Stop joking around!" Lelouch brushed Yang Hui's hand away snobbishly. "I'm not the same as I used to be!"
"Oho!" Yang Hui took a step back in mock surprise, his expression exaggerated. "Incredible! Lelouch has grown up! Imperial Sister! Look, this kid says he's grown up!"
"Pfft~" Even Cornelia couldn't maintain her stern majesty at this moment and burst into laughter.
"Yang Hui!!"
"Haha, Imperial Sister and I saw your 'brilliant performance' the whole time." Yang Hui's face wore a playful smirk, causing Lelouch's small face to turn beet red instantly.
"I... this... this was just because I wasn't in good form, and there was a mistake in the plan..."
"Oho? You really have grown, kid. You've even learned how to make excuses."
"Yang Hui!"
"Alright, Yang Hui, stop teasing Lelouch." As the elder sister to both, Cornelia stepped into the conversation at the right time. "And Lelouch, pay more attention to your physical training. Your physical fitness is indeed too poor."
"Tch, you don't need to tell me. I only need to maintain my health; the rest can be carried out by the pawns."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yang Hui and Cornelia fell silent, and the smiles vanished from their faces.
"Wh... what is it?" Seeing Cornelia and Yang Hui's expressions suddenly turn serious, Lelouch shrank his neck back slightly.
"Lelouch, you've forgotten something very important," Yang Hui said, patting Lelouch on the shoulder.
"What?"
"The King... is also on the chessboard."
"This..."
Lelouch's IQ was very high, but his age and experience were still lacking. He could only understand a fraction of Yang Hui's words, and his ingrained way of thinking wasn't so easily overturned.
Yang Hui and Cornelia weren't in a hurry. Seeing Lelouch lower his head in thought showed that he had listened, which was enough.
"Alright, go back to your friend. The next class is about to start. We still need to go see Nunnally," Cornelia said to Lelouch.
"Eh? I still have to go to class?" Lelouch looked up in surprise.
"Of course, you are a student right now," Yang Hui laughed.
"But aren't you..." Lelouch thought Cornelia and Yang Hui had come to spend the day with him and Nunnally. Since they were here, he figured he shouldn't have to attend class today, but it seemed... it wasn't that simple. "...What exactly is the purpose of your visit to the academy today?"
"That..." Yang Hui and Cornelia exchanged a glance and shared a playful smile. "Parents' Observation Day."
Lelouch: _——>(Angry Face)
After bidding farewell to Lelouch, the two went to the second-grade classroom to observe Nunnally's studies. Lelouch's remaining classes were all academic; with Lelouch's intelligence, they didn't need to look to know he would be incredibly bored, at most pointing out where the teacher was wrong with a snobbish look.
Compared to the prideful and snobbish Lelouch, Nunnally was much cuter.
"Brother Yang Hui! Sister Cornelia! I missed you both so much!"
When the class ended, Nunnally quickly wheeled herself over to Yang Hui and Cornelia. She was very excited, wanting to dive into their arms to act spoiled, but her royal upbringing and physical condition prevented her from doing so.
Nunnally was a very sensible child, but no matter how sensible, she was still a child. Having moved far from home with her brother, she would still feel lonely, no matter how well the Ashford family treated them.
"Seeing that you are living happily puts my mind at ease, Nunnally." Cornelia's favorite sister was Euphemia, without a doubt, but that didn't mean she didn't love Nunnally. It was just that Nunnally was younger and had been sent to Japan after the tragedy, so she hadn't been pampered by Cornelia as long as Euphemia had.
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Sister. I am doing very well and have made many friends," Nunnally said happily.
"Sigh, now that you have your sister, you've forgotten your brother," Yang Hui said, feigning heartbreak on the side.
"I have not! I missed Brother Yang Hui too!" Nunnally puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish and said to Yang Hui, "It's just that Brother is as black-bellied as ever and loves to tease me."
"Haha, that's slander, Nunnally," Yang Hui laughed. "I'm the one who dotes on Nunnally the most. Every time you skipped your etiquette lessons in the past, wasn't I the one who covered for you?"
"Oh? You skipped etiquette lessons?" Cornelia was surprised. In her eyes, Nunnally was a good girl, not someone who liked to skip class like Euphemia.
"Brother! Didn't you promise not to mention that?" Nunnally said, embarrassed.
"Oops! I accidentally let it slip!"
"Brother really is black-bellied, hmph!"
"Hahaha..."
The observation day passed quickly. After watching Lelouch and Nunnally's daily school lives, Cornelia and Yang Hui were also guided by the Dean for a tour of the entire academy. It was indeed a famous school of the Empire; even though it was established in a Settlement, it possessed the facilities of a top-tier Imperial academy.
As for the academic grades of Lelouch and Nunnally, Cornelia and Yang Hui weren't worried at all. The genes of the Imperial Family were quite powerful, and neither of them were the type to be unmotivated—provided, of course, the discussion was limited to academic subjects.
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