“Fascium is a surname?”

“No, it’s a middle name.”

“Fascium Aberdeen.”

“I’m so disappointed in you. You don’t even know my name.”

Edmund sobbed suddenly, his emotions running wild. Anita simply wanted to rush back to her dorm room and fall into bed. She didn’t care about Edmund’s name.

“You’re the grandson of Viscount Aberdeen.”

Anita’s mouth dropped open. Who was Viscount Aberdeen? The ruler of the Balder province from ancient times and the chairman of Aberdeen University. Moreover, he was a war hero immortalized in a statue riding a horse at the entrance of the university.

So, the Student Council President was also the heir of the Aberdeen Foundation?

“The old man is telling me to get married.”

Anita nonchalantly shook her head. Whether Edmund got married, engaged, or became a groom had nothing to do with her.

“If I refuse, my research funding goes down the drain.”

“…….”

“Do you have any plans to invest? The project I’m currently working on…”

As Edmund subtly peeled away his luck, Anita gently let go of his arm she was holding onto. It’s essential not to be overly frugal and not to spend money like water.

That was what she had learned from her father since childhood. Also, Anita was well aware that uncertain investments were one of the easiest ways to ruin one’s life.

“Just convince your marriage partner.”

It seemed that Lice anticipated Anita’s rejection, as she showed no response.

“Lily isn’t someone who listens when told.”

“She’ll ignore you if you tell her.”

Lily?

For some reason, Anita felt familiar with the name but quickly erased it from her mind.

Anita barely carried a drunken Edmund.

“Is it really okay to go…?”

“Of course.”

Lice rubbed her hands together ruefully. Anita, with an anxious expression, alternated her gaze between Lice’s hands and the ground littered with Edmund.

“His hygiene must be terrible.”

“If you didn’t want to be treated like luggage, you shouldn’t have drunk.”

Realizing the validity of the point, Anita somewhat agreed. Moreover, neither had the right to enter the male dormitories.

“Let’s just go.”

Even though it was midnight, the night air was still cold.Anita felt it was ethically wrong to leave him lying on the ground with only a thin coat. As Anita was about to cover Edmund’s body with a cloth, Lice suddenly spoke.

“Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem right to leave him here.”

“…I agree.”

Edmund, carelessly sprawled over the dorm steps, did look pitiful. It wouldn’t be ideal for students to accidentally step on him once daylight broke.

“As the student council president, being found in this state could tarnish the council’s reputation.”

“…….”

“The image I’ve worked like a dog to build can’t just go down the drain.”

Lice, speaking somewhat cynically, broke a finger joint. Though the remark wasn’t directed at her, Anita felt a chill down her spine.

But Anita’s sense of foreboding was not wrong. She grabbed Edmund’s ankle and dragged him along.

“Wait a minute!”

Anita hastened to stop her; Edmund was face down on the stairs, and dragging him down by his legs was likely to give him a concussion. Not to mention a broken jaw.

Despite Anita’s protests, Lice dragged Edmund down the steps. She then pushed him into the bushes in front of the dorm. The few strands of blond hair that poked out of the greenery were carefully tucked back into the bush as if they were a nuisance.

Anita did her best to stop Lice, and she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She was tired from the late-night ordeal and didn’t have the passion to get involved in someone else’s business.

Seeing Lice wearing a very composed expression after throwing their friend into the bushes indicated that she probably had a lot to settle with Edmund on a usual basis.

“Shall we really go now?”

“…….”

“Follow me. It’s not safe for a freshman to wander alone at this late hour.”

***

The following day, in a rather exhausted state, Anita entered the classroom and noticed a familiar figure in the back. The blond man sitting in the back of the room was clearly not paying attention.

Without any real reason to acknowledge him, Anita tried to pretend she didn’t know him. She was heading past Edmund’s desk when he suddenly turned his head.

“Sit here.”

He even pulled out the chair next to him. At this point, Anita couldn’t ignore and continue her way.

“Why are you here?”

It’s a rude question to ask upon meeting someone, but it’s a valid question from Anita’s point of view, because she hasn’t seen Edmund in her botany class since she entered the university. Anita wasn’t the kind of person who knew everyone in her class, but she wasn’t so dull as to not recognize someone who looked like Edmund.

“Is it strange for a student council to be in the classroom?”

“It… is.”

“I see.”

Edmund replied in a monotone voice that was almost sleepy, and he tore his gaze away from Anita. His chin was crossed and his feet were clicking frivolously under his desk, letting her know that he wasn’t interested in the lesson at all.