Chapter 7.2

The approaching summer vacation—and even sooner, the final exams.

Lovell was helping organize materials in the history professor’s office for the last time. After this, he would have to devote himself to studying for the exams.

Professor Lezé, whose hairline was slightly receding, gave Lovell a gentle suggestion as he worked diligently.

“Have you really considered preparing for graduate school, Lovell?”

“I’ll discuss it with the Earl.”

A quick response. This wasn’t the first time he’d been encouraged, so he tried to deflect with a suitable answer.

The professor hadn’t even sent his own daughter to the Academy, saying he couldn’t afford the tuition—so graduate school? If that ever happened, Chris would slap him twice and kick him right where it hurt.

The professor looked closely at the bruise under Lovell’s eye.

“What’s been bothering you most lately?”

“Some… rough friends, shall we say. The students who follow His Highness.”

“I should submit a petition to the disciplinary council.”

“No, Professor. I don’t want to get tangled up with His Highness twice. I’m already at too much of a disadvantage.”

“Nobles, honestly…”

Professor Lezé had always harbored a strong resentment toward high-ranking nobles. That was why he held Lovell, who did his best in his studies regardless of status, in such high regard.

“They can’t even keep up with half of what you do.”

“I’m only working hard to repay the Earl’s kindness.”

In truth, it was so he could be a little more confident when he asked the Earl for Chris’s hand in the future.

Before leaving the professor’s office, Lovell casually noticed him putting the cabinet key into the drawer. That drawer was firmly locked with another key.

A small, silver cabinet key.

That was what opened the storage place for the final exam papers.

The next step was to approach any one of the Prince’s group. And as luck would have it, Elijah was found alone—Lovell thought the heavens must be helping him.

Elijah even spoke to Lovell first.

“Earldom beggar.”

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah, that thing tucked under your arm, that’s the history notes, right?”

“So what…?”

“Lend them to me. I’ll return them by tonight.”

“Unbelievable! What nonsense!”

“The history exam is tomorrow. As someone who was once a friend, can’t you do at least that much?”

“Our friendship ended well over a year ago.”

He roughly grabbed his own gray hair.

“Did the professor tell you anything? About the exam?”

“Pitiful Elijah, you’d be better off studying than trying to get something out of me.”

His gaze changed, and he reached for Lovell’s collar, grabbing it tightly and pulling him close.

“Pitiful? You b*stard… Just spill anything. You’re always hanging around the professor’s office.”

“The professor’s important things… Ugh, the, the professor keeps Calypso Mountain cigars in the top drawer.”

A rough hand struck his throat, making Lovell cough and choke.

“What about the second drawer?”

“Are you kidding?”

“What’s in the second one?!”

“How should I know!”

“Tell me about the third and fourth too. The professor is on the exam committee. Isn’t there anything in his office?”

“D*mn it, all the important stuff is in the very bottom drawer. Things like documents and the cabinet key ring, cough, but it’s always locked. Of course, as if you’d know anything about the professor…”

Lovell kept coughing as he brushed off Elijah’s hand. Without looking back, Lovell left the room.

‘That petty thief, he’ll dash straight to the professor’s office.’

Elijah had previously stolen things like cigars or small bottles of liquor from the research room. He’d just never been caught, and had a long record of cheating; nine times out of ten, after getting close to Prince Nathan, he probably dragged the Prince in as an accomplice.

Lovell scoffed, already wondering what to try next if this plan didn’t work out.

And the next day. Elijah and a couple of his cronies didn’t show up for the exam.

Lovell’s pale blue eyes flashed. His mind cooled down, and his hand moved the pen without hesitation. The classroom, missing a few troublemakers, was especially pleasant.

That day, he took the exam in top condition.

***

After a grueling six-hour day, a notice was posted on the first-floor hall bulletin board. It announced that Elijah McCarthy and several others had been caught in the act leaking the exam papers.

– The three above were immediately confined in the counseling room upon discovery, and at 11:50 a.m. today, they were handed over to the authorities. –

Lovell, standing far away from the murmuring students, narrowed his eyes. Even from where he stood, he could easily read the notice.

‘He really is as dumb as I thought. He took the bait so obviously.’

On his way back to the dormitory, someone tapped Lovell on the back.

Shawn Eresby, with closely cropped black hair and angular glasses.

Since entering the Academy, Shawn had never missed being top of his class; he was Lovell’s only remaining friend.

A little shorter and thinner than Lovell, Shawn slung an arm around his shoulder as they walked side by side.

“Someone tipped them off.”

“What tip?”

“That the storage room was going to get hit. So the guards were on high alert, and they caught them copying the test on the spot. Nailed them right away.”

“Aha.”

“Idiots. They should have just done their usual note-cheating.”

“Anyway… Those guys won’t be seen for the whole exam period.”

“Feels good. Want to smoke before bed?”

“No, I’ve quit.”

The back of the dorm was the designated smoking area, including cigars.

Shawn’s black eyebrows rose at Lovell’s refusal. Lovell added casually,

“Gotta keep myself in shape.”

Shawn grumbled about what kind of shape, and the two separated to their rooms.

Click.

As soon as Lovell entered his room, he looked out the window and let out a silent cheer.

‘Elijah, you fool, I always intended to deal with you someday. Ever since I first saw you at the Academy. Ever since I heard you had a status that didn’t suit you at all. A stumbling block in my life. His Grace the Grand Duke must be delighted!’

However…

“Lovell, you b*stard…”

“What are you so happy about?”

The laughter died instantly when Lovell saw the figures rising from behind the bed against the distant dark ridge.

Their heights varied, but all had broad shoulders… How many were there…?

One, two, three, four…

One of them spoke heavily.

“Elijah said yesterday. That you,  the Earldom brat, told him where the cabinet key was.”

Lovell quickly composed his face.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re the only one. The only one who knows where the key is.”

Seeing them approach, Lovell put his hand behind his back. Slowly, he turned the doorknob, and a faint metallic sound rang out.

Creak…

In a flash, he opened the door and bolted into the hallway.

Crash!

A racket echoed through the entire dorm building.

Some leaped down the stair landing in one go, while others vaulted the railing to the next floor in acrobatic displays.

Other innocent students scattered, and the chase between fugitive and pursuers raced on fiercely.

Lovell slid to a halt in the dormitory hall. He turned and faced the four or five men who had chased him like lightning, raising his fists and taking a fighting stance.

He dodged the first punch by turning his face away. But from the second blow—thud!—they struck his torso hard enough to shake his insides.

“Ugh…”

From then on, the beating began. Lovell didn’t even think about resisting, just bent low and eventually collapsed on the hall floor.

Thud, thud, urgh, ugh…

Even as he was beaten, he memorized their faces and names, and kept an eye on the witnesses around him.

‘No one’s stopping them… Even if everyone’s on the Prince’s side, these bastards…’

He kept his head covered with both hands, and after some time, the dorm supervisor rushed over and the attackers all fled.

“Lovell!”

Lovell lay sprawled, looking half-dead.

“Lovell, what happened?”

“Ugh…”

Lovell left what sounded like his last words to the supervisor and nearby students.

“John, Harrison, Peter, and, and Nicholas, right? You guys… saw, right? You have to testify for me…”

He kept repeating the names of his attackers, making sure the witnesses and supervisor remembered them clearly.

“Lovell, stay with us!”

“Th-the exam, there’s another one tomorrow…”

“Hey! Go tell the faculty! We need to get him to the hospital, quick…”

Lovell was carried out by the others, and showed up again at the Academy the next morning. He insisted he was fine, swallowing painkillers endlessly and facing the exam with superhuman willpower.

Everyone admired his endurance and diligence, and Lovell only smiled gratefully at them all.