36

The genius musician, who composed the symphony "Aria in Heaven" at the age of 16, lost his hearing at the age of 20. He neglected his chronic illness and became deaf. Elena wanted to heal Centonio's ears.

In addition to this, she never missed a chance to check out the needs of masters in countless other diverse fields, such as doctors, painters, engineers, and philosophers. Elena's reason for putting her life on the line for these masters who had yet to see the light of day was her greed to buy their hearts.

'People are treasures.'

Simply sponsoring them and trading in the finished artifacts is a poor idea. You can make more than you invest, but that's all. Elena wanted more than that.

Cultural ripple effect!

Elena literally wanted to lead and further dominate the times.

"May, take it."

On the parchment that Elena handed over, it was written in detail about the immediate needs of each person in a clear and light manner.

"Go find them and help them out as it says."

"All of these people?"

"As you can see, they are all people in need of a helping hand. Some are struggling to eat, some are suffering from sickness, some have poor health. You can help them get what they need. When they are in need of money, you give it to them, when they are sick, you bring them a doctor…. You will do that for me, won't you?"

May couldn't erase her puzzled expression. It was enough to leave the guild's request, but Elena was hoping to judge and act independently in accordance with May's situation.

"Why? I believe you can do well enough."

Elena's smile contained absolute faith and trust. May herself was perplexed as to what she had seen and trusted her.

"Yes, I'll try."

"Yes, you're right. Let me know when you're done. It's not a matter to be dealt with in a day or two, so we should also set up an alibi to fool Anne beforehand."

"Alibi?"

Elena gave a meaningful smile as May looked at her as if she was wondering what she was talking about.

***

"Ack!"

Elena's scream rang out in the bedroom on the second floor of the dormitory. Anne, who was cleaning up the laundry on the first floor, and Hurelbard, who was standing guard, ran up to the second floor.

"Are you all right, miss?"

Anne and Hurelbard, who came up to this floor almost at the same time, faced Elena, who was frowning at her swollen wrist.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm guilty enough for death."

In front of her, May was apologizing with her head and waist bowed. A spilled cup of tea on the carpet. Steam rising from the overflowing tea bath. From the way Elena was covering her wrists with a towel, it seemed that May had accidentally spilled hot water.

"Sorry? Is that all?"

"I'm so sorry. Forgive me once…"

May's next words didn't go on.

Slap. The back of Elena's hand slapped May's cheek in a diagonal motion from bottom to top. The blow was so hard that May, who had laid her head down, immediately cried out unbearably.

"M-miss."

Anne and Hurelbard were stiff, not daring to step forward. Anne held her breath because she had personally experienced how scary her anger was, and Hurelbard was at a loss because it was a situation he had never experienced before.

"Get out. I don't want to see you, so get out now!"

"Miss, forgive me just once…"

"Can't you hear me?! Get out of here!"

When Elena fired violently as if she was going to eat her, May left the bedroom in tears.

"I'm warning you, don't come before me."

Shudder.

May shivered at the icy cold voice. She went down to the ground floor with a haggard face and soon left the dormitory.

"What are you looking at? Wet the towel in cold water!"

"Yes? Yes, miss!"

Anne, who was staring blankly through the bedroom window on the second floor, suddenly came to her senses and moved.

"Sir, go down."

Hurelbard bowed silently and retreated, as if he thought it was not the situation for him, a knight, to appear.

"Here you go!"

Elena covered her wrist with the cool towel that Anne had brought. The tea water was so hot that it was still hot. Anne tried to keep her eyes on Elena, who seemed to burst when she touched her, by giving her ointment and bandages.

"Mud on madam's face, but oily resin. How can you make the mistake of spilling tea water on me?"

"Y-you're right."

"I should have made you do it. You wouldn't have made this mistake."

Anne's lip twitched at Elena's compliment. She managed her facial expression, but seeing May being kicked out made her feel better.

"I'm going to be late for my lecture."

"Come on, miss. I'll clean up."

"I'm glad you're on my watch."

Elena, who had ointment on her wrist, left the dormitory. Compliments made even whales dance, and Anne hummed and took the carpet, which was soaked in tea, and she didn't mind the trouble of drying it.

Elena headed straight to the library. She came out with an excuse for her lecture, but it was a short lecture today. The professor was absent due to the presentation of the conference, so the lecture was pushed back.

"I'm sorry for May. It's acting, but I hit you too hard."

The previous incident was a play that Elena and May planned to trick Anne. Elena slapped her face sincerely in order to act as realistic as possible. She was able to fool Anne because of that, but she was sorry inside.

Elena disguised herself as Lucia in the record room. Now that she was used to makeup, the time taken to disguise herself has also reduced.

"Cecilia how… should I treat you?"

Looking in the mirror, Elena threw a question. She once hated her as a rival. However, past emotions that had been intense through regression have been diluted. Elena was the first uninvited guest to join the relationship between her and Crown Prince Sian.

Yes, Elena felt guilty about Cecilia. A year after Sian ascended as emperor, Leabrick and Grand Duke Friedrich poisoned Cecilia in an attempt to put Elena in the position of the empress.

Although Elena did not directly intervene, she felt sorry because she was hoping for the position of Empress at that time.

"You and I don't have to repeat that terrible future."

Elena left the record studio determined that she did not want to repeat the wrong and wrong bad relationship. Though her head was still complicated, Raphael, apart from that, was essential. If she avoided Raphael because it was burdensome to bump into Cecilia, Elena's revenge would be severely disrupted.

Elena walked to the West Side Annex of the Academy. She always felt it, but every time she came here, it felt lively. Unlike the aristocrats who were full of formality and pretense, this place, which was dominated by the common people, was seen to have sincere exchanges and communication amid a well-intentioned competition. She was more attached to it.

"Miss Lucia!"

Elena's head turned to a more natural title than Princess Veronica.

"Hello, senior."

It was a terrible coincidence. Otherwise, there was no way that she would run into Cecilia today, at this time.

"I'm seeing you again. Were you on your way to see Raphael?"

"Yes, it's a public lecture, so I'm going as an adjunct. You too, senior?"

"It's… true that I'm going to see Raphael, but for different reasons. I'm running away from someone."

Elena glanced at Cecilia's playfully laughing.

"Are you avoiding them?"

"There's someone like that. He's a very difficult person for me."

Cecilia, who left a vague remark, waved the paper envelope in her hand.

"Come on, let's go. I brought a bunch of cookies today."

"How do you know this junior likes cookies?"

It was when they walked to the annex in good company, making appropriate chit-chat.

Cecilia, who was chattering like a sparrow, suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong with you?"

Elena looked up and laughed as if she was wondering, and she looked good. And Elena could see a black-haired man standing ten steps ahead.

"…!"

Eyes that seem to be sucked into a narrow nose. The pitch-black haired man exuded a grace and innate nobility that could not be hidden by his uniform. The atmosphere that seemed like he can't be treated carelessly even though he was just standing silently was so fatal that once you look at him, you can't turn your eyes away.

"Your Royal Highness."

Cecilia's small lips revealed the identity of the man.

Claudius de Sian. The Crown Prince of the Vecilian Empire, which held the hegemony of the continent, was this very man in front of her eyes.

"You still avoid me."

As soon as she faced him, Elena's ears hardened and she heard the voice of Sian. His voice entered her eardrums and made her heart pound. It felt as if he and Elena were the only ones left in the world.

The emotions that she had thought she had buried so well came back to haunt her as soon as she saw Sian. A complex of emotions stained with resentment, guilt, and regret towards him broke the standards of reason and emotion, and shared his spirit.

"Don't even deny avoiding it."

"Your Highness always puts me in trouble."

Clearly, it was Cecilia and Sian who exchanged conversations, but Elena could only hear Sian's voice. Just as the scars he left on Elena were apparent, words that hurt her feelings were recalled and made her dizzy.

"I've never loved you for a moment. You are my mistake, my dishonor, and my misfortune."

His painful words that swept through her heart became thorns and stabbed Elena again. The pain caused her to gulp naturally, and a cold sweat broke out on her back. For Elena, Sian was… A pain, a wound, and a bitter scar that would never heal.

"You owe me an apology, too. So I want you to make some time."

"… You're forcing me again. Oh, Miss Lucia?

Cecilia, who had a bitter smile, felt that Elena, who was standing next to her, looked worried and asked.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"…"

Elena was out of her mind to answer. She managed to keep her head above water, but it was very difficult.

'I'm dizzy. Let's get back for today.'

If she stayed like this, she would not be able to do well. Her mind tried to go back and rest, but her body didn't follow.