A Summer with My Bitter Rival - Chapter 8

Chapter 4. 2 — The Rank Thief (2)

So, if she expressed disapproval, her friends would quickly backtrack and say, “Actually, I thought the same,” when just moments ago, they had been gossiping freely.

After a brief silence, Emeline smiled softly.

“His behavior is nothing but reckless. He doesn’t even try to hide his flaws… there’s not an ounce of dignity in him.”

“Oh, I completely agree! You’d think he’d be more mindful of how he presents himself.”

“Eight girlfriends at once? What, does he think he’s some kind of public commodity?”

As soon as Emeline spoke, the young noble ladies’ faces lit up, and they eagerly chimed in. Whenever she smiled and responded, the atmosphere grew even more lively.

‘…How dull.’

She kept smiling, but that was what she thought internally.

In truth, Emeline had no interest in Zenon Trantium.

Yes, she found his promiscuous behavior reckless, but she wasn’t sure if her disapproval stemmed from her father’s constant criticisms or her own judgment.

‘Isn’t it a bit rash to judge someone without ever meeting them?’

Watching her friends gossip made her realize she might be falling into that very mistake.

Even her own thoughts were shaped by her father’s influence.

In this boring life of hers, she blindly followed her father’s orders, and there wasn’t much room for her own desires. She had completely lost control of herself. Like someone who couldn’t swim, she was endlessly swept away by the current.

Perhaps that’s why.

Sometimes, Zenon Trantium felt like he came from a different world. His carefree attitude seemed unreal.

Rustle.

Just then, Emeline heard something behind her—a faint sound of someone stepping on grass. She turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder, but there was no one there.

“Lady Delzeor, is something back there?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Since they were gathered in the academy’s greenhouse during lunchtime, it wouldn’t have been strange if someone had walked by.

Brushing it off, Emeline rejoined the boring conversation.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

“Lady Delzeor, the exam results are out!”

Lady Angel, the daughter of Count Larresa, clapped her hands excitedly as she spoke.

Among their group, she was the one particularly eager to be close to Emeline, smiling brightly as she stuck by her side.

“I’m sure you’ll snag first place again this time, Lady Delzeor.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Lady Larresa.”

Emeline smiled softly.

Her academic achievements were the only things in her life that truly came from her own efforts, in a world otherwise dictated by her father’s commands.

Together with Angel, Emeline headed toward the bulletin board where the rankings were posted. The exam for these rankings had been a foreign language test, taken on the same day her friends had gossiped about the young son of Marquis Trantium.

“Lady Delzeor, how can you be so smart? I’ve always thought you were amazing.”

“I simply enjoy studying, and good grades seem to follow naturally.”

Angel spoke as if it were already a given that Emeline had secured first place.

Emeline knew the words were mere flattery, so she responded humbly, though secretly, she was pleased.

At home, no one really acknowledged her efforts, even when she achieved results like these.

Suppressing a bitter smile, she approached the bulletin board, where students—mostly boys—had gathered to view the rankings. For girls, school was more about basic education and preparing for high society, so most female students weren’t particularly concerned with their grades.

Perhaps it helped that only the top fifty students were listed on the public board, sparing them the fear of embarrassment.

Not wanting to push through the crowd, Emeline scanned the rankings from a distance before she froze.

First place…

Frowning, she thought she must have misread and looked again.

By then, the students who had already checked the rankings began to chatter noisily.

“Lady Delzeor isn’t in the first place?”

“Zenon Trantium? Like… the young son of Marquis Trantium?”

“Is this rigged?”

“I mean… what’s the point of a woman being good at studying? It won’t do her any good. Maybe this will be a reality check for her. But that aside, Zenon Trantium in first place is just…”

“Hey, quiet down.”

The students fell silent when they noticed Emeline standing behind them, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were only glued to the words: “First place, Zenon Trantium.”

Zenon Trantium.

For the first time, his name had intruded on her world.

As the rank thief.