The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 46

Episode 46

Rebecca, who had no idea about any plans, walked with a big smile. Briley and Rose exchanged discreet glances with each other. 

Today, Caleb Sidoor wouldn’t escape their clutches. They had a rough idea of why Caleb was avoiding Rebecca. Amid discussions about marriage arrangements between noble families, it would be awkward for him to be seen with another young lady from the Sherman family.

Although the trend was moving towards more freedom in romantic relationships these days, arranged marriages still prevailed among the nobility. Rose knew how important arranged marriages were to the aristocrats.

‘Jasper’s reaction was an exception.’

Usually, noble families quietly arranged engagements with suitable matches, and that was the end of it. There was no issue with that. 

The problem was the way he treated Rebecca, someone he had briefly dated before. If a marriage between the Sidoors and the Shermans were to happen, they would see each other frequently in the future. Avoiding Rebecca as if nothing had happened between them was impossible.

Perhaps it was due to the grudge against Caleb, but Rebecca hadn’t conveyed any of this to her family yet. She occasionally heard about the arranged marriage process from her older cousin, but she listened quietly without saying a word.

‘It’s frustrating…’

Why didn’t she speak up? Rose couldn’t understand it. Talking it out would probably make everything easier to resolve. 

For now, all she could hope for was that Jasper would handle it well.

* * *

Caleb, standing in front of the Royal Blooming Tea Room, glanced skeptically at Jasper.

“Even if it’s a preliminary visit, do two men need to go inside?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Only couples or gatherings of ladies go in there.”

“I’m offering to help. Stop complaining and just come with me.”

Caleb huffed and continued walking. Jasper glared at the back of Caleb’s head with a sharp gaze.

Jasper’s mission was to bring Caleb Sidoor to one of the private tea rooms on the second floor. To lure Caleb, Jasper had to come up with a plausible excuse.

“They say high-end tea rooms are a must for dating.”

“Wow, that sounds so weird when you say it. Why all of a sudden?”

“I mean, I’m almost of age now. It’s good to know a few things in advance.”

Caleb, who knew nothing, chuckled with a curious look on his face.

“I see you have a girl on your mind, and I won’t pry. I’ve already narrowed it down to a few candidates.”

“Which one of the tea rooms is the most famous?”

“Well, it’s Royal Blooming! Will you tell me something if we go together? About our master’s inner thoughts?”

Persuading Caleb turned out to be ridiculously easy. Although he hesitated a bit as they approached the entrance, once Jasper mentioned that he had secured one of the private tea rooms whose reservation had been canceled, Caleb’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Wow. You even secured the top-tier tea room among all the tea rooms. I’ve never been there before either. Let’s take a look around for dating practice. Next time, I won’t come with a dull guy like you; I’ll come with a lovely lady.”

Jasper stared at the excited Caleb with a bewildered look.

“You won’t come with anyone other than Hailey Sherman, right?”

Hailey Sherman was Rebecca’s cousin, and engagement rumors had been circulating between Caleb and her. Caleb blinked and turned to Jasper.

“Oh, right. I’m getting engaged soon.”

“Are you planning to become a government official?”

“Nah, is there a chance of that happening with the Shermans? I said it without thinking, just a habit. Of course, I should go with Miss Hailey.”

Jasper chuckled softly. If Caleb were taking Hailey seriously, such words wouldn’t have slipped out unintentionally.

Jasper gave Caleb’s shoulder an irritated tap.

“Let’s go.”

Caleb Sidoor, who had been avoiding Rebecca so far, wouldn’t be able to escape today. Jasper wanted to complete the mission he had been assigned. Caleb was becoming more irritating by the minute, but above all, it was Rose Bell’s request that motivated him to do so.

‘Will she… be happy?’

Jasper entered the tea room with a faint sense of expectation and excitement. To be honest, Jasper couldn’t quite understand why Rose was helping Rebecca. It wasn’t as if there was any reward or benefit for her in doing so. He found Rose’s efforts strangely fascinating.

Under normal circumstances, Jasper would never have gotten involved in such matters. The only reason Jasper was acting was because of Rose Bell.

‘Why am I doing all this for someone who doesn’t even care about me?’

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. However, when he imagined Rose looking at him gratefully and smiling, everything seemed okay.

‘Damn it…’

His pride was wounded. Standing in the tea room, filled with the sweet and fragrant aroma, he felt a mix of irritation and regret. His facial expression would probably make anyone who saw it think he was in a bad mood.

‘No, I can’t let this happen. Rose Bell would be scared again.’

Jasper deliberately relaxed his facial muscles. It was the first time in his life that he had tried to control his expression. 

He didn’t care if others found him intimidating or not. But when it came to Rose Bell, he couldn’t afford to be like that. 

He had come to a shocking realization a few days ago, and now he had to show a gentler side. Even if it meant suppressing his pride and putting on a weaker facade, he was willing to do it for her.

This was a truly surprising and fascinating discovery for Jasper. He had always believed that showing weakness to someone would make them disregard you. Especially with the surname Conway, which carried a reputation of strength, he had always considered vulnerability as something to be discarded.

But the moment Rose Bell approached him with a much more affectionate look than usual, Jasper quickly realized what was happening. Rose couldn’t ignore someone she perceived as weak. She was gentle with those who were weaker and indifferent to those who were strong.

However, intentionally pretending to be weak was challenging for Jasper due to the pride he had built up over his life. He was feeling conflicted. For the first time in his life, he was experiencing emotions he had never felt before.

‘Just do whatever feels right.’

It wasn’t that simple. Jasper was well aware that his actions had various consequences and impacts on those around him. He held a position where his actions mattered significantly.

But he couldn’t bring himself to ignore Rose Bell. 

‘I’ll go mad.’

She was constantly on his mind. He wanted to see her warm smile. Even though he knew that Rose didn’t have any romantic interest in him, he couldn’t help but think.

‘She’d probably prefer someone like Theo Lixton over me.’

Despite being the Conway heir, Jasper had never felt a sense of defeat before. He had been a prominent figure of power within the Empire and had garnered the admiration of many. However, all of that power and status seemed useless in the presence of Rose Bell.

Throughout his life, he had only wanted one woman to be affected by his power – Rose Bell. She was the only one he had ever wanted to exercise his influence over. Yet, she was the only one who distanced herself from him because of his power. The irony of the situation was both strange and amusing.

‘What should I do?’

He wondered if there was any way to make Rose Bell like him. Or if this confusion would eventually fade away on its own.

“Wow, there’s a nice atmosphere here.”

Like Caleb attempting to speak calmly, having truly loved Rebecca Sherman, he now only uttered tranquil words.

Jasper gazed silently at Caleb with eyes filled with contemplation and confusion.

* * *

The tea room on the second floor was physically divided into separate spaces, but it wasn’t entirely closed off; lace curtains hung where doors would be. The presence of a man and a woman in a fully enclosed space was considered a delicate situation.

Caleb half-drew the curtain and attempted to enter but took a step back. He collided with Jasper, who stood right behind him. Caleb spoke in a low, growling voice.

“Hey, Jasper… What are you doing?”

Caleb’s eyes darted around. Inside the tea room were three familiar women: Rebecca Sherman, Briley Lawrence, and Rose Bell. 

Caleb realized he had been deceived and bit his lower lip. Jasper replied casually.

“Why not come in?”

“Why are you doing this to me? You’re a fraud.”

“I never said it would just be the two of us here.”

“Ha…”

Just then, Briley and Rose, who were inside, came out. Caleb found himself caught in the middle of the three of them, not knowing what to do. Avoiding this situation here would make him appear truly cowardly.

“You all planned this, didn’t you?”

Caleb sighed and said. Briley impatiently motioned for Caleb to come inside.

Caleb’s face contorted with a mixture of emotions. It was a moment when he had to face the emotions he had been suppressing.

Caleb seemed to have made up his mind. He strengthened his resolve and entered the tea room. The sound of Rebecca greeting him faintly reached the outside.

The two people who had to unravel their tangled emotions met, and the other three who had planned this meeting briefly looked at each other. Briley cast a subtle glance at Jasper and then spoke.

“Waiting in the hallway seems a bit awkward. Let’s head towards the garden.”

The three of them went downstairs to the first floor and headed towards the garden. Briley led the way, with Rose and Jasper following closely behind.

Rose lowered her voice and spoke softly to Jasper.

“Thank you for helping.”

Jasper stared at Rose’s face for a moment and then muttered.

“It was tough.”

“Did Caleb try not to follow you?” 

Jasper nodded slowly, weariness evident on his face. Rose spoke in a much gentler tone than usual.

“You must have had a tough time since Saturday morning.”

“Yeah, my head hurts…”