Chapter 21: The Hand I No Longer Want.

Amelia spent the rest of the afternoon studying with Marie in the self-study room until classes ended.

As expected, Special Class A seemed to have a very high level.

Still, Amelia had poured her heart into studying magic even before enrollment, determined to contribute to the development of her territory.

She even studied magic attributes she herself could not use, hoping she could assist Lease somehow.

If she worked desperately, she felt she might somehow manage to keep up by the end of the first term.

Before long, the afternoon classes concluded and it became after-school hours.

Without returning to the classroom, Amelia decided to head straight to Sarju.

According to Marie, he was in the library.

Sarju was in the same year as Marie and in the same Class A.

If she had been doing independent study, then he likely was too.

And whenever it was independent study time, he was apparently always in the library.

Of course, lessons at the academy were frankly unnecessary for someone like Sarju.

The teachers might even feel more uncomfortable than the students.

If she could enter Special Class A, she would be able to study together with Sarju and Marie.

Surely it would become a truly meaningful academy life.

While thinking such things and walking along,

she noticed someone standing right in front of the library.

They were positioned in such a way that they completely blocked the entrance, making it impossible to enter.

(Standing there of all places is really in the way…)

She cast a quick glance.

It appeared to be a pair.

A tall young man, and a petite woman who clung to him almost desperately.

Blocking a place where many students came and went was already a nuisance,

and a man and woman being so openly intimate within the academy also lacked proper morals.

Telling them to move seemed bothersome, so Amelia decided to use the other entrance instead and turned on her heel.

“Wait, Amelia.”

But the young man came hurrying after her.

It was a voice she recognized.

(Eh…? Lease?)

Come to think of it, they had met here before.

If the person earlier really was Lease, then the woman beside him must be the rumored lover.

(I don’t want this. I don’t want to see him.)

She wished he would just pretend not to notice her.

Why would he deliberately call out to her while he was together with his lover?

Perhaps he was plotting something again.

She no longer wanted to be used by him.

She didn’t even want to look at his face.

Without stopping, Amelia tried to slip inside the library through the other entrance.

“Wait!”

Her wrist was seized.

Revulsion made her skin crawl.

Only now did she realize—for the first time—how deeply she had come to hate Lease.

She had no intention of blaming him for falling in love with someone else.

One cannot bind another’s feelings.

But they had been engaged for ten long years.

At the very least, she had wanted him to be honest.

If he had properly explained the reason to her, Amelia would have accepted it.

She would have wished for his happiness too.

And yet.

What Lease had done while she was absent was spread malicious rumors and paint her as the villain.

If she had not met Sarju, Julius, and Marie, she might have even despaired of living.

Despite doing something so terrible,

he appeared together with his lover as if nothing had happened and called out to her.

What a selfish, cruel person.

“Please let go of my hand.”

The voice that came out was so cold it surprised even herself.

If he wanted to make her the villain, then fine.

Whatever he or those around him thought of her no longer mattered.

Amelia would simply devote herself to her studies for her own sake and for the development of her territory.

“Amelia, I’m sorry. I—”

Lease spoke in a voice as though intoxicated with himself, gripping her hand even tighter.

For a moment she seriously considered slapping him with all her strength.

“……!”

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Lease suddenly flinched and released her hand as though startled.

“Amelia.”

When she turned at the sound of her name,

two figures had appeared from either side and stepped forward, placing themselves between Lease and Amelia as though to separate them.

“Sarju-sama, Julius-sama.”

She called their names in surprise.

To her right stood Sarju, his expression stern.

To her left stood Julius, looking exasperated.

Since Lease was—at least for now—still her fiancé, they refrained from carelessly touching Amelia,

yet the way they unmistakably shielded her made tears threaten to well up.

At the sudden appearance of the two princes,

both Lease and his lover widened their eyes in shock, came to their senses, and hurriedly bowed their heads.

“Amelia. I went to the classroom to pick you up and you weren’t there, so I was surprised.

There’s something I want to ask right away about yesterday’s materials.”

Sarju spoke to Amelia as though he had already completely forgotten Lease existed.

“Ah, yes. If there is anything I can help with…”

Julius stepped in front of Sarju and Amelia.

The meaning was clear: go ahead without concern.

After giving a small bow, Amelia followed behind Sarju, who had already begun walking.

From behind came Julius’s voice.

“Sorry, but Amelia Renis, daughter of the Count, is currently assisting with Sarju’s research.

My younger brother’s research is vitally important to the nation.

She will be prioritizing that above all else.”

The words conveyed Amelia’s value and served as a clear warning not to approach her carelessly.

“I-I understand.”

Lease answered in a trembling voice and quickly hurried away.

“Most likely he heard what happened to Emira Kidari and was trying desperately to do something about it.”

Julius returned to the two of them and spoke with an exasperated sigh.

Emira had been severely condemned for spreading baseless rumors and committing unjust acts toward Amelia.

As that fact gradually spread through the academy,

people finally began to question the credibility of the rumors Lease had started.

Panicked by that development, Lease must have intended to speak to Amelia in a public place so she would curse at him—thus “proving” the rumors true.

“I was seriously about to slap Lease just now.”

She had already decided she no longer cared how she was perceived.

But she absolutely did not want things to go exactly according to his plan.

“Sarju-sama, Julius-sama. Thank you very much for helping me.”

She thanked them again properly.

Julius laughed and said helping a friend was only natural.

But Sarju remained silent, his expression still severe.

“…Sarju-sama?”

It was unusual for him to wear such a face in front of her.

When she tentatively called out,

Sarju—still looking in the direction Lease had gone—asked her quietly.

“Amelia. Do you still wish to remain engaged to him?”

“No, not at all.

But Father strongly desires to bring in a user of earth magic.

He may not agree to dissolve the engagement so easily.”

No reply had come from Father yet.

The Renis territory was very far away.

Yet Father had always passionately wished for the revival of earth magic.

Moreover, a considerable sum of money had already been invested in this engagement.

Even if the cause was Lease’s infidelity, it might not be so simple to resolve.

Father loved Amelia, but when it came to earth magic he became stubbornly inflexible and would listen to no one’s opinion.

For a lord whose territory—like Renis—was rich in farmland, an earth magic user held enormous value.

Thinking about it made her feel terribly depressed.

“I see.”

At Amelia’s answer, Sarju showed a smile so beautiful it was almost mesmerizing.

“Then it seems we need to lower his value even further.”

“Sarju, what are you planning?”

Julius asked worriedly.

Sarju answered that he would do nothing.

“They will simply sink on their own because of the sins they committed. That’s all.”

With that, he spread out the materials.

“Amelia, why do you think the yield in this area alone is so high?”

Looking at the place Sarju indicated, Amelia answered.

“Um… it’s the place where Lease cast earth magic.

I believe it was growth promotion magic.”

“Growth promotion, hm.

But in this case, soil improvement might actually be more effective.

And this area here?”

“Here insect damage was especially severe.

The environment doesn’t seem very different from the surrounding regions, yet for some reason only this spot suffered so badly.”

“There must be some reason…

…Temperature and soil are the same. What else…”

Watching Sarju’s serious profile as he pondered,

the anger and sadness she had felt toward Lease just moments ago melted away in an instant.

If only she could keep helping him like this forever…

how happy that would be.