The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 74

Episode 74

Rose was terrified when she saw the gun in Khan’s hand. It was a compact Derringer pistol, small enough to fit into a pouch commonly used by women.

Although the Derringer had a short range, it was suitable for indoor fights like the current situation and had sufficient lethality.

Rose felt like she might faint or lose consciousness at any moment as her surroundings blurred. 

‘Why is this happening to me…’

Once again, she realized that those men were indeed members of a violent gang. Pulling out a gun in the city, especially in a non-combat situation, was not common.

Trembling, Rose stood up from her chair and pressed herself against the wall. Then, a loud noise rang out. The latch of the inn’s door had been completely broken.

Someone opened the door and burst inside. Rose’s eyes were immediately drawn to an unexpected figure.

“…Jasper?”

Trembling and crouched down, Rose stammered in a bewildered voice. She couldn’t understand how Jasper ended up here, but just seeing his blue eyes made her feel a sense of relief, and her legs felt weak.

Jasper seemed to have rushed in; his hair was damp with sweat. When he noticed Rose, huddled against the wall, his expression briefly faltered.

“Rose.”

Upon hearing Jasper’s voice, Rose’s eyes welled up with tears. A mix of surprise, relief, and joy jumbled together, stirring her entire being.

The Redmark individuals, startled by the sudden appearance of this figure, aimed their guns at Jasper. 

Click. As they simultaneously loaded their Derringer pistols, Jasper looked back at them with a chilling gaze.

Khan spoke threateningly.

“Who the hell are you? You seem like a Berkley student.”

Although they had loaded their Derringer pistols, they didn’t immediately shoot. Firing a gun here would cause a commotion and attract a crowd, possibly alerting law enforcement.

Unfazed by the three gun barrels pointed at him, Jasper approached them. Khan stuttered as he shouted.

“Stay still! If you don’t want to get shot.”

Watching this standoff, Rose felt like she might faint. She couldn’t bear the thought of a bullet piercing Jasper’s chest and blood spilling out. Just imagining it made her head spin and her body stiffen.

Trembling, Rose spoke with a shaky voice.

“Jasper, don’t. Don’t come…”

Rose couldn’t bear to see Jasper getting hurt because of her. She hadn’t told Jasper anything, so how did he know and come here? 

While the initial joy of seeing Jasper had been fleeting, now fear was taking over Rose’s mind.

Jasper glanced briefly at Rose in response to her whisper and then turned his attention back to Khan.

“If you’re going to shoot, then shoot.”

Jasper’s voice echoed in the inn. It was strangely calm and nonchalant, given the situation of guns pointed at him.

A man standing to the right of Khan shouted angrily.

“This bastard…!” 

He seemed ready to charge at Jasper and throw a punch, but Khan urgently reached out to stop his companion.

“Wait.”

Khan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed something. It was the Conway family crest on Jasper’s jacket.

It was a tradition to wear the family crest on one side of the school uniform jacket and the Berkley Academy crest on the other. These days, even the gentry could have crests made, so it was rare for someone like Rose to have one side of her jacket empty.

Khan, momentarily flustered, spoke in a more formal tone than before.

“Is Mr. Conway here?”

In the Empire, the Conway family crest carried significant influence, especially among businessmen who couldn’t miss recognizing it. 

Conway’s estate was very wealthy, and goods frequently moved in and out.

Jasper nodded slightly and replied.

“Isn’t it obvious when you see it?”

Khan chewed on his lips. The weight carried by the name Conway was immense. Messing with a member of the Conway family could potentially harm the entire gang.

Khan spoke nervously.

“I’ve heard about one of the Duke’s sons attending Berkley, but…”

“I see. First, how about putting the guns down and having a conversation?”

Khan continued to nervously chew on his lips. In reality, just pointing a gun at the Duke’s son was already a problem. 

If the family decided to protest… even a gang as formidable as this one couldn’t directly challenge the most powerful Duke in the Empire.

‘Damn it, I thought we just need the girl. Why is the Duke’s son intervening here?’

The situation was getting more complex. 

Khan hesitated for a moment, then gestured to his fellow gang members to lower their guns. He put his gun back into his jacket pocket.

Khan, with a slight twitch in his brow, spoke.

“Why did the Duke’s son come here in the first place?”

“Isn’t it impolite to ask that before introducing yourself?”

“We’re just people from the upper echelons. We have some debt issues to settle temporarily, and that’s… the reason we wanted to talk to this young lady.”

Rose was puzzled by Khan’s attitude, which had completely changed from before. The man who had grabbed her roughly and threatened her was now hesitating, likely because of Jasper.

Ignoring Khan’s response, Jasper approached Rose with a furrowed brow. Rose, leaning against the wall, turned her head towards Jasper.

As they drew closer, Jasper’s expression became more apparent. Despite his usually calm and composed face, up close, Jasper seemed precarious, as if he could break at any moment. His complexion was even paler than usual, bordering on white.

Jasper glanced anxiously around Rose and then settled on the hem of her sleeve. The buttons were torn off in the scuffle with the men earlier. 

A bruise was faintly visible beneath the sleeve, where the fabric was slightly displaced.

Jasper tightened his grip on Rose’s wrist. 

“Ouch…”

Rose let out a soft whimper, her wrist aching from Khan’s strong grip she hadn’t noticed before. The pale skin around the wrist was reddened and slightly swollen.

“Are you hurt?”

Jasper’s voice, which Rose had always found gentle, now sounded sharp and stern. He released her wrist gently, his gaze shifting to the Redmark gang members.

Jasper, with an incisive gaze, scanned each man and questioned.

“Who are these people?”

Before Rose could respond, Khan intervened.

“We were just having a conversation. We have a duty as debtors, you see. We simply discussed the money we are owed. Yes.”

After finishing his sentence, Khan cast a glance at Rose as if seeking her approval. Then he looked away. 

Jasper tilted his head.

“Debt?”

His gaze then fell on the documents lying on the nearby table. Jasper quickly skimmed through the contents before fixing his eyes on Rose.

Rose hesitated, unsure of where to start explaining the situation. Her lips were momentarily sealed.

What should she say? Should she reveal that his father is a gambler who ruined their household? Should she admit that she’s not just an ordinary commoner, but a member of a troubled family…?

She didn’t want to disclose all these details. Speaking them aloud felt like it would make her pitiable. 

Revealing her circumstances might shatter her image, especially in front of Jasper, who, like most students at Berkley Academy, likely came from more fortunate backgrounds.

The sparkling them were not like this mundane life, and she didn’t want to admit that she had struggled so desperately in this way. No, she couldn’t say it. Especially not in front of Jasper.

‘Why do I keep showing this side to Jasper?’

Rose’s lips trembled with emotions surging. Jasper looked at the trembling Rose and spoke.

“You don’t need to explain everything that happened, just tell me one thing. Were you forcibly brought here?”

Jasper’s pupils were steady, his voice firm. At that moment, Rose felt like she could entrust everything to Jasper.

Rose alternated her gaze between Jasper and Khan and spoke softly.

“Yes.”

“Alright. Go over there.”

Jasper pointed to a corner with a nod.

“Jasper, but…”

Before she could finish saying she didn’t want Jasper to get involved, Jasper acted swiftly. He immediately approached Khan and grabbed him by the collar, delivering a punch to his face. 

Thud! The dull sound echoed as Khan crashed to the floor.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds. Rose was so shocked that she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a scream. 

The unfolding scene in front of her was unbelievable.

Jasper ruthlessly pounded the other two men, swiftly bringing them down, and then climbed on top of Khan. 

Thud, thud! The chilling sounds of the beating resonated throughout the inn.

“Kuh… argh…!”

Jasper mercilessly struck Khan’s face. Khan’s head jerked from side to side, and his nose was broken.

Jasper’s eyes, devoid of any emotion, were cold as he looked down at Khan. He seemed like someone who had suddenly let go of everything, engulfed in a silent madness.

Rose realized this was not the Jasper she knew. Though he appeared cold on the outside, inwardly he was a guy full of warmth, but now that was gone, replaced by a man consumed by rage and devoid of reason.

Wobbling, Rose walked towards Jasper. 

“Jasper, stop… please stop.”

She felt that if things continued this way, someone would end up dead. 

She reached out to grab Jasper’s shoulder, but he firmly stated.

“It’s dangerous. Stay back.”