Chapter 49
A heavy silence settled over the square.
Seldienne’s sudden bombshell of a statement.
The outrageous claim that all the nobles should apologize to the commoner Erto, something that was absolutely unacceptable to the nobility.
Hundreds of noble students gathered there looked utterly confused, as if they doubted their own ears.
“…What’s going on?”
Of course, I felt the same way.
Seldienne suddenly wants to apologize to me?
Not in private, but she wants to persuade all the nobles to bow their heads together?
Why?
That was the first thought that popped into my head.
Seldienne was the leader of the noble alliance, the very group that had attempted to expel me from this academy.
There was, of course, Kerg Durakal’s malicious scheming and her misunderstandings—she didn’t know the truth—but still, Seldienne had never defended me; she just wanted me gone.
And what was said yesterday when she came to visit?
Something about how it was a done deal that I would be separated from Tirisia; she had rubbed salt in the wound instead of apologizing for her actions.
After a betrayal like that, even the densest of people would sense a hidden agenda.
Seldienne despises me. She never saw me as a friend, not even once.
That was my conclusion.
Even though I had tried to believe in her until the end, I finally decided that this was the truth after her last unyielding attitude yesterday.
That thought couldn’t have been wrong.
It shouldn’t have been, yet what was happening in the square was entirely the opposite of that.
She is asking for everyone’s agreement to apologize to me.
What kind of bizarre twist is this?
Did she eat something weird for breakfast?
Why on earth was someone who had tormented me like that acting this way?
“……”
With no idea what was going on, I stared at the center of the square while furrowing my brow.
“Hmm… as expected…”
Beside me, Haidiera let out a heavy sigh, nodding her head.
She looked like she had anticipated this situation.
“See! I told you so!”
On the other side, Rusika glared at me with fiery eyes.
“No… even so, that doesn’t make sense…”
With Seldienne saying such things, it seemed Rusika’s argument had some merit, but still, it was hard to imagine that the proud Lady Elconja had any feelings for me.
Perhaps she just realized too late that she had wronged me after hearing my harsh words.
Now that her conscience was pricked, she felt she should apologize as a noble or as a person at least.
Regardless, what mattered more than Seldienne’s intentions right now was that she stood there as a representative of the nobles, not as an individual.
Seldienne knew better than anyone that the nobles wouldn’t acquiesce to such demands.
Maybe the place she stood was quite perilous, I thought for a moment.
“Let me say this again! We were about to expel a student from the academy over a serious misunderstanding! Luckily, we avoided pushing him over the edge, but we still inflicted significant harm!”
Seldienne stood on the stage she had created, hand on her chest, passionately explaining why she should apologize to the commoner Erto.
“If we nobles simply ignore this without apologizing to Erto, that would clearly be wrong! We committed a sin, and we need to confront that sin instead of brushing it aside! Regardless of whether the other person is a commoner, recognizing one’s mistake and having the humility to apologize is the duty of the nobility!”
With her almost righteous cry, the crowd began to murmur.
Finally, the noble students began to comprehend the situation, whispering among themselves as they discussed the matter.
Meanwhile, Seldienne did not stop, continuing to walk around the stage and persuade the nobles.
“As the person who led the noble alliance on that day, I will represent our group when we apologize to Erto! It’s fine if I’m the only one bowing my head, but I want to make it clear that my apology represents the entire nobility! Please, I urge you to listen to my request!”
Seldienne was appealing with sincere eyes, but the response from the group of nobles surrounding the stage was less than encouraging.
Murmurs filled the air—
Their expressions were grim as they hesitated to agree, shaking their heads as if to reject the idea like a vendor at a market refusing customers.
This was clearly a refusal to yield.
Their faces displayed a steadfast will, suggesting they could not bow their heads for a mere common student.
In short, it meant that what their representative was proposing was not worthy of consideration.
“Please give me your answer…! Noble gentlemen…!”
It seemed Seldienne felt the same air of reluctance, gazing at the surrounding nobles with a tense expression.
“This… this atmosphere offers no hope, Count Erto…!”
“Exactly, there’s no way the city nobles would comply with such a request!”
Haidiera and Rusika both expressed skeptical opinions regarding Seldienne’s actions.
Of course, I agreed.
I thought she was doing something utterly ridiculous.
Before long, after moments of uproar, voices began to surface among the nobles.
“Why should we do that?!”
“No matter what Lady Elconja says, that’s far too difficult to follow!”
“Really, bowing our heads as a group for just one commoner? Is that even sane?!”
From all around, the resistance was somewhat mild but present.
This was the response everyone had been expecting, except Seldienne.
Yet she did not back down; she continued to plead for us to apologize together.
“I earnestly request this! We, I, have truly wronged Erto! We must must sincerely apologize to him!”
Seldienne was lowering her usual noble demeanor, even sacrificing her pride to bow her head to the nobles.
But her persistence only seemed to backfire against her.
“Then why should we apologize together?!”
“If you’re the representative, you should handle the apology alone!”
“Why suddenly defending a commoner?! Lady Elconja!”
The rapid change in Seldienne’s demeanor was puzzling for the two noble ladies standing on the stage as well.
“Huh, Lady Elconja…?!”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Miu and Jury.
Both noble ladies, who usually followed Seldienne closely as her guards, were completely unable to accept her words.
This was utterly understandable.
Seldienne was a prominent figure at the academy, always leading the charge for class distinction, and I was the one who had borne the brunt of her disdain.
For Miu and Jury, who knew her thoughts well, it was unfathomable that Seldienne would stoop to apologize for a commoner.
But such a sight was unfolding right before their eyes.
“Lady Elconja! Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
“You have no reason to concern yourself with that man Erto!”
Seldienne turned to the two of them, her eyes shaking, realizing their trust in her was wavering.
“…I’m sorry. Miu, Jury. If you’re disappointed in me, I can’t help that. But this time, I must put aside my previous self and be sincere. You must help me convey my apologies to Erto. This is a duty I must uphold as a human being, regardless of our status—noble or commoner. Please, just this once, follow my wishes.”
“Lady Elconja… are you serious?”
“No way… that’s a lie…!”
At her words, Miu and Jury stepped back, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.
“How can you say that? You, who defended the pride of the nobility above all!”
“Does that mean everything you’ve said until now was a lie? Were you secretly harboring feelings for that commoner?!”
Their unwillingness to accept reality shook Seldienne, who nodded with fear and sorrow in her eyes.
“Yes, that is the truth of my feelings. I carry an unbearable guilt towards Erto. So, I sincerely request your cooperation. The most guilty one is me, but… my single apology cannot soothe his heart. What I need now are allies to bow their heads with me! Please…!”
Her words carried an unexpected sincerity, even to me, but—
“You… traitor!”
“Liar!”
It was all the more shocking betrayal for the two ladies who had followed her until now.
Bang!
“Ugh…!”
Miu and Jury, enraged, simultaneously pushed Seldienne’s chest. Without any magical barriers to defend herself, she stumbled and hit the ground.
Looking down at her, the two noble ladies coldly pronounced words that withdrew all trust they had vested in her.
“We clearly misjudged you! Hypocrite!”
“I’m ashamed of myself for ever considering someone like you a model for nobility!”
“Miu… Jury…”
Seldienne did not even attempt to rise, merely enduring their harsh words with a sorrowful expression.
Even she could see how she was denying the life she had lived until now.
With Miu and Jury’s departure, the reputation and authority Seldienne had built began to crumble, leading to rising discontent among the crowd.
“Were you lying all this time about working for the nobles?! Were we deceived?!”
“That’s right! And after you instigated our suffering, why are you pretending to be kind now?!”
“If you want to apologize to a commoner, do it alone! Don’t drag us into it!”
“Someone so two-faced can’t be our representative! A disgrace to the nobility! Disqualified from being a noble!”
Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
Fired up like someone dousing oil on flames, the nobles started hurling accusations at Seldienne.
Having prioritized nobility over all, and enjoying their solid support, for her to disregard that and lower herself for a commoner was a tremendous betrayal.
The nobles, furious at her bold assertion to marring their dignity, expressed strong backlash towards her sudden reversal.
No matter how much of an Elconja she was, once all the nobles turned against her, she could no longer leverage her strength or authority.
As the crowd felt they had the upper hand, they unleashed a torrent of harsh words against her without hesitation.
What could a single family accomplish in the face of a united group?
Fueled by the solace of their collective anger, intense hatred and mockery continued to rain down on Seldienne from all sides.
“Please, everyone…!”
Even in the midst of it all, Seldienne did not give up and continued to plead.
Yet there was no noble left who would heed her words.
A solid piece of glass shatters easily once cracked.
Once she fell to the ground, broken into pieces, losing its original form, glass becomes nothing more than garbage.
Seldienne Elconja.
Her current situation felt exactly like that.
Bearing the weight of nobility more than anyone, as she raised her hand for a commoner, everything she had built crumbled in an instant.
The dignity of her family, the admiration that everyone held for her, and the personal reputation she once held—all shattered into dust in a single moment.
“Get lost! We don’t need you anymore!”
“Why don’t you go grovel to that commoner you like so much?!”
“Maybe if you beg now, he might still accept you! Haha!”
The nobles, utterly disdainful of Seldienne, continued their tirade, slowly losing interest and beginning to leave one by one.
“Let’s go! We don’t need to listen to the nonsense of that woman any longer.”
“Dismissed! Everybody, dismissed! The meeting is over!”
“We just wasted our time because of that Elconja. See you all tomorrow!”
“Ugh! That really ruined my mood!”
—
As the crowd scattered like ants, the only one left was Seldienne, lying on the golden shining stage.
Poof—
With the magic of the stage dispelled, it vanished into shimmering particles.
Thud!
Seldienne, who fell to the ground, stared blankly, unable to rise.
“Count Erto… what will you do? Should we try talking to her?”
Haidiera cautiously asked for my opinion.
“She probably plans to apologize alone, so maybe we should go see her?”
Rusika too looked to me for direction in wrapping up the situation.
“…”
For a moment, I pondered, and then said, “Nah, I’m good.”
I turned my back on Seldienne.
“We’ve decided to go our separate ways. There’s no need for me to worry about her.”
“Is that so? I’ll respect Count Erto’s wishes.”
“Well, it’s Erto’s decision, so do as you please.”
Without any protest, the two of them stayed close, beginning to walk beside me.
Before leaving the square, I glanced back and saw Seldienne still lying in her place.
“Erto…”
She was calling my name, cupping her face in her hands, tears glimmering in her eyes.
I averted my gaze again and headed to the training ground.
Though things unfolded differently than I expected, I thought it was for the best.
Because it seemed Seldienne wouldn’t bother me anymore.
Her matters were hers to settle.
That’s just how it goes with people.