episode_0030

Due to the curse of the monster clan leader, Remyang, who had never been seen in the world due to the curse, never socialized with other nobles, except for her family, and had never interacted with humans other than her personal maid and Galwood, had no idea about the malicious side of the noble society.

Of course, she had received education from Galwood’s father, but the gap between someone who had learned it from a young age and someone who had only heard about it was inevitable.

“Wow… Th-this is the Royal Academy…!”

For Remyang, the important thing was that she could receive professional education at the kingdom’s best academy.

“Hehe, are you that excited?”

Arriving at the Royal Academy with her personal maid, Ronica, who had left the world due to an accident, Remyang was ecstatic, despite it being a difficult journey for her.

It was a place filled with excitement, being the first time she had visited a strange place, the scenery of the academy campus.

“Yeah! It’s really the best!”

The entrance ceremony was held immediately.

Numerous noble young masters and ladies gathered in the auditorium.

‘There are so many…’

At least a hundred students.

Among them, Remyang, who was standing timidly, recited the oath along with the principal.

It was a solemn oath.

“Oath! Article 1! In learning, there are no distinctions of status, and under sacred knowledge, everyone is equal!”

Remyang truly liked that passage.

Due to the curse, she had to hide her status, and in order to disguise herself as a noble above her station, she had to become a noble lady from some remote territory that no one had ever heard of. For Remyang, it was the best oath.

Therefore.

“Professor! I have a question!”

Following the oath of Article 1, Remyang approached learning without regard for her status and was genuinely dedicated to learning.

She was so happy.

Unlike the past days when she had to learn through self-study and struggle, now there was someone who could answer her questions instantly.

She was more passionate than anyone else during lectures, always sitting in the front row and being the first to raise her hand to answer the professor’s questions.

It was a breakthrough.

Not knowing the dark side of noble society, not knowing that the oath of not caring about status was a futile vow, Remyang attracted the attention of the Deron group.

From then on.

For daring to speak out, for daring to be a noble lady from some remote territory who dared to speak during lectures, the harsh bullying began.

“You’re acting so arrogant. If you’re from a lowly background, you should be more humble.”

“Why… why are you like this. We all took the oath…”

“Hahaha! Oath? What’s that?”

“I, I just like learning…”

“Is that so? Then learn from us starting today.”

“What…?”

“Life lessons, you b*tch!”

Smack!

Thud!

“Ack!”

Every day, she had to endure difficult times being dragged to the back courtyard of the academy.

Her face bruised, her neck injured, but no one applied ointment, and she endured three years of torture, including bullying such as hide and seek and group torment.

“Hehe. If we catch you, you’re dead. Run away quickly.”

“Please… stop…”

Thwack!

“Eek!”

“You b*tch, whether we stop or start, that’s up to us. Got it? Now, I’ll give you 10 seconds. It’s better to run away quickly.”

Just because they didn’t want to see her pathetic state, she was treated like that.

But still, Remyang did not give up.

With a sullen face, he sat at the front of the classroom, giving his best despite his aching body, immersing himself in research and experiments.

Even if it would provoke their anger even more, even if their passion and stubbornness would turn into greater resentment, they did not give up.

As a result, they enjoyed the honor of being selected as outstanding scholarship students.

And then.

“Damn. So you’re saying you can just share that honor with us?”

Deron’s group also became outstanding scholarship students, and thus became top graduates.

For Lemyang, who simply enjoyed learning more than anything else, it was not unfair.

It was just regrettable that they had to leave the academy after three years of study.

“Hehe. Is this tiresome fate finally over? Are you relieved, Elysia?”

“It’s nice that we don’t have to see each other anymore. Smile. Hehe.”

“Live well. Don’t forget the life lessons we taught you for three years.”

That was the end of it.

The three years of hell had ended so anticlimactically.

They did not feel bitter.

They felt relieved, just as they had said.

They would never see each other again.

They would never cross paths again.

Returning to the Northern Territory, Lemyang devoted himself even more to research and experiments to forget the memories of the past days, and it seemed like they were gradually fading away.

The pain, the scars, the tears seemed to disappear into the path of oblivion.

No.

Even if their names were not on the list of candidates, they would have surely disappeared.

The moment they saw their names, if the searing pain of scars did not start to throb, if the memories they had tried so hard to bury did not resurface, then.

And that was when Lemyang realized.

The three years of hell were not easily forgettable.

**

“Oh, it looks like the candidates are coming.”

Lemyang, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them at Geld’s words.

And he saw.

Kyle running from afar.

Blond running with a face as pale as snow.

Deron, whose face had become just like his own after the game of death tag.

A smile appeared, but he forced it back.

Since they had gone in the opposite direction of Elden, they must not have obtained the pattern.

They must have given up chasing the giant monsters placed in each cave.

Lemyang stood up from his chair and went to meet Kyle himself.

“Ho ho. You’re back early. How was it?”

It was terrifying.

It was frightening.

He hoped they would give up.

But…

“Look at this! Your Highness!”

What Kyle gasped and pulled out was none other than the pattern of the Grand Duke’s house that should have been in the northeast 800M cave, held by Elden Raphellion.

Lemyang accepted it.

“…”

“I almost died, but I brought it back after a fierce battle!”

“…”

Blond and Deron arrived shortly after.

Their faces were full of things to say, but they just glared at Kyle’s back, and to Lemyang, whatever had happened between them was utterly useless.

Trembling hands, Lemyang asked Kyle with effort.

“Did you… Did you see Elden… Elden Master there?”

“What?”

“Wasn’t Elden Master there?”

“Why…?”

“Answer the question.”

Kyle, who thought the Grand Duchess would be pleased, rushed to retrieve the pattern as soon as the Wild Big Boar fell, but to his surprise, he had to face the enraged Grand Duchess.

“Well, he wasn’t there…?”

Lemyang sighed.

He clenched the pattern in his hand.

As a woman who trembled at the mere thought of the villain, she had even confessed to him.

It was written as the last resort, not wanting to bring out the shameful feeling, not wanting to write the final method due to the rising sense of shame.

However, what was Elden Raphellion doing heading northeast?

He was angry.

He was embarrassed.

He even made a confession that he didn’t mean for encouragement.

He even went to see Ariel Yeong-ae in person.

But he failed again.

Whether Elden tried and failed, or didn’t even try, he wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling it was closer to the latter.

Not showing up there was like rejecting his own confession.

His teeth were chattering.

His face was burning with shame.

He was certain he would succeed.

He promised victory, so he believed he would do his best this time.

He had to.

The book of encouragement had to succeed to show Elden how terrifying the game of death was.

What on earth.

Why do I keep failing over and over again?

My stomach is turning upside down.

I wrote a confession note, enduring even the feeling of wanting to vomit, but in the end, I kept failing and it became a ridiculous sight.

Was the premise wrong?

Did I really give up to walk the path of repentance?

No way.

It can’t be.

“Your, Your Highness…? So, I won the 2nd evaluation battle….”

“Shut up.”

In response to Kyle’s cautious words, harsh words came out unintentionally.

My head is so confused that I can’t think rationally.

To achieve complete liberation in hell, I used the family tradition and sacred festival of the Honyak Tournament for personal revenge.

So I must succeed, but Elden, the snake, slips away without being caught and escapes in a despicable manner.

And then.

…!

Elden, walking on the forest path back to the starting point, appeared.

With an innocent face, chewing on a fruit.

The sight was too annoying.

The sight was too ridiculous.

Shaking.

I wanted to slap him right away, but the restraint was like the one that had been watching me for the past three years, similar to the one with Deron’s group.

In the end.

Crack!

Throwing away the pattern brought by Kyle, he turned around and started descending the mountain.

The pattern that hit the rock shattered into pieces.

Like the cracks in Remyan’s beliefs.

Then, Elden, who returned to the starting point late, took a big bite of the fruit and asked frozen Deron and Blund from behind, “What happened? The atmosphere seems off.”

Chew, chew.