Chapter 71

What did Hannah just say?  

Judith stood frozen in place, doubting her ears.  

But as soon as she realized it was real, it felt as if all the blood drained from her head, and her vision turned white.  

The dizziness, akin to anemia, made Judith squeeze her eyes shut.  

Hannah, startled, grabbed Judith’s hands and steadied her to prevent her from collapsing.  

“Judith, you’re really shocked, aren’t you? I wasn’t going to tell you because I was worried this might happen…”  

With Hannah’s support, Judith barely managed to regain her balance. After a moment, she opened her eyes and asked,  

“…Hannah, who’s spreading such a rumor?”  

“Well… I only heard bits and pieces, so I don’t know the exact source of the rumor. But don’t worry too much about it.”  

Hannah shrugged casually.  

“Rumors always spread like wildfire at the Academy, don’t they? Especially during exam season, when everyone’s stressed out, it’s even worse.”  

“…”  

“Baseless rumors tend to die out quickly. Time will take care of it. Besides, there’s no evidence, so people will forget about it soon enough.”  

From Judith’s perspective, it wasn’t a baseless rumor, so she couldn’t just brush it aside.  

Could someone have witnessed me kissing Axel that day? What if it wasn’t just witnessed but recorded with a recording orb?  

Her ominous thoughts spiraled endlessly, one after another.  

Judith’s imagination soon escalated to the worst-case scenario: all the facts being exposed, and her becoming the target of people’s scorn and criticism.  

If that happened, how would she ever face Chase again? He would surely lose all affection for her.  

No matter how kind and forgiving he was, she couldn’t imagine him being merciful in this situation.  

‘Judith, is the rumor true? Did you really… with Axel…?’  

‘Well, that’s…’  

‘…I’m so disappointed. I thought you were at least someone who could keep your word, but I was wrong about you.’  

‘…’  

‘I was a fool to expect anything from you. Let’s end whatever we have here.’  

Imagining Chase looking down at her with cold eyes before walking away, Judith squeezed her eyes shut.  

It was just her imagination, but her heart stung as though she’d been pricked by thorns.  

So, even in the very end, I only end up disappointing you.  

But how Hannah interpreted Judith’s distressed expression, she suddenly pulled her into a tight hug and patted her back.  

“Of course, no matter what I say, you’ll still worry… But at least anyone who knows you even a little bit will immediately realize that rumor is nonsense. You’re not the type to do something so reckless.”  

The more Hannah tried to comfort her, the heavier Judith’s heart grew. But Hannah seemed to firmly believe in her.  

“There’s no way you’d kiss someone else while engaged. Especially not a man who already has a fiancée too.”  

“Right, it doesn’t make sense. To be engaged and kiss another man who’s also engaged…”  

But Hannah, the truth is, I did something that doesn’t make sense.  

Judith silently confessed the words she could never say out loud.  

* * *  

To calm her chaotic mind, Judith lay down on her bed earlier than usual.  

She tried desperately to fall asleep. She closed her eyes, counted sheep, and tried to empty her mind.  

But all her efforts were in vain. In the end, Judith spent the entire night tormented by her thoughts, unable to sleep a wink.  

Chirp, chirp.

The cheerful sound of birdsong rang out. Morning had arrived.  

As soon as Hannah woke up, she was startled by the sight of Judith’s dark, sunken eyes.  

“Judith! Did you stay up all night?”  

“Ugh, I guess I did…”  

“Was it because of the rumor I mentioned yesterday? Don’t let it get to you so much. I’m telling you, it’ll be fine. If you ignore it, people will lose interest quickly.”  

“…Do you really think so?”  

“Yes, and don’t show that you’re struggling. Whoever started the rumor probably did it just to see you upset. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”  

I hope that’s true.  

I hope it’s just someone who dislikes me, spreading baseless rumors to mess with me.  

And I hope, like Hannah said, the rumor dies out quickly.  

But Judith’s hopes were completely shattered.  

On her way to her first class, she felt stares piercing through her from the students she passed.  

Some of them whispered to their friends while glancing at her.  

Hannah had said it was no big deal, but her prediction was wrong.  

Everyone seemed intrigued by the scandal involving Axel, who was famous at the Academy.  

And to make matters worse, the person involved in the rumor was Judith, who had already been the subject of gossip in the past. It was no surprise that people were eager to talk.  

Some students had already been suspicious after Axel appeared at the summer party with Judith instead of his fiancée.  

Now that they’d heard the rumor, it was like pouring oil on a fire.  

At least today, she didn’t have to run into Axel or Chase. She wasn’t sure whether that was fortunate or unfortunate.  

Lost in thought, Judith eventually arrived at her destination.  

As soon as she entered the classroom for her first class, the noise from the hallway abruptly stopped.  

The students glanced at her and fell silent. But only for a moment. Soon, they began whispering to each other in hushed tones.  

Their conversations, though quiet, were clear in the otherwise silent classroom.  

“Did you hear? My friend asked Axel about it this morning. But he just laughed it off without giving a clear answer.”  

“What? Really? Then the rumor must be true!”  

“Well, even if it’s not true, isn’t it suspicious for him to be so vague when he has a fiancée?”  

“Exactly. Why wouldn’t Axel just deny it outright if it weren’t true?”  

“That’s because…”  

Whisper, whisper.  

Though their sharp gazes continued, the voices faded, making it hard to hear the rest.  

But Judith didn’t need to hear it. She could easily guess what came next.  

“That’s because he must have something to hide. That’s why he didn’t deny it.”  

Sigh.  

Judith barely managed to suppress the deep sigh rising from her chest.  

What is Axel thinking? He’s in the same difficult position, with a fiancée, yet he didn’t deny the rumor?  

The more ambiguous his response, the more it fuels the flames of this rumor. He must know that…  

Could he be trying to get revenge on me this way?  

Even if both Axel and Judith were being criticized, no one would dare openly direct scorn or mockery at Axel.  

Judith would be the only one to endure this humiliation.  

That thought made her chest feel even tighter.  

Judith stared blankly at her desk, wishing for class to start so people’s attention would shift away from her.  

* * *  

Meanwhile, the person at the center of all the commotion, Axel Fedelian, was sitting alone in the Student Council room.  

This room, except during meeting times, required the Student Council president’s permission to enter.  

It was Axel’s personal space, free from interruptions.  

But soon, someone broke the silence with a knock on the door.  

Knock, knock, knock.  

As if he’d been waiting for this visitor, Axel immediately stood up and opened the door.  

Standing there was a woman with luscious purple hair—his fiancée, Riana Zernias.  

“…”  

Without a warm greeting, Riana simply stared at him. Axel stepped aside silently, allowing her to enter.  

Once she was inside, Axel locked the door and led her to the sofa.  

Riana slumped onto the sofa and finally spoke.  

“So, what are you going to do now?”  

“…You’ve heard the rumor.”  

A bitter expression crossed Axel’s face.  

“Of course. My friends swarmed me this morning, asking what was going on.”  

Riana’s tone was unusually cold. Axel, looking guilty, lowered his head.  

“I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful. I didn’t expect someone to be watching… But I’ve taken care of it, so you won’t have to deal with any trouble.”  

Riana blinked a few times before asking sharply,  

“…So, the rumor is true?”  

Axel gave a short nod without saying a word.  

“What? So, you and Judith… Are you planning to date?”  

Axel looked even more troubled by her question.  

“Not yet.”  

“…So, you’re not even dating, but you kissed her?”  

“It just happened.”  

Shrugging, Axel suddenly spoke in a serious tone.  

“Riana, I think it’s time… we break off the engagement.”