C88: Daily life after the test (2)
Rene was just confused by the situation. It is true that she ran into Santoni's gang, was in danger and she thought it would be good if someone could help.
However, she did not expect that the one who would help her would be Freuden Ulburg, one of the three dukes of the Empire.
Even at a young age, he led a faction and stood tall on the heads of aristocratic students. Of course, Theon is full of geniuses and super humans who solve everything on their own without being ruled by anyone, but that doesn't mean that the light of the name Freuden is fading.
That Freuden was now staring at Santoni with cold eyes.
'Senior, you're really a scary person, as the rumors say.'
The rumors of Freuden were also popular among the common people. So, when she first encountered him, she was afraid and she was surprised to discover that he was an unexpectedly easy-going person.
But now Rene realized that rumors about Freuden were never wrong or misleading and the energy he exuded proved it.
"Why aren't you answering? Did I ask a difficult question?"
Santoni sensed the danger and hurriedly opened his mouth.
"I was just educating a cheeky commoner."
Freuden's eyes turned to Rene.
'Ugh.'
Rene trembled involuntarily. She froze up without even thinking of getting up from the ground. Come to think of it, it wasn't exactly a situation she would like to be in.
The opponent was Freuden Ulburg, leader of the aristocratic students in Theon and she is just a commoner. Between Santoni and her, it was obvious who Freuden was going to turn to.
"So."
Freuden, who understood the whole situation, opened his mouth.
"Are you saying that the four of us are educating one commoner?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."
"You. What's your name?"
"It's Santoni Oatmouth."
"Oatmouth, hmm. Is it the Earl of Oatmouth? I think I vaguely heard him."
He never heard of a count's family?
Even Santoni, who was likely to feel insulted, accepted the fact as if it was natural because Freuden's someone who's in a position where he can do that.
"So, the son of the Oatmouth family along with three others is in such a remote place bullying a commoner girl?"
"What do you mean bully?"
One of the girls from Santoni group made an excuse in haste.
"That's not true. We're just educating her. Yes, I was just trying to educate her."
"That's education?"
"Yes, yes!"
Freuden was popular with young women not only because he was the head of the aristocratic faction, but also because of his beautiful appearance. Therefore, the two girls who were with Santoni, desperately made excuses to look good in front of Freuden without knowing that their actions were irritating him.
"It's the common girl's fault. She dared to stand in front of the nobles and ignore us."
"That's right! We were just trying to lecture such a cheeky commoner!"
At some point, Freuden frowned at the four people who started to talk believing that their actions were justice.
"Noisy."
"Mr. Freuden?"
"Not just noisy, it's disgusting."
"Yes, yes?"
The four didn't understand why Freuden was so hostile to them.
Why is he staring at them like that? They were just punishing a commoner. Why is he so angry? Come to think of it, why was Freudian here?
"Mr. Freuden. Is it because we interrupted Mr. Freuden's rest?"
They thought he was angry because they were interrupting his resting time. However, Santoni made a big mistake.
"You really don't know?"
"What? What do you mean we don't know? No way. Because we're doing something about a commoner girl……? Ha, ha, ha. No way."
That didn't make sense and Santoni laughed senselessly.
That Freuden Ulburg was worried about the commoner girl and got angry at this situation?
Santoni figured that Freuden must have felt bad because they showed a dirty commoner in front of him and nodded his head in a wild guess.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your break. I'll take care of it in a quiet place right away."
"……You really don't seem to understand me. Do you still not know why I'm angry?"
"What? If it's not……."
"I can't believe it."
Freuden clicked his tongue and let go of his hands.
"I can't do this."
"What? What's……."
When Santoni was about to ask something the atmosphere became several times heavier, and pressed his body from top to bottom.
Santoni fell flat on the floor and looked like a frog.
Freuden looked down at Santoni, who was lying face down on the ground and couldn't even raise his head.
"Mr. Freuden! What are you doing?"
Santoni's friend stepped up and asked. However, his protest was extinguished as easily as a candle in the wind when he faced Freuden gaze.
Freuden's gaze went beyond him and reached the two noble girls who were observing the situation from behind. The noble girls trembled at the feeling of their skin getting cold.
"You still don't know why I'm doing this?"
"Yes Yes? We do not know why Mr. Freuden is doing this."
"That's enough. It's not worth it."
Freuden released his crushing magic and barely free from the pressure, Santoni gasped and rose, his face covered with dirt.
His gaze toward Freuden was a mixture of anger, embarrassment and fear.
"Leave the child and go."
"Are you defending the commoners Mr. Freuden?"
"Commoners? That's funny."
Freuden rolled up the corner of his mouth and laughed.
"I just didn't want to see the garbage that wasn't aristocratic. Why? Are you angry because you suddenly got into a rough situation?"
"Oh, no."
Santoni bowed his head immediately. Even if he is the son of a count, his opponent is the son of a duke. Besides, he felt how strong Freuden was when he was under his spell a moment ago. There was no sign of the magic manifestation process and he was beaten without knowing how.
He was angry, but also afraid of him.
"Go away. I won't say it again."
Freuden hated repeating the same thing.
Seeing Santoni and his lackeys running away like defeated soldiers, Rene could not close he her slightly open mouth, and could only watch the scene.
Freuden sighed and approached Rene when Santoni's group completely disappeared.
Line finally came to her senses.
"Sunbae?"
"Get up."
Freuden said and held out his hand to Rene. Line looked at his face and hands alternately, and soon stretched on her own.
Freudian shrugged his shoulders and put his hands away and Rene bowed.
"……Thank you for your help."
"I just did what I had to do."
"Well, then I'll go."
Rene said and sighed as she looked at her lunchbox lying on the floor.
'I'm having a hard time with the textbook costs these days, and I can't believe the rice I barely prepared is now on the ground.'
"Was it lunch?"
"It was."
"That'll be hard to eat. What are you going to do?"
"No, no! It's okay! But the potatoes can be eaten if I shake off some dirt."
"…… It fell to the ground"
Line also smiled awkwardly and covered it up.
"Hehe. I'm just kidding. I should just skip lunch. That's great. It's perfect if you think about dieting."
"There seems to be nowhere else to lose."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Rene smiled bitterly. She was very grateful that Freuden adjusted his mood.
After a brief look at Rene, Freuden turned around and said,
"Follow me."
"What?"
"I was going to have lunch just now."
"Uh…… If it's lunch, are you eating here, Mr. Freuden?"
"I like to eat in a quiet place."
"Oh, in that garden?"
"Yes, and I basically pack my own meals."
"What?"
Rene at a loss, thought it was already spilled water and followed in Freuden footsteps.
The place she followed him to was the small garden she had visited before. Come to think of it, it was close to the garden where Santoni forced her. Maybe that's why Freuden heard the fuss and came to check.
"Here it is."
Freuden grabbed a small bundle on one side of the vacant lot. Inside of it was a luxurious lunch box but the inner contents were more impressive than the exterior.
It was full of luxurious dishes that she couldn't imagine and it was decorated nicely, so just looking at it made her mouth water.
"Is this your lunch?"
"Yeah, let's share it, if you don't mind."
"What?"
"I don't think I can finish it all by myself. I got excited and made too much."
"What?"
Rene had no choice but to be surprised when she heard that Freuden made his own lunch.
"No way. Did you make all of these?"
"Yeah, family cooks are not reliable. I've read books since I was seven years old, and I've always cooked and eaten my meals."
"Since you were seven years old?"
Rene's head felt dizzy. What did she do at that age?
Rene tried to recall the past, but nothing came to mind because she was an orphan with no parents and no home in the first place.
When she came to her senses, she had been growing up in a church, and when she grew up, she got noticed by a strange wizard, learned a variety of magic and thanks to the preferential treatment system she was admitted to Theon.
"Try it."
"Can I really do that?"
"Hurry."
"Oh, yes."
It was hard to bear the hunger to say no, so Rene nodded because it seemed like it was not polite to refuse Freuden. And as soon as she picked up a piece of meat with a prepared fork, Rene opened her eyes wide at the feast of flavors exploding in her mouth.
'Oh, my God. It's so good!'
She has a low appetite, so she eats almost anything, but it wasn't to the point where she couldn't tell the difference between the elaborate dishes.
Rene came to realize how great Freuden was. He has a nice family, and he looks great. He's an aristocrat who even knows how to do housework. He's like the main character of a romance novel that's very popular among young people these days.
Rene wondered why such a person took such good care of her.
Perhaps?
Rene, who had expectations, shook her head.
'I'm sure he just thinks that I'm a good person. Let's just eat.'
Eating something delicious washed away all the bad things that happened a while ago.
Freuden stared silently at Rene, while she was eating.
* * *
Night fell.
Street lamps, which were turned on by magic, brightly lit the road, and lights that had not yet been turned off from several buildings leaked out through the windows.
I walked in darkness where even such a light could not reach, to the entrance of the Fantasy Forest because we promised to meet here.
'You haven't come yet.'
At that time, Selina came to this place so that the students could make a contract with the spirits, but no presence was felt around him now.
Occasionally, spirits shining faintly in the dark appeared, but when they saw him, they were surprised and ran away.
Today he will encounter a First Order for the first time and he wondered what kind of person he was and if his identity would be seen through.
[You came early.]
A voice came from the darkness. At the same time, flames fluttered in the air, and soon it turned into a ball of fire the size of a human fist.
I stared at the flame with a subdued gaze.
TL note: I don't know how I do it but I always end up with a cliffhanger. Sorry for the cliff I'll try to release some chapter tomorrow.