Obsessed with Regressors

Julia Escalee was an ordinary girl. Even if she didn’t think so. She was not high-noble like Eugenie Biscon, nor rich like Viscount Aston, and though she was pretty, she was not as strikingly beautiful as Lauren Leeds. She didn’t even show a brilliant genius in any one field during her academy days, like Elliot Burns. she was just plain

Because of this, people used to remember Julia as the daughter of Sir Escalee, the leader of the Black Wolf Knights. That was quite a privilege for ten-year-old Julia. No matter where she went, she pretended to know her when she said that she was the daughter of Sir Roin Escalee. But 18-year-old Julia was different. She didn’t like that her father was Lord Escalee. Especially when no one asked her to dance at the ball, she thought.

“Still, it’s good that the pathetic guys don’t stick around because your father is Sir Escalee.”

Aida, who was eating a sandwich, said with a frown. She also went to a prom a few days ago. She was a bit better than Julia, but Aida wasn’t too fond of the ball either.

There were three men who invited her to dance, and they were all too old or too nasty. In that respect, Aida envied Julia. At least Julia had a father named the Knight Commander behind her.

“It’s not a problem being a pathetic guy. I will never be able to fall in love like this.”

Julia grumbled as she ate her portion of the omelet. Even in her academy, she was famous. To be precise, she was famous for Sir Escalee. He sometimes gave lessons to the students of the academy, and some of the students of the academy aim to become knights.

“How are you, Lauren? You went to the prom two days ago too.”

Aida asked Lauren, patting her grumbling Julia’s hand. The three of them were close enough to meet and have a meal even during vacation, but like students of Balsian Academy, where all ranks attend, their positions were different. 

Julia had no title or estate, but still belongs to the aristocratic society thanks to her father, who was the second son of a nobleman. Aida was a child from a wealthy merchant family, though not aristocratic. And Lauren, a fallen aristocrat, could not have entered the academy without the help of her guardian.

“Lauren, are you okay?”

Julia asked, realizing that Lauren hadn’t said anything since before. As for the prom, she had done it several times before. Besides, although Lauren was assisted by her guardian, she had more dresses than Julia because that guardian was her distant relative and he was quite spare. So it’s not like she’s in a bad mood because of the prom.

“I’m… ”

Lauren looked down at her own little-touched food. She was a little thinner than before vacation because she had lost her appetite a few days ago and stopped eating.

“I’m thinking of quitting the academy.”

Julia and Aida’s eyes widened at Lauren’s sudden bomb declaration. The two of them looked at each other in silence, then turned her head to Lauren and began to persuade and console her individually.

“Why do you think that?”

“Are you quitting? Why? Perhaps…?”

Maybe her guardians did no longer support her? That was the first thought that came to Aida’s head. If that’s the case, she could solve it. All she had to do was ask her mother to sponsor Lauren. Of course Lauren would say no, but Aida would not let her say no.

What should she say? Lauren shut up to her two friends’ concerns. All night last night she was worried about what she should do, and that was her conclusion.

She would quit the academy.

It occurred to her, exactly, that she should get away fromLord Masterson, who now sponsored her. But she didn’t know how to explain it to her friends. Lauren opened her mouth slowly after a long silence.

“You won’t believe me. It’s okay though.”

Because she couldn’t believe her either.

At Lauren’s words, Aida and Julia’s eyes collided. In front of her two friends, Lauren took a deep breath before continuing her words.

“I had a dream a few days ago.”

* * *

She stayed up late in my bedroom the day after Viscount Aston’s ball, perhaps because she was too nervous to find Julia.

‘Oh my, it’s hard.’ After walking around Viscount Aston’s spacious mansion in her ball shoes, her legs hurt. Without changing her clothes, she sat on a long chair and raised her legs.

It seems to be hot today. A warm wind was already blowing in through the open window. Hot tea on a day like that would be perfect… she suddenly missed Lisa. Should she write a letter asking if she could visit her to play? She was thinking that, but someone knocked on the door and came inside before they could even hear her answer.

“Miss.”

“Ann? What’s going on?”

Ann, who had rushed in, came quickly towards her and she said,

“I think you should go and see. Aston Mansion is in trouble.”

What did that have to do with her? As she was about to ask that question, she remembered what happened last night. The man. He’s the man you’d expect to come down the stairs for a servant. She then told the servant to check upstairs. She hoped that the man she bumped into simply found a place to rendezvous. But it seems that it was not.

She frowned and got up from her seat.

‘Oops, it’s a bridge.’

While frowning at her sore muscles, Ann brought clothes for her. Soon after, she heard the butler approaching from outside and talking.

“My lady, a man from the Viscount Aston has come. He says he has something to ask about last night.”

After changing her clothes, she went down to the parlor and saw her mother sitting in front of the errand boy from the Viscount’s house. As she stood in front of the door and her eyes met hers, she pretended not to lift her palm and said to the errand boy.

“So, what exactly does the Viscount want from my daughter?”

The elderly errand boy was unfazed by her mother’s question. He still spoke politely but confidently.

“Master just wants to talk to Lady Biscon.”

“Then the Viscount would have come in person. If he wants my daughter to go there, I must know exactly what his purpose is.”

He wanted her to go? Why?

She stood still, unable to understand the conversation between her mother and the errand boy. If they wanted to talk to her about a thief, someone from the Viscount’s house would have said they wanted to talk to her. It’s rude to ask her to go otherwise. That’s why her mother was so angry. In the end, after several scuffles, the errand boy said as if he couldn’t help it.

“Actually, the Viscount didn’t send me.”

“I guess so.” said her mother, snorting at him as if she knew it. If she were to be called by the Viscount, he wouldn’t have called her to go. He was acquainted with her father. There’s no way she could think of anything to do with the thieves.

But then who was calling her to go?

She was holding her breath and listening to the story in the drawing room. Since that was her story, rationalizing speaking, that was not eavesdropping.

“I will be honest with you, madam. In fact, last night the Viscount was ambushed and knocked unconscious.”

“What?”

She didn’t know whose mouth it came from. Startled, she shut her mouth, only to realize that “what” was heard very close by. Startled, she turned around and saw Oliver standing right behind her.

“Shh.”

Oliver, as she found herself, quickly put his finger to his lips and pretended to be quiet. What was he saying now? He made the loudest noise. She gave a pitiful glance and cast her gaze back toward the drawing room. Wrong. She saw her mother and the errand boy, who were already inside, staring at them.

It’s all because of Oliver.

She pretended not to see her mother, who gave her a disapproving look, and went inside. In that case, it was best to be bold.

“I heard you came from the Viscount Aston house.”

The errand boy also told her the story as if he didn’t know. Because of what happened yesterday, Viscount Aston wanted to talk with her. So, if possible, the errand boy wanted her to go with him. But when asked what was the matter, he repeated the same story he had told her mother. Viscount Aston lost consciousness in yesterday’s raid.

“Attacked? But who did?”

Oliver, standing next to her, asked after he had decided to follow her in. The errand boy looked at her at Oliver’s question and said,

“I’m asking you to come and check it out.”

“Why Eugenie?”

In response to her mother’s question, the errand boy looked at her mother. At the same time, the events of yesterday flashed into her mind.

“The man.”

She opened her mouth unconsciously. The man who bumped into her. She thought he was simply a thief or someone trying to have a tryst. She explained it to her mother and Oliver, who looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Yesterday at the prom Julia, no, I was looking for something for a while and bumped into a guy.”

Did the man attack Viscount Aston? She wondered if that was the case, so she turned to the errand boy. He said impassively.

“All I have heard is that I must bring Lady Biscon to ask her some questions about the man that attacked the Viscond.”

‘What will we do?’

Her mother’s and her gaze collided. At other times, she would have been angry at the rudeness, but she was concerned that Viscount Aston was unconscious.

She sighed and told her mother.

“I’ll be back.”

Viscount Aston’s house was like a house of mourning. Last night’s glamorous ball seemed like a lie, and she had a hard time managing her expression.

“Eugenie.”

The Viscountess Mary Aston greeted her with her drawn face during the day. How frightened was to know her husband must have been attacked in the middle of her prom. She held her hand and comforted her.

“Are you okay? If there’s anything I can do, just say it.”

“I’m sorry for asking you to come here. Jake is so stubborn…”

As expected, it seems that it was not Viscount Aston and his wife, but their son, Jake Aston, who said she had to go there. While she was saying she was fine, a slightly stern-looking man appeared through the parlor door.

“Eugenie.”

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Translator Note:

My, another one having strange dreams… Do you think she saw Bunrs in thse dreams too?