Chapter 57 - A Sweet Girl Won’t Be Fooled By The Villainess

Chapter 57 Eyes Shut Lately, Fiona has been feeling quite distressed. Even though she and her beloved, Lanny, had gotten back together and become an enviable sweet couple, their happy days didn't last long before a crisis struck. Britney, who had dropped out of school, used to provide Lanny with a large sum of money for living expenses, causing him to struggle with the current frugal lifestyle. Though Lanny never mentioned it to her directly, Fiona couldn't bear seeing him frown while struggling to finish the cafeteria's meager meals. His difficulty swallowing each bite made Fiona ache with empathy. Watching her dear Lanny suffer made her feel worse than missing a few meals herself. However, Fiona knew she was just an ordinary civilian, relying on her parents even for her school fees, with no way to earn money on her own. Seeing Lanny grow thinner day by day, Fiona felt a mix of self-reproach and desperation as she tried to borrow money from others. However, due to her outstanding debts, people were reluctant to lend her any more money. As a result, Fiona had been feeling down for the past few days. She didn't even show any curiosity upon hearing about Ifia joining the art club. Her mind was solely focused on thinking of ways to earn money to make Lanny happy. “Fiona, what's been bothering you lately?” Concerning Ifia's entrance into the art club, Fiona curbed her shock only when the teacher entered the classroom after the bell had rung. Irene, who now sat next to Fiona after George's expulsion, had been watching Fiona with worry too. Originally, Irene had George as her seatmate, but after his expulsion, Fiona took his place. When Irene asked, Fiona sighed and didn't conceal her thoughts. She poured out her troubles to Irene, “Irene, I really need money right now, but no one is willing to lend me any.” "Despite getting back with me, Lanny, a good man, has been suffering. I feel worthless and incompetent. If only I were a noble, I could take care of Lanny's needs just fine." Although Irene was aware that Fiona was talking to her for ulterior motives, the bizarre way Fiona viewed love was difficult for her to comprehend. Nevertheless, the more Fiona acted this way, the more susceptible she became to manipulation. Irene couldn't stand seeing Ifia living better than herself and wanted to cause trouble, but she didn't want to directly involve herself. After all, the Duke's daughter, Miss Balen, is very protective. Just borrowing money from Ifia in the cafeteria led to Irene being publicly called out by the Duke's daughter. If it weren't for Prince Carlo's intervention, Irene felt she would have been in a terrible situation. Every time Irene thought of this incident, she felt a strong sense of constriction in her chest, but felt helpless to do anything about it. Therefore, Irene knew that even if she wanted to cause trouble for Ifia, she had to do it secretly. Nobody could find out. This made Fiona the most suitable candidate. A few instigating words and she would act like a pawn on a chessboard. "I'm sorry, Fiona, but I don't have money to repay you right now...” “I’ll pay you back when I have the money!" As Fiona spoke, she brought up the money she had previously borrowed from Irene. She seemed unashamed, with an expression that suggested she felt entitled to not repay the money right away. In fact, Fiona didn't feel the need to pay back the money right now! If she had money, she would have to support Lanny... She could pay back the money later. There was no rush. Upon hearing Fiona's words, Irene clenched her teeth. She knew it was important to stick to the plan and that she couldn't confront Fiona right now. After some consideration, Irene said, “It’s okay, Fiona. Your matters are more urgent. If I had the money, I would lend it to you, but alas... You should make friends with generous nobles. They won't have a shortage of money, like Ifia does." "Ifia..." Irene finally steered the conversation toward Ifia. Upon hearing this, Fiona was puzzled. Ifia, who was so broke that she had to borrow money from others, how could... Almost instantly, Fiona remembered the recent news and suddenly widened her eyes in realization. Of course! How could she have forgotten? Ifia was friends with the Duke's daughter. If she asked, the Duke's daughter would surely give her a large sum of money. It would only take a few words from Ifia. They were both commoner students and were supposed to help each other. Ifia would probably understand her, maybe even be moved by her and Lanny's love, and wouldn't ask her to pay back the money! The more Fiona thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She forgot to continue engaging with Irene and instead turned her head to eagerly stare at Ifia, hoping for the school day to end soon. That way, she could borrow money from Ifia! Seeing Fiona not paying attention to her, Irene didn't get mad. Instead, upon seeing the desperate expression on Fiona's face, she concealed a smile and a sense of satisfaction as her plotting paid off. —— While being secretly targeted by someone, Ifia sat at her desk, silently troubled. It was almost time for the school day to end, and it was time to head to the art club. The 'surprise' came too suddenly, and she wasn't prepared. But she had been notified by the art club to come; she couldn't refuse... Entering a club as a special relationship student might even bring trouble to Amelia too. Ugh, never mind so much. It's just posing as a model! Close my eyes and open them, and it will be over! As Ifia thought this, the bell for the end of school rang. It felt like a release of tension; she slumped onto her desk, not immediately leaving. With a troubled mind, she allowed herself to indulge in delaying a bit longer. "Ifia, we are friends, right? Can you lend me some money? I really need it. If Lanny doesn't have enough money, he will become thin from starving, and it's heartbreaking for me to see him like that." "???" Unexpectedly, Fiona ran over to Ifia's desk with an expectant look. With her hands clasped together in a prayer-like manner, she had an earnest expression while speaking foolish words that didn't fit her composure. "Are you crazy?! Does Ifia admit that you are her friend? Don't come begging here to build relationships; it's annoying to watch!" Before Ifia could speak, Jessina, who had come over to chat, immediately became impatient. As a noble, Jessina could look quite intimidating when serious. At least, she made Fiona not continue to put on an air of self-righteousness and rather seek help from Ifia. This made the good-natured Lucy couldn't stand it either. She moved to block Fiona's line of sight and then urged, "Fiona, if Lanny is a man, he should take care of his own expenses, instead of letting you borrow money from everywhere." "Don't speak ill of Lanny; he is a good man!" Ifia watched Fiona, her face red with anger, and couldn't help feeling not angry but rather reflective. Just a few days ago, when Fiona wanted to borrow money from her, she was all alone and had to take extreme measures to avoid trouble. But now, she had a friend by her side. "Fiona, I don't have money to lend you. Go ask someone else!" With that thought in mind, Ifia firmly refused Fiona, who clenched her fists, looking furiously at Ifia. It was as if Ifia had committed an unpardonable sin. Seeing this, Jessina glared at Fiona and then pushed Ifia, urging her, "Ifia, hurry up, it's time for you to go to the art club." And so, with Fiona's resentful gaze, Ifia had no choice but to leave the classroom. After walking for about ten minutes, she finally arrived at the club activity room and felt nervous again. But being at the club's doorstep didn't leave room for regrets, so she mustered up the courage and knocked on the door. The next moment, the door opened. The club president opened the door and, upon seeing Ifia, flashed a friendly smile and said, "The new club member is finally here. We've been waiting for you, and even Miss Balen has arrived!"