The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 29
“Well, anyone who wants to take my daughter should at least be better than me?”
“Better than Father?”
“Yes, someone who’s not inferior to me in academics, swordsmanship, wealth – in any aspect.”
Salam, standing behind him, briefly assessed whether such a person even existed in the empire, then realized this was just his way of saying he wouldn’t let his daughter go with anyone they brought.
Salam carefully added, closing and opening his eyes briefly.
“Come to think of it, the eldest son of House Lamberth has been showing interest in the young lady for the past few days.”
“The eldest of Lamberth? You mean that cunning-looking redhead? All sorts of little rats have been crawling around while I was away.”
As Salam was doubting his ears at Vanwilhelm’s muttered words, Helena shouted like lightning.
“What interest at that level! That must have just been showing nobility’s courtesy since Hasa is Dayan’s sister!”
Vanwilhelm looked impassively at Helena, who had blurted out words no one had asked for, then turned his gaze to Hartbisa.
“Are you interested in that redhead?”
Hartbisa met her father’s black eyes. Though he wasn’t one for varied expressions, somehow his expression seemed particularly dark.
Had some bad blood developed with House Lamberth without her knowing? After such thoughts, Hartbisa shook her head slightly.
“No.”
Vanwilhelm, seemingly pleased with Hartbisa’s answer, slightly raised one corner of his mouth, while Helena, sitting opposite, let out a deflating laugh as if relieved.
“Ha, haha. Right? Hasa, the match your aunt has chosen is more…”
“I have something else I want to do besides marriage.”
Finding Helena’s anxious appearance no longer amusing, Hartbisa cut to the chase. She interrupted and spoke firmly.
“I want to enter Preju Radant Academy.”
Silence fell at Hartbisa’s resolute words. The first sound to spread through the dining room was Helena’s sneer.
“Ha!”
The anxious face she had shown during the marriage discussion completely disappeared, and Helena covered her mouth as if unable to contain her laughter, then spoke pressingly toward Vanwilhelm.
“See? This is what happens when you spoil a child. This is why people should know their place and meet similar people. She’s gotten full of herself after following Dayan to the academy.”
“……”
Since this was an expected reaction, Hartbisa didn’t even blink at Helena’s insult. Instead, what she really worried about was something else.
She turned her gaze toward Vanwilhelm. Helena’s wounds couldn’t touch a single strand of her hair. But Vanwilhelm was different.
Although she had greatly improved their relationship in this life, she hadn’t really proven anything yet. If Vanwilhelm, being merit-based, also considered her words as merely childish nonsense, that might leave a small scratch on her heart.
“You think you can do it just because your brother got in? The academy’s entrance exam is known as one of the most difficult in the empire. Even being a duke’s daughter doesn’t mean…”
“Come to think of it, Hasa, you helped with Dayan’s homework, didn’t you?”
Vanwilhelm cut off Helena’s unpleasant stream of words with that question.
“…Yes.”
Hartbisa answered with shining eyes. Vanwilhelm brushed back his fallen hair and smiled slightly.
“I’ve been so negligent of you all this time, Hasa.”
“……”
“The academy entrance exam is held twice a year, spring and fall, as I understand it. There should be an exam in two months in fall. Try then.”
As Vanwilhelm was about to tell Salam to help with Hartbisa’s exam preparation, Helena stood up, slamming the table.
“I’m the one who raised you until now! Even if I don’t expect you to follow me like a mother, how can you only listen to your father now!”
Helena’s voice was full of anguish, and she looked as if she might burst into tears, appearing genuinely hurt. An outsider might have clicked their tongue at Hartbisa’s coldness, but there was no one left in this dining room who would be fooled by Helena’s act.
A vein stood out on Vanwilhelm’s forehead as if his long-suppressed anger at Helena’s rude behavior was seeping out. His black eyes sank. As he was about to call out to her, Hartbisa was faster.
“Then how about we do this?”
Hartbisa straightened her back and smiled while looking at her as an equal.
“Let’s make a bet between Aunt and me.”
“A bet?”
Helena asked back, twisting one eyebrow.
“Yes, if I fail the academy entrance exam, I’ll quietly marry whoever Aunt chooses. Whether it’s Count Daimon or anyone else, I won’t object.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear.”
Helena couldn’t control her rising smile. Because this bet was obviously her victory.
The Preju Academy exam was notorious for its extreme difficulty. Even when prestigious families hired tutors for their children, nine out of ten failed.
This meant Hartbisa, who had been cut off from studies since her tutor was driven away years ago, couldn’t possibly pass the exam.
Helena was about to agree without hearing more when Hartbisa’s lips curved into an arc as she continued.
“However, if I pass the entrance exam and get accepted to the academy, I want you to leave the family.”
“What?”
“You said you came in to take care of young me and Dayan, and the vast ducal estate in place of Father who was busy with business trips after Mother passed away, right?”
Hartbisa smiled while capturing Helena with her bright red eyes.
“But neither I nor Dayan, nor the ducal house needs anyone’s help anymore, so please return to where you belong.”
“……”
“Because those who need your care should be there.”
‘I’ll tear that girl to pieces.’
Helena’s true nature wanted to grab that unsightly hair right now and force her to kneel. But Vanwilhelm was looking at Helena as if there was nothing wrong with this. She had already been gradually losing her authority in the ducal residence lately.
Refusing the bet here would be like confessing that her actions of supposedly looking after Hartbisa were lies. As Helena was grinding her teeth, Hartbisa demonstratively said to Vanwilhelm.
“Father, please be the guarantor of Aunt’s and my promise. So we can’t say anything different later.”
“I will.”
Not even trying to mock the person in front of her, Helena answered confidently.
“Yes, I promise. But Hasa, you must also absolutely keep your word. That you’ll marry whoever I choose, no matter who it is.”
To that, Hartbisa raised the corners of her mouth as if drawing a line.
“Of course, Aunt.”
***
Thud.
Books and papers piled like mountains fell onto the desk. Hartbisa gaped in surprise at the pile of books stacked high enough to make her lift her chin.
“S-so all of this is now the entrance exam material?”
“Yes, young master said this was even the condensed version?”
Tar clenched her fists saying, ‘It’s overwhelming, but our young lady will master it in one go, I’m sure.’
Unlike Tar, Hartbisa, the person concerned, flipped through the books one by one with a pale face.
Right after making the bet with Helena about the academy entrance exam. As if the news had reached Dayan, he sent the books he had used to prepare for the entrance exam through Salam.
There was also a letter from Dayan on top.
[Summer vacation starts in four days. I’ll help you study, so until then, skim through these lightly.]
She could almost hear Dayan’s voice from the letter. Hartbisa smiled finding it cute, but her smile faded seeing the numerous books behind it.
To be honest, like Helena said, she might have taken the academy exam a bit too lightly.
Her brother’s ancient language assignments had been a piece of cake for Hartbisa. She thought if the entrance exam was at that level, she could pass with just a little studying, but.
“Dayan is in upper grades, and the class I’m entering is for adults, so the difficulty is different.”
She realized this obvious fact belatedly and bumped her head on the books with a thud.
The expected test questions were more difficult than the assignments, and above all, the biggest problem was that the entrance exam didn’t only test ancient languages.
Even when applying for ancient languages, they required an above-average understanding of other subjects.
“So that’s why they say Preju Academy entrance isn’t easy.”
