Chapter 4: That's a Prohibited Item, Isn't It? (4/302)

Chapter 4: That's a Prohibited Item, Isn't It?

2023.04.15.

How much farther was it to the dormitory? Nereis passed through a section where houses with relatively low walls clustered, their courtyards visible from the street.

Among these houses, some were inhabited by residents of Katen, some were used for educational purposes, and a few served as dormitories for wealthy students.

It was one of these dormitories, a two-story house with white orchids blooming in the courtyard.

A boy was sitting in a small pavilion in the first-floor garden.

The boy, who appeared to be no older than seventeen, had slightly curly pinkish hair that fell haphazardly over his forehead.

His soft, chestnut-colored cheeks and long, thick eyelashes made him look young, but the weariness and anger on his face, with a blade of grass in his mouth, gave him an adult-like appearance.

“What is it?”

Noticing Nereis standing and staring at him from beyond the wall, the boy frowned.

“Who are you to stare at me?”

“I’m a new student.”

“How did a new student know this way?”

“I just happened to come here.”

Nereis lied without hesitation. The boy nodded curtly.

“Then just go. Why are you staring?”

It was a fair point. Nereis had no particular interest in staring at a stranger.

If not for the red hue visible at the edge of the blade of grass between his lips, she probably wouldn’t have given him a second glance.

“That’s a prohibited item, isn’t it?”

Her cold question made the boy’s eyes widen.

There were countless types of dirty items used in high society. More than half of the noble families dealt with potent elixirs passed down only to their direct descendants.

However, the only item that, when chewed, produced a sinister red liquid was one.

Pezal grass.

Named after the Pezal region where it was most famous, this herb had strong sedative effects and was effective even when chewed raw.

Occasionally, foreign doctors prescribed it. Imperial doctors rarely used Pezal grass, for a reason.

‘It’s poisonous.’

Additionally, it was addictive, making it a highly regulated item.

“You, how do you... No, never mind. What does it matter? You don’t even know who I am, right?”

“You’re Ren Fayel.”

At her words, the boy’s face turned red. His annoyance was evident in the deep frown on his forehead. He spat out the grass and glared at Nereis.

“How do you know me? I’ve never seen you before. Wait.”

Ren narrowed his eyes.

“You’re Zain, right? The second son of the Elendria family? Nelysion’s brother?”

“A distant relative.”

“Huh.”

Nereis felt a surge of anger at being called Nelysion’s brother but maintained a calm facade. Ren snorted.

“It must have been a big deal. It’s been a long time since someone was born in the main house.”

In the main house of the Elendria family, the most recent portrait of Zain was of a duke from over a hundred years ago.

However, Ren seemed to know more than he let on, a fact not widely known outside the Elendria family and the royal family.

Ren finally looked away from Nereis. He stomped on the grass he had spat out and grumbled.

“Damn, you made me waste a good one.”

Ren grumbled at Nereis and stood up. Before he could turn away, Nereis quickly said,

“It’s a waste to die from Pezal grass addiction at such a young age. If you stay healthy, good things will come.”

Nereis later learned that Ren Fayel, the brother of the previous pope, was expelled to Hanji before graduating and died there.

According to high society gossip, he had become frail from a dissolute life and was found dead, emaciated.

Pezal grass was a highly regulated item, handled only by a select few authorized doctors. It was unlikely that a boy like Ren could easily obtain it.

When Nereis entered school, the newly appointed Pope Omnitus III would have tried to erase all traces of his predecessor.

Ren, known for his dissolute and arrogant behavior, was actually a victim of adult politics.

But as an enemy of Omnitus III, Ren was not an unpleasant subject for Nereis. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.

“Don’t meddle.”

Indeed, given that Ren had recently lost his family and allies in the temple, he was not in the mood to be moved by kind words.

Nereis sighed. Ren looked at her strangely.

“A little girl sighing like an adult.”

“I’m a returning student. Being here on the first day of the new student ceremony means I had no place to go during the summer break. It must be tough, being always welcome. But don’t hurt yourself. You need to take revenge.”

Ren stood still. He remained statue-like, then looked at Nereis suspiciously.

His pretty eyes were trembling, not just from the herb or suspicion. Nereis met his gaze without flinching.

After a moment, he turned away.

“I said, don’t meddle.”

But his voice sounded weaker than before.

Ren strode into the house, and Nereis watched his back before continuing on her way.

***

The Noble Academy was divided into the Theology Department and the General Department.

The Theology Department, led by the Pope, was where priests directly taught students to become excellent clerics of the next generation. The General Department, led by the Emperor, was where royal and noble children studied with tutors to learn the necessary subjects for their future.

Therefore, even within the same academy, the Theology Department and the General Department had completely different curriculums and atmospheres.

On the first day of class, all the children in the classroom with Nereis were from the General Department. If there were no changes, these students would likely stay together until graduation.

Nereis knew everyone in the classroom. Except for Diane, they were all familiar faces.

Diane naturally sat next to Nereis on the right, but the other children introduced themselves cautiously to their neighbors, as if they were strangers.

“Nereis?”

Nereis smiled bitterly at the familiar voice of the child on her left.

She had expected this from the moment the child approached and sat down. Though she couldn’t remember exactly, their first meeting in her previous life must have been similar.

“Do you know me?”

But Nereis acted as if being known was a surprise. The girl with dark hair sitting on Nereis’s left blushed and said,

“It’s really you, Nereis? I’m Angarad Nine. Do you remember me?”

How could she forget?

“Since when were we that close? Don’t talk to me. The kids will misunderstand.”

“I saw everything! It was Trued who did it! He was the thief you were looking for! It’s ridiculous, talking to me after that!”

Angarad Nine was the daughter of a noble who governed the neighboring territory of Nereis’s estate.

Sir Wilmot, whom Nereis’s father served, once brought Nereis, who was the same age, to play with Angarad when the Nine family visited the castle. This created a bond between them.

So when Nereis first arrived at the Noble Academy, Angarad approached her again. But when Nereis was falsely accused, Angarad quickly changed her attitude.

Moreover, as an adult, Angarad spread rumors about Nereis’s background in high society, likely with Megara’s involvement.

Being betrayed by someone she thought was a friend was a significant shock to young Nereis.

At the time, Nereis didn’t understand, but now she realized that Angarad was the one who first created the atmosphere that led to Nereis being ostracized.

Angarad probably wanted to avoid being the weakest in the class. Nereis, who was only interested in books and had a low social status, was an easy target.

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

The Nine family wasn’t extremely wealthy and was relatively weak compared to other baronial families.

The baron and his wife must have emphasized the importance of relationships at the academy when sending their daughter.

Nereis knew that if she wasn’t the weakest in the class, Angarad, who was also weak, would naturally become everyone’s target.

Angarad persisted, speaking in a softer voice.

“We played together when we were little...”

Yes, they did. It was over twenty years ago for Nereis, but not so long for Angarad.

The scenery of the Rohen forest they ran through until dusk, the golden ripples breaking on the edges of the leaf boats they floated in the stream, might still be vivid in Angarad’s mind.

Nereis’s heart ached, and she hesitated for a moment.

What should she do?

The current Angarad hadn’t done anything wrong yet.

And the bullying from childhood didn’t mean much to the adult Nereis...

Then, Nereis noticed the children on the other side of the classroom whispering and glancing at her.

Her chest felt constricted, and she recognized the feeling.

Fear.

She had become accustomed to fearing every glance and whisper directed at her.

The entire classroom had contributed to this habit over the years.

Despite all the memories, the one who betrayed first was Angarad.

How could she think those things were meaningless?

The wounds from back then had grown with her.

‘Do you think what happened to me was nothing? Then... what happens to you from now on should also be nothing to you.’

Rest assured, I won’t do anything worse to you than what you did to me.

A fire seemed to rise in her stomach. Nereis looked at Angarad with clear eyes and said with a blank face,

“Sorry, I’ll ask my mom later.”

“Okay... sure.”

It was a gentle rejection, leaving no room for further conversation.

Angarad, feeling awkward, looked around. But the other children were already engaged in their own conversations.

“Liz.”

Diane called Nereis by her nickname. She insisted on calling her ‘Nel’ if Nereis didn’t give her a nickname, and Nereis couldn’t remain calm hearing that name.

Turning to Diane, who called her as if they had known each other for years, Nereis asked indifferently,

“What?”

“Who’s that? Do you know her?”

Diane lowered her voice and whispered in Nereis’s ear. Nereis frowned and replied,

“I don’t remember.”

“It doesn’t seem like you don’t remember.”

If Nereis truly didn’t remember, she would have asked how the person knew her and started a conversation about their common ground.

Diane was too perceptive. Nereis coldly cut her off.

“I really don’t.”

“Okay.”

Diane backed off.

Diane had experience socializing with peers from her family and was naturally observant, giving her more insight into human relationships than most of the children in the classroom.

To Diane, Nereis was a friend with many strengths.

First, Nereis was cool. The indifference of a Mackinnon family’s distant relative, who was used to others coveting her possessions, made Nereis seem noble.

Second, Nereis was very elegant. She was not only beautiful but also had impeccable manners and speech.

There must have been a reason for Nereis’s adult and intelligent actions. Convinced of this, Diane looked to the front of the classroom and involuntarily widened her eyes.

A boy with long silver hair was walking in. He had a balanced and handsome face with a sharp nose, and his dignified walk exuded vitality.

“Liz, look. Isn’t that Nelysion of the Elendria family? Your maternal cousin.”

Everyone in the first year had seen him during the student council introduction on the first day, and the Elendria siblings were known for their dream-like beauty in high society, so there was no mistaking him.