2-56 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Volume 2, Chapter 56~ The Drunkard's Intention is Not in the Wine Title: The Villainous Young Master Can't Possibly Be the Saintess? Ishtiya remained seated beside him, absorbed in her book. Wenny never initiated conversation with her, only turning to her to ask for solutions or a little insight whenever he got stuck on a problem. Yet Ishtiya seemed unperturbed by his questions. Her moon-like cool violet eyes would glance briefly in his direction, discerning the type of problem Wenny was stuck on, and she would then suggest the appropriate method to solve it. Wenny was curious about how many problems Ishtiya must have solved to achieve such an astonishing level of proficiency. He speculated that given the prodigious talent of these 'destined female protagonists,' they probably didn’t spend much time plowing through problem sets. If he were to ask Ishtiya how much time she spent practicing and memorizing problems, she might dismissively respond with a nonchalant 'Once you’ve seen a problem, isn't it easy to remember?', an answer that would embody humble bragging. To avoid undermining his own confidence, Wenny thought it best not to ask questions that might lead to disappointment. This was simply a straightforward transaction. Wenny had helped Ishtiya with a small matter, and Ishtiya, wanting to avoid disturbance, had consented to use Wenny’s 'field' for her peace and quiet, agreeing in return to tutor him. To others, though, it looked entirely different—especially to the male students of the Empire. Ishtiya, who was very popular at the academy, drew a lot of attention the moment she appeared in the library, from both male and female students alike. Her standing as the girl who received the most love letters from female students underscored her prestige. For the Empire’s students, this scene was especially unacceptable. Their noble and splendid princess voluntarily engaged with the notorious good-for-nothing from the Carmella Kingdom and even suggested they sit together. Throughout their time at the library, they exchanged intermittent dialogues, suggesting an intimate understanding between them. Many students were envious at this sight. Who else had the privilege to study at the same table with Ishtiya? Why should this despicable rogue deserve such an honor? Wasn't he the same person rumored to be involved with Aesphyra not long ago? Those rumors, though less believable than tabloid gossip, had emerged from unknown sources and had virtually no credibility. But even if untrue, how did Wenny end up getting all the benefits? Why did people spread rumors about Aesphyra and this rogue instead of with them? The students in the library were indignant. They also wanted to sit with the princess and study! What they didn’t know was that because of them, Ishtiya needed to sit with Wenny. Her goal was to avoid all the pointless encounters and conversations. It seemed that Ishtiya had experienced enough of these troublesome events. Guided by her tutoring, Wenny managed to work through his problems seamlessly. At least, anything from the textbooks could be solved with a bit of time. This was remarkable considering it had only been an hour and a half, yet Wenny felt significantly more proficient, along with a newfound flexibility in his thought process. He was astonished at Ishtiya's tutoring abilities; merely her brief prompts would lead Wenny to an epiphany. Compared to Shikondell, whose explanations were often vague and ambiguous, Ishtiya’s clear and direct teaching was from another dimension entirely, despite both being 'destined female protagonists.' It's all about destiny protagonists, which are split into two types: one type is blessed with great fortune but only average skills overall, with notable weaknesses or personality flaws, like Shikondell. The other type, like Aesphyra and Ishtiya, is flawless in both fortune and capability. This was the mentor he had always longed for. In a moment of whimsy, Wenny wished he could run into Ishtiya in the library every day, willingly serving as her shield from unwanted attention all day. Mind you, that desire might sound similar to other students trying to orchestrate chance meetings with Ishtiya, but for Wenny, it was all about genuine learning. Being around a beautiful girl, time seemed to fly by quickly. After two hours of problem-solving, with a touch of mental fatigue setting in, Wenny laid his pen down and lazily slouched on the long bench, massaging his temples. He lounged without any regard for appearances, oblivious to whether the black-haired beauty beside him would think strangely of him for it. Since Wenny harbored no romantic inclinations toward the girl beside him, he was unconcerned with her opinion of him, just as Ishtiya was unconcerned with Wenny’s opinion of her. As long as one doesn’t bother others, sitting however comfortably one wishes doesn’t matter; it might just not be that graceful. During his break, Wenny redirected his focus. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled a subtle, soothing fragrance—a cool and luxurious aroma akin to an orchid on a high plateau—just like its owner, cool and unapproachable. Though it might not seem right, smelling such a scent allowed Wenny to relax the nerves he had previously been tensing, unconsciously leading to a state of relaxation. The tantalizing, yet subtly luxurious fragrance—from her perfume or her hair fragrance—was hard to determine. Few students in the academy would have the privilege to be this close to the princess and smell her scent, he thought. Curious about what book Ishtiya was reading, given her rapid pace, Wenny guessed she had already read through quite a few chapters of the hefty tome in her hands. Was it a textbook, or some extracurricular read? Was she preparing in the library for her finals? Wenny pondered these questions. At Ishtiya’s level, he doubted such reading would offer her much of a boost. Perhaps there was no room for improvement at all, unlike him who had vast grounds for advancement. Until Wenny's glanced at the book's edge and saw its title, "On the Correlations Between the Veniphre Church and Various Ancient Legends." Oh, so she wasn't studying at all; she was reading a leisure book the whole time! Wenny was about to avert his gaze when he heard the unemotional voice of the girl beside him. “Interested in this book?” “Hmm?” Wenny turned, realizing that the question was directed at him, feeling a twinge of surprise. In the past two hours, aside from answering his questions, Ishtiya hadn’t spoken a word more, treating everything like a business transaction. And now, she initiates a conversation? “Ah, sort of interested, but only a little,” Wenny responded, feeling that admitting total disinterest wouldn’t be quite appropriate, so he opted for the middle ground. “Have you read it?” Ishtiya asked without looking up. “I have,” Wenny replied confidently. “How much?” Ishtiya queried, still not raising her head. “I saw the title — just now.” Wenny arched an eyebrow, musing aloud. “………” Ishtiya had nothing more to add. Silence filled the air immediately. Hmm? Why no more words? Wenny was baffled. Could it be his conversational skill was too superb, leaving her unable to follow up? “This book concerns your family,” the girl’s cool, spring-like voice resurfaced just as the atmosphere began to dull. “Oh, really now?” Wenny expressed sudden enlightenment. "Without your reminder, I wouldn’t have realized it touches on the Church-related subjects." “The Veniphre Saintess once held an extraordinary status, equal to the Emperors of ancient Tyrellis,” Ishtiya said, ignoring Wenny's jest, with her gaze still on the pages. “If sincerely cooperated back then, there wouldn’t have been the downfall of Ancient Tyrellis, and today's...” Ishtiya looked earnestly at Wenny by her side. “Decline and downfall." The implication of 'decline and downfall’ was obvious. “Is that so? I don’t think so,” Wenny replied, adjusting his expression from its previous casual look. "The Ancient Empire and the Church—these two colossal entities would inevitably develop significant rifts over time; it was destined to happen." "Many chronic ailments are the result of the passage of time, becoming entrenched and incurable. At their tensest moments, the ancient Empire of Tyrellis and the Veniphre Church might not even have been able to sit peacefully at the same table to negotiate," Wenny had just finished speaking when a 'thump-thump' was heard on the table. Hmm? What’s going on? Wenny frowned, first wondering if some acquaintance had come looking for him. Could it be someone there for Ishtiya? Probably not, since those 'bodyguards' wouldn’t dare be so brazen as to join their table for a meal—how could they even think about being so bold now? "Who’s there?" Wenny suspected it might be someone he played cards with, yet before he turned his gaze, a familiar cold rose fragrance tingled his senses, and then a captivatingly striking face appeared. "Ah? Wenny, is it really you?" The silver-haired girl with a flirtatious glint in her eyes tapped the table with the corner of a book, tilting her head as she looked at Wenny. What does she mean by 'is it really him'?? And what was with this persistent, pesky character resembling the sour, tiny ornamental oranges planted outside monasteries? "Who are you? Do we even know each other?" Wenny replied irritably. Just seeing that face annoyed him. "Only a few days have passed and you’re pretending not to know me? You cautioned me to be careful not to get hurt just before leaving the last time," Aesphyra responded, feigning a hurt expression. "Seems like you’re acting up since it’s been a while since anyone put you in your place! Why are you always sidling up to me? Don't you get it? I don't fancy your kind of sour and bitter little orange! The key word here is ‘little’!" In the library, Wenny had to lower his voice to avoid drawing attention, grumbling at Aesphyra. He well remembered her pestering him the other day. Fine, if it’s a contest to see who’s more irritating, now it was his turn to make a move and see to it that she would flee with her tail between her legs! Aesphyra tilted her head like a cute white-furred cat, pondering if it was just her imagination, sensing that Wenny's ire seemed much stronger this time than she had anticipated. "Not at all, I just arrived, and was quite surprised to see the shadow of someone I think has no business in a library anyway. I came to confirm, and surprise, surprise! It’s Wenny!" Aesphyra feigned a look of astonishment. At those words, Wenny's blood pressure spiked. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the previous verbal tussles with Aesphyra; it seemed he’d developed a remarkably low threshold for her taunts, always finding himself squabbling with her the moment she spoke. "Hmph! It's you who lacks exposure! You don't see much or learn much, do you? Let me tell you, I’m so erudite I don't need to visit the library—I’m always in the pursuit of expanding my horizons out of necessity,” Wenny said defiantly, pointing his thumb at himself. "And this is why your knowledge base is as small and underfed as a sour orange," he added, spreading his arms melodramatically while shaking his head in fake exasperation. "........" Aesphyra chuckled silently. "Demeanor +60." "Current Demeanor: 6384." Ah! Finally, you tiny white-haired bread roll couldn’t keep it in anymore, could you? You've finally been pricked by the truth! You're too green to match wits with me! Ishtiya silently observed their interaction as she easily recognized the silver-haired girl speaking with Wenny. Her distinguishing features made her impossible not to identify. This was Aesphyra, who had aced the entrance scores, yet came from a minor noble family. Interaction between Ishtiya and Aesphyra was rare, or more accurately, they had few opportunities to engage, despite being classmates. For Ishtiya, there was something familiar about Aesphyra’s alluring violet eyes. A color reminiscent of the Lantewills, whose eye color could be traced back to... Perhaps it was merely a coincidence. The ancient imperial family, the Carerimans, had long been exterminated—a well-known fact. "Good day, Ishtiya. You're as beautiful as ever today~ The moment I stepped into the library, my gaze was irresistibly drawn to you," Aesphyra said teasingly, her demeanor suddenly transitioning to elegance as she addressed Ishtiya, gently lifting her skirt's hem. Oh-ho?? Wenny suddenly understood. So the intention wasn't what it seemed at first! This was a classic case of the drunkard's intention being elsewhere! So quickly the truth came to light! Wenny thought aloud that this flirty feline princess must have approached him to use this chance to interact with Ishtiya, using him as a springboard. "Hmm, good day, Aesphyra," Ishtiya replied coolly. She didn’t mind Aesphyra, nor did she harbor jealousy over her snatching the top rank. Honestly, her curiosity was piqued by Aesphyra’s eyes. Wenny wanted to chime in to expose Aesphyra's intent, but before he could, she had already pulled up a chair and seated herself seamlessly. "Hey, you’re really forward, aren’t you? Who invited you to sit down?" Wenny quipped. “Why? Aren’t the seats in the library open for anyone to take?” Aesphyra responded. (Note: The author mentions experiencing writer's block and needing to carefully consider the plot. Apologies for the delay.) 2025/06/09/22/33