/
As soon as I closed the door when we arrived in the empty restroom, Rany lay down on the sofa.
She didn’t care if her uniform got wrinkled and rolled around with a happy face.
“How’s it going with the investigation about the Beryl Family?”
Hearing my question, she, who was laughing happily, raised her head and answered.
“There is something strange with it. No matter what family it is, if they have something to hide, the first thing that will show up is related to money transactions. However, recently there’s no problem with income and expenses of the Beryl Family. Even after combing through it, there’s only trivial personal transactions.”
“Then what about Amber County that supports Trevor?”
“Even those are no different from the Beryl Family. Count Amber is regretting what happened to Trevor and showing rage to the academy that couldn’t protect him, but it is because he didn’t know the cause of the problem.”
If he knew of the truth, that Trevor used witchcraft, he would definitely stay low instead of pressuring the academy.
“. . .”
“One more thing, recently, Count Amber reprimanded Trevor when he said that he would research the ‘land of death’ and used it as his project. Meant that, Trevor escaped from the county’s eyes and moved personally.”
For academy students who received support, the words said by their sponsor was like something absolute.
If it was from an influential family like Amber County, then he should have been more obedient.
What was it that Trevor believed for him to oppose them?
How did he get in touch with witchcraft?
The amount of students affected by his black magic were too many to take this simply as his personal move.
“What is interesting is Trevor Beryl himself. It was said he was a dunce when he was a kid.”
I turned my head.
Raynia calmly continued her words while playing with her hair.
“I thought it was only a made-up rumor, but turns out, it is a story known widely by people in that area.”
“A dunce?”
“When he was a kid, he was difficult to talk to and even the teachers couldn’t control him. Maybe that’s why Viscountess sent him to an abbey in another area. So that he became docile and to study.”
“When did that happen? Which abbey?”
“Because it’s before entering the academy, then it must be before he reached ten, probably. I didn’t hear about which area it was. I’ll look more about this.”
If a lot of honor students were Trevor’s ‘marionettes’, then it was understandable for his score to be excellent in every aspect.
He was outstanding, and didn’t lack in any subject.
“Suddenly became different . . .”
I fell into deep thoughts as I pet Rany’s fluffy hair.
She, who was sitting close to me, suddenly said.
“I never expected that you would bring Orion into this.”
“Me neither.”
I still felt like my heart beat faster than usual.
As my anger faded away and I calmed my thoughts, I realized how large this situation turned out to be.
I thought before I announced myself as Marianne Miller, I would have months or maybe years of delay time.
I thought during that time, my mother’s heart and situation would change first.
I didn’t want to expose my name and appearance as if I was forced to like this.
My head became more complicated as Orion’s face flashed in my mind, came for me without hesitation even for a bit.
“What’s your plan?”
“. . .”
What should I do?
Truthfully, I never thought of this.
I had never reached out to someone abruptly without a detailed plan.
No matter how much I hated to trouble Zen, how afraid I was to make Rany or Bertin get punished, how could I believe in him and reach out to him?
Rany sighed as she looked at me.
“When Zen felt vexed, I thought he was being an ass. But now, I feel like I understand his feelings.”
“Zen did what?”
“I thought I was a kid with enough influence, but when you were pushed to the corner like that, it was hard for me to handle. But Orion just came over bringing the knights and turned it upside down. I feel so jealous.”
Rany grumbled while leaning on my shoulder.
Seldom did her voice fade down like withered grass.
“As expected, money alone isn’t enough for humans. Power is also needed.”
“I like you even if you don’t have that.”
“No. I really will live diligently from now on. Raking up money and I’ll do my best so that I can stand on top of people and step on everyone except for the emperor by collecting power.”
I imagined a scene where Rany slowly stepped on Orion and kept my silence.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how she gradually fell down the dangerous path as she tasted the bitter taste of life as she got older.
While I was agonizing whether to comfort her or to stop her, she called me in a low voice.
“You know, Marianne.”
“Yeah?”
“Now, your plan to live peacefully without getting noticed by people has gone astray.”
“That’s right.”
“Are you okay with it?”
I slowly nodded my head to Rany’s hesitant question.
I had expected that someday this kind of day would surely come.
Rather, I found it to be miraculous that I could live quietly as my mother’s daughter to this day.
“It was also not easy to live with bated breath all this time.”
Since I had been living like that to this day, it might not be bad to live while standing proudly.
“I think I’ll be okay.”
I took a deep breath and soothed Rany’s worry.
“Actually, I thought treating people by using power would only be troublesome. But, when I saw how the professors’ complexion turned pale, it was so refreshing.”
How people who were pressing me changed their attitude a hundred and eighty degrees according to my status was like seeing a piece of comedic work.