Anything But Study - Chapter 12

***

A few days passed like that. Hailon had been keeping up with the archaeology lessons quite well.

“Then I’ll get going. See you tomorrow at the camp.”

Melia waved to Hailon before heading home.

It was the same farewell they’d exchanged for several days now. The only difference was that tomorrow wasn’t just another lesson, but the day of the archaeology camp.

Hailon didn’t say “see you tomorrow,” but simply waved lightly at her.

Then he watched her back as she walked away.

Until she completely disappeared from sight.

When Melia was no longer visible, Hailon lowered his gaze to his left hand.

In it, he held Melia’s hairpin.

The one she used every day to tuck her hair behind her ear.

He could’ve returned it just moments ago, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood still, clutching it tightly in his hand.

‘Should I go?’

Hailon began walking slowly down the same path Melia had taken.

As if his destination were Melia herself.

Then, as though remembering something unpleasant, his expression darkened.

‘That guy from earlier, the one borrowing books.’

The way he’d looked at Melia had been disgustingly impure.

He’d been coming every day for the past few days.

Anyone could tell his real reason for coming wasn’t the books. Anyone but Melia.

His face was flushed, his eyes dripping with lust as he stared at her, and yet she smiled back, not realizing a thing.

It made Hailon’s mood twist in irritation.

‘There are too many pests around her.’

Those trash bastards trying to use relics for their own ends, and now vermin like him constantly hovering around.

And marriage?

What was that ridiculous reason she wrote on her withdrawal form?

It made it impossible for him to just sit back and watch.

He’d been with her every day these past few days.

Melia hadn’t shown any sign of distress, but Hailon needed to know what she was hiding beneath the surface.

***

Meanwhile, Melia had grown used to her routine of going home after lessons with him.

Though no matter how many times she taught him the ancient letters, she never quite got used to it.

Every time her hands brushed against his warm ones, it felt like heat rushed all the way to her face.

‘Still, it went pretty well.’

Hailon was different from what she had expected.

She had thought he’d be the kind of man who arrogantly lorded over others.

Melia revised her opinion of Hailon Alfred.

Perhaps he wasn’t what he seemed on the surface.

Most students of noble birth, especially those from count families, walked around acting like they were superior beings.

But him? He was a duke. Even carried imperial blood.

Yet after spending several days with him, he wasn’t like that at all.

There had been a few heart-stopping moments, of course, but she figured that once she got used to his face, she’d be fine.

‘I was just startled when he suddenly leaned in.’

Even today, he’d suddenly pressed close, saying he couldn’t understand a certain part.

Remembering that moment made her face flare red again. It had been embarrassing, but not entirely unpleasant.

‘Ugh, stop thinking about it.’

Flustered, Melia soon realized she’d arrived home.

But then,

“Melia, I’ve been waiting.”

Someone she didn’t want to see was standing there.

Her uncle.

The moment she saw him, the light feeling she’d had moments ago plummeted to the ground.

His face made her sick.

“So, have you thought it over?”

Her uncle smirked, as if certain she would agree to his proposal.

It made her tremble with disgust.

If not for Hailon, she probably would’ve been forced to say yes, to marry, even if it meant crying herself through it.

But Melia now was different.

Her answer was already decided. It wouldn’t change.

“I’m not getting married.”

There was no longer any reason to accept her uncle’s offer, even by force.

“Heh, you’ve lost your mind.”

When he didn’t get the answer he wanted, her uncle’s face twisted in anger.

“So you’re saying you want to be a murderer who kills your own brother?”

Why would Melia become a murderer if she didn’t marry? There was no logic in that nonsense.

Her uncle still didn’t seem to know.

That Ervan was receiving proper treatment at a good facility.

Melia spoke again, making her refusal clear, “I’ll take care of Ervan myself, so stay out of it. I told you, I’m not getting married.”

“What? How the hell are you going to take care of that crippled brother of yours?”

Her uncle’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Wait, don’t tell me….”

But there was no way he could guess the truth.

“Did you sell yourself or something?”

“What? What are you even—”

He was the type of man who saw everything through filth. Melia was dumbfounded.

Even if he didn’t think of her as family and only saw her as a tool to collect debt, accusing her of selling her body crossed a line.

But her uncle was clearly being serious.

That made it all the more revolting.

And then he said, “Ha. Well, the Count’s a generous man. If I explain things properly, I’m sure he’ll understand. I’ll just say you’ve been used, and maybe we can lower the price a little.”

It was exactly what one would expect from an uncle who’d tried to sell his niece.

“But since you’re still young, I can probably get at least eight million Erin.”

Even now, he was clearly thinking about how to squeeze money out of her, determined to get every last coin he thought he was owed.

It was absurd to hear him call her young.

When he first pressured her into marriage, he’d said it was about time she got married, but now he was saying she was still young.

And before, he’d claimed she had to get married to cure her brother.

But now, he didn’t even mention Ervan.

“Once you marry the Count, act sweet and ask him to heal your brother.”

And the words he added after that were disgusting enough to make her stomach turn.

“If you learn a few bedroom tricks, he’ll be satisfied and gracious enough to help.”

It was hard to believe such vile words could come from another human being.

Melia couldn’t even laugh anymore.

“I said no. I’m not going.”

Her voice came out firm. She knew he couldn’t force her into marriage.

So he was trying to use Ervan again as leverage to corner her.

“What? Then what about my money!”

Her uncle’s face flushed with rage. He’d already decided he’d collect that money one way or another, and her refusal only infuriated him further.

“There’s a chance to double it right now!”

Maybe he’d planned to invest the money somewhere after getting it, as he ranted on and on about things only he understood.

“Then are you gonna pay it back double? Huh? You think you can toy with an adult, you brat?”

Melia had never toyed with him. He was just convinced she’d end up being sold to the Count.

As always, he twisted everything to suit himself, and when his anger peaked, his hand rose again.

“…!”

Melia flinched.

But she quickly clenched her fists tight and steadied her legs so her body wouldn’t move.

She was scared, but she decided she’d just take the hit.

Trying to dodge would only make him angrier, and then he’d start kicking. It was better to take one blow and end it.

She could already feel the sting of a slap burning across her cheek in her mind, just like last time. Bracing herself, she squeezed her eyes shut.

But then,

Thud—

“What the hell are you doing?”

There was no pain. No sound of a strike. No kick.

Instead, what she heard was a low, deep voice.

The voice sounded more than angry; it was seething with fury.

And Melia knew that voice.

“H-Hailon?”

Why is he here?

Her house was quite far from Erpen Academy.

Even farther from the Duke Alfred estate.

There was no reason, no way, he could’ve been passing by here by chance.

But right now wasn’t the time to ask why he was here.

Hailon’s eyes were terrifying, so cold they were almost murderous. If a gaze alone could kill, it would’ve looked exactly like that.

“L-let me go!”

Her uncle flailed wildly, trying to yank his arm free from Hailon’s grasp.

But the hand gripping his arm didn’t budge an inch.

Her uncle’s face turned red and blue with panic as he shouted at him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You brat, you think you can….”

But his voice began to fade.

Because his eyes had shifted to the carriage behind Hailon, the one he seemed to have arrived in.