Chapter 76

After a brief silence, Axel’s voice broke the stillness and echoed through the Student Council room.  

“Is the reason you made that decision… because of Chase?”  

Axel’s face, now looking at Judith, showed signs of impatience.  

Judith hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond, but soon answered firmly.  

“No, it’s a decision I made on my own, unrelated to Chase.”  

At her reply, an unreadable emotion flickered in Axel’s eyes, but he soon nodded as if he understood.  

“…I see. I understand your decision.”  

Axel’s unexpectedly calm acceptance made Judith sigh in relief.  

“Then, about the rumors…”  

“I’ll handle them somehow, so don’t worry.”  

Axel spoke in a bitter tone. Hearing the answer she had been hoping for, Judith quickly nodded.  

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”  

And so, their conversation ended. After exchanging brief goodbyes, Judith left the Student Council room and closed her eyes.  

Thinking that this long-standing relationship had finally come to an end, she felt a mix of relief and sadness, along with a strange emptiness, as if a hole had been left in her heart.  

* * *  

A letter arrived at the Fedelian household. The butler, Albert, held the letter in his hand as he approached the master of the house, Madame Fedelian.  

He addressed her as she enjoyed her tea in the garden.  

“Madam, a letter has arrived.”  

Madame Fedelian set her teacup down and asked,  

“From whom?”  

“It’s a letter from the Young Master at the academy.”  

At those words, Madame Fedelian smiled warmly.  

Axel often wrote letters to inquire about her well-being, so she began reading it without much thought.  

But moments later…  

Madame Fedelian blinked in disbelief.  

No matter how many times she reread the letter in her hand, the contents remained unchanged.  

A sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, and she accidentally knocked over her teacup. The teacup fell to the ground and shattered with a sharp sound.  

Crash-  

Startled, the butler rushed to Madame Fedelian’s side.  

“Are you alright?”  

“I’m fine.”  

She waved her hand to indicate she was unhurt, then quickly folded the letter and tucked it into her bosom to prevent its contents from being seen.  

“Call a maid to clean up the broken teacup.”  

“Yes, Madam.”  

As the maids hurried over to clean up the broken pieces, Madame Fedelian tried to compose her thoughts.  

Axel had briefly informed her of his intention to break off his engagement with the Zernias family.  

Such a one-sided annulment of the engagement would not only tarnish his own reputation but also bring disgrace to the Fedelian Ducal House. Surely, Axel must have known this.  

What had caused this sudden change of heart?  

She wanted to summon Axel immediately and demand an explanation.  

But for now, that wasn’t possible. She had an afternoon meeting scheduled with other noblewomen.  

Suppressing her rising emotions, Madame Fedelian thought carefully.  

I’ll have Axel come to the estate this weekend. I need to hear from him directly why he wants to cancel the engagement.  

Madame Fedelian quickly wrote a reply and entrusted it to the butler. Once the letter was sent, her pounding heart began to calm.  

She couldn’t understand why Axel suddenly wanted to break off his engagement with Riana, but it was probably just a momentary whim.  

After all, Riana was the perfect bride.  

She had high status, beauty, and wealth—qualities that surpassed any other lady in the Empire.  

Whatever had happened, Axel would surely understand once she explained these advantages to him.  

After all, he was a child who had always accepted her words without question since he was young.  

But that afternoon, at the meeting with the noblewomen, Madame Fedelian heard unexpected news.  

It was about a scandal involving Axel Fedelian and Judith.  

“Oh my, my daughter wrote about it in her letter. Apparently, the academy is abuzz with this matter. Of course, I trust the young lord of the Fedelian family to be upright, so I don’t believe it…”  

“Well, they’re just young students. Perhaps they’re relieving their academic stress in such ways.”  

The noblewomen seemed to dismiss it as mere gossip.  

But Madame Fedelian couldn’t even force a smile.  

It felt as if the ominous future she had feared for so long was now becoming a reality. Her vision darkened, and her insides churned.  

Could it be that Axel and Judith had realized their feelings for each other? Did they do this to be together?  

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, a surge of betrayal swept over her.  

How ungrateful of Judith! After all the kindness I’ve shown her, this is how she repays me?  

She wanted to confront Judith immediately, but then she remembered that Judith hadn’t yet expressed any intention of breaking off her engagement.  

This realization allowed Madame Fedelian to calm herself.  

Yes, as long as their feelings haven’t fully developed, there’s still room to resolve this through persuasion.  

Judith isn’t a foolish girl. If I speak to her reasonably, she’ll surely understand and agree with me.  

Having organized her thoughts, Madame Fedelian spoke in a cold tone.  

“No matter how lenient the academy may be about social status, I cannot tolerate rumors that tarnish Axel’s honor.”  

“Th-that’s…”  

The noblewoman who had first mentioned the rumor looked flustered and stammered,  

“…I’ve already scolded my daughter and told her not to spread such strange rumors.”  

“Yes, I’ll make sure to warn my sons to keep quiet as well, Madame. Please don’t worry too much.”  

The other noblewomen, sensing Madame Fedelian’s displeasure, quickly added their assurances. Only then did Madame Fedelian’s stiff expression soften.  

* * *  

Not long after her conversation with Axel, the rumors that had spread throughout the academy quickly died down.  

Word spread that Axel had told his friends, “The rumors are so absurd that they’re not even worth addressing,” making his stance clear.  

The students, who had already been questioning the validity of the rumors, immediately lost interest upon hearing this.  

After all, no one truly believed that a plain commoner girl could have captured the heart of the young lord of the Fedelian family.  

Moreover, the previous night, a student had been caught sneaking into a professor’s office to steal exam questions, creating a new scandal that completely overshadowed the rumors.  

“Did you hear? Last night…”  

“How bold. They’ll definitely be expelled, right?”  

Whisper, whisper.  

As the academy buzzed with the new incident, Judith felt a sense of relief.  

Thank goodness.  

Relishing the return of her peaceful daily life, Judith prepared for her next class.  

As she flipped through the pages of her textbook, someone sat down beside her.  

Turning her head, she wasn’t surprised to see Chase looking at her.  

“Good morning.”  

He greeted her lightly and began taking out his books from his bag.  

When Judith stared at him, Chase tilted his head as if asking if she had something to say.  

“What? Is there something on my face?”  

He raised his hand and rubbed his cheek as he spoke. Judith quickly waved her hand.  

“No, it’s not that…”  

“Then what?”  

Under Chase’s gaze, Judith suddenly felt her mouth go dry.  

How did I used to look him in the eye before?  

After a moment of thought, she finally came up with an excuse and spoke.  

“Well… I was just wondering how your studies are going lately.”  

“Oh, that.”  

Chase frowned slightly and mumbled in response.  

“Thanks to your help, I’m preparing hard for subjects other than accounting. I can’t guarantee the results, though…”  

“You’ll do great.”  

As Judith encouraged him, Chase suddenly gave her a mischievous look and asked,  

“By the way, Judith, you know we’re supposed to get married after I graduate, right?”  

“…”  

Judith’s face turned red, leaving her unable to respond. But Chase, seemingly unaware of her embarrassment, pressed on.  

“When do you think would be a good time?”  

“What?”  

“When do you think we should get married?”  

Judith tried her best to hide the tremble in her voice as she answered,  

“…Haven’t your family elders said anything about it?”  

“Well, my father would probably want it done as soon as possible. But since I’ll be knighted and joining the order, I don’t mind taking some time…”  

Of course, Chase planned to become a knight. Judith admired how clear his goals were and felt a twinge of envy.  

At the same time, she suddenly recalled something Professor Karel had once said.  

‘Everyone needs at least one thing they do for themselves.’  

“…”  

Enough. I already turned him down, so why am I thinking about this now?  

Judith shook her head. She thought she was being greedy, wanting more even after rejecting Chase.  

Just then, Rodesha, who had arrived slightly later than usual, interrupted the two of them.  

“Aren’t you two sticking a little too close together this morning?”  

With a sharp voice, she linked arms with Judith.  

As Rodesha’s interference caused Judith to lean away, Chase’s face immediately turned sullen.