“Anya, don’t be nervous. We’re not here to harm you.” In a secluded courtyard, Olivia sat at a stone table, smiling kindly at Anya, who sat across from her.
“Um... Vice President Olivia, may I ask why you’re looking for me?” Anya placed her hands on her knees, speaking hesitantly.
“You should already know.” Olivia smiled faintly. “That day, in the grove with Litte, what really happened? I want to know the truth.”
“...” Anya froze for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, Vice President Olivia, but you’ve got the wrong person...”
“Is that so?” Olivia smiled again and said, “Then I suppose it’s not true that your mother is gravely ill and needs a large sum of money for treatment.”
“!” Anya’s head shot up, her eyes filled with shock as she looked at Olivia. “How... how do you know about that?”
“It wasn’t hard to find out.” Olivia smiled. “I’m the Vice President of the Student Council, and I oversee the Liaison Department. Obtaining information about a student’s family from the faculty isn’t difficult for me.”
“Anya, you’re quite the inspiring individual. Your parents are just ordinary shopkeepers in the capital, yet through your own hard work, you managed to get into the Imperial Academy. And ranking in the top 400 during admissions? That’s impressive.”
“Given the typical trajectory of someone like you, Anya, you’d graduate from the Imperial Academy, secure a stable, high-paying job, and eventually settle down with someone.”
“...” Listening to Olivia calmly recount her background, Anya nervously clenched her clothes. “But...”
“But half a month ago, your mother suddenly fell gravely ill. It’s a treatable illness, but it requires a large amount of money—far beyond what your family can afford.”
“And that’s when someone approached you, offering the money in exchange for your cooperation.” Olivia fixed her gaze on Anya. “Anya, am I wrong?”
“...” Anya bit down hard on her lip, refusing to speak. But even without her response, it was clear that Olivia had already pieced everything together. “Vice President Olivia, how did you...”
“I already told you—I oversee the Liaison Department. It wasn’t difficult to uncover this,” Olivia said as she pulled out an envelope and handed it to Anya.
“Once I learned about this yesterday, I arranged for the medicine to be purchased and delivered to your mother. Under the protection of a designated escort I arranged, your parents are now en route to the Prussia Duchy.”
“There, they will be under the protection of the Prussia Duke. No one will be able to harm them.”
“So, have you reconsidered?”
Hearing Olivia’s words, Anya accepted the envelope. Upon reading its contents, tears welled up in her eyes, and she smiled bitterly.
“What choice do I have?”
“Of course, I’m just asking as a formality.” Olivia smiled and extended her hand. “Pleasure working with you.”
Anya reached out and shook Olivia’s hand.
—
While Orson and Manuel were at their wits’ end, Olivia walked into the Disciplinary Committee office.
“Let’s hold a trial,” Olivia said.
“What?” Orson looked at Olivia in confusion.
Manuel was equally puzzled.
“Olivia, don’t you realize how unfair a trial would be to Litte right now?”
“Exactly, Vice President. Give us more time to investigate this matter.”
“You two keep saying you’re investigating, but all you have are witness testimonies—there’s no other evidence. Do you really think you’ll find anything?”
“...” Both men fell silent.
“But if we just proceed with the trial...”
“Orson, trust me.” Olivia placed her hands on Orson’s shoulders, looking at him with absolute confidence. “I won’t let anything happen to Litte.”
Orson stared at Olivia for a long time before nodding.
“Alright. I hope you’ll surprise me,” Orson said as he left the office.
Standing in front of the Student Council building, Orson faced the massive crowd of students. Their constant questions and pressure weighed heavily, but he cleared his throat and spoke.
“To all of you demanding a public trial, the Student Council has decided, after careful consideration, to hold the trial tonight. The victim, witnesses, and the accused will all attend the trial in the auditorium. All students are welcome to observe.”
“For now, please return to your classes. Your studies are important.”
With that, Orson bowed deeply to the crowd.
Hearing that the Student Council had finally agreed to their demands, the students expressed their approval and began dispersing to return to the teaching buildings.
From a distance, Donny watched as the protest dispersed, a look of surprise on his face.
One of his lackeys approached and relayed what Orson had just announced.
“...I see.” Donny nodded.
“It seems President Orson is preparing to sacrifice his brother for the greater good,” the lackey said.
“Perhaps.” Donny agreed. “Given the current situation, once the trial begins, it’ll quickly devolve into a one-sided condemnation of Litte.”
“At that point, if Orson defends Litte, he’ll be implicated. If he condemns Litte, he’ll earn his brother’s resentment.”
“I’ve put him in quite the bind.” Donny smiled.
“Still...” The lackey seemed worried. “Young Master Donny, why didn’t Orson take more time to investigate? Why announce the trial for tonight? With so little time, what could they possibly uncover?”
“I don’t know either.” Donny shook his head. “But Tyril did a good job this time. At the very least, Orson is definitely feeling the heat.”
“Now, it’s just a matter of whether Orson chooses himself or his brother. If it were me, I’d choose myself.”
“But, Young Master Donny,” the lackey said, “isn’t Orson known for being calm and composed at the academy? Why is he acting so anxious and irrational in this case? It doesn’t seem like him...”
“Who knows...” Donny dismissed the thought. “Maybe he’s just panicking because it involves his brother.”
—
Meanwhile, Tyril was in an exceptionally good mood.
“Has Orson lost his mind?” He sat in his dorm room, laughing as one of his cronies updated him on the situation. “This is hilarious—I’ve never seen anyone move this fast.”
“Could it be that Orson actually wants to ruin Litte’s reputation and get rid of him?” The thought made Tyril pause, but then he burst out laughing again.
“Whatever. Doesn’t matter to me. Young Master Donny only asked me to ruin Litte’s reputation, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“Still, having dirt on someone and manipulating them... it feels amazing.” Tyril grinned, thinking of Anya. He couldn’t help but fantasize.
“Heh, once this is all over, I’ll make sure to deal with that little wench. After all, her family still needs my help with their medical expenses.”