Chap 66-Her Identity

 

Lina’s long, drawn-out ‘special education’ finally came to an end.

My ears were about to bleed from the sermon that lasted almost an hour…

Anyway, I survived.

I was finally about to start discussing the group project.

However, our group project ran into a major obstacle as soon as it started.

“Um… well…”

Lea opened her mouth with a troubled expression.

“These important matters… I think Lady Medici needs to be here to make a decision…”

“See! I told you we should just call it a day!”

I shouted as if I had been waiting for it.

“It’s pointless to decide anything without a leader anyway! It’s just a waste of time.”

“But…”

Lina tried to argue in a weak tone.

“But what!”

I snapped at her because I wanted to get out of this tiresome situation as quickly as possible.

“Well…”

Lina hesitated and continued.

“Actually… the Holy Theocracy is really busy these days. After class, I’ve been stuck in the cathedral every day helping with work. I barely managed to sneak out under the pretext of this group project… If we just break up here…”

‘…Huh?’

I felt a little puzzled by Lina’s words.

The Holy Theocracy is busy? Suddenly?

“I haven’t heard any news that there’s anything special going on in the Holy Theocracy? Is there any reason for them to be so busy all of a sudden?”

When I asked, Lina tilted her head and replied.

“Well… I don’t know the details either. I just heard that… they recently started some important research with the Rapellasia family… so everyone is just insanely busy.”

‘Research with the Rapellasia family? The Holy Theocracy?’

This wasn’t in the game.

The Rapellasia family and the Holy Theocracy overlap in some areas, but they weren’t exactly close.

But the two of them are working together on secret research?

This was… an ominous sign.

“…Yeon?”

Just as I was about to sink into thought, Lina called me with a desperate expression.

She looked at me with a slightly pitiful expression.

“So… could you please stay with me a little longer? Please?”

‘Ugh… if you ask me with that expression…’

In the end, I had no choice but to sigh deeply and nod.

“…Okay. Okay. I’ll stay with you a little longer. But! No more of that weird education!”

Lina’s face lit up at my words.

“Really? Thank you, Yeon!”

In the end, we sat facing each other at the cafe table again.

“So… what do we do now?”

The three of us looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, lost in thought.

Then, Lina clapped her hands and said.

“It’s almost exam time anyway! Since we’re all here, why don’t we study our notes together?”

‘…Study?’

“Oh, come to think of it, I heard Lea is a really good student!”

Lina said to Lea with sparkling eyes.

“If you don’t mind… could you teach Yeon a little? Yeon… well… I think she needs some help.”

“Huh? Me?”

Lea flinched and waved her hands.

She looked back and forth between me and Lina with a flustered expression.

“Oh, forget it! What study! If we’re going to do that, I’m just going to leave!”

In the first place, I already knew all the boring theories that came out on the exam, thanks to my knowledge of the game settings.

It’s too much of a waste of time to study something I already know.

I was just going to take the written exam casually enough to not fail, so it was useless to study anyway.

Lina looked dejected at my firm refusal, but she quickly cheered up again and made another suggestion.

“Um… then shall we just chat while eating dessert? I heard there’s a really famous dessert here! Let’s try it!”

“Then…”

Lea opened her mouth cautiously.

She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said to me confidently.

“…Lady Bennet, please buy it for us!”

“…S, suddenly?”

I asked back, dumbfounded.

The girl who had been looking at me with contempt just a moment ago was suddenly asking me to buy her dessert?

Lea continued without being intimidated.

“As you know, I’m a commoner, so I don’t have any money. I can’t afford to eat such expensive desserts.”

She pointed to the most expensive-looking cake on the menu.

‘No… still, is it normal to ask someone you’re not even close to to buy you food like this…?’

“Wow! What is it? Yeon is treating today?”

Lina chimed in with sparkling eyes.

“Everyone at the academy is already buzzing about how rich you are! Show us the dignity of the Duke Bennett family for your group members!”

“……”

I pondered for a moment.

Originally, I would have coldly refused to play that ridiculous villainess role…

But it’s meaningless now.

The infamy has already spread, and nothing I do will change it.

Besides…

‘Sigh, well, if she wanted to eat it that badly, she wouldn’t have asked someone like me like that.’

“…Okay. I’ll buy it.”

Lina and Lea’s faces lit up when I reluctantly replied.

In the end, we ordered a lot of desserts that we each wanted to eat.

And a moment later, the waiter brought the bill.

“That’s 300 gold in total, ma’am.”

“…T, three hundred gold?”

I doubted my ears for a moment. 300 gold for a few pieces of dessert? Did they sprinkle gold dust on it?

‘How much money do I have right now…?’

I panicked and started checking my account balance in my head.

[SYSTEM]

Yeon Bennet’s Account

Bennett Duchy – 0 Gold

Academy Upkeep Fee – 450 Gold

‘…Huh?’

I was startled by the numbers that appeared on the System window.

The Bennett Duchy’s allowance was… 0 gold?

There was definitely a huge amount of money coming in until last month, but it had all disappeared.

There was only one person who would do this.

‘Sister…’

‘Well, I wasn’t planning on using that person’s money anyway. Good for her.’

I decided to brush it off.

“Here, I’ll pay.”

I said to the waiter.

‘300 gold… Sigh, I’ll have to survive on one meal a day until next month…’

I sighed inwardly.

But what could I do?

I already said I’d buy it.

The desserts that came out a moment later were so extravagant that my eyes widened.

Colorful fruits and cream, and even sparkling sugar crafts.

It was definitely a visual that was worth the expensive price.

“Thank you, Yeon! I’ll enjoy it!”

Lina said excitedly like a child.

“Thank you, Lady.”

Lea also bowed her head and greeted me.

We each started eating the desserts in front of us.

‘Well, it’s tasty as it is expensive.’

The sweetness that melted in my mouth seemed to relieve my mood a little.

Then, Lea covered her mouth slightly and asked me.

“Lady Bennet, could you give me a napkin?”

It seemed like she had a little dessert on her mouth.

‘Well, as she’s from a commoner background, she probably isn’t familiar with these fancy desserts or dining etiquette. This kind of place might be quite burdensome for her.’

Without much thought, I handed her the napkin next to me.

Lea carefully took the napkin and wiped her mouth—

Suddenly, she frowned slightly as if she didn’t like something.

‘…Why is she making that face again?’

Just as I was about to think about the reason while looking at her with a questioning gaze,

“This dessert is really delicious! Isn’t it, Yeon?”

Lina, who was next to me, smiled brightly and spoke to me.

Her sudden question scattered the thoughts about Lea that had been going on until just now.

“Yeah. I think it’s much better than that store we went to last time.”

I nodded as well.

Clang-

At that very moment, something fell to the floor.

When I turned my head, Lea’s fork was lying on the floor this time.

But her expression was somehow strange.

Normally, she would look flustered or apologetic in this situation, but she just looked down at the fallen fork with a blank face.

“…I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”

It was a dry voice with no emotion.

“It’s okay, Lea. It happens.”

Lina still comforted her kindly.

But I was somehow uneasy about Lea’s indifferent attitude.

And the next moment, Lea raised her head and looked straight at me.

It was a completely different look than usual.

The intimidated look had disappeared, and there was a hint of demanding something confidently.

“Lady, could you get me a new fork?”

“…Ah, sure.”

After a brief hesitation, I took out a spare fork from next to the table and quietly handed it to her.

…

By the time we finished eating dessert and left the cafe, the sun was already setting.

Unlike the awkward first meeting, the atmosphere between the three of us was a little more relaxed than at first, thanks to the sweet dessert or Lina’s constant chatter.

“Well, I had a really great time today! Everyone, go home safely!”

Lina said goodbye in her usual bright voice.

“Thank you very much today, Lady Bennet. And Lina too. Both of you, go home safely.”

Lea also greeted us politely with a slightly more relaxed expression than before.

But her eyes still seemed deep, as if she was thinking about something.

Yeon simply nodded silently as a greeting and turned away first.

The three of them parted ways, heading to their respective dormitories.

Lea walks alone down the dark hallway to her dormitory.

She thought of the black-haired girl, Yeon Bennet, who she had been with until just now.

It had already been six months since she entered the academy.

During that time, Lea had been watching and analyzing the existence of Yeon Bennet from afar, and sometimes very closely.

The ominous rumors about her, the terrible misdeeds she had committed, and the many suspicions surrounding her.

And today, Lea finally became certain.

The worst villainess in Terra.

The shame of the Bennet family.

The traitor who brought in Contamination.

Etc… Yeon Bennet, who was called by all sorts of terrible names.

Her real identity is-

“……”

Lea stopped in the deserted hallway and muttered in a low voice, unable to hide her disappointment.

“…Just, a pushover?”