I Became an Outcast in the Academy

8. Change (5)

‘It seems like there really is something to you.’

Lobelia thought about that as she wore the various accessories Ricardo gave her.

Originally, Lobelia did not like wearing her jewelry on her body.

It wasn’t for the same reason that she disliked luxury or was a frugal person, but because she just felt it was cumbersome.

But lately, Lobelia has been wearing all kinds of luxurious accessories all over her body, from her earrings to her necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

-What, is she showing off that she has some kind of relationship with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

Doesn’t she look just like the villainess from the story? To be honest, it’s so vulgar.

She also had a listening ear for Lobelia, so she knew very well what her other cadets were saying about her outward appearance.

And when she looked in the mirror, she didn’t want to deny the fact that she was not a spiritist with the greatest ability in the empire like she used to be, but a rich rich man’s mistress.

But she also likes lobelia, so she didn’t wear her jewelry all over her body like this.

The accessories she had recently received as a gift from Ricardo were none other than expensive and rare artifacts that increased the wearer’s spirit affinity.

Originally, they were great artifacts that could not be purchased even if you sold a decent mansion in the archipelago, but no matter how expensive they were, they were not so much that even the crown prince of the empire could not obtain them.

And by wearing that artifact, Lobelia was replenishing her own spirit affinity, which had recently decreased for reasons unknown to her.

Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, her spirit affinity, which had been decreasing day by day, stopped decreasing from one day to the next and was maintaining its current state.

But even though the symptoms that had been bothering her disappeared, Lobelia was in no position to breathe a sigh of relief.

Lobelia does not know why these symptoms occurred to her, what the risk of the symptoms recurring is, and what will happen to her if the symptoms recur.

It was frustrating. Lobelia began to think that her present situation was like that of a Duke decked out in all her splendid feathers.

And, considering the common point that if you take away her gorgeous feathers, all that remains is her humble self, she was even more so.

“My public image has become so bad. If it continues like this… “It’s really dangerous.”

Her older brother, Sian, was also proudly carrying on an affair with her fiancé, Cartesia, but their love affair was not greatly criticized by the other cadets.

No, on the contrary, whenever Lobelia saw her idiot cheering that it was the romance of the century that surpassed her social status, she felt something astonished.

“Her brother and her sister are both dating members of the royal family. One side is romance and the other is an affair?”

Considering that until a few months ago, Xian’s reputation within Lutra was extremely low, while Lobelia’s reputation was sky-high, public opinion on her had really changed drastically.

She knows full well that she must do whatever it takes. But… There was absolutely no way for me to do that now.

What was more important to Lobelia than anything else was her own spirit affinity.

The driving force itself that enabled Lobelia, who was just an orphan from the streets, to reign at the top of Lutra for the past six months.

If it disappears, Lobelia will revert to the miserable, insignificant orphan she once was.

Currently, we are solving this problem by covering the whole body with artifacts… In the end, this is nothing more than a temporary measure.

In the end, a definitive solution must be found. If not, she will eventually fall.

‘First of all, it is impossible to consult with someone else. Telling Ricardo about these symptoms… It’s even more impossible.’

From the beginning, as other cadets believed, Lobelia and Ricardo were not in a relationship driven by burning love.

Lobelia needed a background and a source who could advance to the core of her power, and Ricardo needed a talent who could make up for her lack of talent, which was her spirit affinity.

The relationship was only formed as lovers because they suited each other’s interests perfectly.

If Ricardo finds out that Lobelia’s spirit affinity has decreased… He would abandon Lobelia without any hesitation.

They say they are in a romantic relationship, but Lobelia knows Ricardo’s personality well. Ricardo was still a human being.

Then a breakthrough in this situation must be found elsewhere.

And then, Lobelia was given a clue.

“Ellie, it seems obvious that girl knows something.”

Recently, the fact that she suddenly called three other sisters, and the fact that she said something meaningful like saying that her brother seems to have powers, now that I think about it, I feel a bit suspicious.

The Ellie Lobelia knew was a girl who had nothing and her pride was as strong as that of any nobleman.

For Ellie to express her regret for losing her brother out of sheer guilt… Now that I think about it, it felt a little strange.

“If that bloodless, tearless girl suddenly had regrets about her brother, what was the real story behind it?”

The answer to that question was not that difficult. Because she, Lobelia, was also going through a similar situation in real time.

“… “As expected, Ellie was experiencing the same symptoms as me.”

Now that I think about it, among the many rumors that have been causing a stir in Lutra recently, there was one like this.

Ellie, who is known to have reached the peak of her skills related to the sword, has recently been struggling in several classes, while Xian and Cartesia are setting new records that will rewrite the history of Luthra.

At the time, it was just news that Cartesia snorted lightly because she was spreading all sorts of rumors to justify her affair with her brother, but what if the rumors were really true?

What if Ellie, like Lobelia, is suffering from a sudden decline in her talent and is unable to avoid her poor performance?

“Then…” “All of this can’t possibly be a coincidence.”

If one individual event occurs, it may be a coincidence, but if two events occur at the same time, it is absolutely not a coincidence.

And this was even more so considering the fact that Lobelia and Ellie, who could be said to be the main victims of the incident, were related by a strange relationship, being sisters who were not related by blood.

You may not know it, but there was a very high possibility that Leticia and Sepia were also experiencing the same symptoms.

In that case, it would be safe to assume that the killer is not simply holding a grudge against one Lobelia, but is targeting all four of her sisters.

If the clues are gathered to this extent, it is not that difficult to infer the person who could be said to be behind all of this.

A person who likely holds a grudge against both Eli and Lobelia.

If those two lose their power or fall from their current positions for some reason, he would be happier than anyone else in the world.

Lobelia knew one person who might have such a mindset.

“I couldn’t believe it, but it was my older brother.”

Lobelia smiled bitterly without realizing it and ended up muttering that.

Of course, there was no evidence. All of this was just Lobelia’s mere guess.

But for some reason, Lobelia thought that her guess that Xian was behind all these events was correct.

The reason is… Lobelia herself didn’t know. Maybe it’s the affection of her family, who have been living together under the same roof for the past few years.

‘Of course, if there is still some affection left between us.’

But now was not the time to indulge in trivial sentiments like that.

If, as Lobelia suspected, her design had indeed reduced her spirit affinity by some kind of means, it would have been a big deal.

She was stabbed in the back by her beloved sister like that, but she was not a saint enough to willingly forgive everything and protect Lobelia.

But… I thought I could use this as an opportunity.

‘My brother is probably planning to punish not only me, but also Ellie, Leticia, and Sephia in some way.’

Then, how about she offer her a deal, asking her to restore her lost spirit affinity in exchange for her cooperation with Xian?

No, if only I could go beyond that and find out how to reduce Lobelia’s spirit affinity… Or, if her teacher shared the method with Lobelia, she wouldn’t have to stick to Ricardo like this.

If there really was such a way, Lobelia could be sure that it would not be impossible for her to make her empire her own within a year.

‘Her brother also hangs around with that woman, Cartesia, so it doesn’t seem like she has any ambitions. Then, it also means that she can join hands with me for greater benefits rather than being swayed by her own emotions.’

Lobelia had a hard time holding back the laughter that was breaking out inside her.

It was truly a perfect plan. If this plan succeeds, she will reign as the absolute ruler of a new era.

Then, there is only one thing left to do: she goes to see Xian, tells him that she has uncovered the whole truth, and offers her a deal.

So, Lobelia left her room and visited her Xian’s dormitory, feeling her pleasant emotions for the first time in a long time –

“When I say something nice, I tell you to go away.”

“… Ha?”

In front of her Sian’s room, she crumpled her own face as she looked at Cartesia, who was standing there as if she were her gatekeeper.

“Are your ear holes clogged? If that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do. Even if you are a subject of the empire, I, as the princess, have no choice but to show kindness once again.”

Saying that, Cartesia looked at Lobelia as if she were looking down at her trash and said this.

“There is nothing I want to say to someone like you. Since I don’t want to face him, I just told him to tell me to get the hell out of here while he was saying nice things. Oh right. Come to think of it, I also said something like this.”

Just as she was honing her patience as she looked at Cartesia, who was smiling at her, she heard Cartesia’s next words and her own body stiffened. .

“If you behave like that, the lost spirit affinity will never come back, so do you think it would be wiser to go to my brother and beg him to buy me another artifact?”

“… What?”