Anything But Study - Chapter 28

Hailon could see straight through his father’s intentions.

If there had been a family that offered even greater benefit, he would have pretended ignorance and forged ties with that family instead.

“Besides, our Alfred family currently enjoys the greatest trust from His Majesty. If we merge with Ribelline, His Majesty would be even more pleased.”

Those words, dressed up with justification as if he were a loyal subject, were all lies.

“Stop lying, Father.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“They’re all excuses. The truth is, you’re afraid.”

“What?”

The Duke of Alfred’s eyes widened.

“You’re afraid His Majesty’s favor will all shift to Ribelline, and you want to keep them in check. Don’t think I can’t see that?”

Afraid of losing the title he’d barely secured as the head of the emperor’s faction.

That was what his father feared.

That was why he intended to reach out first.

And while he was at it, he was surely coveting Ribelline’s enormous wealth as well.

Even though the Alfred family already possessed one of the greatest fortunes in the empire, his father’s greed had no end.

Wealth, power, honor.

What are they worth, really?

“Enough! Just do as you’re told and get engaged.”

“I clearly said I refuse.”

Hailon turned his back at once and placed his hand on the study’s doorknob.

Then he paused for a moment and looked back.

“I won’t do it. The engagement.”

Hailon’s cold voice cut cleanly between them.

“If you keep pushing this, I’ll tear Alfred’s reputation to pieces before that happens.”

Hailon knew this threat would work on the duke.

“W-what! You….”

As if it were the correct answer, his father could only stammer, unable to continue.

“I’ll raise my grades. Enough that it won’t be an embarrassment before I graduate.”

Tap.

When Hailon left the study, his eyes were lowered, as if lost in thought.

What kind of family was this supposed to be?

An engagement? Just hearing the word was unpleasant.

There was no way he would get engaged to a woman he didn’t even remember.

There was only one person Hailon wanted.

“…Melia.”

The name he missed even when he saw her every day drifted into the air and vanished.

Even though he would see her tomorrow, she was someone he wanted to pull into his arms right now.

***

‘My uncle’s been quiet lately.’

Melia suddenly felt how peaceful things had been recently.

She’d spent every day in the library for three years now, but somehow it felt more stable than ever.

It had already been almost a month since the day her uncle tried to sell her off to an old noble.

And lately, her uncle hadn’t come by to pressure her for money.

It seemed he truly believed that Melia could come up with the money this time.

‘Well, I guess he would.’

After all, he’d seen her with the Alfred heir with his own eyes.

Just existing, Hailon was an impressive person.

What made her uneasy was that her uncle’s misunderstanding back then had almost become the truth.

It left her unsettled to think that she really had ended up in an improper relationship with Hailon.

Mixing bodies with him.

Receiving an enormous amount of money from him.

Of course, the reason for receiving the money was tutoring, but….

‘No, it can’t be helped.’

Melia shook her head.

The relic’s effect wasn’t something anyone chose.

It was an accident.

Melia’s gaze shifted to the book lying on the desk.

She recalled Hailon’s voice from when he’d handed it to her.

“Look into it. See if there’s anything in there.”

Even Melia, who had a deep interest in archaeology, had never seen this book before.

It looked extremely difficult to obtain. For him to go to such lengths, it seemed Hailon was genuinely concerned.

Melia opened the book.

Flip-

The sound of pages turning followed, revealing content written in an ancient language.

‘Is there anything in here about a relic that emits a red light?’

For now, she would look.

Hailon wasn’t well-versed in ancient languages, so this was her role.

She could fully understand the feelings with which he’d gone to the trouble of obtaining this book.

No one would want to continue living an uncomfortable life.

Besides, what had happened like this was partly Melia’s fault as well.

‘It’s because of me, so I have to search hard.’

Melia read intently, focusing on finding what she wanted.

After a long while spent concentrating solely on the contents of the book.

‘Ah, this is it.’

Melia found it. A small hint about that relic.

However, the content was far from what Melia had hoped for.

[Nothing has yet been revealed about the duration of the red relic’s effect.

Even its activation conditions are unclear.

Because the effect manifested under different circumstances and across different ranges for each individual.

Even the point at which activation ends cannot be specified. Whether it naturally disappears, or whether it ends when certain conditions are met.]

Melia’s pupils wavered as she read.

‘Nothing has been revealed?’

This was bad.

She’d hoped there would be something, anything.

If this was true, then in the end, all they could do was wait for time to pass or hope the conditions happened to align by chance.

‘What do I do?’

Imagining the disappointment on Hailon’s face darkened Melia’s expression.

Having to tell him there was no solution other than continuing to mix bodies with her.

It didn’t sit well with her.

And yet….

Why?

For some reason.

Part of her felt relieved.

‘…What’s wrong with me?’

Her contradictory feelings were almost laughable.

This was probably because of her feelings toward Hailon.

She needed to press them down.

Each time, the emotions toward him that pushed up like this felt cruel.

‘Get a grip, Melia Anderson.’

She needed to want only what she should want.

She must not hold Hailon Alfred in her heart.

Steadying herself, Melia turned her eyes back to the book, and her gaze landed on the passage below.

[However, one thing is certain. Unlike other relics, this one is a failed product.

It was created for reproduction, yet it has been confirmed that while the relic’s effect is active, it possesses a powerful contraceptive effect.]

In truth, Melia had been worried about this as well.

In the moment of mixing bodies, only impulse ruled her mind, leaving no room to worry about things like this.

What if, by some chance, she ended up carrying Hailon’s child?

That would be disastrous.

It would be a huge problem for Melia, but if she carried the heir of Alfred, then it would become far more than an ordinary matter.

‘…Thank goodness, at least this.’

A sigh of relief escaped her.

In any case, this was all the information the book contained.

Melia had already read through every archaeology book in the library, so there were no more clues to be gained from books.

‘I guess we’ll have to live like this for a while.’

Relief, joy, discomfort, anxiety. Various mixed emotions continued to swirl inside Melia.

***

Erpen’s lunchtime was fairly long. For nobles born into leisure, a long break was only natural.

Erpen’s gardens, beautifully dyed with autumn leaves, were filled with students spending their free time before the next class.

“Ah, why does time pass so fast?”

“An exam already tomorrow. I really wish I’d wake up and it’d be next week already.”

Erpen Academy held a regular exam once every three months, and a lighter, smaller exam once a month.

It was called the monthly exam.

“There are way too many exams to begin with.”

“Exactly. If my grades drop again this time, my parents will be breathing down my neck.”

The students’ voices complaining echoed around.

“But after it’s over, there’s the seasonal party, right?”

“True. It’s already October.”

A clear autumn day had arrived, with a cool breeze brushing pleasantly against the skin.

That also meant that about a week after this exam, around mid-October, a party would be held.

It was a culture unique to Erpen Academy for nobles.

The parties held in the middle of each season served as a way for noble students, exhausted from their studies, to relieve stress.

“I already made a reservation for the dress I’ll wear this time.”

“What? I haven’t yet. I should hurry. Which boutique did you book?”

Chatter rose from all around.

Meanwhile, unlike the relaxed students, Melia was moving quickly even though it was lunchtime.

‘The exam’s tomorrow, so I should hurry and organize the final review materials.’

Her interests were different. She didn’t care about the seasonal party at all. She’d never attended one to begin with.

It wasn’t mandatory, and there was no way Melia had the means to dress up properly for it.

Naturally, all of Melia’s focus was on the exam.

‘I really hope Hailon’s grades go up this time. We worked so hard.’

Both Hailon and Melia had put in effort for about a month.

Because of that, Melia was more worried about Hailon’s grades than her own.