novelxo Chapter 36 Proof
Sylvia's POV:
Richard walked slowly over to where Rufus and I stood. Once he got close enough, I realized that he was half a head shorter than Rufus.
"If I remember correctly, father was the one who put me in charge of the military school. Isn't it a little inappropriate for you to waltz in and demand admission like you run the place?" Richard's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Rufus chuckled. "Since when were you so interested in what I did?"
His eyes fell sharply on Richard. The atmosphere had quickly gone tense.
Richard laughed softly and squinted. "Oh, Rufus. Why so serious? You can't blame me for being curious now. It's rare to see you doing so much for a single she-wolf!"
Richard put on that gloomy smile. The dean and Richard's subordinates smiled along with him.
Richard noticed that Rufus wasn't going to respond to him, so he wiped the smile off of his face and turned serious. "Yes, of course Prince Rufus is qualified to recommend a student! However, it doesn't seem fair for all the other students who have worked hard to get through the difficult selection process, does it? I'm afraid that when this news gets out, it would cause a public uproar."
My heart sank. It was obvious that Richard was trying to sow discord in public. And because I had already made enemies of some students from this school, it was easy to find people to back this argument. They didn't want me in their school.
Sure enough, those who had just been quietly watching aside began to chime in.
"It's true. She didn't earn an admission to the school, so why should she be allowed to enroll? Is it because of her appearance?" One of the she wolves who attacked me yesterday echoed. She quickly glanced at Richard and gained even more courage when her remark made him smile approvingly. She continued, "Plus, she is just a weak slave!"
"A slave? Slaves can't go to school with us! The Royal Military School is a prestigious place where the strongest warriors are trained. They don't just let anyone in to study here," another boy shouted. His hair was combed up like the crown of a pineapple, making him look pompous.
"That's right! Drive her away! It's an insult to us to give a slave admission to the school!"
"Go back to where you came from, filthy slave!"
More and more students shouted. The scene had grown chaotic in the span of a few seconds. I stood in the middle of the crowd, inching closer to Rufus for safety. My mind was at a loss and my heart stopped. Rufus turned his attention to the crowd, which was enough to frighten everyone and bring back silence. I tugged on his sleeve and smiled, lightly shaking my head to tell him that I was unaffected and fine. "You heard the students. Only the few elite who have passed multiple tests get selected for admission. Normally, one who hasn't even participated in any selection process is not even closely considered for admission, but..." Richard paused, shooting me a devious look. "If you really insist, Rufus, I can make an exception for her."
I clenched my firsts, understanding what Richard really meant. If today ended with my successful admission into the school, it would also confirm that Rufus pulled some strings and technically cheated the process so that I could get in. If that were to get out to the public, Rufus' reputation would be tainted.
Biting my lip, this felt like a different kind of torture I had never felt before. I didn't want to get Rufus in trouble again for me. He had already done more than enough. But at the same time, the opportunity of education was right in front of me and a part of me didn't want to let it pass.
I scanned the crowd and saw the aggressive werewolf that first caught my eye.
"If I defeat him, is that enough to prove that I'm qualified enough for admission?" I pointed at the werewolf with pineapple-shaped hair and raised my voice, making sure everyone heard me.