A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 105: Enlightenment (2)

An attempted rape on a noble lady, even from a ducal house, is an incident that could turn the whole academy upside down.

It’s only natural for the academy's reputation to plummet when a professor, who should be teaching students, is instead preying on them.

Moreover, this incident could even spark international disputes, making the situation unavoidably noisy.

However, the actual victim, Grace, was in a state of tranquility. She's currently resting in a hospital.

The paralysis poison concocted by Delphoi was left on-site, making the antidote straightforwardly accessible. Not to mention Sivar's massage therapy.

Although she missed classes due to the weekend, the necessity for a week of recuperation remained unchanged.

It's fortunate that it was only an attempt. Had she suffered further harm, Grace might have left the academy entirely.

"The family asked me to convey their concern. They’ll support anything needed for your treatment."

"…"

Grace appeared significantly subdued due to the shock, her usually sharp gaze now softened considerably.

Even as an attempt, experiencing such a horrendous event would naturally traumatize any woman.

Arthur was well aware of this, his gaze filled with pity. Despite the family's principles, a sister is still a sister.

Unlike the patriarch, who only knows to wield the whip, Arthur at least has his head screwed on right.

"Even in such times, brother comes. The patriarch never would."

"…"

"I know you're busy. But the disposal of Professor Delphoi… it's ultimately for the family's honor, isn't it?"

Grace laughed sardonically, a resigned look on her face. The Berche ducal family had personally requested Delphoi's custody. Illyriel cut ties faster than anyone else.

But this was for the duchy's honor, not for Grace. At least, that's how she felt.

If that were not the case, the patriarch, not the eldest son, would have come. If he truly cared as family.

"The patriarch isn’t as heartless as you think. He’s probably agonizing over this right now."

"Enough. I've lost any affection that might have been there. If you're going to succeed the family, I won't have to see him anyway. Just tell him to stay where he is."

"…"

Arthur had no response to Grace's harsh words. Or more accurately, he couldn't.

He too was without words for that matter. Such is the way of the Berche ducal family.

If you can't achieve something on your own, don't even think about receiving anything. This is their principle and their root.

The issue is the excessive harshness. Typically, children grow up in the care of their parents.

Without that care, children become as vulnerable as Grace is now.

"How is mother?"

"I barely stopped her from coming."

Did that provide any comfort? Grace's previously sour expression softened slightly.

Compared to her father, her mother is remarkably ordinary. Though strict, she's a mother who shows affection.

However, as days pass, her chronic illness weakens her further. Perhaps because of this, the father's whippings have become even harsher.

‘If something happens to mother…'

It's unimaginable. The whippings would undoubtedly become more severe.

Could I withstand it then? Would the family step in if another incident like this occurred?

I don't know. Grace sighed deeply, her mood darkening.

"If you want, the family can assign a knight as your escort. Who would you prefer?"

"Want?"

Grace couldn't help but laugh cynically. Shouldn't they be assigning one unconditionally, not asking if she wants one?

After such a disgraceful incident nearly befell a ducal lady, and they say ‘if you want'? Frustrated, she responded with irritation in her voice.

"Forget it. Tell them not to come. But double the financial support, please."

"What do you need the money for?"

"That's my business. Is that not allowed?"

"That's not a problem."

Receiving support in the form of money was much better. At least there wouldn't be any complaints.

Nevertheless, it wasn't satisfying. Grace nodded with a complex expression, then something occurred to her.

Not Delphoi, not the family, but the knight who saved her from peril. She hastily asked as Arthur was about to stand.

"What about Mr. Sivar?"

"Who?"

"Mr. Sivar. The one who saved me."

"Ah, the one from the forest?"

Rumors about Sivar had evidently spread to the ducal house. Given his various exploits, it was inevitable.

Typically, academy hopefuls gain attention for their looks or background, but Sivar's background itself is impactful.

Thus, most recognize him as a wildling from the forest. Arthur is no exception.

"I plan to personally convey our gratitude to that student. Compensation is also intended."

"Then…"

Grace pondered for a moment, wondering if such a request was appropriate.

Normally, a suitable reward would suffice. But compensating Sivar is tricky.

Giving money seems inappropriate since he doesn't quite grasp the concept, and dismissing it with food would be guilt-inducing.

"Could you ask Mr. Sivar if he would be my escort?"

"What? An escort?"

"Yes. Since Mr. Sivar is unique, I thought of compensating him by offering him the role of an escort."

That was her solution: escort duty as compensation. Perhaps a month's supply of cake would suffice.

For Arthur, who barely knows Sivar, the suggestion was utterly baffling. He asked, bewildered.

"I don't know what you're thinking. Suddenly asking that man to be an escort…"

"Is that not allowed?"

"I'll propose it, but… are you sure?"

That question was loaded with implications. After all, Grace had nearly been harmed by someone she was close to.

Moreover, from Arthur's perspective, Sivar is an unpredictable time bomb. Simply being a wildling was answer enough.

"Yes. At least Mr. Sivar isn't like that. He's far better than that trash Delphoi."

"If that's the case, I'll propose it. Frankly, the family probably won't care much either."

"At least it’s more useful than money."

Grace bitingly criticized the Berche ducal family. Arthur had no rebuttal to this.

Eventually, Arthur left the room with words of caution, leaving Grace alone in the hospital room.

Being a private room, the silence and solemnity were profound. Lost in an inexplicable emptiness, Grace slowly laid down on the bed.

"Fairy tales… are truly frightening."

In fairy tales, princesses often find themselves in perilous situations, with a knight arriving to save them.

I never realized until I became that princess myself, the psychological impact is far from trivial.

It allowed me to clearly discern the difference between fairy tales and reality.

Knights exist, but fairy tales do not. That's what Grace concluded.

"Sigh… Huh?"

As Grace sighed, weighed down by complex emotions, something caught her eye. It was her uniform.

Delphoi had torn the shirt underneath, but the uniform itself was intact.

"Now that I think about it…"

Grace sat up and reached for her uniform, not the shirt but the skirt.

Digging into the pocket, she found a grape-flavored candy, as expected. It was given to her by Sivar.

She stared at the candy, then, as if spellbound, slowly unwrapped it.

"Mm."

The purple candy entered her mouth, quickly filling it with the taste of grapes.

Although she wasn't particularly fond of grape flavor, she didn't dislike it either. She enjoyed sweets in general.

Absentmindedly, she chewed, the candy gradually melting and spreading its flavor throughout her mouth.

"Eat this when you're having a hard time."

Sivar's voice echoed in her head like an auditory hallucination. Even with his impassive face, his concern was evident.

That concern had sown a seed which soon blossomed into action, like a knight arriving to save her. Had Sivar not been there, she would have surely been defiled.

A tear streamed down her face, overwhelmed by emotions.

She reminisced about all the kindness Sivar had shown her, all traded for just a slice of cake.

True acts of kindness are rare in the academy, but Sivar had shown her pure goodwill through various means.

"Uh-huh…"

Biting down to suppress it, the tears couldn't be held back.

Sivar's absence felt profoundly vast. Upon reflection, she had always been on the receiving end of his kindness.

Her status as a ducal lady and fierce appearance made it difficult for others to approach her. But Sivar, with his unique blank expression, approached her.

All he asked for was a piece of cake. Merely asking, in reality, he practically worked for free.

Pure kindness. It made her feel guilty for deceiving him.

"A truly good person…"

Grace wiped away her tears, endlessly flowing. Despite not receiving proper education, how could he be so good?

It's the civilized who commit despicable acts. No need to look further than Delphoi.

"I was actually… trying to use Mr. Sivar…"

She had initially sought to exploit Sivar's power but felt only remorse upon recognizing his nature.

She wanted to compensate him somehow, but was unsure how. The family's support seemed unnecessary.

What could make Sivar happy? Food seemed the most likely option, but that was hardly sufficient.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Just as Grace was succumbing to despondency, someone knocked on the hospital room door.

She hurriedly wiped her tears. The knock suggested it wasn't Arthur but someone else.

She couldn't show this pitiable state. Although the tear stains were unavoidable, it was better than openly crying.

"Who is it?"

Her voice trembled, but Grace asked with a broken voice.

"Ah, Miss Grace. It's me, Yeonju."

The visitor was Yeonju. Normally, only staff would visit, but Yeonju was one of the few Grace had personally requested to see. They had become close through constant contact.

Kind of like a comfort doll. Grace, mindlessly chewing the candy, quietly granted permission.

"Come in."

"Excuse me for a moment."

*Creak*

With permission granted, Yeonju cautiously opened the door and entered. Immediately, she faced Grace.

The tear stains were vividly apparent. Her eyes were still moist from just having cried.

Yeonju felt pity but didn't express it outwardly. That might deepen the wound.

"Here are the books you requested, Miss Grace."

"Thank you…"

She didn't say it was alright. Now wasn't the time.

Grace received the books from Yeonju. Not novels, but fairy tale books.

Yeonju had known her preferences for a while. They had grown close enough for Grace to share her tastes.

"I couldn't have shared this with anyone else, but with Yeonju, it felt possible, like with a comfort doll."

"What's this?"

Grace discovered a book she hadn't seen before. Its title was intriguing.

"The Foolish Mild and Princess Pyeongha…? Is this a book from the East?"

"Well… precisely, it's a fairy tale from our region. Would you like to read it?"

Yeonju, correcting herself, recommended it. Grace, without much thought, opened the book.

It was her first time reading an Eastern fairy tale. Trade with the East had been difficult due to various issues during her childhood.

Moreover, Eastern fairy tales translated into the common language were rare. She was curious about the feel of an Eastern fairy tale.

Grace became deeply engrossed in the fairy tale Yeonju recommended. The plot was truly innovative.

The story of a man called the Foolish Mild, who grows through his encounter with Princess Pyeongha, was captivating. Interestingly, both characters had their own flaws.

Mild was so problematic he was dubbed a fool, and Princess Pyeongha was notably stubborn.

Yet, through Princess Pyeongha's dedicated efforts, Mild became a general who achieved great feats.

Although it ended tragically with Mild's death, Grace didn't mind.

"Yeonju."

"Yes. What is it?"

"Was Mild really a fool?"

Yeonju pondered Grace's question. That fairy tale was quite famous.

As a result, interpretations varied, but one thing was clear: Mild was not a fool.

He was simply too kind-hearted, not mentally deficient.

Had there been a real issue, he wouldn't have become a general, a fact even scholars acknowledged.

"No. He simply lacked education, but his talent was likely exceptional. Otherwise, he couldn't have become a general."

Grace thought of one person upon hearing that. Sivar, who had caused various incidents during the midterms.

Being raised in the wild didn't make him stupid. If anything, being foolish would have prevented his survival in the wild.

Mild was the same. Lacking education made him simple, but his true talent was general material.

Of course, this was possible thanks to Princess Pyeongha's dedication.

"I see."

Lost in thought, Grace's expression gradually relaxed. The candy in her mouth was almost melted away.

"That's it!"

"What?"

As if realizing something, Grace exclaimed. The previously downtrodden expression vanished.

She then grasped Yeonju's shoulders tightly. Yeonju's slender frame made her seem almost devoured by Grace's intensity.

"A knight! It wasn't meant to be perfect from the start! No, there was never anything perfect from the beginning!"

"Um, what?"

"Perfection isn't inherent; it's created! Mild was the same! Thanks to the princess's dedication, he could become a general!"

"???"

Yeonju's face grew increasingly confused, unable to comprehend Grace's mental world.

She had only read one fairy tale, yet Grace's reaction was puzzling.

Regardless, Grace, filled with euphoria, raised her head.

Then, spreading her arms wide, she shouted with joy.

"Fairy tales! They don't come to you!"

A small voice inside whispered to her.

"I'll create my own fairy tale! With these hands!"

Nothing stood in her way anymore. Only a straight path remained.

Yeonju stared blankly at Grace, her face still clueless.

Then Grace calmed down, the candy having completely melted away.

But the sweetness left behind was vivid.

"There's one thing I must do first."

"What's that?"

"Marriage."

"Excuse me?"

Hearing that, Yeonju was.

"I'm going to marry Mr. Sivar. And through my dedication, help him grow as a knight."

"That's…"

"Then, my long-dreamed fairy tale will be complete. How about it? Isn't it perfect?"

Yeonju's face fell into ‘chaos.'

*****

Meanwhile, at the same time.

[Your faith increases!]

"?"

While conversing with Arthur, Sivar unexpectedly received support.

TL/N : Who is Yeonju? Is it typo for Yeonhwa or did I make mistake with Yeonhwa name from the start? BTW I lost the the glossary for this novel, so the name and place can be change from previous chapter. Tell me in the comment if you found it.