I Became The Academy’s Narrow-Eyes

Chapter 21: Fight (2)

Adryn’s expression wrinkled at Adella’s attitude of treating Ceylon as if he were a toy.

On the other hand, Ceylon, the person in question, spoke with a completely natural face.

“Oh, so you’re someone with the same number as me?”

“No~ I don’t have it. It’s quite fortunate.”

“Is that so? Haha, well then, what a pity.”

“Pity? Oh right. Yes, I meant to say ‘pity’. How disappointing it is not to be in the same group as someone who almost surpassed Kasha and took first place. What should I do about this regret? Hmm?”

As Adella continued speaking, she finally noticed Adryn and turned her gaze towards Adryn.

“Oh dear, excuse me. Ahem. My name is Adella from the Espien family.”

Adella greeted formally unlike when she was with Ceylon.

Adryn immediately straightened her expression and forced a smile.

She bowed formally in return.

“I am Adryn from the Teln family.”

“Oh my! You are from Teln family- Well, no wonder you seemed extraordinary even just by looking at you. It is an honor to meet you like this.”

“Indeed, it is an honor to meet you, Miss Adella of House Espien.”

Espien and Teln.

Just looking at their status alone, they were two noble families with similar positions within aristocratic society.

Adella cautiously treated Adryn while setting an example for herself on the surface.

But beneath that polite attitude lay hidden but explicit intentions.

“I heard about it. You stepped forward and resolved the unfortunate incident during the exam- huh?”

After belatedly checking Adryn’s number, Adella covered her mouth with her hand pretending surprise.

“Oh my goodness! Miss Adryn… how did this happen?”

The look of regret on her face.

But if she removed her hand covering her mouth, it would surely turn into a mocking face.

Adella was speaking to Adryn through a series of actions.

“I’m already leading so many of my noble comrades, and you’re alone with the lowly commoner you trampled on, even in the same group.

A sense of superiority subtly emanated from Adella’s eyes.

Reading it, Adryn felt her temper rise.

Was it because she felt miserable compared to Adella? No.

It was because she was offended that Adella was openly mocking Ceylon in front of her.

And what was more unpleasant than that was that she couldn’t do anything about it herself.

Currently, Ceylon was clearly nothing more than a commoner who had achieved nothing extraordinary and whose talent was average at best.

‘Ah, how annoying.’

It was the kind of petty bickering that Adryn hated, the kind that happened every day in the aristocratic world.

“I’m sorry. I accidentally touched upon a sensitive topic.”

“No, it’s not a sensitive topic at all. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh my goodness… Miss Adryn… You can be so kind even when you’re going through such difficulties…”

“…”

“Oh, by the way, I heard that you achieved a record of 2 minutes and 13 seconds in the second exam- That’s amazing. It took me great effort just to break the three-minute barrier- huh?”

Just as they were finishing their conversation as if they were matching each other perfectly, Melhen interjected into Adella’s ear whispering softly.

“It’s not 2 minutes and 13 seconds but rather 3 minutes and 13 seconds.”

What was the purpose of that whisper?

Adella, who heard that whisper clearly enough for Adryn to hear it as well, covered her mouth in surprise.

“Oh my, Miss Adrian. How did this happen?”

A face filled with regret.

But if Adella removed her hand covering her mouth, it would surely turn into a mocking face.

Adryn just smiles at the childish skit.

‘Argh! This arrogant jerk!!! I’ve memorized your face perfectly!!!!!’

Internally venting out her anger like an erupting volcano, barely holding back.

“If you have no other business, then I’ll take my leave.”

Before hearing a response, Adryn turned around and tried to quickly leave this wretched place.

At the same moment Ceylon also followed suit and stood up from his seat.

“Miss Adella is still in the middle of speaking. Where do you think you’re going-”

Melhen suddenly grabbed Silon’s shoulder abruptly.

Quite roughly.

Since it was ambiguous to mess with Adryn, who is also a noble, Melhen decided to grab and trip Ceylon, a commoner who is easier to handle.

If Adella gets admitted to the academy, she thought she would have a similar position as Adryn and firmly step on Adryn this time.

“Huh!?”

But something felt strange.

Melhen was the one who grabbed Ceylon shoulder roughly, but he was the one who panicked.

Melhen clearly grabbed and pulled Ceylon’s shoulder, but he didn’t feel anything at all.

As the force that missed its target returned back, Melhen’s body wavered and fell backwards.

“Huh…?”

Falling backwards like that, he landed on top of Adella.

But it didn’t end there.

“Ahhhhhh~!”

Ceylon, pretending to lose her center of gravity, let out a loud scream for everyone in the room to hear, and then-

“Ouch!”

“Ack!”

Melhen fell over Adela.

“What is happening?”

“Hmm?”

Those around turned their gaze towards Ceylon upon hearing his scream.

Ceylon has already become famous among participants as an ordinary person with exceptional skills.

They see two nobles lying on the ground beneath him.

“Hehe…!”

“Pfft…!”

Laughter erupts from all directions.

Their disdainful and mocking gazes united Ceylon with Adella and Melhen into one entity.

To them, both Adella and Melhen were no different from insignificant commoners; they became targets of scorn and ridicule.

“… ”

“Pfft.”

Even the group following them seemed to barely contain their laughter at the sight.

“Ugh- What on earth- Ugh…! A-Are you two- Are you okay?”

Ceylon was the first to regain his composure from being a human sandwich.

He quickly stood up and looked down at the two people.

“…”

Adella, who had been stunned, unable to comprehend the situation, was brought back to her senses by Ceylon’s downward gaze.

“Melhen.”

Trembling with humiliation, Melhen also belatedly regained his senses as he heard Ceylon’s voice.

He immediately jumped to his feet and offered Adella his hand.

“I-I’m sorry, young lady!”

Adella stood up on her own without taking his hand.

Melhen hesitated for a moment before retracting his outstretched hand in anger and glared at Ceylon.

“Why- Why are you looking at me like that!? I was just dragged away by your mighty arm without any resistance…!”

Ceylon clapped his hands together in embarrassment.

But something felt off. Perhaps it was because of the mood.

Ceylon bewildered expression seemed to be mocking Melhen somewhere.

Melhen barely held back from rushing towards Ceylon and looked at Adella instead.

Everyone must have seen it clearly; how this lowly person tarnished the dignity of nobility in front of others.

Moreover, no one would take the side of a commoner over a noble.

Realizing this judgment, Adella lowered her head slightly with a cold expression.

“How dare this lowly bastard-”

Melhen put his hand into his pocket.

Just then, when he took out a handkerchief intending to challenge Ceylon,

“Huh?”

“Uh-”

The interested gazes of the participants suddenly focused on one place.

The atmosphere in the venue became tense all of sudden.

Melhen and Adella followed the other participants, wondering what was going on.

“…”

Kasha Hanahan stood there with a pensive face.

Melhen and Adella, who hadn’t seen anything just a moment ago, quickly regained their composure and awkwardly averted their gaze.

The place fell silent.

“Number two.”

Kasha’s muffled words drifted through the silence.

Two. It was the number written on her chest patch.

Contestants flocked to this spot to see her number.

So, once they knew her number, there was no reason to hang around any longer.

Realizing that the intention of Kasha’s words was to disperse, the participants quickly left.

Soon, only four people remained in the room besides Kasha Hanahan.

Ceylon and Adryn.

Melhen and Adella.

Kashah first looked at Melhen and Adella.

As she looked at them, one corner of her mouth lifted, forming a subtle mockery.

“Don’t bother with me, just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Melhen even lowered his eyes.

Only Adella could barely hold her gaze, forcing a grim smile.

“Kasha-ssi, it’s an honor to meet you like this. I am Adella from the Espien family.”

“So?”

“I-I have something to explain about the incident.”

“Incident? Explanation? To me? Why?”

Heh.

The other corner of Kasha’s mouth twitched up, forming a mocking sneer.

“I’m just a participant, not an examiner or anything, just like everyone else who’s just been watching with interest. So, never mind me. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“…Thank you for your consideration, Kasha-ssi. However, when I think about it calmly, it seems that we acted too emotionally.”

“Oh? Emotional. Is that an admission of wrongdoing on your part, to that commoner?”

“Not that I’ve done anything wrong, but-”

Adella was about to hastily explain herself when Kasha stared at her silently.

“…”

Adella couldn’t understand why she was so actively trying to intervene and resolve the situation.

But one thing was certain.

If they continued here, she would definitely be out of favor with Kasha.

To Kasha Hanahan.

Adella put on a humble smile.

“Yes, as Kasha-ssi said. I apologize for causing trouble by behaving inappropriately during the performance.”

Kasha chuckled dismissively as if she had no interest in their apologies and looked away from Adella.

Relieved sighs escaped Adella and Melhen as they finally escaped Kasha’s attention.

After bowing deeply towards Kasha, they quickly left their seats behind them.

Now there were only two people left in the room: Ceylon and Adryn.

Kasha first glanced at Ceylon without saying anything.

“Hmm…?”

Silently waiting as if expecting something.