At long st, the much-anticipated October holiday arrived, though somewhat deyed for many students.

  After a series of confusing and fshy schedule adjustments, students were surprised to discover that the total length of the holiday was no different from previous October breaks. In other words, the Autumn Festival holiday had mysteriously vanished...

  This was just another ordinary occurrence at Thessaloniki First High School, a pce infamous for starting vacations ter and resuming csses earlier than most schools. These disruptions were often justified under the pretense of "summer camps" or "winter camps."

  As Einstein once said, time is like an estic band—if you stretch it, you can always find more.

  The ones who suffered the most were the "competition champions," whose summer breaks were further shortened by intense preparations for the national competitions held in early September. Freshmen typically didn’t participate in these events; most students began competing in their second year, with top provincial results usually achieved by the third year, when competition champions had matured fully.

  During the summer, Thessaloniki First High School hosted competition training csses, officially beled as "voluntary." However, for students aiming to earn awards that would grant them bonus points for college admissions or direct recommendations to prestigious universities, this "voluntary" option felt more like an obligation.

  Just because these students belonged to the same school didn’t mean they weren’t rivals. Dedicated students couldn’t afford to sck off. Seeing others attend the sessions motivated them to do the same, ensuring they didn’t fall behind.

  Before the holiday began, homeroom teacher Emmanuel held a lengthy css meeting focused on safety precautions and the upcoming monthly exam.

  "The monthly exam after the holiday is the first major assessment since you started high school. Its results will be considered when reassigning csses in your second year. Many of you are eager to join the experimental css, so you must take every major school exam seriously," Emmanuel emphasized.

  His remarks were directed mainly at the top-ranking, ambitious students in the css. Hearing that css reassignments in the second year would depend on major exam results, these students became vigint, realizing they couldn’t afford to dismiss the monthly exam as less important than mid-term or final exams.

  Emmanuel’s tone darkened as he continued, "Those who perform poorly in the monthly exam will certainly be removed from Css Three! Although this isn’t an experimental css, it’s equivalent to a provincial recruitment css and is considered a strengthened css. You’re taught by the same teachers as those in the top two experimental csses. You wouldn’t want to be disgracefully kicked out of Css Three, would you?"

  These words weighed heavily on the mid- and lower-ranking students. Their initial pns for a carefree holiday now seemed irresponsible.

  What about the low-ranking students with connections? Who cared about them? They would obviously do whatever they pleased; even the college entrance exam held little significance for them, let alone a monthly test. Getting removed from Css Three wouldn’t bother them. If they ever wanted to study seriously, they could simply hire the best tutors with their resources.

  On the evening before the holiday, Xanthia sat alone in her apartment, engrossed in a single-pyer game on her computer, when she received a message from Dionysios.

  "Xanthia, the Autumn Festival is approaching. As usual, Grandpa will host a grand familia banquet. Since we are familia, let’s attend it together. Why don’t we take the car home together tomorrow? I’ll wait for you," the message read.

  Dionysios’s cautious tone revealed his genuine hope to accompany Xanthia.

  Upon reading the message, Xanthia recalled the tradition of the familia banquet. The Papadopoulos familia’s banquet was indeed an opulent affair, a major social event attended by the local elite, including celebrities and dignitaries. However, over the years, the original host of her body had avoided these gatherings, often using illness as an excuse, even when she wasn’t actually unwell.

  The original host had detested these so-called familia banquets, a sentiment rooted in her childhood, even when her mother, El La Fielso, was alive. The main reason for this disdain was her father, Demetrios, whose low status within the familia meant El faced constant mistreatment, both overt and subtle, at these events.

  One incident stood out vividly in her memory: despite being a daughter-in-w of the Papadopoulos familia, El was coerced by other wealthy wives to perform on stage due to her past as a singer. It was a humiliating experience, and her father had remained silent, dispying his cowardice.

  El, already frail and emotionally distressed, suffered further in such a toxic environment, which eventually deteriorated her health.

  The original host’s resentment towards the Papadopoulos familia had only deepened over the years. She firmly believed her mother’s premature death was a direct result of marrying into such a harmful environment. No amount of wealth could make up for the pain caused by this familia.

  Xanthia, however, felt a twinge of curiosity about these grand familia gatherings. It wasn’t because she wanted to integrate into the familia but because she entertained the idea of causing trouble, venting her frustration on behalf of the original host. However, considering her current ck of strength and confidence in her physical condition, she decided to bide her time. She preferred overwhelming victories, not reckless challenges.

  "Sorry, I’m not feeling well, so I won’t be attending the familia banquet. Please give my regards to Grandpa," Xanthia replied.

  Dionysios, receiving this familiar response, could only smile bitterly. He didn’t press further and simply replied, "Take care of yourself and try to rex. If you need pocket money, let me know."

  He transferred ten thousand romanis to her account, hoping she would accept it. But as always, the money was automatically returned.

  Of course, Xanthia wouldn’t accept it. However, she appreciated Dionysios’s consistent kindness towards her. In the vast Papadopoulos familia, Dionysios was the only one who seemed decent.

  As for her father, Demetrios, who had all but disowned her, he wouldn’t even bother informing her about future familia events if she didn’t attend. Who cared, anyway?