Clenched fists flash, and popcorn fills the sky.
Beaten by unseen force, the students of the art department gripped their mouths in mild pain, only to let out screams.
“Grru…!!”
As I watched them bleed from their mouths and tear up like little boys, I lightly smiled.
“Don’t worry. It’s free.”
“Groaning, you, girl-! How dare you think you’ll get away with this!”
“Oh, speaks well. Missing a few teeth doesn’t seem to be a problem.”
“You psycho…!”
The guy named Murdoch didn’t even bother to pick up his teeth and started running away swiftly. The other students who had followed him and ended up needing dental implants also fled in madness.
Watching those who didn’t even take their teeth, I tilted my head wondering if it was because they didn’t need them in this fantasy world.
‘Ah, it got wet.’
I tried not to touch much, but saliva inevitably smeared when hitting mouths. Along with spit, blood clots from their beatings stuck to the back of my hand.
Shaking my hand in the air didn’t help; the sticky mess wouldn’t come off. I frowned slightly as I stared at the back of my hand.
“Here.”
“Ah, thank you.”
As I frowned, Aria standing behind me cautiously offered her handkerchief. Wiping off the blood clots with her handkerchief made it somewhat bearable.
Still feeling gross, I needed to scrub it clean as soon as I got to the dormitory.
“Those guys, what’s with them?”
“Fellow department students.”
“Is it okay for fellow department students to act like that?”
“Nobles looking down on commoners is natural, isn’t it? Isn’t it the same in the Knight Department?”
“Not to this extent.”
Recalling the recent terrorist incident at the Academy, where some commoner students from the Knight Department were involved, I couldn’t confidently say such things didn’t happen there.
Maybe it’s just because I’m a noble and don’t know about it, but discrimination being non-existent is realistically impossible.
However, discrimination exists to an extent; they don’t blatantly harm others just because they’re commoners.
‘They’d get whipped by the instructor first for such un-knightly behavior.’
Rather, they don’t stop beating someone during practice just because they’re a commoner. For knights, lacking skill itself is a sin.
But the Art Department seems different.
“Shall we walk?”
“Yeah.”
Aria said so and started walking ahead. Humming while walking with her hands behind her back, she casually talked about the troublemakers in the Art Department.
“The Art Department—just hearing the name makes it sound like it’s full of beautiful, artistic people… but actually, those doing art are the most temperamental.”
“Really?”
“Just look at me. Where else would you find a commoner asking a noble to be friends at first meeting? If that happened outside, I’d have been beheaded immediately. Oh, maybe since I’m pretty, I’d have become a plaything?”
She chuckled as she spoke. Watching her, I thought she was right; it would be a waste to execute her so easily.
If a noble had the power over life and death concerning her? Even without it, there was a high chance of framing her to make her a slave.
“Anyway, most of them are temperamental… and art requires a lot of money. So most of them are nobles. Nobles who enjoy ranking, ones who claim to have blue blood.”
And amidst such nobles stood Aria, isolated. The Academy protected her to some extent, but simultaneously, being a commoner tightened its grip around her neck.
Only then did I understand why she had clung to me from our first meeting. A noble who is kind to commoners. She must have wanted to entrust herself to someone as unbelievable as me.
“Aria.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you like singing?”
“I do. If I hated singing, how could I survive here?”
“That’s good. I like your singing too.”
“Eh, eh? …Since when?”
“Since I first heard it?”
At my words, Aria began twisting her head in embarrassment. Of course, being praised right in front of her would be embarrassing.
But I was sincere. Her singing was sweet enough to want to hear over and over again.
“You liking to sing is fortunate.”
“Uh, uh-huh. Thank you.”
“I’ll solve your problem.”
“How? You’re a noble, but so are the others. Just handling today’s fan issues…”
“Don’t worry. There’s always a way.”
Before long, we arrived in front of the dormitory. I sent Aria inside and turned my steps. It was time to visit an old friend.
The sleeping dragon in the Art Department.
Far away, Kail disappeared. Aria gazed at his retreating figure and carefully headed towards her dormitory.
In front of her door lay used contraceptives and kitchen waste. Receiving flirtations from noble men and jealousy from women, she was the public enemy of the Art Department.
Aria sighed and asked the cleaning staff to clean up before entering her room. Thankfully, the inside remained untouched and clean.
‘So tiresome.’
She loved singing, which was why she entered the Academy. She had talent and the skill to enter the Academy.
However, the Academy was more sinister and treacherous than she imagined. Surviving as a commoner among mostly noble students was as perilous as a prostitute adorned with expensive jewelry walking alone through slums.
Most nobles despised and tormented her, except for one noble. Kail Meyer, the only noble who didn’t change his attitude upon learning she was a commoner.
‘Kail, Kail…’
Hugging her pillow tightly and recalling today’s events, she shivered.
His figure protecting her from those cursed nobles, not caring about dirtying his own body or honor as he swung his fists.
What woman wouldn’t feel her heart race at such a sight?
“All nobles are trash, but you, Kail, are the exception.”
Thinking so, she drifted into bed, imagining how he would solve her problems.
The next day, Kail brought a solution beyond her imagination.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Bellion Diaros.”
“Eh… Your Highness?”
“Inside the Academy, everyone is equal, right? Just call me Bellion.”
The third prince, Bellion Diaros, had come to see her.
Aria looked at Bellion with slightly trembling eyes, then nodded and composed herself.
“Did Kail send you?”
“Yes, Kail asked me.”
“…I’ll count on you from now on, Bellion.”
“Likewise, Aria.”
The situation where a mere commoner befriended a prince left most nobles baffled, though none dared confront Bellion directly.
Moreover, harassment towards Aria diminished. Insulting or throwing trash at a commoner seen with the prince risked charges of royal disrespect.
None wanted to take that risk. Naturally, harassment against Aria lessened.
Aria hadn’t expected Kail to truly resolve the bullying. Though a noble, he wasn’t particularly famous or politically powerful.
‘Indeed, Kail…’
Yet, her judgment seemed wrong. Smiling widely, Aria prepared for the upcoming cultural festival. Still alone except for Bellion, still ostracized—but the absence of harassment provided sufficient mental and physical relief.
After some time passed, Bellion naturally distanced himself, deeming it enough.
Simultaneously, the nobles resumed tormenting her. Subtle, hard-to-discipline harassment.
“Sigh.”
Only then did she realize. Her thoughts weren’t wrong.
All nobles are trash. They deserve to die.
Thus, the cultural festival begins.
***
After the exams, time flew insanely fast.
During that time, I crossed swords with club members, went on dates with Yuri, explored the Academy with Sera, and trained with Arthur.
Aria was rarely seen due to cultural festival preparations. Later, Bellion mentioned solving most of her issues, so it didn’t concern me much.
‘This is bad.’
In a few days, the cultural festival starts. I pondered with a serious expression. Seeing me, Arthur tilted his head curiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well… the cultural festival is coming up soon, right?”
“Yeah?”
“What if Aria sings too well?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean, right now she’s my secret genius singer, but if she gains popularity at the festival, she’ll become a famous singer known by all.”
Of course, I wanted many students to appreciate her singing, but selfishly, I wished to keep her talent to myself.
Hearing my dilemma, Arthur burst into a hollow laugh and spoke.
“Kail, do you know what people like you are called?”
“What?”
“Hipster.”
“…Ah.”
