Suspicion

As Tia thought about this, a shadow flashed across her mind—a genius of an era.

From the moment he entered the Rune Department, his profound theoretical knowledge and exquisite rune arrangement skills caught the attention of the department head.

Within a year, he obtained the certification of an intermediate mage and was hailed by the department head as a once-in-a-century talent.

Tia thought so too, because this child, six years younger than her, was not only exceptionally gifted but also far lonelier than Tia herself.

He almost always stayed alone in the laboratory.

Even during class, he never joined any group discussions.

Tasks that required multiple students to complete, he always finished alone.

He alone was like an entire team, and the results he produced crushed all other students in his class.

Therefore, those who liked this child were practically none.

The child seemed to realize this as well, so he moved all his projects into his own lab, completely cutting himself off from his classmates.

His reasoning was simple—he had already mastered everything taught in textbooks, and the rest he could only learn on his own.

He disdained studying with other students.

How arrogant, how scornful!

Tia marveled.

She had seen countless geniuses, but none yet could compare to that boy’s talent and perception.

And his loneliness resonated with the stubbornness deep within Tia’s heart.

They should be the same kind of people.

Lonely, proud people.

They should always remain alone.

Noise erupted at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Sphinx turned his head, and soon, surprise appeared on his face.

“Oh, it’s Collins.

He actually came out to have a proper meal today instead of hiding in his lab eating instant food.”

Tia immediately turned her head.

The girl saw Collins walking toward them.

The aura surrounding Collins was much like her own.

The moment he stepped into the crowd, people instinctively moved aside—whether from pressure or aversion, who knew?

In any case, geniuses of their level always made others wary or uncomfortable.

Watching the students scatter as if avoiding the plague, Tia revealed a satisfied smile.

But soon, that smile froze.

Tia saw a girl slowly walking out from behind Collins.

She was wearing a modest but clearly expensive outfit.

No—calling her “pretty” wasn’t enough.

She was a true beauty.

This beauty, ignoring the curious gazes around her, stood directly behind Collins and held his hand.

According to Tia’s expectations, Collins should have shown an expression of displeasure and shaken the girl’s hand off.

But instead, Collins smiled gently.

“It’s fine.

They’re just looking—they’re not going to eat you, Senior.”

Collins’s tone was so gentle, yet it made Tia feel extremely uncomfortable inside.

A genius like him—how dare he have someone by his side!

For no reason at all, Tia felt a sense of betrayal, as if the idol in her heart was not the noble, flawless figure she imagined, but a petty, vulgar man.

“Oh-ho, that Collins kid actually managed to get that girl so quickly?”

Tia immediately turned toward her brother.

“You know this woman?”

Sphinx let out a sound of realization.

“She’s the sponsor for Collins’s new experiment.

I heard she’s also a magical genius—a vice leader of alchemy at another prestigious school and a third-tier mage.”

Sphinx shoveled large mouthfuls of food into his bowl, his face expressionless, while Tia stared resentfully as Collins led Victoria into the dessert section.

Collins bought Victoria a pile of sweets.

At that moment, Victoria’s eyes shone with a faint, starry gleam.

Collins smiled tenderly, leading Victoria to a quiet corner to start eating.

Both of them were smiling, chatting happily.

The resentment in Tia’s heart grew heavier and heavier.

Her hands clenched so tightly they turned white.

Sphinx glanced at his sister and sneered.

“What’s wrong? Jealous?”

Unlike Collins, Sphinx wasn’t a blockhead.

The moment he saw the first change in his sister’s expression upon seeing Collins, he more or less understood what she was thinking.

Anger, bitterness, and a deep-seated sense of indignation trembling beneath the surface—all these showed that his sister was enduring something.

What could make someone act like this—or rather, what could make anyone act like this?

Aside from facing a mortal enemy, there was another reason:

The experience of being openly betrayed.

Sphinx was certain—his sister had never had much connection with Collins.

Even though Collins was the Rune Department’s top student—the one standing above her head and treated as her greatest rival—their relationship at most amounted to acquaintances who nodded at each other.

For someone like Tia, there might be some animosity toward such a person, but not too much.

Love? Impossible.

So between students like this, what kind of betrayal could there be?