The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 98
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 98
As Leoryna made her way to the Academy for another day’s work, Seleya appeared before her. With one hand planted firmly on her hip, she addressed Leoryna in a rather curt tone.
“I’d appreciate it if we could speak somewhere quiet, like a cafe.”
“I’m busy right now.”
Leoryna attempted to sidestep Seleya’s position, but the woman seized her by the shoulder.
“It will only take a moment. Just a brief moment.”
Seleya’s eyes gleamed with such intensity that it seemed she would drag Leoryna along by force if she refused to go willingly. And then Leoryna noticed it—the long sword hanging at Seleya’s waist.
I couldn’t fathom why she’d brought such a weapon, but an ominous premonition seized me that if I resisted further, she’d cause a commotion with that blade.
“Will you be alright?”
Pongko asked Leoryna.
“What choice do I have? If I try to escape now, she’ll just pursue me relentlessly anyway.”
She released a quiet sigh and reluctantly followed Seleya to a cafe not far from the Academy, where they took their seats.
Before their drinks even arrived, Seleya withdrew something from the table and slid it toward Leoryna. It was a thick envelope.
“I’ve made it quite generous.”
Leoryna blinked and opened it to examine the contents. The envelope was stuffed with an astronomical amount of banknotes.
Leoryna’s eyes widened as she stared at Seleya.
“Gasp…!”
Pongko, watching from beside her, let out an exclamation of amazement.
“This is… this is…”
“If you distance yourself from Khalid, all of this is yours.”
‘Oh… this is the kind of development you only see in novels…’
With enough money to live comfortably for three years without working, Leoryna found herself hesitating. Then Khalid’s voice echoed through her mind.
‘That’s right—a wish token! I’ll grant you anything I’m capable of doing!’
Leoryna squeezed her eyes shut.
Yes, a wish token! I’ll abandon my pride for a single wish token!
“If I accept this, what are your plans for the future, Seleya?”
“Oh, I’ll support Khalid, of course. I can only imagine how much he’s struggled alone all this time….”
Leoryna wanted to bury her face in her hands.
Separate from Khalid’s coercion, eliminating even one person at his side would make assassination far easier. After all, she hadn’t even managed to remove Zigzagel yet. And now this fiancée was constantly glued to Khalid’s side?
No matter how I looked at it, this was far from an ideal situation.
Leoryna pushed the envelope back toward Seleya.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this money.”
“Would it help if I offered a larger amount?”
“Do you think I’m doing this because of money?”
“Then what do you want? What would it take for you to break up with Khalid?”
“There’s nothing I particularly want… and I have no intention of breaking up with Khalid.”
Leoryna gathered her belongings and stood up. The drinks arrived belatedly, but the atmosphere was hardly conducive to enjoying them.
“Then I’ll be going… Come on, Pongko.”
The moment Leoryna bowed her head and straightened her posture.
Shhwack!
The table where Leoryna had been sitting moments before split cleanly in two right before her eyes. Seleya had drawn the sword at her waist and cleaved it in half. Leoryna’s mouth fell open as she froze in place.
Seleya pointed the blade directly at Leoryna.
“You shameless woman! How dare you steal my man and act so confident about it?!”
The unexpected commotion drew the attention of everyone in the cafe toward Leoryna and Seleya. Regardless of their stares, Seleya continued, her voice trembling with rage.
“Seducing a man who already has a fiancée! You’re a coward, you adulteress!”
At Seleya’s choice of words, Leoryna felt like crying.
‘Who should be angry here?!’
Meanwhile, the people in the cafe began whispering among themselves.
“Did you hear? An affair….”
“Is she cheating?”
“And the fiancée is just finding out now?”
“And she has the nerve to say she won’t break up?”
Leoryna’s insides churned with fury as she listened to their murmurs. Before she knew it, she roared.
“That’s not true! I’m not an adulteress!”
Leoryna shot back, even forgetting that Seleya was holding a sword.
“I sent a letter breaking off the engagement, and you’re the one who ignored it! The one at fault is the person trying to force a marriage when the other party refuses! How can you have a marriage alone? If I’m an adulteress, then you’re a stalker!”
“What? A stalker?”
At Leoryna’s words, Seleya was equally incensed.
“How is it stalking when I’m simply concerned about my fiancé’s wellbeing?!”
“That’s exactly it—you’re not Khalid’s fiancée anymore!”
Leoryna didn’t back down, drawing her staff and pointing it at Seleya. The two stared each other down in silence while the onlookers held their breath, captivated by this fascinating spectacle.
Then Khalid came rushing over, and seeing the two women radiating an atmosphere that suggested someone might die, he raised his voice.
“What in the world is all this commotion?!”
Seleya and I flinched involuntarily at Khalid’s sudden appearance.
Pongko stood at Khalid’s feet with an awkward expression. It seemed Pongko had brought Khalid here.
The patrons in the cafe stirred again at Khalid’s arrival.
“Isn’t that Professor Huaderica?”
“Gasp! So Teaching Assistant Leoryna and Professor Huaderica are dating?”
“But didn’t he have a fiancée?”
“No way!!”
Flushed with embarrassment, I struck my own forehead repeatedly. Unable to contain myself any longer, I cried out.
“I’m not dating Professor Khalid! We’re not lovers!”
Though I desperately protested the truth, Khalid showed no signs of backing down. Instead, he spoke to me with absolute confidence, making sure everyone could hear.
“Darling, what’s wrong? As long as we’re dating, it was only a matter of time before Seleya found out. We can’t just brush this aside with lies.”
“Argh!”
Truly indignant, I erupted again, but Seleya didn’t believe my words. Instead, she lashed out at me, siding with Khalid.
“That’s right. Don’t try to escape the situation with lies—be honest about it.”
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I wanted to kill Khalid, but right now there were more pressing matters.
With a voice on the verge of tears, I spoke.
“Could we please just leave this place? Please….”
Everyone in the cafe held their breath, savoring this melodrama unfolding before them. I felt like a monkey in a zoo.
“Hmph, the more witnesses, the better. I’ll declare it here and now: Leoryna Yuren is my lover, and Seleya is my stalker.”
At Khalid’s bold declaration, I buried my face in my hands. I had never felt such murderous intent toward him before.
“Is that so? Then that’s settled….”
Seleya sheathed the sword she’d been holding, then suddenly removed the ring from her right index finger and held it high. Khalid’s jaw dropped as he realized what it meant.
“Seleya! Are you out of your mind?!”
“Leoryna Yuren! As the next head of the Hestro Family, I challenge you to a duel! If you win here, I’ll make Khalid give you up cleanly. If I win, you’ll break up with Khalid.”
“Why?!”
I shrieked. Seleya laughed as if my reaction was pathetic and spoke.
“Surely you’re not so cowardly as to run away shamefully?”
“No! Don’t fall for it, Leoryna! This isn’t just any duel! It’s a duel fought in the name of the Hestro Family—if, and I mean if, Seleya loses, she’ll be cast out from the Family!”
Khalid waved his hands frantically, inserting himself between us. Bewildered, I turned to him.
“Wait, wait? Then what happens if I lose?”
“You become an enemy of the Family—you can never set foot in the Hestro Family again!”
“What business would I have with that Family anyway? The risk of me losing doesn’t seem like much of a loss to me.”
“Hmph! When I marry Khalid, you won’t be able to see him, and now you’re saying it’s not a loss that you can’t even enter our Family?”
Seleya spoke confidently, but Khalid was exasperated at how she took for granted the premise that she would marry him, so he protested.
“Wait, what about my opinion? I don’t want to be treated like a prize in a duel!”
“Be quiet, Khalid. No matter what you say, if I win, I won’t give up on marrying you.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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