Chapter 56

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"Hahaha..."

Robert carried the large box he was holding with both hands carefully, looking pleased. He had hurriedly made the contents of the box after class and managed to return to the academy.

Most of the two-hour lunch break was spent on this, but he had no regrets. He had forced a professional to make it, and the result was excellent.

He entered the cafeteria where most students spent their time, but he couldn't find Emma.

"Wow, lunch is almost over, isn't it!?"

Bryan hurriedly sat down at a table.

"Bryan! What are you doing? You're supposed to give this to Emma Stewart, right?"

He complained about his childhood friend's laid-back attitude, but Bryan was already eating the food being served.

"Mr. Robert, lunch will be over in 20 minutes. You won't be able to eat... Today's lunch... is really delicious!"

After that, no matter what Robert said, Bryan was too focused on eating to respond.

There's no point... Robert thought and headed to the courtyard to look for Emma.

...That's right. If she felt unwell during the slime class, she wouldn't be in the cafeteria. When he found Emma in the courtyard, he felt confident that his reasoning was correct.

"Ugh... I can't eat anymore..."

Emma groaned, having eaten all the sweets given to her by the other students.

"Of course! Emma, why did you have to eat everything?"

Georg was exasperated.

"Ugh... Because... there were... sweets?"

Words fell from her mouth like a mountaineer's.

The twins had also taken a few cookies but stopped quickly, probably because it was right after lunch. Arthur, who wasn't good with sweets, didn't touch them. Georg and William, thinking about the poor students, watched as Emma finished eating. Francesca and Marion each received one cookie but were more focused on the conversation and didn't eat more.

"Should we head to the next class soon?"

Joshua suggested, hearing the chime that rang every 15 minutes during the break. This was the seventh chime, so the next one would signal the start of class. The next class for the three brothers and Joshua was advanced economics, and the others had different classes to attend.

Just then, Robert appeared with a large box.

"You look unwell, Emma Stewart!!"

He looked at Emma, who was groaning from being full, with a pleased expression and placed the box on the table in front of her.

"Robert... Are you here to pick a fight again?"

Arthur sighed, looking annoyed.

"Picking a fight is rude! I was worried about Emma Stewart!"

Robert made a deliberately worried face and looked at Emma.

"The monster class must have been tough, right?"

Emma swallowed hard. Honestly, it was one of the toughest experiences she had ever had. She never thought she would be so hungry.

Seeing Emma's face, Francesca and Marion became a bit worried, thinking the slime class must have been tough.

"You couldn't even eat lunch properly, right?"

Robert said something off the mark with a barely hidden smirk.

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Who would say that Emma, who had a second helping of stew, ate two pieces of bread, and finished the cookies and chocolate given by the students, didn't have a satisfying lunch? By the way, she had also drunk four cups of tea.

"This is a gift from me!"

Robert opened the box he had brought.

"Wow!"

"What!?"

"Ah!"

Arthur, Marion, and Francesca all exclaimed, their faces full of disgust.

"What a bad taste, Caitlin!"

"What a bad taste, Catherine!"

Even the twins, who usually found most things amusing, glared at Robert with disgust.

"Can't you even tell the difference between right and wrong!?"

Arthur's initial shock turned into boiling anger, and his voice grew harsh.

In front of Emma, there was a slime.

It was a perfect replica of the slime Mr. Wolfgang had drawn on the blackboard during the monster class, about the same size as the one that had sprayed her with water.

While eating cookies, Emma had explained in detail to the twins about the injuries she had received. The water from the water gun had caused her skin to melt, leading to heavy bleeding and even reaching the bone. The treatment involved washing the wound with water, which caused her skin to fall apart. She had a high fever for three days and was unconscious for over a month. Her face, arms, and the right side of her upper body were left with many large scars.

Why would God impose such trials on a young girl? It was no wonder the others stopped eating their cookies.

Robert had placed a replica of the slime that caused all this in front of Emma. This was the lowest, most inhumane act that couldn't be tolerated.

Arthur stood up, ready to challenge Robert to a duel.

Born into a family of knights, he had been taught proper etiquette and the importance of not engaging in frivolous duels from a very young age.

But this act could not be forgiven.

Marion stopped him a moment later.

"Brother! You can't! Please hold back!"

"Don't stop me, Marion! I can't let this go!"

Robert flinched at the expressions on Arthur and Marion's faces.

"It's none of your business, Arthur!"

Lame.

"Brother can't get his hands dirty! It concerns the continuation of the Bell family. I, the youngest daughter, will..."

Marion pointed at Robert's heart and opened her mouth to challenge him to a duel.

"Hey! This is none of your business, Marion! This is between me and Emma Stewart!"

Robert frantically tried to stop Marion, who was pointing at his heart and about to challenge him to a duel. Honestly, he didn't think he could win against either Arthur or Marion.

If it had to be a duel, it should be between the two directly involved. He felt he could win against Emma Stewart.

...Lame.

"What are you, doing something so stupid!! ... Emma, are you okay?"

Arthur, who had been about to explode with anger, finally checked on Emma after Robert mentioned her name.

Surely she must be trembling and crying... but she wasn't?

She was looking at the slime with sparkling eyes.

"Mr. Robert... Is this...?"

Her voice was trembling. Arthur thought his initial impression of her sparkling eyes was wrong and glared at Robert again.

"It's slime jelly! Doesn't it look delicious?"

Robert, regaining some composure after Marion's finger moved away from his heart, gave Emma a nasty smile.

"Really!! Can I eat this!?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Unfortunately, the sparkling eyes were not a mistake. Emma had been struggling all along.

The slime illustration that Mr. Wolfgang had drawn on the blackboard at the beginning of the monster class and left there until the end...

How...

How...

How...

delicious it looked...

She had to look at the blackboard to follow the class, but the blackboard had a very appetizing slime illustration.

She was so hungry.

Her stomach growled despite her efforts to suppress it. Mr. Wolfgang's class was very interesting, but the blackboard had a very appetizing slime illustration.

Had she ever experienced such hardship before?

"Can I... eat... this?"

Emma, who had been dreaming of edible slime, forgot her fullness.

"Ah, sure. I had it made by a patisserie that serves the Lance Duke's family, so it should taste good... huh?"

"Wha?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Not only Robert, but Arthur, Marion, Francesca, and the twins were all taken aback.

Emma picked up a spoon used for stirring sugar into tea and stabbed the center of the slime jelly. The jelly wobbled.

She scooped up a generous amount, and the slime trembled slightly.

The jelly was well-chilled and had a smooth texture. The taste, as expected, was like soda, and Emma's face lit up with a huge smile.

"So cute!!!"

While everyone was stunned, Joshua alone was swooning over Emma's smile.

"You... really...?"

"Sister... Your love for food... is stronger than anything..."

Even Georg and William were taken aback.

"Come to think of it, it does look delicious... Caitlin?"

"Come to think of it, it might be delicious... Catherine"

The twins, though not quite ready to eat, watched as Emma savored the jelly.

"What are you eating!? Emma Stewart!"

Robert shouted at Emma, who seemed completely unaffected. This was supposed to be impossible. She was supposed to be trembling, crying, and begging for help.

But Emma, eating the jelly she had longed for, looked happy.

Gurgling.

Robert's stomach growled. It wasn't a cute sound like Emma's but a loud one that everyone heard.

Robert had sweated after the hunter's practical class, had a few arguments during the monster class, and had run to a patisserie outside the academy to get the slime jelly made, all without eating lunch.

It was only natural that he was hungry. He was 18, in the prime of his eating years.

Hearing Emma's offer, Robert, who was in the prime of his eating years, couldn't refuse. One cannot resist extreme hunger.

"Is it... okay?"

He took the spoon with an unexpectedly honest expression and tentatively tasted the slime jelly.

...It was delicious.

As expected of the patisserie that serves the Duke's family. The flavor was well-crafted. And above all, hunger is the best spice.

He continued eating, one bite after another, without stopping.

Just as he finished the last bite, the chime signaling the start of the next class rang. Looking around, no one was there.

The next class was advanced economics, a crucial subject that he, as a Duke's heir, had to pass. The teacher was known for being strict about punctuality, saying "Time is money," and bribes didn't work.

Robert's blood drained as he realized the situation. He had failed advanced economics last year and the year before. This year, he had to pass, but he was already... late on the first day?

Gripping the napkin the considerate waiter had given him, his blood boiled with anger as it rose again.

"Emma Stewart!! Remember this!!"

He left a parting shot and ran full speed to the advanced economics class, hoping that being late was better than being absent.

Without using the napkin the waiter had given him, Robert arrived at the advanced economics class and was immediately scolded by the teacher for the jelly on his face before he could be reprimanded for being late.

Emma's stomach might be a universe.