The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 50
Episode 50
Jasper Conway seemed to dislike Adela Bluewood, most likely. After observing Jasper for a few days, Rose had come to that conclusion.
On the day Adela expressed her intention to join the walking club, she submitted her membership application. The very next day, the walking club, for the first time in its history, had a club room. It had started as a ghost club, and now, it officially had more than five members.
On Saturday, the day of club activities, Rose Bell still gazed at the club room door with a bewildered expression. Briley, who stood beside her, exclaimed excitedly.
“Hey, guys! Let’s get inside!”
“Sounds good. Oh, we should bring the tea set too.”
Rebecca added enthusiastically. Briley and Rebecca welcomed the arrival of the new member. With Adela Bluewood joining, they had reached the minimum number of members required to be assigned a club room.
The only one who seemed dissatisfied with the situation was Jasper Conway.
Rose cautiously asked Jasper.
“Jasper, aren’t you going to the rugby club?”
“I’ll go in the afternoon.”
“I see…”
“At this historic moment when Rose Bell’s club room is being established, I can’t afford to miss it.”
When Jasper uttered the word ‘historic,’ he lifted one corner of his mouth into a smirk. It was a mischievous expression and tone that anyone could recognize.
Rose awkwardly avoided Jasper’s gaze. She already knew the reason for Jasper Conway’s sarcastic comment, recalling the conversation she had with Jasper on their Thursday tutoring session.
“Who’s joining the Club? Did I hear you correctly? Adela Bluewood?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Do you know her? Have you talked to her?”
“It just sort of happened… Adela happens to be interested in magic engineering…”
Rose couldn’t bring herself to say that Adela was joining the club to seduce him. She didn’t want to get too involved in their romantic affairs. Whatever club Adela joined was her own business. The walking club wasn’t particularly exclusive or a place that attracted much attention from people.
While she had the authority as the club leader to remove Adela, doing so would only cause a ruckus throughout the Academy, and not in a good way. Rose was worried that Lady Bluewood, a member of the influential Bluewood family, might know her secret.
However, Jasper seemed to misunderstand, and he spoke with a stern face, almost harshly.
“Do you… want me to deal with her?”
Jasper looked so furious that, for a moment, Rose considered whether she should go through all the gossip and risks to remove Adela from the club. She felt trapped between Adela and Jasper, unable to do anything.
Rose understood Jasper’s frustration. Running into an unwanted romantic prospect was awkward.
“Jasper… is Adela bothering you?”
“It’s not exactly bothering me. I don’t pay her much mind. She’s just there.”
“…”
“But Rose Bell, do I bother you like that?”
“Huh?”
“It seems like you don’t pay me much mind either.”
Jasper sighed.
“…Even if you did, I guess there’s nothing I can say.”
Without waiting for Rose to respond, Jasper bid his farewell and left. Since then, Jasper had avoided talking about Adela. He didn’t openly act cold, but his expression remained distant as if he wanted to convey that his feelings were quite hurt.
This continued into today, the day of club activities. Rose glanced at Jasper and then opened the door to the club room. With a clank, she inserted the key and turned the latch, revealing the long-closed club room.
It was a small room on the outskirts of the main building. Inside, there was only one table, and it felt so empty that it was surprising.
‘Nowhere to even sit…’
To transform this place into a space where club members could relax and hang out anytime would require quite an effort, it seemed.
Rose, feeling bewildered, stood still, but Briley paid no attention and hopped around the small club room.
“There’s nothing here! We can decorate it however we want.”
Rebecca, initially puzzled, was soon infected by Briley’s positive energy. The two of them began discussing seriously how to arrange the furniture.
Jasper leaned against the wall without saying a word, and Adela Bluewood mentioned that she would be a bit late due to some other business.
Rose was busy calculating in her head.
‘How much is the club activity fee?’
There is a standard activity fee given upon request, but last year, they didn’t receive a single penny. Rose had qualms about accepting money for activities that were essentially fabricated, so she hadn’t collected any funds.
‘Can we buy everything we need? Briley seems determined to fill this place even with her own money…’
Still, she thought it was morally right to start with the club’s budget. While Rose was contemplating this, Adela Bluewood entered the club room, speaking softly.
“Hello.”
Everyone’s attention turned toward Adela, captivated by her soothing voice, except for one person, Jasper Conway.
“Adela!”
Rebecca, who was already acquainted with her, greeted Adela warmly. Adela had a handful of something in both hands.
“It’s nothing special, just a little gift to say hello to my seniors.”
Adela distributed small bags to everyone. Inside were a few pieces of cookies emitting a delightful fragrance.
“I made them myself. I’m a bit late because I was preparing this. The communal kitchen was a bit crowded…”
Briley opened the gift bag and quickly took a cookie, munching on it.
“Wow, these are delicious! Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”
Adela smiled calmly.
“I’m glad. Let’s have tea together later. There’s no teapot here.”
Crunch, crunch, Briley didn’t care and quickly finished one of the cookies. Rose, feeling pleased by the savory aroma of the cookies, tightly held onto the gift bag.
The only person who showed no reaction to Adela’s surprise gift was Jasper. He received the gift and immediately tucked it into his jacket pocket without even looking at it.
Rose glanced alternately at Adela and Jasper, unwittingly concerned about both of them, perhaps because she had previously heard Adela’s feelings.
Jasper’s profile exuded blatant coldness. Despite Jasper’s icy response, Adela maintained a calm and composed attitude. There was a subtle chill in the air between the two of them.
Just when Rose was thinking she needed to break this atmosphere, Briley, to everyone’s relief, spoke first.
“We’ll decorate this place gradually, but for now, let’s head outside!”
Rebecca stuck close to Briley and asked with a curious tone.
“Where are we going today?”
With an attractive smile, Briley replied.
“It’s a place familiar to everyone.”
* * *
The place where every train in the Lepti Empire passes through at least once. It’s the Central Train Station in the capital.
After the revolutionary advancement of magic engineering, trains had become the fastest and most efficient mode of transportation, even more so than anything else. New tracks were continuously being laid here and there.
As a result, the vast expanses of the Empire were increasingly interconnected, with power centralized in the capital. Previously, nobles mostly resided in their domains, but they began frequenting the capital more often. While they used to endure the arduous journey by carriage during social seasons or when the Senate convened, their mobility had become somewhat more convenient.
This transformation led the capital to become a lively hub. The capital was a land of opportunity, where new business ventures were discussed daily, and the flow of capital was constantly changing.
Nobles began to spend more time in townhouses within the capital than in their country estates, and those who confined themselves to their domains were at risk of falling behind.
Typically, the eldest son, who would inherit the estate, would oversee and manage the domain. However, there were cases like Ethan Conway, who actively engaged in parliamentary activities and businesses while residing in a townhouse.
As the imperial power grew stronger, parliamentary politics also became more active, with the Central Train Station playing a significant role. It naturally led to the development of commercial areas around it. The Central Train Station was the liveliest and most vibrant place in the capital, simultaneously chaotic and bursting with energy. For the citizens of the Lepti Empire, railways had deeply penetrated many aspects of their lives.
The walking club members now stood in the square in front of the train station. In the distance, the sound of a steam locomotive could be heard. Inside the engine, magic stones were vigorously emitting energy, generating steam.
The square was filled with people of all kinds: commoners who seemed to have come from the provinces, soldiers in uniforms, and nobles adorned with elegant jewelry.
Amidst the bustling atmosphere, Briley spoke energetically.
“Today, let’s explore the streets around the train station! There are so many things to see, so it’s a good idea to split up.”
Rebecca quickly responded.
“I wanted to visit a hat shop. It opened recently.”
“You mean the one owned by Madame Deloura’s daughter?”
“Exactly! You’re well-informed, Bry.”
“I was curious about it too! Since we’re starting with the hat shop, what about the others?”
Coincidentally, Adela and Jasper were standing on either side of Rose. Rose awkwardly smiled while sneakily glancing at them. She preferred to stick with Rebecca and Briley whenever possible.
That’s when Jasper spoke quietly.
“I heard there’s an old antique shop around here. It specializes in items related to magic engineering.”
Rose inwardly gasped. An antique shop specializing in magic engineering items. Her heart raced for a moment.