Anything But Study - Chapter 59

***

“Did you hear? About Anastasia.”

“Yeah. She suddenly transferred here and now this happens.”

For the past few days, Erpen had been buzzing with talk about Anastasia.

It turned out that Ribelline was exposed as a notorious traitor.

The Imperial Newspaper was filled entirely with stories about Ribelline.

Even the pharmaceutical company Ribelline operated became a hot topic.

Apparently, it had been earning illegal money while pretending to be an imperial business and slipping past every kind of surveillance.

The Emperor flew into a rage and sentenced Marquis Ribelline to death.

His daughter, Anastasia, could not escape punishment either.

Not only was she expelled from the academy, she was stripped of her noble status and left to fend for herself on the streets.

‘W-what is this…?’

After hearing all the news, Catherine’s face turned pale.

Ribelline had been producing illegal drugs like that. That meant the drug Anastasia had given her earlier to use on Melia Anderson must have been something similar.

‘What happened to Melia Anderson?’

Did she become an idiot? Did she use the drug?

Catherine ran toward the direction of the infirmary.

Unlike when she first plotted the scheme, now she desperately hoped nothing had happened to Melia Anderson.

She was terrified that if something really did happen, it might be discovered that she was involved.

‘First, I need to retrieve it.’

If she disposed of the swapped medicine, no one would ever know.

While rushing there in a panic, completely forgetting the dignity of a noble lady.

Step.

A man suddenly blocked her path.

Catherine didn’t bother hiding the irritation on her face and snapped sharply.

“Move. I need to—”

“Looks like you’re searching for this.”

If the medicine bottle hadn’t been held out right in front of Catherine’s eyes.

It was the very transparent vial filled with the drug she had been trying to retrieve.

Her eyes widened when she saw it.

“H-how…?”

Only then did Catherine raise her head and look at the man’s face.

The identity of the person standing before her was enough to make her gasp.

It was Hailon Alfred.

Catherine had already heard the rumors. He was the one who exposed all of Ribelline’s corruption.

And now Hailon was holding this bottle?

‘N-no….’

Catherine’s whole body trembled like a leaf.

The news about Anastasia losing everything and ending up on the streets flashed through her mind.

Would the same thing happen to her now?

Please, anything but that….

“P-please spare me. Please.”

The plea for mercy spilled out of Catherine’s mouth on its own.

No one told her to, but she collapsed to her knees.

Without the slightest change in expression, Hailon looked down at her coldly and replied, “You should apologize to Melia.”

“I-I will. I will.”

Catherine nodded desperately, saying she would do anything.

If it meant she wouldn’t end up like Anastasia, she would kneel in front of Melia Anderson immediately if she had to.

“From now on, keep your mouth shut and live quietly. Unless you want to see the Russell family collapse too.”

Nod, nod.

“Y-yes. I understand.”

Catherine nodded quickly with pleading eyes.

Seeing her attitude change so instantly now that she was in danger was disgusting.

“If you understand, then get lost.”

“T-thank you. Truly.”

Afraid Hailon might change his mind, she hurried away as fast as she could.

It was a ridiculous sight for someone who used to reign over Erpen like a queen before Anastasia arrived.

And a few days later.

Rumors spread that Catherine Russell had withdrawn from Erpen.

***

A few days after Anastasia Ribelline was driven out.

Before anyone realized it, Erpen had returned to peace, as if she’d never been there in the first place.

Now there wasn’t even a single student who mentioned gossip about Ribelline anymore.

The story about Catherine Russell withdrawing was talked about a few times before fading away as well.

And these days, Melia was facing busy days one after another.

The library had reopened after a short period of maintenance.

“Wow.”

Melia found herself admiring it again today.

She’d felt it the last time she organized the books too, but the archaeology section she loved had grown much larger than before because of the recent renovation.

It was an unpopular subject, so why did it expand like this?

She found it strange at first, but soon understood.

‘Compared to other subjects, there really weren’t many materials before.’

Fortunately, the books she hadn’t managed to finish organizing earlier were taken care of after Hailon hired people to help.

Melia felt sorry toward Hailon, but she was relieved that the library’s reopening hadn’t been delayed because of her.

And a few days ago, Catherine Russell had come running to find her and apologized.

“I-I’m really sorry. Please forgive me. I won’t even speak to you again.”

Melia didn’t know what kind of medicine Catherine had almost used on her or how dangerous it actually was.

Hailon hadn’t explained it because he was worried it would frighten her.

So from Melia’s point of view, the apology made no sense. But the one apologizing was the same girl who had looked down on her and harassed her until now.

Seeing someone like that apologize so desperately made her feel strangely conflicted.

She didn’t know why Catherine was suddenly acting this way, but she clearly seemed desperate for forgiveness.

“Please, please forgive me.”

Catherine Russell hadn’t treated only Melia badly.

Melia remembered the friends who had also been quietly bullied by her before.

Accepting the apology just like that didn’t feel right, so Melia gave her a condition.

“…Alright. But instead of just me, I hope you won’t treat the others badly either.”

“Yes, I will! Of course! Thank you, thank you so much… thank you!”

After that, Catherine didn’t appear in front of Melia again.

She later heard the rumor that Catherine had withdrawn from the academy and was quite surprised.

But putting that aside,

‘Ahh, I’m busy.’

Right now, Melia had more pressing matters in front of her.

Perhaps because the library had just reopened, students who normally never visited had begun coming more often.

It was probably temporary, but it meant there were a lot of books to organize recently.

“Um… do you happen to know where the Empire history books are?”

People searching for books had increased as well.

A gray‑haired male student awkwardly asked Melia where a book was located.

‘Oh? This kid.’

She’d seen his face quite a few times before.

For a moment, she wondered why he was asking, but since the layout had changed slightly after the reopening, it made sense.

“Ah, just a moment.”

Melia turned from the bookshelf where she had been organizing books to guide him.

It was almost time for the library to close anyway, so once this student left, her work for the day would be finished.

But then.

Melia suddenly flinched, her waist trembling.

When she glanced down at the hand touching her lower body, it was unmistakably Hailon.

All of her attention snapped toward the back.

From the other side of the bookshelf, which was open on both sides, his hand had slipped through and inside her skirt.

If it had stopped there, it would have been one thing, but Hailon boldly began sliding his fingers inside her underwear.

‘What are you doing?’

Melia nearly panicked.

Fortunately, aside from the spot where Hailon’s hand reached through, the shelves were packed tightly with books, so the student who had asked her a question didn’t seem to notice.

“S-so… it’s over there. Section 1.”

“Section 1…?”

“Th-there. All the way at the end.”

In her urgency, Melia ended up lying.

The book he was looking for was actually on the shelf right next to them.

But her current situation was far more urgent.

‘First, I just need to send him far away….’

She desperately hoped he would go somewhere distant. She prayed he wouldn’t notice anything.

Meanwhile, thick fingers pushed through the narrow entrance and rubbed along her inner walls.

“Ah…!”

At the same time, another finger pressed insistently against her clit, making Melia freeze in place as if nails had been driven through her feet.

‘Why… are you doing this?’

Hailon often played mischievous tricks, but the library wasn’t even closed yet.

Aside from that student, there shouldn’t be anyone else here, right?

She was terrified that someone might walk into the still‑open library and catch them like this.

No, the student she’d sent away would probably come back soon when he couldn’t find the book.

Caught in this dangerously tense situation, Melia turned her head to look at Hailon.

But the bookshelf towering over her shoulders was packed tightly with books.

She couldn’t see his face at all.

“Ah, wait….”

Her slick, soaked hole kept being teased relentlessly.

As the hand pressing her clit slowly picked up speed, Melia inhaled sharply again and again.

The stimulation was too intense. At this rate, she felt like she would reach climax.

“Ah…!”

Just as Melia thought she wouldn’t be able to endure any longer.

Slip.

The fingers suddenly slid out all at once.

“…Huh?”

A foolish sound slipped from her lips.

Why?