Anything But Study - Chapter 5

It might have been a coincidence, but it stuck in her mind.

Could it be that he had known this assignment would come up and borrowed that book in advance?

‘No, impossible.’

Melia shook off the stray thought. There was no reason for that. He was an Alfred.

The assignment wasn’t due until next week, so there was plenty of time.

And in the first place, there was no book Hailon Alfred couldn’t obtain if he wanted to.

‘It must just be a coincidence.’

She was sure it was nothing more than her irrational thoughts, brought on by the fluster of encountering him earlier today.

Letting out a small laugh at herself, Melia quickly turned her thoughts elsewhere.

‘What kind of relic will the assignment be about?’

She was already looking forward to the camp. In her mind, the branches of how she might approach the preliminary assignment spread in many directions.

She thought it might be good to check out some related books during her library shift later that afternoon.

Melia was happy to feel her scholarly passion ignite again after so long.

She had grown to dislike herself lately, unable to focus on studying because of all the complicated thoughts in her mind.

But when she had first heard about the camp, how had she felt?

It was as though she had gone back to that pure time when she dreamed of entering the academy, and the happiness of that feeling lingered.

‘Then for all three days of camp, I’ll be researching…’

Ah.

Three days?

Melia’s face hardened at once.

A realistic problem she had momentarily forgotten flashed back into her mind.

‘Then what about Ervan?’

If she left home, her sick younger brother Ervan would be alone.

Could she really do that?

No, of course not. The fleeting thought was immediately denied.

Not once had Melia ever left Ervan’s side.

‘But if I don’t go to this camp, then my archaeology grade…’

The professor’s warning that those who did not attend would receive the lowest grade echoed in her head. Wouldn’t that damage her goal of graduating top of the class?

Lies. Another voice inside her rose up suddenly, accusing her.

Grades were only an excuse.

Melia had never once lost her top spot. Even if she failed this course, it would hardly affect her standing.

‘You just want to go to camp.’

Melia admitted it quickly. The honest truth was that she simply wanted to go. She wanted to justify it somehow, but that was all it was.

‘But I can’t leave home for three whole days.’

Carrying the weight of this realistic problem, Melia went home and sighed as she looked at her sleeping brother’s face.

Ervan’s condition could hardly be called improved. How could she think of leaving him alone like this?

‘No, it’s impossible.’

Then was there anyone who could take care of him during her absence?

No matter how much she thought about it, not a single person came to mind.

Her greedy uncle would never care for Ervan.

If she contacted him, he would only take the chance to push her again toward becoming the bride of that old noble.

He was sure to bring it up again anyway in just a few days. She had no intention of summoning him sooner.

‘There really is no one.’

The reality hit her all at once. She was in a position where she couldn’t even ask for such help.

‘I’ll have to give up the camp.’

The decision came quickly.

Ervan was far more precious to her than her own desires.

But…

Tears welled up suddenly.

Melia felt as though something had burst from her chest.

In truth, she really wanted to go. Archaeology was the only thing she loved.

When she immersed herself in ancient scripts and relics, it felt like an escape from reality.

‘No, stop thinking like this.’

Melia forced back the tears threatening to spill. If Ervan saw them, it would be terrible.

She pressed her feelings down hard.

“…Sister, is something wrong?”

At some point, Ervan had opened his eyes and called her, his face full of concern.

“Huh? No. I just have a difficult subject, so I was worrying about an assignment.”

Melia bit the inside of her cheek and pushed away the sadness. She forced a smile.

She could never tell Ervan the truth. If he knew she had given up the camp because of him, it would torment him.

He already apologized to her every day, saying he was sorry for being a burden. She didn’t want to give him more guilt.

“If even you’re worrying, it must be a really tough subject.”

Melia felt a pang in her heart.

A tough subject. Yes, her life was far too tough. She couldn’t see how to solve the assignment of how to live it well.

But she had to endure again today.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it more.”

Melia stood up, putting on a brave face.

“Aren’t you hungry? I’ll make something simple. Wait just a bit.”

Just as she was about to leave the room—

“Thanks, Sister… huh—gghhk!”

“Ervan??”

A harsh gasp dug into her ears. Ervan’s strangled breaths, as if his throat were closing.

“Kuuhk, hhhk!”

She saw his face flushed red, clutching his throat as he struggled to breathe.

“Ervan, Ervan!!”

Melia’s scream, filled with despair, rang through the house.

***

Fortunately, Ervan survived.

No, rather than safe, it would be more accurate to say he had barely escaped death this time.

But for Melia, an even greater trial awaited.

“What? Two million Erin?”

It was the cost required for Ervan’s treatment.

“That’s correct. Without payment, we can’t continue the treatment.”

Unlike Melia, who was shocked, the hospital clerk’s mechanical reply came without pause.

Melia had no money. She barely managed to survive on the 2,000 Erin she earned each month.

Where could she possibly find such an enormous sum?

But.

The image of Ervan collapsing replayed vividly in her mind.

Never before had she seen him in such a severe state.

If she left him at home without proper measures, it would be no surprise if he suffered such attacks again and eventually stopped breathing.

He had been lucky to survive this time, but what about the next?

Melia was terrified even by the thought of such a possibility.

Yet the cost of Ervan’s treatment was so great it was shocking.

The small clinics she had occasionally visited for medicine could no longer improve Ervan’s condition, so she had brought him to the Empire’s largest hospital.

‘Two million…’

It was a number Melia had never seen in her life.

No, to be precise, she had seen it in the negative. The debt clinging to her already exceeded 8 million Erin.

Adding it together, it became 10 million.

This crushing weight of money on her shoulders was something she could never hope to prepare.

But if she did not?

Leaving the debt aside, Ervan’s very life would be in danger.

“They’re offering a full ten million Erin. With that, you can pay off the debt and cure Ervan.”

Her uncle’s voice from a few days ago echoed in her head.

There was only one way for her to obtain such a vast amount of money.

To accept her uncle’s proposal and become the concubine of a wealthy, old noble.

Naturally, she would have to quit the academy.

But given the situation, she might even have to be thankful there was at least such an option.

If not for that, she might have to say goodbye to Ervan forever.

Having yielded to reality, Melia no longer shed tears.

Her eyes, dried out like a desert, seemed to reflect the emptiness within her.

‘Yes, I’ve never had happiness.’

Her life had been hard ever since her childhood, growing up in an orphanage.

Becoming an adult had changed nothing.

To wish for happiness was nothing but luxury.

That was the life of Melia Anderson. A thought that left her only in misery.

***

The next morning.

Melia arrived at the academy as always.

But the face of the girl sitting at the library desk, writing something, looked thinner and paler than usual.

Today she had no morning classes.

Her morning librarian shift had just finished as well.

It was already nine o’clock. Her work was over, but Melia could not bring herself to leave the library.

Her feet wouldn’t move.

Because she had to go hand in the withdrawal form that would tear apart the academy diploma she had thought of as her final hope in life.

The withdrawal form in her hand was already filled out, but her grip on it was weak.

Still sitting at the desk, Melia bit down hard on her lips. At that moment, the voices of her classmates leaving the library reached her ears.

“Did you do the archaeology camp preliminary assignment?”

“Not yet. I don’t even have an idea, I’m screwed. I seriously don’t get archaeology at all.”

“Same here. And this time it’s about some relic? What even is that? Why did they make this a required subject?!”

Hearing their complaints, Melia felt bitterness in her mouth.

They were her classmates, yet they could worry only about assignments. She envied them.

The camp they despised so much was the place Melia wanted to go more than anyone.

Just knowing she would get to attend had made her excited and happy.

She had even started planning her approach to the preliminary assignment everyone else dreaded.

But now she had given up even before it began. Not only would she not attend camp, but she would not even return to this library again.

Starting tomorrow, her life would be turned upside down.

Melia slowly took in the sight of the library.

This would be her last time working here.

Tears welled up again. It was heartbreaking. The truth was, she did not want to leave.

But Ervan’s face came back to her mind.

‘…I have to endure.’

Melia shook her head.

Of course, saving Ervan came first.

Letting such feelings rise to the surface would only hurt her more.

Besides, who knew?

She had never even seen the face of the husband she was to marry, but perhaps he would be merciful. Perhaps someday he would allow her to return to the academy.

Clinging to that faint hope, Melia was about to rise from the desk.

Then, suddenly, a large shadow fell across her.

“Book return.”

It was a voice she had heard just yesterday.

“I came to return this.”

Melia slowly raised her head and looked up at the man standing before her.