I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 424

When Baek Yuseol mentioned Isaac Morph, the most surprised person was not Hong Siwha, but Eisel.

“...To bring up my father here, of all places.”

Eisel had never expected to resolve everything at this event. She had only come here for preliminary groundwork, nothing more.

But Baek Yuseol had bluntly mentioned Isaac Morph, and it wasn’t hard to guess why.

“This could work out perfectly...” Flame muttered, and Eisel nodded in agreement.

“It’s risky, but yes.”

If Isaac Morph’s case could be used to topple Hong Siwha, it would benefit both Hong Biyeon and Eisel. But that would only be the best-case scenario. The real question was whether it was realistically possible.

Eisel, Hong Biyeon, and Flame already knew what Hong Siwha had done. They had remained silent only because they lacked evidence to prove it.

“Isaac Morph, huh. That’s a particularly painful chapter,” Hong Siwha said nonchalantly.

Glancing sideways at Hong Seryu, she saw that Seryu remained impassive, showing no reaction to the conversation.

If Baek Yuseol truly uncovered the truth, Hong Seryu would undoubtedly suffer a major blow as well. So how could she remain so indifferent?

“Has she already decided to abdicate the throne?”

Hong Seryu never held much love for this kingdom. She had ascended to the throne only because her siblings were too incompetent to manage it themselves.

She had no rivals. Becoming queen had been little more than an amusement for her. Even with minimal effort, her siblings had failed to measure up to her talent.

So she had no lingering attachments. Preparing to abdicate at such a young age likely meant she had enjoyed her fill and was ready to step down. Or perhaps she had grown disgusted with Adolevit’s rot and wanted to leave it all behind.

Whatever the reason, Hong Seryu showed no intention of stopping Baek Yuseol’s declaration.

Hong Siwha closed her eyes. She too had a choice to make.

Baek Yuseol was no fool. If anything, he was sharper than anyone she had ever encountered, which was why she had sought to draw him into her grasp.

“...He likely knows something.”

Why? Where had the cracks in her plan formed? She had ensured absolute secrecy. Not only had she ordered silence, but she had eliminated most witnesses and bound key figures with magical prohibitions that suppressed their tongues.

These prohibitions applied even to the royal family, making it impossible for anyone to escape them.

Her initial plan to distance Hong Biyeon was already scrapped. She needed a new approach.

First option: assume Baek Yuseol lacked evidence and let him speak.

Second option: assume he might have evidence and force his hand.

Her mind raced like a supercomputer, simulating various scenarios. She evaluated her actions, as well as those of the queen, Baek Yuseol, and the nobles, from an objective perspective in the blink of an eye.

“...The first option isn’t ideal.”

If she chose the first option and Baek Yuseol had no evidence, she would achieve a flawless victory, with nothing to lose.

But if he did have even the slightest proof, even a sliver...

It would be a complete and total defeat.

For Hong Siwha, who had become Adolevit’s hero and a globally celebrated mage due to that incident, the damage to her reputation would be catastrophic.

“The odds are 99% in my favor. But losing that 1% chance means losing everything.”

So what about the second option? Forcing Baek Yuseol to speak?

It was a guaranteed loss.

But the loss would be manageable.

Those unaware of the truth might harbor slight suspicions, but without decisive evidence, the incident wouldn’t be brought up again. Even if her image suffered a minor blow, her reputation wouldn’t be utterly destroyed.

“Not yet.”

A tarnished reputation? That didn’t matter.

She could endure being pelted with stones, stripped bare, and strung up in the public square.

She had lived a despicable life deserving of such punishment.

But...

“...Not until I discover how to lift Adolevit’s eternal curse.”

The answer was almost within reach.

She could see it now.

Her death was inevitable. Whether assassinated by someone she had wronged or succumbing to the illness that already consumed her body, her end was near.

“I’m not doing this to save myself.”

She raised her eyes to meet Baek Yuseol’s gaze.

The choice with a 99% chance of success but a 1% chance of complete failure—she decided to forgo it.

She could not allow even the smallest chance of victory to slip into his hands.

So she chose the path of guaranteed defeat.

“Baek Yuseol.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“The incident you speak of is not something a commoner may dare to mention. Many flames of Adolevit, myself included, were gravely wounded that day. The scars have yet to fade.”

In an instant, Hong Siwha’s tone shifted, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic weight that made the nobles swallow nervously. Such gravity in her demeanor was rare.

Baek Yuseol bowed his head.

“My apologies, Princess. I have overstepped.”

“You are not an Adolevit citizen, but rather a royal guest, so you will not be punished. However, a commoner who dares to mention such an event cannot remain at this ball. Either I will leave, or you will. Choose.”

“I could never ask a princess to leave her own ball. I will take my leave.”

“A wise choice.”

Hong Siwha’s words prompted Baek Yuseol to lift his head and meet her gaze.

And then, she realized.

“A trap...was it?”

Baek Yuseol was smiling.

It was as if he had orchestrated this entire situation.

Too late, Hong Siwha understood, grinding her teeth in frustration.

“...So that’s what it was.”

Baek Yuseol definitely knew something about the incident. That much was clear.

But...

“He didn’t have evidence strong enough to sway public opinion, at least not here and now.”

Had she dared him to speak, she would have won.

After all, Baek Yuseol had no proof.

But his boldness, his confidence in handling the matter so publicly, made it seem as if he knew the whole truth.

When Hong Siwha considered the 1% chance of defeat, she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.

Pressing her lips together, she scanned the room. Reading the atmosphere around her was second nature.

“What’s going on? Why is this happening?”

“That day was a glorious event, wasn’t it?”

“Taking down the traitor Morph was a huge achievement. Why bring it up now?”

“Was there really a need to silence him?”

“I was hoping to hear the princess recount the heroics of that day herself...”

The murmur of doubts rippled through the crowd. The sudden shift in Hong Siwha’s demeanor, exercising authority over Baek Yuseol—a mage of honor—struck everyone as peculiar.

After all, the incident in question, while painful, had occurred a decade ago. It hardly seemed necessary to silence and expel a commoner for mentioning it.

If Hong Siwha were truly the hero who vanquished the corrupt black mage Isaac Morph, wouldn’t she have accepted Baek Yuseol’s recognition with pride instead of forcing him into silence?

That question embedded itself in the minds of everyone present.

...Exactly as Hong Siwha had anticipated.

And likely, exactly what Baek Yuseol had intended.

As that realization dawned over the ballroom, Hong Siwha closed her eyes.

“I fell for it.”

How foolish. She should have trusted herself.

She should have evaluated her own perfection objectively.

“There’s no evidence.”

She had been certain of it. So why had she perceived her victory rate as 99%?

The truth was... her chances had been 100%.

She looked at Baek Yuseol.

He offered a polite bow to Queen Hong Seryu, then silently exited the ballroom amidst the stunned silence.

“That’s Baek Yuseol’s true ability.”

To make a 100% victory seem like a 99% gamble and then exploit that tiny perceived gap.

That’s how he had likely achieved victory time and time again—turning the slimmest of odds into guaranteed success.

“He’s fundamentally different from me.”

Hong Siwha, who had always operated with complete certainty, never learned how to win with less than 100% odds.

So she had declared defeat outright.

Because without 100%, she had genuinely believed victory was impossible.

And that had been her critical error.

The ballroom began to hum with murmurs as the nobles started whispering amongst themselves.

“Perhaps...the one who should have left wasn’t Baek Yuseol, but me.”

With that thought, Hong Siwha returned to her seat beside Queen Hong Seryu.

The musicians, catching Hong Seryu’s subtle glance, quickly resumed playing, and the nobles started dancing as if nothing had happened.

But even as they danced, they couldn’t stop pondering Hong Siwha’s strange behavior.

“Quite the performance,” Hong Seryu remarked in a languid tone.

Hong Siwha scowled. Being dismissed by this woman was intolerable.

“...So it seems.”

“Hah, it’s been a while since I’ve heard your voice so lacking in confidence.”

“If Baek Yuseol had truly possessed decisive evidence just now, Your Majesty wouldn’t have emerged unscathed either.”

“And what of it?”

“...Pardon?”

Hong Siwha turned to look at Hong Seryu, who seemed utterly disinterested as she watched the ball with a bored expression.

Had there been no one around, she might have yawned.

“If I die and you die, there’s still someone left to inherit the throne. The kingdom won’t collapse.”

“...Do you truly believe that?”

“Why would I lie? Perhaps in the past, but now, it wouldn’t matter if Hong Biyeon ascended the throne. Whether it’s you or her, it’ll be amusing either way.”

Startled by those words, Hong Siwha shot to her feet and stared at the queen.

But Hong Seryu, with her dull gaze, didn’t even bother to meet her eyes.

“What are you doing? Raising your gaze above that of the queen? Must I look up to you?”

“...My apologies. I feel slightly faint. I’ll take my leave.”

“Good. Your tone is much improved. Though I suspect you’ll revert by tomorrow. Go rest. This ball grows duller by the moment.”

As Hong Seryu’s indifferent words sank in, Hong Siwha suddenly realized where her own temperament had come from.

“Like mother, like daughter, I suppose. Only, I’m the lesser version.”

That thought didn’t stir resentment or bitterness. It was simply a fact.

Today, she had attacked Hong Biyeon.

And she had been utterly defeated.

That was all there was to it.

With that thought, Hong Siwha left the ballroom.

“Princess Hong Siwha has also departed...”

“I see.”

“That exchange must have shaken her deeply.”

“Hmm. If that’s the case, then perhaps there’s truly something more to it.”

“Is that so? In that case, I...”

Now, the only princess remaining in the ballroom was Hong Biyeon.

All eyes shifted to her.

With Hong Siwha gone, the nobles no longer hesitated to act.

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That might not seem like much, but for Hong Biyeon, it was a critical turning point.