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Chapter 80
Marriage could easily be conceded to another woman. However, the person Lionel truly loved had to be Rozia—and only Rozia.
Rozia had seen countless women orbiting around Lionel, yet she had never once felt threatened.
But that woman, Jaelin, was different. From the moment Lionel stepped forward to defend Jaelin in front of everyone, Rozia realized the gravity of the situation.
Lionel was never the type to step up just to help others.
He was an observer, acting solely for his own benefit. A small favor for the sake of his reputation was the extent of Lionel’s generosity toward others. That was the Lionel Rozia knew.
But Lionel had crossed a line he had unknowingly drawn—because of that infuriating woman, Jaelin.
Still, Rozia had her own weapon to claim Lionel.
She wasn’t recklessly throwing herself at him just because she liked him. She was different from the other women who only liked his appearance.
Rozia had known for a long time that she and Lionel were alike.
Only Rozia could understand Lionel’s twisted soul. She was the one destined to accept it.
Now was the time to teach him who she was, why he would inevitably fall in love with her.
Rozia rose from her vanity, put down her brush, and opened the door to the small adjoining room next to her bedroom.
The room, untouched by sunlight, was cool. As she drew back the curtains, the darkness-draped room revealed itself.
She had to find a way to ruin that woman without revealing her own presence. Publicly, she would remain endlessly sweet and kind Rozia.
There could be no clumsy moves—because Lionel was like that too. Just as Lionel maintained a flawless public image, she had to do the same.
Rozia was confident she could subtly steer public opinion in her desired direction. She could secretly shake Jaelin’s standing and destroy the world she lived in.
And at the decisive moment, she would leave a gap for Lionel to see her true self. That was how he would realize it.
Rozia was his kind, a soulmate capable of embracing his very soul, and the one destined to be his fate.
Rozia attached the photograph of Lionel she had brought with her to the wall.
In the photo, Lionel’s expression was remarkably blank. Unlike the warm and kind image he had at the academy, here he looked chillingly cold.
This was Lionel unmasked, his true self.
Rozia narrowed her eyes as she studied the photo.
Behind Lionel’s face, a small image of that woman appeared—Jaelin. It was so tiny and blurred that Rozia only noticed her face belatedly.
Rozia tore out the section with Jaelin and let it fall to the floor. The sharp heel of her shoe crushed the piece mercilessly.
She reattached the photo with only Lionel remaining to the wall.
Crossing her arms and tilting her head, Rozia gazed at his profile, a blush rising across her face.
She pressed her lips slowly against Lionel’s face in the photo, whispering in a wet, sticky voice:
“Wait. For the moment I’ll stand by your side.”
A soft giggle escaped Rozia’s lips.
Lionel—she would surely make him hers. By the time she removed the obstacles and stood next to him, he would see Rozia’s true self. And it would only be natural for him to fall in love with her, confronted with her real self.
Pulling the curtains closed and plunging the room back into darkness, Rozia turned with satisfaction. The moment she stepped out, she transformed back into the sweet, cheerful girl everyone knew.
In the empty room, the curtains fluttered as occasional gusts of wind passed through. Slender beams of light spilled in between the folds, illuminating the walls briefly before fading again.
Every surface touched by the light was filled with photographs of Lionel.
“Jaelin Bryson, who is she?”
“Oh? Jaelin, look! You made the academy bulletin?”
Sasha shook the bulletin in her hand, turning it so others could see, while pointing at the Academy’s “Person of the Month” section.
A large photo of Jaelin was printed on one side—captured in a bright smile.
“What? Let me see.”
Stephan dashed over to grab the paper from Sasha’s hand.
“Let’s dig into this rising prodigy of Pelodian Academy, a talented beauty!”
Reading the subheading aloud, Adrian smirked.
Stephan, stopping to glare at Adrian, said,
“What? Are you mocking Jaelin?”
“When did I?”
“You just laughed!”
“No, I didn’t. Just keep reading the article.”
Curious, Stephan refocused on the article.
“Jaelin Bryson, a genius who appeared like a comet at Pelodian Academy. She skipped three years of coursework to directly enter the fourth year, setting an unprecedented record in magical design. Let’s uncover everything about her past, which was hidden in mystery, and her everyday life at the academy.”
Stephan paused to evaluate the article.
“Oh? That’s surprisingly favorable! Was our academy newspaper really paying such attention to her? Well… she is remarkable.”
“Stop analyzing and read the next part.”
Prompted by Sasha, Stephan continued:
“Investigating her past, the paper uncovered an astonishing fact: Jaelin had a deep connection with Lionel Eduardo, the academy’s darling, even from childhood. Raised at the orphanage with her real parents absent, Jaelin first met Lionel as a playmate while visiting the Eduardo mansion…”
Stephan swallowed hard, wary of Jaelin’s reaction to such a revealing article.
“…Her parents are both gone?”
“Y-yes.”
Stephan shook the newspaper violently, exhaling sharply.
“Do they really need to publish such personal details? They could have just skipped it.”
“It’s okay. It’s not exactly a secret…”
Adrian casually shrugged.
“But at least the orphanage was a home. I’ve even slept on the streets, so it’s not a big deal to me.”
“You… slept on the street? Why?”
Stephan widened his eyes in shock. Adrian didn’t look destitute, so Stephan had assumed he came from a wealthy family—clearly not.
“Because I didn’t have a home, I had to sleep wherever I could.”
“You didn’t have a home…?”
Stephan, who had never worried about money in his life, couldn’t imagine it.
“Not anymore.”
“So that’s why you stayed at the academy during breaks? Then… do you want to stay at my house this vacation? We have plenty of empty rooms.”
Stephan cautiously offered, aware that such an invitation wasn’t trivial, especially learning Adrian had once been homeless.
“It’s not like that. Not having a home was in the past. I have one now.”
Adrian gestured for him to continue.
“Then… whatever.”
It seemed Adrian had become the son of a newly successful family. Satisfied, Stephan returned to reading.
“…Recently, during a magical beast combat simulation, a verification committee was formed to test Jaelin’s abilities. During this, Lionel dramatically saved her from a predicament, revealing their connection to the public. The pair, once master and play companion, continue to interact actively today.”
Stephan, thirsty from reading, sipped water and resumed:
“According to sources, Lionel and Jaelin can be seen together in the control room, training grounds, library, and more—spending even more time together than Nathan and Sasha, who are well-known as Lionel’s closest friends. Could Jaelin Bryson ever rival Sasha Lowell for Lionel’s attention? Her future actions are worth watching.”
“What? Sasha, why are you suddenly reacting? You’re not even in the same class as Jaelin.”
Stephan grumbled, finishing the article. Sasha gave him a look that clearly said, Really? You don’t get it.
Reading the incredulity in Sasha’s eyes, Stephan raised his voice unnecessarily.
“What? Why?”
“Do you think the article meant it that way?”
“If not, then what?”
“Sigh… I don’t want to explain. Anyway, Jaelin’s going to have a hard time for a while.”
“Why? This article is good for her.”
“What’s good about it! With such a big article and photo in the academy bulletin, everyone will recognize her.”
Sasha sighed at Stephan’s indifferent response.
