My Past Life is Riddled With Many Sins - Chapter 46
“No matter how closely aligned our lands are, how can we possibly unite with such a person? Please take our circumstances into consideration, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, hearing your situation, it seems quite dire, doesn’t it? After all, you are a community bound by fate.”
‘I was exactly that impenetrable barrier.’
The karma Regina had accumulated as Yekarna was coming back to haunt her.
At a loss for words, Regina pressed her forehead. Meanwhile, the professor opened up a discussion among the group members, apparently aiming to foster some unity.
Lost in her shock that she was unable to move, someone approached and initiated a conversation.
“Excuse me, are you Miss Regina? We’re in the same group. I’m Hailey.”
“And I’m Arthur.”
A spirited girl and a shy boy introduced themselves in turn. Regina swallowed her sigh.
‘I should be honest with them from the start.’
She was contemplating how to delicately explain that she had to withdraw from the academy due to personal reasons, which meant abandoning the project.
“I’m glad to be in the same group as Miss Regina.”
The girl who introduced herself as Hailey suddenly made a comment that Regina couldn’t quite understand.
“May I ask why?”
“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say, but my family isn’t well-off. I need to maintain my scholarship status at all costs, and being in the same group as Miss Regina, who is the top student, is really reassuring.”
Regina was taken aback.
“Uh, Miss Hailey, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what would happen if, hypothetically, we didn’t score well on this project and you lost your scholarship?”
“I don’t even want to imagine, but if that happened, I likely wouldn’t be able to continue my studies.”
This was a disaster. Regina’s potential withdrawal might jeopardize a promising student’s academic future.
Noticing Regina’s troubled expression, Hailey quickly waved her hands.
“I’m sorry for bringing this up on our first meeting… Please don’t feel pressured, Miss Regina. I promise I didn’t mean to burden you with this. As long as we don’t make any major mistakes, everything should be fine. Let’s do our best together.”
Watching the apologetic Hailey, Regina felt terrible.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
If Regina doesn’t withdraw, her own future is at risk. If she does, it jeopardizes the future of this young student.
It’s like two people falling into the sea with only one raft. Regina knows how to swim, but she doesn’t know how long her strength will last. Should she just cling to the raft with her eyes tightly shut?
‘Am I really going to ruin this girl’s life? A bright student who has worked hard to earn a scholarship? Do I have the right to do that?’
No matter how she thought about it, the answer was clear. As an adult, it wasn’t right to act so selfishly.
With resigned eyes, Regina extended her hand to Hailey.
“Please count on me, Miss Hailey. And you too, Master Arthur.”
What harm could staying at the academy a little longer do?
Withdrawing in two months or two and a half months wouldn’t make much of a difference.
After the lecture, they agreed to meet separately to decide on the topic of their report and exchanged awkward greetings in the academy’s common room before sitting down at a table.
“Since we’ll be meeting regularly, how about we all speak informally to each other?”
“That sounds good, Master Arthur.”
“Let’s do that.”
Though all agreed, it took some time before they actually started speaking informally. After some social chit-chat, they finally became comfortable, and Hailey brought up the main point.
“Do either of you have any particular ideas for the report topic?”
“Not really. How about you, Arthur?”
“Me neither. What about you, Hailey? Is there something you’d like to do?”
“Yes, I do have an idea…”
“That’s great. Then let’s go with that.”
Regina, not wanting to think about it, decided to go along with whatever was suggested. Arthur nodded in agreement.
“Great, but what’s the topic?”
At Arthur’s question, Hailey flashed a mischievous smile.
“Which of the Seven Guardians might have killed the Great Empress Yekarna?”
Regina became curious. How did Hailey come up with such a morbid topic?
Arthur’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
“That sounds fun!”
“What do you think, Regina?”
Regina, who had been quietly cradling her head in her hands, looked up at Hailey’s question and answered calmly.
“Well, perhaps a topic related to Great Emperor Henexis would be better? He was such a revered ruler and has many accomplishments, so it would be easier to find resources.”
“Emperor Henexis is too perfect. That’s boring.”
“Ah, I see what Hailey is saying. The fourth emperor is too textbook, not exactly a thrilling subject to explore.”
“Exactly, Arthur. Emperor Henexis lacks a human touch.”
In other words, unlike the untouchable and almost superhuman fourth emperor, this subject had its fair share of mistakes and was therefore more approachable.
“The more I think about it, the better it sounds, Hailey. Great Empress Yekarna and the Seven Guardians are well-known and still widely beloved, so the professor will surely find it interesting.”
‘Beloved’ might not be the right word—more like a topic to chew on, dissect, and enjoy when bored. However, Regina couldn’t say much about it. If a similar incident involved a king from another country, Regina too would have found it amusing, calling it poetic justice.
Regina watched Hailey and Arthur, who were getting along splendidly, with a sour expression.
‘I won’t be able to beat them anyway.’
What could she, tired and worn out, do against these vibrant youngsters?
‘Fine. Have it your way.’
And so, the report topic was decided: ‘Which of the Seven Guardians killed the Great Empress Yekarna?”
* * *
Meanwhile, in another part of the common room, two male students sat drinking tea across from each other, while a group of students watched them from a distance.
“It’s quite a sight, the academy’s top three beauties having tea together. It’s a feast for the eyes.”
“Who would have thought they knew each other?”
“An exclusive camaraderie among the handsome… It’s a rare scene indeed.”
Unlike the happy onlookers, the atmosphere at the table where the two sat was distinctly chilly.
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