Chapter 19

From the start of first period until lunchtime, I was exposed to brutal violence every time there was a break, which happened three or four times.

It was a primal act I hadn’t experienced since the first day.

It wasn’t systematic or intelligent at all, but that’s why it was filled with raw emotions, making any words useless.

The only means of resistance was strength.

But for someone like me, who didn’t even have the strength to go about daily life, let alone resist, it was as good as having no means at all.

Actually, it had always been like this.

Even when Ariana was around, my opinions were ignored, and I was tortured.

Even before that, when I was in the organization, even when Adelian was fine, it was ultimately the same.

But back then, at least they used healing magic on me in a timely manner.

There must be a mage among them, but they’re being oddly stingy.

Ah, is this also part of that grand “anger towards nobility”?

I smiled while pinching my nose, which was bleeding dangerously.

It was hard because every time I laughed, it felt like my collarbone would shatter, but I felt incredibly cheerful.

After all, it’s strangely not painful right now.

Ever since I was first beaten by Zhang, I’ve been treating this long-awaited beating like a welcome rain after a drought.

If I endure the momentary pain, what follows is the realization that I’m alive.

And it’s as if some hormone with a long name is being secreted, clearing my mind like I’m addicted to some drug.

This much is worth it.

Just a few hours ago, I thought this bizarre sensation of feeling better the more I was beaten was a bit scary, but humans are adaptable creatures, and being continuously exposed to pain made me oddly enjoy it.

“Pfft, cough! Cough, cough…”

Unable to control my floating mind, I let out a small laugh, and from my chest, which had been aching, something seemed to rise quickly, blocking my airway.

A few urgent coughs followed, and a few drops of bright red blood fell on the palm covering my mouth.

Ah, my broken ribs must have punctured something again.

“…Funny?”

I struggled to breathe in that state and turned my eyes towards the voice coming from above.

My vision, already red from somewhere bleeding, shifted from the floor to someone’s face.

It was Zhang, fiddling with his blood-stained hand.

Even considering I was sitting down, the height difference between us was so great that just looking up at him felt intimidating.

Of course, that blood is entirely mine.

It’s the aftermath of the face-shattering punch that just obliterated my nasal bone.

“Princess, you must think this is a joke. We’re serious.”

He glared at me with an expression befitting his menacing appearance.

Of course, it’s not a joke.

If this situation were a joke, then the crazy ones would be on your side, not mine.

“Get a grip, okay?

Open your eyes properly. Speak properly. Stop flailing around like a ragdoll.”

I don’t know if my eyeballs burst or my blood vessels did, but my vision is so red I can’t even open my eyes.

I’ve been beaten so relentlessly that even if I had time to think, my brain has given up.

How am I supposed to speak?

I’ve been beaten all over, so I don’t even have the strength to stand up.

“I told you not to look at me like that.”

Bam-!!

As I just stared at him blankly, Zhang smiled and kicked my head like a soccer ball with all his might.

I rolled several meters, knocking over the desks behind me in a chain reaction.

My head, hitting several hard objects in an instant, caused a terrible headache and bleeding, turning my red vision black.

Is this also a solution?

It’s really clear.

It’s almost admirable.

If it’s not going to last long anyway, it doesn’t matter if it’s destroyed all at once. Right.

While countless thoughts ran through my mind, I lay there as if dead, unable to move a finger because every part of me hurt.

It felt like my whole body was shattered.

No, maybe it actually is shattered.

This is different from last time when only my ribs and ankle were broken.

If I really die here, can you handle the aftermath?

I’m fine with it, though.

I tried to ask a question, but it was really hard to speak when even breathing was difficult.

“Cough! Hack, ugh. If this keeps up, I might really die… Hic, I don’t know…?”

Finally, after coughing up blood-filled breaths a few times, I managed to speak.

Seeing me barely continue to speak while foaming blood, Zhang’s eyes widened.

Then, he burst out laughing.

“Ah, what? Are you worried about me? Pfft, hahaha! I can’t believe it.

It’s okay, it’s okay. Princess, you don’t need to worry. I can handle this. I looked into it.”

He made a circle gesture with his thumb and index finger.

Ah, money.

Well, there’s nothing money can’t solve.

“Bribing the professor is easy with some money. Even if we get caught, we can bribe our way out.

If that doesn’t work, we can just switch you with someone else.

Our family may not have honor, but we do have money.”

It was a bit suspicious from the start.

Unless Adelian’s name still holds some weight.

But I was completely stripped of my nobility title, and for treason at that.

There’s no way they’d face severe punishment for killing me.

Ariana, you really told a ridiculous lie.

I can’t understand why you did that.

It’s like you don’t care if I live or die, but still, you had to go and do it.

If you just wanted to butt in, there were plenty of other excuses you could’ve used.

—

“I got scared for no reason. You freaked me out for nothing.

If that girl’s family wasn’t a count, I would’ve done something about it.

Anyway, whatever. The process doesn’t really matter, does it? The result is what counts.”

—

That’s true, I guess.

—

I stopped thinking any further and just waited for the violence that was about to come.

It didn’t seem like getting beaten to death would be that bad.

—

Zhang’s gang also started approaching me, all grinning from ear to ear.

I closed my eyes.

—

But even after a few seconds, the pain didn’t come.

Wondering if something was wrong with my sense of touch, I slightly opened my eyes, but Zhang was still standing in the same spot.

However, his gaze was directed somewhere else.

—

“I told you to hold out for just one week, but you couldn’t even do that.”

—

A soft voice came from where his gaze was fixed.

With great effort, I turned my head and saw Ariana leaning against the classroom door.

—

You’re too late.

And, too early.

—

Zhang answered in a slightly trembling voice.

He must have been pretty flustered.

Well, he was just badmouthing her a moment ago.

—

“…It’s fine if you get hit a little.

As long as you don’t die, you’ll be okay.”

—

“Ah, yeah. As long as I don’t die, it’s fine. I mean, yeah. It’s fine.”

—

Ariana, answering in a disinterested tone, walked into the classroom and slowly scanned the gang with her index finger.

—

Immediately after, they were swept up in blue sparks and collapsed.

Screams, the smell of burning, and the sound of struggling and falling could be heard everywhere.

—

Among them, Zhang, who was standing at the front, shouted at her as if screaming.

—

“Y-you said it’s fine! Why are you doing this?!”

—

“That’s beside the point. I don’t like that you didn’t even listen to what I said.

You thought I was easy because I only talked, huh?”

—

“You’re too lenient!

Telling me not to lay a finger on her for a week is a bit much!”

—

As he desperately protested, Ariana flicked her finger once more.

A blue beam of light immediately struck Zhang, forcing him to shut his mouth.

—

Ariana, with her arms crossed, spoke in an annoyed voice.

A sticky emotion that had been frequently seen in her lately was evident.

—

“Do you think I want to treat the Princess like this?

If it were over, I would’ve ended it already. It’s just not going my way, so I’m doing this.”

—

Her gaze turned toward me.

Though I was in no condition to react, I could clearly sense the emotion in her eyes.

—

Jealousy.

—

This is really ridiculous.

What do you lack compared to me?

—

“Originally, the reason he used the medicine was because you all started with violence.”

—

At her muttered words, my mind went blank for a moment.

—

‘He’? What’s that about?

As if there’s someone behind all this.

—

No, maybe it’s obvious.

The timing was too perfect.

The organization that seemed to have deliberately let me go, and Ariana, who was overly aggressive toward me.

I had already noticed that there was some kind of relationship.

—

But this can’t happen.

If it does, the most important premise falls apart.

—

I, still…

—

“I don’t know. Anyway, I don’t need a dog that can’t be controlled.”

—

Ariana stopped complaining and turned her head toward those who were lying on the ground, as if trying to wrap things up.

—

“From now on, don’t approach the Princess at all.

I don’t want to lose any more points.”

—

“…Do you think we’ll just stay quiet because you said that?”

—

“What are you going to do if we don’t?

It’s better to stop acting like you’re something special just because you have some money as commoners.

I’m different from other nobles. Even inside the Academy, I can kill commoners as much as I want.”

—

The woman who had been the leader, still defiant even after Zhang fell, finally shut her mouth when Ariana dryly threatened her.

After confirming that all the commoners had quieted down, she turned and approached me.

—

She poured Healing Magic on me, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.

While the external wounds healed quickly, the broken bones needed some time.

Moreover, in a state where I couldn’t even muster proper strength, every muscle and bone seemed to scream in pain as I stood up.

—

“…Ugh.”

—

“Let’s go.”

—

Ariana, in a state that was clearly not normal, roughly led me away.

—

Her pace was too fast.

The wrist she held so tightly that it felt like it would break had now gone numb.

There was no consideration for my well-being in her movements.

—

In a precarious state where I felt like I would collapse if I lost even a little strength, I was dragged out of the classroom.