C91: Celebration (1)
Chapter sponsored by mystichead, thank you for you support.
Recently, Rene has been experiencing a series of things that made her lose hair.
The arguments with the aristocratic students, the setback in class because of her non-attribute magic and the men who are interested in her and bother her.
There were fun and happy things, but there were more things that she didn’t like.
It was the same now.
Now that the first test was over, Theon students were taking a break to make the most of their few free classes.
Some were already studying because their pride was hurt when they failed the test but it was none of Rene’s business. She seemed to have done well on this test no matter how much she thought about it.
‘I was going to take a break.’
The older students also agreed that it would be difficult to rest after this so if she was going to rest she should rest now. Rene agreed with them and tried to take a break.
‘Why am I here…….’
She lifted her slightly bowed head and looked at the man sitting comfortably opposite her.
“What’s wrong?”
Freuden Ulburg asked if he felt her gaze.
Looking at him again, he is a very handsome young man. The eldest son of Ulburg and the man who will be the next leader of the Duke family was sitting face to face with her now. They were also eating alone in a small vacant lot where people do not visit.
‘How did this happen?’
Rene was dizzy from the splendid taste of the food in her mouth and the gap between them.
Obviously, they’ve met and eaten like this before but she thought it was just Freuden pity because her lunch fell on the floor.
I thought this would never happen again after that…….
‘We just ran into each other on the street.’
At that time, she was looking for a place to eat while holding a lunch box, thinking that she should be especially careful. However, she didn’t really want to go to the student restaurant.
She didn’t have any friends to eat with, and going to a place where many people gather would attract too much attention.
How could she eat peacefully when people are staring at her?
In such a situation the food she ate made her stomach feel stuffy. But isn’t it too much to eat in the bathroom?
She doesn’t want the rumor that she doesn’t have friends and eats alone in the bathroom to spread, that’s why she came outside.
Who knew she would run into Freuden here?
Maybe he was on his way to eat, too, since he was moving alone with a lunch basket.
“Are you going to eat?”
“What? Oh, yes.”
“Hmm…Let’s eat together.”
“…….”
There was no way she could refuse so Rene eventually ended up eating with Freuden, and that’s the situation right now.
‘Looking back, it’s a really fancy meal.’
Looking at the Freuden lunch box, Rene realized how terrible the lunch box she had packed was. As she’s pressed for money, all she’s going to eat is steamed potatoes and some vegetables. Her reality was that she could not even dream of meat.
While she was depressed, meat was piled up on her lunchbox.
“Oh, senior?”
“Eat more.”
“What?”
“Come to think of it, mine has too much meat.”
Freuden said so and concentrated on the meal again.
Rene thought about whether to reject this or not, but she decided to eat it because she thought it would be a waste to throw it away.
‘More than that, it’s amazing.’
While eating the delicious meat, Rene had no choice but to wonder.
‘I think senior brought more food than before. Who was he trying to give it to?’
Maybe he made an appointment with someone, but he went with her instead because they met by coincidence.
Is it good luck or bad luck?
Rene decided not to dwell on it.
“It’s delicious.”
It’s been a while since she had meat.
* * *
It was so awkward, but the delicious meal was over.
“Then, I’ll go now.”
Freuden stood up saying that he had to take care of the garden.
At least for this moment, he didn’t seem to want to be disturbed by anyone, so she nodded her head saying she enjoyed the meal and left.
‘I think senior is a good person.’
She didn’t think deeply about why Freuden was nice to her, She thought Freuden was just a good person.
‘Because he didn’t seem to have any bad intentions.’
He did not discriminate against her because she was commoner, and it was Freuden who even saved her when she was in danger. For some,
Freuden may seem like a scary villain, but at least Rene didn’t think so. She had a feeling that he was a good person.
Rene had a special sense of recognizing the hostility or danger of others toward her. It’s not magical, it’s just a vague feeling, but she quite trusted this feeling of hers.
In fact, this sense of hers was right almost every time.
The atmosphere of those who approached her because they were attracted by her appearance and those who helped her with her pure good intentions were different.
It was the same when I came to Theon. Jealousy, contempt, possessiveness, etc. all sorts of different emotions were directed at her, and Rene avoided them as much as possible.
There was darkness behind the students who approached her and said they were the same commoners, and the aristocrats who approached with a friendly smile so Rene didn’t get along with other people carelessly because she couldn’t.
She knew what was behind their smiles but Freuden was different, that’s why Rene joined him and ate together. Otherwise she would’ve rejected his suggestion.
‘There aren’t many people like this, it’s fascinating.’
Currently, there are only a handful of people who do not have any ill will toward Rene in Theon.
Among them, if she had to pick a representative person, there was Freuden Ulburg, whom she had a meal with a while ago.
‘There is also senior Erendir and…….’
The last thing that comes to mind is the figure of Rudger who gave her a book about non-attribute magic.
‘Mr. Rudger Chelici…….’
Rudger’s sharp gaze towards her seemed to be filled with dissatisfaction in everything, but Rene knew that he was not hostile towards her. Rather he had goodwill that it was strangely different from others. He doesn’t show his affection for her, but rather a slightly darker side.
Rene felt that it was sorry or guilt.
‘Why?’
She couldn’t be sure, but it just looked like it.
“Oh, my.”
Rene rubbed her eyes with her hands. She didn’t know if it was an illusion but Rene felt itchy around her eyelids these days.
A person stood silently in front of Rene, who rubbed her eyes like that and looked straight ahead again.
“……!”
She was so startled that she didn’t even scream.
The man in front of her smiled and greeted her, regardless of her condition.
“Hi, you’re Rene, right?”
“Oh, yes, but who are you?”
He was wearing the same student uniform as her but looking at his name tag it said second grade.
He was a handsome man with a big smile and his slightly scarlet hair was tied in a tail. His slightly open squint seemed to be very nice, but Rene was under the impression that he was a little like a snake.
That meant that he must have a motive to approach her but Rene didn’t run away because she didn’t feel any hostility from him. Instead she felt extreme curiosity from the man in front of her.
“I recently wondered what Freuden was doing alone.”
“Oh, are you a friend of senior Freuden?”
“Senior?”
Was it unexpected that she called him senior Freuden senior without any hesitation?
The squinty man opened his eyes slightly, and soon giggled.
“Yes, we’re friends. My name is Henry Presto, a friend of Freudian. Nice to meet you.”
“My name is Rene.”
“Yes, I already know that.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t look so wary. I was just amazed that my friend Freuden, who has always been lonely, packed a lunch box and moved to meet someone in person on a holiday. Have you two met before?”
“Well, how do you…….”
“I have my ways.”
Rene realized that Henry was an extraordinary man. He doesn’t have any hostility towards her, but she was sure that he is dangerous. He knows things that other people don’t know.
“Ha ha. You don’t have to be so wary.”
“……Yes.”
Even if he said that, Rene stared at him with a disapproving gaze.
Henry scratched his cheek with a smile, thinking he had made a mistake from the beginning.
“Well, am I being suspected? Then, I will give you good information as an apology.”
“Good information?”
“Yes, good information. You’re having a hard time these days, aren’t you?”
“What?!”
Line reacted and regretted it later. She had to pretend she didn’t, but he was so right on the point that she revealed it.
“Ah, it’s not.”
“Everyone is the same. Other students need money, so they work a lot of part-time jobs here and there or go to the commission board and get a commission.”
“…….”
“But, to be honest, accepting a request is cumbersome, and you can’t tell which is dangerous and which is not. So, the most stable thing is to make a living by doing chores inside Theon.”
That’s true.
In fact, Lynne was recently looking for a bunch of people to make money.
“I know a lot about the things that are convenient and make a lot of money. Honey information that other students do not know. I can tell you that.”
“…… Aren’t you a senior?”
“Yes, I am but I know a lot about how things work in Theon. What do you think?”
Rene was quite suspicious of Henry’s sudden offer. Normally, she wouldn’t have listened to it, but things were different now because she was actually really short of money.
Henry’s offer came at the right time, moreover he had no hostility towards her.
“Why are you telling me this? We met for the first time today.”
“To be honest, is it because of curiosity.”
“Curiosity”?
“It was amazing that Freuden had a meal with a commoner girl.”
“Is that amazing? I think it’s because the senior is a good person.”
“Who’s good? Freudian? Hahahaha!”
Henry laughed out loud as if he had heard something funny.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Freuden is a good man. That’s how I felt after watching Freuden for a long time. Anyway, so I’m kind of interested in you.”
“…….”
Why does the word “interest” make my heart flutter instead of pounding in my chest?
“So I’m going to help. It won’t be bad for you either. If you listen to what’s going on, you’ll be tempted too. The work is easy, and the pay is high.”
The pay is high? Line’s ears pricked and moved.
“What do you think? Are you interested?”
“… … Let’s hear it first.”
“You will not regret it.”
* * *
A large banquet hall.
One by one, guests entered the banquet hall where beautiful light flowed out. All of them were high-ranking people dressed in luxurious clothes.
“Hey, isn’t this Senator Thomas?”
“Oh, Count Gerald, long time no see. You’re still alive.”
“Ha ha. How could I possibly miss this.”
Inside the colorful and clean banquet hall, well-dressed people gathered to chat.
‘Wow.’
Classical music, a chandelier sparkling in vermilion along with the polished marble floor to the dining table around made Rene express her admiration on the inside.
It was the first time in her life that she had come to such a place.
The reason why she came here was simple. It was all thanks to Henry’s recommendation.
He said ‘I just heard of a part-time job where you only need to carry plates at a party!’
But how in the world was this a party?
’But this is way beyond common sense. This kind of job is so uncomfortable.’
Rene swallowed the complaint inwardly. She feels like she’s been tricked by Henry.
‘Still, the pay is great.’
Whatever it is, there’s really not much to do, and it’s a simple part-time job where you just have to stand still. In fact, there were several other students of Theon besides her.
‘What kind of party is being held here?’
It may not be once or twice that the upper class of society is having parties, but Line guessed that this party was not a usual one.
The door of the banquet hall opened and new guests came in.
“Oh, the main characters are finally here.”
“Are they the newly appointed teachers?”
Following the crowd’s gaze, Line turned and looked at the entrance. Familiar faces were seen through the wide open door.
‘Oh, it’s teacher Selina.’
Dressed in an unusually colorful dress, she was entering the banquet hall with a face full of pressure. Next to her, teacher Merida escorts her in a purple dress with a deep back.
In addition, other teachers appeared one by one.
There was Chris Benimore and teacher Bruno, all of them were new teachers.
“Oh? Then…….’
Rene’s eyes naturally headed for the entrance of the banquet hall, which was wide open. There was one person who hadn’t come yet.
Thump.
The sound of shoes knocking on the marble floor passed through the banquet hall. It’s not just an illusion that the normal steps sound unusually loud only when people are buried in their own noise.
“───”
There is a moment of silence in the banquet hall. Even the soft sound of the instruments remained silent for a moment.
All eyes turned to the entrance.
“Whoa.”
There was a man coming into the banquet hall. He was wearing a long black tailcoat tailored to the dress code, a black coat over his shoulder and held a cane in one hand. Unlike usual, his bangs were neatly pulled back.
“Rudger Chelici.”
The man who received everyone’s attention glanced over the banquet hall with an emotionless look.