Abandoned Bastard of the Royal Family Volume 2 Extra Story 1 (Part 1) (Patreon)

Extra Story 1 – Tanifa’s Campus Life (1)

Salena University is considered to be the highest academic institution in the kingdom.

Admission to this university is almost comparable to entering the gateway to success in becoming a royal bureaucrat. Thus, every year, the children of prestigious noble families always try to enter the university and fight over to get a ticket to the top.

Of course, being a university that emphasizes intelligence and wisdom, it was not only the well-bred lads and lasses who successfully made it to the elite system. Even ordinary people born in the city can get a place at the university; that is, if they do well in the entrance exams.

The chance of it happening was a once-in-a-blue-moon, but this year, a talented young lady actually received that said chance.

And that young lady was none other than Tanifa.

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At the fourth auditorium of Salena University.

Today’s lecture was over, and Tanifa was hurrying to get ready to leave when several female students suddenly blocked her path.

The faces of these women were already familiar to Tanifa.

They were ladies of lower to middle-class nobility who were taking lectures in the same seminar.

And like all women of their age, these women preferred to act in groups.

“We’ve just finished the lecture, and you’re leaving already, Ms. Tanifa?”

“Why don’t you spend more time here? Aren’t you planning on joining a club at all?”

“It’s the time of year when all the clubs and circles are recruiting new members.”

“If it’s the smart and beautiful Ms. Tanifa, you’ll be immediately sought after as long as you tell them what club you want.”

Ever since she was discovered to have outstanding grades despite being of common birth, classmates recruiting Tanifa to clubs and circles after class had already been her daily occurrence.

But no matter how they consistently invited her, Tanifa didn’t give them a chance, not even a second glance.

That’s because she knew that behind those speeches, there also contained implied sarcasm towards her, as if telling that they were of a different cut of cloth.

After all, she, in the end, was still of a commoner lineage.

“I’m sorry, but our family doesn’t have the leeway anymore to spend on anything not related to schoolwork.”

“Ah, right! I almost forgot! Tanifa, you’ve come from a humble background!”

“I’m sorry that I was so quick to judge you by our standards! You’re an honor student, but you’re still a commoner! Indeed, how unforgivable!”

But Tanifa was used to this kind of sarcasm by now.

It may not be necessary to repeat it, but students from the common people are very rare at Salena University.

This is because not only do the students need to have high academic abilities to enter, but they also need a lot of money for the school’s tuition fees are too high to begin with.

Commonly, the children of aristocrats who wanted to enter were assigned famous private tutors or sent to well-known private schools beforehand to prepare for this university’s entrance examinations.

And even then, it was only a handful of brilliant people who could get through the examinations using this method.

That’s why it was almost practically a miracle to those without the financial resources and receiving such educational services that they were able to pass without the help of such things.

And Tanifa being the only one among the new students who had managed to do such a “miracle” in her batch, It was only to the shock of many when they found out this fact.

“What a shame, though. What a shame. You’re so talented, but you can’t even participate in club activities and circles like us.”

“That’s right. But it’s not like circles and clubs are made just for us to have fun, you know? It is also a place where you can expand your personal relationships.”

“If you don’t acquire a good relationship with the people in such social gatherings, you will definitely have a hard time getting a good job after graduation. I’m very sorry to hear that.”

In short, you’re just here to make connections, huh…… Tanifa thought to herself.

Tanifa successfully enrolled in the prestigious Salena University this spring and has been studying hard every day.

And has have said many times before, this was not an easy task for Tanifa, as she was only a commoner.

Her father was a man of some renown, but he died when Tanifa was very young, and although he left her a reasonable amount of inheritance, it was barely enough for her and her mother to make ends meet.

Still, Tanifa didn’t waver.

Tanifa’s motivation to enter this most prestigious school in the country was the image of her mother that she had been seeing since she was a child.

Seeing her mother trying her best to raise her while also struggling to make money, the young Tanifa vowed that she would help her mother someday, that she should earn lots and lots of money to make her mother’s life easier.

That’s why at an early age, she has already desired a job that would give her a high income as possible.

And for this, she chose the elite course of Royal Bureaucracy that started at the University of Salena.

But because she knew that she needed skills, knowledge, and an excellent background to do so, the path to her ambition, of course, became extremely difficult.

Not only was above-average academic ability required, but the student must also have, first and foremost, the financial stability to afford their fees.

To get a job that would earn you a lot of money, first, you’d need a lot of money.

Thus, her family’s finances, which were already struggling, were further squeezed by her own school fees.

Tanifa was troubled by the contradiction that her path to help her mother had caused her even more hardship. Still, she believed that one day, she would be able to collectively repay her mother for raising her, so for now, she just worked hard to get the best results in her studies.

However, an unexpected problem arose in her life.

“Hey, Ms. Tanifa, why don’t you come out to our circle at least today?”

“We’ll just have a cup of tea and a small talk. Everyone wants to hear your stories about the commoner people.”

The young ladies and gentlemen who also attended the university were this curious about Tanifa’s existence.

To them, Tanifa was like the lone goat that wandered into a fenced-in sheep pen.

If it’s not dangerous, a foreign object will invite the curiosity of many.

That’s why Tanifa was treated like a rare animal by the well-bred young aristocrats at the university ever since she was known to be a commoner.

“I refuse. I’m busy.” Tanifa said, her reason already trying its best to suppress the powerful irony in her head that she was not like them.

“You always refuse our invitations, don’t you, Tanifa?”

“That’s saddening, considering we’re always in the same department. The son of the Warnerie family, who represents our circle, is also very interested in you.”

“Yes, yes. He has repeatedly asked us to bring you along.”

That’s why I don’t want to go even more, Tanifa said in her mind.

Apparently, there’s a high premium on Tanifa on campus.

After all, not only she has the brains, but she also has the looks to show for.

Despite this, Tanifa was not the type to use her beauty to try and get close to anyone, even after hearing stories of such men becoming interested in her.

“I’m really busy,” This time, she stressed with a full apology. “I don’t have time to play with you, and I’m not interested in any of the guys at this school.”

Sensing she could not get anywhere with vague excuses anymore, she decided to go straightforward this time.

“Eehh~? That’s not true, isn’t it? I’m pretty sure Ms. Tanifa is interested in men too.”

Then, “Oh no,” she quickly realized what she had done. In monotone.

If someone were to pass a topic to a group of women of their age that would lead to a conversation about men, i.e., a love story, the conversation would never end.

“This university is a treasure trove of good men, let me tell you. They have good bloodlines and a promising future. If you can get one of them to marry you, you’ll have stability for life.”

“Well, it may be pointless to talk about such things to a commoner like you, Ms. Tanifa, but….”

“Ms. Tanifa, you’ve been studying way too much! If you don’t pay attention to everything else, you’ll be living a really dry college life to the end!”

Pitying glances of the noble ladies were then poured in on Tanifa from all directions after they stated those lines.

“What did you just say?”

However, as if something had triggered her in those gazes, Tanifa’s patience felt shaken to the core.

“I think we should stop inviting Ms. Tanifa. If someone who studies all the time and can’t communicate well comes there, it will only bring the mood of the place down.”

Now they’re saying whatever they wanted.

Tanifa’s patience was getting shaken again.

“That’s right. Maybe our circle is too advanced for a beginner in love? In that case, let’s change the day and establish a beginner’s course in love, all for the sake of our Ms. Tanifa-”

“Wait a minute.”

And after the third one, a strong tremor occurred in her head, like a castle wall being demolished by a battering ram, and by the time she knew it, Tanifa was already confronting them with a loud tone.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that. Where do you obtain such wild assumptions?”

She spoke in a raised tone.

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