Chapter 61: Princess Offer
She smiled at me with her eyes — calm, graceful, and perfectly composed.
"Not at all," I replied politely.
In truth, I had been waiting for quite a while.
The silence, the gilded walls, the ticking clock — all of it had started to wear on my nerves. I was tired, sore, and honestly just wanted to collapse on my bed. But I wasn’t stupid enough to act rude in front of someone like her.
"First, I would like to express my gratitude," Anna said, lowering her head slightly in a perfectly practiced motion.
Her tone was soft but carried that same regal authority that made everyone around her instinctively straighten their backs.
"It was nothing. I didn’t do much," I replied, keeping my tone humble.
And that was honestly what I thought.
The knights had arrived not long after I struck the gang down. Even if I hadn’t intervened, Anna probably wouldn’t have been kidnapped — at most, the situation would have gotten messy for a few minutes.
Still, a princess was a princess; saving her, even by accident, was bound to draw attention.
"So, what business do you have with me today...?" I asked, doing my best to sound casual.
If she just wanted to thank me, a handwritten letter would have done the job. There was no reason to drag me into a palace-like room for this.
Anna didn’t seem to mind my subtle hint. She took a delicate sip of her coffee, her long lashes lowering for a moment before she met my gaze again.
"Then, I’ll get straight to the point," she said.
Her tone shifted — still soft, but firmer, heavier.
"As you know, many were injured during the recent incident."
I nodded silently.
Monsters appearing in the middle of the academy... bombs going off in random corners of the campus... it had been chaos.
Thankfully, there had been no confirmed fatalities yet, but that didn’t change how shocking it all was. Incidents like this simply didn’t happen here.
"After discussing the situation with the academy’s board," Anna continued, "the student council has proposed a new measure — the creation of a self-governing body dedicated to the protection of the academy."
My fingers twitched slightly.
A self-governing defense group...?
That sounded familiar.
A group formed by students, meant to guard the academy from threats both internal and external...
’Wait a second.’
My mind clicked.
The Guardian Knights.
A group that didn’t exist yet — at least, not at this point in the story. In the comic, it was something that would only be established later, after several major incidents.
But now, because of this terrorist attack, it seemed that event had been pushed forward.
"The student council would like to recruit you as one of the founding members of this new body," Anna said, setting her cup down with a soft clink.
Her gaze was calm but piercing, as if she could see straight through me.
I froze for a moment, trying to keep my expression neutral.
That wasn’t what I expected.
Because that was what I couldn’t wrap my head around.
Out of all the elite students in the academy — knights, mages, prodigies born from noble bloodlines — why me?
Sure, I had been there during the chaos, and maybe I had looked competent enough while helping the knights fend off a few attackers. But compared to the others, I was still just a face in the crowd.
’So why me...?’
The Guardian Knights.
A special unit formed by carefully selecting students from the academy.
Their purpose was to handle things the student council couldn’t—resolving disputes, protecting students, and keeping order when trouble inevitably arose.
On paper, they sounded like a glorified disciplinary committee.
But in reality, they held far more authority.
Unlike the regular committee, the Guardian Knights were legally granted the power to arrest, interrogate, and even conduct investigations within academy grounds.
Essentially, they were a self-governing security force—an elite group that stood just below the student council in rank.
But there was one thing that didn’t make sense.
’Why me specifically...?’
In the webtoon, the Guardian Knights later became something far more than just a student group.
They turned into the personal royal guard of the princess herself.
At first, Anna Blackwood’s influence had been limited to her role as student council president—prestigious, yes, but still bound by academy rules.
However, with the formation of the Guardian Knights, that began to change.
Through them, she started to project the empire’s power inside the academy.
And because of that, the Guardian Knights were an incredibly exclusive organization.
Only those closest to her—trusted allies, future nobles, and geniuses—were chosen.
But me?
I wasn’t close to her.
I wasn’t some prodigy blessed by the gods either.
So... why?
"Will you accept the offer?"
Anna’s calm voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
She looked directly at me, her violet eyes glimmering softly, but behind that gentleness was unmistakable pressure.
For a second, I hesitated.
Anyone else would have jumped at the chance.
Becoming a Guardian Knight meant stepping into the inner circle of the imperial family’s successor herself.
Power. Prestige. Influence.
It was everything an ambitious academy student could ever dream of.
But I wasn’t like that.
"I must decline," I said, meeting her gaze firmly.
"...What?"
Her expression froze.
It was as if she couldn’t quite believe what she’d heard.
When I didn’t say anything else, she blinked, looking a little lost.
"W–why?" she asked quietly, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"I’m not really interested in such troublesome things," I replied with a small shrug.
It wasn’t a lie.
Joining some royal organization just sounded like more work and more ways to get dragged into dangerous situations.
I could tell she was taken aback.
After all, no one in their right mind turned down an offer like that from her.
If it had been someone else, they’d probably be groveling in gratitude, already dreaming of the connections and titles that would follow.
But I wasn’t aiming for power.
I wasn’t aiming for wealth.
’Why would I bother getting myself involved in something that complicated?’
It was better to live quietly, far away from political drama—or from the story’s main plot, for that matter.
So I stood by my decision.
I just wanted to live a more fantasy-like life.
’I’m not interested in being a civil servant.’
The thought ran through my mind again as I faced Anna. I had no desire to live a stable, predictable life with guaranteed pay and a comfortable retirement. That might sound nice to some people, but for me... it just sounded painfully dull.
Anna studied me for a moment, then quietly nodded as if realizing there was no point in trying to persuade me further.
"That’s a shame," she said, her tone composed but tinged with mild regret. "But I understand. It can’t be helped."
"Then... may I take my leave now?" I asked, standing politely.
"Of course," she replied with her usual grace. "Still, if you ever change your mind, please let me know. The offer will always stand."
Even as she said that, I could tell she already knew what my answer would be. My mind wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
I gave her a small nod in thanks, then turned toward the door. But before leaving, my eyes drifted to the cookies neatly arranged on the silver tray beside the teapot.
"Um... may I take a few of these?" I asked, almost sheepishly.
Anna blinked, then smiled faintly. "Of course. Do you like them?"
"Hm... a little," I admitted with a shrug.
Truthfully, I wasn’t even sure why I wanted them. Maybe it was just because they tasted good... or maybe because I thought of someone else.
I picked up a few cookies and wrapped them carefully in a napkin.
As I left the grand room, I couldn’t help but think of Elena.
She’d probably like these.