The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 61
Episode 61
Ethan sighed nervously and spoke.
“I never forced myself into a marriage with you.”
“True. You said you chose to marry me because it was rational.”
“Is that a problem? I don’t want to talk about love or anything like that. You’re the mistress of Conway, and I wish you would be more aware of that.”
Ethan pressed his forehead with his fingertips. Whenever he and Charlotte were alone, it always ended in a fight. As time went on, it only got worse.
Not long ago, Charlotte had even fled to the rest house without a word.
‘It’s so nerve-wracking.’
Ethan didn’t want to argue with Charlotte, but he couldn’t understand why their conversations always went this way. As soon as one of them said something even slightly sharp, it turned into an emotional battle.
Ethan muttered irritably.
“Do me a favor and try to persuade Jasper.”
“…Because it’s rational to marry the Bluewood?”
“Yes.”
“But can you guarantee that it’s truly rational? Your marriage started that way, but in the end, it turned out like this. You married that way. For years, without having any children…”
Charlotte’s blue eyes sank sadly. Ethan avoided looking directly into her eyes.
He would have preferred it if Charlotte got angry and shouted. Whenever Charlotte made such an expression, Ethan’s heart ached, and he felt frustrated.
Charlotte said slowly.
“I just want Jasper to be happy.”
Ethan responded with a hint of emotion.
“He’s already happy. Is there a reason for someone born into the Conway family not to be happy? It’s all just an act.”
Charlotte got up silently from her seat. Ethan frowned as he watched her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not feeling well today. I should stop eating.”
“You haven’t taken a single bite. Sit back down.”
“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
“I told you to sit down again.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“Is it because you don’t want to see my face? I’ll leave, so finish your meal. What will the chef think if he sees all this food wasted?”
Ethan stood up abruptly, gripping the table with his hand, while Charlotte slumped in her chair, mumbling.
“…Alright. The chef will be disappointed. As the mistress here, I should always be considerate, and I messed up again.”
Ethan couldn’t stand to hear Charlotte’s weakened voice, so he quickly left the room. His steps towards the study were filled with annoyance.
Ethan ran his fingers through his neatly combed hair and chewed on his lips.
‘Why is Charlotte acting like this lately, and Jasper too?’
With all the turmoil in the household and the political changes happening in the country, he was constantly busy. The influence of the House of Commons was growing stronger, and movements to reform various aspects of noble law were underway, from the Prohibition Act to inheritance laws.
As a prominent writer representing the Lepti Empire, he couldn’t simply ignore the changes taking place in society.
Amid this busyness, Charlotte had run away. After convincing her to return home, now it was Jasper causing trouble. He blatantly ignored the engagement discussions and hadn’t seen his face for a while, even though they were in the same city.
Moreover, these days, the most talked-about topic in social circles was the broken engagement of Caleb Sidoor, and it was unexpected for Caleb to defy his father’s wishes. The exact details were not clear, but there were often complicated tales of love and romance involved.
Ethan was worried that Jasper might be influenced by Caleb, who was a close friend. Being a Conway should not involve behaving like a wayward archer from another family.
‘While attending the sword fighting competition, I should look into the matters concerning the Academy.’
Ethan was determined to push forward with the union of the Bluewoods. It wasn’t just about their reputation in high society.
Amid the political chaos in both houses, forming a solid relationship with the neutrally aligned Bluewood family would also be a significant political advantage. For the future of the Lepti Empire, reputable noble families needed to come together. It was a matter of principle.
‘This is not the time to be talking about love like a child.’
Ethan found his younger brother’s behavior frustrating. And now, Charlotte was also trying to wrap Jasper around her finger. It seemed like there was no one on his side in the townhouses of the capital.
Ethan Conway believed in the righteousness of his decision. Despite the ongoing tension with Charlotte for several years, he considered arranged marriages to be a fundamental part of noble culture.
To reject arranged marriages would be tantamount to admitting the failure of his marriage. Ethan would do anything to avoid that. Charlotte Atwood Conway could not be counted among his flaws.
His pride as a noble, his desire to preserve his identity, the principle of serving the family and the empire, and even personal emotions, were all intertwined in Ethan’s mind, so firmly rooted that no opposing view could shatter it.
* * *
A few days later, the entire Berkley Academy was abuzz with excitement because two important events were happening on the same day.
In the morning, the comprehensive midterm exam results were posted in the main lobby. The name at the top of the list was Rose Bell’s. Everyone felt that the valedictorian had finally taken her rightful place.
Rose Bell being anything other than the valedictorian would have seemed awkward.
In the afternoon, all classes were canceled, and preparations were underway for the sword fighting competition finals at the outdoor arena. Everyone eagerly awaited the finals, and the name Jasper Conway was on everyone’s lips.
The challenger who had risen through the tournament over the past few days was a knight named Hex. Originally a mercenary from the commoners, he had earned his knighthood with great merit in a border zone battle.
According to those who had watched the previous matches, he had an immense build and was known for his fierce and rugged sword-fighting skills.
“Jasper might look small in front of Hex.”
Such comments were circulating due to the challenger’s enormous size and strength.
Rose walked toward the outdoor arena with Briley and Rebecca on either side. Briley’s voice was filled with excitement as she spoke of her plans to watch the match from the VIP seats.
“Oh, I can’t wait! The challenger this year seems formidable. I wonder if Jasper can defend his championship title.”
Rebecca, with a curious look in her eyes, chimed in.
“They say you can place bets at the entrance of the arena to predict the winner. I wonder which side more people have bet on.”
Rose interjected into their conversation after some thought.
“Of course, it must be Jasper, right?”
“You can’t underestimate Hex, the challenger. He’s experienced in real combat.”
Rebecca agreed with Briley’s opinion.
“Yeah, you’re right. There is a difference in weight class… Jasper might have a hard time. He’s still young and lacks experience.”
Rose thought that her friends’ comments made sense, but her heart felt heavy. Jasper Conway losing in the finals was simply unimaginable.
Just how large was Hex’s stature for Jasper to be considered at a disadvantage in weight class? Jasper was one of the academy’s top sword fighting majors and had a good physique.
‘I hope Jasper wins.’
Rose murmured despondently.
“But I’ll still place my bet on Jasper.”
Briley nudged Rose’s shoulder.
“I’m betting on Jasper too. We’ve given him the invitation, so of course, we should support our friend!”
Rebecca nodded vigorously. Rose felt momentarily relieved by her friends’ reactions, but as they reached the entrance to the arena, she became disheartened again.
Upon checking the odds, it appeared that more people predicted Hex’s victory. It seemed that a battle-hardened mercenary with ample experience in one-on-one combat was considered more capable than a young nobleman.
However, Rose couldn’t bring herself to trust the skewed odds, and she felt shocked.
‘Jasper won’t be discouraged by this, will he?’
For the sake of fun, Rose initially placed the minimum amount for her bet, but she found herself adding a few more bills without realizing it.
She considered the predictions for the match to be essentially a form of gambling but participated anyway to show her support for Jasper.
Briley, on the other hand, bet a significant amount, joking that she might make a fortune if Jasper won. After making their predictions, Rose and her friends entered the arena.
The outdoor arena’s grandstands were already nearly full, and it seemed like there were more people than last year. The name Jasper Conway had garnered quite the following and attention.
Everyone was curious to see if the boy hailed as a genius could defend his champion title. Every Berkley Academy student was present, and many others had bought regular tickets to attend.
Rose was wide-eyed at the fervor emitted by the crowd.
“Briley, there are so many people…”
“Yeah, if we had watched from the regular seats, it would’ve been quite a challenge.”
Rose nodded absently. Just imagining getting lost in that massive crowd made her feel suffocated. She wasn’t accustomed to crowded places in the first place.
Fortunately, the VIP seats were arranged separately near the front, so there was more space. The three friends quickly found their seats in the VIP section.
With a tense expression, Rose glanced around. The arena was so close that it felt like she could see every detail of Jasper’s expression, unlike last year when she watched from afar.
Then, she noticed a row of metal weapons lined up on one side of the arena. Participants could choose only one of the weapons provided by the organizers to use during the competition.
‘They’re going to fight with those? It looks dangerous…’
Feeling suddenly apprehensive, Rose grabbed the hands of both Rebecca and Briley on either side of her.