Chapter 41: Leah Benett’s Warning
"What are you doing in front of my room?" Shani asked, with no intention of making small talk.
Leah responded with a satisfied smile. "I came to give you a warning."
Shani frowned. She had no idea what Leah meant, but she was certain it wasn’t anything good.
"You’ve seen the post on the academy forum, haven’t you?" Leah continued arrogantly. "An F-Rank like you doesn’t deserve to be in this academy—"
"Cut the crap!" Shani snapped. "If you’re just here to insult me, then get out of my way."
Leah clenched her fists tightly, irritated that she’d been interrupted. "How dare you speak to me like that!"
Shani shot her a sharp look before taking a step forward.
Leah instinctively stepped back. She didn’t know why, but it felt as though Shani could swallow her whole.
Leah quickly shook her head. She couldn’t show weakness in front of an F-Rank. Straightening her back, she puffed out her chest.
"My sister, Lara Benett, has already investigated you. You’re nothing but an F-Rank from some small town in Zephyria. You think you can stand against me?!"
Shani chuckled. ’So that’s all they found? That can’t even be called information about me.’
Leah realized Shani wasn’t afraid of her at all. Grinding her teeth, she fired her final shot.
"The forum post was written by Lara. That was just your first warning. If Lara decides to go further, you won’t like what happens next."
Shani crossed her arms. There wasn’t a trace of fear on her face, only disbelief.
"You do know that I gave up my Beast Energy Elixir for you, right?" she asked.
"So what?" Leah replied, lifting her chin even higher.
Seeing Leah’s attitude, Shani realized she already knew everything.
Including the fact that she had actually benefited from the whole incident. Yet she still acted like this.
’She really does have something wrong with her head.’
"No, the real question is why you’re acting so entitled," Shani said coldly. "What gives you that right?"
"You! You two... You made me suffer! It’s all because of your lies!" Leah was practically running out of words. Shani wasn’t the timid country girl she’d imagined.
Shani remained calm, though the disgust in her eyes was unmistakable.
"First, Jeryon and I never lied. We really did succeed in resonating. If you couldn’t, that’s not my fault."
"I gave you that elixir out of compassion for a fellow student, not because I felt guilty. An F-Rank gave her Beast Energy Elixir to a B-Rank. You’re the one who shouldn’t be acting so entitled."
"Second, I know you weren’t the first student asked to become Jeryon’s partner. Plenty of students refused. Why? Because they knew the risk was enormous. Your family, however, accepted the offer."
"But I know one thing. Judging by how protective Lara is, she would have protected you if your family tried to force you into something you didn’t want. Yet you agreed."
"You must’ve imagined yourself becoming the prince’s partner, imagined pairing up with an A-Rank, imagined surpassing Lara’s success overnight, didn’t you?"
Leah staggered backward. With every sentence Shani spoke, her face turned redder, both from anger and embarrassment.
Everything Shani had said was true. She couldn’t refute a single word.
Shani took a few more steps forward, forcing Leah to move aside. She entered her room, leaving Leah standing outside with weak, trembling legs.
Leah had been completely defeated... By the very student she’d looked down on all this time.
...
Shani’s head throbbed from all the problems piling up.
Keeping a low profile hadn’t spared her from trouble. Instead, it had attracted trouble from brainless people like Leah.
She sent Kiran a message, telling her she wouldn’t be going to the cafeteria.
She took a cold shower to cool herself down. Once she felt better, she ate some bread and drank a bottle of milk.
"System, can’t I raise my rank again?" Shani asked while chewing.
[Not yet, Host. A notification will appear once your body is ready to accept another Energy Potion.]
Shani could only accept it.
At six o’clock, she stepped out of her room. Kiran also came out of the room across the hall.
"Are you sick?" Kiran asked worriedly.
Shani shook her head. "I’m just a little overwhelmed."
"I’m sorry, Shani. This must be because of me..." Kiran said with her head lowered as they walked.
Shani quickly shook her head and told her about what had happened with Leah.
"That girl is seriously insane!" Kiran exclaimed angrily. Shani gently rubbed Kiran’s back to calm her down.
"I’m going to have a little talk with her in class," Kiran muttered.
"Don’t start a fight. Not yet," Shani immediately stopped her.
"But she..."
"Wait until my egg hatches. If she’s still picking a fight by then, she’ll only embarrass herself."
Hearing that plan, Kiran finally nodded. A smile appeared on her face.
’Fine. I’ll wait another two weeks. No... the faster the resonance succeeds, the faster the egg hatches. That means I only have to wait one more week before I trash that bitch.’
Jeryon was already waiting in front of the elevator. Seeing that Shani looked fine, he didn’t ask any questions.
Shani had already sent him a message beforehand, telling him she was okay.
The three of them arrived on the fifth floor.
Kiran headed into Class 1, while Jeryon and Shani walked into Class 5.
Shani had prepared herself to hear unpleasant whispers the moment she entered the classroom.
But after everyone glanced at her, the other students simply returned their attention to their own eggs.
Honestly, Shani felt relieved. But she was also confused.
Naturally, Jeryon wasn’t going to explain why.
This would become another one of the things Jeryon quietly did for Shani that she would never know about.
The two of them began their resonance session.
This time, Shani concentrated even harder. She was determined to make their egg hatch as quickly as possible.
Thirty minutes before nine o’clock, an intense light suddenly flooded the classroom. It was so blinding that no one could see anything except pure white.
Gradually, the light began to fade. The students followed the source of the glow.
They gasped. The light had come from Shani and Jeryon’s egg. It had split cleanly in two.
"Their egg hatched!"
...