Chapter 33

“Anyway, if Raynia Rocke would bet money on her, wouldn’t it mean that she should be pretty good?”

“I know, right? Would Rocke just blow money on someone who’s not a big deal?”

“It’s all-in, to boot. They said she didn’t even want to bet on other people. She didn’t even bet on Trevor, the most likely to pass.”

Rany . . .

The competitive gazes that had barely subsided burned up again.

The air in the exam room heated up with hostility and vigilance toward me.

And I blamed Rany and Trevor for making me the center of attention of all the burdensome gazes.

My quiet and beautiful life . . . I want to regain my peace and happiness.

I just wanted to take the test quickly and be free from all this attention.

While I was enduring the gazes full of vigilance, the professor in charge of the exam opened the door and entered.

The professor looked through the parched test site and was satisfied.

“Everyone looks very nervous. That’s good.”

Looking around at the test site that was overheated from everyone staring at each other with bloodshot eyes, he nodded continuously.

“You need this level of spite to advance.”

“. . .”

I, who was suffocated by that spite, quietly lowered my head.

“The students here have usually received good results through a good learning attitude and are trying to move forward for a better self. Our academy opens up opportunities for such students at any time.”

“. . .”

He handed out the test papers and emphasized once again.

“I’m sure all of you know that if you fail the exam, it will be difficult to retake the exam for at least two years.”

Tuning to the sound of gulping from all over the place, he added.

“If that happens, it won’t just be the early graduation, but your honor will also be gone.”

After the professor’s remarks that failing the test meant the end of our life, the atmosphere in the exam room had heated up even more.

“Don’t forget that all the students around you are your potential competitors.”

The complexion of some students’ deteriorated noticeably.

The only ones who seemed calm were Trevor next to me and a few who were praised for being excellent students.

“The exam has begun.”

As soon as the machine sound announced the start of the test, the remaining time was stated.

Everyone’s faces became nervous.

The scratching sound of pens and the sound of a paper flipping filled the exam site.

In the midst of tension-filled silence, I quietly began to fill out the test papers.

I should say thanks to Orion.

It was worth staying in the library despite his countless disturbances.

Some students seemed to have lost their concentration and had a hard time because of the professor’s remarks that created excessive tension, but I was somehow okay.

As I overcame his enormous presence— wandering in the library with moist eyes— while preparing for the test, my mental strength had increased to become stronger than anyone else.

I never expected that I’d be thankful to him for this.

Life really was full of surprises.

Right when I was smoothly filling the empty paper, a strange sensation crept on my nape.

It was not in the form of someone’s voice, but it really felt like a meaningful strange sound grabbed my entire head and shook it.

My hand that was holding the pen stopped instantly and soon a tremendous headache poured out.

Because of the overflowing pain, the pen broke because I unconsciously strengthened my grip on it.

“What’s wrong?”

My mind, which was shaking that I couldn’t even answer for a few seconds, suddenly got clear.

My blurry view as if trapped in the fog came back.

When I raised my head, I could see the professor’s frowning face coming close.

“It’s nothing, sir. My hand was trembling for a moment out of nervousness.”

Tsk. After clicking his tongue, he turned his head as if ignoring me.

A glare of contempt faintly flashed on his gaze.

On the other hand, as soon as his head headed to Trevor next to me, his gaze relaxed.

How can he be so transparent and easy to read?

I didn’t know about the other thing, but the professor was really honest.

I gulped down a breath and took out a new pen.

The engraved deep mark was left on the test paper.

What was that?

I wasn’t the type who usually suffered from a headache, nor I was in a very nervous state, and I was taking the test smoothly.

I couldn’t figure out the cause of the sudden pain.

“Everyone, focus.”

The tempramental voice was heard right above me.

Perhaps he saw my hand holding the pen had stopped.

I fixed my posture so that he could no longer find fault in me and continued the content from the point where I stopped.

The pen that started to fill up the paper carefully had found its pace back.

Then, right at that time,

“Ahhhh!”

Someone’s tearful scream filled the exam room.

When I turned my head reflexively, I saw a pale-faced female student in the back seat.

As I followed her gaze, a pale-faced Trevor Beryl entered my eyes.

His whole body was shaking and a black blood flowed from his nose.

“My God!”

Before the professor could take any action, his body faltered to the side.

With a blunt thud, his body fell helplessly to the floor.

The frightened screamed enough to deafen me.