Chapter 10

It was a relief that someone held her in high regard, but for Judith, it was quite troubling.

“Professor, as you know, I’m a commoner.”

“What does that matter? I made the offer because it would be a waste to lose a talent like you. Anyway, there’s no rule in the Academy’s regulations that says a commoner can’t be a professor.”

“But would noble students take a class taught by a commoner…?”

Professor Karel interrupted Judith again.

“The stupid ones won’t, but the smart ones will. You only need to teach the smart ones, so don’t worry about it.”

“……”

“So, what’s your answer?”

Judith couldn’t readily answer. Suddenly becoming a professor, and at the prestigious Prussian Academy, no less…

Of course, Judith knew. This was undoubtedly a great opportunity.

But she couldn’t accept it lightly. Shouldn’t teaching students be done by someone smarter and more passionate than herself?

Judith didn’t choose accounting among many majors for any special reason.

It was simply because it was broadly applicable in various fields and had good employment prospects.

Of course, now, thanks to Madame Fedelian, she was in a position where she had to get engaged before getting a job…

Professor Karel suddenly spoke, perhaps thinking something about Judith’s lack of response.

“Is it because you’re engaged?”

“Pardon?”

“Let’s have a three-way meeting.”

How did he know I was engaged?

Of course, rumors were already widespread among the students that Judith was engaged to Chase Cardandy.

Because Judith had boldly declared it in front of the students who had flocked to see Chase that day.

Perhaps Professor Karel heard about it from them?

Trying to follow the flow of the conversation, Judith listened as Professor Karel said,

“Chase Cardandy. Surely that troublesome fellow isn’t telling you to just do housework after getting engaged, making it hard for you to answer?”

“No, it’s not that—”

“Let’s have a three-way meeting.”

The conversation kept steering toward having a three-way meeting.

Whenever Judith tried to say something, Professor Karel would interrupt and say, “Bring Chase Cardandy. Let’s have a three-way meeting.”

After it repeated several times, Judith realized Professor Karel was doing it on purpose.

The professor knew. He knew she would refuse the offer.

So he was saying this as a pretext to buy time.

But why? Why go to such lengths?

Judith had no idea why Professor Karel was doing something so troublesome.

Professor Karel, who was quietly watching Judith, who couldn’t do this or that, suddenly reached out and patted her head.

“Judith, if you can’t trust yourself, trust my judgment.”

“……”

Judith’s mouth fell open.

Professor Karel had patted her head. He didn’t hit her with a book to make her come to her senses but gently patted her.

If she told other students about this, they would scoff and say she must be dreaming. It was that hard to believe.

Judith, feeling a bit presumptuous, had no choice but to ask again.

“Professor, I don’t understand why you’re suddenly doing this…”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”

Professor Karel said something truly unexpected.

“I’ve been watching you since you were a freshman taking the basic accounting exam. I still have that exam paper in my desk.”

“What? Why would you…”

If it was the basic accounting exam, it was when Judith knew absolutely nothing. The answers on that exam paper must have been sloppy and crude. Judith blushed with embarrassment.

Why had he been keeping an eye on her? She had no idea.

That was because Professor Karel treated everyone the same, regardless of their status.

He treated high-status students, low-status students, and top-ranking students all with the same lukewarm attitude.

“Honestly, I thought you would naturally come to my lab after graduation.”

“Pardon?”

“I even prepared a spot for you in advance.”

Professor Karel pointed with his finger to a certain spot.

There was already a clean, empty space there. Seeing it, Judith was taken aback.

“But Chase Cardandy, that fellow…”

Professor Karel spoke in a voice simmering with resentment, as if Chase were his enemy.

But then he spoke again in a calm tone.

“Let’s have a three-way meeting.”

* * *

The fact that Professor Karel had scouted Judith spread so quickly that it seemed as if someone had deliberately spread the rumor.

As she walked down the hallway to the classroom, the stares she received made her cheeks sting.

I haven’t said anything, so who could have spread the word?

Could it have been Professor Karel?

That seemed like the only possible answer, but it was hard to believe.

It was difficult to imagine Professor Karel boasting about scouting Judith.

She had an ominous feeling. So she kept her head down and hurried down the hallway, but Judith’s pink hair was too conspicuous.

And soon, her ominous feeling became reality.

“Judith.”

Someone blocked Judith’s path. When she looked up, a student with a fierce expression stood with arms crossed, looking down at her.

A girl with short, auburn hair. Judith knew her well.

She was one of the students who took the advanced accounting class with her.

And she seemed to be one of the group she had driven away when she was with Chase at the training ground.

Her name was Rodesha Roziena, the second in the accounting class.

Judith tried not to look intimidated and stared directly at Rodesha, as if asking what she wanted.

Then Rodesha, who had been glaring at her with fierce eyes, uncrossed her arms.

The fierce look vanished, and she grabbed Judith’s hand desperately, saying,

“I’m sorry, I got caught with that notebook by Professor Karel.”

Today, she was hearing many unexpected things.

Thinking that, Judith looked at Rodesha.

Now that she looked closely, the orange eyes she thought were gleaming with malice were filled with tears.

It seemed that it wasn’t a fierce look but rather an upward slant of her eyes that made it seem that way.

Rodesha spoke with a tone of remorse.

“I should have been more careful… Is that why you got called by Professor Karel?”

“That’s true, but—”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t mention your name at all, you know? For some reason, the professor recognized your handwriting.”

It was a bit embarrassing, but Rodesha hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place.

She hadn’t broken any rules; she had just been caught with a notebook containing anticipated questions.

Perhaps thanks to that notebook, she even received a scout offer as a trainee teacher.

Of course, it was still troublesome for Judith.

Judith comforted the teary-eyed Rodesha.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s really okay.”

Then Rodesha, as if she had never been on the verge of tears, smiled brightly.

“Then let’s have lunch together, how about it?”

* * *

‘Well, if you don’t see them continuously, you forget. Even if you want to see them, if you endure and live avoiding them as much as possible, the feelings naturally disappear.’

Hannah had told her how to forget an unrequited love. Avoid seeing them as much as possible.

To practice that, Judith had recently been locking herself in her room during lunch, eating packed bread.

She was afraid of running into Axel in the Academy’s cafeteria.

But she couldn’t shake off Rodesha, who was brightly smiling and linking arms with her.

Unlike Rodesha, who was walking lightly towards the cafeteria, Judith’s steps felt heavy as if weighted with sandbags.

When they finally arrived at the cafeteria, fortunately, Axel wasn’t there. She tried to ignore the strange emptiness she felt.

“Judith, what are you going to eat?”

“I’m going with Menu A.”

Menu A was a simple combination of bread and soup. She planned to eat quickly and leave just in case.

Rodesha also decided to eat lightly for lunch and chose Menu A.

Since the preparation time was short, Rodesha and Judith quickly received their plates and sat down.

Naturally, they chose the most secluded spot.

Rodesha looked a bit puzzled at Judith, who deliberately chose a corner to sit in, but she sat down without asking why.

Here, even if Axel came to the cafeteria, he wouldn’t find her.

As she was inwardly smiling with satisfaction, someone sat next to Judith. It was done so naturally.

Startled, she looked and saw pure silver hair without a speck of dust.

It was none other than her fiancé, Chase.

When did he get here?

At least it wasn’t Axel.

She thought with relief, and stared blankly at him.

“Who’s this?”

Chase, sitting next to her, pointed at Rodesha and asked nonchalantly.

As if he wasn’t the intruder. Judith was dumbfounded by his nonchalance.

“…A friend I came to have lunch with, who else would it be? And shouldn’t Rodesha be the one asking you that question?”

“Why? She’s just a friend, but I’m your fiancé.”

Chase only brought up the engagement when it suited him.