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Chapter 10
All the way to the back of the classroom, persistent gazes followed her.
Sesia didn’t seem bothered at all, as if accustomed to it.
“Hi, Rose.”
The first to greet her was Vanessa.
With an air of elegance, Vanessa welcomed Rose with a pretty smile and pointed to the seat beside her.
“Sit here.”
Before the earlier verbal spat with Camilla, Rose remembered that Hailey had been sitting next to Vanessa.
Now, the student with khaki hair and black eyes, sitting beside Sesia, was Hailey Trevi.
Slide—
“Thanks.”
Rose sat in the seat Vanessa indicated.
Placing her book on the desk and lifting her head, she met the gaze of three pairs of eyes fixed entirely on her.
Feeling awkward under their intense scrutiny, she smiled nervously, and Hailey spoke first.
“I didn’t know there were friends my age in the Blein family! I hadn’t heard anything about it.”
“I’ve always been weak since birth, so I stayed in the mansion. That’s probably why.”
Blushing, she replied. Beside her, Vanessa spoke.
Vanessa’s voice was slightly low, smooth and soft like fine silk. At the same time, there was a subtle chill to it.
“I see. Somehow, I thought everyone would have noticed because you’re so pretty.”
“Thanks for the compliment. Maybe it’s because this is the first time meeting friends like this… I’m a little nervous.”
Rose’s detailed explanation and flushed cheeks made her look quite innocent.
Her bold demeanor from earlier, standing up to Camilla, seemed like a lie.
“It seems a little different from what I imagined.”
“Huh? Different how?”
“The way you confidently spoke to Camilla doesn’t match this image.”
Vanessa’s comment made Rose blush even more.
Fanning her hot face with her hand, she replied:
“I was really trying to control my nerves back then.”
“I see.”
“She was too aggressive, and I froze without realizing it… Did I sound a little stiff? Actually, I ended up crying at the end, so I don’t remember well.”
Saying this made her a bit embarrassed.
Vanessa, observing Rose fanning her face, merely smiled lightly.
The fearless, taunting courage she’d shown against Camilla was nowhere to be seen.
Now, she seemed like a delicate pink cotton candy—just like her first impression.
‘Totally the opposite of Ebony Blein.’
Ebony Blein, with her red hair and green eyes, was sheer brilliance.
Every word she spoke was full of confidence, and she carried herself proudly in front of many people.
When Vanessa first entered as a freshman, she had seen Ebony confidently give a speech as Solia, the representative of Latula.
It had left quite an impression on Vanessa.
‘I thought they’d be even a little similar as sisters, but no.’
No matter how closely Vanessa looked, she saw none of Ebony in Rose.
If Ebony was a striking red rose, Rose was a cute pink tulip.
“By the way, where’s that girl you mentioned, Camilla?”
“Hmm? Camilla?”
“I remember her sitting nearby. Isn’t that right?”
“Oh, her? She’s sitting over there.”
Following Vanessa’s gaze, Rose spotted Camilla.
She was wedged into a corner, sitting silently with her head down.
“I don’t keep people as friends if they say rude things like that.”
Vanessa’s words, though cold to hear, were delivered as if perfectly natural.
Of course, Camilla felt wronged hearing this, but she could only clench her fists and endure it.
Vanessa was, after all, the daughter of the Muniel Duke.
“Vanessa can be quite strict. Right, Sesia?”
“Yeah. She is.”
“I see…”
Rose stammered, unsure how to respond.
Vanessa watched every reaction and word from her carefully—assessing her completely: appearance, personality, demeanor, everything.
“Anyway, from today, I’m going to be friends with you, Rose.”
“Uh… okay?”
“Yes. You.”
Vanessa lightly twirled the tips of Rose’s pink hair, making her look like a rabbit-like, cute little thing.
Rose just stayed still as Vanessa’s long, delicate fingers twisted her hair.
“You’re a Blein, after all.”
If Michel and Ebony Blein remained prominent, the family name carried enormous weight. Within Orode Academy, Rose might even attract more attention than a duchess.
At least, that’s what Vanessa thought.
‘Then I have to keep her close.’
No one here should outshine her. She had to live up to her father’s expectations.
“Hey, Rose. Can I ask you something?”
“Huh? What is it?”
Hailey, who had been quietly listening, took the opportunity to speak as Vanessa and Rose’s conversation paused briefly.
She had been holding back, wanting to join their conversation.
“When the seniors took you out earlier, what did they say? Did they perhaps see us all badly… or anything like that?”
“Oh, they were worried, but I told them I was fine. That was all.”
“You two seemed really close. Were you always like that?”
“Yes. Kind of. I’ve always been overprotected.”
“I see. Actually… I want to join Naidel. So I was really surprised when Michel appeared earlier!”
Rose’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You want to join Naidel, Hailey?”
“Yeah. I’m more interested in swords than dancing.”
Rose, eyes wide, clapped her hands in admiration.
Excited, Hailey continued with a bright face.
“Rose, later can you casually mention to Michel that there’s a junior like me? Our Trevi family is quite famous for swords. He probably knows of us.”
“I haven’t met Michel in a while either. I’ll try to do it.”
While Rose and Hailey were talking, Sesia, who had paid no attention until now, suddenly joined in.
“Can I join too?”
“Huh? You want to enter Naidel too, Sesia?”
“No, not really…”
Sesia wanted the prestigious Latula status. However, she was unusually interested in men, so when Michel was mentioned, her attention naturally turned to him.
Naidel’s Solio.
‘He’s amazing.’
Even though she had a fiancé, Michel was the most famous and attractive man in the academy.
That alone drew her interest.
“Just~”
Covering her mouth with one hand, she lightly tapped Rose’s arm with the other.
It was an extremely cute, playful gesture.
“Okay, got it.”
“Thanks. Hehe.”
Their conversation was far from quiet.
In the otherwise silent classroom, it carried fully to the ears of other students.
Some gazed at Vanessa’s group enviously.
‘As expected.’
Vanessa clearly enjoyed the attention, standing next to Rose.
‘I have to keep her by my side.’
A naïve, timid little noble who had grown up sheltered in a mansion. That’s how Vanessa assessed Rose.
‘If she weren’t a Blein, I wonder how she’d be.’
Without that name, could she confidently say such absurd things? Probably, like Mei Graun, she’d be too timid to speak at all.
Vanessa played with Rose’s hair as if stroking a puppy.
She masked her greed with a gentle smile, more eager than Sesia or Hailey.
‘She’s a little frustrating, but whatever.’
Vanessa was confident.
She could easily have the naïve, timid little rabbit-like Rose completely under her control.
“Rose, I’ll help you adjust to academy life a lot from now on.”
Vanessa leaned close and whispered into her ear.
“Let’s be best friends.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
Rose smiled shyly. She also wanted to get close to Vanessa.
‘She’s perfect.’
Vanessa was exactly the right person: bold, unhesitant, and capable of playing a key role in her plans.
‘I’m counting on you, Vanessa Muniel.’
I’ll part ways with Ebony Blein, and you’ll be my greatest help. It won’t take long.
