66.
“How can I fire that girl?”
This question had been dominating Izerella's thoughts all day.
The academy's rules were firm and unwavering. Laws may not be able to prevent another student from being targeted or socially isolated, but inflicting physical harm meant immediate, unmerciful expulsion.
Weren't many students at the beginning of the academy expelled for mistreating their roommates or students from lower-status families, after accumulating negative points?
Now, it was impossible to find another student to replace Izerella to do such dirty work.
Not only are everyone trying desperately to win back Irene's affection, but they're also greeting Evie. If Iserella had asked someone to help her, they would not have hesitated to go directly to Evie and expose her.
“How can I get rid of it?”
Eserella followed Evie's gaze every day, lost in thought.
“Maybe my parents have a good solution.”
With this hope, on the first day out, Izerella hurried to leave the academy and head home, more anxious than anyone.
The Iserella family was not as wealthy as the Terrence family, but they had a fair amount of wealth. Moreover, it was one of the venerable aristocratic families in the centre, with a long history that was envied by many.
The moment the carriage entered the main palace, Izerella felt at ease. Before entering the academy, she was treated in the capital like a true princess.
In her social circle, she was always the shining star: from a distinguished family, and of outstanding intelligence.
But once she put on the academy's uniform and sat in the classroom with everyone, she became just an ordinary student.
It was true that some students still respected her and recognized her status, but the academy's professors did not.
“How dare they treat me like any ordinary student? I am who I am!”
In fact, it seemed as if they didn't even know who she was. This made her even more nervous.
Now, everyone at the academy looks at Arcel, Lusca, Irene… and Evie with admiration.
How could Izerella bear a situation in which she became less than a fatherless child from the orphanage?
When she arrived at the palace, her parents were waiting for her.
“أمي! أبي!”
Izerella felt tears almost streaming from her eyes. She was sure that her parents would support her, and would tell her a clever way to get Evie Alden fired. Maybe they write a letter to Terrence's family to reconcile her affection with Irene.
But she was completely delusional.
"Ezerella! We were waiting for you exactly! What did you do to cause this mess?"
Instead of comforting her, her parents scolded her as soon as they saw her.
“Your relationship with Irene Terence has completely broken off, right? Have you forgotten why you entered the academy in the first place? Now, what are you going to do?”
“Do you think your mother's tea party invitations were rejected? How did you distance yourself from other families as well?”
Iserella had returned home after a long absence, but she could not even go up to her room.
She sat in the drawing room for long hours listening to her parents' scolding. The only person who listened to her a little was her older brother, who was a big age older than her.
“Why did you provoke Irene Terrence?”
"I didn't provoke her! It's all because of Evie Alden! That lowly girl dared to get a magic stone from her guardian! And this same guardian is ridiculous! Why would he give her something like that?"
"What are you saying? Who gives a magic stone to a child like her? Even rich families can't do that. Didn't you see something wrong?"
“No, I'm sure!”
Iserella explained to her brother the details of the day Eppie obtained the magic stone. Her brother, who was very interested in magic stones, was listening to her and then murmured in a surprised tone:
“What is the name of that guardian who gave her the stone?”
“Xian Ruochen? Something like that.”
“Xian Ruochen? Impossible!”
"What do you mean? Do you know him?"
“Not a personal acquaintance… Okay, I’ll check.”
Her brother said that and then left the room.
In the end, Iserella returned to the academy after receiving a severe reprimand from her parents.
The quartet – Arcel, Lusca, Irene, and Evie – were still eating together. As they talked and laughed, it looked like they were out together on their first day out.
They were getting along like old friends, talking excitedly and occasionally raising their voices.
This scene embodied the ideal relationship that academy students dream of.
The more Izerella saw this, the more she hated Evie.
“She doesn't belong here.”
This place is not for a lowly girl. It is intended for the elite who will lead the empire in the future.
As she was climbing the stairs, one of the workers at the entrance called to her:
“A message has arrived from your home.”
Without thanks, Iserella snatched the letter and turned away.
"What is this? Who is my brother?"
She was expecting a letter from her parents, but it was from her brother. I hurriedly opened it and read the short words.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock.
"Is this correct?"
The content of the letter was simple: Sian Rushen, who was allegedly Ivy Alden's guardian, was very likely a fake person.
Her brother wrote that he would tell her the details later, and asked her not to provoke Irene and to watch closely for now.
“Fake guardian?”
You've never heard anything like this before.
Even though she believed her brother might be wrong, a seed of hope grew within her.
“Everyone will think this is unbelievable.”
For this reason, it can be easy to deceive people.
Iserella hid the letter in her desk drawer, and tried to calm her strongly beating heart.
If her brother's words are true...
She searched the academy's rule book, but found no specific punishment for such a case.
“But it will definitely cause a big stir.”
If the trustee is fake, could other things be fake too?
“Maybe her grades are fake.”
Doubts began to grow with alarming speed.
“Anything works. If you find any violation of the rules...”
Iserella forgot her brother's advice to be patient, and her eyes began to shine as she searched for any fault in Evie.
** * * **
From that day on, Iserella began following Evie's every step: where she goes, which lessons she takes, who she meets.
After a week, she started to get bored. She had to prepare for the upcoming midterm exams.
More importantly, how could she be discovered following a poor orphan? What a shame!
“I have to stop.”
While she was complaining about her brother making her do this strange behavior and going back to her room, she noticed that everyone had left the classroom except Evie.
“What's going on?”
Why haven't you gone out yet?
Iserella quietly approached the door and looked through the glass window.
At first, she didn't see Evie. She thought she might have missed it, but when she looked closer, she saw her slumped under one of the desks picking something up from the floor.
“What are you doing?”
Evie picked something up from the floor and quickly put it in her bag, then walked out of the classroom.
Iserella hid in the corner of the corridor at the last moment.
She watched Evie quickly leave the building, her eyes lighting up sharply.
At first, she thought Evie was looking for something she dropped. But Evie continued to examine the floor and put something else in her bag.
While Izerella was deep in thought, a group of girls approached the corridor.
“Why did you drop something like that?”
"I don't know. Anyway, my mom bought it for me. I have to find it."
“Are you sure you lost it in class?”
“Yes, sure.”
The girls saw Iserella, greeted her politely and entered the classroom. They started searching the ground, just as Evie had done.
“Did you find him?”
“No...what should I do?”
Iserella couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked:
“What's going on?”
One of the girls answered in an annoyed tone:
“Our friend lost a bracelet in class, and we can't find it. It's an expensive birthday present... Have you seen it, Miss Iserella?”
Of course you didn't see anything. Iserella shook her head.
The girls mumbled something and left.
Iserella rushed to the window. She saw Evie scurrying away, clutching her huge bag tightly, as if she was carrying something very valuable.
Iserella's eyes shone with a colder look.
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