saiki

71

Ch. 71.1 - Item (6)

The eastern garden of Stella Academy was a place frequented by students, but due to its vast space, there were secluded spots with few people around.

Hong Bi-Yeon sat on a bench in a small pavilion, where the presence of people was rare, and covered her face with both hands. Her lips were bitten so hard that blood trickled down.

"Ah, really. Should I just kill him?"

She wanted to cut Edmon's arrogant throat right away.

However, she couldn't do that, which only made her burn inside even more.

Hong Bi-Yeon knew.

There was a high possibility that Edmon's interference and provocation had political motives. Edmon Atalak probably hoped that Hong Bi-Yeon herself would not intervene.

Surely, he must have some understanding of the value of the "Item" business. Even if a commoner like Baek Yu-Seol said something negative, he might have believed that the national power of the Adolveit Kingdom could trade as much as they wanted.

Or... he might be undervaluing the Item business more than expected.

Anyway, the "Item" was not immediately important to Edmon Atalak. It was more important to prevent Hong Bi-Yeon from making connections and growing stronger through other contacts.

Even if that contact was just a commoner.

"... I wasted a good opportunity."

Baek Yu-Seol was talented.

And a very unique talent at that. To find such talent within Stella Academy, it would have been comparable to overwhelming competitors like Mayuseong or Haewonryang.

Talents should be recruited widely, and there should be no discrimination based on social status.

That was what her older sister, who passed away when she was young, always said.

Hong Bi-Yeon still didn't fully understand the meaning of those words.

However, she thought that since all nobles and commoners below the royal family were equal, it didn't matter who served her.

So, she solely wanted to make Baek Yu-Seol her own person based on his abilities.

Anger surged to the brink. Her hair swirled as she engulfed the eastern garden of Stella in flames, but luckily, she managed to maintain her composure until the very end, and no major accidents occurred.

At the same time, a sense of melancholy filled her heart.

‘What can I do? Am I incapable of standing on my own?’

——-

"Ahaha, really?"

"Yes."

"As expected. I didn't think Eisel would be like that."

The sound of girls chatting could be heard nearby. Hong Bi-Yeon absentmindedly raised her head and looked in that direction.

Girls were gathered on a beautiful octagonal pavilion illuminated for the students, chatting and gossiping. It seemed to be a recent trend among the students, and they resembled a study group of some sort.

In the midst of that, Eisel Morph was involved. She was sitting next to a girl named Hariren, mingling with the other girls.

It was a different sight from the beginning of the semester when she couldn't get along with anyone.

"Ahem, of course, at that time...!"

When Eisel spoke, smiles bloomed on the faces of the girls.

She was a peculiar child.