NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
It was supposed to be a leisurely lunchtime tea time, but only the girl sitting across from Iris seemed relaxed. The girl, with her gentle expression and closed eyes, was not as beautiful on the inside as she appeared.
Long golden hair and closed eyes. Despite her gentle and kind impression, she was a notorious sadist.
Those who were used by her called her a horrible brat, and those who had fallen due to her cursed her name, but she didn’t particularly care.
After all, those lower than her could only bark in vain. To Stephanie, such creatures were irrelevant. They were mere toys she played with and tossed aside.
What truly mattered was her own pleasure and those who stood above her.
That’s why she liked Iris.
It was rare among the nobility to find someone who knew their place and tried to please her with insufficient skills. Furthermore, their helplessness in being treated like lower beings was enough to pique Stephanie’s twisted interest.
Iris was far too valuable to toss aside after just a few rounds of play.
Sending Hoyeon to find out about the situation in the White Empire held little significance. It was merely for her enjoyment to see Iris caught in trouble, unsure of what to do.
So when Hoyeon unexpectedly brought back some information, how could she not reward her? That was why Stephanie suddenly called for Iris; to give her credit for her cleverness.
“Iris?”
“…Lady Stephanie.”
Her voice, full of moisture as if she had been crying on the way here, sounded quite pleasant to Stephanie.
“If you don’t drink quickly, the tea will get cold, you know? I prepared your favorite, but don’t you seem in the mood today?”
She thought about teasing her further, but deciding against it, knowing that Iris might break if she pushed too hard, she chose to hold back.
This was a place not just to punish, but to reward, and Stephanie wanted to play with Iris for a long time.
“Ah, no… I just…”
“Hesitation is fine, but you really need to drink quickly.”
As Iris looked at Stephanie’s smile, she felt like she was facing a viper. She was certain that someday, she would be bitten to death.
Yet, Iris couldn’t sever her relationship with her. The lives of her family, the rise and fall of their house, all depended on Stephanie.
Iris regarded the teacup she held like it was a poisoned chalice, lamenting her plight. No matter what she did, she had no choice but to accept that cup, cursing her family’s helplessness.
The temperature was just right—not too hot, nor too cold—with a soft swallow and aroma that were nothing short of perfect.
For a moment, she let her mind linger on the thought that if the academy held a tea pouring contest, Stephanie might just take first place.
“Then, shall we talk about the situation in the White Empire?”
So it comes, thought Iris as she prepared herself mentally, setting down her teacup carefully to avoid making a sound. What would she have to give this time? To what extent would she be tormented?
“Before that, I have one question. Your uncle, um, was beaten up during missionary activities in the Eastern Continent and then returned home, right?”
“Ah… yes. But why are you asking me this now…?”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Iris. That’s enough for now.”
What is going on? Iris thought hard, but nothing came to mind. Why did she send me to the White Royal Family? It was all too perplexing for her understanding.
Seeing Iris so earnestly thinking was cute to Stephanie, and she gave her a pat. To Stephanie, it was an act of reward, but to Iris, it was an unparalleled humiliation.
“Is that… all for today…?”
“Just a little more petting.”
After treating Iris like a pet, Stephanie eventually released her. Each time she patted Iris’s well-kept purple hair, it felt delightful, which is why she often indulged in it.
Iris, a first-year student, being patted by Stephanie, a third-year, may have looked like a pair of close sisters, but knowing the truth, it was more of a sight that warranted sympathy for Iris.
As Iris tried to leave while hiding her humiliation of being petted by someone else, Stephanie kindly bid her farewell, reminding her to be cautious on the complicated way to the gymnasium.
So naive until the end, thought Stephanie as she sorted out several facts in her mind.
First, the White Empire was relaxed enough or tolerant enough to allow those spreading corrupt ideas to go unpunished.
The missionaries who previously visited the White Empire didn’t even return with their corpses; this time, even if they were beaten, they were at least sent back alive.
Second, the White Empire had shifted its gaze to the West. It had practically been established that the White Royal Family was here at the academy.
Whether it was an intent to conquer or a friendly approach, it didn’t matter to Stephanie.
In that case, would it be time to go and make connections? As she gestured, the table and teacups started to blur. Watching her disappear, nothing remained where she had been.
– – – –
No way, someone was really hiding there. So someone really had been eavesdropping on my conversation with Dokan?
Suspicious. With that blonde hair, big chest, and squinty eyes, I couldn’t help but doubt her. I knew it wasn’t right to judge based on appearance, but still—squinty eyes.
It was just like those types who pretend to be acquaintances and later reveal themselves as backstabbers.
“I apologize for daring to test the Princess. Or should I call you Hoyeon?”
“…Who are you?”
Who are you? This is suspicious as hell. The way she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and her squinty eyes not giving off an ounce of trust.
Maybe I was judging too much based on outward appearances. After all, I didn’t realize how kind Teacher Georg was until I saw him for the first time.
“I am Stephanie. I am but the humble owner of a small merchant house, utterly insignificant compared to the glory of the White Empire.”
I had just promised myself not to judge people based on preconceived notions, but there was no way to rationalize her continuous surveillance.
Most importantly, she was a stranger. Listing those who I knew would probably be quicker. What could I possibly know in a mere 20 chapters?
Still, I had memorized her profile and the mature content episodes. But none of them mentioned Stephanie.
“…I see you are not inclined to trust me. Well, I can’t blame you, I wouldn’t want to meet a spy either.”
If she spoke in such a way that sounded wounded, I felt a twinge of pity. She was the one who had done wrong, yet here I was, feeling sorry for her.
How strange. If this were the case, I would end up seeming like the garbage here. I was the victim, but somehow she appeared so pitiful that I decided to at least listen to her.
“Ugh, what do you want?”
It was clear she had come to offer some ridiculous suggestion or something similar. No, with her claiming to be a merchant, she might be a con artist.
Sensing I was going to be on the losing end here, I couldn’t shake off that unsettling feeling lurking in the corners of my mind.
“If it wouldn’t be rude, I would like to have a tea time with Lady Hoyeon tonight. What do you think?”
Tea time? A time for tea?
Was it really just about drinking tea? There would definitely be other girls gathered, and they would be giggling or gossiping while inviting me to join?
This looked like an obvious trap to make me the center of mockery during a tea time masquerading as a social gathering! How dare they drag me into this!
I just wanted to quietly attend the academy; why was I struck with so many incidents? For a moment, I mused on how to gracefully decline her invitation like a noble.
“Today, I’d rather go to the library than have tea. I’ll participate in the next one.”
Wasn’t that a sufficiently cultured rejection? I worried I might have sounded too stiff, but it was already stuck in my mouth, so it couldn’t be helped.
“You prefer books over tea, I see. Very well, I shall respect your wish. But if, at a later time, you wish to have tea with me…”
As she spoke, Stephanie presented me with something resembling a crystal ball.
“…Just call for me. I will be listening anytime, anywhere.”
“Are you telling me to stroke the crystal ball?”
“No, that’s just a little present. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s a rare jewel found among the sea serpents. I’d like us to get along well.”
In summary, she was offering me a friendship fee.
…Receiving this makes me feel like a complete villain. It looked just like a glass marble to me, but judging by her description, it must be of immense value.
What bothered me even more was her earlier statement. She was always listening? Isn’t that basically confessing she’s stalking me? I tried to think of her as a good person, but she was definitely suspicious.
That said, I had no intention of tossing what she had given me. It looked pretty, and it was a free gift.
“…Alright, I’ll accept it.”
“Thank you for accepting my sincerity.”
“…”
“…”
With no more words coming to mind, there was an awkward silence. I asked her where the library was.
“Do you know where the library is?”
“Yes. The clock tower over there also serves as the library.”
“Thanks.”
I bid her farewell and expressed my gratitude, feeling a touch anxious that she might detain me somehow, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen.
I had expected her to stubbornly hold on to me, but she released me more cleanly than I had thought; she might be a good person after all.
Perhaps the gloomy aristocratic society I envisioned was just a figment of my imagination, and her invitation to tea was genuinely an offer to drink tea together.
Her expression, when I thanked her, briefly turned strange, but it couldn’t be anything significant.
No matter how suspicious someone might be, one must always express gratitude to those who have helped. Even though she had squinty eyes and was a stalker, offering me a friendship fee and inviting me for tea…
Could it be that she wanted to be my friend?
It might just be a delusion of a social outcast, but if so, she might become my first friend at the academy, which made me feel a bit elevated.
…So that gaze was undoubtedly one of goodwill.
Ignoring the goosebumps from the unsettling stare behind me, I headed toward the library.