<35 - Representative of the Foundation>
Jonnas felt a sense of pride.
Whoosh!
“You’ve done much better than I expected, Young Lady.”
Honestly, he didn’t expect much at all.
At first, he was even disappointed beyond his expectations.
He thought, perhaps the Boss’s eye for people doesn’t guarantee success.
A small height barely touching the waist, perhaps some mental quirks. Her face showed promise for the future, but all he could think was, what can a girl like this do?
Was he planning to have her do things only women can do?
Even that cruel thought crossed his mind.
Thump!
“Training? I’m in!”
All her complaints and worries were overcome by Oknodie with her own skills.
Even without proper sleep.
She hadn’t shaken off the bad habits from her life as a street urchin.
Yet, she persevered.
She understood the value of the opportunity given to her.
And she was thankful.
Thankful to the Boss and him.
Calling the Boss ‘Papa’ and leaning on him, she sometimes tried to hug his leg.
Chirp!
“When I see you, I can’t help but think of a squirrel.”
She hides at the slightest noise, observing people from somewhere, but when she hears her name called, pitter-patter! she rushes over to cuddle.
She was definitely different from the countless foolish would-be scholarship students who would push away an outstretched hand, throwing themselves away.
She was on a different level compared to the barely accepted lower-class scholarship students.
Thud!
“And that makes me worry more.”
A cute squirrel to her mother-like master.
The moment it steps into the wild, the squirrel loses its freedom.
From ferocious wild cats to countless birds, there are many predators that would consume a squirrel.
Oknodie wasn’t any different.
Though stronger than the ordinary scholarship students of the Foundation, she would ultimately still carry a label.
The world views the Wiheomhae Foundation with caution.
As much as the Foundation hates the world.
It would become a heavy burden for a young child.
Ping!
“May I have a moment to talk with the Young Lady?”
“Of course.”
With Minerva’s permission, he postponed the group allocation.
A time as precious as gold.
Jonnas opened his mouth carefully.
“Listen well, Young Lady. I am a scholarship student taken in by the Wiheomhae Foundation.”
“Wow, really?”
“What kind of reaction is that?”
“I thought you wanted me to be surprised.”
“Please take me seriously. You stand at a crucial crossroads that will determine the rest of your life.”
“??”
“The Foundation has provided you with a butler and maid, a training facility, and generous funding. This is not pure kindness towards you.”
“Really?”
“They will demand something in return. When the Foundation believes you can no longer rise higher. They will require your dedication in a position they’ve designated.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ding!
Her face, so innocent and pure.
She clearly still doesn’t understand her own situation.
Bing!
“But if you refuse the Foundation’s guarantee, you can be free.”
“Me? Refuse a sucker who backs me?”
“Still, please think seriously about it. Though you’ll have to pay a hefty price, you’ve entered the Academy with good grades. The Academy has shown you goodwill.”
Minerva the examiner.
It was the document he handed her when he came as her guarantor.
Child to Academy Agreement
– The Gift Academy will cover all debts of the Oknodie examinee to the Wiheomhae Foundation.
– The Wiheomhae Foundation cannot exert any influence over the Oknodie examinee.
– If the Gift Academy’s examiners determine that the Wiheomhae Foundation has exercised influence, the Foundation can impose an appropriate penalty.
If Young Lady Oknodie just signs this document, she can break free from the Foundation’s grasp.
Zing!
“The Academy will take care of all the costs and procedures, creating a new identity for you.”
“Jonnas…?”
Thump!
“You just need to take this pen and sign.”
Please don’t ask anything.
Just accept the pen and sign it.
He prayed and prayed again.
Thud, thud.
“So what happens to you, Jonnas?”
…Indeed, it seems gods aren’t trustworthy after all.
Gods don’t listen to the prayers of the weak.
“The fact that I, a member of the Foundation, am interacting with you also counts as exerting influence. So we will have to part ways. Forever.”
“Then no! I can’t abandon my butler, I could never do that!”
Bam!
Was it because she was chosen by the lady?
Or perhaps because she walked the same path as him?
Even knowing that the Young Lady’s life was heading down an irreversible path, satisfaction surged deep within his heart.
“You still don’t know the despair of having someone else decide your life. Even if you like something or someone, you must put that feeling aside.”
“But I can just keep going higher, right?”
“…Do you really think you are different?”
“It’s fine. I’m a player.”
Ding!
“I’m Papa’s daughter. The Foundation that helps me is ultimately Papa’s Foundation, right?”
“…You could see it that way.”
“Then it’s okay!”
It wasn’t a profound decision made after deep contemplation.
It was a childish thought typical of a growing child.
“It’s only natural for a child to help their papa, right? Although continuing the family business is cliché, as long as it doesn’t mean I have to do that for the rest of my life, I can help out a little.”
She thinks she’s special. She merely wants to elevate herself above others.
“I’m strong, no matter what Papa and the Foundation want. They won’t be able to demand anything from me so easily. I’m going to keep getting stronger!”
“…Is that so? You really are strong, Young Lady.”
Yay!
That’s why he wanted to protect her more.
To keep her safe, he tried to let her go.
He allowed the Foundation’s coercion to not be seen as coercion.
He showed her the chance to step out of the Foundation’s embrace.
But if she still doesn’t fly away.
If she refuses to leave through the open cage door, then he would have no choice but to protect her.
Woosh!
“Then, as of today, you will be entering the Gift Academy as a scholarship student of the Wiheomhae Foundation. I, Jonnas Wiheomhae, who is a representative of the Foundation, will be your guarantor. Do you agree to this?”
“Of course, I agree! My butler is on my side, right?”
Oknodie, having concealed a necklace within her clothing, pulled it out.
It was a whistle that had been given to her to call for help in times of trouble.
She couldn’t recall how many times she had actually used it, but it still carried the hint of preciousness.
How many times had she fidgeted with it?
How much time had she held it close to her heart?
With eyes shining with overwhelming trust, she proudly held up the whistle given to her at the inn.
“The things my butler suggests can’t go wrong. My butler only gives the best advice. I don’t like being fed only super healthy food and the nagging, though.”
“That’s quite the compliment.”
“Then is the boring part done now? I have so many stories I want to share about the entrance exam with Aunt Jezel and Uncle Son Ohchun…”
Now she belongs to the Foundation.
That smile may one day become an asset of the organization rather than hers.
If the Boss’s will isn’t fulfilled.
So it may be with even greater probability that Oknodie’s dreams would also be shattered.
Even knowing it.
Even being aware of all these futures, Jonnas Wiheomhae, the man, merely listened to the Young Lady’s story and silently kept by her side.
Whisper…
“Indeed, earlier there were rumors about the incident regarding the ‘Young Lady’…”
“Enough of that.”
Even Leaf, the assassin from a different chain of command, knew well about the big incident he caused.
If he were to repeat such a mistake, this time he would face the organization’s judgment.
“I cannot assist you, Young Lady. If the organization and you part ways, I will become your enemy.”
But still, why does she sincerely trust him like this?
“Indeed, you must have your ‘next Young Lady.'”
“Which one was I?”
“Could I possibly be your last Young Lady?”
Zoom!
Don’t think about it.
Don’t get consumed.
The representative of the Foundation, the Young Lady’s butler cannot afford to let his guard down.
The sensation of sticky blood beneath his feet.
The feeling of flesh being cut at his fingertips.
Visualize the scene where his heart grows cold.
“So, is there something more?”
“Young Lady. We’ll continue this conversation later. It seems my visiting time is up.”
“Eh? Already leaving?”
“Soon, we’ll meet again.”
Woosh!
He had spent too much time.
After finishing the story, when he returned, Minerva asked.
“What about the contract?”
“She declined. The Young Lady is now a scholarship student of the Foundation.”
“I see. How unfortunate for both of us then, Guardian.”
“Will it be alright if I assume the Young Lady is assigned to Group A?”
“Of course. Then, farewell for now.”
Walking out of the counseling room, Oknodie asked.
“When will I see you again?”
“The guarantor for Academy students or representatives of the guarantor can only visit the Academy once a month on a designated day. I’ll come visit when the time comes.”
“I don’t want that… I need my butler beside me every day. This is weird.”
“It’s the Academy’s regulations, there’s no avoiding that.”
“I totally hate these ‘reality patches.'”
Jonnas straightened out the wrinkles in the young lady’s clothing and left some words of caution.
“Please refrain from saying such incomprehensible things in front of others. Students of high status or those who value decorum may mock or bully you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already made tons of friends! I got close to Sister Arcadia from the Firenze Kingdom too.”
The only flower among the Western Noble Union.
Her high pride and calculating nature made her hard to befriend, yet she seems to have formed a personal bond already.
For a moment, surprise flashed.
But then he realized, it was understandable with her openness to connect.
Yeah, perhaps this Young Lady could be just fine.
“Then, until the next time we meet, please take care.”
“You too, Jonnas!”
