HTNSA 94

Chapter 94

The academy students quickly changed their attitudes and began mocking her.

“Rosia’s in a pitiful state now. All she did was prove that Eila rightfully earned the top spot.”

“Seriously. If she’d just stayed quiet, she might’ve gotten by. Why go and embarrass herself like that?”

“Maybe it was just too much jealousy? After all, she is the Duke’s real daughter, but her magic is weaker than Eila’s.”

It was miserable attending the academy under the weight of so much ridicule.

Her family’s reaction was even worse.

The more they had expected from Rosia, the deeper their disappointment now seemed.

“What were you thinking?”

Kallios’s voice was icy cold.

“Even if Eila was cast out from the family, surely you knew that while she was at the academy, we were still responsible for her?”

“F-Father…!”

“Bringing shame to our name over something like this… I’m utterly disappointed in you. What do you think people will say now? That you’re a pathetic noble daughter jealous of a fake.”

Finishing his scolding, Kallios tried to calm his irritation by sipping tea.

But his expression grew colder as the cup touched his lips.

The Duke scowled down at the tea and muttered,

“This tea is awful. How is it your ability to manage the household hasn’t improved at all?”

“……”

“Don’t do anything reckless for the time being. You’re to stay in your room and reflect during the break!”

Seeing Kallios revert so coldly left Rosia feeling a deep ache.

His icy face, his cynical tone, and the gaze that treated her like something useless—she had never seen this side of him before.

It was clear the emotional manipulation magic had worn off and the Duke had returned to his usual self.

He was a man who valued the family’s honor more than its members.

And yet, Rosia felt nothing but injustice.

‘It’s not my fault the household was mismanaged.’

She had heard that Eila, for years, had handled all matters of the Blanche family in place of the sick Duchess.

But Rosia had only recently joined the family and had received no proper handover.

Irene merely stood by, watching her struggles without a word.

‘How was I supposed to manage everything on my own like that?’

‘If I had come out as top student, would they still be this angry with me?’

What once seemed like a comfortable, luxurious position as Blanche’s daughter now revealed itself to be a role filled with responsibility.

And falling short of those expectations felt like slowly bleeding out.

Zerat’s response was no different—cold and distant.

“Even if Eila did something wrong, did you really have to give testimony that worked against her?”

“Brother, but…”

“Were you that upset about losing the top spot to her? Upset enough to snitch behind her back like a coward?”

Recalling his harsh tone, Rosia bit her lip in humiliation.

‘This is all Cedric’s fault. He must’ve told them about me.’

He was the one who had witnessed her slapping Eila.

But he never brought it up in front of her—he just ignored her completely.

Irene treated her like she didn’t even exist.

It was a sign that her magic was beginning to lose its effect.

‘I only wanted to push Eila into a corner, but I never thought things would spiral like this.’

At this rate, being expelled from the Blanche household was only a matter of time.

‘I have to do something… I can’t just sit back and take it.’

Just as she nervously bit her nails, someone stopped in front of her where she sat alone in the classroom.

“Rosia, can I sit with you?”

Recognizing the familiar voice, Rosia quickly wiped the conflicted expression from her face and forced a smile.

“Freya…”

The only comforting thought was that Freya was still on her side.

Even if the other academy students mocked her, Freya seemed completely unaffected, speaking to her without hesitation.

“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”

Rosia’s answer brought a satisfied smile to Freya’s face.

But the smile flickered by so quickly that Rosia didn’t catch the hint of something hidden beneath it.

Freya leaned closer and spoke in a whisper.

“You look really down. Is it because of all the rumors? Are you okay?”

“…Not really, but what can I do? I brought this on myself by being reckless.”

“But I heard even the professors mistook it for a monster egg, right? You acted according to your conscience. You should be praised, not blamed!”

Freya’s tone rose in indignation, as if it had happened to her.

“So don’t lose confidence. This isn’t your fault. The others will stop talking soon enough.”

Rosia was momentarily moved by her enthusiastic support.

“Thanks, Freya. You’re such a good friend.”

Freya smiled again, but her face soon turned serious.

“By the way… did you hear the rumor?”

“About what?”

“Well… they say whoever wins the favor of the Black Dragon will become the next emperor.”

Rosia’s face hardened with distaste.

“That kind of rumor’s going around?”

“Yeah. There’s an old legend that the one chosen by the Black Dragon will be the next emperor. But Eila isn’t of royal blood.”

Freya scowled in dissatisfaction.

She had recently attended a tea party where Eila had suddenly become the center of attention.

“A commoner being the Black Dragon’s master—how ridiculous.”

“Right? And not just any commoner. She’s the fake daughter who was thrown out of the Blanche family.”

“She has commoner blood. How is this even possible? Maybe Eila is the real daughter.”

“No way. They even did a blood test. Still, it’s not a bad idea to get close to her. Even the reclusive Mage Tower has shown interest.”

All of them were influential nobles aligned with the First Prince.

“…Maybe that’s why both the Empress and the Crown Princess seem desperate to win her over.”

Freya bit her lip to steady her emotions.

“As you know, my goal was always to marry Prince Darian. But if Her Majesty takes this chance to make Eila the Crown Princess…”

Hearing this, Rosia’s face went cold.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Suppressing her rising anger, Rosia tried her best to console Freya.

“Eila’s just a commoner who happens to be the Black Dragon’s master. The Empress wouldn’t make such a poor decision.”

“Thanks… I think so too. But Prince Darian may think differently. He values talent above all else.”

Freya dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

“Even at the last ball, he showed unusual interest in her. Just thinking about it keeps me up at night.”

“Freya…”

Rosia looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

Freya gave a sad smile, then glanced around.

Luckily, the lecture hadn’t started yet, and the classroom was still noisy.

She met Rosia’s eyes again and whispered,

“That’s why, Rosia… Could you help me?”

“Help you?”

“Yeah. The academy’s monster subjugation festival is coming up in a few months, right?”

Freya smiled mysteriously and leaned in even closer.

As she whispered, Rosia’s eyes slowly widened.

After finishing, Freya gave her a playful smile.

“You remember how I helped you before, right? Now it’s your turn to help me.”

The look in her eyes said she was sure Rosia wouldn’t dare refuse.