Chapter 48: The Evern Couple in Frenzy (Part 3)
The results of the Royal Academy entrance exam were out. The eldest son of the Evern Honorary Viscount House, Cedric Evern, had failed.
“This is unacceptable! There must be some mistake!”
“My son is the greatest genius of our time! How could he possibly fail an entrance exam?! This is inconceivable!”
“……”
Upon hearing the news of his failure, Cedric’s parents, Lucas and Liza, erupted into a frenzy, their voices piercing the air. Meanwhile, Cedric sat nearby, pale as a condemned criminal awaiting execution.
“Don’t worry, Cedric! Your father and I will protest to the academy right away!”
“Indeed! No mere academy staff should dare insult my son! We must take decisive action!”
With that, the Evern couple stormed off in their carriage toward the Royal Academy. Cedric trembled as he watched them leave.
“……”
“……”
The couple returned in the evening, their shoulders slumped and their spirits crushed. Observing their dejected demeanor, many servants inferred the outcome of their protest and distanced themselves to avoid the impending storm.
“Father, Mother… how did it go?”
“You fool!”
“……!?”
As Cedric cautiously approached the entrance, Lucas struck him across the cheek. Cedric fell to the floor, staring up at his father in shock.
“Forty points on the written exam!? And during the practical exam, you used low single-target area magic, defying the exam supervisor and getting points deducted!? What a disgrace you have brought upon us!”
“Ah… ah…”
Cedric rubbed his bruised cheek, dazed. The shock of his father knowing everything was overwhelming, but more than that, it was the first time he had ever been struck by him. Cedric had always been hailed as a genius since childhood, pampered by his parents. Even when he had once endangered the daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House, he had never faced such punishment.
“I am deeply disappointed in you… I believed in you, yet you produced such a shameful result…”
“F-Father…”
Liza clung to her husband.
“W-What will happen to Cedric now? He can’t possibly be like that failure!”
“Mother…”
“I refuse to be the mother of a failure like that maid! I am to be a Viscountess! Cedric was supposed to make that happen for me…!”
Liza seemed more concerned about her own status than about Cedric, who had been struck. Clinging to her, Lucas, in a fit of rage, tore at his hair and spat out his words.
“…The exam is not just this year. You can repeat a year and take it again next year.”
“W-Well then…”
“However, the standards for the second attempt will be set higher than usual. No matter how well you perform in the practical exam, if your written exam score is low, you will be mercilessly failed.”
“That can’t be…!”
“Even if you manage to pass, you will be labeled as a repeat student. Nobles value their honor, so you will inevitably be looked down upon. You won’t even be in the same year as the daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House… My plans will be ruined!”
“It’s not my fault!? I am not like that maid… I didn’t give birth to a failure!”
Liza shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the stunned Cedric.
“The reason he failed is because of your poor education, dear husband! I bear no responsibility!”
“Fool! You were the one who said, ‘Cedric is talented, so he doesn’t need to study too hard,’ allowing him to play around!”
“B-But you called Cedric a genius too!? As a court magician, you said so, and that made me feel at ease! Don’t put the blame on me!”
“Damn it! If Cedric cannot become a court magician, my plans for him to become a true noble will be…! Perhaps it would be better to adopt a talented child from elsewhere…!”
“D-Don’t abandon me! Father, Mother!”
Cedric clung to them, and another round of angry voices erupted. The family quarrel continued late into the night, and the servants, wishing to avoid the turmoil, kept their distance.
In the end, Cedric was ordered to absolutely pass the exam next year and was locked in his room to study.
“Damn it… damn it, damn it, damn it! This is all that bastard’s fault!”
Bound to his desk, Cedric let out a cry of resentment.
“Everything was going smoothly when he was in the mansion… Rest! I swear I will kill you the next time we meet!”
The Evern Honorary Viscount House, which was supposed to be on the path to glory, found their happiness shattered like falling into a pitfall. Perhaps their happy life had been sustained by the sacrifice of Rest.
A week later, a messenger from the Rosemary Marquis House was sent to the Evern Honorary Viscount House.