🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 13
“What?”
“Although the dormitory applications are officially closed, it seems there was a misunderstanding or an unfortunate situation, so we’ll make an exception for you, young lady. After all, we staff are here to help our students.”
She added gently.
“If you submit the application form by today’s deadline—6 PM—we will assign you a room.”
Suddenly offering me kindness like this?
Even a child could tell something was fishy.
However, I couldn’t just stay put while the crowd behind me grew and the commotion escalated.
I reached for the quill on the counter.
“Very well. I’ll fill out the form now.”
“No.”
“What?”
Just as I was about to sign, the woman firmly rejected me.
She took the quill from my hand, its soft feathers brushing past my fingers.
“This is a courtesy I’m extending of my own accord, so you cannot submit a new application that requires the dean’s seal or other official procedures.”
“Then you mean…”
“You said you submitted the form, so it must have been lost by a careless servant or left somewhere in the mansion.”
Snickers broke out as the spectators anticipated what was coming next.
Even Helena’s clear laugh mingled faintly among them.
“Find it, and I’ll give you a room.”
Mrs. Hyden spoke brightly.
What nonsense. Find the document? As if I know where it is.
Besides, this happened two weeks ago. Even if it had fallen somewhere, there’s no way it’s still there.
Though it seemed like a special favor on the surface, it was clearly a setup to humiliate me.
I turned away, unable to stand the mocking faces before me.
And then—I froze.
In the middle of the hall, my luggage still lay open, and even more students than before were whispering and watching the spectacle unfold.
Their chatter and whispers pierced my ears like needles.
It was all too familiar… For a moment, it felt like I’d truly gone back to when I was fourteen. My vision swam.
Suddenly, I didn’t know what to do.
Like a sheep cornered by wolves, I was paralyzed, unable to choose a direction, fearing I’d be torn apart.
I started hallucinating—faces stretching and warping into monstrous forms.
A stabbing pain pulsed at the back of my head like a heartbeat.
My neck stiffened, and my vision blurred.
Like ink spreading in water, everything smeared—except for one sharply visible face.
A man stood just outside the gate of the girls’ dormitory—where men were strictly forbidden—grinning at me.
“Readmore!”
It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head.
The fear that had made me weak evaporated, replaced by rage.
My teeth clenched. When our eyes met, his smile grew even more shameless.
I could guess what had happened.
He must have run into the servant carrying my dormitory application—or waited for him—and stolen it.
And perhaps, not wanting the situation to escalate too far, he let the class registration be delivered normally. How amusing.
“Well, Miss Estelle? If you plan on finding the form, you’d better get going now!”
“Ha ha ha!”
Mrs. Hyden mocked loudly, and the onlookers roared with laughter.
I had to stay calm. Think of a solution.
I clenched and unclenched my fists until my knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, one rough method from my past came to mind.
But…
It was uncertain whether it would work.
If I used it as leverage, I might get a new application and avoid disaster for now.
But if Mrs. Hyden decided to retaliate later—or if the official process raised issues—it could backfire.
Without a proper justification, even blackmail won’t be effective.
But no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t come up with a better plan.
Not getting into the dorm wasn’t the real issue.
If I truly couldn’t stay, I could commute from the Desmier estate, inconvenient as that may be.
This wasn’t the end of the world, nor a soul-crushing trial.
But escaping this scene, with everyone watching, was another matter entirely.
Just imagining myself sitting down to pack my scattered things like some circus clown—or slinking away through the crowd—made my vision burn red.
What should I do? I ground my teeth.
“Huff… Huff… Wait!”
That moment, a voice cried out, gasping for breath.
Everyone, including me, turned to look.
“Young lady! Lady Kalia!”
Pushing through the crowd, breath ragged, came Ayla.
She broke through the mob, calling desperately for me—so desperately that people stepped aside on instinct.
She made it to me, bent over, catching her breath with her hands on her knees.
“Ayla? What are you doing here?”
“This… huff… you… huff… forgot this…!”
Still panting heavily, she proudly held something out.
It was the dormitory application, crumpled but clearly handled with care.
“You… how did you get this?”
Gasps rang out around us. But I was the most shocked of all.
To think she would bring my application—at this moment?
I took the form and checked it thoroughly. It was indeed the one I had written.
“There’s a maid who assists me. Today was cleaning day for the servant quarters. She found this in the trash with your name on it and brought it straight to me.”
Ayla stood tall, proud of her efforts.
I see. I raised my head and glared at Readmore.
Still lingering beyond the dormitory gates with his cronies, he clicked his tongue when our eyes met and finally disappeared.
That bastard—soon enough, I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget.
First, I walked toward Mrs. Hyden.
Step by step, her face grew paler. It was satisfying to see.
Smack!
I slammed the crumpled form on the counter.
My palm stung from the force, but I showed no reaction. I spoke slowly and evenly.
“Mrs. Hyden. I’ve retrieved the form you mentioned.”
“C-Congratulations, Miss Estelle.”
“No more problems now, so as you kindly offered earlier—you’ll assign me a room, yes?”
“…Yes. Of course.”
She bit her lip and flipped through the pages, finally writing my name on the last one.
I tapped my finger next to the field she was filling out.
“The room at the far end of the hallway, please. I don’t want to be disturbed. Oh, and nothing too high up. The second or third floor would be ideal.”
“…Room 310, then.”
She handed me the dorm welcome packet and guidelines. I snatched them away.
Apparently humiliated, she quickly tried to end the conversation.
“Well then, please move your belongings and settle—”
“I will. No need to say it. But Mrs. Hyden, I have one request.”
“…What is it?”
I theatrically pointed to the center of the hall.
“Could you tidy up my things? As you can see, it’s a mess. I don’t feel like touching it myself. Since you were kind enough to offer help, why not go a little further?”
“Excuse me?”
“You said Valentine staff are here to assist students, didn’t you? Please fulfill your duty.”
“Regretfully, Lady Estellia, that is not part of my duties.”
Her face hardened. I leaned over the desk abruptly, placing both hands firmly on the counter.
She flinched at my sudden closeness.
I brought my lips near her ear—just enough for her to hear, but no one else.
“Mrs. Hyden.”
“Yes?”
“Third street southwest of Radiant Square. Past the Blue Hawk Inn, turn right. Fifth house on the right with the green gate.”
The crowd buzzed, not knowing what we were saying.
Only her eyes began to shake. Her voice trembled in horror.
“H-How… how do you know… no, not my children—”
“Two sons and a daughter. The youngest just started walking. I saw her once, chasing butterflies in the yard. Her straw-blonde hair fluttered so sweetly… It would be so sad if she turned to ash.”
Fun fact: when your father is an infamous arsonist, you gain quite a useful reputation.
People really do think I’m insane. And they’re not entirely wrong.
“N-No… no, not my baby…”
I straightened up, victory sweet on my tongue.
“So, Mrs. Hyden?”
There was no need to say more. She stood, shaking, and stepped out from behind the counter—her little fiefdom.
She looked like a defeated lord waving a white flag, or an old hermit crab without its shell.
Why do parents love their children so much?
She trudged to the middle of the hall, where my belongings lay strewn like a battlefield.
She sat down and slowly reached for an ivory shawl that had spilled from my luggage.
After hesitating, she picked it up… neatly folded it… and placed it back in the bag.
