The 21st Century Grand Grand Duchess in the Royal Academy - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Twenty-First Century Grand Duchess in the Royal Academy
The Tiger Behind the Fox
Sung Hee-joo smiled as she finished reviewing her preliminary exam score. She’d been anxious about arriving thirty minutes late to the testing hall, but if the preliminary results were accurate, top honors would be hers once again. Whoever had trapped me in that elevator would find this news utterly infuriating.
“Bastards.”
Sung Hee-joo hummed the words cheerfully as she organized her exam papers. The test was complete, and now it was time to repay a debt.
She snatched the jeogori draped across her bed and left the room. Her steps toward the 12th Grade Lounge felt light as air.
After knocking, Sung Hee-joo entered the 12th Grade Lounge and ignored the stares of her seniors as she searched for Jung-woo. He usually spent time either in the Library or here, but not a single strand of that impressive hair was visible. She was wondering whether to head to the Library instead when—
“Tae-joo’s younger sister?”
A familiar-faced female student greeted her. Han Da-young, if she remembered correctly. She was supposedly Sung Tae-joo’s girlfriend, though there was something odd about her. Despite being the eldest daughter of a prestigious family, she spoke without pretense, and while she suited Sung Tae-joo, her grades were quite impressive. Her appearance too… wasn’t bad. Actually, she was striking enough to be popular.
But why was she seeing Sung Tae-joo? That was what seemed strange.
“What brings you here? Did you come to see me?”
“No. I’m looking for Senior Jung-woo.”
“Why Jung-woo all of a sudden?”
….
When I looked at her with an expression that said “why should I tell you that?”, Han Da-young laughed and shook her head.
“Jung-woo’s probably at the Archery Range right now. The friendly match is coming up soon.”
“Ah, yes.”
Sung Hee-joo answered with an ambiguous nod that was neither quite a greeting nor quite a response, and left the lounge ignoring the other seniors’ gazes just as she had when entering.
That friendly match held once a year was one Sung Hee-joo was scheduled to participate in as well.
“Senior!”
“Sung Hee-joo?”
Min Jung-woo, absorbed in archery practice, turned at the sound of his name being called. Sung Hee-joo came rushing toward him, her hair gathered high in a ponytail instead of loose. By the time she reached him, she was breathing heavily, gasping for air.
“Is someone chasing you?”
“It’ll be nine o’clock soon. I have to get back to the Dormitory before then.”
Sung Hee-joo checked her wristwatch and furrowed her brow as she spoke. Students in tenth grade and below were forbidden from being outside the Dormitory after nine o’clock.
Min Jung-woo handed her a tumbler.
“Drink some water at least.”
Sung Hee-joo accepted it hesitantly.
“Why?”
“Is it okay if you drink directly from it?”
Min Jung-woo laughed at the unexpected question and nodded. Only then did Sung Hee-joo begin drinking, gulping down the water. After emptying the tumbler, she finally looked up at him.
“I’ll wash it and bring it back.”
“You don’t have to.”
“…Thank you for helping me last time.”
“Is that why you came?”
“You said I’d repay the favor.”
Min Jung-woo’s lips curved into a smile again. He hadn’t forgotten her promise to repay him, but he couldn’t predict what form that repayment would take.
“How are you planning to repay it?”
“That’s something you should decide, Senior.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Min Jung-woo smiled again, his brow relaxing from its earlier furrow at my shameless reply. Normally in situations like this, wouldn’t someone offer to buy dinner or coffee?
“How did the exam go?”
“Well.”
“Sounds confident.”
“Your help made all the difference.”
I answered with practiced nonchalance, my eyes drifting toward Min Jung-woo’s bow. He caught my gaze without missing a beat.
“You’re the ninth-grade representative, aren’t you?”
“And you’re the twelfth-grade representative, senior.”
“We’re on the same team anyway—want to practice together?”
I hesitated, my lips moving uncertainly before I shook my head.
“I can’t.”
“But you said you’d repay the favor.”
“I told you—ninth graders aren’t allowed to use the Archery Range during this time slot.”
Min Jung-woo sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“Then forget practice. Just help me carry some things.”
“Carry things?”
“I have too much stuff to haul to the Archery Range after class.”
He gestured with his chin toward the pile of belongings beside the target stand—a backpack, a sports bag, a bow case, a tumbler, and various other odds and ends crammed together.
“You want me to be your pack mule?”
“Do you mind?”
I deliberated for a moment before shaking my head. It was annoying, certainly, but far easier than I’d anticipated.
“Fine. Should I start tomorrow?”
“Meet me at seven in front of the Lecture Hall.”
Min Jung-woo nodded with satisfaction, his expression cold despite his easy smile, and he even walked me to the entrance of the Archery Range.
“Thanks. Go on.”
A week into my role as Min Jung-woo’s porter, I found the arrangement wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Truth be told, he didn’t carry much—my only responsibility was his bow. As long as I handled that carefully, I could do whatever else I pleased.
“Mind if I study some English vocabulary?”
When I pulled out my word list to ask,
“Is it okay if I listen to music?”
Min Jung-woo readily nodded to both requests.
“Do whatever you want.”
Some days he’d buy me a drink; other days he’d help me work through incorrect answers—playing the role of a considerate senior perfectly.
“Isn’t that Sung Hee-joo?”
“Why is she with Min Jung-woo?”
Our unlikely pairing drew considerable attention, spawning wild speculation—everything from “Sung Hee-joo has something on Min Jung-woo” to “Castle Group is funding the Min Family’s political campaigns.” Even the story from exam day circulated with embellishments added.
Sung Hee-joo, who’d never been late a day in her life, running hand-in-hand with Min Jung-woo—or something like that.
I was aware of the growing rumors, but I made no effort to correct them. Few had the audacity to ask directly, and besides, the gossip about Min Jung-woo proved remarkably useful.
Just as people fear the tiger standing behind the fox, they no longer dared openly despise me as they once had.
“Senior, did you hear that rumor?”
One day, I asked Jung-woo whether he was pretending not to know about the rumors, or if he genuinely didn’t know and was simply staying quiet.
“I know. Someone asked me today too—whether we’re close.”
“And?”
“I said we were close.”
….
“Is that a problem?”
At Jung-woo’s casual question, I hesitated slightly. The word “close” felt oddly out of place. All I’d really done was carry his luggage—could that truly constitute closeness? As my deliberation stretched on, Jung-woo laughed again with that characteristic ease of his.
“You don’t like being close with me?”
“It’s not that… why?”
“Do I need a reason?”
There was something almost clinging about the way he pursued the matter, and I felt a peculiar sense of pride bloom within me. Min Jung-woo, admired by the entire student body, wanted to be close to me—it was strange and oddly gratifying.
“Then can I speak casually to you?”
So I tested the waters with a bit of playfulness,
“Do as you please.”
Jung-woo accepted with that same effortless grace.
“Why have you been practicing so intensely lately?”
Sang Hyun asked Jung-woo as he emerged from practice.
“The friendly match is coming up soon.”
“Since when do you care about things like that?”
Watching Jung-woo take the jab without retaliation, Sang Hyun became certain something was afoot. Despite having spent considerable time alongside Jung-woo under the banner of friendship, he’d rarely witnessed Jung-woo apply himself with such deliberate effort. He excelled without needing to try.
Yet here was Min Jung-woo, practicing archery two hours daily without fail.
“Are you trying to beat the Prince?”
“What?”
“The Azure Dragon Palace representative is the Prince, isn’t he?”
Among all twelfth graders, only Prince Wan could match Jung-woo’s skill—not just in archery, but in nearly every discipline. Consequently, their rivalry always commanded considerable attention.
Yet Jung-woo knew perfectly well who would emerge victorious from such a heated contest. The Prince was a being who could neither shine nor make a sound; he would lose gracefully.
What I could offer Wan was to give my absolute best and win—to ensure I wasn’t a shameful loser.
Royal Academy School Regulations
Article 27, Section 3: Students in tenth grade and below are prohibited from leaving the Dormitory after the hour of Hai (9:00 PM–11:00 PM). Violation of this regulation results in twenty demerit points.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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