The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 89
Episode 89
Rose couldn’t bring herself to speak for a moment, her lips trembling slightly.
The Weir Company was a growing company that spared no effort and was expanding daily.
Establishing a new research facility in the Baskirk Republic—surely they would generously support research funding as well.
As a magic engineer, it was a dream workplace. The whole situation felt like a dream to Rose, and she was left in a daze for a while.
Observing Rose’s expression, Theo added.
“Life in the Republic wouldn’t be bad either. First of all, they have relatively weaker regulations regarding research compared to here… and above all, a much more open atmosphere.”
Rose nodded.
Through Briley, who had studied in the Republic, she had already heard about the culture and aspects of the place several times. In the early days of the Republic, society was aristocracy-centric, but recently, even the common people had gained influence.
The atmosphere valued individual abilities and wealth more than social status.
Theo stated quite firmly.
“For commoners to establish themselves, the Republic is better. I can’t say there’s absolutely no class discrimination, but it’s less than here. That much is certain.”
“But there, I’d be a foreigner…”
“The company will handle the citizenship issue for you.”
“But would Weir Company be interested in me? Even if Senior recommends me, I have no experience.”
Theo let out a bitter laugh and looked genuinely incredulous.
“What’s the top student of Berkley Academy even saying? Let go of your doubts about your abilities.”
“…Yes, senior. First of all, thank you so much for recommending me for such an important position. I apologize for not giving an immediate response. It’s a tremendous opportunity, and I know that, but…”
The decision to agree didn’t come easily. Leaving the country she had lived in her whole life and starting her social life in a foreign land where she knew no one was not a simple matter.
“I’ll be even further away from my family. It’ll be difficult for communication and mail to go back and forth easily in a foreign country.”
“For the first few years, yes. Saving up during that time and bringing your family to the Republic could be one way.”
Rose bit her lower lip in contemplation.
Would she be able to find a better job than in Weir Company Company after graduating from the academy? With Theo’s recommendation, she was guaranteed good conditions.
It was certainly an appealing offer. Stable income, the free atmosphere of the Republic, an environment to freely conduct research as a magic engineer…
However, the thought of being further away from her family than she was now saddened Rose. She would inevitably distance herself from the friends she had recently become close to.
‘…My connection with Jasper might naturally fade away.’
In this critical crossroad of life, Jasper Conway naturally came to Rose’s mind.
‘I might be making a good decision after all.’
But she couldn’t wholeheartedly embrace the idea. A part of her heart felt heavy.
Going to the Republic might offer her many things, but she also had to give up a lot.
No decision only brings gains without losses.
“Rose, I’m not asking you to decide right now. Let’s enjoy the steak. Eat up.”
“…How long do I have to answer?”
“Take your time. I’ll be here until the autumn semester. It’s an important decision; you need to be careful. But in my heart, I hope you’ll consider it positively.”
“Are you going to the Republic next year?”
“Yeah, I’ve made up my mind. I think it’ll be better if you’re with me on that path.”
“…”
“We will undoubtedly make a great team, Rose.”
A heavy silence fell between them for a moment. Rose could only nod her head, unable to immediately vocalize a response.
Then Theo gestured to continue the meal, placing a juicy steak on Rose’s plate as if suggesting they move on.
“Finish your meal, Rose.”
Until dessert arrived, they engaged in casual small talk.
Rose gradually relaxed, sharing updates and exchanging banter. Theo seemed to be intentionally steering the conversation to lighter topics.
Theo’s face was slightly flushed. Unlike Rose, he had a few glasses of wine during the meal. With a light intoxication, Theo spoke.
“Oh, by the way, this morning, a third-year female student gave me a love letter. She’s a noble lady. I was quite surprised.”
Theo appeared taken aback, but Rose nodded calmly.
Theo could receive a love confession from a female student at the academy. What was more surprising was that he had never received a confession before.
Even when he was a student and even now as a teaching assistant, female students always seemed to chatter about Theo Lixton.
Rose had overheard enough to know that Theo was quite popular.
Rose hadn’t given it much thought until now, but she was now fully aware of Theo’s attractive features—the neat black hair, dark eyes, gently curved features, and smooth skin. He had a face that could easily win anyone’s favor.
Furthermore, Theo Lixton was kind and caring, always looking out for others. Kind and handsome teachers or senior students were bound to become objects of admiration for young academy students.
‘Yeah. Senior is handsome.’
It dawned on her. Perhaps due to her frequent meetings with Jasper, she had become indifferent to the attractiveness of others.
Rose consciously pushed aside the image of Jasper that had involuntarily come to mind.
“So, what did you say to her?”
“What could I say? I just turned her down. She’s a student… Maybe after she graduates.”
“Still, it takes courage to confess. It couldn’t have been easy.”
“It’s a young crush. Something common at that age. Those emotions fade quickly.”
At Theo’s nonchalant words, Rose felt an odd sensation for a moment. A twinge in a corner of her heart.
‘Fading emotions…’
The image of Jasper Conway, whom she had been trying to suppress, vividly filled her mind again.
Jasper, confessing to her on the boat, came to her mind in great detail.
Would those feelings eventually fade away too? Would her momentarily shaken emotions also evaporate at some point?
She was curious about how love at nineteen differed from adult love. Was it truly as different as Theo had suggested? Were the fluttering feelings she felt now really nothing special?
Theo let out a small bitter laugh.
“Looking back, I was quite childish during my time at the academy.”
“…Really? You had someone you liked too? Did it not work out with them in the end?”
He sighed and looked at Rose intently.
“Are you asking sincerely?”
“Yes?”
“I expected you wouldn’t know, but really, you had no idea. I liked you.”
“…What?”
Rose was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly felt a lump in her throat and hastily grabbed her glass. She drank the water hastily, almost choking in the process.
Theo stared at Rose in bewilderment, not knowing what to do.
“You only cared about studying, Rose. I thought I was being quite obvious. Because you were always so cold to me, I couldn’t muster the courage to contact you after graduation… I went through some inner torment because of you.”
“I… I had no idea.”
“Well, now you know.”
As Rose cleared her throat, she slightly avoided Theo’s gaze.
For some reason, her heart felt tight, and she patted her chest with her hand, trying to alleviate the discomfort.
During the meal, an overwhelming amount of information poured in all at once. It felt like her head was about to explode.
Unexpected options were laid out before her, and Rose wasn’t sure what to choose.
‘If I go to the republic with Senior….’
Naturally, she would grow closer to Theo and drift further from Jasper.
Rose’s ideal type was someone sincere and in a similar situation to her. That was Theo Lixton. She thought he was a man with no shortcomings, sharing the same major and being a commoner.
However, Rose had never considered Theo in a romantic light.
Even though Theo as a person, as well as his proposal, was attractive enough, Rose couldn’t help but feel dizzy for some reason.
* * *
The industrial zone of the city of Valloch Harbor is still chaotic today.
The machines of a textile factory were running even in the late dawn. With the power of electricity, the factory operated continuously 24 hours a day, maintaining a bright light even at night.
The weavers were divided into two shifts, morning and afternoon.
George Bell, the man here referred to by the alias Hans, was dozing off in front of the loom. He couldn’t just rest after standing in front of the machines for half a day.
In exchange for providing meals at the factory, George handled various odd jobs, including cleaning. The meals provided by the factory were dismal, and the dormitories were infested with mice.
The weekly wages he received from working like this were barely enough to cover one or two meals. In reality, it was almost like working for no pay.
However, George had no other choice besides this factory. As an illegal immigrant, the options for making a living in Valloch were limited.
A looming shadow covered George as he dozed in front of the huge machine. It was the factory supervisor.
“Wake up!”
Thwack! The supervisor struck George’s back with a stick.
“Ouch.”
George reflexively hunched over in pain as he woke up. When he glanced back, the supervisor was standing there with a grim face.
George lowered his head, unable to make a sound, and trembled while muttering. The supervisor, seeming displeased, hit his shoulders again with the stick and returned to his position.
George shed a few tears, regretting his circumstances.
‘I shouldn’t have borrowed money from the gang….’
The image of the gang members chasing him involuntarily came to his mind.
George huddled his shoulders, still sore from the earlier hit.