## Chapter 218 – The Fight Beneath the Surface (1)
Humans might just be like that.
Like the saying, “I think, therefore I am,” beings inseparable from ‘thought.’
But thought inevitably accompanies something.
That is doubt.
“Well… I believe we’ve provided ample cooperation. If there are still unresolved aspects, they’ve already gone beyond our reach.”
From doubt about existence to rational doubt about established laws.
And sometimes, as social animals and the only beasts capable of lying, humans constantly reassess, judge, and trust each other through countless doubts.
These doubts sometimes lead to new discoveries, or to further doubts.
Perhaps the very foundation of humanity is doubt itself.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to give such a definitive answer. There are still no clearly established facts from the investigation. There’s even talk that Polignac planned this incident.”
In that sense, this primal doubt might have been inevitable, but dispelling that doubt is also humanity’s role.
For her, a woman who could be more faithful than anyone to that ‘role,’ the time to act was finally approaching.
“I suppose you could think that way. To some, it might seem like we ‘hastily covered up the incident.’ I understand why there might be doubts.”
To the man who had pointed out the doubt so keenly, the girl sitting in the chair across from him subtly toyed with her fan, her eyes narrowed as she glared at him.
“But doubting Polignac is like doubting the nation itself. The students who have passed through the academy are in Groden’s political and business circles. And from small workshops to large magical industry sectors, and even the royal family, the academy’s alumni are spread throughout. Polignac takes pride in being the owner of this academy, which they cherish as their alma mater. If you doubt Polignac, I have no choice but to repay you with doubt as well.”
“You’ll regret this.”
The man’s short but weighty words echoed in the room, and silence began to fill the space.
But soon, the girl burst into wild laughter, and the man’s eyes began to show bewilderment.
“Ahahaha!! Ahahahahaha!! Hahahahaha!! Regret!! Ahahahah!!”
She was just a small girl, but the being before him was impossible to fathom.
As if causing cognitive dissonance, the man focused on the girl’s every gesture and voice, and in the end, he had to meet the girl’s ruthless eyes as she stopped laughing.
“You’re the one who will regret it. Bringing up such words in front of me is not just attacking me. It’s insulting the late Marquis, my grandfather, and all my ancestors who established and followed their will, and at the same time, it’s attacking me, the chairman who upholds their will, and the academy. Polignac will never stand idly by!”
“Chairman…!”
“With the new semester starting, I’m very busy. As you know, the third year of the academy is a turbulent time, especially as the chairman you just mentioned.”
“Miss Charlotte!! It’s almost time for the next person to arrive…!”
Just as the maid’s voice from outside the room appropriately cut off the conversation, the girl shouted loudly towards the outside, appearing to wrap up the situation.
“I know, Darcy. I’ll finish up soon. As you heard… I’m very busy, unfortunately. As a student, it’s almost time for me to decide on my graduation research project… When guests flock in like this, it’s overwhelming… I’m sorry I couldn’t even offer you a decent cup of tea, but unfortunately, I have to get up now.”
“Don’t come looking for me when you’re in trouble later. It seems the Polignac family has already decided which way to go.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, please return safely.”
The girl, Charlotte de Polignac, watched the man stride out with uncomfortable steps, briefly taking in the back of the doubting man.
And soon, with a sigh, she turned and closed the door, and a plump-looking maid approached Charlotte and took her hand.
As the maid led her back to the chair where she had been talking to the man, Charlotte, contrary to what she had said about another guest, sat on the wide sofa in the empty room and curled up on her side as if taking a nap.
“You’ve worked hard, Miss.”
“Haa… Only those kinds of guys come out today… It’s annoying to deal with them now…?”
How many times had it been today already?
She only felt fortunate that this man was the last one.
Rather, she was grateful that it was only a man like him.
Sometimes, they would ransack the house and cause a ruckus.
That’s just how the life of a noble is.
Everywhere you go, as many people as there are, different kinds of humans flock around them for their own reasons.
“Perhaps… Wouldn’t it be better to just accept their demands…? I don’t mean to disrespect you or the family, but… I’m worried that you might…”
“It’s okay, Darcy. Those beast-like guys aren’t even worth the ‘A’ in academy. They’re just trying to get some crumbs from a few rumors.”
Lately, because of the ominous things happening at the academy, there were more than a few people coming to her as if they knew something.
But most of them were just chaff that quickly fell away when Charlotte tested them like this.
But sometimes, there were formidable opponents who were difficult for her to handle.
“Compared to that, the opponent is too…”
“Haa… When my father was alive, do you know what he told me the most?”
“Ah… Not to set foot in social circles…”
“So I put up with those who weren’t worth dealing with doing politics. That’s right. I wanted to keep that promise if possible. Yes… If possible…”
In those times, she had to do her best to somehow defeat her opponent.
Her collapsing meant the collapse of the Polignac family.
“The Polignac family isn’t inferior to anyone, is it…? Couldn’t you just flip them over with your eloquence in one go?!”
And that meant the downfall of Saint Flansina Academy.
The academy had been protected by the ancestors of the Polignac family for generations, and it was meticulously operating as an educational institution with their pure philosophy.
Charlotte had no intention of letting it become a rag stained with politics and social gatherings.
“It would be great if I could… But… Yeah, it’s hard for me in my current position… If I mess up, the academy will shake… I might become a daughter who is ashamed of her father, Darcy…”
“I’ve raised you since you were a baby. If the late Marquis saw you, he would definitely be proud of you.”
“My father only had the academy in his head. Is that why…? All that’s left in my head now is the academy. I think I’ve only taken after the part I didn’t want to resemble the most. It feels like I’m just chasing after what that man left behind…”
“Then, Miss? What would you like for dinner? You’ve had a tiring day, so how about a special meal today? Shall I prepare your favorite plum mushroom soup?”
“Yes, please, Darcy. After dinner… I should take a little walk in the flower garden…”
“Yes, Miss… Then I will tell them to prepare it that way. A walk will surely relieve your depressed feelings.”
Charlotte was already breathing softly and had closed her eyes with a peaceful expression.
The maid looked down at her master, a warm smile on her lips as if she couldn’t help it.
“I hope you come back satisfied today… It pains me to see you in such a difficult state…”
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“Yes, that’s one silver coin. Thank you for always visiting.”
“Oppa! I missed you!”
“Haha, really… Calling an old man like me ‘Oppa’.”
“You’re my Oppa, aren’t you? You look so dashing. I’m sure you’re like that in bed too… Heehee!”
A dim, reddish candlelight was impressive in the old building.
The place where women’s ecstatic laughter and sometimes stimulating moans flowed out.
In that place, which was quite bustling with people and thriving, bright voices were heard busily attending to customers.
“Gretel? Ah, she’s not working today… If you come the day after tomorrow, you’ll definitely be able to see her! Then how about Mary instead? She’s a new recruit, and she loves men!”
“Thank you! Please go into room number 3!”
The number of beastkin females being dragged in from the lair had also nearly doubled, so they were practically working in two shifts.
The two shifts of females were taking down the customers so quickly that, even though it was hourly, the turnover rate was as good as a pay-per-service system.
And the education of the kidnapped human women was also over, and the ordinary but universally appealing human women were also back in their original places, starting to work.
“Eung-hit! I… I won’t say anything… So just a little… Just a little more…♡”
Although they were ordinary women with their own circumstances and families to take care of, such as children, siblings, or parents, they couldn’t open their mouths because of Vivian’s threat that she could bury them at any time and the hive branding.
“I’ll be a good whore…♡ Ah-eut! Honey… I’m sorry-aet…! I can’t go back anymore…♡”
Almost all of the women who went outside had been given the hive brand, and obscene tattoos were engraved on their backs or around their hips.
The tattoos not only served as a brand, but also stimulated the men with their sensuality and obscenity, making them treat the women even more roughly.
Because of that appearance, they were now being called ‘Henias,’ which was the name for a woman with a light tattoo, rather than the name of the brothel, ‘Floras.’
Perhaps because the nuance was good, it spread like a trend among one or two of the females, and before they knew it, everyone was calling themselves that.
The brand of pleasure engraved on the bodies of those Henias seemed to be enough to transform them into excellent whores.
In the first place, the hive brand was a means of controlling the females through pleasure as well as pain.
Moreover, thanks to the promised reward of being violated by tentacles whenever they wanted, there had been no traitors so far.
Rather, there were even women who were forcibly sent back to their families to avoid suspicion and unnatural appearances, and they were even sad about it.
‘It’ll get dangerous if the number starts to increase… It’s only possible because it’s still a small elite… From then on, I’ll have to brainwash them to prevent danger…’
In any case, as such an environment was created, the various empty rooms of the brothel were busy finding their owners and starting to run.
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