Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 110
Chapter 110
Doubt (1)
The Cradle Student Council Conference Room.
Today’s meeting was supposed to be a simple introduction to the newly elected executive members.
However, the atmosphere around the table, where various officers sat facing each other, was filled with nothing but tension.
“I’m sorry, but the First-Year Representative has already been selected. Jin Yeseo has been pre-designated for a long time.”
A female student with glasses and braided hair, Choi Ireh, snarled as she looked across the table with a harsh expression.
Her chin and neck were still held firmly in place by a cast and bandages.
“That’s right. It’s too late to change things now… Hic.”
Chun Harin, another Student Council Executive who was about to agree with Choi Ireh, suddenly gasped.
Across the table, a pair of bright red eyes were staring straight at her.
The newly-appointed Student Council Executive, Yeon Minha, was leaning back in her chair, her chin raised, exuding an air of arrogance.
In this frozen atmosphere, at the head of the table, a male student with a timid expression and thin-rimmed glasses sat quietly.
He watched the arguing female students with a troubled face.
A small, golden wing-shaped badge on his uniform lapel glistened under the light. The nameplate on the wide desk boldly displayed his title: Student Council President.
Despite coming from a rather modest background and possessing magical talent only slightly above the Cradle’s average, he had risen to the position of Student Council President purely through his social skills—an impressive feat in its own right.
But this was precisely why the current situation in the Student Council was so overwhelming for him.
Here he was, witnessing a fierce power struggle between the daughters of prestigious families, women who, outside of the Cradle, he wouldn’t even dare to look in the eye.
Getting too close might as well be a death sentence.
Originally, he had intended to diplomatically reject Yeon Minha’s request to join the Student Council in order to prevent any conflicts.
However, after witnessing the incident that occurred in the hallway through the slightly ajar door of the Student Council room yesterday, he had no choice but to reconsider.
The freshman surrounded by rumors. The one who had entered the Cradle under a hidden identity but was now being considered the next heir of Heukryeon in place of the unruly eldest son.
He had clearly seen that masked male student personally looking after Yeon Minha.
Although Jeokhwa had nearly collapsed, everything was different if she had the backing of Heukryeon.
To make matters worse, subtle rumors of a scandal between the two had already begun to spread, fueled by others who had witnessed the scene.
Considering such a background, outright rejecting her application to the Student Council seemed like an unwise move that could lead to unfortunate outcomes.
And so, he had granted Yeon Minha’s membership to the Student Council by executive decision…
‘Sigh…’
He let out a deep sigh inwardly.
His stomach churned as if it were producing acid.
The antacid he had taken before the meeting was clearly useless.
“Pre-designated…”
Yeon Minha sneered at Choi Ireh’s words.
She then turned her head toward the head of the table, her sharp gaze flashing.
Her voice was as cold as frost.
“President. Was there such a rule? I don’t recall hearing anything like that.”
“Wh-what?”
T h i s w as c o p i e d fr o m ki n g m tl . o r g
Her sudden question made him stutter.
Even though he held the position of Student Council President, representing all their peers, for some reason, he spoke to everyone present with utmost politeness.
“Ahem… Well, I’m not entirely sure. I would need to check the regulations and apply an appropriate interpretation…”
“…Tch.”
Clearly displeased with his vague response, Yeon Minha clicked her tongue and made a face.
She turned her gaze back to Choi Ireh, who sat across from her.
“Pre-designated? Sure, that sounds nice.”
She let out a scoff as if she found the idea ridiculous.
“But if there’s a pre-designation, shouldn’t the position go to Heukryeon rather than Baekgwang, based on skill and status?”
“…He didn’t even enroll under his real identity. On paper, he’s just another recommended student…”
“Choi Ireh. I’m starting to get really annoyed. Why don’t you stop playing word games and wrap this up? You’re a busy person too, aren’t you? Last I heard… you’ve been going to the hospital every day?”
“Yeon Minha, you…!”
“Ladies! Please, let’s calm down…”
Just as Choi Ireh was about to explode in anger at Yeon Minha’s provocation, the male student wearing the President’s badge raised his arms and waved them frantically to calm them down.
“This is still an official Student Council meeting… We should focus on productive discussions for the development of the Cradle, not personal grievances…”
He was desperately searching for a way to conclude this uncomfortable meeting.
Soon, his gaze turned to the seat next to Choi Ireh.
There sat another female student with jet-black hair, sitting quietly in a modest posture.
She was said to be the overwhelming talent born from Paechun, the most promising candidate to succeed Hae Wolhwa as the next strongest.
T h i s w a s cop i ed f r o m k i ngm t l .o r g
A girl to whom no title would seem out of place: Baek Seoyeon.
Baek Seoyeon, too, had been newly elected as a Student Council Executive along with Yeon Minha, but for some reason, she hadn’t spoken a word during the entire meeting except for a brief greeting.
It was a bit puzzling, but more pressing matters demanded his attention.
He squeezed out a desperate voice to solicit an opinion from Baek Seoyeon.
“So… Miss Baek Seoyeon, what do you think?”
“Are you asking… me?”
Baek Seoyeon responded weakly to her name being called.
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“…”
After a slight pause, Baek Seoyeon said something that no one could have anticipated.
“…Well, I think it might be fine for Heukryeon to take the position.”
“What?”
“Seoyeon?”
Choi Ireh and Chun Harin, who were sitting on the same side as Seoyeon, turned their heads toward her in shock.
“…Baek Seoyeon. What are you up to…”
Yeon Minha glared at Baek Seoyeon with a confused expression.
However, what she saw were eyes that were cold and empty as if devoid of any emotion.
Yeon Minha suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.
Baek Seoyeon, who normally wore an annoying, inscrutable smile.
But now, her face was filled with deep, sticky hostility.
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Though she found it odd, Yeon Minha didn’t avoid her gaze and instead met it head-on.
Baek Seoyeon was fully aware of her father’s sins.
The cold attitude with which he treated her still remained a lasting wound.
However, the image of Baek Seoyeon mercilessly executing her father in front of her after turning Jeokhwa’s land into a complete mess was still fresh in her mind.
If anyone had a reason for resentment, it was Yeon Minha.
“Ah, ahaha! The process must be fair, of course. That’s exactly what one would expect from the lady of Paechun…!”
The Student Council President, who had been sweating profusely while trying to decipher the hidden meaning in their words, suddenly burst into exaggerated laughter.
“Then how about this? This is the Cradle. If there’s a problem, shouldn’t it be resolved in a way that suits the Cradle?”
“A Cradle solution…”
Choi Ireh echoed his words, and the President nodded.
“Naturally, that would be a duel.”
“What kind of nonsense is that, President? There’s no one in the first year who can surpass her.”
Yeon Minha shot a cold glare at him.
It was a sharp, murderous gaze as if she wanted to stab him to death.
“Ahaha… Miss Yeon Minha. But there is a protocol to these things…”
The President desperately tried to navigate the awkward situation.
He couldn’t afford to openly side with either party.
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Given the hostile stares he was receiving, getting out of this situation with neutrality intact was probably the best he could hope for.
“…Hah.”
Though her expression was full of dissatisfaction, Yeon Minha didn’t push further.
Setting aside personal grudges, the President’s suggestion was actually the most reasonable.
An unprecedented situation where a member of the Five Families transferred into the Cradle in the middle of the term.
And if Jin Yeseo’s pre-designation could be considered unreasonable, then the opposite was true as well.
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Choi Ireh and Chun Harin, sitting on the other side, also seemed to be deep in thought.
With the President and Yeon Minha putting forward such a proposition, insisting further could lead to a more complicated situation.
“…”
As both sides tacitly agreed, the President finally let out a relieved smile.
“Haha! A wise decision indeed, befitting the daughters of prestigious families. Shall we conclude this matter here, then? We’ll discuss the details of the duel schedule later…”
The President, eager to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere, hurriedly wrapped up the meeting, gathered his papers, and quickly exited the conference room.
Having finished her business, Yeon Minha also left without looking back.
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The other students exchanged a few words of farewell before leaving one by one, but the girl with black hair remained seated.
In the now-empty conference room, she stared at the spot where someone had been sitting just moments ago and muttered.
“Yeon Minha…”
***
“…So in conclusion, all particle arrays operate based on the logical structure we just went over. If we summarize the formula again… Oh, it’s already time?”
As the bell rang through the amplifier, a dignified-looking female professor who had been giving a lecture looked up.
“Then, we’ll end today’s class here… Any questions?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than someone sitting in the front row raised their hand and stood up.
“Professor. The Festival of the Falling Star is coming up. Will that day be a holiday?”
“This kid… I said questions about the class…!”
The professor initially put on a stern expression but soon sighed deeply and answered the student’s question in a kind voice.
“There is no such thing as the Festival of the Falling Star at the Cradle. Naturally, classes will proceed as usual on that day.”
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“Oh, Professor…!”
“That’s too much…!”
T h i s w a s c o pi e d f ro m k i n g m t l. or g
“Enough! Students should be focused on their studies!”
As complaints erupted from all directions, the professor finally scowled and shouted.
“If anyone brings up the Festival of the Falling Star again! There will be penalties for everyone!”
***
“So what exactly is the Festival of the Falling Star?”
After the PA Structure lecture ended, I asked Yena, who was walking beside me.
We were moving to the next lecture hall, as we shared the same class schedule.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I had a relaxed conversation with Yena.
Since returning from Jeokhwa, I had been busy dealing with miscellaneous tasks and constantly harassed by people…
“It’s an event commemorating the day the star fell.”
“Why would anyone commemorate that? From what I remember in history class, the chaos caused by the falling star was immense. The Ten Days of Burning were also a result of its impact, not to mention our ancestors perished in that war…”
“Well… the Vessel particles that were carried by the meteor started the history of magic… So maybe that’s what they’re celebrating…”
Yena trailed off with a deep sigh.
“I heard there are parades and various performances in the capital… But it’s a weekday, so we won’t even get to go… Such a shame… Right?”
The look of genuine disappointment was clear on Yena’s face.
“Um… Hyun… You know…”
“What?”
“Do you… like… candy?”
Yena, who had been hesitating for some reason, suddenly spoke up again.
But just as she was about to finish her sentence, she abruptly turned her gaze forward.
Yena’s face instantly turned pale.
Wondering what was wrong, I turned my head to follow her gaze, and there I saw someone very familiar standing at the top of the stairs.
Yeon Minha was staring at us with a pouty expression, clearly unhappy about something.
To be precise, she was staring at me.
End of Chapter
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