‘I'm sleepy…'
Today too I walked the academy campus like a lone wolf, excluded from the world.
I can't yawn since I have my honor as a wicked woman; so, when I bite my lips, tears come out of my eyes.
As I was walking towards the classroom with bloodshot eyes like a ghost, I ran into a scene that was hard to ignore at the campus behind the magic building.
‘What's happening?'
I woke up a bit.
Because the atmosphere looked serious.
A large nobleman was tormenting a young lady with a small body.
The bastard didn't even realize I was standing in the corner like a ghost and started arguing with the woman.
"Arin, are you really going to keep coming here?"
"…"
As the woman cowered, the thick glasses on the bridge of her nose slipped down.
"I heard that your family is ruined, yet you still manage to stick to the academy. To be honest, isn't it better to quit? Even if they don't express it, everyone will laugh at you looking like a beggar."
The man chuckled badly, stepping on the hem of the woman's worn-out skirt.
"S-Stop. Please!"
"What's wrong? It's dirty, so even if I step on it a bit it won't be noticeable."
"Stop, it will rip."
As the man extended his feet and tugged even harder at the skirt, the woman's face turned pale.
"What kind of academy is this, with a bitch who trembles in fear because she's afraid that only one of her clothes will be torn. I see you still have some useless regrets about finishing the program for the gifted people, but you should know your place, huh?"
Taunting her, the man snatched one of the books the young lady was holding.
"Let's see. Hmm… It's the Application of Intermediate Mana Formulas. What are you going to use it for, when you look like a beggar? It would be more beneficial to just use it as firewood."
He begins to tear the book pages one by one.
The pale, frightened woman jumped up and down. But she was so small that she couldn't reach it.
"Stop, give it back!"
"What do you think will change if you look at a book like this? Why do women need formulas? It's obvious just looking at the ratio of men and women taking formula classes. It is not for nothing that there are many men among high-ranking wizards. Arin."
"…"
"Don't hold onto things that don't work out anyway, just go get married or something in an appropriate place. You know you won't be able to when you get older, right? Did you know? You're cute, so now…"
"Will you shut up?"
I finally popped out in front of them.
With the dreariest expression on my face.
From making sexist remarks to sexual harassment.
It's hard to pass by seeing a man harassing a young lady while pressing her cheeks with his fingers.
I was even more irritated because in my previous life, one of the returning students was persistently walking around and asking why women need engineering.
Judging from the situation, he's tormenting her because he has an inferiority complex about not being able to join the program for gifted people and is easy to deal with a woman whose family's financial status is worse than his.
‘Pathetic. This pig.'
I know I'm being somewhat nosy; but I get constipation if I hold back, and that is not good for this white jade-like skin.
"P-Princess Deborah?"
As soon as he saw me, who is known for having an evil reputation, the large man turned pale.
He had a face like someone who saw a venomous snake suddenly popping out of the bushes.
"What are you looking at? If you know, lower your eyes and get lost."
I said, looking down at him oppressively.
He was so tall that he overwhelmed most men, even if they wore heels.
"P-Princess. Just go on your way, why are you doing this to me all of a sudden?"
"I'm irritated because you are ugly."
As I blurted that out, the man's chubby cheeks turned red.
"Wh-What did you say? You never met me before and you're suddenly arguing with me like this. I have heard the rumors, but aren't you exaggerating? Even if you're Duke Seymour's daughter, there is a limit!"
"Aren't you the one talking carelessly? I thought my ears would rot."
I, who have seen a lot of things, twisted the string hanging from the fan like a weapon and leaned on one leg.
"You're running your mouth, saying women are weak in numbers. Do I look like a man to you?"
The man's chubby chin was trembling.
"T-That, I didn't mean Princess Deborah in specific, I was just pointing out how it is generally. Isn't it true that women are weaker in numbers than men? Among the battle wizards, there are few women…"
"7, 7."
"Sorry?"
"It's 49."
As I hit his cheek with the fan, the man's eyes widened in humiliation.
"Let's start a game as a male and female representative to see who is weaker in numbers and confirm that absurd theory you claim to be ‘true'."
"Wh-What?"
"Seeing you confidently speak nonsense; you seem to be quite confident with numbers. It's just a basic calculation game, don't tell me you're scared?"
I pouted and provoked him to get things going my way.
"O-Of course not!"
"8, 9."
And most of the time, when a problem falls in front of you, you instinctively focus.
"… S-Seventy."
"72, you're slow."
I started wiping his cheeks mercilessly while playing a multiplication table game that both men and women of all ages in Korea were sick and tired of.
The man, who was replying one second later than me, seemed to have adapted to the game and started blurting out the answer a little faster.
So, as if I had been waiting for that, I immediately took out my next card.
"12 times 9?"
"T-This!"
I could see his mind clearly shaking at the sudden double-digit number.
It was the 12 times table, so I gave my answer with a full swing.
"It is 108."
I started raising the numbers one by one.
I was confident up until the 19 times table.
When I was in elementary school, the myth that Indians memorize up to the 19 times table spread throughout Hell-Joseon, which was burning with an education fever; and the new homeroom teacher, who wanted to achieve results, made the children cram until the 19 times table while hitting them with a cane.
‘I didn't really need it when I took the CSAT, but I'm using the 19 times table here.'
Things that were completely useless in my past life are of some use here.
I felt a little dumbfounded and continued the game.
"13 times 7?"
"W-Wait a moment! Princess. This…"
"It's 91. 14 times 9?"
"I-I was wrong! I dared to make an absurd slip of the tongue in front of the Princess."
Eventually, he bowed his head at me with a bloated face.
"My eyes are tired because you're ugly. Get lost."
The fatso, who was grinning while harassing the young lady, hurriedly nodded his head and ran away.
I clicked my tongue while looking at the unsightly back and made eye contact with the lady the bastard had been tormenting.
"Sniff!"
The woman's thick glasses quickly slid down the bridge of her nose.
Seeing her trembling limbs while breathing raggedly, I must have been quite scary, beating a big man with a fan without letting him off the hook.
‘Deborah is really strong…'
The big eyes looking at me were wet as if she were about to cry, and her face was bright red.
As I gently looked at her, the woman's ears and nape gradually turned red.
‘It's like I've been bothering you.'
Hm! I seemed to have defended my wicked woman reputation today, too.
I looked down at her with a cold gaze, passed the dark campus, and entered the classroom on the second floor.
***
‘The weather is nice.'
I settled in the perfect seat, where the sun was shining and gave me a sense of stability, and supported my chin with my hand.
‘… I'm sleepy because I couldn't sleep at all during the night.'
I was dozing off in the sunlight, and Professor Kyle came into the formula class after a long time.
He always came in with a lethargic and tired face, gave us a test, and then went out; but for some reason, the Professor started giving the class today.
The Professor, who was writing long formulas on the blackboard, patiently looked at me and opened his mouth.
"Everyone. Did you know that exams must be taken honestly? We do not tolerate the act of secretly sharing answers. If anyone asks you to tell them the answer, please report it to me right away."
I, who was blankly leaning on my chin, tilted my head slightly.
It felt like Professor Kyle had just shot at me.
As if my guess was correct, the Professor called me out after class was over.
"Princess Deborah."
With a very tired face, he rubbed his dark eyes and opened his mouth.
"Yes, Professor."
"I've been closing my eyes since they were light tests, but it is better if you don't do that from now on."
I raised my eyebrows.
"What did I do?"
"It is illegal to copy the answers provided by the other students. It seems that some students are compelled to help you because of the Princess' background, but you shouldn't do bad things like cheating. Do you understand?"
I felt a strange feeling as I listened to the lecture filled with a sense of disdain.
‘Well, I could be misunderstood.'
I haven't been writing the middle-solving process properly, I just wrote the answer and went out.
‘It was a waste of time.'
So, the Professor seems to think that I threatened several students to share the answers with me, one at a time.
