Chapter 40: Lanchi's Trap
Chapter 40: Lanchi's Trap
Upon seeing Huberian's attitude, Modan's lips curled up slightly, but his eyes held no trace of a smile.
"Huberian... No one would willingly turn their back to scum like you, but I don't mind because you don't have the ability to resist me."
The contempt in his eyes treated Huberian as if she were already his plaything.
"One day, you will come begging to me; it's just a matter of time. After all, you also know that you can't find your father on your own... But by then, you will have lost all your dignity. I guarantee it."
He lowered his voice and spoke beside Huberian.
His intention was to humiliate Huberian, and now he didn't bother to hide it.
"..."
Huberian clenched her fists, grit her teeth, and remained silent.
Even though she was filled with anger, a deep and uncontrollable rage, she didn't want to give this jerk the satisfaction of a response.
Moreover, she was well aware that without any strength to pose a threat, any rebuttal or intimidation would be empty words.
Not only would it fail to instill fear, but it would also only bring more pleasure and encouragement to her opponent.
Even if Huberian wanted to challenge Modan to a duel and teach him a lesson, she couldn't.
Modan, a third-year gold-registered challenger from the Sage's Institute, was already far ahead of Huberian in terms of strength. Additionally, she had to waste her precious first year without challenging the Shadow World.
The gap between her and Modan would only widen.
"It seems I was right; you don't even have the courage to resist me."
Seeing Huberian's reaction, Modan seemed satisfied and even let out a soft laugh without any disguise, as if he were enjoying her misery.
Modan's occasional laughter was not only an insult to her but also a trampling of her noble identity and dignity.
"The so-called genius of the Duke's family, who was once praised as a rare talent of the Hutton family, now has to rely on a clumsy lawyer to pass the entrance exam of the Ikeli Academy. How pathetic."
However, after this sentence, Huberian finally seemed to reach her limit, and she glared at Modan with hatred.
"Oh? Someone's angry?"
Modan narrowed his eyes, knowing that Huberian had taken the bait. This Duchess always tolerated others' sharp tongues, but she couldn't stand anyone bad-mouthing her friends. He understood her all too well.
Just as he was about to continue toying with Huberian's mental state with his words.
"Wait..."
A slightly tired voice caught their attention.
The conversation between Modan and Huberian seemed to have woken Lanchi up.
He had been very sleepy, half-asleep and half-awake, and was about to fall asleep again when he heard this guy named Modan seemed to have framed him. The nature of the situation had changed.
Lanchi turned his head with sleepy eyes, propping his head on his arm as he stared at the two who had been talking.
"Modan... classmate? You should take a look at the Ikeli Academy student handbook. You shouldn't have called classmate Huberian 'scum.' On page 35, line 13, it states that personal attacks on other students are against school rules."
The casual words echoed in the classroom, and the air fell silent with this sudden change.
Huberian turned her head instinctively. Lanchi was still lying down, but his expression was lazy, completely different from before.
Modan frowned and looked at the boy murmuring with his head down. His emerald green eyes shone like gems with a faint glow.
He hadn't noticed the presence of this guy who had been sleeping quietly earlier, but now he recognized the black-haired, green-eyed 'rule freak' from the rumors.
However, from Lanchi's words, it seemed that he intended to interfere, which made Modan laugh.
"So what if I did make a personal attack? What are you going to do about it?"
Modan's voice was as cold as a winter wind, almost like a warning to Lanchi's life.
Everyone knew that these school rules, which only thundered and never punished, would never result in any actual consequences.
Lanchi's reminder seemed as childish and laughable as a child threatening to tell on someone to their parents.
Upon hearing this, Lanchi finally lifted his head and sat up straighter.
He was now fairly certain that this fellow named Modan loved to ridicule others with his words, and it didn't take much for him to start firing back.
Unfortunately, he was an amateur when it came to understanding the mind.
"Did you know? The Kingdom of Hutton has laws against insults, defamation, and insulting nobles. Although the two of you cannot be formally charged with the third offense in a criminal capacity before officially inheriting your titles, it would, at most, be considered a civil dispute. However, Miss Huberian's application to inherit the title of Duchess must have been submitted since her father's disappearance, and it is currently stuck in the cumbersome processing stage. If it is approved, then, according to the regulations of the Kingdom of Hutton, her tenure as Duchess will be calculated from the date of submission. At that time, she will be able to prosecute you for viciously attacking her personally and insulting her, a duchess. With so many witnesses present, you won't be able to escape, and whether it results in a fine or imprisonment will depend on your attitude toward admitting your wrongdoing."
Although Lanchi's words were calm, there was an air of solemnity within his calmness, as if he were declaring that the long arm of the law would eventually catch up with the guilty.
After these words, the classroom, which had been buzzing with idle chatter, fell into a sudden hush.
All the students in the classroom were either eavesdropping, curious, or staring, most of them looking towards the back of the room.
It was quite common for upperclassmen to visit the freshman classrooms and have casual conversations with interested newcomers after the start of the school year.
Even though Modan's behavior had indeed made quite a few students in the classroom feel uncomfortable—it was clear that the interaction between Marquis Modan and Duchess Huberian was not a friendly recruitment attempt.
But when it came to the complex private grievances between nobles, most people wouldn't dare to get involved.
No one wanted to associate themselves with the ill-fated Duchess, and even fewer wanted to offend a powerful upperclassman like Modan, who had both influence and strength.
However, the top student of the Freshman class at the Sage's Institute couldn't stand by any longer and was about to confront the Marquis' son head-on!
In fact, many of the students present understood that the charges Lanchi mentioned weren't that threatening and that, at most, an admission of guilt and a fine would resolve the matter.
What was annoying about Lanchi was—
If he really wanted to pursue the matter, and if he managed to win the case against Modan, causing the Marquis' son to have a criminal record during his time at school, this humiliation would be like a brand, becoming a laughingstock among the nobility for the rest of his life.
However.
Modan Gacsiris was not someone to be trifled with...
Even at this point, Modan remained unfazed, his expression unchanged, seemingly unmoved by Lanchi's words.
After listening to Lanchi, Modan merely smiled.
"Lucky Lanchi Wilford, I know you know a bit of law and like to 'uphold justice.' But this little trick won't work on me; I'll just counter-sue you for defamation and provocation."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he looked down at Lanchi, mocking his naivete and stupidity.
As a noble himself, he clearly had a better understanding of the "insulting nobles" offense than Lanchi.
Even with witnesses present, "insulting" was only Lanchi's subjective judgment, and if the matter went to court, Lanchi would have no objective way to prove that Modan had a strong intent to insult.
Although the Kingdom of Hutton had strict laws and an efficient judicial process, it was not as extremely harsh as the "Hidden Flame in Winter" shadow world's Holy Nation.
Some offenses were notoriously difficult to convict, unless one had the absolute overwhelming advantage of a highly skilled lawyer.
"I insulted her? How will you prove that to the judge? Can you read my thoughts and intentions?" Modan asked mockingly.
"You admitted it yourself," Lanchi replied nonchalantly.
"......?"
Lanchi's words caused everyone in the classroom to pause for a moment.
But they soon realized something.
At the very beginning, Modan had indeed asked Lanchi, "So what if I did make a personal attack? What are you going to do about it?"
Done.
Lanchi had trapped Modan with his own logic.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
