1.3

After entering the Academy, Delia’s world changed.  

The days that had once been filled with beauty and hope turned into a nightmare.  

Her circumstances were such that anyone who knew her story would call it tragic.  

To others, she appeared to be an extraordinary genius, someone out of reach.  

But within the Acremen family, she was considered nothing more than a disgrace.  

And the reason for this treatment was her second-place ranking.  

The only blemish on the Acremen family’s perfect record.  

If one were to describe how the Acremen family viewed Delia, it would be as their sole flaw.  

A second-place ranking from a family that knew nothing but first place.  

On top of that, Delia wasn’t even the legitimate daughter of the Acremen Countess.  

She was an illegitimate child born out of a brief affair by Rexukan Acremen.  

After the entrance exam results were announced, her family’s attitude toward her changed drastically.  

• Of course, you take after your mother’s bloodline. 

• You can’t hide lowly blood. It’s written all over you.  

• Why did Father bring you into the family only to disgrace us?  

• What a disappointment. You shouldn’t have been brought here in the first place.  

Amid the torrent of venomous words, Delia became isolated.  

Even the title of second-place entrant—a dream for most—held no value within the Acremen family unless it was first place.  

And Delia knew this all too well.  

She could never forget the moment she received her entrance exam results.  

The number “2” stamped on her report card loomed larger than any other number in her life.  

‘I… I’m not first place…?’  

The despair of seeing her expectations crumble.  

The fear of failing to meet her family’s standards.  

The pain of realizing that all her efforts to gain recognition had amounted to nothing.  

The weight of that “2” pressed down on her entire being.  

It wasn’t as though Delia hadn’t tried. She had worked tirelessly, hoping to become like her siblings.  

She wanted her father’s approval because she bore the Acremen name.  

‘If it’s not first place, it doesn’t matter.’ 

There was no room for satisfaction.  

As the family’s only illegitimate child, Delia knew that if her academic performance fell behind her siblings’, she would forever be labeled as inferior.  

This made it all the more imperative for her to become a perfect Acremen.  

‘I am an Acremen.’  

And she would continue to live as one.  

• You’ll graduate as valedictorian, won’t you? Delia, I believe in you. 

Unlike her siblings, who had begun to disregard her, her father still held onto the hope that she would graduate as valedictorian.  

Although the title of “all first-place entrants” had been broken because of Delia, the chance to maintain the record of “all valedictorians” remained.  

Delia could not afford to betray her father’s final hope.  

‘Alright. Even if I entered as second place, I’ll graduate as valedictorian.’  

Then, perhaps her family would look at her differently.  

This was her chance to be recognized as an Acremen again.  

Delia steeled herself and resolved to try harder.  

The expectations surrounding her were immense.  

Professors and peers alike assumed that Delia, with her Acremen name, would naturally secure first place in her class.  

At least, they had at the beginning.  

But as her first year passed and her second year began, Delia had yet to claim the first-place position even once.  

Because of Kartan Roxen, the genius of the century.  

For the past year, Delia had worked endlessly.  

But no matter how much she tried, the gap between her second-place ranking and the first-place title seemed insurmountable.  

‘Am I really incapable…?’  

Being an illegitimate child. Not being a true Acremen. Was that why it was impossible?

The criticisms of her siblings and stepmother lingered in her mind.  

• Don’t go around saying you’re my sister. It’s embarrassing.  

• If Father hadn’t brought you here, our family wouldn’t have any blemishes. 

• How could something so stupid be born? She’s not even my daughter, and it’s shameful.

Delia felt lonely and tormented.  

Anyone who wasn’t first place was unnecessary in the Acremen Family.  

Before she knew it, Delia was treated as if she were invisible within the family.  

Gradually isolated, she couldn’t even yearn for her family’s love.  

Because she was second place. Because she didn’t deserve to be called an Acremen.  

For Delia, being first place was an unattainable longing.  

***

• How about it? Just ten times, and the valedictorian title you’ve always wanted can be yours.

After receiving Kartan Roxen’s proposal, Delia couldn’t even tell how the lecture had gone by.  

It wasn’t like her, who always focused with shining concentration, never missing a single word from the professors.  

“Delia, are you feeling unwell?”  

“…I’m sorry.”  

“You’re not yourself today, so I was worried something might be wrong.”  

Even the professors began asking if she was unwell, noticing the unusual change in her.  

But there was nothing she could honestly say. Delia could only make excuses.  

“I think I might be a little sleep-deprived. I’ll focus better.”  

“Working hard is good, but sometimes it’s also good to rest properly.”  

“Thank you for your advice.”  

It was the first time she had heard such words during a lecture. Her face flushed with embarrassment.  

‘How distracted must I have seemed for the professors to notice…’  

Delia could confidently say that today was the most confusing day in her 21 years of life.  

Last year, when her admission to the Imperial Lapolis Academy was decided as second place, she had felt immense frustration but hadn’t been unsure of what to do.  

She had simply concluded that she needed to work harder to achieve first place.  

‘But today…’  

She found herself at an absurd crossroads of choices.  

Memories of the past resurfaced one by one, making her head spin.  

Because of Kartan Roxen.  

• Let’s meet here again tomorrow at 6 PM. I’ll prove to you that what I said is true.  

The voice she had heard earlier lingered in her mind.  

In the end, Delia couldn’t outright reject his proposal.  

That’s how desperate she was for first place.  

When all the lectures had ended, Delia, who usually headed straight to the library to immerse herself in studying, instead turned toward the dormitory with a blank expression.  

Her classmate Viola asked her, surprised.  

“Delia, are you heading straight to the dormitory?”  

“Yes. I’m not feeling well.”  

“That’s unusual for you. Go rest quickly. You must be feeling really unwell.”  

Since Viola had known Delia, this was the first time something like this had happened.  

Someone who only knew how to study every day, looking so disheveled.  

And the fact that she wasn’t going to the library was even more surprising.  

Viola thought that Delia must truly be in bad shape.  

“I’ll head in first.”  

Leaving Viola behind with a weak voice, Delia returned to the dormitory.  

Today, she wasn’t in any condition to study.  

Even when she opened her books, all she could think about was what had happened with Kartan Roxen.  

As soon as she arrived in her room, Delia dropped her belongings and slumped onto the bed.  

“Sigh…”  

A deep sigh escaped her lips. Her mind was a chaotic mess.  

‘Could this be some new form of bullying? A scheme by Kartan Roxen to solidify his position as first place?’  

All kinds of suspicions rose in her mind. But the problem was that no matter what doubts she had, they all converged on one conclusion.  

‘Why would Kartan Roxen, of all people, do this?’  

There was no motivation for him to act this way.  

No matter how hard Delia tried, he was always first place.  

He had never dropped to second place, nor did he seem to see Delia as a threat.  

‘He always had such a relaxed demeanor.’  

Although it was a blow to her pride, the truth was undeniable.  

So why, of all people, would he make such a strange proposal to Delia?  

Even after agonizing over it all night, no answers came. Delia couldn’t sleep properly and ended up tossing and turning until dawn.  

Her mind was filled only with thoughts of Kartan Roxen.  

The next day arrived, but Delia was in the same state.  

Because of her disorganized thoughts, she couldn’t focus during lectures again today.  

“Delia, aren’t you too distracted since yesterday?”  

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”  

“It’s rare for you to have days like this.”  

She didn’t know how many times she had apologized to the professors today.  

‘I need to pull myself together.’  

A sense of self-loathing washed over her. She already lacked the knowledge she needed to build, and now she wasn’t even focusing.  

She hated herself for wishing the lecture would end quickly.  

Even now, she kept glancing at the clock, waiting for 6 PM.  

Waiting for the time she had promised with Kartan Roxen.  

‘This can’t go on.’  

Whatever the conclusion, it needed to be resolved.  

Otherwise, she might even lose her position as second place.  

Once again, she couldn’t absorb any of the lecture material or the professor’s words.