39
Over the past few days, people have flocked around Arcel and Luska, tirelessly asking them which subjects to choose.
They were desperate to share even one subject with them, filled with an overwhelming desire to get close to them and court them by any means possible.
But, strangely, the person who everyone thought would be the most eager to seize this opportunity is surprised and recoils in amazement, as if the idea itself were unreasonable.
While everyone was crowding to get closer to Arcel and Luska, this girl was shrinking in terror, an act that did not please Arcel, but which seemed to him, for some reason, interesting.
"It would be great if we studied together! Arcel, you'll join us, right? You'll join us, right? This is a final decision? No betrayal, okay?"
Lusca's insistent, sometimes annoying voice urged Arcel in an enthusiastic tone. Arcel replied dryly:
“Okay, agreed.”
It wasn't bad for him. He was curious, however, to know what level of knowledge that girl had achieved outstanding grades right after Arcel.
“If you check their level...”
Persuading the professor to change the subject will not be difficult.
That wasn't much of an obstacle for Arcel.
Even if Dean Seraphina refused, making up a convincing reason for her wouldn't be impossible.
At that moment, Lusca noticed a book that Evie had placed on the table, and he picked it up curiously:
“Advanced mathematics? Have you finished it already?”
“Oh, this...”
It was the book that Professor Mallis had lent to Evie. It wasn't hers, so she rushed in panic, trying to get it back, but she didn't dare claim it directly.
She caught the book while it was still in Lusca's hand, who smiled slyly and pulled the book tightly towards himself, as he was wont to do with Arcel in their banter of a power struggle.
But the problem was that the other party this time was not Arcel, but Evie.
No sooner had Luska grabbed the book than Evie lost her balance and fell forward with frightening ease.
"Yes!"
Loska stopped in shock, but it was too late. Evie almost hit the ground, had it not been for Arcel's calm and indifferent voice:
“I knew this was going to happen.”
In an instant, Evie rose into the air. Arcel grabbed her waist and lifted her easily, then helped her stand up again and asked:
“Are you okay?”
Evie quickly retracted her arm, bending over and over in confusion:
“I, I'm fine!”
But Arcel frowned and looked at Lusca:
"Apologies, Lusca. Evie was almost hurt."
"No, it's okay! I'll be more careful next time!"
Evie shook her head desperately, feeling cold sweat running down her back.
apology? Lusca is the son of the Marquis Ragsleb family! Although she doesn't know much about nobility, she knows that the title of Marquis means a very high status.
“Our mayor was just a baronet...”
Even if Lusca doesn't have a title yet, his family has influence that she can't even imagine.
He would certainly obtain a noble title in the future, whether from his family or his own merit. Someone like him would never apologize to her...
However, contrary to her expectations, Lusca bowed slightly and said in a normal tone:
“Sorry, Ephb. I was thinking about my prank with Arcel and I didn't control my power well. I'll be careful next time.”
Evie felt like she was about to faint. What do you do? Should you kneel down and beg him not to say that?
At the academy, everyone is supposed to be treated as equal students regardless of their origin, but that's just theory.
In fact, it is impossible to ignore class differences outside the walls of the academy.
For reasons she didn't understand, Arcel and Luska were nice to her. It wasn't unpleasant, but she didn't know how to respond to this kindness.
Meanwhile, someone was watching the three from afar.
“Isn't that the common girl? And next to her are Mr. Arcel and Mr. Lusca!”
One student shouted in surprise, then realized his voice was too loud and closed his mouth.
But he couldn't take his eyes off them. He was not alone; Everyone around him was staring at the three of them, unable to avert their gazes.
“Why are they spending time with that girl?”
“Exactly! Didn’t it end after they watched her for two days during that disappearance?”
“Well, Mr. Loska talks a lot with other students, but why even Mr. Arcel...”
When someone greeted him, Arcel only returned the greeting briefly, without engaging in any further conversation.
But now he was talking to Evie, even initiating the conversation himself.
The students' eyes sparkled with jealousy. They didn't like it. No, they felt anger squeezing their hearts.
Those who chased them all day long just to hear a word from them, now see an ordinary girl who simply enjoys this attention!
“This is unbelievable!”
But they couldn't confront them. What can they say? Even if they were angry, interfering would only bring Arcel cold glares on them.
“Can't we get rid of that girl somehow?”
They started thinking, until someone cautiously suggested an idea:
“If Miss Irene knew about this… wouldn’t she be very angry?”
Irene, who was rumored to be a candidate to be the next princess, was someone who could not be satisfied with seeing a commoner girl getting close to two potential future princes.
Wasn't the same Irene there with Arcel and Luska when they were by Evie's side before? It was a silent warning to Evie not to overstep her bounds.
What's more, isn't Erin Evie's roommate? This meant that she had many opportunities to be punished away from the eyes of the academy staff.
“And it's better that Miss Irene will take care of it herself without us getting our hands dirty!”
There was nothing to lose.
“Let's go tell her right away!”
“Yes, we may not be able to say anything, but Miss Irene certainly will!”
The students rushed to look for Irene, and it wasn't long until they found her in the cafeteria, surrounded by a group of female students.
Even though she wore the same school uniform, Irene's beauty was exceptional, exuding elegance and refined demeanor.
Even her lack of words and reserved appearance seemed perfect for what everyone would expect from a noble lady.
“Miss Irene!”
When they called her, Erin frowned slightly. One of the students noticed that she was not in a good mood, so he quickly spoke:
“Order, command… Eee Alden… She was with Mr. Arcel and Mr. Loska!”
Another student stepped in to support him:
“Last time, when they helped them find her, and they spent two days watching her, it seems she took advantage of that to get closer to them! She was just talking and laughing with them!”
"What did you say?"
The words had hardly finished when Irene raised her voice, put down the teacup she was holding, and ordered with a sharp look:
“Repeat what you said, in detail.”
She was always calm and composed, and this sudden anger made the students feel excited.
“She's definitely angry!”
They began to tell what they saw, adding some exaggerations:
“Whenever Mr. Loska spoke to her, she would smile happily...”
“She was clinging to Mr. Arcel and pretending to be friendly, really...”
With each word, Eren's features hardened more.
"Not only that! She pretended to fall to throw herself into Mr. Arcel's arms! Where did a little girl like her learn such tricks?"
The student continued to talk, making up events that did not happen, and getting artificially angry. He noticed that Eren's face was getting colder, so he continued more boldly:
“They both held her hand and asked her if she was okay, and it was clear that she did it on purpose...”
“So, those two were talking to Evie, holding her hand and playing with her, like that?”
Irene interrupted them in a tone as cold as the winter wind, and the student closed his mouth.
"Ha, as I expected. I was suspicious since last time. So she's trying to get closer to them like this."
Irene's tone was full of resentment, and no one suspected that she would look for a way to expel Eppie from the academy.
The students thought their plan had worked, but they didn't notice anything: Irene called Evie by name, while referring to Arcel and Luska, whom everyone adores, as “those,” as if she were putting them on a lower level.
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