The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 72

Episode 72

At that moment, a man behind the security guard spotted Rose and exclaimed loudly.

“Could that be George’s daughter? She looks a lot like him, doesn’t she?”

Rose had heard countless times throughout her life that she resembled her father the most among her siblings. In her youth, George’s features were as intricate and beautiful as Rose’s. 

However, now, they were so distorted that one could hardly recognize the resemblance.

Rose approached the men.

“I’m Rose Bell. Who are you?”

The rough-faced men all stared at Rose simultaneously. Rose felt her heart constrict. 

It was only natural to feel fear. The men in front of her were at least twice her size and appeared to be strong.

‘They all have unfamiliar faces….’

Since they were connected to the gambling den through their acquaintance with George, it was certain. 

One of the men approached Rose. He was a towering figure, so much taller than Rose that she had to crane her neck to look at him.

The man spoke urgently.

“Indeed, you are Rose. George is in danger right now.”

“…Can you start by explaining how you’re acquainted with my father?” 

Rose looked at the man with a heavily guarded expression.

“We’re your father’s friend. We got acquainted at ‘The Night Owl.’ Call me Khan.”

The mention of ‘The Night Owl’ made Rose shudder involuntarily.

‘The gambling den I went to retrieve the documents from.’

Though they were all strangers to Rose, it seemed undeniable that they were acquainted with George. The man who introduced himself as Khan urged Rose.

“Now is not the time. George is on his last breath. He’s been coughing severely since he returned to the capital not long ago, and now he’s too weak to even lift a finger…”

Rose asked hesitantly.

“Is my father looking for me?”

The last image she had of George was hauntingly brutal. Rose vividly remembered the cunning and hurtful George.

Khan nodded.

“You’re the only family he has in the capital. Even though your relationship seems strained… Still, shouldn’t you watch over your father on his deathbed? He’s desperately searching for you.”

Rose felt her mind go blank. Everything happening now seemed surreal.

What if her father were to disappear from her life forever? In truth, Rose had imagined this scenario several times. George was a burden and a resentment to her.

The moments of happiness Rose had with George were brief. They were after they arrived in Quilts after fleeing their nobility. George had even changed his name at that time, declaring a complete transformation.

For the first three months or so, the family believed George had finally turned his life around. He seemed completely sober, diligently working at their new place and avoiding the gambling dens.

Of course, that happiness was short-lived, and George plunged back into the abyss of gambling. The despair of that time came rushing back to Rose, making her shudder.

‘…How did it come to this? What is there left to say?’

Even though she didn’t want to hear, a part of her did.

After a moment of contemplation, Rose spoke in a resolute voice.

“Alright. Please guide me to where my father is.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Jasper had arrived early at the club room, eagerly awaiting Rose’s arrival. When he saw Briley enter alone, his face contorted with concern.

In a sharp tone, Jasper asked.

“Where’s Rose Bell?”

Briley, looking more flustered than usual, replied.

“Someone came to find Rose at the main entrance… She went out briefly and hasn’t returned.”

“What? Who came for her?”

“He said he’s a friend of Rose’s father.”

Jasper blinked for a moment, stunned.

‘A friend of Rose Bell’s father?’

Baron Verden had disappeared years ago. He was no longer a baron, surely.

Someone associated with the person who changed identities and vanished had appeared here. Jasper had no idea who this acquaintance was, but it didn’t seem like they had come to the academy for a good reason. 

Why would they specifically look for Rose Bell?

‘…Were they caught in some illicit activities?’

Nothing good came to mind. Jasper abruptly stood from his seat. 

Adela, who had been sitting quietly beside him, looked at Jasper with concern, but he paid no attention to her gaze as he walked towards the door.

Flustered, Briley spoke up behind Jasper.

“Where are you going?”

“I also have something to attend to briefly.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I forgot about it until I heard what you said.”

Jasper swiftly left the club room, heading towards the main entrance. 

An ominous premonition kept gnawing at him. For some reason, he had a strong feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen to Rose Bell.

* * *

Jasper Conway had a keen intuition when it came to areas he was concerned about. And in Rose’s case, Jasper’s ominous premonition proved to be accurate.

Somewhere in a secluded alley deep within the inn district, not far from the bustling main road of the capital, three men had cornered Rose. One of them tightly gripped Rose’s wrist, yelling in a furious voice.

“Where is that George?!”

“Ugh…!”

Rose winced, her face contorted in pain from the grip on her wrist.

“That bastard ran off with our money!”

The man who had introduced himself as Khan at the main entrance had his shouts echo through the alley.

As they led Rose into the deserted alley, the men who had pretended to console her about George’s imminent death revealed their true intentions. Rose realized the real reason these men were after her, and everything seemed to darken before her eyes.

It was a tense and perilous situation, but Rose let out a bitter, hollow laugh almost involuntarily. How could this be happening? How could her father subject her to such torment?

George Bell, it appeared, had continued his gambling habits even after leaving the capital. It wasn’t entirely unexpected.

The men claimed that George, in desperate need of gambling funds, had borrowed money and had now disappeared. 

As George’s whereabouts became uncertain, these creditors, intending to hold someone accountable, had come to George’s family.

Rose felt a deep resentment towards her family name, Bell. She wished she could detach herself from the name and live without it if that were possible.

‘How much could he have possibly borrowed?’

Her mind was reeling. If these creditors were demanding that she repay George’s debts on his behalf… 

No, judging by their presence here, they had probably considered that possibility.

‘No, this can’t be.’

Rose’s jaw trembled. The man with a long scar across his cheek threateningly stated.

“As his daughter, you should have an idea about your father’s whereabouts. If you claim not to know, then remember that you’ll have to pay the debt.”

Rose closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. 

‘Paying off my father’s debt…?’

If George had passed away, she might have inherited the debt, but from what she heard, George seemed to have survived and fled. Unless they had already set up joint creditors, Rose had no legal obligation to repay the debt on his behalf.

However, whether these men cared about legal bindings was uncertain. They might resort to force and threats. Before the situation escalated into something more menacing, she needed to negotiate with them.

‘They can’t harm me outright.’

They had likely come to find someone to extract money from in place of George.

‘Perhaps… fortunately, they came to me.’

As Rose imagined these men going to the Quilts, it felt even more dreadful. Rose made an effort to speak calmly.

“First… please let go of my wrist.” 

Khan threatened with a growl. 

“Tell us whether you know where George is or not.”

“I don’t know. But how did you know about me and come looking for me?”

“George would curse about you whenever he got a chance. He’d say, ‘The capital has a wretched eldest daughter.'”

Rose remained unfazed by Khan’s mocking words. She expected George, whom she knew, to have undoubtedly cursed at her. Instead, she focused on Khan’s words, pondering to draw various inferences.

‘Indeed, my father didn’t come to the capital after all. And these men aren’t from the capital either.’

The claim of being an acquaintance of George from ‘The Night Owl’ was likely a lie. Perhaps George had remembered and twisted various stories he had heard during his gambling exploits.

Khan’s manner of speaking had traces of the accent from the western coastal regions. At first, Rose didn’t catch on, but as Khan got more excited and raised his voice, the accent became more pronounced and noticeable.

The western coast was notorious for its poor security. Illegal immigrants and gang organizations had been gaining influence there, coming in through the sea.

‘Perhaps they’re involved with a gang.’

Considering they had come from the western coast to the capital, the debt must have been quite substantial. They would do whatever it takes to recover that money, employing any means necessary. If they deemed it impossible to collect the debt, they might resort to human trafficking to cover the amount.

‘If I can’t handle this alone….’

They might even involve her siblings in Quilts. Rose felt a shiver down her spine but didn’t show it.

‘I need to buy time somehow.’

And she had to come up with a way to overcome this situation.

The men were glaring at Rose with displeasure. Khan, seeming like the leader, addressed the other two in an annoyed tone.

“This is taking too long. Let’s take this girl to the inn. I’ll go get the documents.”

Khan turned back towards the main road, and the other two grabbed Rose’s arms firmly from both sides. Rose had no choice but to be dragged along by the two men. There was no way she could overpower the two men much larger than her and escape.

Rose clenched her lips tightly, determined to keep her wits about her even if her face was turning pale. She reminded herself to maintain clarity of mind. 

If she let fear take over and lose her rationality, it would completely dominate her.

Throughout her life, she has faced numerous difficult situations, but she has always managed to find a small crevice to escape through. 

Rose desperately hoped she would find one this time as well.