Chapter 138
At Felix’s innocent face, Eila paused for a moment. Somehow, her conscience pricked her.
I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t paid much attention to Felix.
It had been a joy to finally open her heart and confirm their feelings for each other.
She no longer had to struggle with the thought of pushing him away, nor lie about being lovers in front of others.
But the problem was that, since becoming a couple, they hadn’t once done anything like a couple.
I was too busy looking after Piyo and studying day and night…
Thanks to that, Piyo had safely finished molting and grown into a fine, strong dragon.
Eila gave a sheepish smile and asked,
“You’re right, we’ve been so busy. After the exams, is there something you’d like to do?”
At her words, Felix’s lips curved upward. His eyes rolled thoughtfully.
“Well, first of all…”
Just as he began to speak, a group of female students passed by their table, chatting loudly—about a topic impossible not to overhear.
“Have you tried the new Yuriette cosmetics?”
“Yes! It’s so good. I doubted it at first since it was cheap, but it’s way better than Flor cosmetics.”
“Right? I was worried when Flor Cosmetics suddenly shut down, but actually this is even better.”
“Exactly. Sharon Atelier’s products are overpriced and not that effective anyway.”
Hearing their chatter, a faint smile tugged at Eila’s lips.
Just two weeks ago, Piony’s long-prepared cosmetics brand had finally launched successfully in the capital.
Thanks to Donovan completing the drainage work, Momon herbs could now be supplied steadily.
As expected, the new products Yuria created became an instant hit.
Even with large stocks prepared in advance, everything sold out in just a few days, temporarily halting store operations.
Yuria had been so busy since then that it was hard even to see her face.
Eila regularly received updates from her, including reports on sales and operations.
The reason she herself had been so busy lately was largely because of that—
she couldn’t leave everything to Piony alone, not when there were premium and budget lines to plan and store expansions to handle.
But thanks to those efforts, within just two weeks, Yuriette Cosmetics had secured a firm place in people’s minds.
At first, some sneered that it was “makeup for commoners,” but this proved product quality matters most.
Looking back, the early sellouts had actually been a stroke of luck.
Now, long lines formed daily in front of the shop as everyone scrambled to try the new cosmetics.
“By the way, I heard Princess Piony is the investor behind Yuriette Cosmetics?”
“Yeah, can you believe it? What vision she must have.”
“And look at the people she’s with—the master of the Black Dragon and the heir of House Agenta…”
As the students drifted away, the area grew quiet again. Felix grinned at Eila.
“That brand’s really popular these days.”
“It’s all thanks to Piony and Yuria’s hard work.”
“But the original idea came from you. Your business sense is amazing.”
At Felix’s proud look, Eila only smiled awkwardly.
Then suddenly, someone dropped a stack of books onto their table with a thump.
“You two studying together again? Let me join, or I’ll end up failing.”
Looking up, they saw Piony standing there with a slightly sulky expression.
“Did your class end late? Since you’re just getting here?”
At Eila’s question, Piony smiled casually as she sat down.
“Well, that too… but I also ran into someone on the way.”
“Who?”
“Freya. She was walking alone, looking half-dead.”
Piony sneered openly.
“Her face was a wreck. Dark circles under her eyes… looks like her family’s in serious trouble.”
Eila raised an eyebrow slightly.
Come to think of it, Freya had hardly been seen around the academy lately.
Piony continued in her usual cheerful voice,
“I heard Count Arman’s management rights might be taken over by other investors. They’ve been selling off assets at bargain prices… it must be bad.”
After Flor Cosmetics closed, Sharon Atelier’s sales had spiked briefly.
But once Yuriette Cosmetics opened, it stole away every customer base.
Sales plummeted again, and House Arman quickly declined.
With so many business ventures already spread out, the family couldn’t cover all its investments.
Originally, around this time, they were supposed to rope in Yuria to revive Sharon Atelier.
If that had happened, Count Arman would have regained wealth, and Freya would have succeeded in her engagement to Darian.
But since Eila had secured Yuria first, Count Arman was now on the brink of bankruptcy.
Piony laughed with satisfaction.
“At this rate, maybe we won’t see Freya at the academy anymore. Tuition here isn’t cheap, after all.”
“Things are that bad?”
“Yeah. Creditors are swarming daily. Well, Count Arman brought it on himself.”
At that, Eila recalled the rude words Freya had spat at her the moment she became a commoner.
Now, this all felt like poetic justice—punishment for mocking her back then.
How does it feel, Freya, to lose everything and be left with nothing?
A faint smile played on Eila’s lips.
But then suddenly, she felt someone’s stare.
…Rosia?
In a corner of the library, Rosia was standing still, staring at her silently.
Her condition was clearly abnormal—red, bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, a blank face.
Only her tightly clenched fists showed the storm of emotions bottled inside.
Several students quietly shifted away from her, avoiding her presence.
Freya was practically her only friend… and now even she’s gone.
Rosia’s gaze was twisted with bitterness as she glared, but Eila only smiled calmly.
It won’t be long until I deal with you too, Rosia.
Once she exposed the secret of the falsified paternity test spell, Rosia would fall.
With Freya gone, only Rosia remained.
Eila intended to slowly, patiently tighten the noose around her.
Cold night air seeped through the open window.
Rosia paced her room restlessly, then clenched her fists in resolve.
I can’t stay still any longer.
The image of Eila in the library, smiling smugly at her like a victor, wouldn’t leave her mind.
That confident, scheming look—Rosia was sure Eila was hiding something.
Until now, she had obeyed the Empress’s advice and kept quiet, careful.
But she couldn’t just sit and watch anymore.
That cosmetics shop… it must be her doing. House Arman’s ruin is all her fault.
On the surface, Princess Piony was credited with running the business.
But Rosia refused to believe that.
She still remembered Freya’s bitter complaints vividly:
“When Father went to see the Flor Cosmetics artisan, the workshop was already empty!”
“Now Merchant Lord Jordic is tangled up in breach-of-contract lawsuits. Someone must have snatched the artisan first.”
“And when I followed Princess Piony, suspicious of her involvement, who did I see? None other than Eila and Felix causing a commotion in that shop months ago. I bet they made contact with the artisan back then.”
