The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 60

Episode 60

Rose was taken aback by the cold atmosphere between Jasper and Theo. 

It seemed like Jasper had misunderstood something, but within the academy, it was customary to show respect to the staff regardless of their status. It was even one of the strictest rules. 

If the authority of the staff was undermined, proper teaching would become impossible.

With the thought of calming Jasper quickly, Rose approached him.

“It didn’t hurt. I was just so startled that my body went weak for a moment. The contest grant has been confirmed.”

“…That’s good.”

While Jasper’s voice in response to Rose softened, his gaze remained cold. It seemed like leaving this place with Jasper as soon as possible would be the best course of action.

Rose quickly greeted Theo when she turned to him. 

“Senior, let’s discuss the contest later when we have time. I had an appointment with Jasper.”

Fortunately, Theo retreated without saying a word. As soon as Rose confirmed that Theo had moved away, she whispered to Jasper.

“Jasper… don’t be too harsh on Senior Theo. He’s a staff member.”

“What’s it to me? Why are you so concerned about that guy?”

“No, really, I felt weak for a moment… Senior helped me briefly.”

“Briefly? No way. I’ve been watching from over there. You’ve been at it the whole time.”

Jasper spoke rapidly without giving Rose a chance to catch her breath. Rose stared at Jasper, wide-eyed and flustered.

“Rose Bell, do you know this? It’s against the rules for staff and students to have unnecessary contact.”

“Well, that’s completely different from what we’re talking about now. It’s probably meant to discourage romantic relationships…”

“That’s what I mean.”

In the case of academy students, there were quite a few instances where their first love was a professor. While attending the academy, professors often had various influences on students, and this sometimes led to a crush.

However, Rose had never harbored such feelings for Theo Lixton.

With a puzzled look, Rose opened her lips and asked Jasper.

“What are you talking about? That’s not the case.” 

Jasper tilted his head slightly in surprise.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Well, it’s my feelings, so I know!”

“That’s your feelings indeed. But what about Theo Lixton’s feelings? They could be different, couldn’t they?”

“Ugh….”

Rose was momentarily taken aback, rendered speechless. 

‘Jasper sometimes says strange things….’ 

And he could be incredibly stubborn about it.

Rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand, Rose mumbled.

“Jasper, do you think Senior Theo likes me?”

“Well, even if not now, it’s possible it could happen. You two are together every day.”

“We’re not together every day… If anything, I see you more often.”

If she counted the times they looked at each other’s faces, Rose had more encounters with Jasper. They attended elective courses together, had tutoring sessions, and even engaged in club activities on weekends.

‘…Wait, do I spend a lot of time with Jasper?’

Adela could see why Jasper had grown so close to her, almost to the point of suspicion. They saw each other almost every day and had conversations daily, and not becoming close felt strange anymore.

Rose lowered her head slightly.

“Now that I think about it, I see you more often than Senior Theo.” 

“…Really?”

Jasper, who was leaning to the side, suddenly straightened up. 

“Just because we see each other more doesn’t mean you have feelings for me, right? That goes for Senior Theo and me as well.”

Jasper’s posture quickly relaxed again. He turned his head slightly towards Rose and spoke.

“Well, I understand that perfectly.”

“Is that so?”

“Uh, a true teacher.”

“Alright then, since we’re on the topic, let’s hurry and get to the tutoring.”

Jasper quickly turned and led the way. Rose followed closely behind but stopped a few steps away. They were now quite far apart, almost as if they were not part of the same group.

Since it would be troublesome if they were caught tutoring together, it was better to go separately. Jasper walked ahead with much faster and brisker strides than usual, distancing himself rapidly. Eventually, they arrived at the lab with a slight time gap between them.

Jasper was seated with a thoughtful expression when Rose opened the door and entered. He immediately got up and approached her.

Without wasting time, Jasper took a folded piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to Rose. 

She accepted the paper with a puzzled expression and asked.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my test score.”

“Oh, they’re out already. How did it go?” 

“See for yourself.”

Rose cautiously unfolded the folded paper. What she saw was a list of names and scores from first place to last place. And not too difficult to find, right at the top was the name “Jasper Conway” next to a perfect score. He was in the row of those who scored a perfect mark.

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise as she alternated between the report card and Jasper. Her lips quivered, and she exclaimed with a voice filled with excitement.

“I-is this really a perfect score?!”

Jasper simply nodded without saying a word. His expression showed a hint of pride and satisfaction. It was a face that couldn’t help but be praised.

Rose spoke with an enthusiastic energy.

“How did you manage to get a perfect score? Honestly, I didn’t expect you to get a perfect score. Jasper, you’re amazing.”

Jasper cleared his throat softly. 

“Well… it wasn’t that difficult.”

Rose looked at Jasper with sparkling eyes. Jasper spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal, but no matter how easy the test was, achieving a perfect score required a lot of effort.

‘You worked hard…’

At the beginning of their tutoring sessions, Jasper had shown little interest in magic engineering. That’s why this report card felt more precious and impressive. The satisfaction of preparing for tutoring diligently every week flooded in.

Various emotions flowed constantly across Rose’s face. Jasper, watching her, spoke up.

“I did say I’d get a perfect score. Did I make a bet for nothing?”

“By the way, what was the wish you said you’d reveal if you won the bet?”

Rose was prepared to grant Jasper any wish he might have, though he had only asked for easily fulfillable requests so far. The tasks he had requested were so simple that they often made her feel indebted.

However, this time, Jasper didn’t immediately say what he wanted and hesitated for a moment.

‘What could it be?’

Was this time’s wish something extraordinary? 

Rose anxiously waited for Jasper to speak. After a moment, Jasper licked his lower lip with his tongue.

“Come watch the sword-fighting tournament finals.”

“Huh?”

It was such an easy request that it made Rose’s previous nervousness seem insignificant. She was taken aback for a moment before responding.

“Is that your wish? Even if you didn’t say it, I would have come. There’s no way I wouldn’t.”

“Is that so?”

Jasper’s mouth curled up slightly. He cleared his throat for a moment and added.

“But I don’t mean just any regular seats. I’ll give you an invitation, so sit in the VIP section.”

“Me?”

This was an unexpected condition for Rose. During last year’s sword-fighting tournament, she had sat so far away that Jasper’s features were hardly discernible.

The VIP section was typically reserved for the families or close acquaintances of participants. Being in the front row allowed for a more immersive experience of the matches.

With a slightly flustered voice, Rose asked.

“Can I sit there? What about your family?”

“Well… I don’t know if they’ll come. Even if they do, you can go to the guest section.”

“Ah, so that means there will be extra invitations left.”

Rose quickly understood and nodded her head. Even if she wasn’t a participant’s family member, it was natural for the Conway family to have reserved seats for them.

‘Still, the fact that he’s inviting me to the VIP section…’

It felt strange to be offered a seat that was usually reserved for very close acquaintances. Rose wasn’t sure if it was a seat she was allowed to take.

Jasper stared directly into Rose’s trembling eyes.

“It’s not about having extra invitations.”

Rose felt that Jasper’s gaze, fixated on her, was sharper than usual.

“Rose Bell, I think having you there will help me perform better in the match.”

“Ah… really? Would I… be of help?”

“Yes, you will. So sit where I can see you.”

Rose swallowed dryly and pressed her lips tightly together. She wanted to ask Jasper why, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Jasper’s voice, embedded in her ear, was firm yet rough. The atmosphere seemed to change instantly, and an unknown tension made her heart start beating faster.

Unable to withstand Jasper’s intense gaze, Rose turned her head slightly. Meeting Jasper’s eyes directly was difficult. The silence that flowed for a few seconds felt suffocating.

Then Jasper spoke with a slightly softer tone than before, as if returning to his usual demeanor. 

“It might feel awkward being alone. I’ll invite Briley and Rebecca too, so sit together.”

Rose nodded while exhaling the breath she had been holding. 

“Yes, all of us… we’ll go to support.”

Rose emphasized the word “us” with extra strength. Yes, it wouldn’t seem strange if she wasn’t the only one invited. They were also members of the same club, after all.

Despite understanding this logically, Rose’s heartbeat refused to calm down. She reminded herself to maintain an appropriate distance from Jasper, just as she had promised herself a few days ago. 

The more she thought about it, the more her body seemed to heat up inexplicably.

* * *

The Conway family’s townhouse in the capital.

Ethan, the future heir of the Conway dukedom and the eventual owner of this place spoke with a sharp voice.

“Jasper has been acting strangely lately. I should find out what he’s up to at the academy.”

Charlotte, who played the role of the mistress of the house in place of the deceased Duchess, stared at her husband silently.

It was a rare dinner time for the couple. The duke’s main residence was located on their estate.

Charlotte gazed at the plate in front of her with an expressionless face. A perfectly cooked steak was on the plate, but she hadn’t taken a single bite yet.

Charlotte spoke in a monotone voice.

“Forcing a political marriage too aggressively doesn’t seem wise.”

“It’s already settled among the families.”

“…” 

Charlotte fell silent.

“That child should grow up.”

“Is it mature to accept an unwanted marriage, like you and I did?”

“Why are you like this again?”

Ethan, chewing on his lower lip, set the knife down. Charlotte, sitting across from him at the table, had her usual cold expression.