Chapter 11
“The sky is absolutely amazing~”
Sitting under the high, clear autumn sky, I rubbed my full stomach with satisfaction.
After a hearty meal in the luxurious dining room, spending time relaxing in the garden was pure bliss.
A peaceful, happy feeling naturally made me smile.
And on top of that, I even got him a vacation.
I stretched lazily and then flopped onto the grass. Emotionally, I murmured,
“Look at those clouds…”
Now that my body and mind had relaxed, I finally noticed my surroundings.
Marble pillars supporting the massive crimson roof.
The Tigris family crest hanging everywhere.
And the vast, beautiful garden stretching out before it all.
I yawned lazily, marveling at the mansion’s grandeur.
Even though it was autumn, the sunlight around noon felt pleasantly warm. I murmured excitedly,
“When should I tell Ansen I got him a vacation?”
He would definitely be happy to hear the news—he looked like he desperately needed a break.
I hummed a tune, recalling the conversation I’d had with the Duke in the dining room.
“Surprised, weren’t you?”
It was strange that he had agreed to my request. I had expected him to be stubborn.
He initially acted like he would never agree, but in the end, he gave permission.
Just as I was about to smile proudly, a cool breeze brushed across my forehead.
I lay down under the drifting clouds, closing my eyes, and enjoyed the sunlight pouring down.
Sleepiness crept in slowly. But just as I was about to drift off,
“Oh my, who do we have here?”
A voice suddenly came from above, and I opened my eyes wide.
Under the sunlight, flaming red hair shone brightly.
A girl, about my age, stood with the sun behind her, looking down at me.
She wore a flashy dress and fanned herself with a feathered fan.
A fan?
It must be quite chilly for autumn.
Still lying on the grass, I stared at her and slowly got up.
Her expression was strange—more than strange, it was chilling.
She smiled as if she were greeting me, but the expression…
“Seems like she’s mocking me.”
And it didn’t take long for my guess to be confirmed.
“Seeing you lying here at this hour, I guess Selenea has completely given up on entering the Academy. Right, Martina?”
She lifted one side of her mouth in a smirk, her expression full of disdain.
Another person emerged from behind.
“Rose… uh, let’s just go.”
“Oh? Why, Martina? Aren’t you happy to see Selenea after so long?”
So their names are Rose and Martina?
I blinked, staring at both of them. Both were unfamiliar; I hadn’t read about them in the novel.
Then Rose snickered. Her purple eyes scanned me up and down with irritating sharpness.
“Selenea. Why so quiet? Embarrassed to run into me while napping?”
I stared at her blankly, saying nothing. Rose continued, taunting me.
“How surprising. I never imagined you could feel embarrassed.”
“R-Rose, stop it, I said let’s just go…”
Martina lightly tugged at Rose’s sleeve, but Rose wasn’t about to stop, clearly enjoying herself.
“Then let me give you a piece of advice. About entering the Academy.”
I ignored her chattering and looked at the anxious Martina beside her.
Martina’s aura was completely different from Rose’s.
While Rose was flashy from head to toe, Martina’s outfit was simple.
Her long purple hair partially covered her face, giving her a darker, more subdued aura.
“Why no answer, Selenea? Don’t you want my advice?”
Rose pressed, clearly trying to provoke me.
“Now’s not the time to be selective about criticism, is it? And it’s me, likely to enter the Academy, offering advice.”
In the end, I changed my plan.
Originally, I intended to ignore her completely, but I realized it would be impossible.
“Who are you?”
I asked flatly. Rose’s face immediately twisted in displeasure as she stared at me.
“…What?”
The smile disappeared from her face. I scanned her with an indifferent expression, trailing off at the end.
“Who are you to be talking to me…?”
Martina’s eyes widened beside her. Rose snapped her fan shut with a sharp “Hah!”
I chuckled.
“You’re not the only one who knows how to annoy people.”
I looked at Rose calmly, though her rude tone had been bothering me for some time.
Even without knowing the full story, it was obvious:
Rose was completely ignoring me.
And with kids like her, the best approach was to treat them the same way they treated others.
For my own peace of mind.
I shrugged and added,
“You don’t know who I am, but you clearly have nothing better to do!”
“Wh-what…?”
Rose’s face flushed crimson.
“Whether it’s me napping or you picking a fight… it’s all the same in my eyes.”
“…!”
“Chattering away to yourself…”
I muttered as if to myself, and Rose snapped sharply.
“Nothing better to do? Do you think I’m the same as you?! I came here to train! The Duke gave me access to the training grounds!”
Ah, so that’s it.
I pieced it together and nodded. These girls were probably preparing for the Academy entrance exams.
But why train at the Tigris estate instead of their own home?
I tilted my head in confusion, but Rose couldn’t hold back and shouted sharply again.
“How dare you compare yourself to me! A powerless person with no manifestation ability!!”
Her purple eyes blazed.
I watched calmly, then sighed deeply and took a step forward.
Rose stiffened. I looked directly at her and said,
“What does that matter?”
“…What?”
“Why does the fact that I don’t have a manifestation ability matter here?”
Rose froze, bewildered. I continued calmly.
“You seem to be mistaken… Even without a manifestation ability, I can kick you out of here.”
“W-what?!”
“This is my house.”
Rose staggered, shocked, then suddenly screamed,
“Are you done talking?!”
I shook my head quickly.
“No? Not yet.”
“W-what…!!”
“Who taught you it’s okay to misbehave in someone else’s house? And where did you pick up such a rude habit of looking down on people?”
Rose stared at me in disbelief, trembling with anger.
“Oh, is that what your fancy manifestation taught you?”
I laughed, wide-eyed. Rose’s face went pale.
I don’t know why Selenea is treated like this, but I won’t tolerate it.
Kids this age don’t know when to stop if you let them. I knew that too well from my previous life.
I’ve suffered through it enough in my past life.
“Hey, Isebin, what’s going on? Did he cheat? How is he number one in class?”
“Right? He grew up in an orphanage, didn’t even attend the academy.”
“Crazy. Then it’s definitely cheating. How could he answer questions that even an 800,000-won tutor couldn’t?”
“Exactly. He must be cheating. Being an orphan, he probably never learned the basics.”
The teasing, the judgmental stares scanning me, the words meant to belittle—everything was vivid.
I had seen this countless times.
Kids this age often wound others without thinking. They never realize their words can tear someone apart.
“They’re young, inexperienced… they just don’t know better.”
Not realizing how cruel that is.
I didn’t avoid Rose’s gaze and said coldly,
“Upset? Then you should have been careful with your words.”
Her face turned not just pale, but blue.
Martina hesitated, stepping closer.
“…R-Rose. Let’s go, okay?”
“Let go!!”
But in the next moment, Martina was forcefully shoved to the ground by Rose.
Rose shouted at her, her eyes bloodshot.
“How dare you touch me, an orphan! Just because you eat and sleep in my family’s house, you think you’re the same as me?!”
Through her messy hair, Martina’s purple eyes trembled.
I watched the scene frozen, letting out a short sigh.
So that’s why their atmospheres are so different.
The situation was slowly settling. I glanced at Martina on the ground with concern.
“An orphan,” the words stung in my ears.
“…What to do about this.”
For a moment, I regretted provoking Rose.
If I had ignored her calmly, Martina wouldn’t have had to hear those harsh words.
Just as I reached out to Martina, Rose spun around, glaring at me fiercely.
“…You watch. I will definitely enter the Academy. But what about you?”
Rose gave a sharp, bitter smile.
“You, a non-manifestor, have nothing. You won’t receive anyone’s love. Even the Duke of Tigris will abandon you when he sees how useless you are!”
“….”
“Of course, it’s already well-known that you’re inferior to others.”
I closed my mouth.
Rose ground her teeth and stomped away, striding off.
