Chapter 24
Cedric probably never imagined things would escalate like this. He had never been in the position of the weak.
Moreover, he likely still saw Roshia as nothing more than a kind, gentle younger sister.
And in truth, this was just the beginning.
‘It’s going to get much worse.’
Eila was certain that if she let this slide, people would gradually cross lines they shouldn’t.
The first step was the hardest—after that, it would only get easier.
As the harassment intensified, nobles would eventually lay hands on her.
And by then, they would realize:
‘Eila is someone we can torment as much as we want.’
Finishing her thoughts, Eila turned a calm gaze toward Roshia.
The moment their eyes met, Roshia flinched dramatically, her voice trembling as she spoke.
“W-why… why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?”
That single sentence made the noble girls nearby stiffen, their eyes immediately sharpening as they glared at Eila.
“What’s her problem?”
“Seriously. Staring at someone out of nowhere like that. Did she forget all her manners after becoming a commoner?”
Amidst the murmurs and sneers, several girls clustered around Roshia protectively.
“Are you okay? That must’ve startled you.”
“Eila’s been acting weird ever since she lost her status.”
Roshia played the perfect victim, lowering her head sorrowfully.
But Eila saw it clearly—the faint tremor at the corner of Roshia’s lips.
‘Seems like she’s enjoying this a little too much.’
A beautiful, pitiful young lady. And the arrogant commoner who didn’t know her place, tormenting her.
Eila remained silent for a long moment, refusing to react to the role they’d assigned her.
She knew all too well:
Giving them the reaction they wanted—screaming, lashing out—would only feed their amusement.
‘How childish.’
Slowly, Eila turned and pulled out a pre-prepared potion from her pocket.
Pretending to rummage through her desk drawer, she discreetly poured the potion over the dead rat inside.
As the liquid seeped into the cold body, its form began to change.
In an instant, it transformed—as if life had been restored—into a single flower.
Eila had prepared several potions in anticipation of such harassment.
Potion for camouflage, potions to create distractions with firework-like bursts, potions to muffle sound—she had them all.
With the problem resolved in seconds, Eila casually pulled out a book and the flower from her drawer, acting as if nothing had happened.
The lack of reaction made some of the students murmur in confusion.
Eila leisurely turned around, scanning the crowd until she found the panicked face among Freya’s group.
“T-this can’t be happening…?”
Her name was Coco Valenciana.
The Valenciana family was merely a barony, so Coco was desperate to curry favor with higher nobles.
‘That’s why she acted so friendly when I was still the Blanche heiress.’
But once Eila became a commoner, Coco had been the first to scorn and ignore her.
Her efforts earned her Freya’s trust, making her Freya’s right-hand woman.
‘And later, she even took pleasure in tormenting me.’
In the original story, Coco had excelled at carrying out Freya’s wishes.
But this time, she had failed from the very first step.
‘Lucky for me, the culprit was her.’
Thanks to that, Eila could ruin Coco’s standing with Freya right from the start.
‘She was told to harass me but failed. Freya won’t be happy.’
Not that Eila cared.
Whatever rift formed between them only worked in her favor.
With a mocking smirk, Eila left for class as if nothing had happened.
The moment Eila left, several students frantically checked her desk drawer.
Freya and Roshia were among them.
After thoroughly searching, the students muttered in disbelief.
“It’s empty? There’s nothing here.”
“Didn’t you say you definitely put it in? No wonder she was so calm.”
As the whispers spread, Freya turned a scrutinizing gaze toward the girl beside her.
“Coco, what’s going on? You were the one who begged to handle this.”
Freya was smiling, but no one present believed it was genuine.
Roshia, too, frowned in displeasure.
Under their suspicious stares, Coco flailed her hands in panic.
“N-no, I swear I put the rat in! Do you know how much I suffered touching that disgusting thing?!”
One of the girls sneered.
“If you really put it in, why is the drawer empty? Did someone steal the rat or something?”
“I—I don’t know!”
“Then there’s only one conclusion. You messed up.”
Cornered, Coco stuttered, glancing nervously at Freya.
Freya’s gaze had turned icy.
Realizing this, Coco was on the verge of losing her mind.
She wanted to chase after Eila and demand answers—where had the rat gone?
But the only person who could explain this absurd situation had already left without a care.
Finally, Freya spoke, her voice dripping with disappointment.
“I’m disappointed, Coco.”
The others echoed her.
“If you couldn’t do it, you shouldn’t have volunteered.”
“A baron’s daughter, trying too hard to climb the ranks.”
Coco seethed with frustration.
The sharp glares meant for Eila were now directed at her.
Clenching her fists, Coco glared at Eila’s desk drawer with bitter resentment.
On her way to class, Eila buried the flower she had taken in a garden bed.
Thanks to her preparations, she had overcome the hurdle more easily than expected.
‘But this isn’t the end.’
Pranks like these were laughable.
If she didn’t secure a powerful ally soon, she would keep facing such humiliation.
She glanced up at the sky.
The faint outline of the moon was visible through the thin clouds.
‘A full moon tonight.’
Blue Moonflower—one of the ingredients needed for the princess’s antidote—could only be gathered under a full moon.
‘I’ll collect the materials tonight.’
She couldn’t delay any longer. The princess would soon return to the academy.
Before then, Eila had to finish the antidote.
Late at night.
Darkness swallowed the last remnants of daylight, and pale moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting long shadows.
Cloaked in black, Eila moved swiftly.
Sneaking out of the academy dormitory wasn’t difficult.
In the original story, Eila had often used hidden paths to escape harassment.
Before long, she reached a deserted clearing near the old academy building at the back of the campus.
Someone was already waiting for her.
“Felix.”
At her quiet call, Felix turned.
His black cloak draped perfectly over his shoulders, his sharp silhouette outlined in the dim moonlight.
For a moment, Eila found herself staring, her breath unconsciously catching.
‘What’s this? We’re wearing similar clothes, but…’
Her gaze flickered down to herself.
‘Why do I look so shabby in comparison?’
Somehow, she suddenly felt far less put-together than usual.
