Contrary to worries, they didn’t bother Riley anymore.

Of course, Riley remained vigilant. She didn’t think they had given up on retaliation altogether. Especially because the daughter of the Narvik bank manager was in the same class as Gibnen, and she always glared at Riley as if she wanted to kill her during the class.

Riley tried to stay in places with many people as much as possible. Whenever she could be with Hila, she stayed with Hila, and if she saw anyone suspicious, she left without looking back.

Then, one day amidst the uneasy peace akin to the calm before a storm.

“You know, Riley. The daughter of the Narvik bank manager, the one who used to bully you.”

“Yeah.”

“She got admitted to the hospital with a broken leg.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Yeah, she says someone attacked her and broke her leg. Not just her, but two boys who were with her also had arms and legs broken. So all three of them are in the hospital.”

“All of them were attacked?”

“Yes, there’s an investigation, but does it make sense? They were attacked within the academy.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense?”

“Because only people with registered identities or permissions can enter and leave the academy. Outsiders and traders would be teleported elsewhere the moment they cross the gate.”

“Then it could be someone from our class?”

“That’s possible. But who would dare touch the prestigious nobles… Whoever it is must be very courageous. It’s also not easy to identify the culprit because not just you but many people dislike them.”

The perpetrators of the harassment would probably not be able to attend the academy for some time.

But did it really matter?

‘I’m getting a lot more dirty looks.’

She felt like the number of people glaring at her had increased. Now she could easily differentiate between those from prestigious backgrounds and those who weren’t. The rumors had definitely spread for the worse among that group.

However, it’s not my fault that their legs were broken.

Riley let out a deep sigh and opened her textbook.

Only after the lecture began could she escape the piercing stares.

The youngest daughter of Count Lucan. The youngest daughter of the Narvik bank manager.

So Josephine Lucan couldn’t get over her shock.

Raised with love and care by her family, she had never been threatened or attacked by anyone before. There had always been strong bodyguards beside her, and people who knew who she was avoided picking a fight.

Her shock began after she entered the academy.

She had been very excited about her life in Horizon Academy. Being the youngest daughter of Count Lucan and attending Horizon made her feel great. Marriage proposals poured in just because she had entered Horizon.

If this continued, even a marriage proposal from one of the princes wouldn’t seem like a dream.

Then she heard that Gibnen Lianster, who had been on a long-term hiatus, had returned to school. He would be attending one of her classes as well.

Gibnen Lianster was a bit special even within the prestigious social circle. He was at the top of the social hierarchy and rarely appeared in public, which gave him a mysterious image.

To have a class with him was exciting for Josephine Lucan. She wanted to seize this rare opportunity to become his closest friend.

So she acted as friendly as possible when she saw him. They had seen each other a few times and even had short conversations.

She hadn’t thought much when Gibnen sat next to a girl who looked like a country bumpkin. She simply found the girl a bit annoying for not giving up her seat.
Moving out of the way was a natural expectation from her standpoint.

Because she was a noble of Blesstige. Everything revolved around the influence of the “Blesstige nobility”; it was an unspoken rule. Stealing someone’s seat was just one of the many commonly occurring actions within the academy.

There was no insult in it worth taking to heart.

“I’m not as lowly as you.”

Her face flushed.

She had never been insulted like this before. But given the person she was dealing with, she couldn’t say anything.

It was then that Josephine realized. This was how it was supposed to be. Even if it felt unjust or unfair, she had to hold it in when dealing with those of higher status. That was the way of the world.

So, her anger was directed downward, not upward.

The woman who was indifferently sitting next to Gibnen, an outsider, angered her more than Gibnen, who had spoken harshly. If she had just moved when asked, none of this would have happened.

She knew the logic was flawed, but anyone would look for a scapegoat to vent their humiliation and indignity. Besides, she already disliked the fact that Gibnen was close to an outsider.

An outsider, of all people!

Josephine Lucan giving me such disdain, and keeping close some wretched nobody whose name I’ve never even heard! How could I be outdone by such a nobody! It was a disgrace to the Lucan family.

So, she had planned to torment her. She thought it would be good to vent just this once.