Episode 62
“…!?”
Elonia thought she had misheard.
‘Olivia? Olivia Heilan?’
There was no way there were two people with that name in Lucid Academy, unless the world had gone mad.
Elonia quickly scanned the classroom.
As she had confirmed earlier, there was no one who looked like Olivia.
Professor Theodore, his expression stern, repeated the name.
“Olivia Heilan?”
‘Is there a mistake on the roster?’
Elonia clung to that hope.
But then,
“I apologize for being late. Olivia Heilan.”
A girl with familiar curly blond hair entered the classroom.
Elonia froze.
It was Olivia.
She had thought it would be a miracle if they ended up in the same class, considering the vast number of Academic Department electives.
But that unwelcome miracle had come true.
“Late on the first day? I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, you’ll lose points.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Olivia, unlike her usual defiant self, bowed her head obediently and took an empty seat.
It was a seat where Elonia could easily observe her if she wanted to.
Elonia’s gaze was fixed on Olivia, and as if sensing her stare, Olivia turned around.
Their eyes met.
“…!”
“…”
Olivia didn’t hide her displeasure.
She frowned, glaring at Elonia, then clicked her tongue and turned away.
‘…That expression…’
It was pure hostility.
Elonia knew that Olivia wouldn’t be happy to see her.
But she wasn’t prepared for this level of hatred.
Olivia’s icy glare was more painful than she had imagined.
Professor Theodore, noticing Elonia’s lingering gaze, asked,
“Elonia, is something wrong?”
He was known for his strictness.
Elonia didn’t want to cause trouble, especially in an elective class, so she quickly composed herself.
“…No, Professor. Nothing’s wrong.”
Professor Theodore looked like he wanted to say something, but he simply started his lecture.
Elonia diligently took notes, her mind racing.
Lucid Academy was a seven-year institution.
She hadn’t expected Olivia to enroll, but she hadn’t ruled out the possibility of encountering the Heilan children at the academy.
Olivia was a stranger to her now.
Just like the other Heilan hostages.
In fact, she was the younger sister of the foolish Dolce, who had mocked and mistreated her, and the sister of the War Demon, the target of the continent’s hatred.
She had to be strong.
She couldn’t let her emotions control her.
Ever since Artius had broken down her walls, Elonia had become complacent, lulled into a false sense of security by her newfound peace and happiness.
‘I was too naive.’
It was time to rebuild those walls.
To protect herself from pain and heartbreak.
But even as she tried to convince herself to be selfish, her gaze kept returning to Olivia.
***
Class ended, and Elonia fled the classroom.
‘My next class is…’
Fortunately, it was a major class.
She had to hurry to the Magic Department building. But just as she was about to leave,
“Do you have a moment?”
Someone grabbed her arm.
The voice was sharp and hostile.
Elonia was afraid to turn around.
“I’m talking to you, Your Highness.”
The owner of the voice wasn’t going to let her go.
She was as stubborn as ever.
Elonia sighed, took a deep breath, and turned around.
It was Olivia, as expected.
“…What do you want, Princess Olivia?”
“You were staring at me earlier.”
Olivia, her arms crossed, twirled a strand of her curly blond hair around her finger, her voice nonchalant.
Elonia had been staring at her without thinking.
But no matter how hard she tried to suppress them, memories of the past kept flooding back.
‘Now I’m the one looking up at her. And she’s so much taller.’
Olivia, when Elonia had looked down at her, had been an adorable little sister. But now, looking up at her, she felt distant and cold.
Olivia stopped twirling her hair and glared at Elonia, her eyes sharp.
“…!”
Their eyes met again.
Elonia flinched, and Olivia sighed, her gaze filled with disdain.
“I wondered why you were staring at the back of my head like that. And then you avoid my eyes when we make eye contact… What are you trying to do?”
“…”
“You might be upset that a hostage dared to block your path, but I have something to say.”
Olivia’s voice, colder than when she had confronted Lucius, pierced Elonia’s ears.
“Why were you staring at me?”
“I wasn’t—”
“Don’t even try to deny it. I’ve spent years observing people’s expressions. You can’t fool me. Ah, I guess you wouldn’t understand, having lived a life of privilege and love.”
Olivia sneered, but it wasn’t her words that shocked Elonia.
‘Spent years observing people’s expressions?’
The Olivia she remembered hadn’t been someone who cared about other people’s opinions.
She had been spoiled and headstrong, but she had always gotten what she wanted, charming everyone with her adorable antics.
Olivia, observing people’s expressions?
Chelon’s death alone couldn’t explain this change.
If it was true, then there was only one explanation for Olivia’s behavior, for her sudden transformation.
‘Vermon’s death.’
Elonia remembered her former father, the man who had been worse than a stranger to her, whose death she had almost forgotten.
He might have been a terrible father to her, but he had been a loving and doting father to Olivia.
Felix wouldn’t have been able to fill that void.
‘Could it be that Olivia… because I couldn’t stop Artius back then?’
It had been unavoidable.
Heilan had attacked Ravanta first, attempting to kill her before she could even speak. And Artius had executed Vermon before Elonia could even react.
‘I barely managed to spare Felix.’
But what if that hadn’t been the best course of action?
She had thought she had made the right choice back then.
But seeing Olivia now, so changed and bitter, Elonia was terrified.
Her hesitation only angered Olivia further.
She had lost three family members to Ravanta.
And this girl, who had lived a life of comfort and privilege, dared to look at her with such pity?
“Say something! Why were you staring at me? Were you fascinated by a hostage?”
“…”
Elonia couldn’t tell her the truth.
She lowered her head, ashamed to even meet her sister’s eyes.
Olivia finally snapped.
“I said, say something!”
“Elonia!”
Just then,
Someone intervened, stepping between Elonia and Olivia.
Elonia looked up, recognizing the familiar voice.
“Dianne…?”
“Elonia, why are you still here? I’ve been looking for you!”
“How—”
“Our next class is about to start! We’ll be late even if we run!”
Dianne, oblivious to Olivia’s presence, grabbed Elonia’s arm and pulled her along.
Olivia, outraged at being ignored, shouted,
“Can’t you see I’m talking to her?!”
But her anger quickly vanished as she met Dianne’s gaze.
Dianne’s eyes were filled with disgust, as if she was looking at an insect, and Olivia froze.
“How dare a hostage block the Imperial Princess’s path. Are you insane?”
Dianne retorted, her voice sharp and fearless, despite Olivia’s towering height.
Olivia, seemingly realizing her status, shrank back.
Elonia, trying to stop Dianne, pushed her gently.
“Stop it, Dianne. It’s okay.”
Dianne, although she still had a lot to say, reluctantly nodded at Elonia’s request.
“…Fine. Let’s go, Elonia.”
She turned and walked away, dragging Elonia along, without even sparing Olivia a glance.
Elonia, struggling to keep up with her long strides, almost had to run.
‘Olivia…’
She glanced back at Olivia, who was staring at her, her fists clenched.
Olivia might have called herself a hostage, but hearing it from someone else was a different matter.
Elonia couldn’t even imagine how much Olivia had been hurt by Dianne’s words.
But she couldn’t show her concern.
Even that would be unwelcome to Olivia now.
Elonia quickly averted her gaze and hurried away, leaving Olivia standing there, her head bowed.
***
“How did you know where to find me?”
Elonia asked as she entered the Magic Department classroom with Dianne.
Dianne slammed her books down on the desk, her hands on her hips.
“I was waiting for you at the Academic Department building so we could go to our next class together! But you never came out, so I went looking for you. And you were almost in big trouble!”
Did she tell Dianne about her next class?
Elonia wondered briefly, but then she realized it was a Magic Department major class.
All Magic Department freshmen had to attend, so Dianne would have known even without her telling her.
Elonia replied, half truthfully,
“Oh, I see… Thank you. It was a bit awkward.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re friends!”
Dianne beamed, her usual cheerfulness restored.
She propped her chin on her hands and launched into a rant.
“Ugh, I don’t understand. Why are they letting hostages attend this academy, of all places? I thought His Majesty would do something about it now that you’re here.”
Elonia knew that the Ravanta nobles were uncomfortable with the Heilan hostages.
Even Llewellyn had often complained about them when she was younger.
‘He mostly complained about Lucius.’
She had assumed he was exaggerating, but Lucius was indeed a handful.
Dianne continued to complain.
“And that Princess Olivia, she’s so creepy. The way she talked back to you, without even knowing her place. She’s crazy.”
“…Don’t be so harsh.”
“Ugh! You’re too kind.”
Dianne hugged Elonia, lamenting her naivete.
Elonia wasn’t exactly happy about it, but she couldn’t scold her new friend for standing up for her.
“Anyway, don’t acknowledge them even if you see them. Prince Simon seems to know his place, but Princess Olivia is completely clueless. She’s insane. I guess the rumors about her going crazy after the war are true.”
“I’ll try my best.”
Elonia replied sincerely this time.
She finally understood.
Caring about her former siblings would only hurt them both.
Reassured by her answer, Dianne patted Elonia’s head and smiled.