Chapter 14
“Is ‘Fasium’ your last name?”
“No, it’s my middle name.”
“Fasium-something Aberdeen.”
“You’re seriously hurting my feelings. You don’t even know my name?”
Whether it was the alcohol or mood swings, Edmund suddenly became teary-eyed. Anita, on the other hand, just wanted to hurry back to her dorm room and lie down on her bed. She couldn’t care less about what his full name was.
“He’s the grandson of the Earl of Aberdeen.”
Anita’s mouth dropped open. The Earl of Aberdeen? As in, the chairman of Aberdeen University and ruler of the Valder region since ancient times? Not to mention, he was also a war hero with a statue on horseback right at the front gate of the university.
So, that made Edmund both the student council president and heir to the Aberdeen Foundation?
“The old man’s telling me to get married.”
Anita nodded half-heartedly. Whether Edmund got married, engaged, or became someone’s bride, it had nothing to do with her.
“He said if I refuse, I’ll lose funding for my research.”
“……”
“Are you interested in investing, by any chance? The project I’m working on right now…”
As soon as Edmund started making a pitch, Anita quietly let go of his arm. She wasn’t excessively stingy, but she didn’t throw money around either. That’s something her father had drilled into her since childhood. And Anita knew better than anyone that uncertain investments were the fastest way to ruin your life.
“Just convince your fiancée.”
Riche didn’t seem surprised by Anita’s cold reaction; she had probably expected it.
“Lily’s not the kind of person who listens to reason.”
“She wouldn’t ignore it if it were someone else talking.”
Lily?
The name sounded familiar, and Anita tilted her head for a moment. But she quickly erased it from her mind.
Eventually, Anita managed to half-carry the drunken Edmund.
“Are you sure it’s okay to leave him here…?”
“Of course.”
Riche clapped her hands as if she were finally free. Anita glanced between her hands and Edmund sprawled out on the ground. Leaving someone completely unconscious on the pavement didn’t sit well with her.
“This spot probably isn’t very sanitary.”
“If he didn’t want to be treated like a piece of luggage, he shouldn’t have drunk so much.”
Now that she thought about it, Riche wasn’t entirely wrong. Anita accepted it, albeit reluctantly. Besides, they didn’t have the authority to barge into the men’s dormitory.
“Let’s just go.”
Even though the weather had warmed up, the night air was still chilly. It didn’t feel right to leave someone out on the street in nothing but a thin coat. Anita took off her jacket and was just about to drape it over Edmund’s torso when Riche suddenly spoke.
“Come to think of it, maybe we shouldn’t leave him here.”
“…Agreed.”
Edmund looked especially pitiful, slumped halfway on the dorm steps. Come morning, a student could easily trip over him by accident.
“He’s the student council president, for crying out loud. If he’s found like this, it’ll ruin the student council’s reputation.”
“……”
“No way I’m letting the image I worked like a dog to build just go down the drain.”
Muttering coldly, Riche cracked her knuckles. Even though the words weren’t directed at her, Anita felt a chill run down her spine.
Her unease wasn’t wrong. Riche grabbed Edmund by the ankles and started dragging him away.
“Wait a second!”
Anita quickly stopped her. Edmund was sprawled on the steps; dragging him down by the legs could easily result in a concussion. A fractured jaw would be a bonus.
Despite Anita’s protests, Riche pulled him all the way down and shoved him into a nearby bush. As if the few strands of blond hair poking out were offensive, she tucked them in meticulously.
Anita did her best to stop Riche, but at this point, she didn’t want to argue anymore. She was exhausted from this late-night ordeal and had neither the energy nor the passion to meddle further.
Seeing how satisfied Riche looked after dumping her friend in the bushes, Anita could only assume she’d been holding a grudge against Edmund for quite some time.
“Well, shall we finally go now?”
“……”
“Come on. I can’t let a freshman wander around alone at this hour.”
The Next Day
Still exhausted, Anita walked into the lecture hall and spotted a familiar back of the head. A blond guy sitting in the far back row—one look and it was clear he wasn’t paying attention.
Not wanting to make small talk, Anita planned to walk right past him. But just as she did, Edmund suddenly turned his head.
“Sit here.”
He even pulled out the chair next to him. At this point, Anita had no choice but to stop.
“What are you doing here?”
A blunt question to ask right off the bat, but for Anita, it was valid. Since the beginning of the semester, she had never seen Edmund attend a botany lecture. She wasn’t exactly a social butterfly who knew everyone in class, but someone with Edmund’s looks would’ve stood out.
“Is it weird for a student to be in a lecture hall?”
“Well… I guess not.”
“Exactly.”
Edmund replied in a monotonous voice that sounded halfway asleep and turned his gaze away. His head rested on his hand, and he tapped his foot under the desk in a bored, restless rhythm. It was obvious he had no interest in the class at all.
