After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love - Chapter 01.1: Tea Time with a Silver-Haired Lady in the Rose Garden

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Chapter 01.1: Tea Time with a Silver-Haired Lady in the Rose Garden

The academy had never been a comfortable place for me.

Located in the royal capital, it was the most prestigious school in the kingdom—

But its gates only opened to nobles.

In reality though, it wasn’t much of a school. It was more like a social club for nobles—

A place where sons and daughters of noble families gathered to hunt for marriage partners.

Everyone was trying to find someone better than themselves in both status and looks.

That was true for both nobles and commoners, but in this academy, it was taken to an extreme.

Social connections mattered more than actual study.

These matchmaking events and social gatherings were held almost every month.

“Nothing to do with a broke noble like me.”

Technically, my family held a viscount title.

But unfortunately, we had no fame, no fortune, and barely any land left.

A few generations ago, our territory had prospered thanks to a gold mine.

But as time passed, the amount of gold that could be mined gradually dropped—

And by the time my grandfather took over, the mine had completely dried up.

It could’ve ended there, but my grandfather refused to give up.

Desperate to reclaim our former glory, he gambled everything on finding a new gold vein.

He poured all the remaining family funds into exploration, hoping for one big win.

If it had worked, we’d have been celebrating.

But life wasn’t that kind. No new veins were found.

And in the end, all we had left were empty storehouses.

Our “gold rush” became nothing more than a faded legend.

Now, we were just another family of penniless nobles.

To be honest, since I hadn’t lived through the glory days, it didn’t affect me all that much.

But my father, who stood between those better days and our downfall, took it the hardest.

It was like his soul had been completely drained.

He couldn’t even carry out his duties as lord properly anymore.

Our household wasn’t just declining—it was on the verge of collapse.

That was the current state of our family.

“I really need to do something…”

My grandfather had chased a dream and left this world far too easily when it all fell apart.

But unlike him, I still had my parents—and a little sister—to worry about.

On top of that, many of our people had lost their jobs, especially those who had relied on the gold-related work.

Our territory was hanging by a thread, right on the edge of collapse.

“Money. Money. Money.”

What we needed most was money.

To get that, I had to study. I had to land a good job.

That’s the only reason I enrolled in this noble-exclusive academy.

“I can deal with my parents, but my sister…”

If things kept going like this, she might end up in a political marriage.

She was beautiful—so proposals came fairly often.

But those were nothing more than trades.

Exchanging her for money… it was basically selling her off.

Some of the offers even came from men in their fifties or sixties, older than our father.

My sister said she was willing to do anything for the family, and I knew she meant it.

But I didn’t want her to go through something like that.

She was still in her teens. That kind of life wasn’t something I could force on her.

“That’s why I have to work hard… no matter what.”

Looking out into the courtyard from the corridor, I saw a group of well-dressed young men and women chatting away, their maids and butlers standing a short distance behind them.

It looked peaceful at first glance.

But in reality, they were probably having conversations like, “So, how about marriage?” or “How much is your family worth?”

All wrapped in elegant, noble-like phrasing.

I didn’t belong there.

I’d only managed to get into this academy by relying on a few connections.

Without that, even as a viscount, a fallen noble like me wouldn’t have been allowed to step foot on the grounds.

And on top of that, my reason for being here was completely different from everyone else’s.

It felt like I was a duck pretending to be a swan.

For a moment, I thought one of the girls in the courtyard looked over at me.

It was probably just a coincidence.

That’s all it was—yet it still felt like she looked down on me.

I quickly walked past the corridor, almost as if running away.

I didn’t belong anywhere.

That thought sat heavy in my chest, slowly growing into quiet loneliness.

◆◆◆

“…Where… am I?”

I’d been walking aimlessly, trying to get away, and ended up in an unfamiliar place.

Tall rose hedges stretched out like walls around me.

This academy was massive—well, it was built for nobles, after all.

I still didn’t know what was where or how far anything went.

I considered going back.

But the moment I remembered what I saw in the courtyard, my legs froze.

I had to return once classes resumed.

But at least during lunch break, I wanted to be alone for a while.

“Somewhere I can be alone…”

That hope grew inside me as I stared at the unfamiliar wall of roses.

I wasn’t even sure if I was allowed to enter a place like this.

But the need for peace and quiet—away from the suffocating pressure of school life—won out in the end.

So, I decided to walk along the rose-covered wall.

That’s when I spotted an archway made from twisted branches and leaves.

“What should I do…”

Pretending to hesitate for a moment, I stepped through the arch. Just for a little bit, I told myself.

Bit by bit, curiosity started to nudge me forward.

Inside, the place turned out to be a maze.

Paths split off in different directions. Some ended in dead ends.

The original plan of finding a quiet place vanished the moment I hit the first dead end.

At that point, I was moving forward purely out of stubbornness, determined to make it through the rose maze.

Maybe I was just frustrated.

Frustrated at not having a place where I truly belonged in school.

Right… left…

Eventually, after weaving my way through, I came out into a small clearing.

Roses formed a perfect circle around it.

In the center stood a shaded area with a vintage-style table underneath it, and—

“Ah…”

—there, a beautiful girl sat, quietly enjoying her tea.

Silver hair. Sapphire-blue eyes.

She looked like someone out of a fairy tale.

Her entire presence felt unreal—like she didn’t belong to this world.

She sat there in silence, sipping her tea, like a scene captured in a painting.

I couldn’t look away.

For a moment, I was completely captivated.

Before I knew it, her deep blue eyes were staring straight at me.

My heart jumped violently.

“And you are… who exactly?”

“Eh—uh…”

I froze, unable to speak.

Only when she addressed me did I finally realize—

I’d walked straight into a pretty serious situation.

It felt like the sound of blood draining from my head brushed past my eardrums.

I didn’t recognize her face.

But just from her presence… and the fact that she was in a place like this… it was obvious she came from a very high-status family.

She wore the academy uniform, so she was probably a student too.

But still, I doubted she’d overlook someone like me trespassing here just because we were both students.

What should I do?

I stood there, unable to form a proper sentence—until she spoke again.

“Let me confirm something. You’re not here to propose marriage, right?”

“N-Not at all!”

I shook my head so hard it almost came off.

Honestly, with a face that beautiful, I could understand people wanting to propose.

But I had no such intentions—none whatsoever.

“I see. Well then, since you’re here, why don’t you join me for a cup of tea?”

She gently raised her teacup as an invitation.

There was no smile on her face.

Coming from such a graceful lady, I wasn’t sure how to take it.

Was she subtly telling me to leave?

But if she was actually being sincere, then turning her down might be rude.

“…Then, just one cup.”

After some hesitation, I gave a small nod.

“I see,” the girl replied, then glanced at the seat across from her.

A beat later, I realized she meant for me to sit there—

And quickly took my place.

All I’d wanted was a quiet place to be alone.

And yet somehow, I ended up sharing a table with a clearly high-ranking noble girl.

What was going to happen now?

My heart pounded anxiously, as if it were panicking in my place.