The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 60: Adorably Drunk (2)

“Are you feeling okay after last night?”

“Oh, such kindness from His Highness!”

“Uh, I-I’m fine! Totally fine!” Astrid stammered, stepping backward nervously. 

However, the cluster of cadets crowding around the schedule and curriculum charts behind her left her with nowhere to retreat.

Her attempt to avoid Leopold was blatantly obvious, and the sight amused him. 

The Astrid he knew—cold, composed, and unyielding—had shown an entirely different side of herself.

To Leopold, this version of Astrid was both unfamiliar and fascinating. She seemed so distant before, her inhuman coolness pushing him away. But today, she appeared vulnerable, even endearing.

“You suddenly drank such strong liquor last night—no wonder you’re feeling it. Let’s see, your eyes don’t seem swollen.”

Leopold reached out as if to examine her face. Startled, Astrid dodged backward again, bumping into the other cadets and sending them stumbling like dominoes. 

Yet she didn’t even seem to notice, too focused on avoiding Leopold, who calmly took another step toward her.

“Why are you avoiding me so much? Do you think I’ll harm you?”

“Just stay still! His Highness is kindly trying to check on you—why are you running away?!”

‘I know, I know!’

But no. This wasn’t right. She couldn’t stay here.

Every instinct in Astrid’s body screamed danger. Something primal warned her that if she lingered, she would inevitably fall. She couldn’t allow that to happen. Retreat was the only option.

“Stay still, Cadet Astrid. Or rather, now that we’re no longer in squad formations, simply Astrid. Be calm.”

“Why can’t you just listen for once?!”

As the “real” Astrid yelled in her head, Astrid finally saw her salvation.

“Hey, Astrid.”

Violet.

“I have… an appointment! Excuse me!” Astrid seized the excuse with both hands and bolted toward Violet without a second thought. She didn’t care why Violet had called her; all that mattered was escaping Leopold.

Memories of last night began to trickle back in as she ran. Little snippets resurfaced, ones she had hoped were mere dreams but now seemed all too real.

     -“Why… why don’t you… treat me like that? Huh? Why aren’t you… so sweet to meeee…”

     -“Why are you so cold to meeeee? You meeeeean jerk…”

     -“Fine! I don’t care anymore! You think you’re the only man for me?! Huh?!”

There was no denying it. She had to get away.

Astrid sprinted toward Violet, the only lifeline in sight.

“What’s this? You were that eager to have lunch with me?” Violet teased, her grin sly as she watched Astrid’s panicked approach. She had a good idea why Astrid was so desperate, but that didn’t mean she was going to make it easy for her.

“B-be quiet! Just hurry up and go!” Astrid grabbed Violet’s arm and began tugging her along, constantly glancing over her shoulder to see if Leopold was following.

Laughing, Violet let herself be dragged for a moment before speaking. “Relax. He’s not following you. You can let go now.”

Even so, Astrid’s grip on Violet’s arm remained iron-tight as she pulled her out of the auditorium. Violet stumbled along, marveling at Astrid’s sheer strength.

Finally outside, Violet managed to free herself from Astrid’s hold, catching her breath. “Geez, what are you made of? I grew up among sailors, and even I can’t match that grip.”

“…Let’s just go eat,” Astrid muttered, trying to regain her composure.

“Fine, fine. Let’s go. Just stop yanking me around.”

Violet started walking, knowing Astrid wouldn’t hesitate to drag her again if she didn’t. The dining hall wasn’t far, so they wouldn’t be late even if they took their time.

“You’re not planning to say something weird again, are you?” Astrid asked, wary.

“Like what?” Violet’s smirk was infuriatingly smug.

“Well…”

Astrid found herself at a loss for words.

“Just ask her what her game is! Are you an idiot?”

‘I’m not sure how to word it, okay?’

“Feeling any better from the hangover?”

“Oh, how wonderfully considerate His Highness is!”

“Uh, I-I’m fine! Totally fine!” Astrid stammered, taking a step back. Unfortunately, the cadets clustered around her, poring over the schedule and curriculum charts, making retreat impossible. With no escape, she stood frozen, cornered.

Her discomfort was painfully obvious. It made Leopold chuckle internally. For someone who once seemed like the embodiment of cold composure, this side of Astrid felt utterly new—and endearingly human.

Drinking last night had clearly taken its toll, yet Leopold found himself oddly charmed by the unguarded reactions of the usually impenetrable Astrid.

“You shouldn’t drink such strong liquor all at once. Let me see if your eyes are swollen.”

Leopold reached out, prompting Astrid to flinch backward yet again. Cadets behind her stumbled and grumbled, but she didn’t even notice. Leopold, however, stepped forward calmly, closing the distance.

“Why are you avoiding me so much? Do you think I mean you harm?”

“Just stay put! His Highness is kindly checking on you, and you’re running away?!”

‘I know, but—’

The warning bells in Astrid’s head grew louder. Her instincts screamed danger. 

Standing here felt like walking into a trap, one where the outcome would be her undoing. She needed an escape, and fast.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, salvation arrived.

“Hey, Astrid.”

Violet’s voice cut through the moment like a lifeline.

“I have… an appointment! Excuse me!” Astrid blurted, seizing the excuse to flee. Without waiting for a response, she darted toward Violet.

***

The dining hall smelled heavenly, with today’s lunch being southern-style stir-fried noodles. Loaded with pork strips and a sprinkling of seafood, the dish exuded an irresistible aroma. 

Violet’s excitement was evident as she plopped her tray down and made a show of savoring the meal.

“Oh, southern-style stir-fried noodles! Whoever runs this kitchen has traveled far,” she exclaimed, making sure Astrid could hear her admiration.

Astrid, though annoyed, couldn’t deny that the smell was enticing. Quietly, she picked up her fork and sampled the dish. 

The noodles were chewy, the sauce rich, and the combination of tender pork and fresh seafood created a symphony of flavors. It was easily the best meal she’d had since arriving.

“When they served us turnip mash and stale rye bread during the first week, I thought they were insane,” Violet said, slurping up a forkful of noodles.

“Exactly. If they could do this, why didn’t they?”

Astrid couldn’t help but agree. That initial week of miserable meals had been burned into her memory as one of the worst culinary experiences of her life.

“Okay, enough eating. What did you want to talk about?” Astrid asked, frowning at Violet, who was still wolfing down noodles.

“Ah, right. I did say I had something to tell you,” Violet replied, finally setting her fork down after demolishing half her plate.

“Then get to the point.”

Violet scratched her head sheepishly. “Fine, fine. I’ll get serious. First off, I couldn’t care less about becoming the Crown Princess.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow. “And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Do I look like someone who’d go for a pale, princely type like Leopold? Nah. I prefer big, burly guys. Someone who looks like a bear, not a porcelain doll.”

“Let’s fold her in half.”

‘Hold on!’

“I want to be a soldier,” Violet continued, ignoring Astrid’s glare. “I want to follow in my father’s footsteps and serve in the navy. But my father… well, he’s another story.”

“What about him?”

Violet sighed, scratching at her short, sun-kissed hair as if searching for the right words. Finally, she gave up and decided to lay it all out.

“He wants to surpass the Miterien family. My father’s determined to see our family rise above yours.”

“…Surpass us?”

“Yup. The Miterien family’s a ducal house with a legacy of land-based military achievements, while we’re mere marquises specializing in naval battles. There haven’t been many opportunities for us to shine, and my father can’t stand that. With no wars on the horizon, he’s desperate to boost our status however he can.”

And what better way to climb than through a royal marriage? The position of Crown Princess was a prize like no other.

“That’s why he sent me here—to seduce Leopold. Honestly, it wasn’t a terrible idea. Four years at the academy gave me plenty of time to work on it. But then you showed up.”

Astrid hadn’t initially planned to enroll at the academy, but a last-minute decision and imperial decree had changed everything.

“So, I’ve decided to side with you,” Violet declared. “It’s basically a given that you’ll become the Crown Princess. Still, with people like Akemilla and Emilie sniffing around for the same spot, you’ve got plenty to worry about. That’s where I come in. I’ll back you up. Think of me as your secret weapon.”

Astrid stared at Violet, unsure how to respond. The offer sounded tempting, but trust didn’t come easily.

“I mean, you’re head over heels for Leopold, right? I can see it from a mile away. So? Am I wrong?”

“Let’s believe her for now. She seems to have good instincts.”

Astrid couldn’t bring herself to deny it.