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Chapter 29
“Professor Lili, haven’t you heard anything separately?”
“Huh?”
“I mean about this charity event.”
Ah.
Lili shook her head lightly. No wonder he came up and spoke first.
“I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“I see, hmm.”
Professor Lanova crossed to the seat where the third-year homeroom teachers were gathered with a strange expression.
“How many is this now?”
Just counting the professors who had slyly approached to ask if she knew anything about this charity event was more than she could count on one hand.
The problem was that she wasn’t in charge…
“That With Tyrenol kid. He’s probably holed up in his office again.”
Lili rolled her eyes and headed to the Glauco Hall. She didn’t forget to leave a note asking any students who might come to her to wait a while, as a courtesy.
Unlike Marquess Hall, where the faculty office is located for convenience of communication during main lessons, Glauco Hall only had the professors’ personal offices. Since Judea itself boasted a huge campus, the distance was not trivial. Therefore, professors usually prepared everything from the faculty office if they had classes.
But With Tyrenol…
‘He hardly ever shows his face in the faculty office.’
Before she knew it, Lili arrived at With Tyrenol’s office and kicked the door open.
“Excuse me. Oh.”
Contrary to her expectations, With wasn’t asleep. He was leaning on his chin, staring intently at the documents on the table.
Only his eyes moved to glance at her, and Lili shrugged and took a seat across from him.
“Please, could you at least show up in the faculty office sometimes?”
As she started scolding him, as if she had to care for every student who came looking for him, With ran a hand over his face. Every time his hair moved up, his high nose bridge appeared and disappeared.
“Are you even listening to what I’m saying?”
Just as a vein was about to pop on Lili’s forehead, With held out several documents in front of her.
“And what is this…?”
It was the Judea charity event proposal.
She fell silent, seeing the reality of the charity event that everyone had been so curious about right in front of her.
The student council, led by the first-ever baronial-born student council president in Judea’s history, had been quietly receiving a lot of attention. Whether it was admiration, jealousy, or just brief curiosity.
As an adult, Lili already knew that overwhelmingly, many eyes were secretly hoping for the student council president’s downfall.
‘It’s flashy at first, but in the end, it’s nothing.’
Most nobles were just waiting for a moment to dismiss the student council president with a shake of the head, saying it’s nothing. Evidence of this was how many people were watching Judea’s charity event closely…
“Talent donation?”
Lili’s voice jumped and then sank.
She immediately looked away from With Tyrenol and turned her attention to the charity event plan.
“This is completely different from previous charity events.”
As Lili read through the proposal, burying her face in the paper, she could hear the annoying voice in the back of her mind. Previously, the performers in charity events led by Johan Deriel were either the students themselves or the beneficiaries supported by their families. In a large family, having one or two sponsored artists or prodigies was normal.
But this charity event was not that simple.
“…So, students will educate commoner children directly for a few days, and then select a child to sponsor? And what’s this talent donation thing?”
Lili stammered at the unfamiliar term but quickly grasped its meaning and touched her chin.
“In short, it’s a project to give new wings to underprivileged neighbors. A chance for life transformation.”
“The problem is, nobles don’t see commoners as neighbors. Even if it says ‘commoners,’ they’re basically lower-class. How many geniuses would actually catch a noble’s eye? I can already imagine protests claiming it’s forced sponsorship.”
With looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lili’s eyes sparkled as she finished reading the proposal.
“I think it’s quite meaningful.”
“For someone like you who loves challenges, it must be an appealing plan.”
“Judea students really need education. Experiencing free interaction with lower-class people within a minimal framework will be good nourishment for them.”
Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she spoke about how this experience could be an opportunity to make the empire a slightly better place.
Judea, 99% composed of nobles, was more authoritarian than anywhere else, emphasizing nobles’ responsibilities and duties. But over time, generations began appearing that leaned more on power and authority than on responsibility. Judea was no different. Students were armed with authoritarian thinking, and such values became widespread.
Particularly, professors were divided into factions. Lili was on the side arguing to discard superficial aristocracy and practice true nobless oblige.
“Being able to meet people who need help directly… it’s a chance to learn real nobless oblige. Judea students need to broaden their perspectives.”
Since it went against the tendencies of mainstream nobles, and considering the student council president’s background, there would be resistance. Yet, Lili hoped this charity event could lay the foundation for a healthy empire.
“I just hope no troublesome things happen.”
“But it’s going to happen anyway, right?”
Recalling With’s face while looking at the documents, Lili was certain. Even if it was troublesome, With Tyrenol would help the student council president.
At Lili’s teasing comment, With tiredly removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. And now, the promising student council president was…
“…….”
“…….”
I was sitting across from someone awkward, sipping coffee I didn’t even like.
“You know…”
I chose my words carefully, worrying about not hurting Aven.
“I never meant to criticize or blame you in the charity meeting. The emotions got heated, but I just shared my thoughts on your opinion.”
Meetings are tricky. Opposing someone’s opinion is often seen as an attack on the proposer. When my opinion is rejected, it feels like I myself am being rejected—as if my opinion is me.
Of course, I didn’t know why Aven’s eyes were watery. I’m not Aven. He didn’t seem weak enough to be hurt just by an opposing opinion, but if he was upset, I wanted to address it.
“So if you were hurt, I’m sorry. I should have spoken more calmly.”
Feeling awkward, I wiped droplets on the glass surface, and Aven slowly spoke.
“It’s okay.”
He glanced at the untouched coffee and lifted his head.
“I just… I’d never thought about it that way before. It felt strange.”
Strange? Does he mean what I said about money back then?
Trying to recall faint memories, Aven shyly smiled. The blush on his soft white cheeks was unbearably cute.
“Oh? Oh… I’m glad it’s okay.”
Flustered by this sudden main-character moment, I stammered. Where’s Lena at this crucial moment?! I needed to bring her here immediately.
“Different… and good. So, about that…”
But Aven didn’t wait for me to bring Lena. He seemed to have discarded all his previous shyness and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
“I… want to know that value you were talking about.”
“Value?”
“You said you want to live protecting a noble value that money can’t corrupt. Then, if I’m by your side, I can understand what it is, right?”
‘Why do you want to do that by my side…?’
I held back the urge to say that should be with Lena. Being with Lena naturally made love overflow and money didn’t matter…
‘Wait a minute.’
Who was it that chased Lena around spending money recklessly? Aven Reuters.
Who ultimately imprisoned Lena with money? Also Aven Reuters.
‘Is he really okay?’
If I let Lena and Aven be together like this, I might prevent the world-ending scenario but not the Lena-imprisonment ending. That was a bad feeling.
Now that I truly accepted Lena as a friend, I had to find a way to make her happy.
Deep in thought, I tapped the table and lifted my head. Aven’s gentle, dog-like face, waiting for the master to move without knowing what I was thinking, made my mouth move on its own.
“Do as you like.”
…Since we’re together in student council activities, he must be observing me carefully.
As soon as permission was given, Aven sprang up, circled the table, and plopped down next to me.
In the instant the distance shrank, I blinked in surprise. Aven rested his head on the table and looked up at me, grinning.
“Thank you.”
Looking at the scattered sky-blue hair on the table, I turned my head sharply in the opposite direction.
“…Thankful, huh.”
I feel like I’m about to get a nosebleed.
