Zelene Cyneheard Wymane

It has been two years for Zelene.

Two years since she has been stuck in this hellhole.

Sewing, knitting.

Tea parties.

Dancing.

Etiquette.

...and more tea parties.

There were even optional bedroom lessons.

Being a mother.

Being a wife.

Tea parties again.

How ridiculous!

Zelene really did her best.

She did what her mother and father wanted her to do, and she did what she could like her brother said.

After a year into these pointless lessons, Zelene grew rebellious.

That's when she drove all the teachers in the academy insane. Even the head of the academy was helpless against Zelene.

After all, she is the Princess of the Wymane Family. She is of royal blood as well.

If it's not finding some sort of excuses to escape those lessons, she'll play truant. It was so much to the point she knew the hiding places in the academy better than the facilities provided by the academy.

That's when she found it in her adventures of hiding.

A mana crystal ball.

It was not meant to be in the academy. Moreover, it was hidden inside one of the old storage rooms in the old dormitory.

She was lucky that the window was left open, allowing her easy access into that particular old storage room.

The crystal ball was blending in with the other tools on the wooden cupboard. Zelene only managed to spot it because it was an item she had been keeping her eye out for a long time.

A mana crystal ball wasn't a common item.

It allowed one to test their affinity with magic, which her family never allowed her to do.

They were adamant even when young Zelene whined about missing out on the magic affinity test. It didn't matter if she was of age, they didn't let her near it.

That was the first time her family did not give in to her pleas.

Zelene didn't have a clue why a mana crystal ball would be in the academy, but she didn't want to miss the chance.

Without hesitation, she reached for the crystal ball and placed her hand on it.

"...!"

It's glowing!

Zelene was on the verge of squealing, using her other hand to cover her mouth.

I can use magic too!

Like brother!

She was going to send a letter to him.

She had always admired her brother while he trained. The way he used the sword, and the way he imbued magic into his training.

It looked fun.

Way more fun than attending tea parties.

This time, she would annoy him until he would finally teach her, both about magic and the sword.

Yes, she definitely would.

Click.

The door to the storage room was pushed open, bit by bit.

Zelene gasped, removing her hand and the glow around the crystal ball died down.

She placed back the crystal ball to its original spot, taking out her shoes and proceeded to run. Her bare feet thudded across the stone floor, and she noticed a large space to squeeze in between the cupboards, which she did so.

Ugh!

So dusty!

She resisted the urge to sneeze, blending in with the shadows as much as she could. The door opened fully and she could see the lights from the portable lantern streaming in, two distinct shadows on the ground.

"Is this it?"

"Yes."

The voices belonged to two different women, which wasn't a surprise.

Women were the only ones who resided in the academy, especially in this area.

"I don't have the slightest clue what you could have left here in the old storage room. Are you sure the item you are searching for is still usable? Everything is in disrepair and..."

One of the other women rambled on and on, while the other remained silent. Zelene could hear someone rummaging through the cupboards.

Zelene recognised the voice of the woman babbling.

It was the teacher in-charge of knitting and sewing lessons, Miss Hayley.

Other than her long-winded speaking habit, she was a warm-hearted lady in her forties. There was no student in the academy that disliked her.

"...look at how dangerous this is! To think it was a simple piece of..." Miss Hayley continued talking.

Zelene listened on with bated breath, not daring to twitch a single muscle.

Just then, the other unknown woman walked past the cupboards. Zelene held her breath, catching a glimpse of that person.

It was a student, wearing the uniform of the academy which was a blouse and long skirt.

Why is a student coming all the way here late at night?

Miss Hayley allowed her to come here?

"Found it, Miss Hayley."

She passed by once again, and this time, Zelene had a clear view of the item in her hands.

"...?!"

It was a magic dagger.

However, at that moment, she saw the young woman putting the magic dagger behind her back, taking another item from the shelf without looking.

"Oh, you found it? I hope it isn't in a miserable state. You told me how important it was to you, seeing that you had to come here at night instead of the next day. I know how disheartening it can be when a precious item of yours is ruined--"

"Thank you, Miss Hayley."

"Let me have a look, oh dear...oh dear! Isn't this...the banned er-erotic magazine from long ago?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Zelene could feel the mortification from the female student, despite her hiding like a quiet mouse.

"M-my sister will still be happy to have it back, even in this state."

"Oh, uhm...th-that's good! Good, yes, yes. I'm glad she got her...precious ero--uh item--back. Now, I have to lock this place up. Off we go now, darling."

The two of them spun around, walking towards the door. Once Zelene was safe to move, she clenched her jaw, slipping out from between the cupboards.

She had to escape now.

"Don't worry, this isn't the worst I've seen. You see, this place was used as a room for confiscated items instead. Oh, you wouldn't believe the items brought into here! There was..."

Just then, the cupboards shook slightly and the items in there bumped onto one another.

"...!"

Zelene stabilised the cupboard quickly, her amethyst eyes wide in horror. She turned around slowly, the doors closing behind her.

Nothing else happened after that.

It seems the two women didn't catch the faintest jingling noise from the cupboards due to Miss Hayley.

Zelene has never been more grateful for her teacher's rambling mouth.

A huge sense of relief surged through her body.

Not wanting to wear her shoes here, Zelene tossed them out the window. She had done this process one too many times, knowing where her shoes would land. Her shoes would only make more unnecessary noises if she wore them now.

She sneaked over to the same window, climbing out just as she heard a small commotion outside the doors.

It was a pained moan.

Zelene picked up her pace, not daring to stop. She climbed over and stood on the window ledge as she glanced back carefully, halting her movements.

The doors were kicked open and she caught sight of Miss Hayley on the ground. There was no blood around her, and she was merely unconscious.

Zelene gasped, sticking as close as she could to the outside walls of the old dormitory, her bare toes curling up as she held on tightly to the window ledge.

The student from before stood in front of the space between the cupboards.

Just then, she saw it.

She unsheathed the magic dagger and stabbed it into that space where Zelene hid previously, no hesitation in her actions.

"...!"

Zelene was horrified.

"I clearly heard someone," she muttered to herself, marching towards the window. "I know you are there somewhere."

Zelene knew she had to move.

Now.

She leapt off the window ledge and searched for her most reliable friend in her escape.

The tree.

It was how she got up here as well.

She winced as her palms rubbed against the rough texture of the tree branch, feeling it sink into her skin. She made her way down swiftly, spotting her shoes near the lamppost.

She grabbed them, hastily wearing it as she hopped on one foot. Not daring to glance up, she sprinted her way back to her own dormitory.

Zelene could feel it.

The terrifying female student was glaring at her from the window.

Her back was tingling because of that vicious stare.

"Damn! She saw it!"

Her nightgown was smudged with dirt and her hands were bleeding from her rough landing. Her fingers touched her long, platinum blonde hair that was coated in dust, cursing to herself again.

She saw the colour of my hair, didn't she?

Zelene could only pray that her hair wasn't as recognisable due to the dim lighting. Even if it was, the female student couldn't touch her now, not with her identity.

After a minute of running, she found herself back on the familiar pavement leading back to her dormitory. She panted, arriving at a stop as she had her hands on her knees, inhaling the air greedily.

"Wait, that's not it."

Zelene straightened herself, inhaling one last time as she flipped her hair away from her shoulders.

Her amethyst eyes possessed the same mischievous twinkle like Leofric always noticed.

"If they are going after me, I'll catch them first."

This was how Zelene lived her life.

Instead of staying away from danger, she ran towards it.

She would proceed to find her way around it.

Fear?

She had nothing to fear!

She was and always will be Zelene Cyneheard Wymane after all. The untamed lioness of Wymane.

There was just one problem.

She didn't know where to start.

"Zele!"

Someone hissed her name, making her jump. She turned, surprised to see a slim and gorgeous brunette walking towards her.

It was her good friend, Rowena Everly Fairburne, dressed in a nightgown similar to Zelene.

"I knew it, you were out sneaking about again!"

"Rowena--!" Zelene exclaimed, rushing towards her with a hug.

"Shhh! Keep your volume down!" Rowena stopped the excited Zelene, narrowing her eyes. "You are lucky I'm the one patrolling the dormitory today."

"Even if it wasn't you, I wouldn't let myself get caught anyway."

Rowena sighed, shaking her head before she halted. She glanced Zelene up and down, her expression twisting.

"Why are you so...dirty?"

"Hehe, I sneaked into the old dormitory since I was running away from Miss Bronscone," Zelene twirled her hair, her words growing softer and softer. "Then I had to hide in between the old, smelly and dusty cupboards, and then I almost got stabbed--"

"Stabbed?! What is--oh my god, your hands are bleeding! Look at these dreadful cuts!"

"Ow, ouch ouch--Rowena, please, be gentle!"

"Gentle? You think this is the time for me to be gentle? Come here, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Okay, okay! I'll behave, so just let go of my hands--ow!"

"It hurts, doesn't it? This is nothing compared to getting stabbed. Seriously, Zele, stop giving me unnecessary heart attacks!"

"I didn't get stabbed! It was just...almost..."

Rowena sighed heavily, dragging Zelene along. "I told Iria to keep an eye on you. She isn't one to go back on her words."

Zelene let out a sheepish laugh, stumbling behind Rowena. "I...well, you see, Rowena..."

"You did something to her, didn't you?"

"I...I might have tricked her, and might have tied her to her own bedpost."

"..."

"..."

"Bu-but I made it so she could sleep comfortably! A lady needs her beauty sleep, right?"

"Comfortably?"

"...I think I did?

"I really...pity Iria and myself sometimes."

"You still love me nonetheless--" 

Smack!

Zelene cried out in pain, letting out an aggrieved sob.

"Your Highness, you are incorrigible."

. . . . .

It was late into the night, and Zelene continued her reckless plan of scouring the old dormitory at night. Hence, she snuck out of bed and into the garden, dressed in her nightgown.

Since Zelene kept trying, no matter what, Iria and Rowena decided to help instead.

The more you went against her, the harder Zelene would resist.

They would prefer to aid Zelene to ensure her safety, rather than push her to be more reckless in her actions.

Alas, their actions were all futile since there were no other incidents in the old dormitory ever since then. Zelene was unable to discover anything new.

She knew she was getting there.

She just had to be patient.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

She glanced up, noticing balls of thread being thrown down from the second floor of the old dormitory. They rolled across the stone pavement of the garden, creating lines of green in a haphazard manner like thin vines coiling around a tree.

Zelene saw rose-gold hair blowing by the window, and the owner of that distinctive hair held a lantern in her hands. The light from the lantern illuminated her exquisite face as the woman placed it on the windowsill.

"Iria?" Zelene whispered to herself.

She began making big motions with her arms, and Zelene squinted her eyes.

"What? I can't see..."

All of a sudden, a memory with her brother struck her mind.

She was twelve years old at that time. They were sitting back to back on the bench around the large fountain, and her brother was reading a book.

"Leo, why is the Deneian Empire not swallowing us up like they did with the others?"

Her brother poked her on her side.

"What kind of question are you asking when you are only twelve years old?"

"I overheard mother and father."

"...fine. Just don't go around saying I told you this."

"Okay!"

"It's because of magic, Zele. We grew up in a land concentrated in mana because of the mana stones buried all around us."

"Is magic really that powerful?"

"It is. A magic user in Taiwisha is as good as having ten soldiers on your side."

"Isn't magic for casting fancy spells?"

"Magic doesn't only allow us to cast fancy spells. Once you have an affinity with it, you can enhance your senses as you wish."

"Enhance?"

"If I imbue mana around my ears, I can hear everyone inside our home."

"Really?! That's amazing!"

Her brother laughed at her excitement at that time, closing his book.

"Magic is our way of life, Zele. You'll understand if you ever use it, someday."

Ever since Zelene discovered her affinity with magic, she could feel mana all around her body.

She did as her brother said.

Imbue mana but instead of her ears, she did it for her eyes.

A whole new world opened up for Zelene, her amethyst eyes glowing.

The garden that seemed so dim and dreary was now bright and lively. Moreover, she could see the smallest movement in the trees and flowers.

Thud.

Another item was thrown again and Zelene focused her attention on the window. She could see Iria clearly now, despite the distance. The portable lantern she held in her hands helped significantly.

Iria was now making more motions with arms, signalling something behind her. Due to Zelene's improved vision, she could also see Iria mouthing some words.

"...un..."

"Run!"

Zelene felt a chill down her spine.

She spun around, seeing a masked woman clad in black, the woman's long hair tied into a ponytail. Zelene's concentration was interrupted and she lost her enhanced vision.

It's her!

Zelene had no doubt it was the same female student she saw before. Her stare was still as vicious.

She saw the masked woman kneeling down on one knee, the other supporting a weapon that looked like a gun. She ducked her head down, looking through the scope of her weapon.

What is that?!

Zelene gasped, making a dash for it.

The woman pulled the trigger.

"Zele!"

Just as Rowena screamed her name, a suppressed explosive sound came from the weapon. Zelene gasped, squatting down and covering her head.

"...?"

She felt nothing, lifting her head up.

Rowena stood in front of Zelene, stretching her hands out. There was a thin layer of protective shield over the two of them, and on the protective shield, a liquid-like substance was smeared over it. It dripped onto the ground.

"Who the hell are you? Show yourself!" Rowena hissed.

The masked woman didn't say a word, her eyes still holding the cruel glint in them. She stood up, taking out a dagger that Zelene found extremely familiar.

She could see the traces of mana on it.

"It's a magic dagger! Rowena, run!"

"Don't be stupid, I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Rowena! Your Highness!"

The two of them heard a voice they knew calling out to them, her rose-gold hair bouncing up and down her shoulders. They turned, shouting at Iria to run away.

Her exquisite face was still as impassive despite the chaotic situation.

"No, don't look away!" Iria exclaimed back, pointing back. "The assassin is escaping!"

The two turned to see the masked woman escaping, her speed was swift as her figure was growing small. Rowena lowered her protective shield, panting heavily as she had her hands on her knees.

"My magic is only suited for defending, since Edri--His Highness taught me. I can't stop her since she's out of my range."

"It's okay, leave her, there's something else I must know," Zelene waved it off, turning to look at Iria who jogged up to them. "You...called them assassins?"

The three ladies were dressed in their nightgowns, their hair disheveled.

"In the Deneian Empire, people who dressed this way and used strange weapons like that..." Iria breathed out, her impassive expression becoming gloomy for once. "They are referred to as assassins."

"...!" Zelene widened her eyes, blinking rapidly. "Doesn't that mean that the Deneian Empire is..."

"I...don't know."

"What do you mean, Iria?" Rowena questioned.

"That person isn't from the Deneian Empire," Iria said, looking at the two of them. "It's from your side."

"..."

Rowena contemplated, looking at Zelene. "Zele, you need to tell your family about this."

Zelene smiled, flipping her hair. "Sure, leave it to me."

"..."

"..."

Iria and Rowena stared at one another, their expressions were exactly the same.

"What do I not have a good feeling about this, Iria?"

"Well," Iria said hesitantly, showing a small, helpless smile. "It's simply because...it's Her Highness."

The two ladies were right in the end.

After all, her letter caused her unbelievably handsome brother, who made every lady swoon with every step he took...

...became a lady himself.

A lady that made every man swoon with every step he took as well.

- END OF CHAPTER 5 -

. . . . .

Tales of the Cross-dressing Young Duke presents...

The Diary of Leo

Being a lady is strange.

Mother said you had to master the ways of gossiping and chatting.

When a lady is insulting herself, even if it's just a little, she wants compliments from others.

If you agree to her insult in return, and try to console her...

Prepare for a war.

Hah, what a joke.

A war?

In the first place, if you are searching for compliments, say it to yourself.

Also, when a lady takes a thousand words to subtly reach her desired topic, it means...

She really wants the object of the topic, or to talk about it.

Again, what a joke.

How hard is it to get straight to a point?

Zele and Rowena were never like that.

...well maybe they were, a few times.

Oh, there's also the fan every noble lady uses.

Whether it is for talking, laughing or everything else. You have to use it, even in the arts of seduction.

I have seen that on a few occasions at balls.

Who created such nonsense?

Being a lady is really difficult.

Even if I am one now.

...I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore.

- Leofric

Month of ##, Day ##, Year ####

Don't worry, Leo!

It's just your pride and image that will be shattered into a million pieces, and it would be irrevocable!

You can do it, Leo!