Chapter 198: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (62)
Chapter 198: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (62)
The Academy’s Central Avenue was bustling with students struggling to stave off boredom.
The Homecoming Festival had already ended a week ago. Naturally, all lectures had long since concluded, and with grades already posted, there was no reason for anyone to remain at the Academy.
Nevertheless, a vast number of students still lingered.
This was because the aftermath of the recent attack had not yet been fully resolved.
Currently, officials dispatched from the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the United Kingdoms were conducting a thorough investigation of the Academy. The fact that the Dark Cult was behind the mobilization of hundreds of demonic beasts was nothing short of shocking.
They were a group thought to have vanished thousands of years ago.
Followers of the Evil God Omeros, they were notorious for their cruelty. The demonic beasts that had attacked the Academy were themselves the horrific results of biological modification.
The fact that they had experimented not only on beasts but on human bodies as well caused the anger and fear toward the Dark Cult—who had desecrated the very dignity of humanity—to grow with each passing day.
However, that sentiment was largely confined to the investigators of each nation.
While the Academy students had recently faced a life-threatening crisis, the shock of it had begun to fade as time passed.
The decisive factor was that, despite the high number of injuries, there were very few fatalities.
As more and more friends picked themselves up and recovered, laughter returned to the Academy. Recently, the atmosphere had even managed to regain some of the vibrancy it held before the Homecoming Festival.
Yet, even amidst this restless merriment, there were those who could not adapt.
A girl walking with a somber expression was the prime example.
Cien, 5th Princess of the Empire.
Less than half a year after entering the Academy, she had been enjoying her golden age. At one time, everyone had loved and respected the Princess.
But on that face, now cast in shadow, not a trace of her former glory remained.
On the contrary, even those laughing and chatting would glance at Cien with expressions of slight displeasure. The sound of whispering occasionally brushed past her ears, stabbing at her heart.
"Did you hear? The Percus family's merchant guild went bankrupt..."
"I know there was a misunderstanding, but wasn't that a bit too hasty? The Imperial family really is terrifying."
"I heard she hasn't smiled once since then."
"What's the point of regretting it after the damage is done? There are already unemployed people all over the Percus territory..."
With the downtown area in shambles from the aftermath of the attack, the students had nothing to do but gather in small groups and gossip, causing all sorts of information to pour out.
A significant portion of the Academy's student body consisted of nobles. Since information was essential for survival in social circles, they heard a great deal of news, whether they wanted to or not.
Such rumors, after being processed several times, were being accepted as established facts within the Academy.
Of course, much of the information was of questionable authenticity. For instance, the rumor that "the Percus territory is overflowing with unemployed people" was one such case.
The Percus family's merchant guild was not particularly large. To begin with, Ian's younger sister was a minor who would only meet the Academy's admission requirements next year.
It hadn't been long since she started the business, so the capital the guild managed wasn't immense.
It wasn't so small that its collapse meant nothing, but it wasn't at a level where a single guild could dictate the future of the entire Percus territory.
In truth, the downfall of the Percus territory had been prepared in several stages.
The merchant guild was merely the starting point. Following that, relations with neighboring territories were to be severed, the movement of goods would decrease, and the Percus territory would begin to suffer from a shortage of daily necessities.
While public sentiment was thus destabilized, a detached force from the Yurdina family was scheduled to provoke a conflict.
Then, despite their lack of resources, the territory would be forced to squeeze out military strength, which would further worsen public sentiment and sink the Percus territory deeper into a quagmire.
However, the rest of those plans had long since been canceled.
To withdraw them, Cien had to push herself quite a bit. But she had no choice. She considered it the bare minimum requirement to earn Ian's forgiveness.
Despite that, there was one thing she couldn't stop.
The bankruptcy of the Percus family's merchant guild—the order to rescind the directive had come too late.
Cien had not smiled a single time since she received that news.
Instead, she would occasionally stop in her tracks and tremble violently. As if unable to handle an overflowing chill, her light gray pupils would repeatedly twitch.
What should I do?
Cien bit her thumbnail slightly, a sharp crick sounding as she dwelled on the question that had occupied her mind for days.
Until now, she thought she could somehow fix things.
Tormenting Ian and touching the people around him had been a fatal mistake. However, there was still room for forgiveness.
This was because she hadn't yet inflicted irreparable damage upon them.
Fortunately, Lady Ruphesia didn't seem to have any intention of referring Ian to the Disciplinary Committee. Even without Cien having to persuade her, it was enough for the Lady herself to simply play the role of the villain.
Beyond that, Cien didn't actually need to do anything.
Everyone naturally turned their backs on her. Instead of praising Ian, the new hero, they designated Cien as the scapegoat to atone for their own sins.
Thus, Cien was offered up on the altar of hatred and anger, becoming a solitary, burning sacrifice.
Yes, she was willing to do that.
To be honest, it wasn't that she didn't feel a sense of resentment. If one thought about it, wasn't everyone an accomplice? But since the greatest sin lay with her, she could accept it.
As long as Ian's reputation could be restored, it was fine.
Even if the nightmares of her childhood suddenly revived to choke her, she had finally found the "real" thing she had spent her entire life searching for.
She could endure it with a smile. Crying every night was enough.
She hadn't yet been forgiven by the people who remained by Ian's side.
But that, too, was a problem that could be solved with time. Improving a relationship was something that was difficult to achieve in a short period anyway.
It was only the bankruptcy of the merchant guild that had become an irreversible mistake, throwing Cien into a state of turmoil.
With the full support of the Imperial family, she could establish an even wealthier guild. However, the connections and trust built over time were assets that could not be acquired no matter how much capital was invested.
And what about the time spent operating the guild?
There was no telling how many years it would take to rebuild it. Time was also an intangible asset. It was difficult to even imagine the sense of loss Ian's younger sister must be feeling.
Her breath hitched, and Cien stopped walking to clutch at her own throat.
A series of choked, fragmented groans escaped her, and a few tears leaked from her eyes. Her trembling light gray pupils revealed her utterly devastated state.
Memories of her childhood, buried deep in her mind, surfaced once again.
The image of her mother strangling her.
Whenever that happened, Cien had no choice but to ruminate on the truth she had realized so poignantly that day.
Everyone hates me.
Everyone treats me with a mask of hypocrisy.
Even the mother who says she loves you—all of them.
It was a truth too cruel for a girl of only a few years to bear. And it was the same now that she had just become an adult.
Her light gray pupils split vertically of their own accord. Amidst her gasping breaths, she heard the voices of those whispering. And even the faint hostility embedded within them.
Cien's body convulsed once, like a fish with a blade driven through its spine, and then she staggered backward. To an onlooker, it seemed as though she were suffering from a bout of vertigo.
Her visibly unstable state drew wary glances from those around her.
Before long, a female student cautiously approached Cien. She asked in a worried voice.
"...Um, Your Highness? Are you alright?"
However, the student couldn't help but gasp and freeze in place.
The light gray pupils directed at her were torn, like those of a reptile. A strange pressure caused cold sweat to bead on the student's forehead.
Thinking it was an unrealistic sight, the student snapped to her senses and rubbed her eyes.
Only then did Cien's eyes return to their original state. The Princess said nothing for a moment, only offering a pathetic smile.
"Yes, I'm fine... I just haven't been sleeping well lately."
There was a subtle distance in her tone, so the student had no choice but to withdraw with an awkward smile.
And Cien staggered away. Toward somewhere.
The student, who had been watching her back for a long time, soon rejoined her group and immediately began to badmouth Cien.
"Ugh, what a rude brat. Does she think being a Royal is everything?"
"Tsk, tsk. Why are you worrying about a Royal at your level? Whether the Princess collapses or faints, there are plenty of people around to wait on her."
Thus, the student did not know.
How coldly the gaze of Cien, walking with her head bowed, had sunk.
The sound of the girl grinding her teeth echoed. A faint ghostly aura even lingered in her light gray eyes, giving off a chilling atmosphere.
Cien thought once more.
As expected, everything is "fake."
There was only one "real" thing.
The Princess wanted to possess that "real" thing.