Entering the Military Academy
Giselle proved the head maid’s crimes with the accounting ledger and even dismissed the fake doctor and the servants who had helped her.
The awakened Giselle handled everything in just two days.
‘As expected of a heroine candidate.’
How could someone grow that fast? Rukna watched Giselle change day by day and admired her.
A week after staying at the Golden Count’s mansion—
A warning letter arrived from Saint Military Academy about her unexcused absences.
On the yellow paper, it was clearly written that if she continued to skip classes, she would be expelled.
‘Maybe I should go to the academy first.’
If she endured just six months, she would end up sitting on a pile of money. It wasn’t a bad deal.
It could also help the Golden siblings who trusted her. And somehow, she felt like she needed to return there.
‘If I go back to the academy, I might uncover the secret of this body.’
To prepare for her return, Rukna put on her academy uniform.
The neat navy uniform, similar to the royal guard’s formal wear, suited her short platinum-blonde hair perfectly.
‘It sounds silly, but clothes really do make the person.’
While waiting for Giselle in the drawing room, Rukna looked at herself in the decorative mirror on the wall.
Because of her short hair, she looked less like a pretty young lady and more like a beautiful, androgynous young man—but she was definitely attractive.
Just then, Perta and Giselle entered the room.
“The cadet uniform suits you well, Rukna.”
Perta, wearing a lace shirt with a large ribbon tie, smiled brightly, showing off his delicate beauty.
After removing the incense and starting proper medicine, Perta’s condition had improved within days. Now he could even walk on his own.
“Thank you so much, Rukna. You saved my life and the Golden Count family.”
He held Rukna’s hand tightly and gazed at her tenderly.
What kind of man looks this pure? Rukna admired Perta, who looked like a single white lily, as he continued speaking.
“I’m going to take back the head of the family position from Uncle. Once I become the head, I will immediately erase your name from our family registry as an adopted child. I hope you can belong to our family in another way…”
“In another way?”
Rukna tilted her head. Perta, who had been fidgeting, suddenly turned bright red.
The sight of the blond young man looking so flustered made anyone’s heart flutter.
“I-I’ll become more impressive! So when you come of age, I will definitely—”
He bit his red lips and could not finish his sentence.
Watching this, Giselle muttered, “Such a useless brother,” and pulled Rukna’s hand away from him.
“Thank you, Rukna. Without you, I couldn’t have done any of this.”
“I didn’t really do anything.”
“You said you would stay by my side. If you hadn’t said that, I wouldn’t have changed. I didn’t even have the courage to gather courage.”
Courage to gather courage.
Rukna repeated the words and gave a small smile.
It was true.
Ironically, to be brave, you first needed courage.
Some people gained it after hitting rock bottom. Others, like Giselle, stood up because someone stayed with them.
Rukna felt proud that she had briefly become Giselle’s support.
She hoped Giselle would never fall into despair and turn dark like she had in the underground prison.
“Take this, Rukna.”
Giselle handed her a square document bag.
When Rukna opened the lock, she saw writing tools, textbooks, and a bottle of thick red juice.
On the small sticker attached to the glass bottle were the words:
‘Gender Juice.’
“What is this juice, Giselle?”
“It’s something you must drink.”
“Huh?”
“It tastes terrible, so drink it after you arrive. Last time you drank it early and threw up in the carriage.”
Then Giselle handed her a small red velvet pouch. Inside were shining gold coins.
“I sold the jewels we found in the underground prison. Cadets these days bring about this much allowance when they enroll.”
“This is too much, Giselle. If you give this to me, then you—”
Rukna looked around. Although the newly hired maids were working quickly, the inside of the mansion was still shabby.
Even so, Giselle chose to take care of her first. Rukna’s heart warmed at such heroine-like kindness.
“Don’t worry, Rukna. I think more hidden treasures will come out once we clean the underground prison. We have some room to spare.”
Giselle shrugged and smiled brightly.
“While you safely graduate, Brother Perta and I will also work hard to become someone worthy of you. Are you looking forward to it?”
“Giselle…”
“I’ll write to you. If you don’t reply, I’ll be very… upset.”
The look in Giselle’s eyes when she demanded a reply was not ordinary.
Rukna decided that no matter how busy she was, she would always answer Giselle’s letters.
Then she left the mansion.
From the Golden territory near the capital, it took half a day to reach the academy.
Rukna rode in an improved cargo carriage with an arched canopy.
The Golden family owned elegant four-wheeled carriages like in the movies, but Giselle had put her in a carriage open on all sides.
“You don’t like cramped places, Rukna. Just like I don’t like being alone.”
It certainly didn’t feel suffocating. Rukna stretched her sore arms and legs and looked beyond the carriage.
Wooden signboards stood along the sunset-colored road.
The carriage followed a sign that read ‘Saint Military Academy.’
‘We must be almost there.’
The carriage crossed a wide open space called ‘Plaza of Honor.’
It seemed something had happened, because guards were strictly guarding an altar in the center.
Shops and restaurants filled the streets spreading out from the plaza.
Following the northern road, she finally saw her destination.
Classic college buildings made of brown bricks.
Perfectly maintained gardens and a vast campus.
Groups of cadets in neat uniforms discussing something together.
Everything looked disciplined, elegant, and intelligent.
‘But this is strange. Why do I only see male students? Is it because it’s a military academy?’
After getting off the carriage, Rukna looked carefully beyond the school gate.
No matter how much she searched, she couldn’t find a single female student.
After tilting her head for a while, she finally realized the reason when she read the sign above the gate.
The cradle of male education in the Empire, Saint Military Academy.
Male education…
This was an all-boys school?
Then that meant this body had been living in a boys’ dormitory!
Now she understood why Giselle always said she was registered as an adopted son, not daughter.
That was also why her hair had been cut short like a boy’s.
‘How did I survive in a place like this for over two years?’
Even if she could become rich, the risk was too high.
It was dormitory life. Hiding her gender wouldn’t be easy.
No wonder she had tried to quit and run back home.
‘I should just give up and return to the Golden mansion.’
Who knew what might happen in six months?
After quickly organizing her thoughts, Rukna turned to leave—
“Holy energy is being felt here. It’s definitely nearby!”
Voices echoed from afar.
Rukna, standing at the school gate, turned her head.
Guards were walking around holding magical tools that measured holy power.
“Does that mean the thief of the Holy Sword is nearby?”
“Seems like it. They say an enormous holy power was detected around here.”
Holy Sword thief?
If they meant the Holy Sword—
Rukna stopped breathing and tightly gripped her pendant.
Was she about to be accused as a thief again?
“Do you think His Majesty will really execute the Holy Sword thief?”
“Probably. Stealing the Empire’s treasure is a serious crime.”
Rukna covered her mouth with both hands.
If she was caught now, it would definitely be a death ending.
‘I can’t die so meaninglessly right after coming to another world.’
She immediately turned and walked in the opposite direction.
But soldiers were appearing from every alley, making escape difficult.
While she stood there in confusion, the Holy Sword’s voice rang in her mind.
「Shall I guide you along the optimal route for your survival, Master?」
‘What? You could talk to me first?’
「In special cases, I can initiate a link with Master.」
‘Then hurry and guide me!’
「Turn around and move 75 meters. Enter Saint Military Academy.」
‘What? That’s an all-boys school! How can I enter as a woman?’
「An assistant is estimated to be inside the campus. 4 minutes before capture.」
‘It’s a dormitory system. Even with help, hiding that I’m a woman will be hard.’
「Drink the Gender Juice in your bag. It will be possible. 3 minutes 20 seconds before capture.」
‘Gender Juice?’
Rukna pulled out the bottle Giselle had packed.
She had insisted Rukna drink it upon arrival.
Inside the glass bottle was a thick red liquid, like crushed tomatoes. It looked as disgusting as promised.
‘If I drink this… I become a man?’
「Yes. You do not look particularly feminine even now, but this will make it perfect. A soldier has detected noticeable holy power. Escape time reduced. 28 seconds before capture.」
‘What?’
Rukna turned around.
“Suddenly, enormous holy power has been detected here!”
The soldiers holding the magical tools began walking toward her.
‘Damn it. Talking with Bisbi must have amplified the holy power.’
At this rate, she had no choice.
It was all or nothing.
