The World Is Mine For The Taking

Titania’s POV

Before I met Leon, I had been nothing more than an absolute brat who had never really done anything meaningful for the kingdom. Looking back on those days now, I honestly couldn’t even deny it. Because I was born as a princess, almost everything I needed was simply handed to me without me having to work for any of it. Whatever I wanted, whatever I demanded, people would bend over backward to make sure I got it, and there were barely any consequences for the way I behaved. From the very beginning, I was raised to believe that asking for whatever I wanted was perfectly normal, regardless of how anyone else felt about it. Since everyone around me treated that behavior as acceptable, I naturally grew into someone who expected the world to revolve around her.

Looking back now, though, those actions were only natural, weren’t they?

I grew up with a father who absolutely adored me and rarely refused me anything. On top of that, I lived in an environment that constantly favored me in every possible way. My status placed me near the very top of the kingdom’s hierarchy, and I was surrounded by servants whose only responsibility was to fulfill whatever request I happened to make that day. Because I spent my entire childhood living like that, my personality was shaped by those circumstances long before I was old enough to understand them. I never consciously chose to become spoiled. That was simply the person I naturally became after growing up in that kind of environment.

Then I met Leon.

Meeting him ended up changing my life far more than I could have ever imagined before coming to the academy.

Little by little, I could actually feel my personality beginning to change. Before meeting him, I didn’t have anyone I could honestly call a friend. Plenty of people stayed close to me, but most of them did so because of my title rather than because they genuinely enjoyed my company. Things were completely different now. I had a boyfriend who loved me for who I really was instead of loving the title I carried, and I had friends I could laugh with, rely on, and spend time together with. Somehow, those same friends loved the very same boyfriend that I loved, yet instead of making me feel jealous, it only made me happier because I knew exactly why they admired him.

Life had honestly been treating me far better than I ever expected.

Thinking about everything that had happened, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that Father had decided to send me to the academy. His original reason had been to protect me from the growing conflict inside our kingdom. Political struggles had become increasingly dangerous, and he believed that staying abroad would be much safer for me until everything settled down.

Naturally, I didn’t complain about the decision.

If anything, I was incredibly excited about the whole thing from the very beginning.

The chance to visit somewhere completely unfamiliar was enough to make me practically bounce with excitement. I happily accepted Father’s decision without the slightest hesitation, making all sorts of cheerful noises along the way that probably weren’t very dignified for someone who was supposed to act like a proper princess. Looking back, I was probably embarrassing, but I honestly didn’t care.

Back then, I didn’t have anyone around my own age whom I could sincerely call a friend. Servants followed me practically everywhere I went, and although they were loyal and kind, having people constantly hovering around me every single day eventually became exhausting. Sometimes I simply wanted to walk somewhere without someone asking if I needed another blanket, another drink, or another escort.

That was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come here.

Looking back now, I’m genuinely glad that I did.

Leon wasn’t the only wonderful person I met after arriving at the academy.

Along the way, I met so many amazing people who slowly became important parts of my life.

Those people eventually became precious friends, and I loved every single one of them with all my heart. Sometimes I even caught myself wondering whether someone like me truly deserved the kindness they showed me every day. It almost felt unfair that I had been given so much happiness after spending so many years living inside a lonely little cage made of privilege.

Still, happiness like this always seemed a little fragile.

Deep down, I suppose I knew that forever was asking for a bit too much.

That day, I was spending time on Leon’s place while chatting with everyone else, and we were all laughing together without worrying too much about what tomorrow might bring.

"You know," I said with a small smile, "I have this feeling that a lot of things are going to happen soon. Even so, for some reason... I still feel completely safe."

"What do you mean by that?" Trill asked.

She tilted her head slightly, and her cat ears immediately stood straight up with curiosity. Honestly, seeing her ears react like that was still adorable no matter how many times I witnessed it. They were basically giving away her emotions before she even opened her mouth.

"Well," I replied, "it isn’t that I think there’s nothing to worry about. That would honestly be ridiculous. We’re in the middle of a war, and on top of that, the Empire has openly declared its intention to fight against the entire world all over again."

I paused for a brief moment before continuing with a quiet smile still resting on my face.

"But even knowing all of that, I still can’t bring myself to feel scared. Since Leon is here with us, and because I know he’ll protect everyone, I just don’t feel like I need to worry as much anymore."

Maybe that sounded like I relied on him a little too much.

Honestly, I probably relied on him more than I even realized myself.

My faith in Leon had grown so strong that it might have surpassed the devotion some people held toward the Goddess Jeanne herself. Thinking about it like that almost made me laugh because it sounded so over the top, yet it was also completely true.

Strange as it sounded, I genuinely believed it with all my heart.

After all, I loved Leon more than anyone else.

More importantly, I truly believed he would find a way to lead us through all of this safely, no matter how impossible things looked.

When I finished speaking, Trill smiled warmly in response.

Then Isiliraiellyn smiled as well, almost immediately afterward.

Soon enough, everyone else around us followed with their own smiles.

"That’s right," Isiliraiellyn said while giving a gentle nod.

"With Leon around, anything is possible," Zeruel said confidently without showing even the slightest hesitation.

"I honestly don’t think anyone here doubts that anymore," Trill replied with a small laugh.

Yr, who had been quietly listening beside us the entire time, simply nodded in agreement without saying anything else.

By that point, it had practically become an unspoken understanding among all of us that we could win this war as long as Leon was the one leading us forward.

He was incredibly strong.

He was remarkably intelligent as well.

People naturally gathered around him because they genuinely wanted to follow him, and that was something you simply couldn’t force.

Believing in someone like him just felt completely natural after everything we had experienced together.

We continued laughing together while talking about Leon, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded us despite the uncertainty waiting beyond the horizon.

None of us realized how quickly that peaceful moment was about to disappear.

Then, everything changed the instant I received the bad news.