Chapter 34
The words that came out of Lucy’s mouth were surprisingly cute for her.
Compared to various things she had said before, calling me an “airhead lady” was nothing much.
It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to hear, but it wasn’t enough to make me explode with anger.
After all, there were far worse things said behind people’s backs in the social circles filled with mean personalities.
The reason Joy was flustered was simply that she hadn’t expected those words at such an unexpected moment.
Airhead lady, huh.
I never thought there would be someone besides my older brother calling me airheaded.
Could it be that it’s that obvious?
“Do I look airheaded to you?”
“Oh dear. My apologies. That was a slip of the tongue.”
Lucy replied, but she didn’t seem sorry at all.
The smirk on her lips combined with the annoying gesture of covering her mouth was clearly a provocation.
At first, Joy didn’t think much of the term “airhead lady,” but after seeing that gesture, her temper began to flare.
“How could you call me an airhead lady when I helped you get into Tierra Mars? That’s just too much.”
“Are you saying the airheaded lady expects a return for her generosity? Hehe. For a young lady of a duke, your character is quite narrow-minded.”
She called me airheaded lady again.
And now she’s calling me narrow-minded?!
While I couldn’t say she was wrong out of conscience, it made me even angrier!
Why the heck do I have to be called that after treating you to a meal at Tierra Mars?!
Slowly being baited by Lucy’s provocations, Joy had completely forgotten her initial thought of wanting to stay on Lucy’s good side.
What to do?
How can I make Lucy’s cocky attitude flatten out?
That’s right. Tomorrow is the exam at the Soul Academy.
“Lucy, you’ll be taking the exam at the Soul Academy tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Let me prove that I’m not airheaded in that exam.”
“How do you plan on doing that?”
“Let’s make a bet on the exam results. If I get a higher score than you, you won’t have the right to call me airheaded anymore, will you?”
Lucy listened to Joy’s words, chuckled softly, then replied, “So if my score is higher, can I call you airheaded lady then?”
“I’ll accept that title.”
Joy didn’t entertain the thought of losing for even a moment.
Lucy, being of the Alrn family lineage, seemed to have enhanced physical abilities, but that was it.
The academy exam wasn’t solely practical.
The written portion had an even higher weight.
Rumor had it that Lucy had been slacking off from studying for a while, so there was no way she could achieve better results than Joy.
Lucy, who should be concerned about passing the academy exam, how could she hope to beat Joy?
“Just you wait!”
I’ll ace the exam so thoroughly that you won’t dare call me airheaded lady again.
*
When I arrived at the massive iron door guarding the entrance of the Soul Academy, my mind was half-absent.
Thoughts of what happened yesterday wouldn’t leave me, and I couldn’t focus.
Calling me airheaded lady right to my face!
Of course, it was unintentional.
I didn’t even call her by her name.
The only thing I said to her was a simple “I enjoyed the meal.”
Yet the Mesugaki skill twisted my words into calling her an airheaded lady!
I should have refused when Joy invited me to eat together that first time.
I knew the Mesugaki translation would cause a disaster.
But I got carried away by the fantasy of dining with a love interest at Tierra Mars and disregarded reality, and that was the problem.
Honestly, the meal itself was fine up until the point when I said ‘airheaded lady’.
I figured that if my words would be twisted, I should’ve remained silent; my strategy up until then seemed to have worked well.
I also remembered that the dining atmosphere was nice.
Joy seemed to enjoy Tierra Mars’s food, smiling softly yet slightly maliciously throughout the meal.
Though her grin could’ve looked like she was plotting someone’s doom, considering her character, she was likely just in a good mood.
However, all that changed after I blurted out airheaded lady.
She sat there, lips pressed together, staring at me silently.
It was difficult to determine her exact emotions due to her striking appearance, but it was clear she felt displeased.
“Do I look airheaded to you?”
If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have asked that question with such a deadly tone, right?
Upon hearing that, I panicked and blurted out an apology to salvage the situation.
“I’m sorry! That was a slip of the tongue!”
But the apology, which came out of nowhere, turned into something entirely different as it left my lips.
“Oh dear. My apologies. That was a slip of the tongue.”
That was clearly a provocation.
It was like saying, “I think you’re airheaded, but since you look upset, I’ll take it back.”
Thinking back, Joy’s expression had darkened even more that moment, which meant she probably interpreted it the same way I did.
Once I uttered those words, my head went blank, and I must have just said whatever came to mind.
Joy must definitely be mad.
Ugh, this is a disaster.
I just threw away my chance to get closer to my love interest.
Considering I already had a pretty awful reputation, now I’ve acted so rudely she must be thinking I’m someone to keep away from.
[Young girl, how long do you plan to dig yourself deeper into yesterday’s mess?]
Hearing the old man’s voice snapped me back to reality, but my gloomy mood remained.
[What good does regretting the past do to you? Focus on the tasks in front of you instead.]
“But, grandpa.”
[You can clear up the misunderstandings when you meet again later. And in order to meet that young lady again, don’t you have to pass the academy first? ]
‘…That’s true.’
[Despite her tough appearance, isn’t that Joy a person of remarkable nature? I bet she will understand if you talk again later. ]
“Can I really explain it well with my way of speaking?”
My question made grandpa fall silent.
The old man, who had been chattering just a moment ago, suddenly went quiet.
Are you saying you can’t guarantee that I could clear things up, grandpa?
That’s just too harsh.
In moments like this, you should at least give me an encouraging lie or something.
I really don’t get how this old man had the most popular stories among bards two hundred years ago.
I’m sure he sprinkled gold to the bards before he passed away.
He must’ve bribed them to embellish his deeds dramatically.
Otherwise, how could anyone explain the gap between the Ruel and Mace in those legends and the old man himself?!
Once I let out a lot of inner anger, the gloomy feelings started to lift a little.
Sigh.
Clearing up misunderstandings won’t be easy, but if I don’t get into the academy, I won’t get a chance at all.
Most importantly, if I fail the academy exam, Lucy’s life could be over.
Right now, I need to forget what happened yesterday and concentrate on the exam.
Let’s go! Time for the test!
*
Waltzing in confidently, I entered the Soul Academy testing room, but my enthusiasm plummeted as soon as I sat at my desk.
And rightly so, because what awaited me now was a mountain of papers filled with text.
Having decided long ago to give up on written tests, I was already what you’d call a study dropout.
The only thing I prepared for this exam?
A pen with five numbers written on each side.
I don’t know how, but my luck stat is pretty high right now.
Because the luck stat from the pendant of the Church of the Goddess combined with Ruel’s blunt weapon luck stat.
I can’t be certain without a status window, but I assume it’s above average.
So, instead of using this blank head of mine to solve problems, it would be better to rely on the divine intervention of the Great Dice God up in the sky for a higher score.
That’s why, while everyone else took out their books to study, I simply placed a pen on my desk and waited for the exam to begin.
“Grandpa.”
[What is it?]
“People around me are definitely watching me, right?”
[Seems that way.]
During that dazed moment I spent staring at the blackboard, I noticed that the people who came in and saw me were constantly glancing in my direction.
To be precise, it felt more like they were eyeing me warily.
Seeing how they gradually filled the seats far away from me, I could tell just how much they disliked me.
[Young girl, what type of karma have you built up over the years? ]
“I really don’t know.”
I wish I knew too.
I have no idea what I did in the social scene to warrant this avoidance from the noble brats.
Thanks to this, there was a nice little circle surrounding me that remained empty for quite a while in the exam room.
Eventually, some seats got filled out of necessity, but it was still a bit later on.
And soon after, the exam began.
The first subject was history.
Although I knew nearly nothing about the exam subjects, history was the one I knew least—practically nothing at all.
“The third King of the Holy Kingdom, Nichad the Third, faced an invasion by foreign enemies…”
As I read through the first question’s text, I realized how foolish I was, closed my eyes, and began praying.
“Oh Great Dice God.”
Please grant me luck.
May the dice I roll guide me to the path of answers.
If you heed my prayer, I’ll devote everything to spread your greatness throughout the world.
So please, I beg you!
[Number 3 is the answer. ]
Ooh! The Dice God has answered me!
I thought you would just guide my pen with your wisdom, and yet you’ve personally descended to aid this insolent child?!
[What are you doing? Open your eyes and read the next question.]
‘…Was it you, grandpa?’
[Didn’t I tell you? Knowing history is a noble’s virtue. ]
You did say that, didn’t you?
Even though I didn’t plan to study at all, I should’ve listened more.
[Along with what I’ve known for ages, I’ve learned a lot from Harner, so I’ve memorized most of it. ]
“Uh, then what’s the answer to question 2?”
[It’s number 1.]
Without missing a beat, the old man whispered the answer into my ear.
The tone of his voice was so firm that the moment I heard it, I couldn’t doubt it.
Ah, Ruel! There was definitely a reason you were so popular in those hero tales!
How could I dare question you?!
I’m sorry! I will repent!
[Sigh. How could someone who has been studying for two months be outdone by a kid who has been listening to lessons his whole life?]
Though I heard the old man’s critical comments in my ears while I marveled, it must’ve been my imagination.
The heroic knight Ruel, who saved the world, wouldn’t say something like that.
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