Chapter 171: Woo Acrea Ire’s Story
It all started with her.
Enzhe’s lackey, Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.
He knew her name, of course. He just never said it out loud.
‘Ignore Byron. She’ll be kicked out in less than 10 years.’
No one in the family questioned the foresight of his father and brother. They had always proven their choices right with results.
He had never disobeyed Reeves, the next head of the family, as he had been taught since childhood.
He was born to be his tool, and the reason his father had even given birth to him was because “I didn’t have any siblings, and it was difficult to support the family alone, so I wanted to make things easier for Reeves.”
‘Support the head of the family so that he can become the most noble aristocrat in Atlantis. Uphold the Acrea family. Sacrifice yourself for our dignity and honor.’
The fate of those born in the capital who were “not meant to be the head of the family” was usually the same. They lived their lives dedicated to the one who would become the head of the family. Everyone had accepted this fact for a long time, and so had he.
He was also a citizen of Atlantis, a resident of the capital.
His family had maintained their power for generations by being the right hand of the Imperial Family. They had established an institution to raise divine beasts using their unique white magic, and they had become the “ears” of the Imperial Family, providing them with valuable information gathered through their generations of experience.
So he had found out about Enzhe and her lackeys’ shady dealings shortly after entering the academy. It had been a byproduct of investigating the “Lopetrefer family.”
‘Woo, remember this. Only we know what Enzhe is doing at the academy. This is a secret, even from Shina.’
But strangely, his brother, Reeves, had repeatedly told him not to tell anyone about it, not to even try to learn more.
The question “Why?” had crossed his mind, but he had just nodded obediently. Reeves had just become the head of the family at the time, and Woo, unconsciously feeling a sense of distance from him, had found it even harder to disobey him.
Thinking back, Reeves might have already been planning something. He must have thought that “that trivial reason” wasn’t enough to damage the Lopetrefer family.
Reeves had then ordered him to become a loyal friend of “Shina Fritz” and had become a perfect guide for him, ensuring that he made no wrong choices at Full Bloom Academy.
He had supported Reeves, and sometimes Shina, helping them achieve their goals.
‘Young Master Woo, do you feel nothing?’
He had once stayed at the Delondariwood grand duke castle. They were people who knew how to see the essence of a person through their eyes.
Reeves had ordered him to “learn how to read emotions there.”
‘No, I was wrong. You definitely have something powerful in your eyes… It’s your choice whether to reveal it or hide it.’
The Lady Delondariwood, who had taught him at the castle, would often say things he didn’t understand while looking into his eyes.
Yes, it wasn’t that he couldn’t feel anything. He felt joy when he was happy, sadness when he was sad, and anger when he was angry. It was just that there was something that came before his emotions.
But even if there was something powerful inside him, as she had said, it wasn’t true.
‘Spend some time with my daughter, Azette. Don’t worry, I’ve told the children that you’re just staying here during the typhoon, so you don’t have to worry about your information leaking out.’
She had seemed to hope that he would realize something while spending time with her daughter, but there was nothing to realize, so her plan had been futile.
‘Futile… Then it can’t be helped. I can only hope that someday, in the distant future, you will be able to look back on your time at this castle and smile.’
Her words had been right, and he was now remembering those past memories, finally understanding her words.
The powerful thing that existed in his eyes.
It definitely existed. It had existed.
He had just buried it deep down in the sea of his unconsciousness, because he had never intended to bring it to the surface.
***
Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.
Anyone could tell that she was a selfish and petty woman just by observing her for a few minutes.
She was always by Enzhe’s side, looking down on and belittling others. Not only was Sue Byron herself wicked, but she was also blamed for Enzhe and Melaine’s wrongdoings.
Rumors about the Byron family, like “they curse people” and “they’ve committed massacres,” had also contributed to her bad reputation.
But the rumors were mostly true, and it was all her fault.
“Hello, Master Fritz, Master Acrea!”
Sue Byron, like everyone else, looked up to him and Shina with envy.
Shina deliberately ignored trivial matters. So he deliberately didn’t even try to remember Sue Byron, who was always by Enzhe’s side. She was trivial.
Shina’s habit sometimes helped him. He could also ignore Sue Byron without any effort.
The Byron family would be expelled from the capital in 10 years at most. It was a waste of time to associate with a child from such a family. He didn’t know the reason, but he believed Reeves.
But at some point, he had started interacting with Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.
“Master Fritz, you’re going to win, right?”
When had it started?
It would have been a long time ago if he traced it back, but the first time he had really looked into her red eyes had been at the sixth-year Athletics Festival.
She had been alone at the swordsmanship competition. They had run into each other and ended up watching Shina’s match together.
“Shina will win.”
He had answered her question without thinking.
The swordsmanship competition had been Shina’s stage, as everyone had expected. So anyone could have predicted the winner.
He didn’t know why she had asked such a question. He hadn’t cared. Had she wanted to get his attention? But that wasn’t the answer.
“…You really did win, Master Fritz.”
He sometimes regretted it.
He should have ignored her voice in the midst of the celebratory finale.
“Master Acrea, I’m Byron. Sue, of the Byron viscount family. My name is Sue Byron.”
Her bloodshot eyes, neither happy nor sad.
Amidst the sea of people, Sue Byron had looked at him, her face serene, as if she were alone, repeating her name over and over.
“So please remember me. I beg you.”
It was something a selfish, petty woman would say, but it didn’t sound like a plea from a selfish, petty woman.
As if no one remembered her.
“…Yes, Lady Byron.”
Thinking back, he had felt a strange sympathy for her that day.
Because he had, for the first time, seen a hint of pathos in the Byron woman he had always considered so wicked and insignificant.
***
“Oh my, Master Fritz, Master Acrea.”
“We have something to ask you, Lady Byron.”
She had been alone again at Michaela Lopetrefer Kel’s birthday party.
He had seen her at the small parties hosted by the Lopetrefer family, but that was the first time he had spoken to her directly.
A light pink dress with layers of frills.
It wasn’t a dress that suited Sue Byron.
Ignoring his own thoughts, he had asked her about Enzhe’s whereabouts.
Shina and Enzhe had started fighting again over their marriage, and he thought it was time to reconcile them.
Shina seemed to be concerned about Enzhe’s condition, but he was still hesitant to see her. Reeves had commented that it was a “very childish way of thinking, but that’s what made it usable.”
It was also why Reeves had assigned him to take care of Shina.
‘Let him keep acting childish. Grand Duke Antique is pleased with your actions. Whether Shina and Enzhe get married or break up, it’s a win-win for us. Woo, you just keep encouraging them. Just sit back and enjoy the show, no matter what the outcome is.’
Reeves believed that the Lopetrefer and Fritz families were more likely to self-destruct than to become more powerful if they joined forces.
He had also assigned Woo as Shina’s secretary and watchdog, to prepare for the possibility of Shina gaining more power.
He wanted Shina to keep winning, he wanted him to be happy, but he also wanted him to self-destruct.
‘I can’t call him a friend.’
It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but there was nothing he could do about it. What Reeves wanted was also what he wanted.
“Do you have any particular theme in mind for the September Festival?”
They were discussing the September Festival at the time. They hadn’t been able to decide on a theme, even though summer was almost over. So Shina, perhaps feeling pressured, had asked Sue Byron for her opinion.
“How about a masquerade ball? We haven’t had that theme since we’ve been at the academy… and if everyone wears masks, no one will know who’s who. It’ll be fun.”
Sue Byron, after much deliberation, finally spoke.
A masquerade ball.
“A masquerade ball is a rather outdated theme, but it was a good idea, Lady Byron.”
He had expected her to suggest something more flashy and eye-catching.
Anyway, Shina seemed to like her suggestion.
After Shina and Evan left, he had explained the formal procedures to Sue Byron, and he had thought that would be the end of their conversation.
“Gasp… Ah…”
But something unimaginable happened.