My name was Anne Rochell.
I served as the director of Galgard Noble Academy. I was also the wife of the Demon King.
We had one daughter together. While I liked to think our family bond was strong, my professional duties meant we rarely spent much time together.
"Won't you come live with me at the castle?" my husband once asked.
"Are you asking me to resign as director?" I countered. "Have you already forgotten the promise you made when we married?"
"No, I haven't forgotten. I promised I wouldn't stand in the way of you continuing your career at the academy. But it’s just that we have so little time together lately..."
"That is because you suddenly became the Demon King, isn't it?"
"W-well, yes, but that couldn't be helped."
"Quite right. It couldn't be helped. Just as it couldn't be helped when the academy was renamed in your honor."
"I am truly sorry about that part."
We bickered like this often, but we were actually quite close. I spent about one out of every ten days staying at the Royal Castle with him, and he would drop by the academy whenever he found a spare moment. It seemed being the Demon King allowed for more leisure time than I had anticipated.
However, over the past few years, the frequency of his visits had dwindled.
Was he having an affair?
Hardly. My husband didn't have the nerve for such a thing. That wasn't meant as an insult; it was a matter of trust. Nevertheless, I looked into it.
It turned out he was frequently meeting with Count Chrome. That made sense. The Demon Kingdom was currently at war with the Human Kingdom, and since Count Chrome handled foreign affairs, their business was likely related to the conflict. Although the front lines were reportedly at a stalemate, it wouldn't have been surprising if the humans were planning a major offensive in secret. My husband was simply working hard for the sake of the nation. It made me feel a sense of pride.
Then, one day, a letter arrived from my daughter.
"Please admit the three beastman boys who deliver this letter to the academy," she wrote. "Treat them as if they are the sons of high-ranking officials from a foreign land."
I cradled my head in my hands. I wondered if I had failed to communicate properly with my daughter, or if she simply underestimated her mother’s profession. I wished she wouldn't treat a noble academy so lightly.
A second letter was attached, this one from Lady Fraurem, Count Chrome's daughter.
"Regarding these beastman boys," it read, "please handle them with the same level of extreme caution you would afford the children of the Dragon Race."
I couldn't imagine what she was thinking. Fraurem had never been the type of student to write such nonsense.
Village Five, the place the boys came from, was my daughter’s current assignment. Perhaps these measures were necessary for her administration there. While it was irritating to have the academy used for political maneuvering, I decided to trust my daughter and Lady Fraurem.
Their enrollment itself was handled correctly. The application had been submitted in advance and the fees were paid in full. Along with my daughter and Fraurem, the list of recommenders included the names of Count Chrome and my own husband.
The Demon King? If his name was on the recommendation, it was essentially a royal decree. I suspected my daughter had talked him into it; he was far too indulgent with her. I also noticed a string of "Top Priority" marks in the remarks column. I assumed it was a prank—one mark would have been sufficient, but someone had stamped it repeatedly. I made a mental note to find out who was responsible and give them a stern lecture later.
Regardless, I met with the three boys. Despite the warnings, they seemed like ordinary village children. I was relieved to find they understood a fair amount of Noble Speech.
I officially granted them admission with a status equivalent to the head of a baronial house. I wasn't entirely pleased with the arrangement, but it was unavoidable. At the very least, such a rank would help them avoid most common disputes. I sent them off with a wish that they would enjoy their academy lifestyle despite the challenges.
A few days later, they abandoned the dormitories, set up tents, and began building their own house.
It was enough to make me forget this was an institution for nobles. When I sent the faculty to give them a gentle warning, the teachers were promptly bribed by the boys' delicious cooking. I didn't know what to say.
Then came the formal request to improve the dormitory meals. It was true that for the last few decades, the academy had prioritized quantity over quality. However, the food situation in the Demon Kingdom had been improving recently, so upgrading the menu wasn't a bad idea.
I gave my approval, stating we would implement changes next year. I was told that was too slow. From the academy's perspective, I thought a year was a prompt response.
Wait, they wanted the three boys to handle the cooking? I was hesitant to place such a heavy burden on them, but since they already stood out so much, it was actually a perfect way to keep them occupied and away from potential harassment by other students.
I agreed to the proposal. The three boys took over the meal improvements, but in exchange, I had to promise to find "Uncle Michael’s Shop." It seemed simple enough. Many of our graduates worked in the Royal Capital, including the official who managed Merchant Street. I assumed she would find it in no time.
Then, the boys got into a fight with Marquis Glitch’s son. It turned into a full-blown duel. I didn't find out until the morning of the event. The previous afternoon, I had been summoned to the Royal Castle for an emergency meeting that lasted late into the night.
It was clearly a trap set by the Marquis. He had kept me sequestered at the castle specifically so I couldn't interfere. I was absolutely livid.
However, my husband had already arrived at the academy that morning and comforted me, telling me everything would be fine. He really was a dependable man when it counted. But I wondered what he intended to do.
He ended up entering the duel himself and winning.
I had several conflicting emotions about the situation, but he looked so dashing that I decided to let it go.
Later, Count Chrome approached me about graduating the boys early.
"Please understand," he said. "On paper, it was a duel between the Marquis's son and those three boys, but no one sees it that way."
"I imagine not," I replied. "So, you're saying it would be problematic for a Marquis to have lost to mere students?"
"Precisely. There is no shame in losing a duel, but losing to a student is a blow to one’s reputation."
"If he was so worried about losing, you should have told the Marquis not to challenge students in the first place."
"I have already seen to that. I also have a formal apology from him regarding this entire affair."
"Fine," I sighed. "As director, I find this highly irregular, but I will allow them to graduate. They'll be free to do as they wish afterward, then?"
"Yes. As long as they are officially graduates, the political issue is resolved."
It was frustrating, but it was the most sensible way to settle the scandal. Their status simply changed from "student" to "teacher," and nothing else really changed. Of course, this only worked because the three of them actually had the skills to teach. If they didn't, I would have refused.
Count Chrome likely knew that when he made the request. In fact, since he had been one of their recommenders, he probably knew they were better suited to be instructors from the very beginning.
In any case, now that they were teachers, they were my subordinates. I expected them to be disciplined and maintain the academy’s public morals. I planned to be very strict with them... but perhaps that could wait until after the meal improvements were finished.
That reminded me—I still hadn't received a report about "Uncle Michael's Shop." I wondered why it was taking so long. After I had boasted about how easy it would be, I was embarrassed to tell the boys we couldn't find it.
Since my husband seemed to know the boys, I decided to ask him about it the next time we met.
A few days later, I found myself shouting in spite of myself.
"There was no way anyone could find the Goroun Company by looking for 'Uncle Michael's Shop'!"
I had to tell myself to stay calm. The three of them were still just boys. No doubt they simply didn't know the proper name of the company.
"Oh, that's right. It is the Goroun Company," one of them said.
"They mentioned it during that quiz tournament back in the village," another added.
It turned out they had known the name all along. I realized I would have to go and apologize to the graduate who had spent days searching for a shop that didn't exist.
As a side note:
"Dear, what is this hair on your clothes?" I asked my husband later. "It looks like very well-groomed, short fur."
"Eh? Ah, that... that’s cat hair."
"A cat? Are you saying a cat sneaked into the Royal Castle? Or is 'cat' some sort of secret code?"
"N-no, nothing like that! I'm not having an affair, I swear. Look into my eyes."
"Then why is your body covered in cat hair?"
"Because I've been doting on it. Heh. You have no idea... cats are fickle creatures, but the feeling when one finally decides to climb onto your lap is truly moving..."
My husband was the type whose lies were transparent. This wasn't a lie. He had genuinely been spending his time playing with a cat.
That was irritating in its own way.
"Good grief! Bring that thieving cat to me immediately! I want to pet its fluffy fur, too!"