The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 263

On the third day after the incident caused by the Student Council’s unilateral decision.

“Magic Department, 4th Year, Class A, Chartia.”

“…”

“The faculty is deeply disappointed by this incident.”

Chartia sat alone in front of numerous professors. She was the only one present, excluding the students involved in the matter.

The reason she was sitting here alone was simple: to take responsibility for the incident.

As the person in charge, Chartia lowered her head and gave the professors the answers they wanted. Any unnecessary remarks would not satisfy them, and she had no desire to deal with further trouble.

“…I’m sorry.”

A 4th-year professor from the Magic Department, seated at the center of the desk, questioned Chartia. Why had they acted on their own judgment and caused such a commotion? When they had sought advice, the professors had cited regulations, stating that academy matters should be resolved by students. Yet now, they were speaking so conveniently.

‘Disgusting.’

They wouldn’t listen to her no matter what she said. Barely suppressing her twisted emotions, Chartia nodded at the professor’s question.

“If students can’t handle it, isn’t it natural to seek the help of professors?”

-Clench.

“While it’s true that professors are here to teach students, they’re also here to ensure their safety.”

“…”

“Chartia, do you realize you abused your authority?”

“We believed it was something we could handle on our own. Last week, when we sought advice, you didn’t even pretend to listen.”

“I told you to wait and see. I never said to act on your own.”

“You gave no response for an entire week.”

“Chartia!”

“Moreover, if it weren’t for us, the anomaly in the Barrier Stone wouldn’t have been noticed.”

“…”

“And Sister Elissia has been using Mental Magic on students for three years…”

“Where in the world does a spell last for three years?”

“…”

Stopped by the professor’s cold response, who refused to listen, Chartia let out a deep sigh. No matter what she said, they wouldn’t hear her out.

“I’m sorry.”

She had to give them the answer they wanted.

Clenching her fists, Chartia endured the professors’ lengthy reprimands.

They said she was the first Student Council President to cause such incidents in the academy. They also mentioned the need to revise outdated regulations. Yet, they showed no genuine concern for student safety, delivering their lectures with ease. Suppressing her rising anger, Chartia bowed her head.

“I’m sorry.”

She thought this ordeal would finally end after today.

The reason they had called her separately was obvious. It was likely to suggest she step down from the Student Council President position before her term officially ended.

She didn’t need to hear the rest to know.

“…”

With a sense of relief, Chartia waited for them to announce her punishment.

After all, she no longer had any desire to remain as the Student Council President. She had thought that becoming president might earn her some support from the nobles, but it had been of no help. Instead, it had only created more enemies, offering no benefit to her challenging life in the Imperial Palace.

Hoping for this meeting to end quickly, Chartia let their words pass in one ear and out the other. She just wanted some rest. She wanted to see the bear Olivia was raising.

-Growl.

“…”

Chartia wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The professor, who had been reprimanding her nonstop, finally seemed to run out of things to say. Letting out a deep sigh, he spoke heavily.

“The Chancellor, the faculty, and I have had many discussions.”

“…”

“And we’ve concluded that this incident won’t be the last. With the increasing number of cases related to heretics and the Student Council’s inability to make sound judgments, we’ve reached a decision.”

“That’s…!”

If only she could take sole responsibility and end it there. But the professors, as if they had sharpened their knives, cut off her protest and delivered their conclusion.

“From today onward, we will redistribute the Student Council’s authority. To someone who can make wiser decisions and has shown exceptional performance.”

“This was my mistake. So, please let it end with me…”

“No. This is an issue with the entire Student Council. It’s also the academy’s fault for granting such significant authority to students with immature judgment.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. Chartia, you won’t suffer any direct harm from this.”

“That’s not the issue here!”

“Be quiet.”

“I’m sorry.”

“In any case, the academy’s decision remains unchanged.”

The professor smiled as he spoke.

“You’ll probably recognize the person we’ve chosen. It’s someone who served as the Student Council President when you were a first-year student.”

“What does that mean…?”

“They’re scheduled to arrive here shortly. Please greet the new Director.”

-Knock, knock.

As the professor finished speaking, a knock sounded from behind Chartia. A polite and measured knock, at that.

“Gulp…”

-May I come in?

“Go ahead.”

-Then, I’ll enter.

Hearing the man’s voice from behind her, Chartia tightly shut her eyes. She was afraid to face him again.

She had never directly encountered him before.

Back then, she hadn’t been part of the Student Council. She had only heard rumors passed around by her seniors.

The man said to be the most rigid and inflexible of all the academy’s past Student Council Presidents. And the most difficult to deal with.

-Creak.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’ve been appointed as the new Director of the academy…”

“It’s been a while.”

The professor interrupted the man’s words, warmly greeting him in a friendly tone, as if to flaunt their acquaintance.

The man replied with a slight nod to the professor’s greeting.

“I was speaking. Please don’t interrupt.”

“…What?”

Ignoring the professor’s flustered reaction, the man confidently continued.

“Let me reintroduce myself. I’ve been appointed as the Senior Director to assist the executives in making judgments without infringing on the students’ freedom.”

“…”

“I am Histania Malik.”

Malik smiled as he introduced himself.

‘Installing a convenience store here might be a good idea.’

He thought of the business idea he had discussed with Ricardo.

***

Meanwhile, at the academy library, a loud noise echoed.

-Crash!

-Shiver…!

“What was that…”

Sitting in the library, Hanna turned around, dropping the book she was reading as a sudden chill ran down her spine.

“What is it…?”

An uneasy feeling that she might encounter her older brother at the academy. Hanna had always felt this chill whenever her brother visited, so she turned around.

-Beat me to death.

-…What?

-I heard from the red-haired butler how much I’ve wronged you.

-Please don’t. Get up. Anyway, I…

-Hit me. This is the only thing I can offer you right now. I want to apologize when you’re ready to accept it.

Hanna let out a hollow laugh and shook her head.

“No way…”

Knowing her brother, who had already graduated, had no reason to visit the academy, Hanna dismissed her concerns as meaningless and picked up the book she had dropped.

-How to Seduce an Older Man.

A truly excellent book.

“Phew…”

Hanna, who usually avoided books, was at the library for the first time in ages, engrossed in reading. She had piled a mountain of books on the desk, hoping they would provide her, someone with no dating experience, with profound knowledge.

-The Junior Who Devoured Her Senior.

-The Neighbor Woman Who Had an Affair with the Butler.

-The Red-Haired Knight and the Princess.

Hanna massaged her throbbing head and let out a deep sigh, frustrated by the lack of useful information.

-Gulp.

Overly erotic novels were hardly helpful.

“…So I just need to push my chest forward?”

Still, Hanna managed to glean some insights in her own way.

Hanna buried her face in the book and eagerly continued reading. After all, even trivial knowledge could prove useful in practice.

“If I wear a shirt and naturally spill coffee on my chest…”

And at that moment.

“Oh my~ Who do we have here?”

A familiar voice reached Hanna’s ears. It was the voice of a noble, one that instantly dropped her mood just by hearing it.

A woman with purple drill-like curls covered her mouth and smiled.

“Oh-ho-ho~! Why is the Empress of the Swordsmanship Department, whose head is filled with nothing but rocks, in such a rare place? Swinging your sword mindlessly should suffice for you.”

“Haa…”

“Oh-ho-ho-ho!!!”

At the uninvited guest’s arrival, Hanna let out a deep sigh and closed her book. She had no interest in associating with a crazy woman who constantly proclaimed her love for magic.

Hanna shot the woman a sharp look and said,

“What do you want now?”

“Oh-ho-ho…! It’s been exactly a year. A year since you utterly crushed me in the ranking match!”

“Stop picking fights and get lost. I’m studying right now.”

“Studying?! Histania Hanna is studying?!”

“Shut up.”

“Eek!”

At Hanna’s piercing glare, the woman flinched and turned her head. Then, as if unwilling to back down, she tightly shut her eyes and boldly said what was on her mind.

“Oh-ho-ho… Don’t look at me like that. It’s scary.”

“I said, leave.”

“I was just worried you might be feeling dizzy since someone with rocks in her head was reading books. But you’re so cold.”

“Do you think I’m an idiot or something?”

“Oh-ho-ho…!”

She was, in many ways, a woman with flowers blooming in her head.

And.

She was one of those who had a crush on Mikhail.