I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 57

“When did you start hearing things like that?”

“….”

Lucia’s lips stayed tightly shut. Her expression said she had no obligation to tell him, yet it also carried the faint look of someone thinking, So you finally found out.

It seemed she had been hearing such things for quite some time. Just because she had become friends with him, she had been enduring those disgusting remarks. And all the while, she had smiled as if nothing was wrong, as if everything were perfectly peaceful, without saying a single word to him.

When Ruad realized that all those moments he thought had been pleasant and happy were actually built on her superhuman endurance and his own ignorance, he felt sick to his stomach.

The people who had said those vile things were disgusting, but so was he, who had been blissfully unaware, playing the role of an innocent, clueless young master while Lucia was being humiliated.

Feeling a rage he couldn’t even tell who it was directed toward, Ruad swallowed it down and spoke quietly, “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say that bastards were saying things like that when I wasn’t around?”

“…I told you already. I said I can’t play your little friend game anymore.”

Lucia’s voice was dry, stripped of all emotion. She sounded as though she’d long grown used to being insulted.

“And what would’ve changed if I told you? You’re no different from them.”

“….”

“I’m not your friend anymore, Ruad Rochef. So stop interfering. This is where it ends.”

As if closing the conversation for good, Lucia turned to leave, but Ruad quickly grabbed her.

“Wait.”

Lucia turned her head slightly to look up at him.

Her brown eyes were hollow, reflecting his face like an empty sea with no fish, like a net cast into the water that caught nothing.

Ruad finally said the words he had come here to tell her.

“…I’m sorry.”

“….”

“I came to see you today because I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For everything I might’ve done to hurt you, whether I meant to or not, whether I was aware of it or not. I just wanted to apologize.”

Lucia looked into Ruad’s eyes for a long moment before giving him a look of faint surprise, as though she hadn’t expected to hear an apology from him.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. I truly am.”

“…Alright.”

Her short, emotionless reply held no trace of warmth, but that alone was enough for Ruad.

“And I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can grant your request to stop this so-called friend game.”

“….”

“Even if you say you hate me, I’ll protect you. I’ll always be by your side. Even if you don’t trust me or can’t trust me, I’ll still trust you completely. Even if you poured poison into my glass, I’d drink it gladly.”

“….”

“You don’t have to give me anything in return. I don’t want that. Just give me the chance to show you how sincere I am.”

Lucia said nothing. But from the faint shift in the air between them, Ruad could sense it—a subtle sign of reluctant permission.

He didn’t know what exactly had moved her heart, but from that day on, she didn’t object when he stayed by her side. And that alone was enough to make him content.

About a week later, Lucia began treating him as she had before.

Of course, she never approached him first or started a conversation. But when he spoke to her, she looked him in the eyes and responded kindly, just as she had when they were still friends. When he brought her food, she accepted it with gratitude.

Ruad knew this change in her didn’t mean she had opened her heart to him.

She was simply playing along with him. Just like before, when he had foolishly believed he was her only friend, Lucia was once again an actress wearing the mask of friendship, performing on a stage where he was the only audience.

Some might think it was all deception, but Ruad even cherished that deception. Just being able to stay by her side, to no longer be ignored, made him happy.

The simple fact that he could see her, and that she existed within his sight, where he could protect her.

And so, Ruad began gathering all sorts of information about Lucia from behind the scenes. All the information he had unconsciously or deliberately ignored while playing their so-called friendship game.

He collected and organized everything, monitoring the rumors and opinions circulating about Lucia within the academy.

The gossip and speculation surrounding Lucia were unspeakably vile.

They said she slept with someone, that she flirted her way into good grades, that she seduced a professor and wagged her tail to have her scores manipulated.

Ruad found those rumors utterly ridiculous. He thought it laughable how those ignorant fools, who knew nothing of the greatness of Lucia’s talent, dared to slander her.

At the same time, he couldn’t understand why someone as gifted as Lucia had to endure such disgusting words.

The burden she carried was far too heavy, and the fact that she bore it silently, as if it were natural, was beyond belief. Despite possessing such dazzling brilliance and unmatched magical ability.

That was why Ruad became even more determined to control and suppress all rumors and talk about Lucia, so that no one would dare mistreat her, even in the moments when he wasn’t there.

That was the reason he acted like a spineless lapdog in front of others when it came to Lucia.

He thought that if he showed everyone that he, Ruad Rochef, was willing to lower himself so much for her, then maybe the harassment would lessen.

The method worked better than he expected, and it kept Lucia safe. Troublesome incidents became much rarer than before.

In that sense, managing the academy’s students was somewhat successful. But extending that control to the professors was far more difficult.

Karl Evenhart had already established himself solidly in academic circles and earned widespread recognition for his influence. No matter how powerful House Rochef was within the scholarly world, they couldn’t simply have him removed without consequence.

‘Even if they forced him out, it would spiral into a silent political war between noble houses.’

In that sense, Karl was a completely different kind of bastard compared to the students who harassed Lucia out of petty amusement.

He was a man who exploited his authority to prey upon his own student.

But it wasn’t something that could be blamed solely on his corrupt nature.

Exploiting talented commoners for their abilities and taking credit for their achievements was such a deeply entrenched practice in this empire that it wasn’t even considered scandalous anymore.

The other professors probably all knew, too, what Lucia was going through.

They knew and simply looked the other way. After all, a powerless commoner couldn’t raise her voice, and even if she did, no one would listen.

All they had to do was suck her dry and throw her away. It was such a convenient, effortless act that none of them would ever stop. And indeed, they all chose silence, collectively covering for one another.

In the end, Ruad couldn’t solve Lucia’s greatest problem.

Whenever she seemed especially down, he tried to comfort her under the pretense of offering consolation, but it never seemed to help much.

Still, since she didn’t reject his attempts to comfort her, he couldn’t tell whether that was a small mercy or yet another misfortune.

He just prayed that a reason to cut off Karl Evenhart’s head would surface soon.

And finally, that opportunity came to Ruad.

***

During the vacation, Ruad returned to his family estate and attended a banquet hosted by those who either already had ties to House Rochef or desperately wanted to establish them.

Though it was called a banquet, in truth, it was nothing but a tedious affair.

During the banquet, he had to appease and flatter people who, in their desperate attempts to gain his favor, ended up looking utterly ridiculous, all while displaying the generous and noble demeanor expected of a member of House Rochef. At the same time, he had to naturally steer conversations toward current trends and mutual interests when dealing with those he needed to impress, offering answers that would leave them satisfied.

That was what the entire banquet was: an endless cycle of such interactions throughout the meal.

Still, today’s gathering was relatively comfortable. It was because some of the Rochef family’s relatives were visiting for the first time in a while.

He didn’t have to exhaust himself entertaining every guest one by one, as his family members took turns handling the people who approached them. And meeting familiar relatives was much more pleasant than dealing with unknown nobles.

While everyone danced with partners in time to the music, Ruad sat at a table, slowly sipping his wine. He didn’t particularly feel like dancing with anyone other than Lucia.

As he took small sips of wine, quietly watching the graceful waves of dresses swaying to the rhythm of the dance, someone suddenly sat down across from him in the previously empty seat.

When Ruad turned his head, his uncle, Fabian Rochef, smiled kindly at him.

“You’ve grown a lot, Ruad. It feels like just yesterday when you looked up at me with shining eyes, saying you wanted to become a great wizard like your uncle. Time really flies.”

“…Are you planning to say that every time you see me?”

They had met just last vacation and exchanged letters frequently, yet Fabian greeted him as though they hadn’t seen each other in years. Ruad gave him a weary look.

His uncle burst out laughing. “Haha. You’re still as blunt and humorless as ever. That’s the Ruad I know. You haven’t changed one bit, even after attending the academy.”

“It’d be stranger if someone changed overnight. You’re the odd one here, Uncle.”

“That’s true.”

Admitting Ruad’s point easily, Fabian seemed to think for a moment before swirling the wine in his glass and speaking again.

“But why are you sitting here so quietly? Go and dance with some of the young ladies. The daughter of House Ferrant asked me to introduce you, and it took quite an effort to shake her off and come here.”

Even with his close uncle, Ruad couldn’t bring himself to say that he disliked touching a woman other than Lucia. So he just brushed it off vaguely.

“I just… don’t really feel like it today.”

“Well, that happens sometimes. I understand.”

Fabian nodded in agreement, then shifted the subject, which seemed to be the real reason he had come.

“I heard there was an anonymous report submitted to Calypse Academy a few days ago. I wonder if you’ve heard about it.”

“A report? What kind of report?”

“It’s said that the thesis Karl Evenhart presented was plagiarized. The credibility of the report is quite high, and the case has already been submitted to the academy’s ethics committee.”

Karl Evenhart.

The moment he heard that name, Ruad set down his wine. His heart pounded wildly, and his pupils dilated.

Then, he realized it immediately.

The moment he had been waiting and waiting for had finally arrived—right now.

“It seems everyone’s quite conflicted about this issue. It’s the first time something like this has ever come to light.”

“….”

“I’m curious about your thoughts, Ruad. I imagine you’d have a particular interest in this matter.”

A faint smile curved Fabian’s lips. He clearly already knew how deeply interested Ruad was in Lucia.

‘He’s always been quick to catch on when it comes to me, but I didn’t expect him to catch this too.’

Ruad sighed inwardly, but even so, what he had to do was already decided.

“…Plagiarism is a serious offense for a professor. It would be best to dismiss him, for the sake of Calypse Academy’s reputation and dignity.”

As Ruad gave that answer, his wish was simple.

That Lucia could finally be happy.

Safe, and at peace.