Anything But Study - Chapter 49

Anastasia Ribelline spat out those words without the slightest thought for how they might be received.

Unlike her, Melia could not answer honestly.

“…I’m not doing that.”

A weak reply slipped out through her slightly parted lips.

Even though she had hoped.

Lying like this made her feel pathetic.

You idiot. Why would you say something like that?

Regret washed over Melia too late, but the words were already spoken.

“Just as I thought. I guess I was overthinking it.”

Having heard the answer she wanted, Anastasia’s lips curved upward in a long smile.

But what could Melia possibly say here?

In Anastasia’s eyes, Melia was nothing more than Hailon’s tutor.

A tutor she took on because she had debts and needed money for her sick younger brother’s hospital bills.

‘The relic, I can never tell her.’

Even if there was something between her and Hailon beyond tutoring, there was no way she could say it in front of his fiancée.

How could she possibly say that she had formed an improper relationship with him because of that incident at camp?

It was not something to boast about.

The truth lingered at the tip of her tongue, but in the end, it never came out.

Anastasia’s long fingers reached over and rested atop Melia’s hand.

The cold touch felt unpleasantly unsettling.

Smiling brightly, Anastasia tightly clasped Melia’s hand. “Then you’ll tutor me instead, right?”

No matter how little dignity Melia felt she had left, this was one proposal she absolutely could not accept.

Melia forced the words out.

“…I’m going to refuse.”

“What?”

For the first time, a clear rejection came from Melia’s mouth, and Anastasia’s face immediately twisted.

Her smile vanished in an instant.

“I don’t think I can tutor you.”

Melia stated her refusal once more, meeting Anastasia’s sharp gaze head-on.

That much, she could not allow.

Just then, the professor arrived in the lecture hall.

Melia gestured toward the door. “Class is about to start. Shouldn’t you go back to your seat now?”

A refusal followed by a dismissal.

Seeing that the Melia she thought would be easy to handle did not bend to her will, Anastasia’s eyes darkened.

Her cold gaze swept over Melia’s face.

“…Hmm. Fine.”

With that brief remark, Anastasia stood up.

She returned to her seat without adding another word.

That was all. Anastasia didn’t say anything else.

Even so, Melia couldn’t shake the uneasy, uncomfortable feeling. A heavy air continued to press down on her.

As Anastasia’s retreating figure gradually grew distant.

“…Haa.”

Only then did Melia finally let out the breath she had been holding.

What she had just done was something the usual Melia would never have imagined herself doing.

At the academy, rules stated that everyone was equal regardless of status, but reality was different.

People constantly read the room, and unspoken hierarchies inevitably formed.

And Anastasia Ribelline was the daughter of a marquis, no less.

In truth, Melia was scared. She was worried.

But strangely, she didn;t regret rejecting what felt like a notice rather than a request.

It seemed that however little pride she possessed, she hated being treated as someone who could be bought and handled at will.

‘You did the right thing.’

Melia reassured herself.

She had already decided to distance herself from Hailon anyway.

Right now, Anastasia was simply bothered by how close Melia appeared to be to him.

If Melia started putting distance between herself and Hailon, then those looks directed at her would soon be withdrawn as well.

So those piercing gazes were something she only needed to endure for a little while before they disappeared.

***

The following week arrived.

Since the seasonal party, the atmosphere between Melia and Hailon was subtly different from before.

“What was this again?”

“It’s what I showed you last time. Draw the stroke downward there, then round off the end.”

The natural habit of Melia placing her hand over his and writing together whenever Hailon got confused during ancient language lessons was gone.

Now, like this, she only explained verbally.

They still sat side by side as usual, but Melia conducted the lessons while keeping as much distance from Hailon as possible.

As if even having Hailon in her house made her uncomfortable.

“Melia.”

There was no way Hailon failed to notice that change.

A low voice tinged with displeasure called her name.

Melia flinched, but she tried to lower her voice and act calm.

“…Y-yeah. What is it?”

“Is something going on?” Hailon asked her outright.

With the clear implication that she had been strange lately.

“Have you been feeling unwell this whole time?”

She had definitely said before that she wasn’t feeling well.

So he tried to be understanding over the past few days, but her repeated odd behavior was starting to irritate him.

Thinking about it, it started at the seasonal party.

Was that when things went wrong?

Hailon even attended as Melia’s partner.

Because he wanted to openly declare the relationship between the two of them in front of everyone.

So that no one would treat Melia carelessly.

He was sure Melia had been happy.

Was she not?

If that was all a misunderstanding, then what were all those moments until now?

He thought her heart was finally opening to him. But now, all of a sudden, why was she acting like this? It was frustrating.

Melia stayed silent for a moment without answering. Then her thin lips slowly moved.

“Um, Hailon.”

“Say it.”

Fine. Let’s hear what you have to say.

That was how Hailon felt. He just wanted to know the reason.

But the words that came out of Melia’s mouth were not what Hailon wanted to hear.

“About our tutoring.”

As she said that short line, Melia’s voice sank strangely low.

Somehow, it felt like something unpleasant was about to spill out.

“Wait. Don’t tell me you’re….”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we stopped?”

The ominous feeling became reality.

“Why?”

Hailon’s pressing voice sounded like a growl.

Melia knew too. That from Hailon’s perspective, this came out of nowhere.

But still… she steeled herself.

“On the last exam, your grades didn’t actually go up that much. I don’t think I’m qualified anymore.”

“All of a sudden? Does that make any sense?”

Even Melia thought it was a ridiculous excuse.

But this was the only way she could say it.

There was no other reason she could give.

“I thought about it… a lot. I’m sorry.”

Melia’s words ended, closer to a notice than a discussion.

A brief silence fell between the two.

Just when Melia began to feel uncomfortable with that silence.

“Hah. That’s ridiculous.”

What broke the silence was Hailon’s low sigh. A scoff full of disbelief spilled out.

“So now you’re throwing me away.”

“What? That’s not what I….”

“It is. If this isn’t using someone and tossing them aside, then what is it?” Hailon demanded, as if interrogating her.

It had already been over a month since the tutoring began.

Which also meant that she had managed to secure Ervan’s hospital fees.

On the surface, the reasons the two of them had for tutoring were different.

Hailon, to avoid expulsion.

Melia, to earn money for her younger brother’s hospital bills.

And at this point, Melia’s goal had already been achieved.

Which meant.

Had she really just been using him all along?

Were all the ways he thought their relationship had progressed nothing more than his own misunderstanding?

“Was this your plan from the beginning?”

The question clearly carried his displeasure. He was asking if she had planned to do it for just a month and then walk away.

“T-that can’t be true.”

Melia’s voice trembled as she answered.

She felt frightened all of a sudden.

This was the first time Hailon had reacted to her so sharply.

“Then keep going.”

An order fell from his lips.

“You said you’d take responsibility.”

His attitude was as if Melia had no right to refuse.

“You’re telling me to do it with someone else now, at this point?”

Facing that fierce gaze she had never once received before, Melia felt as if her breath were being squeezed out of her.

Right. This was the kind of man Hailon was.

He was the same back when he first said he needed tutoring to raise his grades.

Even though it didn’t have to be Melia, he’d offered her a large sum simply because it was bothersome to look for another method.

‘…What should I do?’

Melia bit down on her lower lip. She could sense that Hailon would not listen to what she wanted.

But right now….

‘I can’t endure this anymore.’