Chapter 13: Only I am allowed to bully her!

Immediately after, a polite and elegant voice belonging to a young woman resonated from beyond the door.

“Director Tang, it’s Sephylia.”

Sophia swiftly dabbed away the tears from her eyes, composed her emotions, and with a dignified posture restored, she bid, “Please, come in.”

The door swung open, revealing Sephylia, who was pulling along a young man with a gloomy gaze and an expression etched with impatience.

“Director Tang, I’ve found a teammate!” Sephylia, her voice brimming with a hint of excitement, tugged the young man forward.

She then introduced him to Sophia, “His name is Wynn, and he’s the teammate I’ve secured.

As for the final spot, you can simply arrange it as you see fit; with just the two of us, we’ll undoubtedly clinch the Youth Division championship!”

Wynn’s face was a mask of reluctance. “Why must I be involved?” he grumbled.

“Because you’re strong enough!

Within our entire academy, aside from myself, I daresay your resonance rate is the only one that surpasses fifteen percent, isn’t it?

If not you, then who else could it possibly be?”

“If no one else is available, we could simply wait for the next competition.

Then, not only the Youth Division, but you could even compete in the Peak Division.”

“That is simply unacceptable.

I am resolute in my ambition to achieve a Grand Slam, and I shall leverage this victory to elevate the House of Hodern to an Earldom!

Therefore, you are obligated to assist me!”

“So, what exactly is the benefit for me in all of this?”

“How about becoming my personal guard?

I assure you, I would never treat you poorly.”

The two continued to bicker openly before Sophia, but ultimately, Wynn found himself unable to endure Sephylia’s unyielding resolve, and so, with a sigh, he acquiesced.

Their gazes then shifted, settling upon Melina and Melo, who had been silently observing the exchange from the side.

Sephylia’s eyes immediately hardened, and the faint excitement that had colored her expression moments before vanished, replaced by a chilling sternness.

“Hmph, if it isn’t the esteemed young lady of the Esbell household.

Have you finally deigned to grace our academy with your presence once more?”

Sephylia’s demeanor remained as impolite as ever.

Yet, Melina, in this moment, exhibited no trace of the wavering she had once displayed.

Her face remained serene, and she even performed a graceful curtsy to Sephylia, elegantly lifting the hem of her skirt.

“Greetings, esteemed Miss Hodern.

It has been quite some time.”

Such a composed reply, however, momentarily caught Sephylia off guard, leaving her at a loss for how to respond.

The cutting retort she had intended to unleash was now lodged in her throat, unspoken.

“Ah, you… Greetings, esteemed Miss Esbell.

It is… pleasant to see you.”

Though clearly irked, her impeccable upbringing compelled her to reciprocate the polite greeting.

To mock her rival was a matter of personal sentiment.

Yet, to acknowledge a polite salutation was an undeniable tenet of noble etiquette.

She could not, by any means, allow the good name of the House of Hodern to be sullied on her account.

Perceiving the palpable awkwardness that had settled between them, Sophia felt compelled to step forward and deftly redirect the conversation.

“Oh, that reminds me, Sephylia, didn’t you mention that the remaining teammate could be assigned by the academy?

Conveniently… Melina is right here.

Why don’t we have her represent the academy in the Youth Division competition?”

Sephylia was instantly taken aback. “Please, wait a moment, Director Tang,” she interjected. “Are you truly referring to her? Esbell?”

Her gaze involuntarily flickered towards Melo, her eyes alight with profound suspicion.

It was this very maid who, some time ago, had publicly declared herself the renegade [Radiance], subsequently forging a contract with Melina to become her companion spirit weapon.

Since that day, neither of them had set foot in the Knight Academy again.

So, what exactly had the two of them been occupied with during these past ten days?

And to what extent had their resonance rate advanced?

“Director Tang, it is not my intention to be unreasonable, but… is she truly qualified to participate in the Knight Tournament?

Even if it is merely the Youth Division?”

Sephylia’s gaze, sharp with scrutiny, settled intently upon Melina. “What I mean to ask is, is she strong enough?”

Sophia remained unconcerned by Sephylia’s dismissive attitude toward Melina.

Indeed, she had never once intervened to quell the myriad forms of hostility Melina had endured within the academy’s walls—be it dismissive glances, malicious rumors, or even overt acts of cruelty.

It was not for lack of desire to interfere, but rather… she had been explicitly forbidden from doing so by Aida, Melina’s own mother.

The rationale behind this was to… temper Melina’s capacity for endurance.

Sophia, for her part, vehemently disapproved of such a method, yet Melina’s mother was, in the end, not her, making it difficult for her to meddle in another’s household affairs.

On one occasion, she had even attempted to subtly question Melina about it.

To her surprise, Melina had, of her own accord, calmly embraced what her mother deemed a “trial.”

From that point onward, Sophia ceased her attempts to curb the malice directed at Melina within the academy.

Instead, whenever the cruelty became too much to bear, she would, after the fact, simply engage Melina in conversation, offering comfort, or take her out for meals and shopping, striving to alleviate the negative emotions that had accumulated in Melina’s heart.

It is worth noting that, on a subsequent day, Melina’s plight within the academy saw a subtle, yet significant, alteration.

The catalyst for this shift was none other than Sephylia, who now stood before Melina, her demeanor haughty and her tone distinctly unfriendly.

Though two academic years Melina’s junior, Sephylia’s exceptional talent had allowed her to skip two grades, thus positioning her as Melina’s peer.

Her arrival had effectively transformed Melina’s circumstances; from being ostracized by over eighty percent of the academy’s student body, she now became the exclusive target of Sephylia’s cutting sarcasm.

It must be acknowledged that Sophia harbored a complex mix of emotions regarding this haughty noble young lady.

Sephylia, it seemed, would not permit anyone else to bully Melina.

Throughout the entire Knight Academy, only she was permitted to torment this perennial scapegoat!

Indeed, during her initial days at the academy, she had even brutally assaulted an older student who dared to speak ill of Melina in her presence.

The students who bore witness at the time had mistakenly believed Sephylia was simply intolerant of such behavior, and had thus valiantly intervened to protect Melina.

However, the moment she turned back, she pointed directly at Melina’s nose, scolding her as a coward and a spineless punching bag.

‘If anyone can bully you,’ she had declared, ‘then why should I be an exception?’

From that day forward, Melina became Sephylia’s exclusive target for her frustrations.

This arrangement had persisted until the present day.

Sophia turned her gaze to Melina, her voice soft as she inquired, “Melina, Sephylia is preparing to register for the Youth Division Knight Tournament.

What are your thoughts on this?

Do you wish to participate?”

She offered Melina a subtle, knowing glance, a quick blink of her eyes.

Melina instantly comprehended the underlying message in Sophia’s gesture.

The Knight Tournament.

This, indeed, marked the genesis of their Esbell family’s quest for vengeance!

Within her mother’s meticulous plan, Melina was destined to compete in the Youth Division, secure victory, then advance to the Peak Division to claim its championship.

Her ultimate goal was to reach the pinnacle of the Knight Tournament: the illustrious Grand Peak Championship!

Moreover, all the anguish she had endured over the preceding ten days had, naturally, been in preparation for the Youth Division competition slated to commence in five days.

“I naturally concur,” Melina responded, “for even if Miss Hodern had no intention of extending an invitation, I was already resolved to register as a solo participant.”

“Ha! Hahaha! Alone?

You, by yourself?”

Upon hearing this, Sephylia could not help but let out a derisive sneer. “What could you possibly accomplish,” she scoffed, “a mere punching bag, accompanied by a renegade [Radiance] of dubious origin?”

Sophia’s lips curved into a faint smile. “So, Sephylia, are you implying…”

“Hmph! We are, after all, from the same academy, and since a spot remains unfilled, including you isn’t entirely out of the question.

However…”

Sephylia’s delicate features hardened perceptibly. “Even though I previously informed Director Tang that any addition would suffice, given that it is *you*, I have no intention of being so ‘casual.’

I wish to thoroughly assess your capabilities.

Do you dare accept this challenge?”

Upon hearing this, Melina instinctively turned her head, her gaze meeting Melo’s behind her.

Melo met her gaze with an unwavering resolve, and in that instant, Melina’s previously apprehensive heart found immediate solace and calm.

Turning back to Sephylia, she uttered four succinct words.

“Why ever not?”

Melo (Knight’s Regalia)