2.2

‘What could it be?’  

It felt as though soft bubbles were forming near her heart. Her heart swelled with anticipation.  

Delia wasn’t unaware of how the Acremen family had sent mail to her older siblings during their time at the academy.  

Not just letters from their parents, but also various items needed for the restricted life at the academy, carefully prepared from outside.  

Despite entering as the second-ranked student, Delia had hoped for mail from home.  

But the absence of any mail, no matter how long she waited, had been enough to make her realize her reality.  

‘I didn’t receive anything because I was second.’  

Second place was a disgrace to the Acremen family. An unacknowledged person. Even worse, a child born out of wedlock.  

Thus, what Delia now held in her hands was a symbol of being first.  

Slowly, she tore the seal and opened the envelope. Inside, a handwritten letter caught her eye.  

Even at first glance, it was her father’s handwriting.  

[Delia, I heard you ranked first. Congratulations.  

It’s reassuring to finally see you where you belong.  

If things continue this way, graduating as the top student isn’t out of reach, is it?  

There’s still two years left, so it’s certainly possible.  

From now on, all you need to do is surpass that boy from the Roxen family.  

Well done.]

It was a brief letter. For something Delia was receiving for the first time in her life, it might have seemed modest.  

But to Delia, it held immense meaning.  

[Well done.]

Her eyes couldn’t leave those words.  

It was the first compliment she had ever received from her father.  

The guilt that had weighed heavily on her heart was shattered by a small paper letter.  

Morality. Conscience. Honesty. Guilt. Fairness. Justice.  

The dam in her heart, built of such things, collapsed with a resounding crash.  

As the dam crumbled, her desires surged forth with terrifying force.  

Each word written by her father seeped into Delia’s heart, becoming nourishment for her burgeoning desire.  

To her, it was like a brief rainfall after a long drought.  

Though it was a short shower, it was enough to quench her parched thirst.  

The satisfaction she had just tasted, something she hadn’t known while she was thirsty, was something Delia couldn’t let go of. No, she didn’t want to let go.  

For her, the deal with Kartan Roxen was necessary.  

‘What time is it now?’  

In her urgency, Delia checked the time.  

The clock already pointed to 6:20 p.m.  

‘I need to hurry.’  

Only ten minutes remained. She couldn’t be late.  

‘If not now, I might lose this opportunity.’  

A sense of urgency gripped her.  

“Aisha, I’ll be back shortly. I need to go to the lecture hall.”  

Delia hurriedly left the room.  

“Huh? What’s going on?”  

“I just remembered I left something behind. I’ll be back, so take it easy.”  

Tap, tap, tap—  

As Delia’s quick footsteps echoed, Aisha muttered to herself.  

“What’s with her? Must’ve left something really important behind. She’s been acting strange lately.”  

***

Creak—! Thud!  

Delia pushed open the lecture hall door roughly, panting heavily. Her breath was caught in her throat, but she didn’t have time to catch it.  

“Hah, hah.”  

The clock in the lecture hall pointed to 6:31 p.m.  

Arriving one minute late to the agreed time, Delia looked around anxiously.  

But Kartan was nowhere in sight.  

‘Did he already leave?’  

Her heart sank with a thud. 

No. No. I must…!  

“So, judging by how urgently you’re looking for me, you’ve made up your mind?”  

At that moment, a low voice echoed from behind Delia.  

The owner of the voice was, of course, Kartan.  

The voice she had once thought of as demonic now felt like the only salvation in the world.  

Delia turned to face him. As always, Kartan wore a relaxed expression.  

“So, what’s your decision?”  

Kartan already knew the answer.  

There was no trace of hesitation in Delia’s demeanor now, unlike the days before when her inner turmoil had been evident.  

“I…”  

Delia’s tightly closed lips slowly parted.  

His gaze fell on her lips.  

From those small lips would soon flow the answer that she would have s*x with him ten times.  

Kartan’s lips curled into a grin. He subtly lowered his head to hide his smile.  

He couldn’t risk provoking her and ruining things now.  

Even the urge to shove himself into that mouth of hers had to be suppressed and buried deep within.  

After a moment, Kartan composed himself and waited for her response.  

“I’ll accept your proposal. Ten times, that’s all, right?”  

As expected, her actions didn’t deviate from his predictions. Delia Acremen had willingly stepped into the web Kartan Roxen had spun.  

Naturally, there was no way she could turn back now. What she desired was right before her eyes, leaving her no choice but to continue walking deeper into the center.  

To be precise, it was Kartan who had orchestrated everything to ensure she would walk in.  

Even though he had only heard her answer, Kartan felt a rush of blood to his lower body.  

The thought of soon entering her brought about an unavoidable physical reaction.  

“Good. Just ten times, and the title of top graduate will be yours.”  

A satisfied smile spread across Kartan’s lips.  

‘It worked perfectly.’  

The mail Delia received from her family today…  

The secret behind how the news of her ranking first reached the Acremen Family so quickly lay with Kartan.  

She probably had less than an hour to deliberate after receiving the mail.  

The less time one has to think, the more clouded their judgment becomes.  

In the end, Delia made the choice he wanted.  

Kartan had no intention of revealing that he had orchestrated everything.  

Perhaps it would be amusing if she found out later, but…  

“And how can I be sure you’ll keep your promise?”  

Judging by the sharp edge in her gaze, filled with suspicion even now, perhaps it was better if she never knew.  

“Wasn’t this exam proof enough?”  

For now, cutting the last thread of doubt she clung to was the priority.  

Though it might have been amusing to watch her squirm even after falling into his grasp, it was time to move forward.  

“After the ten times, you could still break your promise, couldn’t you?”  

Right now, Kartan simply wanted to see the look in her eyes as they transitioned from suspicion to submission.  

For someone who had already made up her mind, such doubts were irritating.  

‘How insolent.’  

Perhaps he hadn’t applied enough pressure.  

“Then, do you want to call it off?”  

“What?”  

Delia Acremen was terrible at hiding her emotions. That was the biggest difference between her and Kartan.  

When it came to achieving what one wanted and negotiating, the most crucial elements were understanding the opponent’s psychology and concealing one’s own intentions.  

Kartan desired Delia more than anyone else, but he knew how to hide it.  

“The choice is yours. I’ve already proven my trustworthiness through this exam. I’ve done what I could.”  

Kartan continued, 

“If that’s not enough for you, then the only option is to reject my proposal.”  

“T-that’s…”  

Delia was at a loss for words. He wasn’t wrong. There was no room for rebuttal.  

Everything was exactly as Kartan had said. Whether to trust him and accept the deal or not was entirely up to Delia now.  

She bit her lower lip hard.  

“…No. I’ll trust you.”  

A weak voice escaped her lips.  

Even though she knew it was like listening to the whispers of the devil, Delia ultimately took his hand.  

The deal was sealed.  

Kartan casually responded with, “Alright,” before continuing.  

“Then, how about we celebrate? Come to my room by 9 p.m. I’ll decide when to fulfill the ten times.”  

“T-today? Right away?”  

“Unless you have a valid reason, you’ll comply with the times I choose. That’s the condition.”  

Today, of all days.  

Though she had resolved herself not to complain further, this was unexpected.  

There wouldn’t even be enough time to mentally prepare herself.  

But Delia decided not to argue further.  

After all, she was the one at a disadvantage.  

“Wait. What about your roommate?”  

But the matter of his roommate was another issue. She didn’t want anyone to find out about this arrangement.  

She thought Kartan would feel the same way, but was she wrong? Delia’s face filled with confusion.  

“I don’t have one. I live alone.”  

“…Oh.”  

It was a bit embarrassing. Momentarily startled, she had forgotten that Kartan was the only student in their grade who had a single dormitory.  

The academy’s standard was two students per room, but there was one exception.  

‘Even here, only the top-ranked get special treatment.’  

As the academy valued talent, only the top-ranked student in each grade was allowed a single dormitory.  

In the end, Kartan’s room was the perfect place to maintain their secret arrangement.  

“…Alright, I’ll come by at 9.”  

“Good. At this rate, I might be visiting your room next semester.”  

After glancing at the clock, Kartan left the room first.  

“See you in two hours, Delia. I’m looking forward to it.”