<Chapter 17>
Time passed, and soon it was time for the freshman declaration.
“Both of you, get ready.”
The male student who had told Selina to come forward earlier approached and informed them. In a little while, she would have to stand in front of hundreds of people as the student representative.
She had firmly decided to live quietly, unnoticed… yet the very first step had already gone wrong.
[Next, we will have the freshman representatives take the entrance oath. Freshman representatives—Class 1, Year 1, Miss Sylvia Hailers and Miss Selina—please come up to the stage.]
Rustle.
The hall had been quiet when only Sylvia’s name was called, but the moment Selina’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere stirred instantly.
Selina followed behind Sylvia. Students who saw Selina up close whispered amongst themselves, wondering who she was.
They had no idea how she had the audacity to walk up on stage.
[We swear, we the 407 freshmen entering Perion Academy, will faithfully abide by the school rules…]
Sylvia recited the oath as the representative. Selina only stood blankly with one hand raised.
[…we pledge to do so. Freshman Representative, Sylvia Hailers.]
Sylvia handed the voice-amplifying magic device to her. When Selina remained silent for a long moment, Sylvia poked her side.
[…Selina.]
Selina spoke her name a beat too late.
The headmaster walked forward and offered a handshake to both Sylvia and Selina.
“It is an honor for all members of the Hailers family to join Perion Academy. I look forward to your future, Miss Sylvia Hailers.”
“It is my honor, Headmaster.”
After finishing a brief exchange with Sylvia, the headmaster turned to Selina.
“So you are Miss Selina. I’ve heard much about you from that person. I hope you devote yourself diligently to academy life.”
“…Thank you.”
[Now, next we will move on to the welcome address for the freshmen by the upperclassmen…]
The moment their greetings ended, the ceremony moved on without pause. Sylvia and Selina stepped down from the stage, guided by staff.
Countless gazes bore into Selina so intensely she could hardly breathe.
“Are you okay?”
Perhaps noticing her pale complexion, Sylvia asked with concern.
Back in her seat at last, Selina leaned into her chair and exhaled deeply.
“You must’ve been really nervous. You don’t look well.”
Selina rubbed her face and confessed the truth.
“…Actually, I didn’t know I would be going up as a representative.”
“What?”
“I didn’t know until I sat down here. I don’t even know why I’m a representative in the first place.”
Sylvia looked truly shocked; her already round eyes widened like an owl’s.
“Do you know the criteria for selecting representatives?”
“Mm… They pick two every year. The first is the student with outstanding grades.”
“Grades?”
“The entrance exam.”
Selina sighed a beat late. Since she had never taken the exam, of course she wouldn’t know.
Her heart thumped, worried Sylvia might discover she was a fraudulent enrollee.
As she watched Sylvia, Selina suddenly realized something and turned toward her. Sylvia blushed and scratched her head awkwardly when their eyes met.
“It’s you, isn’t it? The outstanding student.”
“Mmh… yeah, I guess.”
Was she embarrassed? Sylvia twisted her body and fidgeted with her hands.
“Then what’s the criterion for the second representative?”
“I heard the other one is a special-admission student. But I don’t know how they choose that representative.”
Selina was technically a special-admission case. A completely illegitimate admission, truthfully.
“Actually… when I saw you sitting here earlier, I was a bit surprised.”
“Me?”
Selina pointed at herself, bewildered.
“Yeah. There was someone else who was basically confirmed to be the representative aside from me.”
“Who was it?”
“A boy named Theodore. He’s from the Temple of the Sun.”
Ding—
Hearing the unexpected name felt like being struck in the head.
Theodore—could it be the same “Theo” she knew?
“I heard he’s in the same class as us.”
At her words, Selina whipped her head around.
Two students sitting behind her flinched in surprise, but she didn’t care.
Selina didn’t even need to stretch her neck to find him.
He was seated in the fourth row.
Sylvia’s description matched perfectly—it was the Theodore Selina knew.
Theodore. Once her childhood friend… but five years ago, because of a certain incident, they drifted apart.
Their eyes met—his golden irises locking with her violet ones. He looked startled, then awkwardly turned away.
“Huh? Is that him? They said he has black hair, so that should be him, right?”
Sylvia looked back as well, following Selina’s gaze.
“Do you know him?”
Selina couldn’t take her eyes off Theodore, as if she had forgotten how to blink. Sylvia asked.
“…No, I don’t know him.”
She was happy to see him again after so long.
But he clearly didn’t welcome her.
He was avoiding her—she couldn’t pretend to know him.
Seeing him avoid her so openly left her heart tangled and heavy.
* * *
“Who is that girl?”
“I heard the representatives were supposed to be Lady Hailers and Theodore.”
“Shh! Theodore is right over there!”
The students whispered in confusion. They were baffled seeing Selina on stage.
The noble-born students were perplexed because their information had been incorrect, while commoners—though unaware of the original representatives—recognized Selina immediately.
“How did the witch get in here…?”
“Are you sure she’s the witch? What if she’s a noble?”
“Didn’t you hear her name? She had no surname. She’s a commoner. And do you think red hair like that is common among commoners?”
Commoners living in the capital—particularly near Terrion Street—recognized Selina at once.
“What do you mean, witch?”
“You from out of town?”
“Yeah, I’m from the Benin region.”
“No wonder. That girl is a very famous witch in the capital.”
“A witch… so, she’s dangerous?”
“Of course. They say she bewilders people with strange magic, and that every curse she speaks becomes reality. Some even whisper she might be a servant of demons.”
“Eek! D–does she eat people too?”
Rumors spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the academy.
From class 7–10 where many commoners sat, all the way to class 1—
Selina being a witch spread rapidly.
“Hey, they say she’s a witch. Apparently she’s super famous among the commoners.”
“A witch? Isn’t that just a rumor?”
“They say it’s real. Some commoners even claim they’ve seen her eating people.”
Sylvester sat with his arms crossed, overhearing the commotion.
“A witch?”
He tilted his head and looked to the front—where his beloved younger sister and the other representative sat.
The representative was the girl who had rested her head on his shoulder before the ceremony.
He thought she was just bold… but a witch?
“…Hmm.”
Sylvester furrowed his brows in displeasure.
The male student beside him, having to sit next to the infamous Hailers heir, glanced nervously at Sylvester’s worsening mood. He wanted nothing more than to flee his seat, but no one could help him.
* * *
“So it was true after all. The ‘witch’ actually came to the academy. Don’t you agree, Lord Theodore?”
A sharp-tongued boy with dark green hair cut perfectly straight clicked his tongue.
“Chris. Quiet.”
“But isn’t it outrageous? Does she even know where she is—!”
Chris ignored Theodore’s warning and continued.
“I’ve disliked her from the beginning. A witch’s daughter receiving Lord Friman’s and His Holiness’s favor? And now she’s stolen your rightful spot as representative! Don’t worry. If she dares to get in your way again, I’ll—”
Theodore, who had been silently listening with a stiff expression, clenched the armrest of his chair.
Crack.
A faint crack appeared. The sound was soft enough that almost no one noticed.
Theodore’s golden eyes glinted fiercely.
The flecks of gold shimmered dangerously. Seeing that, Chris immediately shut his mouth.
“I told you to be quiet.”
“…My apologies.”
“If that mouth ever utters Sel— no, her name again, I’ll make sure you never speak so carelessly again. Understood?”
The murderous intent in his golden eyes constricted Chris’s throat. Chris struggled to swallow the rising terror.
When sweat drenched Chris’s palms, Theodore finally looked away.
Sigh…
Someone beside them exhaled in relief.
Theodore glanced at Chris once more, then turned his gaze forward—past the rows of students—to a head of curly red hair.
Selina was flustered by Sylvia’s constant chatter beside her.
She rarely showed emotions, so she must have been genuinely thrown off.
…Heh.
Before he knew it, a faint smile appeared on Theodore’s face.
He listened to the speech with one ear and let it flow out the other, focusing solely on Selina.
Her startled expression from earlier replayed in his mind.
The moment their eyes met—her violet eyes locking with his—his heart had dropped and thundered painfully. Without realizing it, he had turned away.
When he finally calmed his racing heart and looked again, she had already turned away.
Regret washed over him.
This might have been his last chance to look at her properly, yet he threw it away.
He wanted to return to the days when they were still close—when they were carefree and unburdened.
But doing so would only cause her pain.
The incident from five years ago could not be repeated.
Pretending not to know each other was best… for both of them.
Yet memories of Selina kept surfacing, shaking the resolve he had tried so hard to keep.
Selina…
Theodore shut his eyes tightly. A scene flashed in his mind.
Selina lying on the ground, unable to get up—
blackish-red blood seeping from her head.
The memory suffocated him all over again.
He bit the inside of his cheek to suppress the groan rising in his throat.
Never. Never again. That must never happen again.
When his eyes opened, all trembling emotion had vanished—
only hardened resolve remained.
Theodore could not take his eyes off Selina until the entrance ceremony ended.
