I Became an Outcast in the Academy

7. Proof (8)

“… Master. “If it’s not rude, would it be okay to ask Master a question?”

After finishing her conversation with Sian, and making sure that there was no sign of her popularity anywhere, Ellie quietly opened her mouth to her duke.

“Questions? Okay. Feel free to talk as much as you want. “I will answer as many questions as I can.”

Even at Eli’s somewhat unexpected words, Duke Orphega nodded his head.

In some ways, it may have felt like a true example of a teacher caring for his students, but in fact, Duke Orphega never stopped walking even while nodding his head.

As far as Eli knew, the Duke of Orphega did not have business elsewhere and was just returning to his home.

In other words, there was no reason to hurry and hasten his steps.

However, Duke Orphega continued to hasten his steps even though Eli said he had something to say.

‘When I had a conversation with my brother earlier, he spoke with a hint of energy in case anyone would hear… ‘

Although Xian didn’t seem to notice anything, Ellie, who had received many lessons from the duke over the past six months, clearly noticed.

Just now, Duke Orphega was concerned that someone would overhear his conversation with Xian, so he formed a kind of defensive shield made up of Aurors.

Although she paid so much attention when talking to her brother, she was so indifferent when talking to herself, her student.

Does the duke himself also know the difference, or is it something he does unconsciously?

Ellie, the Duke of Orphea’s one and only disciple, could not shake off the thought that she was being treated worse than her brother, and she quietly opened her mouth.

“What you said to her brother just now… “Did you really mean it?”

“What does that mean?”

“That… I mean what you just said about marrying the girl to her brother. I wonder if he really meant it… “

Even if I don’t know anyone else, I know Eli well, who is Duke Orphega’s disciple. How much the Duke of Orphea cherishes and cherishes his only daughter.

Although Orphea was unable to learn the Duke’s swordsmanship due to her ‘constitution’, she also inherited her father’s talent and was a swordsman with great skills.

At least as far as her Ellie knows, there is no one at her cadet level who would dare to exchange sums with her.

But the very fact that Duke Orphega had invited Xian, whom he had seen for the first time today, to ask if he would marry his daughter was so unbelievable.

“That’s fascinating. “Did you think I was the type of person who would make jokes about my daughter’s marriage?”

“Oh, no! Well, I just… I was worried that it seemed like Master was suffering some kind of great loss… !”

When Ellie hurriedly came up with an excuse, thinking that she had somehow crossed the line, the Duke smiled and answered her question, as if he thought such a student was cute.

“It’s a loss… In some ways, the loss is significant. “I came here simply with the intention of taking him as my disciple, but somehow I ended up giving my daughter to him as well.”

However, even though he was saying that on the outside, Duke Orphega’s expression did not look that bad. No, he was smiling faintly now.

And the expression on Duke Orphega’s face gave Ellie an uneasy feeling for some reason.

‘Actually, you’ve never made that kind of expression to me… ‘

The Duke Orphega that Eli knew was a very strict man, both to himself and to others. He also very rarely had a private conversation or interaction with Ellie.

Since taking Ellie as her disciple, she has not heard even a single word of praise from the duke.

‘Just don’t be so proud. ‘I didn’t make you my disciple because I expected that level of achievement from you.’

These were the greatest compliments that Ellie had ever received from her duke.

But until now, Ellie had never felt such regretful feelings toward Duke Orphega.

No, in a way, it just felt good.

Because the duke’s attitude was clear evidence that Elie had chosen her as his disciple solely because of her talent with the sword she carried.

But now, as Eli looks at Duke Orphega’s attitude toward Xian… She felt some strange emotion.

He did not show any feelings toward himself, who had been his student for the past six months, but he was clearly showing greed toward Xian.

For what? What on earth is the difference between him and his brother?

Because she is less talented than her brother? Or is it because your skills are poor? If not that, what about that strange ability that his brother is hiding?

In Ellie’s mind, questions continue to follow her.

And at the same time, something black begins to boil in her heart and soon begins to clutch her heart tightly.

But without realizing the emotions she was feeling, Ellie opened her mouth to her duke in a cautious tone.

“If Master thinks it is such a loss, why not reconsider the judgment you made earlier…” “

“No, I don’t think that’s necessary. In some ways, it could be said to be a better thing. “This is because I think it is more efficient to tie him to a family relationship rather than simply binding him to the relationship of being my student.”

“… Yes?”

“If what I think is right… This is because it must be a very profitable business to get a guy like this. “His Highness Cartesia’s attitude toward Xian earlier was also significant.”

Ellie frowned slightly as she had no idea what her teacher was talking about.

What on earth is that Cartesia woman’s attitude towards her brother, and why is the Duke saying this?

In Ellie’s eyes, she was just a poor girl who was infatuated with her brother?

“Just now, Her Majesty’s attitude towards Her Highness, at first glance, made her seem like a woman in love, but if you look closely, she is something fundamentally different from him. Her Highness sees her Xian not as his lover, but as someone he must protect… She took on the appearance of someone who had to repay her favor. No matter how you look at it, it was a bit far from being an ordinary romantic relationship.”

“… ?”

What’s wrong with that? That’s because there is a huge gap in status between the two, so what’s strange about the princess thinking of her brother as someone to unilaterally protect?

“His Majesty implicitly delivered a message to other nobles not to interfere with Lutra, His Highness Arrieta recently recovered her health, and the person who appears to be Her Highness Cartesia’s fiancé still appears accurately. Is not revealing… “If we put these facts together, we can roughly guess what kind of person Xian is and what value he has.”

In fact, I wanted to go beyond proposing marriage and kidnap her right now, but with the emperor watching all of this, it was impossible to cross the line.

However, in the duke’s opinion, both the emperor’s actions and Cartesia’s actions were insignificant.

If he had been the first to discover the value of Xian, he would have gone beyond the level of playing house like Cartesia is doing now and would have immediately pushed her into the same bedroom as his daughter and forced her to get married.

After that, if the princess gives birth to Xian’s child, that will be the end of the whole situation.

“… Tsk, when I took you as my disciple, I didn’t pay any attention to that guy, Xian, and now I just regret it. “I was foolish, foolish.”

Duke Orphega sighed and complained without even realizing it.

It was a complaint made out of the feeling of a foolish person who gave a coin on the street and was so happy that he did not notice that a jewel had fallen right next to him.

However, as Ellie, who was right next to her, heard the duke talking to himself, she unconsciously took a deep breath.

Eli did not understand what Duke Orphega was saying just now.

She couldn’t figure out what on earth her teacher was seeing in her brother and saying such things.

But leaving all that aside… One thing seemed clear.

The duke was now regretting.

He was regretting the fact that he had not met Sian a little sooner.

The very day I took her as her student, I regretted not recognizing the value of her poetry.

And… He was regretting having taken Eli as his disciple.

Ellie’s existence within the duke was really nothing compared to Xian.

A girl who externally has the status of a student, but has never heard a word of praise from her teacher, and a man who wants to continue the relationship, even to the point where the duke is willing to give up his own daughter.

There is no need to even say which of those two people is more valuable.

At least, Eli himself was convinced that the duke was thinking that way.

“…..”

The Duke of Orphea was saying something, but now Eli can no longer hear his teacher’s words.

I feel nauseated.

The only thing that struck her was that the thing she thought she was ahead of her brother was reduced to something ordinary, and the fact that her brother was able to get something she had worked so hard to achieve without any problem was what Ellie felt. It was no different from her pain itself.

But what was even more miserable for Ellie was that even though she was hurting like this, there was no one who recognized her pain.

For her, her family did not exist anywhere in the world.