Chapter 25
Chapter 025.
I followed the professor to a conference room.
There, many of the students who had been in the exam hall, related professors, and a Magic User had already arrived.
The headmaster, sitting at the head of the table, opened his mouth towards me.
"Come in."
All eyes turned to me.
Most were filled with unpleasant, contemptuous, annoying, or angry negative emotions.
Abigail went to stand with the students as if it were natural.
The moment I took a step to move to her side, a solemn voice was heard.
"Stand there, Merian Hoffen."
The headmaster adjusted his glasses and instructed.
"Take a seat prepared for you."
Unlike the children standing around, the seat given to me was prepared in the middle of the professors sitting in a row.
What this meant was clear.
'Hearing.'
A process of punishing a student's wrongdoing and issuing a disciplinary action.
The fact that I was subject to disciplinary action meant that I had been identified as a suspect after an investigation.
However, Trevor Beril's case had not been investigated.
Even Jo, who said he would visit the family, had not been assigned.
But they had already confirmed me as a suspect and created a place to 'interrogate' me?
I slowly looked around and realized.
The novel Abigail was using in the cafeteria just now was the charge the Academy was trying to pin on me.
'The Beryl family isn't that great, but Trevor's patron has a strong influence.'
So the Academy will definitely find the culprit who ruined Trevor.
'But they said that unless it's a high-ranking priest or higher, they can't find traces of the curse.'
This was clearly a frame-up.
As the investigation into the case became difficult, the Academy was using me to appease public opinion.
Because Merian Hoffen is a commoner who lost her parents and lives with her brother, an immigrant who is just a mercenary.
Once I grasped the situation, my head cooled down quickly.
The scapegoat is always small, weak, and fragile.
Something they believe they don't need.
Something that can be easily pushed away.
I could see the faces of those who were anxious that I might suffer a loss.
There was no one who felt guilty even while dragging a former student they had taught down the cliff.
Even the face of the professor in charge who had been in charge of Class C of the General Department and had taught Merian was very calm and clear.
I laughed in disbelief.
"Has the culprit already been decided even though the investigation hasn't started yet?"
"While Trevor was in a coma, we confirmed the poison through a Magic User. And there is someone who pointed you out as the source of the poison."
The voice that spoke as if being kind was disgusting.
No matter what answer I give, it will flow according to the scenario they have created.
"The source of the poison?"
"Abigail, tell us what you saw."
My head slowly turned to her standing next to me.
The moment our eyes met, she hesitated for a moment, but soon raised her chin and began to recite things that had not even happened.
"Merian Hoffen, who was sitting in her seat, glanced at the person next to her several times and passed by Trevor's water bottle just before the exam started. At that time, I saw something like powder falling from that child's pocket."
The way she spoke clearly felt like she had memorized it for days.
Nevertheless, I could see loopholes in her statement.
If they had investigated properly, it was a sloppy statement full of loopholes, such as how I dropped the powder while passing by, and where Trevor's water bottle went.
'But it's meaningless to refute it.'
They have no intention of investigating properly.
It was a hearing without even a recorder.
Perhaps the conversation here will be rewritten to match the results after the crime is decided.
Everyone here was of one mind, trying to frame me as the culprit and end the complicated story.
I blinked and mulled over the words that had framed me as the culprit.
The fabricated evidence they presented was extremely crude.
They were not sincere to me, who would be the victim until the last moment.
All the scapegoats they had used as stepping stones until now must have been like that.
I quietly remained silent and looked at those who were tightening me with glistening eyes.
Those who once taught me and called themselves teachers.
"So, what shall we do?"
He asked.
Dark gray eyes stared at me through his glasses.
As if waiting for the final plea, he asked me a question.
Regarding a matter that has already been decided.
"Do you have anything to say?"
I took a deep breath.
Then I quietly demanded.
"If I am a strong suspect, you must allow me to call my guardian."
"Guardian? Are you talking about your brother?"
"Yes."
Some people had strange smiles on their faces.
I didn't know if it was ridicule or pity for the struggle, but the headmaster accepted my request.
Lenny's identity laundering was definitely neat and excellent.
All the professors at the Academy seemed to believe in Lenny's background of 'the heroine in a makjang drama setting'.
How can a human being with intelligence actually believe that?
It's unbelievable, but it's reality.
"Do you have a Communication device?"
"Yes."
"Good. Keep it short and simple. Instead, there will be guards outside while you use the Communication device."
"Yes."
I laughed at the attitude as if he was doing me a favor.
Is he going to make sure the last meal for the death row inmate is to his liking?
The short time it took to move to the communication room was all that was given to me.
I walked with the guards who were leading me with indifferent eyes and raised my head.
I met Lenny's eyes as she was watching from among the children gathered in the hallway.
She seemed to have already grasped my situation and was narrowing her eyes and grinding her teeth.
I can see the children whispering about me.
They had no intention of hiding that they were treating me as a 'criminal'.
They had seen me being dragged by the strict guards to the hallway, so it was a trick to widely publicize that I was already a criminal.
'Since the commotion has already occurred, it will be difficult to resolve the situation quietly even if I overturn it.'
My head cools down.
The situation has already been distorted, and there is no way but to overturn the ruling.
Then I have to choose.
Should I call my friends and announce all the facts, or should I rely on the sweetness of power that I have been reluctant to accept?
There was only one choice in the end.
'I have no intention of losing anything.'
Until now, I have been considerate of Mom's life.
At least a little more than Mom is considerate of my life.
But this time, even if it makes Mom difficult, what I have to protect comes first.
The Communication device I took out of my arms was quickly connected to the other party after waiting for a while.
The face clearly revealed in the video was full of anticipation and surprise.
'Come to think of it, it's the first communication.'
I felt sorry for seeing the other person's face for the first time because I didn't know that the purpose of the first communication would be like this.
As always, a kind voice spoke to me first.
-Aren't you at the Academy, Merian?
"Are you busy? I can hear panting sounds from all over the place."
-Ah, it's nothing. I was doing some harsh training to mark the second half of the year. I was just about to finish.
Orion's voice was bright, and his face, covered in sweat but smiling brightly, was full of color.
However, moans were constantly heard from the invisible place of Orion that filled the screen.
The long and shallow moans, as if heading towards the last moment of life, were accompanied by numerous rough breaths.
Against the background of such breaths, Orion said.
-Originally, knights grow by overcoming trials.
The sound of calling for Mom in the distance was cut off with a dull roar.
"You must be busy."
-I'm not busy. Not at all! The training was so boring today that I was thinking of you the whole time!
Why are you thinking of me while training?
"Actually, even if you're busy, I can't cut off the communication. There's something I need to tell you."
Even after saying that, I hesitated for a moment.
It wasn't easy to open my mouth when I was about to say it.
However, the murmuring coming from behind the door pushed my hesitating back.
I took a breath and slowly opened my mouth.
"The reason I asked Lord Rune, not Orion, to play the role of my brother is because Orion was so good to me."
His face tilted to the side with a puzzled expression.
I could clearly see his round eyes and his busy brain turning.
"Family is a very special existence to me. Until now, Orion was, to be honest, just Mom's remarried son."
Orion's lips closed slightly.
His gloomy face clearly revealed his emotions, as if he had drooping ears.
A person who has something to hide is stingy about keeping someone by their side.
Besides, I was very scared.
I didn't want to be betrayed by someone, or for someone I had a liking for to be harmed because of me.
If you don't start, you don't have to worry about anything.
Of course, if you don't start, you won't lose anything, but you won't gain anything either.
To be honest, Orion Miller is a good person.
Even if you put down all status and situation.
"But I think I need Orion's power."
I have something to say even if I'm shameless.
"I can't suddenly accept Orion as family, but... if it's okay with the promise that I'll try to be a younger sister."
I didn't even realize that the end of my words was trembling slightly.
Orion stared at me with his blue eyes.
I lowered my head slightly and said quietly.
"You said that the reason I like you is because you see me as Orion Miller, not Vice Duke."
"But what if I need Orion Miller today as Vice Duke?"
"If I need your position and power, will you still grant my request?"
I couldn't bring myself to make eye contact and turned my gaze away.
It was Orion who broke the short silence.
-Can I ask you just one thing?
"Yes."
-What kind of person am I to you? Was the reason you kept pushing me away because I wasn't good enough to be family in your heart?
I paused for a moment at his question.
Even at this moment, he was showing me his honest heart to an excessive degree.
It's not difficult to say a few sweet words that are pleasing to the ear, but I've decided not to do that.
I spoke as honestly as possible.
"I thought it would be better to pretend not to know if we were just passing by. I didn't push you away because I didn't like you, but because I didn't think we were meant to be. I don't dislike you that much. It's a bit burdensome, though. How many people would dislike someone who treats them with all their heart?"
If the other person is sincere, I must also be sincere.
In that respect, Orion Miller made it difficult for me.
Because he keeps conveying his sincerity to me, who has difficulty showing sincerity.
-I'm going now.
"Just one more thing."
I asked him for another favor as he stood up as if he would run right away.
If I have to overturn the decision anyway, I wanted to properly counterattack at least this crude and selfish decision.
