HTNSA 69

Chapter 69

Rosia’s face hardened.

“But it can’t possibly not be a monster egg. I heard it’s huge.”

“That may be, but it needs to be properly identified. It’s a matter of someone’s life.”

Upon hearing that, Rosia’s face twisted with frustration.

The academy had plenty of competent professors, so why hadn’t they figured out what the egg was yet?

Just as if answering her question, Calios sat down and spoke.

“I’ve heard that it’s an extremely rare egg. Even the professors of monsterology were stumped; they all shook their heads, saying they had never seen anything like it.”

“…”

“But it will be revealed soon enough. The academy’s best professors are all investigating the egg. If it turns out it’s not a monster egg, then that’s a relief.”

Gerard nodded, agreeing with Calios’s words.

Although the egg was suspected to be a monster’s, if no one had been able to identify it yet, it was still possible it wasn’t.

More importantly, Gerard believed that the Eila he knew would never commit such an act, even if pushed to the edge.

Gerard looked down, hoping the egg wasn’t truly from a monster.

“I really hope we get a good result…”

“I hope so too, but given how suspicious it looks, we can’t be certain. We need to prepare for the worst.”

When the Duke’s words finished, Cedric, who had been silently listening, suddenly lifted his head.

“The worst? What do you mean?”

The Duke looked at his son and, somewhat reluctantly, spoke.

“…You all know this already. If it turns out that Eila used the egg with evil intent, she’ll not only be expelled from the academy but could also be sent to the royal court for trial and thrown into prison. The principal even told me to be prepared for this.”

At those words, Rosia almost couldn’t suppress a smile of joy.

But when she saw the somber expressions of the family, she quickly suppressed her emotions.

It was then that Calios, who had been stroking his chin, seemed to remember something, and with a soft “Ah,” he spoke again.

“However, there could be a variable. Do you remember when, just before Eila was dragged away by the soldiers, Duke Azenta’s disciple stepped forward?”

The first to react to his words was Cedric.

“Yes, that guy said he gave her the egg, and if it was a monster egg, he told them to arrest him instead.”

Cedric paused and then his eyes sparkled.

If they could pin the blame on Felix, Eila might be cleared and released.

Calios also spoke in a positive tone.

“Yes. If, as he says, Eila was unaware of the egg’s true nature and simply took it from him, there’s a high chance her punishment could be lessened. Moreover, Duke Azenta has been very supportive of his disciple. If things go well, there might even be a favorable outcome at trial.”

“…”

“Of course, we’ll have to wait and see how it all unfolds.”

With that hopeful news, the faces of the family seemed to relax.

Seeing that, Rosia’s stomach churned with frustration.

Finally unable to hold it in, she shouted with irritation.

“Everyone, get a grip! Are you saying that Eila suddenly overcame mana insensitivity? How does that make sense?”

She looked at her family members one by one, continuing with her frustration.

“And Felix also recovered from mana insensitivity recently. Maybe he’s covering for Eila, and they’re both in on it. If they’re guilty of some evil deed, they should be punished!”

Having vented her anger, Rosia gasped for breath.

Calios looked at her with a confused expression.

Her usual gentle and soft demeanor was nowhere to be seen, and her face was flushed with anger and agitation.

Duke Blanche nodded reluctantly, his expression uncomfortable.

“True, what you say isn’t wrong, but…”

He couldn’t continue and looked toward his eldest son.

Gerard, also flustered, merely shrugged his shoulders.

Seeing her family’s strange reaction, Rosia froze, surprised.

‘Why is everyone looking at me like that?’

She had finally had the chance to push Eila into a corner, but now, hearing that she might be cleared, she became agitated.

Rosia quickly looked down at her plate, trying to make a sad face.

“…Sorry, I got carried away. I thought Eila might have unjustly taken the top spot, and I let my emotions take over.”

“It’s fine, I understand where you’re coming from. It’s a frustrating situation.”

Calios smiled faintly, trying to console her, but his eyes still showed discomfort.

Rosia bit her lower lip in frustration.

‘I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have shown all my emotions.’

In that moment, showing sympathy for Eila would have been a better approach to garner the family’s pity.

But instead, she had shouted and lost control.

Rosia realized her mistake but, at the same time, her anger didn’t subside.

In the end, she couldn’t even eat the rest of her meal and quietly got up from the table.

After dinner, when Rosia returned to her room, she couldn’t calm the anxiety swirling inside her.

Seeing this situation, Eila seemed to be excessively lucky.

Could she really get away with all this without consequences?

‘Who does she think she is?’

Now even Duke Azenta was getting involved because of Felix.

The situation was spiraling out of control, and Rosia felt a sense of urgency.

‘Why is everyone defending Eila so much?’

If it turned out that the egg wasn’t truly a monster’s, the leverage she had would be useless.

Rosia couldn’t afford to lose this opportunity.

‘I can’t just sit here. I need to ask for help from him.’

Rosia, trembling, grabbed a pen.

The tip of the quill dipped into the ink, but she hesitated, unable to write anything.

She remembered her previous failure, where her plan had fallen apart.

‘…No. This time, I’ve cornered her. I have to be brave.’

With that resolve, Rosia began writing forcefully on the letter.

She would ask him to send a royal investigator to the palace.

Before Eila could escape again with some strange excuse, she needed to get her locked up.

‘It’s obvious the egg is a monster’s. There’s no need to wait for confirmation, right?’

She had to act fast before Duke Azenta ruined everything.

As Rosia sent the completed letter through the messenger, her eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Meanwhile, in the solitary cell, Eila was spending a surprisingly comfortable time, contrary to expectations.

If Rosia knew this, she’d be seething with frustration.

‘It’s a bit cramped compared to the academy dormitory, but it’s not so bad.’

Though she had been locked up for three days, there was no boredom.

Yesterday, Peony had visited and brought her several books.

‘It’s like studying in a library with meals provided.’

If things continued like this, she thought she might come out even more skilled in magic.

She didn’t even consider that things might go wrong.

‘It’s not a monster egg anyway.’

Everyone was just being misled by its appearance and calling it a monster egg.

With Felix’s testimony, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

Eila had no doubt she would be freed soon.

However, she couldn’t stop thinking about Felix, who was locked up with no idea of what was happening.

‘I’ve probably caused him a lot of trouble with all this.’