No matter the culture, dormitory hallways always looked the same.

  Long, dimly lit, numbered doors stretching in both directions.

  And if you were lucky, a window at the far end.

  I stopped in front of Isabel's door, staring at the number she'd scribbled down on a piece of paper yesterday.

  Yes, this was definitely it.

  Letting out a deep breath, my knuckle hovered over the wood, still hesitant to knock.

  "I can't believe I'm doing this."

  After knocking once. Silence

  I knocked again. Nothing.

  She wouldn't pull a prank on me... right? Not on my first day.

  A third knock, louder this time. Still no response.

  Annoyance curled up in my chest. I reached for the handle on impulse, pushing open the door without thinking.

  Click.

  It wasn't locked?

  Cautiously I peeked inside, pure disaster greeting me.

  Clothes were scattered all across the floor, books and papers stacked haphazardly on her cluttered desk.

  The rug was littered with trinkets, as if someone had halfheartedly started cleaning before giving up.

  Shouldn’t she have a maid for this?

  The only things in order were the two guitars. Resting neatly on wooden stands, the only possessions handled with actual care.

  Among the scattered papers, I noticed something else. Handwritten sheets of music.

  She plays? For some reason I hadn't expected that.

  Even in all this chaos, the way the guitars were kept.

  Untouched by the mess, ready to be picked up at any moment, made it obvious that she used them often.

  And then, there was her bed.

  No lavish canopy, no decorative pillows, no extravagant mattress fit for a noble.

  Just... a bed. A little bigger than average, sure, but it could have come straight out of my old world.

  And there, curled up beneath rumpled blankets, was Isabel.

  Still asleep.

  I stared at her. Didn't she have an alarm? No clock? Someone to wake her up?

  She told me to be here before class. And yet, there she was, blissfully unaware, sleeping safe and sound.

  Was she expecting me to wake her up?

  I hovered over her, my hand just inches from the blanket.

  "Lady Isabel," I called softly. "Time to wake up."

  But she only groaned, hugging her pillow tighter.

  Maybe I should just leave her be. It wouldn't be my problem if she's late.

  But then again... if she's late, who knows what she'll do to me. So this really is just self defence!

  Still hesitant, I reached out and gave her a gentle shake, trying to wake her.

  "Go away..."

  "Great." I sighed. "You told me to come, remember?"

  A sluggish mumble. "... Did I?"

  Her half lidded eyes glanced at me, still hazy with sleep.

  "Yes, now get up. We'll be late."

  She made a noise of protest and turned away. "Five more minutes..."

  "You're a princess," I reminded her. "Shouldn't you be a little more responsible?"

  Nothing. I gently tugged at the blanket, only for her to latch onto it even tighter.

  "We don’t have time for this!" I gritted my teeth and yanked harder.

  To my surprise, she let go.

  Sitting up slowly, rubbing her face, swaying slightly on the edge of the bed.

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  I crossed my arms. "Don't you want to get dressed?"

  No response, just a blank stare.

  Suppressing another sigh, I searched the room for her uniform.

  Luckily I didn't have to look for long. There it was. Crumpled over her chair.

  "Put this on." I pleaded, dangling the blouse in front of her.

  But Isabel had other plans, leaning against me, making absolutely no effort to move.

  "Come on..."

  "Don't wanna."

  "...Really now?"

  Getting her dressed was like a battle.

  Every time I tried to guide her arms through the sleeves, she shifted, leaning her full weight onto me like a lifeless doll.

  At one point, her head lolled onto my shoulder, dangerously close to dozing off again.

  "Isabel," I said flatly, "Work with me here."

  She only hummed in response.

  This is my fate, isn’t it? Doomed to spend my days taking care of a spoiled princess.

  After several frustrating minutes, I eventually managed to get her into the uniform.

  Taking a step back, I examined my work, a small smile curling up my lips. Despite everything, the result was... perfect.

  The ribbon sat neatly tied, her blouse sleek and tucked effortlessly into the skirt. If I didn't know better, I'd think she’d gotten ready herself.

  Effortless. Elegant. A look I could never pull off, not even in my dreams.

  I let out a deep breath, about to collect her boots, when Isabels gaze wandered up at me.

  For a second, she seemed almost dazed, as if still processing something. Then, ever so slowly, a grin spread across her lips.

  "Hehe, my knight is very hands on."

  "You, were awake this whole time?" Heat prickled up my neck, boiling over in frustration and disbelief.

  She tilted her head. "Only after you took my shirt off."

  My eye lid twitched, "So you could've done this yourself all this time?"

  "I could have."

  Isabel took a step forward, deliberate, close enough for me to feel the warmth of her breath brushing against my skin.

  Too close. Too close. Way too close. What’s with the sudden invasion of personal space?

  Is this a noble thing? Or just an Isabel thing? And why won’t my heart stop pounding?

  "Thought I'd indulge in your care for a little longer." she whispered, wearing a confident smirk.

  "How on earth can you be so infuriating?" I stammered, hating how my voice wavered.

  How the warmth of my face only deepened. It wasn't just frustration, this time it lingered. An annoying traitorous heat that refused to fade.

  "Oh my, you're so adorable." A thoughtful hum followed. "Maybe I should make you blush more often."

  "Don't even dare!" I turned sharply toward the door, trying to avoid adding even more fuel to the fire. "Let's get going!"

  Just as I reached the handle, I froze up, feeling her finger brushing against my scarf.

  Tugging it down just enough to reveal the mark on my neck.

  The winged sword that bound me to her.

  Her eyes flickered with satisfaction. "Mmm... yes. It really suits you."

  I jerked away, quickly covering the mark with hand. "You really have to rub it in?"

  "Of course!" Isabel beamed. "You wouldn't believe how much planning this took."

  I scowled. "I read the book."

  "Oh? You did?" she acted surprised.

  "You left it right there. Surely you wanted me to read it."

  "I hoped you would. Wasn't sure if you'd actually go through with it, though."

  I exhaled sharply. "Well, I know exactly what my oath entails. And no, it doesn't mean I have to put up with your nonsense."

  Isabel sighed dramatically. "What a shame, here I was hoping to test your limits."

  "You already knew the limits. You can't order me around like a servant."

  She giggled, feigning innocence. "Not for small things, no. But there are things I can command you to do."

  "I guess so." My voice flat, "I already know that much."

  For a second, her smile faltered.

  Not much. Just a flicker. A subtle pause before she covered it up, effortlessly slipping back into her usual smirk.

  "Hmph. Wasn't that a bit too easy?"

  "Not like I could refuse those orders even if wanted to." I shrugged, "I am stuck with you. Not much point in fighting the obvious."

  "How terribly unromantic." Isabel sighed.

  "Anyway," I decided to ignore it for now, pushing the door open. "Let's leave. We're already late."

  As soon as we stepped into the hallway, we were met with complete silence.

  Not a single voice, not even a single footstep.

  My stomach dropped, glancing down the hallway, my gaze landing on the clock hanging at the far end.

  "Oh, shit." Not just late, disastrously late! "We already missed the last tram..."

  I turned to Isabel.

  She stretched her arms, looking completely unbothered.

  "... So?" She asked, as if this wasn't her first time, "we run?"

  I exhaled sharply, already bracing myself. "you better keep up."

  Isabel let out a delighted laugh, as we bolted for the exit.

  First day of classes, and I’m already dealing with this. What’s next? Sword drills? Etiquette lessons? A noble duel at lunch?

  ... Yeah, knowing my luck, I probably wasn't far off. I wish I could've just stayed in bed.