Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired – Chapter 24

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“What’s your purpose here?”

She asked, her tone making no effort to hide her displeasure. I stated my purpose plainly.

“We’re here to submit a team application.”

I glanced at Lianna, and Sophia looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“You… and her?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Not technically. As long as both parties agree…”

She turned her attention to Lianna.

“Cadet Lianna, do you really want to team up with him?”

“Uh… yes!”

“Right, and her response is… what?”

She looked bewildered, while I couldn’t suppress a slight smirk.

“Did I mishear you, Cadet Lianna?”

“What? I… I said we’re teaming up…”

“…Really? With him?”

Her finger, pointing at me, trembled slightly, as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation. I ignored her and stepped forward.

“She said yes, so would you mind processing the application? I’m rather busy these days.”

“…What have you done?”

Done? What had I done to Lianna? I hadn’t even interacted with her recently.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“…You’d normally be yelling at me for questioning you. This reaction is… unexpected.”

“I’m not always unreasonable.”

She gave me a look that suggested she thought I was insane, but I ignored her and pressed on.

“So, how do we submit the application?”

“…Here’s the form. Write your names, and it will be processed automatically.”

“Thank you.”

Sophia tried to dissuade Lianna again, but I nudged the form towards her, and she reluctantly accepted it.

“…Well, good luck.”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I wasn’t expecting words of encouragement from the president…”

It was true. I’d assumed she, like everyone else, believed the rumors and disliked me.

“I wasn’t encouraging you. I was encouraging Cadet Lianna.”

“And there’s another rumor going around… I’m considering believing it.”

Another rumor? What kind of rumor would make her believe it? She was skeptical of everything, trusting only what she saw with her own eyes.

“What rumor?”

“…You really haven’t heard?”

“Should I have?”

“It’s about you. Shouldn’t you be aware of rumors about yourself?”

Rumors about me? They were all negative. I didn’t care.

“I’m not interested in hearing more insults.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t they all about me being crazy or stupid? I don’t need to hear them.”

“That’s not it. It’s a different rumor.”

“A different rumor?”

“Yes. You really haven’t heard?”

Had I done something that would spark a new rumor? I couldn’t think of anything.

I glanced at Lianna, but she avoided my gaze.

I couldn’t figure it out, so I asked,

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard. Don’t you care about yourself?”

“Just tell me what the rumor is.”

“That you’ve changed.”

Changed? Me?

“What does that even mean?”

“You were incredibly weak, remember?”

“…”

“Suddenly defeating a mid-ranked student like Leon, then becoming quiet… it’s bound to attract attention.”

“So people are interested because I’ve become stronger?”

“And you haven’t been causing trouble lately, so some people think you’ve reformed.”

So, people had witnessed my duel with Leon, been surprised by my strength, and combined with my recent lack of “scoundrel” behavior, concluded that I’d changed.

“And you definitely seem different. So I’m not going to bother you.”

“…Different how?”

I was curious. She wasn’t the type to trust someone based solely on a change in behavior.

I wanted to know what had made her change her mind about me.

“You used to make me uncomfortable. Watching you act like a scoundrel.”

“It was like watching a bad performance, a poorly written play. It made the audience uncomfortable, too.”

“But now… you’re different.”

“Before, it was discomfort… now it’s… pity.”

“Pity for whatever drove you to that point.”

“I don’t know what you did during those 50 days locked away in your room. But as long as it wasn’t something harmful, I won’t interfere.”

“That’s my job, after all.”

“And if you’re truly trying to change, I’ll support you.”

…Her words were kind.

I’d received comfort before, from people eager to please me, to gain favor with my family. But this was different.

This was from someone who saw me, not my family name, not my wealth or status. A simple act of kindness, offered to a penniless, disowned commoner.

This warmth, this acceptance, I’d only found it after losing everything, after descending from the heights of privilege.

A small, yet powerful wave of happiness washed over me, and tears welled up in my eyes.

They looked surprised and tried to comfort me.

“Jenison, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“Wait! Why are you crying?!”

The girl I’d bullied and the woman who’d disliked me were now comforting me.

The irony made me chuckle, a strange mix of laughter and tears.

They seemed surprised by my reaction. Lianna’s eyes widened, and Sophia’s jaw dropped slightly.

“…What is it? Both of you.”

“…You… you’ve been hiding your true face all along…”

“…I think so, Young Master…”

They commented on my expression, their words a bit strange.

Sophia accepted our team application, and we left the office.

Lianna, relieved, let out a sigh and sat down for a moment.

‘…We should probably come up with a plan…’

If I were alone, I wouldn’t care what happened. But I had a teammate now. My performance would directly affect her evaluation, so I had to take this seriously.

I needed a good grade to keep the artifact, and I couldn’t let Lianna down.

We made plans to meet later and discuss our strategy, then returned to our respective dorms.

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A silent room, the only sound the scratching of a pen. A dark, almost completely sealed room, devoid of light.

A figure hunched over a desk, their hand moving rapidly.

“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…”

A dark aura surrounded the figure, their words laced with killing intent.

They continued writing, even when the pen snapped under the pressure, switching to a new one without pause.

Space rippled, and a man appeared beside them.

Whoosh—

He watched them for a moment, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You seem to be making good progress.”

“…You?”

“He angers you that much?”

“…He… He’s the reason I’m like this…!”

He sneered inwardly at their lack of self-awareness, their refusal to accept any responsibility. But his outward demeanor remained calm. This was just a game, a form of amusement. It didn’t matter if it worked or not.

“If you hate him that much, you should finish what you started. Then you’ll have your chance to kill him.”

“…Just get out of here and leave me alone…”

He pushed aside the image of the disrespectful brat and plastered a smile on his face. He nodded and vanished, leaving the figure alone in the silent room.

“During the midterm evaluations… I’ll kill you… Jenison…”

The figure continued to mutter, their words barely audible.

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