Chapter 27

27. Too Harsh for Her (3)

Lucas rested his chin in his hand as he gazed out the window.

The lunch bell had rung, yet their lecture wasn’t over, leaving them stuck here despite it being lunch time.

Annoyance boiled within Lucas as he absentmindedly stared outside, wondering when this class would finally end.

In the middle of this, a familiar figure heading toward the cafeteria next to the lecture building caught his eye.

A woman walking with her empty sleeves billowing and her long black hair flowing in the breeze.

Seeing this, Lucas curled the corners of his lips upward in a sardonic smile.

‘Isn’t that Karla?’

Lucas and Karla had not gotten along well, or rather, he didn’t get along well with Carl, as he originally knew her to be.

Though the heads of the Cascata family and the Shaiskeil family had a decent relationship, for some reason the eldest sons were not close at all, and perhaps it was inevitable.

Carl was literally the embodiment of pride but also had talent and was diligent in refining himself, whereas Lucas relied on the Shaiskeil name.

Carl detested him, seeing him as trash who did nothing, relying on the family’s prestige, while Lucas saw Carl as a hypocrite hiding his true self under the guise of effort.

Then Carl reverted to her true form, lost an arm shortly after, and soon after that incident, the Shaiskeil family received a proposal suggesting Lucas might be a suitable husband for Karla, which made Lucas couldn’t help but celebrate upon hearing it.

‘I wonder what kind of cries that haughty woman makes in bed…’

After all, women were meant to exist for their husbands.

That’s what Lucas believed.

Therefore, the more beautiful, the better.

The more beautiful the wife, the better it reflects on the husband, and Karla was so beautiful that she made people’s eyes widen at first sight.

Besides, Karla was a woman who had brought Lucas great humiliation not long ago, so Lucas was almost going mad with anticipation for the upcoming midterm exam in two months – a tremendous source of vitality amidst this unbearably dull Academy life.

“Alright, that’s all for today’s class. I regret taking away your lunch break, but please enjoy your meal and see you in the afternoon.”

As the Ashirovna instructor in charge of the western division picked up her textbook and left, Kiara approached him.

“Lucas, are you eating?”

“I should.”

Lucas stood up, answering with an uncharacteristically gentle tone.

So gentle yet unsettling that it made Kiara step back in surprise.

“C’mon, it’ll be a very pleasant time.”

…

*

“Let me carry that.”

Before Karla could take her tray in the cafeteria, Ivan snatched it away.

“I can do this.”

Karla tried to take the tray back from Ivan, but it was wobbling so much that anything on it would have spilled if it had anything on it.

“I’ll carry it.”

Unexpectedly, Liam suddenly took the tray from both of them, leaving Karla and Ivan staring up at him.

“Ivan, Regina is looking for you. Karla, let me help. You can have lunch with Emil.”

“Regina?”

“Yeah. Hurry up.”

Liam smiled faintly, pointing behind him. Regina was sitting at a table, her head bowed as if she’d just received her tray. Her face was flushed all the way to her ears, looking like steam might start rising from her cheeks any second.

“Karla…”

“Hurry up, don’t you know how to count people?”

Karla frowned, and Ivan seemed to have no choice but to nod and leave with his tray toward the serving line. Only after that did Liam speak to Karla.

“Let’s help them two out with their love life. Karla, is that okay?”

“…Why are you asking me? If they’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

“A man and two women…inevitably…”

“Stop talking nonsense. Give me the tray.”

What nonsense.

Karla felt an overwhelming urge to kick Liam.

It wouldn’t accomplish anything, and if she lost her balance and fell, it would be even worse.

“Stubborn, Karla. Are you from the north?”

“I’m from the metropolitan area, you bear.”

Still, Liam wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

In fact, he seemed quite approachable…though Ivan’s character might be better.

‘Hmph…’

Karla clicked her tongue and followed Liam, who carried her tray, to the table. Emil was already there, sitting with a heavy gaze on his delicate face as he looked down at his tray.

“Emil. Are you praying or something?”

“Ah…Liam. Oh, Karla…?”

Seeing Karla behind Liam, Emil’s expression noticeably darkened.

“What’s wrong? It’s rude to frown at someone like that.”

Of course, Karla couldn’t miss the cue and frowned back.

“Karla’s scaring him. How about using this opportunity to get closer?”

“Hey, how can you frown like that after just seeing someone…”

“It’s because you look scary.”

“Are you saying something…”

She couldn’t exactly deny it.

Karla knew her appearance was a little intimidating – sharply, coldly so.

“Sorry. Karla, it’s not meant that way…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Treat it as indifference.”

The menu was unnecessarily meat-heavy.

As expected from an Academy that operates under the ethos of eating well to fight well, aiming to cultivate commanders for the magical military corps.

“Here, give it to me. I’ll cut it for you.”

Holding the knife in one hand, Karla was struggling to cut the piece of meat with a squeezing motion. Seeing this, Liam finally pulled her tray over.

“I’m not feeling sorry for you. You need to eat quickly so we can go out and rest, right? I’m helping for that reason, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I’m not misunderstanding. Just hurry up and cut it.”

“There would be no queen like you.”

“What did you say?”

As Liam and Karla bickered, Emil observed them with an awkward smile on his face.

It was a shadowy smile, tinged with some deep gloom – an unsettling, unclean smile.

“…Do you mind?”

Regretfully, Regina asked Ivan.

Ivan, who had been looking at Karla, turned his gaze back to Regina upon her words. Regina pointed at Karla with her finger.

“You can’t stop looking at Karla. Are you that concerned about her?”

“It’s not so much concern as…well, she’s a friend, you know. That’s all.”

“That’s exactly what’s bothering me.”

“Is it?”

Regina quietly cut a piece of meat and gulped it down. Then, having eaten some salad, she hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Ivan…did you not think of me at all during those 10 years?”

“Of you?”

“Yeah. While I was studying abroad.”

“I thought about you a lot. You were my friend. A noble who was very kind to me.”

“But, but Karla was the same, right?”

“True, but at that time Karla was Carlo…and it’s just different from you, isn’t it, Regina?”

Regina couldn’t think of what to say to Ivan’s casual response. As Liam had said, it was just the two of them eating lunch now.

Yet this tense atmosphere was inexplicable.

More frustrating was that she alone felt this tension.

Even more frustrating was that Ivan, far from feeling tense, kept glancing sideways at Karla.

“I…I thought of you a lot while I was studying abroad.”

“Did you? Why?”

“Be-cause…why…”

Because I liked you?

Because I missed you?

However, she couldn’t say it.

Even with this good opportunity of being in the same class now, what if saying something would make things awkward?

What if Ivan distances himself from her?

“Because…we’re friends.”

Stupid, I’m stupid.

I’m such an idiot.

Regina felt like crying.

She didn’t know what to say, how to say it.

Her mind had frozen, cold and hard like ice crystals.

“Friends, right? I thought a lot about you too, Regina. I missed you and thought about writing a letter, but I didn’t know where to send it.”

Hahahe… Ivan laughed, and somehow Regina felt her heart loosen a little.

Alright, the atmosphere is good, so let’s gather just a little more courage.

“Um, Ivan…it’s the weekend tomorrow, right? Are you busy…any plans?”

“Ah, not particularly…”

“Ah, really?!”

A bright, rosy smile bloomed across the young girl’s face.

The youthful flower filled with uncontainable joy blossomed on the girl’s face.

“Um, then…”

“I think I might go to the library with Karla…”

Thud.

A large rock fell in Regina’s heart. The youthful flower that had blossomed was suddenly entrapped in pale ice.

“The…library? Why…?”

“Ah, well…”

And just then, Karla’s voice rang out.

“If you’re planning to pick a fight, I’d rather you just go away, Lucas.”

Her voice was filled with considerable irritation.