The central avenue of the Academy was bustling with students who could not overcome their boredom.
The “Returning Home Ceremony” had already happened a week ago. Naturally, all the lectures had long been finished, and since the grades had already been announced, there was no reason for them to remain at the Academy.
Despite that, many students were still left in the Academy.
It was because the aftermath of the recent attack had not yet been concluded.
Currently, individuals dispatched from the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Kingdoms were thoroughly examining the Academy. The fact that the Dark Cult was behind the mobilization of hundreds of monsters was shocking.
They were believed to have vanished thousands of years ago.
Those who followed the Evil God Omelos were notorious for their cruelty. Even the monsters that had attacked the Academy were terrifying results of biological modification.
Moreover, they had not only tampered with the monsters but also with human bodies, and the anger and fear towards the Dark Cult, which had violated human dignity, grew daily.
However, this was only limited to the investigators from various countries.
The students of the Academy had recently overcome a life-threatening crisis, but the impact had begun to fade gradually over time.
The decisive factor was that, while there were many injured, there were few fatalities.
As more and more friends rose from their seats, laughter returned to the Academy. Recently, they had somewhat regained the atmosphere from before the Returning Home Ceremony.
However, amidst such disordered enjoyment, there were those who could not adapt.
A girl walking with a gloomy complexion was a prime example.
The Fifth Imperial Princess of the Empire, Shi-en.
Having entered the Academy less than half a year ago, she was in her prime. At one point, everyone loved and respected the princess.
But the shadow on her face held no trace of past glory.
Instead, even those who were laughing and chatting would occasionally glance at Shi-en with discontented expressions. Whispers brushed past her ears, poking sharply at her heart.
“Did you hear? The Percus Family’s company has collapsed…”
“I know there was some misunderstanding, but didn’t they rush too much? The royal family is indeed scary.”
“I’ve heard that they haven’t seen her smile since then.”
“What good does regretting do after it collapses? There are already jobless people in the Percus territory…”
The nearby town, where they could have gone to have fun, was a mess due to the aftermath of the attack, leaving the students with nothing to do but gather in groups to chat, and all manner of information poured from their mouths.
Among the Academy students, the proportion of nobles was quite high. To survive in social circles, information was essential, so whether they liked it or not, they received numerous pieces of news.
Such rumors had been accepted as facts within the Academy after some processing.
Of course, there were many uncertain pieces of information. For instance, the rumor that “jobless people overflow in the Percus territory” was one of them.
The Percus Family’s company was not particularly large. After all, I-an’s younger sister was still a minor, who would only meet the conditions to enter the Academy next year.
They had only recently ventured into business, so the scale of the capital managed by the company was not significant.
It wasn’t so insignificant that its failure wouldn’t matter. However, the company alone was not at a level that could dictate the future of the Percus territory.
In the first place, the fall of the Percus territory had been planned over multiple stages.
The company was merely the starting point. Following that, ties with neighboring territories would be severed, the movement of goods would begin to decrease, and the Percus territory would suffer from shortages of daily necessities.
As public sentiment soured, the Yuridina Clan’s special operations unit was set to pick a fight.
Then they would have no choice but to muster up troops despite the lack of resources, and in doing so, public sentiment would deteriorate even further, causing the Percus territory to gradually sink into a quagmire.
However, the rest of the plans had been canceled long ago.
To retract this, Shi-en also needed to make some sacrifices. But it was unavoidable. She thought it was the minimum condition to receive forgiveness from I-an.
Still, there was one thing that could not be prevented.
The bankruptcy of the Percus Family’s company and the delay in the order to retract it.
Since receiving that news, Shi-en had not smiled even once.
Instead, she would sometimes stop while walking, trembling. As if unable to bear the overwhelming chill, her gray eyes twitched repeatedly.
What should I do?
She recalled the question that had dominated her mind since the past and lightly bit her thumbnail.
Until now, she thought she could manage to sort things out somehow.
Harassing I-an and bothering those around him was a fatal mistake. However, she still had a chance to be forgiven.
It was because she had not inflicted irreversible damage on them.
Fortunately, the Lady Lupeisia did not seem to have plans to refer I-an to the disciplinary committee. Without Shi-en needing to persuade her, it was enough for her to be the bad one.
Beyond that, there was no need for Shi-en to step forward at all.
Everyone had naturally turned their backs on her. Instead of praising the new hero, I-an, they had pointed to Shi-en as the scapegoat to atone for their sins.
Thus, Shi-en was offered up on the altar of hatred and anger, becoming a blazing sacrifice alone.
Yes, she was willing to do so.
To be honest, it was not without feelings of resentment. To put it bluntly, weren’t they all accomplices? Yet, she could accept it because the greatest sin lay with her.
If only she could restore I-an’s reputation.
Even if childhood nightmares resurfaced and suffocated her, she had finally found the “truth” she had searched for her entire life.
She could endure it with a smile. Tears were enough to flow every night.
She had not yet received forgiveness from those still by I-an’s side.
However, this was also a matter that could be resolved over time. Improving relationships was not something that could be achieved in a short period.
Only the bankruptcy of the company was confusing Shi-en, becoming an irreversible mistake.
With the full support of the royal family, it was possible to create a more prosperous company. However, the connections and trust built over the years were assets that could not be acquired even with substantial investment.
Moreover, how long had they been operating the company?
Who knew how many years it would take to rebuild the company in the future? Time was also an intangible asset. The sense of loss I-an’s younger sister was likely feeling was beyond imagination.
Suffocating, Shi-en tightened her throat and stopped walking.
With a stifled groan, tears welled up in her eyes. The trembling gray pupils showed the state of Shi-en, who had been worn down to the bone.
Memories from her childhood that had burrowed deep in her mind resurfaced again.
The image of her mother tightening her grip around Shi-en’s throat.
Every time this happened, Shi-en had to recall the truth she had painfully realized that day.
Everyone hates me.
Everyone wears a mask of pretense and treats me as such.
Even my mother, who says she loves you, is just like everyone else.
It was a truth that was too cruel for a girl who hadn’t even turned a few years old. And it remained the same now, even as she had just become an adult.
The gray pupils split down the middle in a grotesque manner. Between gasps, she heard the whispers of those around her. And even the faint malice that oozed from them.
Shi-en’s body convulsed like a fish with a knife lodged in its spine, and then she staggered back. To an observer, it appeared as if she had suddenly become dizzy.
In such an undeniably unstable state, the expression of those around her shifted as they watched her closely.
Not long after, a female student cautiously approached Shi-en. With a worried voice, she asked.
“…Um, Your Highness? Are you alright?”
However, the female student soon had no choice but to draw in a breath, freezing in place.
It was because Shi-en’s gray pupils were split open like those of a reptile. A strange pressure caused cold sweat to bead on the female student’s forehead.
Seeing the surreal sight, the female student quickly shook herself awake and rubbed her eyes.
Only then did Shi-en’s eyes return to their original state. The princess said nothing for a moment and merely offered a pitiful smile.
“Yes, I’m fine… I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
There was a subtle sense of distance in her tone, prompting the female student to awkwardly smile and step back.
And Shi-en wobbled away, heading somewhere.
After watching her retreat for a while, the female student quickly rejoined her group and began to gossip about Shi-en.
“Ugh, so rude. Just because she’s royalty?”
“Tsk tsk, what concern does she have? The princess has people around her to serve her, whether she faints or collapses.”
So the female student didn’t realize.
That the gaze of Shi-en, walking with her head down, was chillingly cold.
With a grinding noise of her teeth, a feeling of resentment resonated. A hint of malice flickered in the gray eyes of the woman, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Shi-en thought once more.
Indeed, they were all “fakes”.
There was only one “real” thing.
The princess wanted to possess that “real.”
