The Ex-Fiancée's Proposal (2)
"You... you cunning bastard!"
Irina spat the words through gritted teeth. Rage and humiliation swirled in her emerald-green eyes. She had caught the exaggerated look on Kael's face and instantly realized he was acting. Nor did Kael seem the least bit interested in hiding it.
"Uh-oh~ Irina. Is that any way to speak to your master?"
Kael let out a low chuckle at her reaction and reached out to stroke her hair.
"Get your hand off me! And who the hell is my master!"
Irina slapped his hand away and glared at him fiercely.
"You think that attitude is wise?"
Kael's voice dropped into a threatening whisper, his face inches from hers. "If you refuse to become my lowest-ranked slave, the students will start resenting you the same way they resent Finit. Of course, your position is better than his, so you won't plummet straight to the bottom."
Irina was the eldest daughter of Duke Rosengart. She had only been sent here because she had no siblings besides her brother, the heir. Once she left Tartaros Academy, her influence would skyrocket once more.
"But the students who can no longer eat those Frank sausage sticks because of you... who knows? In the current atmosphere, the supply might be cut in half again. How do you think they'll feel about the culprit who just shattered their last hope? They'll be nursing a deep grudge against you in their hearts, won't they?"
"Hup!"
Irina's breath caught. Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists.
"You think... something like that would make me waver?"
She was speaking down to him now, her tone completely informal. The sight of that venomous glare on her otherwise pure, beautiful face only made Kael laugh again.
"I wonder how long the name 'Rosengart young lady' will hold any weight here. You already know the answer, don't you? With the power of my ability... it is absolute inside these walls."
He added softly, "Its influence outside these walls won't be negligible either... but if we're only talking about power inside the academy... you can see for yourself that Serenity has become my slave. How many girls do you think will line up to become my slave after seeing the privileges she enjoys?"
Kael's hand returned to the top of her head. This time, Irina could not bring herself to knock it away.
"The choice is yours, of course, Irina. But remember this. I will break you down piece by piece, making you more and more miserable, until you crawl on your knees and beg to become my lowest-ranked slave."
As he spoke, the hand stroking her hair gently brushed across her long pink locks with the back of his fingers. The strands fluttered lightly in the air.
"Last year, when you turned me into a laughingstock in high society, I was powerless. But things are different now. Back then you held the power. Now I am the one who holds it."
Irina continued to stare directly at him, unblinking.
"Lord Aberwin, must you truly go this far?"
Her tone had switched back to formal, polite speech—an attempt to soothe his hostility. Though she now regretted breaking the engagement, she still believed her decision at the time had been justified. The humiliating reality that someone like Kael Aberwin was subjecting her to this treatment, and the even greater humiliation of having to endure it, left her with only one miserable option: trying to persuade him with sweet words.
Kael had already brought the professors to his side. The power and wealth of the Rosengart Duchy meant nothing within Tartaros Academy. She felt a deeper, more wretched sense of powerlessness than she had when her enrollment here was first decided.
"This is only the beginning, Irina. Go ahead and enjoy your time in hell. I will keep making you more and more miserable until you are on your knees, sobbing and begging to become my lowest-ranked slave."
With those words, Kael's palm came down on her backside with a sharp smack.
Furious at the insult, Irina instantly unleashed her magic.
"How dare you...!"
What she fired was a Magic Missile—calibrated for impact rather than penetration. Yet Kael simply smiled.
"Ugh!"
A dark bruise bloomed across Kael's arm. Irina's eyes widened in instant regret. She had deliberately used the non-penetrative version, yet it had still left a vivid mark on his skin. Panic and remorse flashed through her gaze. She had left the worst possible evidence.
"Lord Aberwin, wait—!"
Irina spoke urgently, but Kael was already cradling his arm and turning away.
"You've given me perfectly clear evidence."
Leaving those words behind, Kael headed back toward the clearing. Irina stood frozen, unsure what to do. Using force on him here would only escalate the situation. She had to stop him from returning. But there was only one way to do that.
'Anything but that!'
Becoming his lowest-ranked slave. That was the only method. Yet as the young lady of House Rosengart, she could never accept such a fate.
"Lord Aberwin! Stop! Stop right now! Are you deaf? I said stop!"
Ring, Ming, and Serenity all rose the moment they spotted Kael returning to the clearing. But when they saw the vivid bruise on his arm, they jumped in alarm.
"Lord Kael! Your arm...! Are you all right?" Ring asked, her voice thick with worry.
Ming followed urgently. "Lord Kael! Who on earth did this to you?!"
Even as she asked, Ming's gaze flicked toward Irina, who was belatedly following behind him. Kael, however, simply offered the two sisters a gentle smile.
"It's nothing. Irina got angry and hit me with a magic missile. Just a small injury."
Serenity looked at his arm with clear concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You should receive treatment right away."
"Yes, I suppose I should."
Kael lightly touched the bodies of Ring and Ming with his finger, tracing the words 'I'm going to act, so don't be surprised.' The two sisters relaxed at once, understanding his intent.
"Student Kael!"
Professor Galen spotted him and hurried over. His eyes blazed with fury the moment they landed on the bruise.
"What is this?! Who dared lay a hand on Student Kael's precious body! Which wretched girl was it!"
His roar echoed across the entire clearing.
The students who had failed to complete ten laps within twenty-five minutes were still writhing under the effects of Bandage Magic, screaming as their bones and muscles tore. They had only just barely managed to finish their tenth lap. Although Professor Galen's healing magic had mended their physical injuries, the lingering aftereffects left them in agony. Yet for a moment they forgot even that pain and turned to stare.
Compared to what they had suffered, a mere bruise could hardly be called an injury. Still, everyone already knew about the professor's blatant favoritism, so they could only click their tongues inwardly.
"Student Kael! Tell me at once—who did this? Speak! Whoever the bastard or bitch is, I'll—!"
Kael lowered his head, his voice trembling. "Irina Rosengart... she fired a magic missile at me."
He cradled his injured arm and let out a heavy sigh. "She already humiliated me last year by breaking our engagement and turning me into a laughingstock in high society... today she brought it up again to remind me of that shame... and now she has resorted to violence as well. Haa..."
His voice shook. His expression, however, did not look like that of a man deeply wounded. To the other students it was invisible, but to Professor Galen the performance was blatantly obvious. Nevertheless, the professor played along without missing a beat. Such acting was basic etiquette among nobles. Having spent many years at the academy, he understood it perfectly.
"What did you say? That Rosengart bitch dares?!"
He clenched his fist and spotted Irina, who had just arrived, then bellowed, "Irina Rosengart! Come here this instant!"
Irina, flustered by the professor's furious tone, spoke quickly. "Professor Galen, this is a misunderstanding! I only—"
Her words were swallowed by his rage.
"Silence, Irina Rosengart!"
Magical power erupted from Professor Galen's hand like an explosion. Blue energy coiled around Irina's arms and legs. The Bandage Magic had bound her limbs tightly.
"You dared injure Student Kael! His body is far too precious for the likes of you to touch!"
Of course it was. For the promise of meat at dinner tonight, Professor Galen would gladly declare himself Kael's loyal dog.
Irina cried out, her face a mixture of injustice and disbelief. "This is excessive, Professor! This has nothing to do with class, please listen to my—Kyaaah!"
Her protest was cut short as Professor Galen tightened the Bandage Magic around her entire body.
"P-Professor! This is too much!"
"Release the young lady at once!"
"Y-yes! Let Lady Irina go!"
Her followers and the male students hoping to win her favor immediately took her side—only to be wrapped in the same Bandage Magic and forced to scream in pain.
"As a professor, I have the right to deliver appropriate punishment to any student who commits violence. Irina Rosengart, I shall now punish you!"
At those words, Irina's gaze darted toward Kael. He stood cradling his arm, pointing at the bruise while letting out another sigh.
"Haa... Irina ultimately refuses to apologize for the violence she committed against me. The wound to my heart is too deep. It seems I will only be able to sell half of the Frank sausage sticks I planned to provide today..."
Kael was playing the game entirely by noble rules. Irina could only glare at him with pure venom, biting her lip until it nearly bled.