Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 40: Lan Qi’s Trap Question
Seeing Huperion’s reaction, Modan’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes held no trace of amusement.
“Huperion… no one will ever trust you enough to let you watch their back. You’re filth. But I don’t mind—because you don’t have the power to resist me.”
The contempt in his gaze made it clear—he already saw Huperion as nothing more than a toy in his grasp.
“One day, you’ll come begging me for help. It’s only a matter of time. Because you know as well as I do—there’s no way you can find your father on your own. And when that day comes, you’ll have lost every last shred of dignity. I promise you that.”
He lowered his voice, speaking right next to her.
His intent was nothing but pure humiliation—he wasn’t even pretending otherwise anymore.
“……”
Huperion clenched her fists, biting her lip to keep herself from speaking.
No matter how much rage burned inside her—a deep, overwhelming fury—she refused to give this bastard the satisfaction of a response.
She knew full well that without the strength to threaten her enemy, all rebuttals and threats were nothing but empty bluster.
They wouldn’t make Modan fear her; they would only amuse him, making him push even further.
Even if she wanted to challenge him to a duel and beat him down, it wasn’t possible.
Modan, a third-year Gold-ranked registered challenger, was already leagues ahead of her in strength. And with her being forced to waste her first year unable to enter the Shadow Realm, the gap between them would only grow wider.
“So I was right. You don’t even have the courage to fight back.”
Seeing her silent frustration, Modan seemed quite satisfied. He even chuckled openly, as if savoring the moment.
His laughter wasn’t just an insult—it was a deliberate trampling of her noble identity and dignity.
“The once-renowned prodigy of Hedon, the duke’s daughter celebrated as a once-in-a-century talent… reduced to relying on some half-baked lawyer just to get through the entrance exams at Ikerite Academy. How pathetic.”
That sentence finally made Huperion snap—she glared at him with pure, unfiltered fury.
“Oh? Someone’s upset?”
Modan narrowed his eyes, recognizing that he had baited her perfectly.
He knew Huperion well—she could endure countless slights and insults directed at herself, but she never tolerated anyone slandering her friends.
He was just about to continue twisting the knife when—
“Hold on a second…”
A sluggish voice interrupted, drawing their attention.
It seemed their conversation had woken Lan Qi up.
He had been dozing off, barely conscious, until this “Modan” person happened to drag him into the mess. That changed things.
Still drowsy, Lan Qi lazily turned his head, resting on his arm as he glanced at the two people who had been talking.
“Modan… classmate? You should really check the Ikerite Academy Student Code of Conduct. You weren’t supposed to call Huperion filth just now. Page 35, line 13—it clearly states that personal attacks against other students are a violation of school regulations.”
His nonchalant remark echoed in the classroom, shifting the atmosphere in an instant.
Huperion instinctively turned to look—Lan Qi was still slouched over, looking as laid-back as ever.
But something about him felt different.
Modan frowned, his gaze locking onto the black-haired, green-eyed boy who had been quietly sleeping this whole time.
Those emerald eyes, gleaming faintly like polished gemstones, studied him with a calm intensity.
Until now, Modan hadn’t even noticed that someone had been quietly lying there, unbothered.
And this guy…
Was that black-haired, green-eyed rule freak everyone had been talking about?
A slow smirk crept onto Modan’s face.
So, this first-year was going to interfere.
He let out a quiet laugh.
“So what if I did insult her?” His voice was sharp, carrying a thinly veiled threat. “What are you going to do about it?”
Everyone knew these kinds of thunder-with-no-rain school rules never actually led to any real punishment.
Lan Qi’s reminder? It was as childish as a kid running off to tell the teacher.
Lan Qi finally lifted his head, sitting up a bit straighter.
Now he was sure—this Modan guy really liked using words to mock others. And the moment someone responded, he’d snap back without hesitation.
Too bad.
He had zero skill in actual psychological warfare.
“Did you know?” Lan Qi’s voice remained casual. “The Hedon Kingdom recognizes three separate offenses—defamation, slander, and the crime of insulting nobility. While you two haven’t formally inherited your titles yet, meaning the third charge doesn’t apply criminally, this could still qualify as a civil case.
“However—Huperion has already applied to inherit her father’s title ever since his disappearance. It’s just stuck in bureaucratic limbo.
“If that inheritance gets approved, then by Hedon Kingdom law, her status as duchess will be retroactively recognized from the date of submission.
“When that happens? She’ll be able to legally pursue charges against you for your… choice of words today.
“And with this many witnesses present, there’s no escaping it. Whether it’s just a fine or actual jail time? That depends entirely on how apologetic you feel.”
Lan Qi’s voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words—an unshakable authority, as if the law itself had spoken.
The entire classroom fell eerily silent.
The air felt thick.
Every student who had been idly chatting or eavesdropping now turned their attention toward the back row.
It wasn’t uncommon for upperclassmen to wander into first-year classrooms to check out the new students.
And sure, Modan’s behavior had already made quite a few people uncomfortable—it was obvious that whatever was happening between him and Huperion wasn’t just a friendly invitation.
But—Modan was targeting Huperion.
And no one wanted to get involved with the cursed duchess.
No one wanted to be associated with her.
Even more so, no one wanted to make an enemy of Modan—the powerful, well-connected upperclassman leader.
But now?
The top freshman of the Sage Institute was stepping up to challenge him—directly.
Most of the students in the room understood something critical:
Lan Qi’s legal threats weren’t that serious.
At worst, Modan would have to apologize and pay a fine.
But what made Lan Qi truly insufferable was this—
If he did take it to court and win…
Modan, the proud marquis’s son, would have a criminal record from an in-school offense.
That humiliation would be a stain on his noble reputation forever.
However—
Modan Gassigus wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
Even now, he remained composed, unfazed by Lan Qi’s words.
He simply smirked.
“Lucky Lan Qi Wilfort.” Modan’s tone dripped with mockery. “I know you fancy yourself a bit of a legal expert—always trying to fight for justice. But these little tricks won’t work on me.
“I could just as easily sue you for defamation and provoking a dispute.”
His sharp gaze looked down at Lan Qi, full of condescension.
As a noble, Modan obviously understood noble insult laws far better than some commoner-born scholar.
Even with witnesses present, insult was a subjective accusation.
If this ever reached court, Lan Qi had no way to prove that Modan had the intent to insult Huperion.
Sure, Hedon’s legal system was efficient, but it wasn’t some fanatical theocracy like the Winter Veil Shadow Realm where every offense was met with extreme punishment.
For a case like this? Conviction was nearly impossible…
Unless—
Lan Qi had an exceptional lawyer backing him.
“You think I insulted her?” Modan scoffed. “And how exactly do you plan to prove that? Can you read my mind?”
Lan Qi blinked.
“You admitted it yourself.”
“……?”
The entire classroom froze.
And then—
Everyone remembered.
Earlier, Modan had said—
"So what if I did insult her? What are you going to do about it?"
Sh*t.
Modan had just walked straight into Lan Qi’s trap.