Reborn as the Head of the Stolen Mage Family

Chapter 51

“Did you meet with Dalton last night, Eddie?”

As Marcel spoke, the murmurs filling the hall fell silent.

Every student, unable to hide their curiosity, waited for Eddie’s response.

“No. I was at the library last night. I found Lord Eustaf’s speech there and took notes on it.”

“…What?”

“And I only passed through the senior dormitory because it’s a shortcut back to my dorm…”

Eddie continued confidently, then trailed off, pretending to hesitate as he glanced at Marcel.

Marcel’s expression had hardened noticeably.

The absurd excuse that he found Lord Eustaf’s speech in the library.

The thought that Eddie might have actually met Dalton caused Marcel’s nerves to bristle.

Suspicion began to grow.

‘Lord Eustaf’s speech is well-known, so it’s not strange that Eddie would know of it. But such a ridiculous excuse… Did he really meet Dalton behind my back? Why…?’

Anxiety-fueled thoughts branched out in dozens of directions, pricking at Marcel’s nerves.

Eddie, observing Marcel’s increasingly unsteady expression, sensed the moment was near.

A brief silence followed.

“Pfft… Heh heh heh… Hahahahaha!”

The silence was broken by Alexein’s uproarious laughter.

“Haha… This is practically a comedy routine. Seems like you didn’t prepare a script for getting caught, huh?”

Tap tap.

Alexein smirked smugly, patting Marcel’s shoulder.

He was certain that Marcel’s stiff expression stemmed from embarrassment.

“It’s fine. When you’re desperate, you’ll try anything, right? But let’s play fair, Marcel. Those of us without fancy head-student-council cousins have to deal with enough as it is…”

Smack!

In the midst of Alexein’s taunting, a sharp sound rang out, and the students in Rosetta Hall gasped in shock.

Before he could finish his sentence, Alexein’s hand was swatted away from Marcel’s shoulder.

The force of the gesture caused Alexein’s body to stumble slightly.

“…Ha?”

Alexein let out a disbelieving chuckle, glaring at Marcel.

But what he faced was—

“…!”

Marcel, staring back at him with an expression Alexein had never seen before.

“Even after being disciplined, it seems you haven’t learned a thing, Alexein Dickens.”

“What… did you say?”

“Do you think I’d stand here explaining myself to prove I didn’t give Eddie such orders?”

“Hah, such shamelessness… Are you saying your little lackey acted on his own to get himself elected?”

“If you’re so curious, go snoop around and find out the truth yourself. But one thing’s clear: unlike you, my campaign doesn’t need your grandfather’s speech.”

Marcel’s retort was utterly unreserved.

Unlike his usual restraint, he neither tempered his emotions nor softened his words.

This only heightened the students’ interest, and veins began to bulge on Alexein’s forehead.

As Marcel regained his composure and looked away, dismissing any further discussion, Alexein finally snapped—

“Even though my grandfather defeated Kirhausen with that speech?”

“….”

“Oh, sorry. I guess it doesn’t mean much to you since the current Kirhausen family is so different?”

“…!”

He had let slip the one thing he shouldn’t have.

The air froze in an instant.

Unlike earlier, when students gasped in surprise, they now quietly darted their eyes around, tense.

Alexein had crossed an unspoken line, poking at the current Kirhausen family’s sore spot.

…Swish.

Marcel quietly rose from his seat.

Taking a step forward to face Alexein.

Unlike his earlier emotional outburst, there was now no trace of warmth in Marcel’s demeanor.

An extreme calm.

This was the chilling form of Marcel Kirhausen’s anger.

***

Meanwhile.

“Hmm.”

Carla was observing the candidates’ confrontation from the back of Rosetta Hall.

The atmosphere was growing increasingly volatile, as if it could explode at any moment.

The argument between the two future heads of their families seemed ready to escalate into a full-blown inter-family conflict.

Finally, Carla’s assistants moved to intervene.

But Carla stopped them.

“No, let them be.”

Then, instead of her assistants, she herself approached the front of the hall where the conflict was unfolding.

Her steps didn’t seem urgent, as if she were merely moving closer to get a better view of an intriguing spectacle.

As she drew nearer to the escalating situation, Carla’s gaze fixed on one spot.

Not on the two future heads, but on the lackey standing beside them.

***

Feeling Carla’s approaching presence, Eddie took a step closer to Marcel.

‘Now it’s a matter of timing.’

He played the part of someone fidgeting nervously beside the two future heads.

But his eyes gleamed sharply, not missing the perfect moment.

The two hotheaded young men before him, oblivious to the performance, were glaring at each other with fierce intensity.

“You’d better watch what you say.”

“And I can’t be concerned about Kirhausen’s dignity just once? If you’re going to dodge responsibility, at least do it humbly, not so brazenly.”

“You know it’s too late to take back what you said.”

“Don’t miss your last chance to admit it. You wanted my grandfather’s speech so badly you sent your lackey to get it from Dalton Kirhausen.”

Crack.

The mention of Dalton’s name finally made veins bulge on Marcel’s forehead as well.

Eddie didn’t miss his chance to step in.

“Young Master! Please, calm down. There are so many people watching, and if this continues…”

“Eddie.”

“….”

“Know your place and when to stay out of things.”

At Marcel’s cold rebuke, Eddie flinched and stepped back.

Alexein sneered even more deeply, mocking him.

“What do you expect from a guy who claims he found Lord Eustaf’s speech in the library? If you’re going to make excuses, at least make them believable…”

“Where in the library did you find the speech, Eddie Summerson?”

Carla’s voice cut through at that moment.

The sudden appearance of the deputy headmaster startled all the students.

They had been so engrossed in the argument that they hadn’t noticed her approach the front of the hall.

Step, step, step.

Carla approached Eddie.

She asked again.

“I asked where in the library you found Lord Eustaf’s student council president election speech.”

Her tone was stern and weighty.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Alexein smirked, raising one corner of his mouth as if he were the victor.

‘She must want to hear what nonsense this guy comes up with.’

But contrary to his expectations, Eddie didn’t falter.

Instead, a calm composure radiated from him as he faced Carla.

“At the very back of the archive room, in the ‘miscellaneous’ section, on the last bookshelf.”

“…Was the speech shelved there?”

“No. There was an old book with no title or proper cover. When I read it, I found it was a memoir written by former Headmaster Galliard. He recorded academy events and included the contents of Lord Eustaf’s speech.”

“Headmaster Galliard, you say…”

Eddie’s detailed explanation flowed without a hint of hesitation.

Carla’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed.

Her gaze toward Eddie now held a subtle warmth, tinged with interest and curiosity.

“It’s rare for a first-year to venture that deep into the library.”

“The library holds infinite knowledge, but it doesn’t come to you on its own. Besides, I was curious about what might be in the unsorted materials.”

“So your curiosity led you to find the information you needed.”

“Yes… I never imagined it would cause such a commotion, though…”

“I hope you’ll be more careful next time. This is a magical academy, and some books in the library are magical and potentially dangerous.”

“Yes, Deputy Headmaster.”

A natural conversation premised on ‘the speech in the library.’

The students’ mouths dropped open in astonishment.

“What…? So Lord Eustaf’s speech was really in the library?”

“Seems like it… Looks like Alexein really messed up this time.”

“All this fuss over a speech. It’s not like it’s some classified document.”

“I don’t go to the library often because it’s a hassle, but to think such a book was there.”

“No way. I go there often and never knew. How could such a book be lying around in the academy archives for decades?”

Amid the students’ whispered murmurs, Carla looked at Eddie, who seemed slightly embarrassed, and recalled old memories.

Back during her own academy days.

The conversations she’d had with the librarian while practically living in the library.

“You’re saying that book is really in the library? But I’ve looked for it multiple times and couldn’t find it.”

“I remember every book I’ve stamped. The one you’re looking for is definitely one I shelved.”

“Then why don’t you help me find it? Why do I have to do it alone?”

“Because passion and persistence are as important as deep curiosity.”

“Passion… and persistence?”

“Yes. The book you want to read won’t come to you on its own. If you want to know something, dig through the stacks of papers in the archive room.”

That stubborn, old-fashioned white-haired librarian.

But he was the mentor Carla respected more than any academy professor.

Unable to forget the library where she’d been taught by him, Carla returned to the academy as a professor.

And she even formed a marital bond with his disciple, the current librarian.

Now, fifty years later, Carla felt a nostalgic connection to her mentor through Eddie.

‘If Teacher were alive, he would have adored this child.’

Carla gazed at Eddie warmly for a moment before collecting herself.

Then she began to resolve the situation.

“Since it’s been proven there was no foul play, let’s put this conflict between the candidates to rest. The candidates’ speeches will begin shortly. Everyone, take your seats and be quiet.”

The situation was neatly resolved.

With her words, the assistants began to manage the first-year students.

But the two students who had been snarling at each other remained rooted to the spot, as if frozen.

“Are you two planning to be uncooperative with the election process?”

Carla’s stern voice finally forced Marcel and Alexein to take their seats.

The students watching them began to frown one by one.

“Alexein definitely crossed a line this time… but he didn’t exactly say anything wrong, did he?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down.”

“No, but it’s true. Lord Eustaf competed against Lord Edmund von Kirhausen, so of course Marcel would downplay that speech. Otherwise, he’d be admitting to his family’s shame.”

“Who’s denying that? Just keep quiet. Didn’t you see Marcel’s face earlier? He went completely pale.”

“Ugh, whatever. They’re all pathetic. The ones making a big deal out of a speech, and the ones pretending they don’t know the story everyone else knows.”

“They’re exhausting. How long do we have to keep tiptoeing around these two…?”

Amid the students’ murmurs, sighs tinged with self-mockery could be heard.

Unlike before, public opinion began to shift in a new direction.

It wasn’t just the parties involved who sensed the changing atmosphere.

Eddie glanced sideways at the expressions of the candidates seated alongside him.

Their faces were dark, as if they were about to let out deep sighs.

‘They must feel like all their efforts preparing speeches and picking sides were for nothing.’

With the popularity of the two leading candidates plummeting side by side, the one who could shine brightest in this situation was the candidate standing in opposition to them.

‘The stage is set. Now it’s up to your ability.’