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Violet's First Words - Episode 43

"Don't move. What just activated is the lowest-tier barrier installed in this house. If you ‌‌provoke Cyril, something far worse will ‌‌‌come."
Olive spoke. Her gaze was merciless. She swept Geoffrey's ankle out from under him.
"Ugh!"
Geoffrey crashed to the floor. Olive pinned him down and pressed a pressure point on his neck.
"Paralysis ‌‌‌‌technique complete."
"Begin."
"Yes."
Olive nodded. She whispered with an expressionless face.
"I should mention—don't harbor any hope. I know over a hundred methods of ‌‌‌torturing someone to death without leaving a single mark on their body. There will be no trace whatsoever, so feel free to enjoy yourself. I'll treat you as a special guest."
"Aaaahhh, ugh, uuuggghhhh!" ‌
Olive began pressing specific points across Geoffrey's body.
Screams tore from his throat in response.
"That's enough, Olive. You've made your point. I can't stand listening to pig-slaughtering noises."
Cyril made a gesture of cleaning his ear as he ‌‌‌spoke. Olive stopped what she was doing. The other men collapsed to the floor as well.
Most had already lost consciousness. Only Geoffrey remained, eyes ‌‌‌‌wide open, glaring at Cyril.
"Geoffrey, you fool. You threw ‌‌the first punch. If you're thinking of reporting this, let me make something ‌clear—we'll countersue."
Cyril spoke with a smile.
In that moment, Violet and Geoffrey's eyes met.
A chilling fury blazed ‌‌in Geoffrey's bloodshot eyes.
Cyril also noticed Violet ‌‌standing in the space between the living room and the Dining Room.
"Try approaching my niece one more time. Next time, it won't end like this, you worthless excuse for a father."
Cyril whispered. Then he gestured to Olive.
Olive began moving the men one by one—as casually as if she were handling ingredients purchased for dinner; I had once seen her lift a massive salt-cured ‌hunk of meat onto her shoulder with ease—and hurling them into a cargo cart.
"These people ‌‌‌‌‌are still alive, aren't they?"
Violet hurried after Olive and asked.
Olive looked her up and down before responding. ‌
"Don't worry about it. Go finish your breakfast. Proper nutrition is fundamental to training."
"But... wait, where are you taking these people?"
"Somewhere as far and desolate as possible. Very far from the Capital."
"...."
"That way, when they wake up, they'll feel miserable. They'll be grateful we didn't bury them."
"Yes, Master."
Violet answered with unexpected reverence.
As she turned to leave, ‌‌something felt oddly incomplete.
Today, Cyril Uncle was cunning incarnate. So was Olive. But ultimately, he was my father, and he was my enemy.
I approached my father, who was loaded onto the cart like a piece of cargo.
"Father, I know your entire body is paralyzed but your mind is still conscious. With that in mind, I'll tell you this."
I whispered ‌and continued.
"Elern Warehouse, ‌‌‌ledger number 33-2, tax evasion, embezzlement, amount: seven ‌‌‌hundred gold coins per month."
"Ugh, hack. Ugh!"
Geoffrey's eyes widened at the mere sound he could produce.
"If you trouble Cyril Uncle, ‌I'll scatter that ledger across the streets. I ‌‌‌know far more than you think."
"...."
"As your daughter, I should have memorized all of your misdeeds. Shouldn't I?"
I straightened up and stood tall. ‌‌‌‌
I only possessed copies of some of Geoffrey's double ledgers.
After all, I had only glimpsed some of the ledgers in Geoffrey's study safe. ‌‌‌
But I deliberately let Geoffrey imagine the rest.
Let him wonder exactly how much and how thoroughly I knew.
This was close enough to the textbook definition of cunning. I felt proud of my growth.
Of course, compared to monsters like Cyril Uncle or Ash, I still had ‌‌‌far to go. ‌‌
Then I ‌‌reached into my father's pocket ‌‌and pulled out his wallet.
I emptied every last silver coin so he'd be in trouble even after the paralysis wore off, and stuffed it ‌‌all into my ‌‌‌pocket.
"Father, consider this the overdue child support you owed. I'll spend it well on luxuries, just like Marigold does so thoughtlessly."
I returned the empty wallet with a gentle ‌‌smile.
If luxury didn't mean buying necessities, then it was all a matter of how one spent it.
I decided to buy ‌‌the novels I loved and donate the remaining money.
"Well done. I'll empty the rest of their wallets."
Olive smiled faintly and set the carriage in motion.
I waved until the carriage disappeared from sight.
My mood was absolutely refreshed.

* * *

The Crown Prince's Ball was drawing near. ‌‌‌‌‌
"Ash, we promised to withdraw together, but why are we in the Dean's Office?"
Violet wore a dress with a subtle golden ‌sheen today, paired with long white gloves.
At that moment, the audience in the seats erupted in cheers and applause. On stage, a theatrical performance was about to begin.
"There ahead—that's the person we absolutely must submit our documents to." ‌‌‌
Violet stretched ‌‌‌her neck to get a better view.
A bald man dressed in luxurious clothing was laughing and chattering with the people around him.
Violet's brow furrowed.
It was Herbert—the man who had sided with Marigold until the very end, even when her guilt was certain.
"The Academy is certainly an important institution ‌‌for the Empire as an educational body, but simultaneously it serves to support Imperial Family authority. All Academy students receive their education through the grace of the Imperial Family, after all. The Academy teaches it that way too. Because of this, the Dean's position is one that pro-Imperial figures pass through."
"Aren't the Deans from academic backgrounds?"
"Even if they are, most of them are just respectable in appearance."
"...I see."
"There's not a single Dean ‌‌who came from a renowned scholar. That's why grade manipulation happens so easily."
"Like Marigold, for instance..."
"Right. Those connected to the Imperial ‌‌‌‌Family or even remotely related to that power receive grades based on assignments at the professor's discretion."
It was strange if you thought about it ‌‌‌logically for even ‌‌a moment.
Replacing the final exam with assignments done at home.
"So that's why you protected Marigold so much?"
"Anyone who touches long-established practices inevitably faces consequences."
Ash answered casually.
Violet laughed bitterly.
"It doesn't matter anyway—we're leaving anyway."
"Right, exactly. So about that, ‌Violet."
"..."
"Should we withdraw together right now?"
Ash spoke as if amused.
A singer took the stage and the accompaniment began. The moment the singer started to sing, Violet saw something strange above Herbert's head.
A small balloon-like object was floating down toward the Dean.
And the instant it hovered directly above Herbert's head—
Pop!
The balloon burst, and countless envelopes rained down onto Herbert's head.
"What is this! Ahhhhh!"
Herbert shot up from his seat and screamed.
"What's going on?"
The crowd murmured in confusion.
The last thing to fall on Herbert's head was a white envelope. The performance on stage had even stopped at this sudden turn of events.
Herbert tore open the letter envelope frantically. Then he looked around.
"That's our withdrawal letter, isn't it?"
"Of course."
"Then what about the other ‌‌‌‌‌pamphlets?"
"Protests regarding financial opacity in Academy management, and questions raised about the grading system I just mentioned."
Ash rose from his seat as he spoke. Violet reflexively grasped his hand.
At ‌first, people were taken aback by what had ‌‌‌happened to Herbert.
But once they realized the mysterious incident was merely a protest against Herbert ‌and the Academy—not an attack targeting indiscriminate victims or a genuine threat—some began turning away with laughter.
Violet walked out hand in hand with Ash.
Without anyone telling me ‌‌‌to, my pace quickened with an unmistakable lightness.
"Ash, being ‌‌‌‌‌with you ‌‌‌makes every day feel ‌‌‌chaotic. Honestly, I should say it's exhilarating." ‌‌‌‌‌
Violet said as we ‌‌‌‌walked briskly.
"It brings me joy too. I live for your happiness."
Ash replied.
"I feel so relieved right now. But still—why? You have far more to lose than I do."
"I enjoy destruction, whether it's breaking things or ruining them."
"So that's why you're helping me?"
"Yes. I wanted to ruin your unfortunate life as well."
If ‌‌‌‌an unfortunate life ‌is ruined, what becomes of it? At best, it becomes happiness.
Unable to contain myself any longer, I burst into genuine laughter.
"So we've really ‌‌withdrawn from the Academy?"
"The world has ‌‌procedures, so I left two withdrawal forms in the Dean's Office—yours included."
That evening, Herbert's minor incident was briefly introduced in the evening newspaper without photographs.
Herbert apparently felt deeply embarrassed about the matter ‌‌‌‌and refused to disclose the names of those involved.
The incident concluded without incident, leaving only joy in its wake.
‌‌

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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