HTNSA 48

Chapter 48

Felix wasn’t entirely calm either. But rather than panic, he chose to trust Eila.

She was the kind of person who always prepared for the worst.

At least, that’s what Felix had come to believe from watching her.

And from what Pioni had said, she was the last person to see Eila. The dean and dormitory manager—none of them had witnessed Eila meeting the people claiming to be her parents. Because Eila was now a commoner, no one really cared what happened to her.

So her kidnapping must have occurred here.

‘Even the smallest clue… please…’

Then he saw it.

A flicker of familiar blue caught in the crack between the tiles.

Felix recognized it instantly.

It was a turquoise bead—one of the ones from the bracelet he’d given Eila.

He picked it up and clenched his jaw.

It was a relief to find a lead, but it hurt to think of how desperate she must’ve been to leave it behind.

“I found something,” Felix told Pioni.

“What? What did you find?”

“A turquoise bead, just like the ones from the bracelet I gave Eila.”

Pioni squinted at the object in his hand.

Sure enough, it looked just like one of the stones from the bracelet Eila had recently been wearing.

“Let’s follow them.”

They began following the trail of beads.

They were spaced out at intervals, likely so Eila wouldn’t run out too quickly.

It took a long time to follow the tiny stones.

Eventually, they left the dormitory and reached a dense, grassy thicket.

Felix stopped.

“This is the last one.”

There were no more beads beyond this point.

He infused mana into his senses and searched the area thoroughly—but found nothing.

“I think she used up the rest of the stones here.”

His face set grimly, Felix scanned the surroundings in a frenzy.

‘There’s no sign of where she could’ve gone.’

There was no choice. They’d have to search the entire area now.

There was a forest nearby—perhaps she’d been taken there.

As Felix looked about to dive into the woods recklessly, Pioni stopped him.

“Wait.”

“Pioni?”

“I have an idea.”

She walked slowly through the grass, examining the surroundings.

Eila had always carried various potions with her.

Whenever Pioni asked why, she’d just laugh and change the subject.

Now, she understood. Eila had been preparing for something like this.

But so far, there were no traces of any potions being used.

‘Maybe the kidnapper was a powerful mage who rendered those useless.’

As royalty, Pioni had strong mana-sensing abilities.

‘If magic was used here, there should be residual traces.’

She closed her eyes and focused.

Unlike natural mana, magic left behind a distinct, unnatural residue.

If the spell had been cast too far away, it would be difficult to detect.

But since the bead trail ended here, Eila must have disappeared nearby.

Holding her breath, Pioni scanned the area.

Then—her eyes flew open.

“This way. I sense something off.”

“What?”

“Follow me.”

This time, Pioni led the way.

She confidently walked forward until they reached a cluster of old storage sheds.

Felix looked around, surprised.

“There are storage sheds here?”

“Looks like it. Probably used for holding old academy supplies. If we’d tried to find this without a clue, it would’ve taken forever.”

She stopped in front of one particularly crumbling shed.

“Let’s open it.”

Pioni reached out with trembling hands and gripped the dusty handle.

Eila lay on the dusty, cold floor.

The stale air in the storage shed seemed to crush her lungs with every breath. The longer she stayed, the heavier her body felt.

Alone in the dark, her mind churned.

Since remembering the original novel, she’d believed she could handle everything herself.

But now, she was trapped.

All she could do was wait and hope someone came.

A hollow laugh escaped her.

‘I left a trail… but they probably won’t find me today.’

It had seemed like the best option at the time, but now she wasn’t sure it would be enough.

Her mind conjured worst-case scenarios.

Missing the exam. Being expelled. Becoming a homeless nobody.

Being mocked by Rosia.

“No.”

Eila shook her head firmly.

‘Useless thoughts won’t help. Focus.’

This wasn’t over.

She still had knowledge about this world—things the others didn’t know.

Even if escape wouldn’t be easy, she could still find a way.

‘As long as I’m alive, I can fix this. It’s not all ruined. I’ll be more careful from now on.’

Her hands trembled.

She shivered at the cruelty of Rosia’s scheme—trying to sabotage her before the exam.

What stung more was her own helplessness against Rosia’s magic.

If Rosia ever decided to kill her… she might not survive.

‘I hid a few potions just in case…’

But were they enough?

Probably not.

Eila admitted her mistake.

Even though she’d known about Rosia’s manipulation magic, she hadn’t expected it to be used on her.

It was risky for Rosia too—it could unravel her influence over the rest of her family.

Which meant… Rosia now saw Eila as a serious threat.

‘But I won’t be fooled again, Rosia.’

Even if she got expelled, there were still ways to fight back.

There was no darker, more demoralizing place than this lightless shed.

But Eila wasn’t someone who crumbled in the dark.

Just as she hadn’t wept over the grim fate she once saw for herself.

Now, she had more than she ever did before:

The novel’s knowledge, allies she could trust, and soon—her magic.

Still, the hardest part was knowing she was utterly alone in this fight.

‘I was always unlucky in the original story.’

Always framed. Always abandoned.

The male leads had never helped much—like the burden was hers alone.

So she didn’t expect much now.

Sure, Felix and Pioni would search for her.

But how long would it take in this massive academy?

‘I just hope they find me before I starve.’