Chapter 31
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Violet's First Words - Episode 31
'Who could have done this... No, wait. Only one person could possibly pull off something like this!' The image of Violet, who had been dutifully completing assignments for me, flashed through my mind. Because she was always so obedient by nature, I had never suspected her for a moment. 'Did this wretch really try to make a fool of me like this?' Marigold's eyes trembled as she glanced around frantically.
"What is that?"
People began to murmur among themselves.
"Wait. This... uh, something seems wrong here."
Marigold barely managed to speak, her mouth parched and dry. Boom, boom! In that instant, something erupted with a tremendous sound.
【Assignment Concept, Violet Everdin...】
The letters, growing larger and larger, even rose into the air and flashed brilliantly. Those highly skilled in manipulating mana circuits could force mana to burst dramatically beyond the circuit's boundaries. Violet had employed precisely that technique.
"No, this can't be!"
Bang! Bang! The letters began bouncing upward with a sound like a piano. Around the colossal letters suspended clearly in midair, fireworks effects blazed ostentatiously. Marigold, flustered, tried to block the mana circuit with her entire body. But the letters hovered above Marigold's head, bobbing gently.
"What on earth is happening, Marigold!"
Sierra, who had belatedly grasped the situation, began darting back and forth frantically. Sierra was an exceptional spirit summoner, but manipulating mana circuits was an entirely different matter. In the end, she hurled the mana circuit to the ground. Yet once the letters had appeared, they would not vanish.
"No, no! This is a mistake. It's just a prank from my jealous older sister!"
Marigold stammered, trembling violently.
"Then stop this at once!"
Sierra cried out. As people watched the two priestesses flailing about in confusion, laughter erupted. To make matters worse, more people were gathering. 'Ash Defendale, and... who is that beautiful woman?' It was then that Marigold spotted a pair standing near the back entrance. A woman she didn't recognize. She rested one hand lightly on Ash's arm. The woman with subtle makeup and eyes of brilliant blue beauty was none other than... Violet Everdin. Violet wore an amused smile at the corner of her lips.
"Violet! What is the meaning of this?!"
Marigold pointed at Violet and shrieked irritably. 'Did I see wrong? There's no one here?' But when I came to my senses, Ash and Violet had vanished without a trace.
"Excuse me! Isn't this serious?"
It was a strange girl who snapped Marigold back to attention. She wore peculiar clothing and had her hair tied in two braids.
"That is, what, what..."
"If it were your own assignment, even if someone helped, you could stop the movement of the mana circuit. But seeing that you can't manipulate the circuit at all... wasn't this done by someone else from the start?"
The laughing students fell silent. They began to regard Marigold with suspicious eyes. Marigold experienced the strange sensation of cold sweat pouring from every pore of her body.
"I, I am..."
"A proxy assignment? That can't be. Marigold is an excellent student!"
Sierra spoke.
"If you truly did this yourself, then prove it by demonstrating the process of creating a mana circuit right here and now!"
Voices of agreement echoed from various corners. Particularly, Magic Department students who resented Sierra for openly favoring Marigold raised their voices.
"That's right! I've never seen Marigold actually practicing before!"
Marigold clutched her head as if about to faint.
"That is... I'm so shocked and nervous right now, I can't do anything. Sob, sob..."
But the twin-braided girl's mouth remained sharp.
"There have been suspicions about proxy assignments for the free projects assigned during breaks! If she's been submitting proxy work for years, a thorough investigation is necessary!"
Marigold looked at Sierra. The twin-braided girl's words were perfectly sound, so Sierra could only wipe the sweat from her forehead in silence. 'Damn it, the Ball is coming soon. I can't fall apart over this.' No matter what happened, Crown Prince Edgar would save her. Was there anything power couldn't solve? There wasn't. 'I'm the Crown Prince's woman. The future Empress.' With that thought, Marigold's spirit rallied somewhat.
"You all know what sisters are like. Everyone has a troublesome family member or two, don't they? My older sister must have sabotaged my assignment and set up a nasty trap. That's why the mana circuit went haywire. You know my older sister, don't you? Violet Everdin."
"..."
This time, the twin-braided girl fell silent. People listened intently to her words.
"You must know my older sister's reputation. And I am..."
Marigold forced a false smile onto her lips.
"I am Marigold Everdin. You know who I am. How could I do such a thing?"
At that, Dean Herbert Gallerville's frown eased. Marigold was already on the verge of fainting from breathlessness, but she barely managed to stand with composure. 'When I get home, I'm really going to kill you, Violet.' Marigold ground her teeth inwardly at the thought.
* * *
"Quite impressive, Violet. I had no idea you've been completing your younger brother's assignments for him all this time."
Ash spoke as he walked, supporting Violet's arm.
"Even as I was doing it, I didn't realize I was committing fraud. Or rather, I chose not to acknowledge it."
Violet gazed down at the floor with a bitter expression.
"Why do you look so sad? From where I stand, you just did something commendable."
"When I first enrolled at the Academy, I was called a prodigy for my skill in handling magical circuits. I was truly delighted when I was accepted to the Knight Division—the most difficult department to get into at the Academy."
"...."
"But after that, I never received a single word of praise. Yet today, the magical circuit I created is still being lauded."
Violet spoke softly.
"Meaningless drivel. Cheap praise has no value whatsoever."
Ash chuckled.
"Is that what you think?"
"Yes. If you truly desire it, I could even arrange for people's adoration to become so tiresome you'd grow sick of hearing it."
Violet stared at Ash blankly before breaking into a slight smile.
"You terrify me sometimes, Ash. It feels like you could actually do anything...."
At that moment, someone approached them with hurried steps. It was Bludin, his nose wrapped in bandages.
"Ash Defendale, you bastard!"
In that instant, Violet turned her head. Her meticulously groomed hair swayed gracefully, and her eyes, adorned with subtle makeup, appeared deeper than usual. Violet lifted her gaze and met Bludin's stare directly. Yet something was strange about Bludin's expression. The man who had been seething with rage now stared at Violet as though struck by lightning.
"Violet?"
After a moment, Bludin called out her name.
"It's been a while, Bludin."
Violet regarded him with a smile. And she gently tightened the hand resting on Ash's arm.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org