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“What on earth is going on?!”

Amelia raised her voice and positioned herself between the two.

“Do you seriously think that it’s acceptable to commit violence against my student right now?”

“What do you mean… is it a problem because she’s your student? Amelia-sensei.”

“No matter the reason, violence against a student is unacceptable… I know you’ve just come in, but to not even understand basic decency… you seem to be lacking in common sense.”

Even under her biting sarcasm, the Vice Principal’s expression didn’t shift at all.

“In that case, it seems there’s no problem. Stella is scheduled to be expelled effective today.”

“Who decided that?! Do you really think you have the authority to make such a decision?”

Her intensity made it seem like she would draw her sword at any moment, and everyone in the room began to tense up.

“It seems you’re quite reckless just because you’re the Chairman’s daughter… it would be wise to tone it down.”

“Excuse me… what?”

Just as a fight seemed imminent, Stella silently grabbed Amelia’s sleeve.

“It’s okay.”

“Stella…?”

Stella called out her name in a small voice while keeping her head down.

Amelia unconsciously eased her hostility.

Soon, Stella smiled gently and looked at Amelia.

“Thank you… Sensei.”

“Stella… you…”

Leaving Amelia, who stared at her in surprise, Stella stepped before the Vice Principal.

“Just tell me what to do, right?”

“You’re quite clever. It seems you’re more aware of the situation than your teacher…”

The Vice Principal cast a sly glance at Serena and Shia, grinning smugly.

No matter how much of a big deal Amelia was, attacking the Vice Principal would surely lead to dismissal.

Moreover, seeing the way the Vice Principal looked meaningfully at the two, Stella understood.

If she didn’t listen, those two would also be targeted.

‘They might take action against me for surrounding me, or they might just do it!’

Stella was called to stop by Shia, who hadn’t been paying attention.

“St, Stella!”

“Stella…”

Serena wanted to stop her from going but found her feet wouldn’t move.

‘I have to stop her… somehow…’

“This is ridiculous!”

Shia still believed in Stella. The Stella she knew was exceptionally innocent, with no experience in risque conversations.

Even when she was with Nova, if you asked whether something like that happened, she’d turn beet red, being such a naive girl.

“You all! Stella saved us! Didn’t you realize that?!”

Shia’s shout turned everyone’s head.

And understandably so; everyone in Class A had their lives saved by Stella.

When a monster invaded, while everyone else fled, she was the first to step forward and took down the monster. When the masked demon came, she bought enough time for everyone else to escape.

Everyone present understood that fact, so no one could refute it.

“You traitors… who don’t even know gratitude, insulting your benefactor… you don’t deserve to wear that school uniform.”

As Shia recited the phrase encapsulated with immense repressed fury, the students who had just been mocking shrank back.

“B, but just earlier, evidence came out…”

“That must’ve been fabricated!”

“Are you sure you can guarantee that statement?”

The one who interrupted Shia was Lucid.

“Claiming that the video was manipulated means you’re essentially making an enemy of the Vice Principal and the Academy…”

“…that…”

“With several testimonies surfacing, can you really dismiss all of it as lies?”

Shia wanted to refute, but there wasn’t anything she could say.

At the very least, she might have argued that the video was manipulated, but there were just too many witnesses.

“Well…I also don’t think a girl would do something like that… no way, right?”

“Stella didn’t do it.”

“What?”

Anubis said, picking up the fallen earring from the floor.

“I don’t know what that red-light district is, but one thing is for sure, this earring wasn’t taken by Stella.”

“…what do you mean by that, Anubis?”

At his words, the girl who owned the jewelry shouted.

“No! She definitely took it from me!”

“I distinctly saw that person being robbed of the earring.”

“I told you! I was threatened by Stella!”

“But that wasn’t Stella.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Amelia grabbed his shoulder, demanding clarification.

*

Stella found herself in the student counseling room, which oddly lacked windows.

Supposedly, a counseling room for students, but in reality, it was nothing more than a confinement room meant for punishment.

“Stella.”

At the Vice Principal’s call, Stella lifted her head slightly.

“Please respond properly.”

Staying silent for a moment, Stella finally spoke up.

“Yes.”

Across the wide table, it was just Stella and the Vice Principal staring at each other.

“What a headache this is.”

Dabores pressed his fingertips against his forehead, grimacing.

“You achieved top marks in the entrance exam, and you also performed admirably on the written exam.”

He placed the magical tool containing the footage on the table and played the video from earlier.

“Who would have thought that you were behind all this…”

“I…”

The moment Stella opened her mouth to say something, the Vice Principal slammed his hand down on the desk with a loud bang.

“I didn’t permit you to speak. Only answer the questions I ask.”

“…”

“What an inconvenience this is; tarnishing the name of our esteemed Aegis Academy…”

“I didn’t do it!”

“I didn’t ask you.”

“I’m telling you I didn’t!”

“Prove it.”

The Vice Principal crossed his arms and asked again.

“Do you really intend to pretend nothing happened, even with such clear evidence? And threatening and robbing your classmate, and act like that?! “

“I don’t even know! Just yesterday, it wasn’t even in my bag!”

“Do you think such absurd excuses will work?”

“I told you, that day was only morning classes, so I couldn’t borrow it! Plus, I’ve only had the chance to meet them during morning roll call, and our schedules don’t even coincide!”

“Then prove it.”

“Prove…?”

“I’m granting you an extension until tomorrow.”

By noon tomorrow, she was to bring evidence to prove she hadn’t been wronged—that was the condition laid down by the Vice Principal. Failing to present evidence would lead to her inevitable expulsion from the Academy.

“Bring objective proof, not some absurd claims that the footage was manipulated.”

“…”

“Well, it’s obvious you won’t be able to do that.”

“…are you really a teacher?”

The Vice Principal stiffly raised his head and responded to Stella’s question.

“If you’ve said all that you have to, you may leave.”

Stella, biting her lip, rose from her seat.

Thud.

Not long after, the door was closed once more, leaving the Vice Principal alone in the dark, silent room.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him, and frail arms wrapped around the Vice Principal.

“Great acting, huh? Barfo-chan?”

“Why, you thwarted her attack right away, Lilith.”

As the Vice Principal’s eyes widened, Dabores’ voice deepened.

“Hm~ That’s because it’s more entertaining?”

“I can’t comprehend why she seemed so unguarded just now—it was the perfect opportunity to catch her.”

“You don’t understand? Barfo is…”

Pink-haired Lilith, smiling, glanced at the door where Stella had exited.

“Shouldn’t we push her further… until she breaks?”

“Indeed… it seems quite effective…”

“Did you see her face just now? She looked utterly unjustified… haha! It’s just hilarious…”

“To be swayed by something like this… humans are truly incomprehensible.”

“That said, you were acting pretty well—it honestly felt like you were one of them.”

“Well then… is it time to wrap things up?”

“Yeah… I have to crush her hopes completely before harvesting the fruit…”

*

As Stella walked down the hallway after exiting the room, countless gazes poured on her.

“Did you hear? That story?”

“Oh, it’s so embarrassing.”

“To act like that and still walk around freely.”

“If you pay me, I’ll join you too!”

With jeers coming from all directions, Stella found herself unconsciously quickening her steps.

“I hate this…”

[You killed us all…]

[Why are you even alive?]

“I don’t want to… I don’t want to hear anymore…”

Voices tainted with mockery and gazes filled with disdain pressed in on her mind.

Stella, pushed to her mental limits, began to hear hallucinations that had faded away for some time.

The voices she created herself, crushed under guilt, plagued Stella even more.

[You’re utterly useless.]

“Shameless girl.”

[If you hadn’t been here at all…]

“Why is she even alive?”

“Please… stop…”

Thud!

As Stella ran with her hands over her ears, a dull pain struck her head.

It wasn’t enough to injure her, but her clothes were soaked through.

With her hair matted, she picked up something white from the floor.

“…milk?”

It was an empty milk carton, already spilled of its contents.

As she stood there, dazed, more objects began to fly toward her.

“Get out of the academy!”

“Just hurry up and disappear!”

Something transparent fell at her feet.

“…please… no more… just stop…”

Holding back tears as something continued to rise above her, she finally broke down.

“I can’t take this anymore… please, just stop…”

She closed her eyes and clamped her hands over her ears, sinking to the floor.

‘Help me… Nova…’

 

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