The Academy’s Queen (1)

* * *

A tense period with the Dispute Tribunal drawing near.

The poor magic department students, with nothing to do but assignments, assignments, and more assignments, chattered about the big event that was about to happen. When you form bonds in a closed space and live together, you can have heated debates over trivial matters.

“What do you think will happen to her?”

“Expulsion, no doubt. How could she withstand eight nobles ganging up on her?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

As is the case everywhere, when three people gather, factions are formed, and when ten gather, they form a society. The academy was a microcosm of the political world. Among them, the leader who leads the faction-the person who becomes the central axis of society-cannot help but be the center of attention.

“If Cecilia-ssi joins in, it might be worth a shot, don’t you think?”

“You talk so easily, as if your mouth is just a hole. What reason would a marquess’s young lady have to stick with a bastard who doesn’t even reveal their family name?”

“You can say that again.”

“Wait a minute. Seriously?”

Amelda Cecilia had changed.

It’s nothing special. It’s just the story of a marquess’s daughter, who used to shout about elegance and authority, making a ‘friend’.

“Oh my, you have something on your mouth. More than that, do Elves not like meat very much?”

“That’s a prejudice with a long tradition. There’s no race that likes meat more than Elves.”

“But, Aileen-yang only eats fruit, doesn’t she?”

“It’s easy to eat. If I had to pick a favorite food, it would be desserts?”

“That’s perfect. Lena knows how to make muffins. Would you like to come over when you have time?”

A wall to overcome someday. An obstacle to bring to its knees no matter what. Cecilia, who had been grinding her teeth while looking at Aileen, had changed her attitude as easily as flipping her hand. And she was laughing and chatting like a friend she had known for a long time.

“More than that, are my ‘friends’ still bothering you these days?”

“Hmm, no. Thanks to you taking care of it. Thank you, hehe.”

“I’m sorry. I should have ‘managed’ them sooner.”

Cecilia’s sycophants were sweating bullets.

They thought they could get into her good graces by bothering Aileen, but now everything would be in vain.

In particular, Colin Angheln, the person who put Aileen into the student council, was gnawing at her nails and shaking her legs.

‘Did she get caught with some kind of weakness?’

They even took a seat at the fountain and had a friendly conversation. Angheln bit her lip at the unbelievable sight.

In fact, there were personal feelings and impulses.

However, when those who had the same thoughts gathered and formed a bond, the ‘impulse’ was transformed into ‘just revenge’.

Even if you’re the top student, this is what happens if you’re out of our sight, they warned the surrounding students, while solidifying their position in the academy.

But a variable had occurred. What is her relationship with Cecilia? Angheln shook her head at the rising anxiety.

It’s impossible to count how many families are subordinate to the Cecilia family. Even unrelated families are caught with weaknesses in some way. Angheln’s family, for example, had its magical tool production process mortgaged.

Cecilia’s powerful information and force, and the capital that supports her, have reached the point where she gains power with power. The only families that are on par with them are the powerful nobles of the East. The proxy families, or some of the great nobles who have connections with the Imperial Palace.

She turns her back. Angheln nervously stomped on the neatly arranged stone floor. She was out of breath.

East Dormitory for Women.

Room 27. Frostian Kenomus’s room.

They were close enough to give each other nicknames. At first, they joined hands for revenge, but they got along surprisingly well and even shared personal stories. A common story of escaping here to avoid a political marriage.

They haven’t been able to meet lately because they’ve been busy, but she didn’t think their friendship would end that easily.

“Frostin! Are you there?”

Kung kung kung!

But no matter how much she knocked, the door didn’t budge.

“Frostin!”

• Kkieeuk.

“Huh…?”

Feeling frustrated, she grabbed the doorknob and it opened weakly.

Angheln, who was taken aback by the easily opened door, reflexively stepped back.

Nothing could be seen through the crack in the door. Only pitch-black darkness. Even if the owner wasn’t there, the maid would usually turn on the lights to do housework…

“…Frostin?”

Angheln carefully ran to the doorknob.

“Where’s the lighting stone….”

She fumbled along the wall, looking for the lighting stone. Angheln wandered around for about two minutes before she could touch the stone under the frame.

• Ttal-kack.

“…Huh?”

There was nothing there. An empty room as if she had moved out. No bed, no carpet, no table. As if it was an empty room from the beginning―― no, it looked like someone had moved it out in a hurry.

Angheln looked up with goosebumps all over her body. The frame that held the painting that Frostin liked the most. A woman with an umbrella smiling in a bright field, the painting ‘Woman in the Field’ that Frostin said she would definitely become.

“…What happened.”

The frame was empty.

Angheln searched the room with trembling hands. But there wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen.

Angheln came out of the room and roughly knocked on the door of the room next door. The room of an unknown noble.

“Hey, you there?!”

She knocked so hard that her hands were chafed.

The maid inside frowned at the rather barbaric noise and opened the door.

“Who is knocking on the door so impolitely… Angheln-yang?”

“…Frostian Kenomus. Where did she go?”

The maid adjusted her glasses and pursed her lips.

“….”

“D, did something happen to her?”

“Young miss.”

The maid said with as much restrained emotion as possible.

“Kenomus-yang left the academy two days ago.”

“Yes? Wh, what do you mean.”

“I heard that she is going to have a ceremony soon. I don’t know the details, but it must be her choice. Kenomus-yang said so too.”

What? Not only did she leave the academy, but she’s getting married? By her own choice?

Angheln shouted that it couldn’t be true.

“That’s impossible! Frostin wouldn’t do that!”

“That’s all I know, young miss.”

“Lies. What did you do!”

“Haa….”

• Kkieeuk, kung.

“Wa, wait a minute!”

• Cheolkeok.

“….”

She turned the doorknob, but it was firmly locked. Angheln, who had been turned away, kicked the ground with a pale face.

“Rahil, Rahil! Are you there?”

Another colleague. Angheln prayed inwardly, please, please answer me.

“…Colin?”

“Rahil! You’re there!”

Fortunately, Rahil answered. But there was no life in her voice. A drooping voice as if she had just woken up.

She was a lively child until yesterday, but what happened overnight to make her like this? Angheln felt an inexplicable anxiety and went inside.

“Is it true that Frostin left the academy?”

“….”

“Say something!”

Wince.

Rahil Pennianne cowered like a frightened rabbit.

Angheln swallowed hard and asked.

“…What’s wrong?”

Rahil shook her head with a pale face.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can’t say.”

She stuttered and trembled. Angheln grabbed Rahil’s shoulder tightly and said.

“I’ll help you. Tell me everything.”

There are eight of us. Even if Cecilia intervened, would she bury this many nobles? Of course, there would be talk.

Rahil opened her mouth with difficulty, promising ‘don’t tell anyone’.

“My father, he got poisoned.”

“…Poison?”

“Yeah. No. Fortunately, he survived. It took five days for the poison to completely circulate….”

“Haa… that’s a relief. But, is it because of your father’s news?”

“….”

Rahil took out a box of unknown origin from her arms. A small box that could only fit one ring.

“What’s this?”

Kkieeuk.

It opens with a faint sound.

There was a small pill in the box.

“My father was poisoned. On the day the letter came.”

“….”

“The antidote too. It came, together.”

Haa, haa. Her breathing became rough. Rahil shook her head, convulsing.

“N, no. Just let it go. Don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Could it be, Cecilia―”

“No, no! Please. Please, I beg you. Just get out of here. Please.”

Angheln couldn’t get any information from Rahil. She was in a panic, just bowing her head and trembling, begging her to keep it a secret.

The other kids were the same.

They either left the academy or refused to speak with pale faces.

“Wh, what the hell….”

They were all fine just a few days ago, how could this happen in such a short time? It was clear that someone was up to something.

‘Aileen.’

Is she really a child of Lushellini? Is that why she was able to join hands with Cecilia? No. That can’t be. Many people said that Aileen was a bastard. She didn’t particularly deny it, and she fell into a wistful memory whenever her parents were mentioned. What kind of young lady would make such a face?

And, and.

‘Lushelli.’

Has no children.

“Aileen, lin.”

Angheln ran with bloodshot eyes. Aileen is sitting on the fountain, leisurely swinging her legs.

She was still there. Angheln gritted her teeth and ran out.

“Aileen!”

“Huh?”

Aileen reflexively frowned. It was a voice she remembered. Surely, wasn’t she the gangster noble who used to assault Serena?

“Are you going to be a gangster again~?”

“Shut up!”

Angheln hissed at Aileen’s sarcasm.

“What the hell did you do!”

“What, did?”

“You, you did it! Sending Frostin to the Pig Count, sending the antidote to Rahil too!”

Was it too loud?

The eyes of the surrounding students are drawn.

“Hey, did you eat something wrong?”

“You, you…!”

Really.

Aileen didn’t know anything. She was more embarrassed than annoyed because she was just rattling off things she couldn’t understand, like antidotes and marriages.

“―Oh my?”

And.

“Hello Amelda! You’re back early?”

“Ce, Cecilia?”

A spine-chilling voice.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

Angheln straightened her back and turned around.

Amelda was seen with a blank expression. She passed Angheln and placed a muffin basket in front of the fountain.

“But… who is the blonde next to you?”

Aileen answered Amelda’s question with a bright face.

“Colin Angheln!”

Angheln, huh… Amelda immediately realized that that bitch was the student representative of the Dispute Tribunal. Her family was so nameless that it was hard to remember.

“Angheln-yang?”

“Ye, yes?”

“Would you like to come with me for a moment?”

Angheln swallowed hard and nodded.

That’s how they came to the back of the flower bed.

Angheln trembled in the perfect blind spot, where there were no crystal balls or people. The commoners who were called here and beaten must have thought the same thing.

Amelda spoke to the tense Angheln.

“Colin Angheln.”

“Ce, Cecilia-nim. Th, that is.”

“―Don’t call me Cecilia.”

Kwajik.

Angheln gasped at the light that brushed her neck.

Chiiiik… It was definitely a brick, but it melted like ice in Amelda’s light.

“What kind of things I did to get out of that shitty place… tsk. Never mind.”

“U, uh. I…”

“Angheln. A small family that maintains its existence by selling miscellaneous magical tools. They didn’t even have enough land to build a factory, so they borrowed money and land from our family.”

Amelda gritted her teeth, emitting an ominous aura.

“I think it’s about time to get it back.”

“Yes? Th, that can’t be! Get it back!”

“It can. That’s what the contract says. The only reason your family was able to survive was because it wasn’t noticeable. I didn’t even know there was a family called Angheln. My father sometimes passes work on to his vassals.”

A frosty voice that froze even the soul.

She presses down on Angheln’s neck, who is even tearing up, and says.

“You pay fifty gold coins every month to protect your land and factory… Isn’t it funny that all that hard work is going to be wasted because of one stupid daughter?”

“Kkeuek, kkeuk…”

She releases Angheln, who is so scared that she even peed her pants.

“Don’t be scared. Surely, you don’t think I’m really going to take back the land?”

“Heo, heuek. Heuek. Th, thank, you…”

Angheln gasped and panted.

But that didn’t mean she was forgiven.

Amelda said with a bitter smile.

“Be grateful that I’m only taking back half. If you want to extend the expired contract, prove your ability. Would three times the profit be enough? Then my father would be happy to invest.”

“Ye, yes? H, half?”

“Ah, I’ll send a letter to the main family, so you don’t have to wait long. It’ll be a day. A day.”

―Half?

Angheln just gasped with a blank expression.

And, she comes to her senses when she sees Amelda turning around.

“A, Amelda-nim.”

Amelda pauses at the tearful voice.

“I’m sorry.”

―Kung.

And the heavy sound that is heard.

When she turns around to check, Angheln is kneeling and banging her head.

“….”

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Angheln banged her head so hard that her forehead was torn. But Amelda remained silent.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

And on the seventeenth time.

Just before Angheln was about to collapse from a concussion. Amelda nodded and said.

“Do it to Aileen, not me.”

That night.

Amelda sent a letter saying that she would renew the expired contract with new conditions.

The condition was to reduce the land and process to exactly half.