LATEST UPDATES

Published at 23rd of May 2023 05:34:49 PM


Chapter 83

If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again




Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Nigel Bosworth, Marquess of Jermaine’s son

Somehow, a strange gaze is directed at me this morning. Some students are whispering at times, and even though it’s a refreshing morning, it doesn’t feel very good. If you have something to say, why don’t you just say it clearly and not sneak around? But there are some people who take pleasure in sneaking around, so I guess it can’t be helped.

But still, what on earth is it?

When I first entered the academy, this sort of thing happened every day, but recently it’s completely gone, so I can’t think of any reason for it.

Well, never mind. I don’t care what they say, it doesn’t hurt or make me itch.

“Percival, good morning!”

“Ah, Good morning, Sapphiras.”

I met Percival at the entrance to the cafeteria. He’s the same as usual. Well, Percival isn’t the kind of snobby guy who gossips about people.

“Good morning, Sapphiras-sama. It’s another fine day here, isn’t it?”

“Good morning, Sapphiras!”

The students of Class C exchanged greetings as usual and walked into the cafeteria.

The attitude of my classmates isn’t any different from usual. Then, I can’t understand the cause of the whispering and sneaking more and more. When I twist my neck, Percival taps my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

However, I soon learned what was being said behind my back. I could hear the conversation of the student who took a seat near us.

“……In a deserted library……inviting a man.”

“I also heard that he is indiscriminately inviting men.”

“Eh? With that kind of obedient face?”

“But at the time of school enrolment, in his then fiancé’s dormitory……”

“Oh, that’s right……he might be more of a lecher than we thought.”

Ha? What’s with that story? Who says I’m a lecher? They’re completely childish. And they’re talking like they want us to hear them.

Who else would be the source of these rumours? It was definitely Nigel who was in the library at the time. Did he incite the redhead and lead him to the library, then spreading what happened and what didn’t happen to the academy, thinking of putting me in the same boat?1I’m sorry guys, this sentence got me stumped, I’m not sure if my translation is correct, please take it with a grain of salt

The original sentence is ある事ない事を学院に広げるまでが一蓮の流れだったのか。I have no idea what 一蓮の流 means, it literally translates to ‘the flow of one lotus’ which makes no sense but I found an idiom 一蓮托生 which means to be on the same boat, share the same fate so I just translated along those lines. If anyone has any clues, please let me know in the comments or you can DM me on discord melon bowl#3543 It is true that I was almost attacked by the redhead in the library. If there is that fact, the credibility of the rest will increase even if it is a lie.

Even so, that guy has done well. I’m impressed, but it’s naive to think that something like this can damage me. Putting aside the Sapphiras before Fortis, the current me just thinks that the little bugs are a bit annoying.

However, the content of the rumours is a bit of a problem. If they say I’m naughty or uninhibited, that’s fine, but it’s the kind of rumour that raises eyebrows. My scandals could become the Duke’s scandals as it is. As the natal family of the Crown Princess Consort candidate, it’s something that can’t be overlooked. I’m a little worried about whether I should leave it like this.

Redhead, you really caused me trouble!

“I’ve been hearing a lot of vulgar talk since this morning. I don’t know who spread the rumour, but its content makes me question your dignity as a student. It’ll make the food taste bad, so please take that kind of talk somewhere else.”

Listening to the low, cold voice, I was thinking about various things in my head, and involuntarily lifted my head and saw Percival in front of me. His expression is almost non-existent. Where’s the smile of the Knight of the Sun? Or perhaps he is angry?

I guess he didn’t expect Percival to talk back. Those who had been whispering so that they could be heard fell silent, as if they were embarrassed. But Percival is right, it wouldn’t taste good to eat a meal while listening to that kind of talk. I can’t put a door on people’s mouths, but if I’m gone, he won’t have to listen to the unpleasant stories.

“Sorry, Percival. It’s certainly not a pleasant story. Let’s act separately for a while until the rumours disappear.”

“No, Sapphiras doesn’t need to leave his seat.

When Percival stopped me from leaving my seat and spoke clearly, the student who was whispering in a nearby seat quickly got up and left. Some of the other students who were watching the situation also got up from their seats, and empty seats appeared around us. There is a sense of déjà vu in this scene. It feels nostalgic. When I first entered school, I was kind of taken aback like this.

“Finally, a seat is available.”

“Right.”

Hearing such a voice, a boy from Class C immediately took a seat at an empty table. Other academy students with whom I interacted enough to have a conversation quickly sat down. They start chatting and eating as if nothing had happened. The content of the conversation was about trivial everyday things that weren’t rumours about anyone.

“Sapphiras, if you don’t eat quickly, you’ll be late for the first period.”

Percival was completely back to his usual self.

……I take it back. It’s completely different from when I just started school.

I thanked everyone in my heart for their concern, and enjoyed my breakfast.

I spent a few days like that, but the strange rumours that I thought would eventually subside are still being whispered here and there

I don’t know who said it, but they say that rumours die down after 75 days, and I wonder if there’s nothing else to do if you can get excited about people’s rumours for more than two months. Anyway, it means my disgraceful rumours will continue.

Naturally, no mention is made of the name of the person with whom I allegedly had an affair. At that point, I can’t help but feel it’s artificial.

And Nigel, who I suspect is the one who started the rumour in the first place, is quiet for some reason. I thought he’d make a big fuss about me being a slut and not being worthy of Percival. When he sees me, he just glares at me and doesn’t come near me. He doesn’t look remorseful, but I don’t care what he thinks as long as he doesn’t get involved with me.

“You’re Sapphiras-san, aren’t you? May I have a word?”

No matter what was going on around me, I was just going about my business as usual, and then a not-so-usual situation came my way.

A serious-looking female and several male students approached me. I looked at them suspiciously, I have no recollection of them at all, and they told me that they were the academy’s board. The board is a group of students who are in charge of public morals and miscellaneous matters that are not handled by some of the teachers. They are made up of outstanding academy students nominated by the teachers. When I was told that they had something to talk about, I was taken to the boardroom.

Even so, I don’t think there are any other students in this academy who are called here and there as much as I am.

“Just a quick question, but do you know about the rumours going around the academy, Sapphiras-sama?”

“Rumours? Oh, you mean the groundless rumours about me?”

“Are they really groundless? They say that where there is no fire, there is no smoke.”

It’s true that there were sparks, but I escaped in the nick of time, and talking about what to do with an unspecified number of students is clearly demagogy.

“Does the board think it’s my fault that rumours like that are circulating?”

“I’m told you’re a scholarship student under the patronage of the Duke. Shouldn’t you be behaving in a way that prevents rumours like that from spreading?”

His tone is gentle, but the content of his words is too unreasonable.

“No matter how polite I am, if someone with malicious intent spreads rumours about something that doesn’t exist, I can’t do anything about it.”

“However, you had various problems from the time you entered the school, didn’t you?”

“Is it about having no magical powers? Or is it about my ex-fiancée? Neither of those is a problem that I can handle on my own, right? Magical power is something you are born with, and my fiancée is someone my parents decided on for me. On top of that, how the hell was I supposed to behave when I am still a minor?”

When I said that, the board members fell silent.

I am sure their parents are sensible aristocrats who would not treat their own children unreasonably. However, there are a certain number of parents in the world who have lost their minds, like my former father, the Earl. I don’t understand why they call me up and say I have a problem with something that even I can’t do anything about. If you’ve got time to hang me up, why don’t you find out who’s spreading these stupid rumours? Why shouldn’t the person causing the trouble be blamed?

Besides, if a high-ranking nobleman is surrounded by most of the board and pressed like that, the weak-minded will have no choice but to keep quiet and turn their heads down. If it wasn’t for me, I would have cried myself to sleep. My dissatisfaction must have leaked out in the form of signs. Just as the atmosphere between the board members began to sour, someone knocked on the door of the boardroom. One of the board members answered and opened the door, and there stood Miss Aurora with Liliana.

“Members of the board, are you done with your conversation?”

“Miss Steinfeld, may I help you?”

A student who seems to be the head of the board answers with a slightly nervous look. It’s the young lady of the Duke’s family who is sponsoring me who was just stopping by.

“Yes, I was thinking of inviting Sapphiras-sama to the salon. If you haven’t finished talking yet, I will wait here.”

“No…….we’re done talking.”

“Oh, Is that so? Then may I bring Sapphiras-sama with me?”

Aurora gives the board a witty smile.

No one tried to stall us. They seem to know when to back off, as there is no malice in them.

“Sapphiras-sama, I’ve come to pick you up. Percival-sama went to the salon first. Shall we go together?”

“Oh, yes……well then, excuse me.”

After bowing to the board, I left the office with Aurora.

melon: We finally get to see Aurora again!




Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!


COMMENTS