Catch the bully

The next day at the academy, Luzia felt as if she had stepped two steps backward after finally taking one step forward. Her friend Nellie seemed distant and avoidant, ignoring her at the bakery and not even meeting eyes with her at the academy.

Perhaps she was meant to be alone, she believed. But before friends came, her goal, and her current goal, was to find the bullies. She was a lady, and she promised that she would not let anyone look down on her. 

The class was as lively as ever, apart from Sir Albert's class, of course. The classes soon ended, and the final bell rang, reminding me that the classes were over and everyone had cheerfully left the class. 

Luiza packed her bag, which she borrowed from Hael. Her books, which were at home, were the only ones that were spared. Once everyone left the class, she left too. But instead of going to the ground, she went to the teacher's office instead. 

"Knock, knock." She knocked at the door and heard a "come in," and so she entered. 

The male teachers from before were nowhere to be seen, and Teacher Harumi was the only one present. 

"Excuse me, teacher," she interrupted. "I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you regarding my project," she stated. Harumi gazed at her student, nodding in response. Luiza spoke. 

"Can we provide our answers with the integration of magic? I believe that due to Ever Hill's topography and people's lifestyles, the input of anything new would be very risky." 

"Yes, you can. Unlike other parts of Evermore, Everhill gets a vast amount of snow, which hampers the upliftment, but in a new light, it can also be a source of income. Just make sure for it to be logical," Harumi stated. 

"I see, and what about the average income? Do you have any books that can provide me with the data of Evermore, Teacher?" She asked, and the teacher, Harumi, bent down and opened her drawers one by one. She found the book she was looking for. 

"Phoo!" She blew away the dust on its cover, whipped it with her handkerchief, and gave her the book, which was the accounting report of Evermore from the past ten years. 

"Read this," she said. "This has all the necessary data you would require." 

As Luiza leaned forward to get the book, her head throbbed unexpectedly, and she hit her knees on the floor. As the world around her spun, she pressed her hands on the floor, got on all fours, and waited for a bit to feel better. 

"MOONSTONE!" Harumi instantly got out of her seat and helped Luiza get up. 

"Oh, I am very sorry. I feel very light-headed." 

"Sit here for a bit. Take some rest."

"I would love to, but rather, could you help me get to the class? My medicines are in the bag." 

Contemplating the condition, Harumi agreed and held Luiza's right arm, and they walked upstairs. Although strict, Haruma was an intelligent woman who was unbiased. 

On the fifth floor, the voices of girls reverberated. 

"How come a bitch like her even enters our school? And especially be with Sir Hael? That bitch needs to know her place." 

"Indeed, I even saw them holding hands yesterday. The audacity?" That girl sharply poked a hole and tore the bag into two halves. "Now that feels better." 

"Only that? Sighs. If it weren't for Nellie, I would have beat the shit out of her. Such a whore." The two girls continued to talk aloud while chopping and shredding all the books and bags from Luiza. 

"Hehe, let's pull her to the ally and beat the crap out of her then. She is meek anyway. After all, even that, Albert terrified her," and the two girls cackled out loud. 

Haruma, who saw and heard everything, rushed to the classroom and opened the door loudly. Her glasses could not hide the utter detest in her. 

"What do you think you girls are spouting, huh? And shouldn't you have gone home by now? I shall report you both to the higher-ups!" The girls immediately stopped their actions. Posey's hands froze and color drained from her face while Lydia stubbornly cut through the fabric in her hands. 

"LYDIA!" Harumi shouted, and immediately their eyes were cast down on the floor. 

"Leave! Now! I SHALL DEAL WITH YOU BOTH THE NEXT DAY," she glared at them, and meekly they carried their bags and left the room. Lydia knowingly pushed Luiza by her shoulders as she left. 

"Ah!" Luiza was slightly agitated, and Harumi held her frail body. 

"Sighs, these girls," the teacher breathed. "I shall immediately have a meeting with the principal. Such behavior should not be condemned. Take care!" 

Teacher Harumi left the room, and Luiza gathered her belongings and left. Swiftly, she descended and got to the practice ground, where the practicals were over and the lessons had started. 

"Excuse me, sir! I am very sorry for my tardiness." She intervened in the middle of the class. 

All her classmates gazed at her with curiosity. Nellie, although she had a look of disapproval, Hael glanced at her. "You better have a good reason for such tardiness. Go back to your seat! Now!" He commanded, and lowering her head, she went to the very last seat. 

The class that day focused on the improvement of magical abilities and shaping the spells to fit the needs and abilities of the user. He demonstrated a few different methods, which surprised the students. 

"I want you to write the pros and cons of your abilities tomorrow, and we shall have practicals like today. Class dismissed"

The students rose from their seats, bowed to him, and left. From the corner of his eyes, Hael followed Luiza. The way her face seemed drained and lacking in color sort of made him care for her. 

She went to her class and carried her shredded belongings, and once again, without meeting eyes with anyone, she left, and Hael teleported them back to the house. 

"Is the bullying getting too much?" he asked. 

"Nothing that I can't handle," she said with a convincing smile. That day, she did not wish to translate the novel, so she started her project about the upliftment of lifestyle. 

~

The next day was not much different. She was alone. During her lunch break, she frequently ate the bread Hael had purchased for her in the morning. She submitted her project to the teacher.

In her presentation, she began to focus on the application of alchemy to produce glycerin to protect residents' hands while also operating a profitable business.

The class concluded, and as Luiza was about to leave, she was immediately pulled by a powerful force. Huh? Two powerful hands drew her into a dark, empty room.

A crowd of girls and boys surrounded her. Her friends from the magic class were also present.

"What did you do to Possy?!" Suddenly, a warm hand slapped Luiza's cheeks, which woke her to reality. It imprinted a red hand mark on her cheeks.