《How To End a Crush》 Chapter 1.1 The handsome young guy sitting near the window flipped through his book. His pink lips twitched a little at the sound of the turning pages. His thick silvery hair caught the sunlight beaming in through the window which made it gleam brightly. His jewel-like eyes caught my attention. They sparkled through his round glasses like stars in an azure cast sky. It was a breathtaking sight. I spaced out, just staring at the wonder before me. *** Throughout my entire 17 years of life, I have never once believed in love at first sight. So, it was very strange to me that I fell so easily and so hard for a guy that I knew so little about. I didn¡¯t even know what he was like or where he lived or anything. However, that¡¯s all behind me now. I shouldn¡¯t be getting myself involved with upperclassmen like Noah anyhow. Or¡­ that¡¯s what I thought until I saw him again. I still remember that day as if it were just yesterday. It had been one whole week since I started going to the academy. At the time, I was just an ordinary freshman struggling to adapt to a new environment and a busy schedule. I didn¡¯t really think about nor care for meeting someone special or anything like that. In fact, I thought I was always going to be like that. During those days, I would spend some of my free time making extra sure that I put the books that I had borrowed from the library back in their original place. The strict librarian would have been super annoyed with me had I put them back incorrectly. Even the sound of my footsteps at that time could not have been any more elegant either. My then home-economics teacher once said that I had the walk of a noblewoman. That most elegant sound of my footsteps came to an abrupt halt as I stopped mid-stride. For no special reason, I looked over my shoulder and, in that moment, my breath was taken away from me. My mouth fell open, almost as if someone had grabbed my jaw from underneath and yanked it down. I couldn¡¯t help it. The face of the guy standing next to me was just too radiant. He was tall with a solid build. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I¡¯d probably be led to believe that he was actually a woman. His face was that gorgeous. Was he¡­ a guy? Even a human being, in fact? Not a sculpture that escaped from some shrine? Has there ever been a sculpture painted in such a way? His long silvery hair was tidy and sparkled like diamonds. His golden eyes were as deep as a vast lake. His nose was high and stoic as is often seen on the busts of those powerful men from Ancient Rome. Also, his skin was as white as freshly fallen snow that had accumulated overnight. Wow, so handsome¡­ That student¡¯s desk was located near the window where the bright sunlight always beamed in during the morning. Every strand of his gentle hair caught the sun in a way that gave it the appearance of swirling fog amid the light. It was enough to mercilessly shake the heart of an innocent new schoolgirl from the countryside like myself. I lowered my eyes to his uniform where I saw his year and name stitched in white over his blue name patch. He was a sophomore student named Noah Yurielle. He¡¯s that well known guy who¡¯s been a magical genius since before he even started going to this school. Come to think of it, when I came to take the entrance exam, I caught a glimpse of his grades posted on the wall in the hallway. His name was posted in the slot next to the label that read ¡°#1.¡± How about that? That person was him. Who would have known that he would be such a handsome young man like this? I was unaware of how impolite I was being by staring at him like that, but I was so engrossed in admiring his face that I didn¡¯t have the slightest thought of remorse. I stood there like that as the guy tried to pass by beside me. I was so absorbed in his face that I neglected to step to the side and he eventually ended up having to squeeze by between me and the bookshelf. He checked out a book, and as he walked off with his hair waving gently behind him, I followed him with my eyes until he was out of sight. It wasn¡¯t until that moment that I realized that my heart had been racing that entire time. That was the historical day that marked the beginning of the longest crush I¡¯ve ever had on someone in my entire life. *** Chapter 1.2 It¡¯s been nearly two years since that day and I¡¯m still crazy about him. Noah Yurielle¡­ One grade level above me and a skillful magician¡­ I wouldn¡¯t consider what I felt for him to be devoted love exactly, but it was definitely something sincere. It¡¯s gotten to the point where I¡¯m completely infatuated with him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then just tell him how you feel.¡± Ah, this again. Like that idea hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. If I had such courage, I would have already told him. Feeling pathetic from hearing Dora¡¯s remark, I buried my face in my hands and let out a prolonged sigh. ¡°Exactly how in the world am I supposed to tell him how I feel¡­?¡± I¡¯m just the ordinary daughter of a count, but him¡­ He¡¯s the son of a prestigious and high-ranking marquis. Such a gap in status was not something that even being born with magical powers could close. ¡°Everyone says that. Just confess your innermost feelings then get dumped later,¡± Dora said with a giggle. She said this a little too easily. It was only just a month ago that her boyfriend, a fellow classmate, broke up with her. She ran off in tears and threw herself onto her bed when she got back to her dorm room. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get dumped¡­¡± I was on the verge of tears and I turned again to look through the window in the hallway that gave a clear view of the inside of the classroom. I saw him on the opposite side of the glass. He was sitting at his desk reading his book. He¡¯s so handsome. Just then, a pretty girl with lovely pinkish hair approached him as she let out what was probably the cutest little giggle anyone has ever heard. ¡°Noah, you¡¯re here early.¡± Noah looked up at her upon hearing his name. At that moment, I felt my shoulders suddenly become weak. ¡°It¡¯s Flora,¡± Dora whispered into my ear. Flora Ivy¡­ She was both my beloved Noah¡¯s childhood friend and the second reason as to why I haven¡¯t confessed my love to him yet in these past two years. I guess it¡¯s like they say, birds of a feather flock together. Flora was every bit as amazing of a person as Noah was. She was unbelievably friendly, beautiful, intelligent, and gifted with incredible talent. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. In every possible way, she was perfect. A goddess. Her thick, yet gentle wavy pink hair, her cute sky-blue eyes¡­ Compared to her, I was nothing. Did I even stand a chance against a female such as her? Would my beloved Noah even notice me? Feeling dissatisfied with myself, I put my head down and fiddled with my inferior and commonplace yellow hair. While Flora was talking to Noah in an affectionate tone, she suddenly glanced in my direction. ¡°Oh, Kate¡¯s here too.¡± Flora put on a warm smile and waved over at Dora and I. I forced a smile and opened the door to the classroom which we were using as the room for our after-school club meeting. ¡°Hello everyone.¡± ¡°Hi. You must be feeling so exhausted from preparing for the exams. Did you do the assigned readings in the book yet?¡± Flora said as she smiled pleasantly and patted me gently on the back. I didn¡¯t answer her and instead held up the book and smiled. ¡°Hi,¡± Noah said as he saw me, albeit slightly delayed. I hesitated in front of him and just nodded without uttering a single word. I let out a very light sigh and took my seat. As soon as I sat down, I looked over at Noah, but in an indiscreet way so that no one would take notice. Seeing his cloud-like silvery hair again made my heart beat faster and faster. But then a heavy thought came crashing down onto my daydream; I¡¯m just another club member¡­ Just another student at this school. That¡¯s all I am in his eyes and I imagine that¡¯s all I¡¯ll ever be. I should be thankful he at least thought of me as a sincere and hardworking student. No, I take that back. I should be thankful if he was at least aware of my very existence. If it weren¡¯t for this club, I probably would never have been able to get the chance to even talk to him. Perhaps there are dozens of other girls just like me at this academy. They all act like they know him because they¡¯re in the same club. I¡¯m sure Noah thinks of me as being no different from the rest of them. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Flora took out a thick book and slammed it on the desk in order to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°So then, would anyone like to share any comments?¡± I half-heartedly opened my book. I actually had no interest in the reading club. In fact, the only reason why I joined this club in the first place was just because Noah was in it. I would even go as far as to say that, with the exception of Flora, there is not even one person who shows up to these club meetings out of an interest in literature. Noah joined the club because Flora had asked him to. I joined the club because Noah had joined it. Ah, the lovely domino effect. ¡°We¡¯ll start with Kate.¡± I quickly fixed my eyes on my book upon hearing Flora¡¯s words. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± It was a book on classical literature with a pitch-black cover and an author whose name was impressive yet difficult to pronounce. Besides, I didn¡¯t really have the time nor the motivation to read because of the upcoming exams. However, I wanted to impress Noah, so I was able to cram in some reading before I came. I lifted up the heavy book with my hand and glanced at Noah before opening my mouth. ¡°I thought the main character¡¯s love seemed a bit shallow.¡± ¡°Oh, is that right?¡± Flora¡¯s eyes sparkled. It seemed that this new observation was intriguing to her. That comment gave me some encouragement. But no matter how much I prepared, it was always hard for me to speak in front of the upperclassmen. ¡°Whenever you like someone, it¡¯s impossible to tear your eyes away from that person, you know. You tend to keep your eyes on them. It¡¯s like¡­ like that, you know.¡± I started off confident, but for whatever reason, I ran out of steam the more I went on. When I opened my mouth again to wrap up what I was saying, I felt someone¡¯s gaze on me. In fact, a pair of gold-tinted eyes were staring directly at me. ¡°¡­!¡± I quickly tipped my head down. Ah, I hope to god he didn¡¯t see the look on my face. He was just probably concentrating on what I was saying about the book, but still, my heart seemed to sink in that instant. ¡°Yeah, I guess I can see where you¡¯re coming from. Thank you, Kate.¡± Flora put on a friendly smile. Fortunately for me, it didn¡¯t seem like she was able to see through my act. Those golden eyes were still staring at me through those glasses. I firmly shut my eyes and bit my lower lip so hard that I was able to taste blood. *** Chapter 1.3 ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone needs time to prepare for the upcoming exams, so there won¡¯t be any club meetings starting from next week. Good luck on your tests, everyone!¡± ¡°Thanks, you too.¡± Flora saw me out as I left the classroom hugging the thick book against my chest. I closed the door behind me and turned to take a look inside the classroom again. Noah had a rare smile on his face as he looked at Flora. It was hard for me to watch. I wondered what they could be talking about. ¡°They¡¯re a good match.¡± I caught myself thinking aloud. I didn¡¯t know why I said that. I knew my place. I never once expected to feel like this. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous of her. ¡°It might be better if I were out of the picture entirely.¡± Should I just quit the club? I grumbled miserably as I turned and walked off. For some reason, Noah seemed to be on my mind a lot more than usual today. I trudged along, gradually losing strength the more I kept walking. All of a sudden, I was feeling very depressed. *** ¡°I¡¯m returning this.¡± ¡°Write down the title of the book and put it back in its proper place,¡± the librarian said in a cold voice as she wiped the dust off of some random book. My already depressed mood hit rock bottom upon hearing her shrill tone. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡± I said with a resigned sigh. I was doing that a lot today ¨C sighing. I probably lost several years of my life with each one. No, I need to pull it together. There are two weeks remaining before the exams begin. I need to focus on studying. It¡¯ll be okay as long as I get a grip on myself. I just have to stop thinking about Noah and only concentrate on preparing for my exams instead. I clenched my hands into fists and made a promise with myself to execute that plan. As I was on my way out of the library, a certain book caught my attention. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ There¡¯s no title.¡± I narrowed my eyes in curiosity and walked up to the bookshelf. What could such a gaudy-looking book be about? The books in the library at the academy are generally all scholarly and literary works. Very rarely are there popular novels available as they are almost always checked out. Is this one new? ¡°Excuse me, is this¡­¡± I opened my mouth as I grabbed the red-covered book, but the librarian seemed too distracted wiping off the dust that had settled on a large encyclopedia that she didn¡¯t even hear me. I gave up on trying to get her attention and just took a seat at a nearby desk. I flipped open the book to a page and skimmed through it, softly murmuring the words to myself. ¡°Oh.¡± It¡¯s a bit erotic. Why on earth would the school have a book like this available to students? I whistled as I leafed through the pages. No matter where I turned to in the book, there were scenes of kissing. In fact, I¡¯d say that was the case for every scene. I got to wondering just what led up to the two characters doing something like that in the classroom, so I flipped to the beginning of the novel. I skimmed through a little more until my eyes came to an abrupt stop. My face gradually became petrified at what I was looking at. *** It was very clear that the book was a romance novel taking place at a school. There was an angelic female lead character who was both smart and beautiful. The other main character was the guy she loved, a cool and handsome young man. Their love was to be interrupted by the antagonists in the story, but they would reaffirm their feelings for each other in the end and so on and so forth. That¡¯s as far as I needed to read to know that this was probably going to be a painfully unoriginal love story. However, if it were merely that, I wouldn¡¯t be so intrigued by it like I was. If there was one thing strange about this book, it was that the two main characters from the story really existed at this academy. The lead character from this untitled book sounded unmistakably like Flora. This went without saying since Flora Ivy had always been a perfect human being. Her love interest, the handsome young male character, was obviously none other than the man of my dreams, Noah. Needless to say, this was obviously a cruel joke being played on me by somebody who had far too much time on their hands. This wasn¡¯t funny at all to me. Imagining the person you like involved with another girl in such a way was not something that evoked laughter. However, what really got me down was the fact that I played a part in this story too. Katelin Blair, the lackluster antagonist who, despite being expelled from the academy by harassing the flawless and beautiful Flora out of jealousy, maintained a fruitless infatuation with the stunningly handsome Noah. On top of that, the main antagonist seemed detached and didn¡¯t even really play a big part in the story. She appeared in what, maybe a couple of dozen pages. In fact, the role was comparable to that of an annoying fly who wouldn¡¯t get out of the faces of the other two, much more important, characters. I was in a foul mood. From my secret feelings that I felt for Noah to the background and personalities of the two main characters that are strikingly similar to that of Flora and Noah, this whole story seemed to be too much of an accurate portrayal of my current situation. It actually creeped me out a bit. I didn¡¯t know why; I mean, this did seem to be a pretty standard and clich¨¦ romance novel. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not crazy.¡± I scowled and crumpled up the page. Just what kind of sick sexually perverse pervert would write such a book? No doubt it was the work of some twisted student who had way too much time on their hands. To top it off, they made me the lowly and expendable bad guy. Chapter 2.1 ¡°So¡­ what you¡¯re saying is that someone wrote a strange novel about Flora and Noah?¡± ¡°Yes, and I think something like this certainly deserves some kind of punishment.¡± I fervently nodded my head as the teacher, with an exhausted face, rubbed her forehead. My emotionally clenched fists were not enough to win her over to my side and I trembled with frustration. I wasn¡¯t even comfortable opening up like this, but I needed to say something to someone about that strange book. I had to suck it up and really push myself to read through that whole story. Even the deepest of intimate scenes between the two main characters were described in vivid detail. It goes without saying that having to read such scenes really placed me in a horrible mood, but to see myself written into the story with such a pathetic role like that¡­ That really was the icing on the cake. Hmph, this person definitely made it into my blacklist for the very shameful reason that they would go out of their way to write such bizarre nonsense about their fellow schoolmates. ¡°You have to see it for yourself. It¡¯s written about some of the other students at this school. I mean, how dare they write such, such¡­!¡± I then clenched my stomach and almost screamed out the rest of the sentence, ¡°¡­ sexually perverted delusion!¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s really low-class stuff. You need to have a look at it for yourself.¡± The teacher opened up the book and adjusted the glasses over her dull eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± I heard her say in a perplexed tone of voice. ¡°Huh?¡± I was taken aback by the teacher¡¯s unexpected comment. I rubbed my eyes and looked down once again at the open pages of the book. It was unmistakable; that cruel joke of a story written in that teasingly elegant font which I saw yesterday was clearly imprinted on the pages before me. I don¡¯t get it¡­ What¡¯s going on here? I was feeling flustered. I gulped and opened my mouth again to speak. ¡°Maybe the book is¡­ enchanted with some kind of magic?¡± It was strange; I didn¡¯t sense any magical energy from it. I tilted my head and furrowed my brow out of confusion. It had to be magic. After all, if you wrote a story like that, you¡¯d be stupid not to put any kind of protection on it. It could be that there was some kind of glitch or error with the magical seal casting on the book. That would be an explanation as to why I was the only one able to see the writing. Yeah, that¡¯s it. Nice try, my friend. ¡°Oh alright, Kate. I know you¡¯re not the type who¡¯d make up stuff like this for no reason.¡± The teacher skimmed through the pages here and there. She then took a small device and began inspecting the book with it. Seeing as the two students being portrayed in such a way in this book were the children of socially high-ranking parents, I got the feeling that the teacher came to the decision to inspect the book using this tool for this very reason rather than for my own sake. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t the courageous type, but if I could trace the magic back to the one who enchanted the book and track that person down, it would be a shining moment for me. I gritted my teeth out of anticipation. The teacher finished her inspection and handed the scarlet-covered book back over to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that funny? The book hasn¡¯t been enchanted with any sort of magic at all.¡± ¡°What? But that can¡¯t be right,¡± I replied with a dumbfounded expression on my face. ¡°Kate.¡± ¡°Th-that just doesn¡¯t make any sense! It¡¯s all written right here, clear as day! ¡®Noah kissed Flora¡¯s glossy pink lips passionately before slowly licking up the side of her smooth face with his warm and moist tongue.¡¯¡± ¡°Katelin!¡± The teacher removed her glasses and glared at me in disgust through her wrinkly old eyes. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Holding the book, I got up and left the room. I immediately closed the door behind me and leaned up against it in despair. With a confused and frustrated look on my face, I grabbed my hair and tied it back. My head was spinning in circles and I felt light-headed and dizzy. Have I really fallen off the deep end just two weeks before the start of the exams? *** <> Chapter 2.2 Thinking that something could have been wrong with the teacher¡¯s magic-detection device, I gathered up some of my allowance and sent the book to the Tower of Magic to have it more thoroughly inspected. However, after reading the response they sent me, my initial anger over this whole situation gave way to a strong feeling of doubt. Those that worked at the Tower of Magic were no scammers. They were by far the most renowned and credible institution that dealt with anything magic-related. No way¡­ So, could it be that I¡¯ve lost my mind after all? I looked in the mirror and saw a haggard and unsightly girl with a dark shadow cast under her eyes. I was so unattractive in my eyes that one could probably mistake me for a ghoul in the dark of night. I placed the book on my desk and just stared at it as I anxiously bit my nails. That book has had me so on edge these last few days that I¡¯d not only lost sleep over it, but I¡¯d also been feeling physically exhausted. Dora had been worrying about me recently ever since she saw my fatigue-ridden face. I really need to just stop caring about this whole thing. That¡¯d be for the best. I should be concentrating on studying for the exams. As was always the case with me, I had so many things to worry about. This book should not be one of them. I still had many questions that I wanted answers to concerning that book, but I eventually went back to the library and quietly returned it to its original place. I only hoped that this horrible state I¡¯ve been in was only temporary. *** With a puzzled expression, I stared down at the top of my bed on which lay that all too familiar book with the red cover. How did this get here? I returned it to the library just ten minutes ago. I put it back on the bookshelf myself¡­ A chill ran up and down my spine. ¡°Dora, why is this here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave it there?¡± Dora replied absentmindedly from the other side of the bookshelf that extended from my bed. ¡°No, I returned it to the library.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you just forgot to take it with you and returned a different book instead.¡± ¡°No, I definitely returned this book,¡± I said with a tone of conviction in my voice. I wasn¡¯t sure whether she thought I was acting like a fool or if she just didn¡¯t feel the need to say anything further, but Dora didn¡¯t respond. I stood beside my bed in silence for a little while before picking up the book and tearing its pages to shreds with my bare hands. ¡°Oh my god, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Dora became startled and stared at me with wide eyes. I felt her sympathy for me through her big blue eyes. She was probably thinking that all the pressure from the upcoming exams had finally gotten to me. I didn¡¯t pay her any mind though. I finished ripping up the book and let out a light sigh. I threw the crumpled cover and scraps of paper from the shredded book into the trashcan and subsequently flopped down onto my bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap for a little while.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Okay. Sleep well.¡± Dora seemed clearly taken aback by my strange behavior which she knew wasn¡¯t typical of me. She was visibly concerned and even pulled my blanket over me. As soon as I closed my sore and tired eyes, I fell fast asleep. *** When I woke up, the book was there yet again. I spent the whole day running around trying my best to rid myself of that dreadful book. I tried returning it to the library again, burning it to ash, and shredding it into a thousand pieces using wind magic, but just as a duckling following its mother, it somehow always found its way back to me. ¡°Ughhhh!¡± That damn book! I even threw it to the bottom of Lake Woogwan, but yet again I discovered it on top of my bed ten minutes later, completely undamaged. I screamed upon seeing it and flung it across the room. At first, I was amazed at how the novel kept coming back, but now I feel like I¡¯ve become the main character in a horror story. I mean, how could this book keep reappearing like this without the use of magic? I leaned up against my bed looking pitiable, as a character would from a tragic love story. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I grabbed the book in a death grip and brought it up close to my face. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± I mumbled in a grave voice. I felt truly pathetic trying to strike up a conversation with an inanimate object, but seeing as I¡¯ve already lost my mind, what else had I to lose? My tears fell onto the cover of the book. It seemed as if the deep red color of it was mocking me. I wanted to rip it to pieces, but I knew that it would just come right back to me looking like new again anyway, so I held myself back. Chapter 2.3 ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± When Dora came back into the dorm room, she saw the tears flowing down my face and became startled. Sniff. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± ¡°Okay. You¡¯re not crazy. There, there.¡± She wiped the tears from my eyes and studied my face. ¡°Hey, did you¡­ tell Noah how you feel and get turned down?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°No!¡± I shouted with an upset face. Why was that the first thought that crossed her mind? Did she think that Noah would just naturally turn me down as if she knew that I didn¡¯t stand the slightest chance? I was annoyed by this, but now wasn¡¯t the best time to get into that. I felt like opening up and telling Dora about everything that¡¯s happened to me, but if I told her about my situation, I know exactly what she would say. I didn¡¯t want anyone, especially my good friend, to start treating me like I¡¯m some kind of crazy person. I bit my lower lip and looked over at the spot on top of my desk which had now become the respawn point for whenever that book reappeared. ¡°Oh, did something happen while you were studying?¡± When I grabbed the book and opened it, Dora got the hint that I didn¡¯t want to talk anymore about the issue. She stood up and patted me on the back before walking over to her desk. Regardless of whether this vulgar book, that somehow only I could see, was just some stupid novel or something with a deeply hidden purpose, the fact of the matter was that I was going to go insane and not be able to pass my exams unless I get rid of it. I gnawed at my lower lip and pressed my fingers against my browline. It automatically repaired any damage that was caused to it and no matter where I put it, it will always find its way back to my room. Obviously, this was no ordinary book, but at the same time, it hasn¡¯t been cursed nor enchanted with any kind of magical spell either. I mean, even the Tower of Magic said as much, so that must be true. If the supernatural power of this book was not coming from magic, then that left only one other possibility. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ Does this book have some connection with the temple? This was a very convincing hypothesis. So convincing in fact, that I gulped and gazed down at the book with grave eyes. *** Theology was a subject that didn¡¯t have any exams, so it was rare that anyone would put a lot of effort into learning the material. Instead, students would study for other subjects during the class when it was exam week. Ordinarily, I would doze off like the other students or prepare for the exams of other subjects during theology at this time. However, I was on a mission to discover the truth behind that novel with the scarlet cover, so I actually opened my textbook this time with revived motivation. Our scrawny middle-aged theology teacher began the class with a lot more energy and enthusiasm than usual. Despite that, I believed that I was the only one really paying any attention. We moved on to a section about basic theological doctrines in which the history of the temple was brought up. I was following along in the textbook, keeping a careful eye out for anything that could be related to that burdensome novel. Just then, my eyes came to an abrupt stop halfway through a paragraph about some book that foretold the future. ¡°A mysterious book in which the future is written. The people called it the Book of Prophecy.¡± The sentence from the textbook that I had just silently read was repeated aloud by the teacher. It was at this point that I raised my head and listened intently to what the teacher was saying. ¡°The second century was a chaotic time when demons ran amok and evil spirits came and went as they pleased. It is said that even at that time, the Book of Prophecy was in existence. Hearing of how it could foretell the future, many people desired the book, yet only a select few were able to read it. Those with the ability to read the book were referred to as prophets. They, through the Book of Prophecy, were able to predict many disasters that had yet to come, such as the appearance of the Dragon of Light and the Demons¡¯ Raid. And in doing so, the people were able to put a stop to them. However, after the second century had passed, the country developed, became better organized, and saw the foundations put in place that signaled the beginning of a more civilized era. As a result, the vast majority of evil spirits were driven away and relative peace was established for many generations to come. So, there was no further need for the prophets, and not long after, they all gradually disappeared and fell onto the pages of history.¡± The teacher went on with the lecture, but my mind kept buzzing with what was said about the Book of Prophecy. This was the information that I was primarily after. Much of it sounded vaguely familiar as it was standard knowledge, but all of it was taking on a completely new meaning for me. Also, I now strongly felt that my suspicions about that scarlet book were legitimate. Perhaps this¡­ Instead of taking notes, I glared down at the scarlet-covered novel now wedged in between my many notebooks. Chapter 3.1 I stared down at the novel with a bitter face and narrowed my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to believe that this could be the legendary Book of Prophecy. I had a couple of good reasons as to why too. First of all, the Book of Prophecy sounded like it foretold events of great significance, such as the appearance of evil spirits and the coming of devastating wars and such. So, why on earth would it be all about the romantic relationship between two schoolmates and when and where they made out? The second reason was that if the novel that I had in my possession really was the Book of Prophecy, then wouldn¡¯t the events in the story all come true? If that were truly the case, then Noah and Flora would really have become¡­ BANG I slammed my head down onto the desk. I wanted to die. This was the cruelest form of torture. I had the entire love story, intimate details included, between the guy I was completely crazy over and his lover, the girl that was much better than me in every conceivable way. Why me? Of all the people in the entire empire, why did this have to happen to me? I mean, could they really be in a relationship without my knowledge? Is that why they were always early to the club meetings, to smooch in the classroom while they were alone? I began pulling on my hair with both hands. There was no way I could concentrate on anything with this on my mind. The teacher glanced over at me with a sullen face and readjusted his glasses before opening his mouth to speak once more. ¡°Ah, as I was saying¡­ Historical accounts state that, through its divine power, the Book of Prophecy was an indestructible item and that by no means could it be erased from existence.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± BANG I threw my forehead down onto the desk once again. *** Eventually, the story from that scarlet-covered novel began to overlap with reality. The conversations that I overheard from Flora and Noah walking down the hallway together matched word-for-word the dialogue from the two characters in the novel. Everything was so frighteningly accurate that I began to doubt my own ears. Furthermore, I felt sick after seeing that even the food that was eaten by the two in the novel was the same that Flora and Noah would eat for lunch. As crazy as it sounded, I felt as if I had been chosen by the gods themselves. I guess that couldn¡¯t be too far-fetched seeing as how this strange novel didn¡¯t seem any different from the legendary Book of Prophecy. Wait, no. How could that be? The Book of Prophecy disappeared a long time ago. Another thing that I couldn¡¯t understand was why of all things it could be about, the content of the book was about something as trivial as a love story between two schoolmates. Even aside from the love story, there wasn¡¯t anything of any grave importance. What damn game are the gods trying to play on me? Is this their revenge for me fooling around a few times during worship? Perhaps they took my behavior as an insult and now they¡¯ve singled me out for punishment. I gulped and began to chew on my lower lip. I wasn¡¯t a rich girl or the daughter of some powerful family of nobles either. I was just the daughter of an ordinary viscount from a common countryside estate. If I go around telling people that I can read the legendary Book of Prophecy that supposedly disappeared from the face of the planet a long time ago, I would be fortunate if I weren¡¯t treated as a raving lunatic or as a two-bit swindler. With that thought in mind, I decided that it would be best if I just kept this whole thing to myself for the time being. What would it matter anyway? It¡¯s not like there were any secrets to saving the world in it; it was just a love story. I probably should have been freaking out more about the fact that this was likely the Book of Prophecy, but I was more concerned about the content of the story. Rather than studying, I completely read through the entire novel. I was wondering if it had any answers to what would become of this feeling I have, my crush. However, as I had expected, there weren¡¯t any answers provided in the text. To be precise, my role in the whole story was not only antagonistic to the two lead characters, it also didn¡¯t have any significant impact on the plot at all. As it was already something that really happened, the latter portion of the book described me as watching Flora, who had become Noah¡¯s girlfriend, with jealous eyes. It was written that I began to harass her. I was portrayed as a girl who was blinded by love and who would bully Flora by spilling ink on her shirt and intentionally tripping her. It was also written that my self-confidence had deteriorated and the only thing that my harassment of Flora resulted in was¡­ My expulsion from the academy?! I swore aloud and hurled the book across the room. It couldn¡¯t have been written any more clearly. It was, in fact, Noah who would get angry over my harassment of Flora and petition for my expulsion. Chapter 3.2 It seemed unfathomable that all this would become a reality. I studied diligently to get accepted at this academy. I was no genius, but my test results ranked me as being in the top ten. I was even on the honor roll. It was my dream to graduate at the top of my class and secure a job at the Tower of Magic. I really did like Noah, but I would never give up such a promising future for something that was at most a schoolgirl crush. Anyway, I would never even think about interfering in someone¡¯s relationship, no matter how much I liked the guy. ¡°This is so crazy.¡± I pulled at my hair and threw myself face-first onto my bed. I lay down and counted to ten in my head, after which the shock from the fact that I could be expelled from the academy began to subside. I sat up on my bed and looked over at the sickening book, at which point another wave of depression took its hold over me. From everything going on right now, how could I not shirk inwardly at the images of Noah and Flora passionately kissing each other on their soft lips? Noah, the guy I adored so much, was intimately in love with Flora. I was certain that they did all kinds of things whenever they were alone together in the classroom, the dormitories, or anywhere else. Tears began falling down from my face. I was so sad. For as much as I liked Noah over these long two years, to have that book show me that I would be almost completely irrelevant in his life was just too much for me to handle. I was to be nothing more than an extra for a few insignificant pages of his life, just watching with jealous eyes the love that he so deeply shared with the beautiful and perfect, Flora. It was upsetting, to say the least, but at least I got the clear and simple truth upfront. I¡¯ll just give up on Noah and be done with it. ¡°Hick¡­¡± Yet, he¡¯s been in my heart for a whole two years; that kind of feeling doesn¡¯t just disappear so easily. ¡°Hick, euh, hmph¡­¡± I was unaware that my tears were flowing down my face. It wasn¡¯t a love that burned with a fiery passion or one that led to a special relationship. Even from the very beginning, I thought it was just a hopeless feeling in my heart that would never lead to anything. However, casting away these special emotions towards him that I¡¯ve been carrying with me all this time felt really painful to me as if one of my body parts was being ripped off. ¡°Just forget him. It¡¯s over,¡± Dora suddenly said from her bed in a dismissive tone while clicking her tongue. I rubbed my teary eyes and cried out at her through my sobbing. ¡°Hmph, shut your mouth, hick¡­¡± The next day, my swollen eyes from having cried all throughout the night were the least of my concerns, for I had to take my exams in this condition. My mind buzzed with white noise which made me feel dizzy and I saw all kinds of shapes in a variety of different colors appear and disappear before me. I felt so out of it that I wasn¡¯t even sure what I had written on my exams throughout that whole time. There was no way I was going to achieve a great score in this state. Haha, I failed. *** ¡°Kate, you¡¯ve always been one of the top ten students in your class. So, why all of the sudden is it that you¡¯ve now fallen to the bottom third?¡± The teacher had a serious expression on her face as she readjusted her glasses. I had a sour face as I gnawed on my lower lip and bent my head down. My hair that had once been tidy now flowed freely down again. The teacher continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this exam had been at all exceptionally difficult. There were many students who were even able to raise their GPA with this exam. The only exception was you, Kate.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I mumbled as I rolled my eyes. The Book of Prophecy reflected in my eyes. I was rejected by the guy I liked and also faced expulsion from the academy. If I kept babbling on, she¡¯d likely write me a permission slip to the nurse¡¯s office. I hesitated for a moment before eventually opening my mouth to speak. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just haven¡¯t been feeling well lately. I¡¯ll get my grades back up on the next exam.¡± ¡°Is that right? Would you like to go to the nurse¡¯s office?¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s good to hear. But don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Enjoy your break.¡± The teacher took off her glasses and wiped them clean with the hem of her clothes. I let out a light sigh and trudged out of the main office. ¡°Ranked 22nd¡­¡± I crumpled up the report card that I had in my hand. This was the first time ever that I¡¯ve received a grade like that since being accepted at the academy. ¡°Eeuuuhhhh.¡± I suddenly felt the overwhelming feeling that I¡¯ve been intentionally wronged. Why did this have to happen to me out of all people? Even my grades had to suffer because of that damn book. I mean, what the hell? Had I not picked up that book from the library, then none of this might have happened. Chapter 3.3 Tears were welling up in my eyes once again. I tried to keep the tears from flowing by focusing on the strands of my blonde hair flowing in front of my eyes. ¡°Kate?¡± I quickly rubbed my eyes to wipe the tears away before turning my head around and responding in a nasally voice. ¡°Uh¡­ Hey, long time no see.¡± Standing in front of me was Arkhan. He was the son of a military officer from the adjacent estate of Helis. We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids and I often worried about him because he never studied. I had no idea why he had been pestering me so often lately. Nonetheless, I didn¡¯t want him to see me crying, so I blinked my eyes a few times and pretended to look calm and composed. ¡°Hey Kate. Oh, I see that you¡¯ve got your grades already too.¡± Arkhan slightly narrowed his red eyes. I quickly tidied up my disheveled hair with my hands and put on a serious face. ¡°Yeah. Did you get a better score than you did on the mid-term ex-¡± ¡°You ranked 22nd? Whoa, not bad.¡± How did he know that? As a precaution, I held my report card closer to my chest and made sure it wasn¡¯t showing. Arkhan covered his mouth as he let out an innocent laugh. ¡°You did pretty well, but I don¡¯t see that reflected on your pretty face. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, how did you rank?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t say anything and nobody told me.¡± It seems like he doesn¡¯t have the heart to tell me. I patted him on the back with an expression of mixed emotions. Yeah, he¡¯ll have to come to his senses and figure things out on his own someday. At least he is quite skilled in swordsmanship if anything. ¡°It¡¯s all good. As long as you do well from now on you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Good to hear that. Well, seeing as how I didn¡¯t do so hot, I should go and catch up on a few things. Let¡¯s meet up later sometime and get something to eat. I¡¯ll pay.¡± Bye. See ya. I felt a little sorry for Arkhan, so I gently ruffled his hair as I turned to leave. I was about to be on my way when, at that very moment, my feet suddenly froze to the floor and I gasped in surprise. My eyes quickly darted to the long silvery hair fluttering back and forth right in front of me. I realized who it was in an instant and my heart skipped a beat and sank deep into my chest. I gulped and urgently forced myself to say something. ¡°H-hello, Noah.¡± Noah, passing by me as he walked down the hallway, opened his lips just enough to utter a reply. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°What the¡­ Ack!¡± Arkhan cried out as my hand that had been ruffling his hair suddenly seized his scalp in a death grip as I forced myself to initiate a conversation with Noah. ¡°Ha, ha.¡± Normally, I would stumble over my words trying to say anything, but when I just stood there laughing, Noah gave me a bit of an odd look. An awkward silence ensued until Noah finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Did you do well on the exams?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Well¡­ Uhm, no.¡± I fell below the top ten. I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell him that, so I just gave him an awkward smile. ¡°Ah.¡± Noah let out something of a sigh and tried to give me encouraging words. ¡°You¡¯ll do better next time.¡± Those were easy words coming from someone already at the top of the class. Pat. Noah gave me an awkward smile as he placed one of his large hands on top of my head. He carefully and slowly rubbed my hair. ¡°???¡± Did Noah really rub my hair just now? ¡°¡­?¡± My body had involuntarily stiffened up. Noah took his hand off of my head and said a few words before continuing on his way. ¡°See you at the club meeting next week.¡± He left, but I was in such a state of shock over what had just happened that the thought of saying goodbye to him didn¡¯t even cross my mind and I just stood there with my mouth agape. From having been rubbed this way and that, my hair became a bit tangled up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that person the son of Marquis Yurielle?¡± I wasn¡¯t paying Arkhan any mind. His words didn¡¯t even register in my brain. I had completely zoned out. I rubbed my head and creased my brow. I stood there like that for a while, staring at the spot where Noah had been standing. Only after the beating of my heart had calmed down to a normal pace was I able to come back to my senses. Yeah, now that I think about it, he¡¯s always been such a warm-hearted person like that. I mean, that¡¯s why I like him¡­ Oh god. It seems I¡¯ve become a lot more conscious of Noah than usual after having read that novel. It also feels a bit different seeing him now because of that book. Faced with the cruel reality of it all, a bitter taste filled my mouth. Chapter 4.1 I held a thick book on literature in one of my hands as I continuously bit my lower lip. I got to the club meeting early. In fact, I was so early that nobody else had arrived yet. Chomp. The dull sound of me biting my fingernails was the only sound that could be heard in the room. For sure I¡¯m going to have to drop out. According to the contents of the book, I should close off my heart before something bad happened, but every time I saw Noah, I just couldn¡¯t end my feelings for him. Perhaps Dora has a spot open in her cooking club. ¡°Ugh.¡± That¡¯s not happening today though. It would probably be best to get some rest today as my insides were churning for some reason. My heart was pounding wildly. I set the book down on the desk and tore one of its pages out. As I was briskly writing out the note, I clasped my churning stomach as the feeling became worse. I was about to leave in a hurry when I saw that all too familiar shimmering silvery hair right in front of my eyes. He spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Oh, you surprised me!¡± I said in a startled voice. Awkward silence soon filled the room and I just vacantly stood there with my mouth shut. ¡°Uh¡­ Noah.¡± Noah just continued to idly stare down at me as he held the note I had written in his hand. ¡°Y-You¡¯re here early.¡± I felt Noah¡¯s lovely breath on my neck. I raised my hand to rub the strange sensation of his breath against my skin while, at the same time, I averted my eyes from his gaze. ¡°???¡± His golden eyes behind his glasses stared at me with a piercing gaze. I tried to avoid locking eyes with him, but he continued to firmly stare at me. Wh-Why does he keep looking at me? Have I done something wrong? I was nervous and unconsciously gulped. Suddenly, he touched his cool hand to my forehead. I pursed my lips together, half out of embarrassment and half out of excitement. He removed his hand for a moment and pressed his other hand gently against my forehead. His lips opened slightly as he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a fever.¡± ¡°M-My stomach hurts.¡± Noah tilted his head. His eyes reflected a slight bit of worry. ¡°Would you like me to take you to the nurse¡¯s office?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. I think I¡¯ll be okay if I just go back to my dorm and take a nap.¡± My answer was straight-up dishonest. If Noah were to accompany me back to my dorm room, I¡¯d probably feel so nervous that I would likely throw up along the way. If that were to happen, I¡¯d really just rather die right then and there. ¡°Wait a moment. Before you go¡­¡± I turned around in a heartbeat upon hearing his words. I stood there, waiting for him to continue. ¡°I just wanted to give you this. It¡¯s a notebook of everything that I wrote down during my sophomore year. You mentioned that you didn¡¯t do so well on the exams, so I thought it¡¯d be helpful to you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you, Noah.¡± I took the priceless notebook from him as if I were receiving the Holy Grail itself. He¡¯s such a good person. In that moment, I began to feel apologetic for how selfishly I¡¯ve been regarding him. ¡°Oh, could you also let Flora know why I won¡¯t be able to attend the club meeting today? I¡¯d appreciate it, Noah. Thank you!¡± I bowed my head to him and then flew out of the classroom at lightning speed. Noah hesitated and appeared to open his mouth, but he soon closed his eyes and slightly shook his head, appearing to think again before saying nothing. ¡°Ugh¡­ Why did I say that? ¡®Thank you, Noah.¡¯ That must have sounded so stupid.¡± I lightly slapped myself on the cheek several times as the scene replayed in my mind again and again. I glanced over to the side and saw my reflection in the window. My face had become so red that it looked as if it were about to explode. I placed both of my hands on my cheeks and quite nearly swore aloud in an audible whisper. ¡°Son of a¡­¡± You¡¯ve got to be kidding me? Don¡¯t tell me my face was this red when I was talking with Noah? *** That notebook he gave me was written with perfect handwriting¡­ And I mean PERFECT handwriting. All of the content that he underlined looked as if it were done with a ruler and the styling of the letters couldn¡¯t have possibly looked any more sharp and professional. This wasn¡¯t a notebook, this was a work of art. ¡°I wonder what that was all about earlier, Noah rubbing my head,¡± I mumbled as I flipped through the notebook, resting my chin on my hand. Chapter 4.2 I knew that I shouldn¡¯t get my hopes up and that it was more likely an empty gesture than anything, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel some excitement over it. By every respect, I should still be feeling as miserable as ever, but I felt compelled to cling onto that one positive thought. I¡¯m only human too. With an awkward face, I pretended to tidy up my bangs but all I did was twist them and ruffle them up even more. ¡°Are you going on about that again?¡± Dora chimed in, licking her fingers having finished all of her bread. ¡°Didn¡¯t that happen last month? You¡¯re not going to go on and on about it again, are you? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re making a big deal out of absolutely nothing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re relentless, you know that?¡± I said with a depressed face as I took a bite out of the cream-filled bread. I drew a magic circle in the air and spaced out. In just moments, the magic circle began to glow and cream bread started falling from the ceiling like rain. I drew the magic circle spontaneously, so they probably didn¡¯t all come out correctly. ¡°Whoa!¡± Bread crumbs flew all over the room, but I didn¡¯t care. While Dora was running around, gobbling up all of the bread that was raining down, I just sat there, biting my lower lip. I bit down so hard that I tore the skin, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Are you going on about that again? Dora¡¯s words echoed in my head. I was angry. I was angry that I couldn¡¯t give him up. I was also angry because Noah had no idea how I felt. I wondered if I should hate him for that. I buried my face into my hands and let out an exhausted sigh. I felt a surge of both bitterness and shame. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so pathetic.¡± ¡°Hey, would you like one? They¡¯re really tasty,¡± Dora said in a muffled voice through all the bread crammed in her mouth. She threw a piece of cream bread over to me. ¡°Hey, are you crying?¡± I grabbed the bread she threw over to me and fiercely flung it back at her. The bread flew through the air and struck Dora right in the middle of her face. It fell to the floor with a dull plop. *** I realized something. This whole situation I was in was not going to clear up if I just kept dancing around my emotions like this. I would just keep falling deeper and deeper for him without it leading to anything. Oh, he¡¯s so charming. No, just stop thinking about it! The pen I was using to write with exploded in my hand and began leaking ink, but I didn¡¯t notice it. I was too deep in thought, repeatedly biting my lip. ¡°Katelin.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Katelin?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, what is it?¡± I raised my head to see the upset face of my teacher. Ah, right. I was still in class. The teacher made the noise of clearing his throat several times while pointing at the blackboard. ¡°Katelin? Could you explain what is wrong with this magic circle of teleportation?¡± I frantically scanned the magic circle drawn on the blackboard for any errors. Luckily, the problem was easy enough to spot that I was able to answer quickly. ¡°Uhm¡­ The runes are not written side-by-side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Good to know you were paying attention.¡± The teacher nodded his head and took his attention off me. Whew. That was a close one. ¡°What the ¡­?¡± My face contorted as I shook my ink-stained hand in surprise. That only made it worse as the ink ran down my arm and seeped into my shirt. Not even magic could get this out of my clothes. I became even more depressed as I looked at my ink-stained pen. ¡°Ugh.¡± Fortunately, I was able to get the ink off of me, but a few letters got smeared in my notebook. I told myself to stop thinking about him. What am I doing? I let out a sigh. Eventually, I had to wash the ink out of the shirt of my school uniform. Jeez, I just washed it not too long ago too. I had better borrow another one for the time being. ¡°Ughhh.¡± What¡¯s with my luck today? I feel so worthless. I carried my books in one hand as I trudged my way down the hallway. ¡°Katelin!¡± What¡¯s my next period class again? Oh, I really hate studying. ¡°Katelin, Katelin!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Trapped in my thoughts, I moved along with heavy steps. I turned my head as I heard a voice calling my name from somewhere. A girl with bright pink hair flowing behind her came running up to me. She was breathing heavily and gasped for air as she called out my name. ¡°Oh, Flora¡­¡± I scratched the back of my head while I let out an awkward laugh. It had been a long while since I last saw her face to face like this, so I felt a bit awkward encountering her in this way. This was all because of that damn book. Chapter 4.3 ¡°Kate, I heard from Noah that you¡¯re feeling sick.¡± Her young sky-blue eyes looked straight into mine. Her eyebrows were drooping to the side, giving her face an apologetic expression. Now that I think of it, I hadn¡¯t attended even one club meeting since my stomach started hurting. ¡°For sure, simultaneously studying for the exams and attending all the club meetings must have taken its toll on you. Is that it? I¡¯m so sorry. I really should have known¡­¡± Seeing the always cheerful and giggling Flora with such a sad and teary-eyed face even put me down, but I guess that wasn¡¯t saying much as I was already depressed. It seemed that the whole atmosphere around me was sinking down into a dark abyss of misery and despair. I quickly waved my hands in the air as this was not her fault at all. ¡°No no no, I¡¯m fine, really. It¡¯s not that at all. I think it was just something I ate. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s not the club meetings? That¡¯s a relief.¡± Flora¡¯s breathing began to return to normal and her expression showed a sign of relief. ¡°Oh right! I have something for you.¡± She took a deep breath as she remembered the real reason she came up to me and took something out from among the belongings she was carrying. ¡°Oh, something for me?¡± ¡°Ah, here it is.¡± She presented me with a variety of candies and snacks and then petted my hair. Flora¡¯s beautiful sky blue eyes opened up wide. ¡°Don¡¯t give any to Dora; this is all for you. I know you studied very hard for your exams.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s right! Your stomach has been upset. So, you can¡¯t eat them, right? Oh, how thoughtless of me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked up at Flora, who seemed intent on cheering me up, and I just gave her a gentle smile. I think I knew the reason why she was the main female character in that stupid novel. Because there could be NO other girl in this world, or universe for that matter, more perfect for Noah than her. As I have said before, Flora was a goddess. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m much better now, really.¡± It was sad to think about, but she and Noah were well suited for each other. I took the lollipops and other snacks that she offered me with a smile on my face and joyful eyes. ¡°Thank you, Flora. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll enjoy them.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s that kind too.¡± Flora pointed to the mint-flavored lollipops in my hand as she spoke. ¡°Noah gave me those.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°He gave me those mint ones in case I ever got a stomach ache. Also, they¡¯re his favorite kind, anyway. But I think you¡¯ll be needing them more than me.¡± Flora explained as she gently shook her head about, typical of the cutesy style girl that she was. What? Is mint the favorite flavor of prodigies or something? I didn¡¯t bother to look down at the mint lollipops she was pointing to in my hand. I just tightly squeezed my grip around them as I bowed my head to her. My heart was pounding again. Again, any fruitless hope and excitement that I still had left within me began to wither and die. I looked like a fool, and I hated it. Though my emotions were boiling, it wasn¡¯t in my nature to disturb the relationship between Flora, the flawless girl I admired, and Noah, the young man for whom my heart so longed. I really liked Noah, and I think if it weren¡¯t for these feelings, I would have sincerely blessed the relationship between those two. ¡°Noah has been worried about you recently. He has such a good heart, you know.¡± Flora was right; Noah did indeed have a warm heart. However, unlike his actions towards her, all of his kindness and gentle mannerisms towards me were weightless. His warm-hearted treatment towards me was not uniquely for me. Despite me thinking that every single little smile he directed at me or every positive word he said to me was some kind of sign of special affection, it was all in my head. His interactions with Flora, on the other hand, were more intimate and meaningful, I¡¯m sure. Perhaps it would have been better had I never met Noah. Had I never set eyes on him and never felt his touch upon me, I never would have experienced this emotional torture. If it wasn¡¯t for this vague, one-sided feeling I had for him, then maybe¡­ ¡°Oh no! I had better get going.¡± Flora¡¯s voice came rushing back to my consciousness, having been muffled from me being trapped deep in thought. She was looking at her cute little watch with an alarmed expression. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Kate. Enjoy the snacks and good luck with your classes.¡± She waved her hand goodbye to me and she ran off out of sight in the distance, like an angel disappearing amongst the clouds. She definitely was an angel, that girl. I subtly bit down on my lower lip. ¡­ Why couldn¡¯t I be the lead female character? Why did I just have to be an extra, a minor one at that? Chapter 5.1 I hadn¡¯t even torn open the packaging yet, but I could already smell the strong aroma of mint emanating from the candy. How could she have even given me candy that smelled this strong? Considering how sweet Flora was herself, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised in the slightest if candy just spontaneously generated around her. The candies were as clear as glass and devoid of color. I stared at them in my hand as I opened my mouth. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t like him anymore, right?¡± Even though I didn¡¯t specify the person I was referring to, Dora immediately cursed the air and buried her face in her hands. ¡°That bastard was playing me the whole time.¡± It wasn¡¯t that long ago that Dora was madly in love with that guy from her class, much like the way I was infatuated with Noah. Nowadays though, wouldn¡¯t you know it? Even just mentioning one word about their relationship would cause her to shout hateful obscenities. It was only last month that they broke up, so I guess the wound hasn¡¯t healed yet. So then, if I confess my love to him and get rejected, will I finally come to my senses and accept reality? ¡°I think I¡¯ll just tell Noah how I feel about him.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Good idea,¡± Dora replied as she slowly ate the snacks that Flora had given me. Her voice sounded a bit subdued, probably because of what she was chewing on. ¡°Hey, no eating on my bed. You¡¯re going to get crumbs all over it.¡± I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully knowing that my bed was all filthy. A frown formed on my face as I swept the remnants of the snacks off my bed with my hand. ¡°Oh, by the way, what¡¯s that?¡± Dora asked after she helped me clean up some of the crumbs to stop my nagging. She was staring at my hand, seemingly interested in the candy that I was holding onto. I immediately glared at Dora while tightening my grip on the candy. This was mine and I wasn¡¯t about to let it get anywhere near Dora¡¯s insatiable mouth. ¡°You can¡¯t have it.¡± ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t like mint anyway.¡± Dora rolled her eyes and dismissively waved her hand. ¡°Why, what¡¯s so special about it? You bought it? I thought you didn¡¯t like peppermint either.¡± That¡¯s true; I didn¡¯t care for peppermint at all. It¡¯s a gross flavor and its smell was always too overbearing. My face suddenly became bright pink as I strengthened my grip on the candy in my hand. ¡°¡­ It was a gift,¡± I mumbled. ¡°From Flora?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why would she automatically assume it was from Flora? Dora¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in surprise. ¡°Noah? Wow, how did that happen?¡± Dora looked at me wide-eyed as she patted me on the shoulder. ¡°You should treasure it like a family heirloom.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to finally tell him how I feel,¡± I said once again as I put the precious mint candy into my pocket. I clenched my hands into fists, calling forth my resolve to make good on that promise with myself. I sat up straight with a newfound determination. It¡¯s already been one whole week since I last saw Noah. Instead of continuously torturing myself like this, getting rejected with a few days of crying would be much more preferable. ¡°There isn¡¯t going to be anyone in the clubroom, so just ask him to show up there.¡± ¡°And then, if he really comes in¡­ I¡¯ll tell him,¡± I mumbled as I sat in front of my desk. I put on a bashful smile just thinking about it. However, Dora knew exactly how to crush my hopes. ¡°Yeah, and if you get turned down, at least you can say you tried.¡± Her confidence in me never fails to amaze. I glared over at Dora. She looked a little confused about something. ¡°But how are you going to get Noah to show up there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± I answered in a quiet voice as I took out a pink piece of paper to write on. I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d actually use it for anything. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re going to write him a letter? Are we still in elementary school?¡± Dora said, tilting her head at me as if perplexed. She then accidentally dropped the snack she was eating, but quickly picked it back up and popped it into her mouth. ¡°What do I know? I feel like I¡¯m going to die just by doing it this way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cowardly, but I guess love conquers all.¡± I brushed off Dora¡¯s remark as I put pink ink into my pen. It¡¯s been a while since I bought this pink ink and paper, but now was their time to shine. However, I felt so tense that I had to ask Dora not to follow me to the clubroom. ¡°Please don¡¯t come with me when I do this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be there,¡± Dora said as she stuffed the remainder of the snacks into her insatiable mouth. ¡°Noah probably gets thousands of letters like this every day. If he were to actually pay attention to all of them, he¡¯d be busy meeting with girls all day.¡± ¡°¡­ you think?¡± Damn it. I already know that. It¡¯s obvious. But, why did she have to hurt me like that? Dora¡¯s comment floated around in my mind as I wrote out the letter using my cutest-looking handwriting. < Noah, there is something I wish to tell you. If it¡¯s okay with you, could you please meet me at the back of the clubroom at 9:00 pm? > Chapter 5.2 ¡°Uhm.¡± I read it silently to myself. Feeling that it seemed too impersonal, I drew a little cute heart shape at the end of the sentence. There, now when he reads it, he¡¯ll throw up. With a satisfied expression on my face, I placed the letter into an envelope and sealed it shut. As soon as the letter was locked in the envelope I let out a loud and resolute sigh. ¡°Phew.¡± Now I could only hope that Noah will rip the letter into a thousand pieces and dispose of the pathetic remains in the trash, or better yet, incinerate them. *** It was seven o¡¯clock in the morning, a time when most of the students would either be just waking up or still sleeping. I took my letter and left the dormitory. Noah, being the model student that he was, would likely be already out and about. Now was my chance. ¡°Oh, so tired.¡± I rubbed my eyes as I made my way to the boys¡¯ locker room. I had no difficulty in finding Noah¡¯s name. Noah¡¯s locker perfectly reflected his personality. It was clean and everything inside had been meticulously organized. However, sure enough, it was stock full of letters. There were so many that it was likely that many of them had been in there since yesterday. Whoa¡­ I didn¡¯t know he was THIS popular. I suddenly felt like a tiny grain of sand insignificantly situated on an expansive beach. The letters were all dark pink as well. Pink, pink, pink¡­ All of them PINK! They were all so radiant that my eyes were starting to burn. Seeing as they were all the same color as my letter, it was needless to say that mine wouldn¡¯t stand out among the others. Maybe that¡¯s a good thing. I took my letter and inserted it the best I could in-between the others. Once my letter was all the way in, the tower of letters began to buckle as if it were going to collapse at any moment. I wasted no time in quickly shutting the door to the locker before they could all spill out onto the floor around me. ¡°Phew.¡± I didn¡¯t know what I would have done if they all came tumbling out. I trembled all over just imagining it. I shut my eyes in relief that such a disaster didn¡¯t occur. However, my relief was short-lived as I caught a glimpse of shimmering silver hair off in the distance at the other end of the hallway. ¡°!!!¡± I quickly hid myself behind one of the pillars. Not long after, the figure had approached close enough to reveal who it really was. There was no mistake. It was indeed Noah. Noah¡¯s footsteps rang out in the hallway as he headed for his locker. He reached out his hand to open it. Ahhh! Oh no, not now! I stood frozen to the spot as I bit my lower lip out of fear. ¡°¡­!¡± All of the pink letters came crashing down right into Noah¡¯s face. The whole precariously stacked tower of pink letters, filled with the juicy emotions of a countless number of lovestruck schoolgirls, collapsed. As the tower of letters plummeted to the cold marble floor of the hallway, so too did the innermost feelings of those schoolgirls. Even though I had no idea who those girls could be, I wanted to apologize for what I had just done to their letters. However, there was no one I wanted to say sorry to more than Noah, who was struck on the side of the face by the avalanche of letters. Noah, with a suspicious look in his eyes, bent down and picked up the letter that had struck him in the face. ¡­ I need to get the hell out of here! A tidal wave of panic suddenly slammed right into me. I began to tiptoe around the pillar in a way that Noah wouldn¡¯t be able to spot me and soon was able to slip away undetected. My legs were trembling more than ever. *** After the sun went down, the clubroom was dead quiet. There were rumors floating around of ghosts coming out at night, so it was rare to see anyone after dark. It didn¡¯t matter to me; I didn¡¯t believe in that stuff anyway. To be precise, I had something much more important to concern myself with regardless of whether there really were any ghosts about or not. I chewed on my fingernails. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t able to focus on any of my classes at all today. I was lucky the exams were over. I looked at my watch. It was 8:55 pm. Only five minutes left. I was feeling a little sweaty now. Maybe I should have shown up a little later. ¡°Ah-hew.¡± I let out a sigh and picked out a daisy from one of the flower pots and sat down. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown if I stayed here any longer. ¡°He¡¯s coming, he¡¯s not coming, he¡¯s coming¡­¡± I mumbled as I picked off the petals of the flower one by one. A feeling of doubt surged through me. ¡°¡­ He¡¯s not coming.¡± Ugh, I should¡¯ve known. A forced laugh escaped my lips as I cast the stem aside. I was determined, but I still felt a little bitter inside. I brushed off my skirt and picked myself up to head out, but then¡­ Chapter 5.3 ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± GASP! Upon hearing the all too familiar voice, I stumbled and fell flat on my butt. ¡°N-Noah?¡± Noah reached his hand down to help me up. I took his hand and quickly got back onto my feet. ¡°Wh-What brings you here¡­?¡± Please just say you were out for an evening walk. I was nervous and hesitated for a moment, but then Noah opened his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to come here in your letter?¡± No way¡­ You¡¯ve got to be kidding me ¨C he actually read my letter. I felt all the color disappear from my face. I remembered that I erased the heart shape at the last minute out of anxiety, but now I wished that I had just left it as it was. Perhaps he might not have shown up had I just kept it there. ¡°¡­ Sorry about that mess I made at your locker.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Noah said with a calm tone. His long eyelashes fluttered as he asked me a question in his smooth voice. ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?¡± I raised my head slowly upon hearing his words. Oh no, I¡¯m doomed. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually show up, so I was just meaninglessly killing time. I didn¡¯t give any serious thought to what I was going to say to him at all. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± My mouth opened and then subsequently closed it several times without actually uttering any words. I was completely speechless under the gaze of his alluring golden eyes. The moonlight reflected off of his glasses. Damn¡­ He¡¯s even more beautiful now that I haven¡¯t seen him in a while. Noah was looking me directly in the eyes as I searched for the words I wanted to say. The pressure was sending a cold sweat running down my back. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± I looked up at Noah with trembling eyes. The moonlight shimmered on his silvery hair. As if entranced by the majestically sparkling light reflecting off of his gorgeous hair, I involuntarily opened my mouth. ¡°I¡­ Uh¡­ I really like you, Noah.¡± I heard my own words pathetically trickle out of my mouth in a shaky voice. They sounded like the words of an 80-something-year-old granny struggling to speak in a wispy voice. Noah was completely silent. I could feel the very tension in the air suffocating me. So, this is how I die. This was the first time I¡¯ve ever confessed my feelings to anyone and look at how I ended up handling it. I bit down on my lip and immediately lowered my head. My mind was buzzing with thousands of different thoughts all at the same time, all of them negative. I wonder what Noah¡¯s face looks like right now. It¡¯s probably the unmistakable look of outright disapproval. That¡¯d be the worst. I don¡¯t dare look up at him. ¡°Ah¡­ Thanks.¡± I heard Noah say after what felt like a long while of silence. His voice sounded a little bit shaken which wasn¡¯t typical of him. The cloud that had been covering the moon for a few minutes finally moved on which allowed the moonlight to shine back down again. In that moment, Noah tilted his head down toward the floor, obscuring half of his face. It also appeared that his ears had turned bright red. I guess it¡¯s no surprise. An underclassman just confessed her love to him, so of course, he would feel embarrassed. Several seconds passed in silence like that. I could even hear the sounds of us breathing and swallowing. I believe too, that he was even biting his lip. I wasn¡¯t so stupid as to not understand what that meant. I remained still, squeezing my hands into fists. I dug my fingernails into the skin of my palms. Ten more seconds passed by, but it might as well have been an eternity. What¡¯s done is done. Had I given up and skipped out, I probably would have been very upset with myself. It was as if the world had just stopped spinning and time itself had frozen in that single frame. In-between the silence, the only noise that entered my ears was the sound of the branches rustling in the nighttime breeze outside. The seconds ticked by, until eventually, I couldn¡¯t stand the silence any longer. This is so awkward I could die. I need to say something, anything. I slowly opened my mouth to speak. ¡°Actually, I have more to say.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± His response was a bit delayed. His golden eyes glistened in the moonlight as he looked down toward the floor. Oh no¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. I squeezed my fists tighter. ¡°I¡¯m going to drop out of the club!¡± I shouted. There was a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°Why?¡± He shot back at me with a blatant look of suspicion on his face. Me wanting to withdraw from the club appeared to have really surprised him. Had I never read that book and not known the future already, I might have misunderstood his reaction. ¡°Yeah, I imagine Flora will be pretty upset, right?¡± Okay Kate, don¡¯t misunderstand it. You¡¯re ugly. I tightly grasped the skirt of my school uniform. ¡°¡­¡± Noah, as if searching for the right words to say, opened and closed his mouth several times until he finally spoke. ¡°Well, regardless of Flora, personally¡­¡± His golden eyes were quickly trembling. He looked at me, opened his mouth, and spoke in a low voice. ¡°¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to see you leave the club.¡± Chapter 6.1 I lost the words I was going to say and just stared up at Noah with a vacant expression on my face. All kinds of questions were floating around inside my head. What did he mean by that? Why would he not like me to leave the club? ¡­ Do you look forward to seeing me? However, Noah¡¯s face looked so calm and serene that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to actually ask that question. In fact, there was absolutely no way I could ask that. I just stood there speechless for a while until Noah opened his mouth. He hesitated for a moment but then began to speak. ¡°I just think that you shouldn¡¯t quit. Think it over more before you make any final decision.¡± He then raised his hand as if to pat my head again. ¡°¡­!¡± My body involuntarily shrank back. I came here to let go of my lingering feelings, but now I was feeling even more troubled. This is much crueler than if you had just turned me down, Noah. After seeing my reaction, Noah hesitated and lowered his hand. Things were quiet for a moment until Noah opened his mouth again to speak. He seemed a little hesitant after attempting to pat my head. It may have been because I had never refused him before until now. ¡°Thank you for being so honest,¡± he said as an unexpected smile faintly formed across his beautiful face. I wasn¡¯t sure why he thanked me for that. For some reason, I felt a stinging pain on one side of my chest. ¡°Anyway, have a good night.¡± Noah turned around and his long silvery hair fluttered about. As I stared at Noah¡¯s back, I began to think to myself, I like you, Noah. From the very first day that I set eyes on you, I¡¯ve liked you. And even if you say you don¡¯t like me back, I¡¯ll continue to like you. Oh, what am I to do? As I was finishing up my thoughts, I mumbled the remaining words out loud, as if I were groaning. I heard my pitiful voice as the words escaped my lips. ¡°¡­ I really like you.¡± Be it fortune or misfortune, but Noah didn¡¯t seem to have heard what I said. ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± he asked as he turned around with a strange look on his face. ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± I answered, forcing a smile while I shook my head. ¡°Have a good night, Noah.¡± It was a good thing he had his back facing me because I wouldn¡¯t have wanted him to see the expression I had on my face just then. *** ¡°Did he come? How¡¯d it turn out? Did he turn you down?¡± As soon as I opened the door, Dora was there leaning up against the doorframe, bombarding me with questions. It was so irritating that I could have slapped her, but I wasn¡¯t really going to do that. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Dora looked after me as I passed her by and laid myself down onto my bed. She was probably thinking about how she could comfort my broken heart. I felt another sigh coming on and closed my eyes. The whole scene of what had just happened only a few minutes ago replayed in my mind. His fluttering silver hair, his brilliant golden eyes glistening through his glasses in the moonlight. Ahhh, he¡¯s handsome, really so handsome! Am I crazy?! I felt my face turn bright red. I clenched my hands into fists and punched my pillow as hard as I could. Calm down. Get a hold of yourself. Just stop thinking about it. I gently placed one of my hands over my chest and slowly exhaled. The images floating around in my head from that awkward meeting with Noah back in the clubroom put me in bad spirits. I layed on my bed for a while until I remembered Noah¡¯s candies that Flora had given me. I reached my hand into my pocket and pulled out the mint lollipops. ¡°¡­ Hey, Dora. You can have these now.¡± It¡¯s high time I put an end to these stupid feelings. ¡°Huh?¡± Dora looked at the peppermint flavored lollipops in my hand and tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like those things.¡± ¡°Just¡­ take it. Just take it and eat it¡­ Before I shove it down your throat myself.¡± Just eat it quickly so that I can be rid of it. I squeezed my forehead with one hand while forcing the mint lollipops into Dora¡¯s hand with the other. ¡°¡­?¡± With a dumbfounded look on her face, Dora accepted the candies. I heard her grunt in disapproval that I gave her something so gross, but I paid her no mind and just buried my head into my pillow. My crush had ended. *** It was my delusion. However, notwithstanding earlier, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t over yet. I had regretted my decision to end my crush with Noah right after I woke up the very next morning. ¡°Hey, did you eat it? You didn¡¯t, did you?¡± I asked Dora, shaking her by the hem of her clothes while she was still laying in bed. I managed to wake her up, but she was mostly half-asleep. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Dora mumbled sleepily in response with her eyes still closed. ¡°You told me to eat them.¡± ¡°But, you said you didn¡¯t even like mint candies!¡± I grabbed my head with my hands and screamed. It was really unfortunate now that I think about it. Who knows when or even if I¡¯ll get any more candy from Noah? If I do¡­ If I do get more, I¡¯d keep it for a few days and then I¡¯d eat it. ¡°Ugh, I hate you! I really hate you!¡± ¡°Whatever, just be quiet. Ughhh, I can¡¯t get back to sleep.¡± When I threw myself next to her on her bed and started making a huge fuss, she rubbed her eyes and gave me a chilling glare. She then scratched her back and let out a loud yawn. ¡°Yesterday you were so quiet, so what¡¯s with all the noise?¡± ¡°The candy¡­¡± ¡°Ughh.¡± Dora shook her head with a sour expression on her face when she heard my answer. She then burst out into laughter after she saw the serious look on my face. ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re really not joking around! Look at your face! Hahaha!¡± Wondering what she meant, I looked in the mirror and became terrified by what I saw. My hair was all in tangles and sticking out in every which direction and my eyes were both puffy and swollen. ¡°Oh my god,¡± I mumbled as I grabbed and pulled on my hair. I grabbed my glasses from the drawer and put them on. These should at least hide the puffiness a little bit. I cannot skip out on class. ¡°Ha¡­ I loved you, Noah¡­¡± I groaned as I buried my face into my hands. Dora saw me and, instead of getting dressed, she just looked at me and clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, that¡¯s love. You should have expected this.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better shut up,¡± I warned in a low voice as I glared at her with enraged eyes. ¡°Make me,¡± Dora answered in a harsh voice and stuck her tongue out at me. Am I just going to sit here and take that? I tightly clenched my hands into fists. However, I wasn¡¯t feeling all that well right now to bother using magic or physical force against her. But at the same time, what I wanted to do the most was to beat her up. Chapter 6.2 ¡°Hey, wait just a ¡­¡± I called out to Dora who had gotten all ready and was heading out the door. I quickly grabbed my books and went to follow her. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Dora let out a scream as she fell backwards after opening the door to leave. It was a satisfying scene, but I had no time to revel in it. Wondering what the hell that was all about, I turned my head over to look out the door and let out a scream just as loud as Dora had made. ¡°Wahhh!¡± We both were completely taken by surprise. Standing just outside our door was none other than Noah. Oh no, wait! Do I look out of sorts? My hands instinctively went up to tidy my hair. ¡°Oh my. Dora, are you okay?¡± I said as I intentionally put on a friendly smile and reached out my hand to help Dora up. Despite the sour expression on her face, I helped her up off the floor and wiped the dust off her skirt. Having helped Dora to her feet, I then turned my head to look outside the doorway with a forced sense of being unaware that Noah had been standing there the entire time. ¡°Noah? Uh, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Hi,¡± Noah said with a calm and serene look on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he added. ¡°Huh?¡± I looked around for a brief moment and pointed a finger at myself. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, you,¡± Noah said while nodding his head. Before I could ask where we were going, Noah had already turned around to go. ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going¡­?¡± Dora said, still standing just inside the doorway. I turned to look back at her with sympathetic eyes and went on to follow Noah. Sorry, my friend, but this is just too good. *** Now that I got to thinking about it, I was starting to have my doubts about this whole situation. I followed behind Noah with a vacant expression on my face from having woken up not too long ago. ¡°N-Noah. Noah.¡± Oh, so tired. Noah¡¯s legs were quite long, making it difficult for me to keep up with him. Noah, as if sensing my difficulty, came to an abrupt stop when I called out his name. ¡°Sorry. Are you tired?¡± ¡°¡­ N-Not really.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wearing glasses.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Yes.¡± I quickly readjusted the glasses that were slipping off my face. I had put them in my dresser and had forgotten about them, so they were covered in a layer of dust. I should have at least wiped them down a little bit before leaving the room. I was thinking about where I put the lens cleaning cloth when Noah came over and suddenly brushed aside some of my hair that was hanging down over my glasses. ¡°You look pretty.¡± Tremble, tremble. I placed a hand over my heart that had begun pounding wildly and looked up into Noah¡¯s warm and tender eyes. W-What was that?! What did he just say?! Pr-Pretty?! He thinks I¡¯m pretty?! Am I dreaming? Is this real-life? Just to prove if that really was the case or not, I pinched my cheek quite hard, but rather than waking me up from a dream, it just hurt and probably left a red mark. ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± These words brought me back down to earth as I was all wrapped up in the shock of his ¡°pretty¡± comment. Oh, yeah¡­ We were going somewhere. I realized we were standing right in the middle of the hallway. I nodded my head yes and began following behind Noah once again. Noah was being more considerate of me as his pace was noticeably slower this time around. However, now that I think about it, it was probably nothing but my wishful thinking. Where are we going anyway? I maintained a straight face, trying not to get my hopes up. I¡¯ll need to secretly slip into class after this, but the longer we take the more difficult that will be. I was about to ask where we were going just then when a surprising sight came into view in front of me. ¡°Noah, this is the sophomore building.¡± I looked up at Noah with an uneasy look on my face and he just slightly nodded his head in response. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°What is it? You have something you want to show me here?¡± I said, tilting my head at Noah¡¯s nonchalant answer. Nonetheless, I stepped closer. ¡°¡­!¡± It was still really early, so there were not many people out and about. Yet, those few who were walking around seemed to look at Noah with rigid faces. Indeed, what business did Noah have hanging around a building for underclassmen? ¡°Have a good class.¡± He raised his hand to pat my head, but again, withdrew his hand once more. A faint smile spread across his face. This was truly a rare moment. This was the Noah I always wanted to see, but for some reason, I had a heavy heart. ¡°Bye,¡± Noah said in a soft voice and then turned around to leave. The sound of his footsteps faded off into the distance. What¡­ ¡­was¡­ ¡­that? With a dumbstruck expression on my face, I watched Noah as he disappeared from view. That¡¯s all? Are you kidding me? He really just brought me all the way here? Noah? Is it that you¡­? I mumbled, standing in the middle of the hallway with a vacant look in my eyes. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± *** ¡°So, he just came to walk you to your class?¡± Dora asked with a suspicious-looking face after I explained what had happened. As it were, he just took me as far as the building, so I had to walk to class by myself. That very thought seemed to pull my mood down. ¡°Why¡¯d he do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, so don¡¯t ask me.¡± I avoided Dora¡¯s eyes as I grabbed a chocolate candy and began to chomp down on it. ¡°Are you serious?¡± I chewed on the candy for a few moments before raising my eyebrows and opening my mouth at her. Dora¡¯s indigo eyes locked with mine. ¡°Eyy.¡± ¡°Eyy.¡± We mumbled at almost the same time. What kind of nonsense is this? Noah liking me ¨C what an absurd thought. When I confessed how I felt to him, he didn¡¯t even really say anything and I just stood there, frozen. There¡¯s no doubt he rejected my feelings. I automatically scoffed at the thought and shook my head in resignation. ¡°Do you think it was because he felt sorry for turning me down?¡± I asked, raising my head. ¡°Oh, that could be the reason,¡± Dora replied, slowly nodding her head. She then pointed at me with her index finger as she continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t cry in front of him, did you?¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think so,¡± I answered, tilting my head. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure about that and tried to think back to that moment I opened up to Noah. I tried very hard not to cry at that time and I was pretty sure I didn¡¯t. Oh, did I cry? If I did, did he see? If so, I¡¯d rather just die right here and now. Chapter 7.1 I pressed my hand against my forehead and with a serious expression on my face, I wolfed down the snack I had. I then heard a voice being directed at me. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Sitting in the seat next to me was Mallory. She was sitting with her chin resting against her hands and was staring at me with inquisitive eyes. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I responded. Knowing Mallory, had I been truthful, she would have likely created a big fuss over the whole thing. So, Instead of giving her an honest answer, I just shoved one of my snacks into her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll take one of those,¡± Aiko said as she braided Mallory¡¯s hair. She opened her mouth as I grabbed another snack. ¡°Here.¡± Mallory took the snack and placed it in Aiko¡¯s mouth. Aiko munched on it for a few moments and swallowed it before continuing to braid Mallory¡¯s hair. Her hands were extremely fast and adept. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on with you Kate?¡± Ah, damn it! I thought I had distracted her with the snacks. ¡°Don¡¯t act so surprised,¡± Dora whispered after swallowing the snack she was chewing on. I gave her a look of disdain. I tried to tell her to not share anything about my situation. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°She finally told Noah she likes him.¡± GASP!!! Mallory acted surprised and covered her mouth with both her hands. ¡°Whoa, really?¡± Aiko was also surprised and almost messed up Mallory¡¯s hair upon hearing the news. I looked at a few of her dark hairs that had fallen askew and slightly slanted my eyebrows. Eh, I imagine that she¡¯d be very angry if it all had come undone. Mallory¡¯s brown eyes twinkled as she opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Come to think of it, I heard some commotion about Noah coming by.¡± ¡°Oh, that was him coming to accompany Kate to class,¡± Dora said, pointing at me with one hand and picking up a handful of snacks with the other. A bitter smile spread across my face. ¡°What?!¡± Aiko blurted out in surprise. Her hands slipped causing Mallory¡¯s braids to come undone. Her dark green eyes sparkled as she patted me on the shoulder. ¡°Whoa! Wow! Hey, so you two are together now, right? You¡¯re a couple?¡± ¡°Ow, that hurt,¡± I muttered with a hollow expression, but Aiko paid me no mind and just clapped and began chatting with Mallory. Mallory brought her chair closer to me and wiped invisible tears away from her eyes. ¡°Has Cupid¡¯s arrow finally struck our Kate?¡± ¡°Does this mean I don¡¯t have to listen to you go on and on about Noah anymore?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got tired of listening to all that.¡± These were some odd remarks, but I just let them slide. ¡°So, are you going to introduce us to him?¡± I looked away upon hearing Mallory¡¯s ridiculous question. Aiko¡¯s green eyes twinkled as she moved her face in closer. ¡°So, you¡¯re a couple now? Boyfriend and girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah, are you a couple?¡± At that moment, my friends couldn¡¯t have looked any more spiteful. I slammed my hands down on my desk and let out a shriek. ¡°Stop it! He turned me down. He didn¡¯t want me. Got it?! Are you happy now?¡± The atmosphere in the room suddenly became very somber. I bit my lip and rested my head on the desk. I heard my friends whispering words of sympathy around me. ¡°What? He came to walk her to class only to turn her down?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look so well.¡± Mallory tapped me on my back. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.¡± I let out a moan-like sigh and the room fell silent for a moment. Dora inspected my face as if she were trying to read my mind and shouted in a loud voice, ¡°Guys, she¡¯s crying!¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not crying!¡± I cried out, raising my head up immediately. She¡¯s really something. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Here, eat this.¡± Aiko thrust a chocolate snack into my mouth. I grumbled as I strained to chew it. While forcing myself to chew it, a piece got caught in my throat and I coughed. Just then, the bell rang. ¡°I have to go to class.¡± I quickly grabbed my books and pushed in my chair. My next class was magical runes. I had the class together with Aiko. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going,¡± Aiko said, linking arms with me and waving to Mallory. Carrying my textbook and pencil case in my free hand, we went to leave the classroom. However, just then, I saw someone outside the classroom door. I could tell from the person¡¯s silhouette that it was somebody tall. ¡°Noah¡­?¡± I stumbled over my own feet when I saw him leaning up against the wall as if he were waiting for someone. Are you kidding me? He¡¯s not here to accompany me to class again, is he? ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? Noah came looking for you, but you¡¯re not even out the door yet?¡± Aiko asked. I laughed nervously in response as I tugged at her arm. It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be¡­ I repeated in my mind, hiding my face with my hand as I left the classroom. But then, I heard my name being called out in the most amazing voice. ¡°Katelin.¡± Damn. This is certainly an awkward situation. ¡°Ah, Noah¡­¡± I mumbled in a weak voice as if all of my energy had been sucked out of me. Noah¡¯s eyes twinkled and a small smile formed on his face as I looked at him. ¡°I see you have a friend.¡± Why is he smiling all of a sudden? Seeing Noah¡¯s smile on top of his overly handsome face was just too much for me and I ended up dropping my textbook onto the floor. Noah bent down and picked up my book. He brushed the dust off of it and gave it back to me. ¡°Th-Thank you,¡± I said as I took the book back with a puzzled expression on my face. Grasping my situation, Aiko quickly tidied up her hair and introduced herself with a coy gesture. ¡°I¡¯m Kate¡¯s friend, Aiko Green.¡± ¡°A pleasure,¡± Noah said, nodding his head slightly in response. He then turned and locked eyes with me. His radiant silver hair flowed down before me. I could see his golden eyes so vividly. ¡°Should I just go?¡± ¡°Wh-what? N-No, it¡¯s okay,¡± I replied, closing both of my eyes and shaking my head ¡®no.¡¯ Who could refuse someone with a face like that? Chapter 7.2 Aiko was glancing between the two of us. She couldn¡¯t get used to what was happening and thus turned around, smiling all the while. ¡°Well, I should get going. I have class.¡± ¡°What? Hey, don¡¯t go!¡± That liar. Class doesn¡¯t start for another five minutes. Where has she got to be in such a hurry? ¡°Best of luck,¡± Aiko whispered, winking at me. I think I¡¯ll explode now. I watched Aiko walk away into the distance as tears began to well up in my eyes. Just then, I heard Noah¡¯s voice from behind me. ¡°Shall we go?¡± We only had a few minutes to get to our class, so why does it feel so long now? ¡°Noah, I¡­¡± I thought about this every day, and no matter how much I thought about it, it suffocated me. I raised my head to tell him that he doesn¡¯t need to keep doing this anymore. ¡°¡­!¡± He was smiling warmly as his golden eyes were staring right at me. I turned my head away in a reluctant motion. Noah, why do you always have to smile in my direction? It plays with my heart. My heart started beating rapidly. I pretended to readjust the ribbon on my school uniform as I took a deep breath and let it go in an effort to calm myself down. If this keeps happening to me, I doubt I¡¯ll live long. Why on earth is he acting like this towards me? If I kept silently standing here like a statue any longer, the awkwardness was going to kill me. I had to do something to break this up, so without really thinking, I took out my book and opened it. However, Noah took his hand and gently closed the book. He was careful not to pinch my fingers as he did so. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to read and walk. You could bump into someone.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Right¡­¡± Bumping into someone was the least of my worries. My heart that was on the verge of exploding from beating so fast was one and only concern. I held the book firmly closed in my hands. I furtively rolled my eyes to the side to catch a glimpse of Noah still staring at me. Afraid that he might smile so tenderly towards me again if we locked eyes, I quickly dropped my gaze to the floor. ¡°Did you have a good class?¡± Noah asked as we began walking. ¡°Yes, and you?¡± I replied, aware of how mechanical my response sounded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Come to think of it, the usual situation seemed to have flip-flopped. Until now, I had been the one too anxious to initiate conversation, but now it was Noah who was having a hard time thinking of things to say. I didn¡¯t mind this reversal, but it threw me into a bit of a panic. I had planned on ending this whole thing but was finding it too difficult. This was seriously troubling me, but then a pleasant voice came flowing into my ears. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± When I turned my head, I saw Noah¡¯s dazzling face right in front of my eyes. Although his golden eyes didn¡¯t reveal his inner emotion, I saw rare traces of curiosity in them. ¡°!!!¡± I quickly jerked my neck back out of embarrassment. What should I say?! I felt all the blood start rushing to my face as thoughts of what I should say filled my mind. ¡°Oh¡­ L-Look at that. We¡¯re already here!¡± I shouted with a bright face as I pointed to the classroom in front of me. ¡°Goodbye!¡± I shouted as I bowed my head. I then quickly ran into the classroom before Noah had a chance to pat me on my head again. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Hahaha.¡± I shut the door behind me and let out a sigh of relief as if I were being chased by a serial killer. I stood there like that until the last chime of the bell sounded in my ears. That¡¯s lucky. If I were a little later I would have been in big trouble. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t Noah going to be late? As soon as the thought occurred to me, I looked out of the room and saw Noah still walking out there as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. I pressed my hand to my forehead, feeling guilty. No¡­ Please run, Noah. Should I apologize? *** ¡°Was it really nothing?¡± ¡°Yeah, nothing¡­¡± I hammered my face into my desk. I felt my cheeks being pressed hard into my gums. The air escaped my mouth and my hair hung over my face in a mess. ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even clearly make out the words of my friend talking. He¡¯s accompanying me from class to class, regardless of how far¡­ Every class. Thank God! I was pressing myself down onto my desk so hard that I couldn¡¯t breathe; I should die soon. For sure he doesn¡¯t do that with just anyone. So, that must mean that I¡¯m at least a little special to Noah. SMACK! I brought my hand down hard onto my cheek. It seems I haven¡¯t gotten over him. I told him how I felt¡­ And he turned me down. When will it end? I went to slap myself on my cheek again, but just as I was about to swing my hand down, Dora suddenly grabbed my wrist. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s troubling you now?¡± she said as she took a bite out of an apple she was holding. I snapped back to reality as soon as I saw her face. ¡°You mean what am I doing?¡± I asked back. Do I really still have feelings for Noah? I let out a sigh as I pulled at my hair. Dora persisted. ¡°No, I mean why the hell are you acting like this? Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°Just enjoy yourself. You¡¯re going to miss this during school break.¡± Aiko¡¯s words were very direct, but I couldn¡¯t help but agree with her. I made a painful expression and raised my head. ¡°I think I¡¯m really going to go crazy.¡± Aiko shook her head with a blunt face. ¡°I don¡¯t have it in me to stop.¡± ¡°He did legit turn you down, right?¡± ¡°I already told you he did,¡± I said bluntly in response to Mallory¡¯s question. I shouldn¡¯t carry such false hope. ¡°There¡¯s only a few days until school break anyway. Just hang in there.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only That¡¯s true. Mallory patted me on the shoulder after speaking and I nodded in agreement. When school break ends, the second semester will start. From there on in, the contents of that novel will unfold in full force. Before long, Noah and Flora will be together. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take much time for Noah to make his move. I should consider myself lucky for the time being. Chapter 8.1 ¡°Look at that. He¡¯s here to walk you to class again.¡± I mindlessly looked outside the door to the classroom and saw Noah standing there. I held my hand to my face and sighed. ¡°Whoa! He¡¯s so handsome,¡± Mallory exclaimed, glancing over at the door. ¡°It seems he can¡¯t live without Kate.¡± ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Aiko teased. I glowered at her before slowly getting up from my seat. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on what you like.¡± ¡°Yeah, have fun!¡± Mallory started whispering in Aiko¡¯s ear as Dora waved over at me, whistling. I covered my ears while taking big strides over to the exit. Eh-hem, I cleared my throat and started opening the door slowly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here again.¡± Noah, who was waiting just outside the door, raised his head as I approached him. ¡°Ah.¡± His golden eyes sparkled with joy through his glasses. ¡°Hi.¡± His appearance was so dazzling that I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off him. ¡°Did you have a good class?¡± Look at that exceptionally gentle smile¡­ I think I¡¯m going to lose my mind. I felt the heat rising in my face, so I took my book and covered my face with it. I was only able to mumble a few words, ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t have to keep doing this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he sharply replied. I let out a slight sigh. If you¡¯re unsatisfied with yourself, then I guess it¡¯s to be expected that the person you have feelings for is likely to turn you down. I didn¡¯t need to feel guilty about that and I didn¡¯t have to blame Noah for not liking me in that way. ¡°Noah, you don¡¯t have to feel sorry for me.¡± Noah blinked before giving his response. ¡°Feel sorry for what?¡± I guess it¡¯s true what they say, nobody is perfect. Noah seemed to have somewhat of a soft temperament. I accidentally put on a serious face that seemed to cause Noah¡¯s golden eyes to flood with worry. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said as I shook my head, sending my hair fluttering in the air. Nothing. There¡¯s nothing wrong. My mind and body are healthy and trouble-free. I¡¯m comfortable and everything is peaceful. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s fine¡­¡± We continued on our way without another word until the female dormitory finally came into view. I turned to him to tell him that he could let me go on alone from here. ¡°Uh, I can go on alone from¡­¡± However, before I could finish, I heard someone suddenly call my name from the other end of the hallway. ¡°Kate!¡± Click, clack. I heard the sound of a girl¡¯s heels hitting the floor, quickly approaching. ¡°Kate.¡± It was Flora. She came running up to me and suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders. She was panting and gasping for breath. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°You quit the club? That¡¯s what Noah told me.¡± I saw my reflection in her big blue eyes. They were shaking. Ah, what¡¯s this? I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d find out this way. I didn¡¯t know what to say and in-between my incoherent stuttering, Noah opened his mouth to speak, seemingly a little embarrassed. ¡°Flora, wait¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be alright to stay on just for this year? At least until the end of the term?¡± However, Flora just ignored him and continued to look at me with an earnest face. She grabbed my hands and pulled them to her chest. ¡°The club isn¡¯t so popular as it is and could be discontinued¡­ I want it to stay active, at least until the end of this year.¡± What should I do? I bit my lower lip as I thought about what to say. This is worrying. If I quit and the club is discontinued, Flora will undoubtedly become very upset. I wouldn¡¯t want that to happen to Flora. Flora was such a wonderful person. Regardless of that novel, I didn¡¯t want to give Flora a hard time. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Thinking about it now, it probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to quit the club so suddenly like this, but¡­ My brain felt overloaded. ¡°Noah is also really busy with other things, and while he can¡¯t always make it to every meeting, he comes when he can because he really cares for the club. Me too, that club is like my second home.¡± Okay, so it¡¯s one of two things. Either Noah really likes reading books or he just goes to the club meetings because of Flora. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pressure you. If you really want to quit, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Flora said to me. I was biting my lip, feeling very worried. ¡°If you say it like that to her, how can she not feel pressured, Flora?¡± What? I was astonished and raised my head. I found it hard to believe what had come out of Noah¡¯s mouth just now. Did Noah just call Flora out? Was it because of me? I was confused for a moment and wrapped my hands around my head. ¡°I know that, but if Kate leaves¡­¡± Flora mumbled with an expression on her face that gave me the impression that she didn¡¯t want to drop the issue. ¡°You know as well as I do that the club is hard enough to keep together as it is.¡± During the early days of the club, there were quite a lot of people who joined and participated. This was primarily because Noah was in it. However, Flora didn¡¯t exactly make the club entertaining¡­ In fact, it was on another level of boring so much so that pretty much everyone had quit halfway through the year, leaving mainly Noah and I as the remaining club members. The club actually was quite beneficial to me. I was quite surprised to see my grade in literature go up significantly after attending only a few meetings. It was a real shame that I had to quit the club now that I had become so fond of it. ¡°Umm¡­ Uhh¡­¡± As I searched for the right words to say, Noah seemed to feel sorry for me. ¡°Kate, I only attended the club meetings because I knew you would always be there. Please don¡¯t leave.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only What¡¯s this all of the sudden? I blinked my eyes several times in surprise. Upon hearing Noah¡¯s words, Flora turned around to look at him and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Yeah, you like it when Kate is there too, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Calm down, you hopeless girl. I grabbed my throbbing heart with my hand. I couldn¡¯t grasp what was going on. Chapter 8.2 ¡°But whether Kate stays or not, it¡¯s her choice. It¡¯s best if you leave the decision to her,¡± Noah added in a calm tone. ¡°Of course, naturally,¡± Flora said, looking over at me with an adorable, yet worried look in her eyes. ¡°Think it over during school break. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­ S-Sure,¡± I replied, stuttering. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± ¡°Yeah, enjoy your break! See you next semester!¡± Flora exclaimed, amicably waving her hands at me. Her mood seemed to have improved in no time. ¡°Bye.¡± I heard Noah say in a pleasant voice. I awkwardly bowed to him before quickly picking up my feet to leave. However something stopped me. ¡°Uh.¡± I noticed that the laces of my shoes had come undone. When I knelt down for a moment to retie them, I heard Flora say something in a curious voice. ¡°You two seem to have gotten quite close. What brought that about?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If he has any sense at all, he won¡¯t say anything about me confessing my feelings to him. I looked up at the sky and started silently praying to myself. There was a moment of awkward silence as Noah searched for words to say. Noah opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Ask me later.¡± I let out a sigh of relief and felt my beating heart start to calm down. Noah¡¯s quick on his feet. He¡¯s really the best. I would never let him tell anybody about any of that anyway, no matter what. Feeling relieved, I finished tying my shoes and stood up. Noah was looking over at me. ¡°Eh, uhm.¡± I stumbled backwards upon hearing these sounds escape my mouth. I must have sounded like a complete idiot. He was looking at me with a particular expression on his face as if he wanted to say, ¡°Did I do well?¡± I felt my headache starting to come back. *** With great difficulty, I pulled myself away from Noah and set off towards the yard of the building in front of me. I chewed on the bread that I was holding in my hand and stared vacantly around at the school grounds. Birds were chirping in the sky and the summer wind was flowing through the tree leaves. As is usual for this time of year, it was a serene and warm summer. ¡°Should I just drop out of school?¡± I mumbled to myself as I munched on my bread. I let out a sigh. ¡°Why would you drop out?¡± ¡°Wah-ah!¡± I cried, startled by the sudden voice that came whispering into my ears. The bread I was holding fell out of my hand and onto the ground. The person who frightened me was Arkhan. He was just standing there smiling at me. ¡°Could you please not sneak up on me like that? Are you practicing your stealth skills or something?¡± I grumbled, holding my hand to my pounding heart. ¡°Did I startle you?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Ugh.¡± I picked at my ear and stared down at the bread that had fallen onto the ground. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± I continued to look down at the dirt-covered bread and licked my lips in disappointment. ¡°The ants will eat it.¡± Look at that. One has already arrived. Arkhan knelt down and pointed to the bread. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°That was my fault. I¡¯m sorry. Would you like me to buy you another one?¡± he said as he looked up at me. ¡°That¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t good anyway. You shouldn¡¯t even buy one for yourself,¡± I answered, waving my hands in the air to decline his offer. Wait a moment. Why is he even here? ¡°Why are you here?¡± Arkhan didn¡¯t say anything but instead pointed somewhere. It was in the direction that the students from the swordsmanship department were sparring. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re in the middle of class?¡± I sat down on a nearby bench and rested my chin on my hands. ¡°Wait a minute, I don¡¯t think that freshmen have class now,¡± I said, fiercely looking over at Arkhan. ¡°So if you don¡¯t have class, then what are you doing here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at it: just hanging out,¡± Arkhan replied, sitting down beside me with a brazen smile. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ Ugh, whatever.¡± ¡°What is it? Come on, don¡¯t give up on me.¡± Arkhan rested his chin in his hands and let out a superficial laugh. ¡°What¡¯s with your outfit?¡± I asked, glancing over at Arkhan whose eyes looked half asleep. He didn¡¯t have a name tag, he had one or two buttons undone on his shirt, and his necktie was loose. I couldn¡¯t say it made him look bad, though. ¡°What are you talking about, huh? Do I look so strange?¡± I clicked my tongue and fastened the buttons on his shirt. Why would he expose his chest like this? ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t bring your face any closer,¡± Arkhan mumbled in a sunken voice as he hid part of his face with his hand. What¡¯s with him? I finished fastening the buttons on his shirt and withdrew my hands. ¡°Are you really so stressed?¡± It hasn¡¯t even been one year for him yet. I put my chin in my hands and let out a small giggle. ¡°Summer vacation is just around the corner. Oh, I really don¡¯t like school.¡± ¡°Are you going to be hanging out with me then?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I murmured as I leaned on the back end of the bench. Arkhan briefly studied my face before opening his mouth. ¡°¡­ Kate, are you going to drop out?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My face creased up upon hearing his question and I looked over at him. He had quite a serious expression on his face. ¡°Is there something going on?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­ Well, everyone has that thought at least once while being at school, right? I wouldn¡¯t actually do it,¡± I answered evasively and looked at the clock on the face of the building. ¡°I have to start class soon. You should get going.¡± I sat up on the bench and pushed Arkhan¡¯s back. However, Arkhan came to an abrupt pause as if he were about to say something. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Please don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t drop out. You¡¯re going to graduate and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Annoyed, I swung my hand in the air at Arkhan who still had a serious face. Finally, Arkhan loosened up a bit and turned around. ¡°Eh-hem.¡± He had his back to me. I stared at him as I scratched my head. What¡¯s gotten into him? Do I actually look like I¡¯m going to drop out or something? Chapter 9.1 ¡°You have a letter.¡± As soon as I walked into my dorm room Dora threw something at me. I took it and looked the envelope over. ¡°Father.¡± I ripped it open with a pleasant face. Inside was just a normal letter asking about how I was doing. It also went on about how he missed me and how he¡¯d send me a carriage to pick me up when school ends. ¡°I miss my dad.¡± My nose tingled as I lay down on my bed. But how should I tell him about my grades? Oh, I really don¡¯t know. ¡°What are your plans for vacation? It¡¯s going to be pretty long this time,¡± Dora asked, laying on her bed. ¡°Me, oh, I¡¯ll probably just stay at home. Want to come over and do something together?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be at my aunt¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Ah, the one that lives in the Lowell Kingdom?¡± I mumbled as I nodded my head. Without Dora, it¡¯s sure to be an awfully long and boring vacation. Just as well. I need to rest anyway. I shifted around on my bed. Dora¡¯s curiosity seemed to have gotten the best of her as she opened her mouth with another question. ¡°What about your thing with Noah?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, you know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Dora curled her hair with her fingers and looked at me with crinkled eyes. Personally, I thought she looked revolting. ¡°I have no thing with him,¡± I remarked vaguely and turned my back to her, but I still felt her suspicious gaze on me. The real work is going to begin when summer break is over. Until then, my life should pass by rather uneventfully. I should be avoiding Noah during that time as well. Yeah, I should take the long break to organize my thoughts and get myself sorted out. I let out a carefree sigh and shifted around on my bed once more to make myself more comfortable. *** Perhaps the thought of the fast-approaching summer vacation made me careless. ¡°May I sit down?¡± ¡°S-Sure.¡± Noah sat down right beside me. I lowered my head to avoid his gaze. This is crazy. I can¡¯t even eat my lunch. As soon as I picked up my spoon to eat my soup, Noah placed a pastry on my plate. It was a fresh one. Oh, I like it. ¡°Thank you.¡± He gives me his precious dessert? Does he not like it? My eyes sparkled as I swallowed back my drool. Hehe. I have two now. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks I was happy to have another pastry on my plate. Noah smiled at me and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°What?¡± I realized once again what kind of situation I was in right now. No, my face is too¡­ The look of me eating probably makes me look very unattractive. Instead of eating the bread, I looked at him with a serious face while sweating profusely. My friends sitting around next to me saw that something was up and whispered in my ear, ¡°Do you want us to sit somewhere else to give you guys some privacy?¡± I frantically shook my head at these words. Please don¡¯t leave me alone with him, you guys. Ahh! This again! Our eyes met and he gave me a warm smile. His golden eyes graciously beamed at me. I almost spit out the soup I was eating. Dammit. I¡¯ll probably get an upset stomach now. I quickly drank some water while rolling my eyes. I quickly stole a glance at Noah who was sitting in front of me. Erm, but this isn¡¯t¡­ so bad, I guess. Yeah, it¡¯s actually rather nice being able to see his beautiful face up close like this. I ate the pastry in one bite and looked back at him. I set my spoon down and took a gulp. I-I feel like I¡¯m floating. What should I do? ¡°Noah, you¡¯re here? The teacher was calling for you just a moment ago.¡± Flora¡¯s voice came rushing to my ears just as I was starting to feel at a loss for what to do. Oh, my rescuer. Noah nodded his head and stood up to follow her. ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯m coming.¡± ¡°Oh, Kate¡¯s here too. Enjoy your lunch!¡± ¡°Bye,¡± I said, bowing my head goodbye to both Noah and Flora. This may sound contradictory to my earlier sentiment, but I felt disheartened to see Noah actually get up with his tray and leave. It looks like I still like him. Somebody shoot me. ¡°Take care. Eat well.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. You too.¡± Noah just smiled back at me from afar. I don¡¯t think he heard my reply. Dora, who had been watching the whole scene this entire time, broke the silence. ¡°¡­ What was that?¡± I vigorously shook my head at her question. I didn¡¯t know either. *** Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Noah¡¯s strange behavior continued to the end of the term. Noah kept coming for me every day to walk me to class and like a fool I allowed it to continue. I couldn¡¯t give him up. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know what to do. Wait. Now that I think about it, how did he know my schedule? Chapter 9.2 Two more days passed like that until our summer vacation finally began. However, it wasn¡¯t the end of my confused state of mind. ¡°How can I get over this?¡± My excitement over the start of summer vacation was brief. I was unnerved watching the throng of students shuffling about in a wave of commotion. A bunch of carriages were pulling up to the front of the school gates like a swarm of bees. I looked around for a relatively simple carriage which would be my family¡¯s but didn¡¯t see it. ¡°What¡­?¡± After a little while, the carriages began to depart, but I still couldn¡¯t spot my family¡¯s carriage. Did something happen on their way here? I placed my hand in my pocket and unintentionally felt the letter that I had put there earlier. ¡°¡­ Are you kidding me?¡± For no reason, I felt nervous and forced a smile. I opened the crumpled letter in my trembling hands and tightly shut my eyes after I came to a stark realization. ¡°¡­¡± Today wasn¡¯t the 27th, it was the 26th. Dad got the date mixed up. I fell on my knees and let out a sigh. I pressed my hand to my forehead. Oh, Dad. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s been a mix-up. Do you think you could lend me your carriage?¡± ¡°Sorry, but someone else has already asked me to give them a ride. I really am sorry.¡± I bit my nails nervously at Dora¡¯s answer. ¡°Ah, Aiko and Mallory¡­ They already left.¡± ¡°So, what am I going to do then? Sleep on a park bench like a homeless person?¡± I tugged at my hair as my face teared up. Dora grabbed my arm and pulled me up. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s make our way to the city center first. There we can find an inn and perhaps a carriage we can rent for you.¡± ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± I felt all my strength leave me. Nonetheless, I put on a fake smile for Dora. Just then, I heard a most familiar voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It was Noah. When did he get here? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Wha¡­ Ah. Noah.¡± I briefly hesitated and crumpled the letter that was in my pocket. ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet?¡± I asked as I glanced at the Yurielle family¡¯s carriage which was waiting among the others in front of the school. ¡°I wanted to say goodbye before I left. So, I came looking for you.¡± Noah blinked his eyes and opened his mouth to speak again. ¡°Everyone has pretty much left except for you. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well, my family was going to come to pick me up, but something came up and¡­¡± I cut myself off and bit my lower lip. Noah stared down at me. With his own carriage waiting, he offered to help me. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I could give you a ride.¡± I was immediately taken aback. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. Your family lives all the way on the islands,¡± I said, frantically waving my hands back and forth in the air. In the end, I imagined him giving me a ride and stopping by where my family lived. He would have to come all the way here to drop me off at home and then he would have to go all the way back to where his family lived on the islands. I knew if I agreed to him helping me out, I would feel bad for Noah for doing this for me and feel bad for the coachman as well. The feeling was such that I quickly scrambled out of the carriage before the journey could start. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Noah. But I think I¡¯ll find another way.¡± He was such a gentleman for offering. I smiled and lowered my head. Once again, my face darkened from loneliness and I bit my lower lip. Someone tapped on my shoulders from behind me. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°Wah-ah!¡± Surprised, I rubbed the goosebumps that formed on my ears and turned around to where the voice had come from. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was Arkhan, smiling from ear to ear. Parked behind him was Count Helis¡¯s carriage. Damn. Lucky him. ¡°Seems like you ran into a problem.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s nothing. My family just couldn¡¯t come to pick me up is all,¡± I said, fiddling with the hem of my sleeve with an uncomfortable expression. Arkhan turned his head towards Noah. ¡°I see¡­ But who is he?¡± ¡°Mind your own business!¡± I said with alarm and extended my hand and slapped him across the back. Who does he think he is? He should show his upperclassmen more respect. He doesn¡¯t even seem to care. I gulped and glanced over at Noah. As always, he seemed indifferent. He was like that when I confessed to him as he seemed unfazed at that time as well. Why is this? He looks so arrogant. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only My face went pale and I gnawed on my fingernails. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m going to get going,¡± Dora said, unable to endure the unsettling atmosphere any longer. ¡°See you when school starts.¡± She patted me on the shoulders and got back in her carriage. When her horse began to depart, she turned to look my way with an excited expression on her face. Oh. She¡¯s gone. Now what? Chapter 9.3 I let out a fake laugh. ¡°¡­ Kate?¡± Noah said, tilting his head to the side. Whoa. He¡¯s so handsome. Wait, did he just call my name? While I was zoning out, Arhan looked away from Noah and put his arm around my shoulder with a sly smile. ¡°Ah, Kate. I have a good idea.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take my carriage,¡± Arkhan suggested, pointing to his carriage. I looked up at him with gleaming eyes. ¡°¡­ Are you an angel?¡± It was almost as if I could suddenly see great white wings fluttering behind him. Oh yeah! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Arkhan lives in the next estate over from mine. ¡°Hey thanks. Come here. You¡¯re my savior.¡± It looks like I¡¯m not going to die here after all. I hugged Arkhan and patted him on the back. At this moment, he really was my savior. ¡°What happened anyway? How come your family didn¡¯t come and get you?¡± Arkhan asked me with a curious face as he led me over to his family¡¯s carriage. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think my father got the date mixed up.¡± How could he have possibly gotten the date mixed up?! I shook my head in resignation. ¡°Ah, Noah.¡± Before getting up into the carriage, I looked behind me and nodded my head goodbye to Noah. ¡°See you when school starts again.¡± ¡°¡­ See you then.¡± I could have been mistaken, but I believe Noah looked a little disheartened. Snap out of it. All the same, how could I go with Noah? He¡¯s going in the complete opposite direction. I got into the carriage and straightened out the crumpled hem of my skirt. Suddenly, I glanced out the window. Noah was still standing there. *** ¡°Kate, you¡¯re really something. You studied all the way here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to review everything,¡± I answered absentmindedly as I skimmed through the lined papers of my notebook. Arkhan, who was sitting on the opposite side from me with a blunt expression, rested his chin on his hands. However, in one quick motion, he swiped away my notebook. ¡°Hey!¡± I glared at him while swinging my hand in the air, trying to get it back. He held it over me, waving it around so I couldn¡¯t grab it. I wanted to smack him across the face. ¡°Give it back.¡± Eventually, I was able to take it back from him. After the brief struggle, I gave him the most unfriendly of looks. ¡°Why are you so serious about your grades, Kate?¡± ¡°So I can be prepared for the future and have a promising life, obviously.¡± Arkhan tilted his head a bit in response to my straightforward answer. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re worried about what your future is going to be like? If you really end up not doing anything, you should get married to me.¡± I slammed the notebook shut with an audible smack and tried my best to answer him in a calm voice. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I do anything with my life? You are the one most likely to end up not making anything of himself. And when that happens, you¡¯re welcome to come on over as my servant. I¡¯ll even feed you.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Arkhan let out a dismissive laugh. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t mean that you were going to do nothing in the future. I just meant that the option is on the table is all.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know what the future holds.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Arkhan¡¯s eyes narrowed, seemingly smiling. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me like that? Shouldn¡¯t you be keeping an eye on where we¡¯re going?¡± Is he going blind? He really should get new glasses. With a worried face, I rubbed the corners of my eyes. ¡°If you keep doing that, your eyes will get smaller.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Arkhan¡¯s expression turned cold. I tossed my notebook in the corner behind him. I rubbed my sore hips, mumbling to myself, How many hours have we been in here for? Is this really going to take a whole other day? ¡°Ah, my back is sore.¡± ¡°Your back is sore?¡± Arkhan tapped his knees and gestured to me with a great big smile. ¡°Would you like to sit here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I refused. My words were as sharp as a knife¡¯s edge. A disappointed expression appeared over Arkhan¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to. It¡¯s fine, really.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I picked up my notebook that I had thrown in the corner and started going over it again. Is he really worried about me? It¡¯s kinda cute I guess. Arkhan stared at me and suddenly let out a small laugh. ¡°Does your hair really taste that good, Kate?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I took out the strands of my hair that I was absentmindedly chewing on and smiled awkwardly. An unsettling silence proceeded between us once again. Gnawing at the end of my pen, I reread a passage about a difficult concept. Arkhan opened his mouth to speak once again. ¡°Kate.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I responded, looking up at Arkhan. Arkhan blinked his eyes and opened his mouth. ¡°I saw the way that upperclassman looked at you.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± I asked with a bewildered look on my face. Where is this coming from all of the sudden? ¡°Are you two close?¡± His red eyes gave away the seriousness in his face. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I murmured uneasily with a frown. It didn¡¯t take me long to produce an answer. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Though my response was a bit bitter, it was the conclusion that I came to in the end. Although I have been seeing his face an awful lot lately on account of his recent strange behavior, before that, we didn¡¯t really interact much at all outside of the club meetings. That was fine though. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I asked, tapping my fingers against my lips and tilting my head. Arkhan rested his chin in his hands and looked out the window. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Just curious, I guess,¡± he muttered. Chapter 10.1 ¡°I feel like throwing up¡­¡± The next day, I got off the carriage with my queasy stomach clutched in my hands. It was not the first time I¡¯d come home all the way from the academy, but I still couldn¡¯t get used to it. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Arkhan asked worriedly as he supported me. ¡°No¡­ ugh.¡± When I opened my mouth to answer, I gagged instead. I felt like I was going to throw up in front of Arkhan at this rate, so I squatted to calm myself down a bit before standing back up. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°Come in and have some tea before you go. You drove me all the way here, so I¡¯ll feel bad if I make you leave right away.¡± Opening the mansion doors, I beckoned Arkhan to come inside. ¡°Then, excuse me.¡± Arkhan, who had been leaning against the carriage, smiled smoothly and began walking. With a squeak, the doors to the mansion opened, and my darting eyes that were roaming around for a servant landed on a familiar figure. ¡°Butler.¡± The butler, who had been walking down the hallway with a tray, turned and saw me. His face began to fill with horror. ¡°L-lady?¡± ¡°Long time no see, butler.¡± Panting heavily, I forced a smile. ¡°You¡¯re on your way to Dad, right? Let me join you.¡± ¡°How did you get here? I mean, with the Young Master Helis, too¡­¡± The butler stuttered with an astonished expression. ¡°Let¡¯s talk later.¡± Pushing off against the wall, I headed to the study. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it there.¡± The middle-aged man sitting at the desk reading documents answered half-heartedly. He was the viscount of the Khalia Empire, the owner of Blair, and most importantly my dad. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± His green eyes beholding me narrowed into slits. ¡°Do I miss her that much? I think I¡¯m already seeing hallucinations,¡± Dad murmured, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head. ¡°No, Dad.¡± I walked towards him in big strides and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I really am here.¡± ¡°¡­ Kate?¡± Dad blinked and his eyes filled with bewilderment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying the same thing as the butler. Dad, I told you.¡± I leaned on the desk with one hand. ¡°Vacation starts on the 26th.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The pen dropped with a thud from Dad¡¯s hand. ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re right!¡± Soon after, my dad jumped up with a panicked expression on his face. Pacing around the study looking horribly apologetic, Dad lifted his head and asked, ¡°But how did you get back here?¡± ¡°Arkhan gave me a ride back,¡± I answered, pointing towards Arkhan standing near the door. ¡°Hello, uncle.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, I owe you a lot,¡± Dad said, embarrassed. ¡°I think I mistook the date. I¡¯ve been so busy for a while now, you see. Anyways, I¡¯m very glad you came back safely, my daughter.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Still feeling sulky, I pushed my dad away as he tried to hug me and pouted. ¡°More importantly, how did you get the date wrong? You¡¯ve never done that before.¡± In the next second, Dad¡¯s expression immediately turned bitter. ¡°It¡¯s because monsters have come out of Grania Forest.¡± *** Located in the granary area in the southern lands of the Khalia Empire, the Blair fief was quite affluent, but it consisted only of several rural villages. The county of Helis had mines, at least, but the only things scattered around here were mountains, fields, and forests. Except for the occasional hiker, there weren¡¯t many visitors or tourists either. In short, this was a very rural corner of the world. Therefore, it would be the ordinary citizens who would be the most likely to get hurt when monsters attacked. Gasping, my face twisted. ¡°Uncle Charles¡­¡± Uncle Charles was a simple farmer who used to run an orchard near Grania Forest. I remember how he used to share his fruits with me often in the past. There was no reason for something like this to happen to him. ¡°Oh my, Miss. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± A little blood was seeping out of the bandage wrapped around Uncle Charles¡¯ leg. Uncle Charles scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything that serious. There weren¡¯t even that many, so I only got scratched up a little.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°No, really. There were only one or two of them in total.¡± Waving his hands, Charles laughed in embarrassment. ¡°But the Lord did say that once a monster appears, the population increases rapidly, so we¡¯d better take action quickly.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°All the knights went out to protect an old man¡¯s house like mine, so I¡¯m only sorry that I have to bother them like this.¡± ¡°So the reason the mansion was so quiet was¡­¡± Because everyone had gone to guard the forest. With a bitter expression, I looked out the window ¡°¡­ I see. You¡¯re really okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s a relief. Please rest well until you¡¯re better.¡± Leaving Uncle Charles and his warm smile behind, I left the drawing-room. Perhaps because I hadn¡¯t visited in a while, the hallway looked especially clean. Had they had a giant cleaning day in the meantime? Closing the door and tilting my head, I turned to look at Arkhan. I just realized he was still here. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it about time you left?¡± ¡°Do you want me to leave?¡± Arkhan lowered his eyebrows and made a pitiful face. I slid my eyes away to avoid his persistent gaze. ¡°No, I¡¯m not forcing you. But won¡¯t the Count and Countess be worried? You heard it too. Monsters are popping up all around here.¡± Glancing at Arkhan, I let my words trail off. Red eyes bent into half-moon shapes. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Without thinking, I nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah¡­ We can¡¯t have your body be shredded to pieces by a monster.¡± ¡°You really have a talent for brightening up the mood of a room.¡± With a small sigh, Arkhan swept up his hair. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I turned away, scrunching up my face. ¡°Hurry up and leave already.¡± *** Chapter 10.2 Grania Forest was not far from the Viscount estate. Since I was going to see Arkhan off anyways, I decided to go straight towards the forest to greet the knights. Since it wasn¡¯t that serious, and since I wouldn¡¯t be going all the way inside, I was sure it would be fine. ¡°I¡¯m just going for a short visit, but you need to go around, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me, are you? You¡¯re only good at answering, for goodness¡¯ sake.¡± I reached out and pinched Arkhan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Owowow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go through Grania Forest, and go all the way around it, okay?¡± As I quarreled with Arkhan, I could soon see the thickening woods around us as well as Uncle Charles¡¯ destroyed house and our family¡¯s knights who were standing around it. ¡°Eh, is that the Miss?¡± The first knight who saw me widened his eyes. The knight who stood next to him jabbed him on his side. ¡°Hey, stop lying¡­ Miss?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the Miss.¡± From all over the place, I could hear the doubtful murmurs of ¡°Miss, Miss¡± all around me. I awkwardly raised a hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone.¡± ¡°Miss, what are you doing here?¡± Sheathing the sword in his hand, Sir Zion hurriedly bowed to me. How many times have I heard this question today, I wondered. ¡°I was so sure I heard the Lord say you¡¯ll be here tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°I think there was a miscommunication somewhere regarding the date.¡± Smiling brightly, I waved my hand in greeting. Only then did the knights approach me one by one with welcoming looks on their faces. ¡°Wait, this is not the time for this. Miss, it¡¯s dangerous here!¡± Sir Zion unsheathed his sword again and began warily watching the bushes. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why did you come here?¡± ¡°To see this guy off,¡± I replied and pointed to Arkhan behind me. In an instant, the faces of the knights cooled down excessively. ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t this the Young Master of Helis¡­?¡± ¡°How mean, all of you.¡± No matter what, weren¡¯t they hating on him a little too much? Arkhan shook his head slowly. ¡°He brought me here because my carriage wasn¡¯t coming.¡± ¡°So it was the Lord¡¯s fault entirely,¡± the knights whispered, nodding to themselves. My gosh. They always did have a wicked sense of humor. ¡°Here comes the carriage. Okay, off you go.¡± ¡°Fine, I got it. You can stop pushing me now.¡± In the midst of his whining as he headed towards the carriage, Arkhan suddenly spun his body around. When I was about to put my hand on my chest to calm my racing heart, Arkhan snatched up my hand and placed a kiss on it just like that. ¡°I¡¯m off, Kate.¡± ¡°What the¡­ that shameless¡­ Mmph!¡± Sir Zion, who had seen him, shouted in a frenzy before another knight covered his mouth. After blankly standing in my spot for a moment, I flicked Arkhan¡¯s forehead with all my might. Where¡¯d he learn that from? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Owowow.¡± ¡°Stop with this funny business and get on with it.¡± I pushed Arkhan¡¯s back as he rubbed his forehead with a pained expression on his face. ¡°You have to avoid the forest, got it?¡± ¡°I said I will.¡± Waving at me in the carriage, Arkhan glanced at the knights and then smiled with his eyes. ¡°Thanks for worrying about me.¡± ¡°Yeah, say ¡®hi¡¯ to your parents for me.¡± ¡°Bye, Kate.¡± ¡°Yeah, bye.¡± I watched the carriage go for a while, then turned around. ¡°Ack, that surprised me. What¡¯s wrong with all your expressions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how he¡¯s still doing that, even though Miss is all grown up now.¡± ¡°How dare he do such a thing to our precious Miss! We raised her on our backs! Young Master Helis is never an option, Miss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if he is the only son and sole heir to Helis County, there¡¯s something off about him¡­¡± When Sir Zion answered curtly, all the other knights added a word or two as well. Really. They worry about the smallest things. With a face saying ¡®yeah right,¡¯ I waved my hands. ¡°He¡¯s still a kid.¡± ¡°A kid¡­¡± Sir Zion scrunched up his face as if he was not satisfied. Just as I was about to comfort him, a rustling sound came from the bushes. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Miss!!¡± Shielding his body in front of me, Sir Zion pulled out his sword and directed it at the noise. The other knights also surrounded me as if to protect me. The atmosphere tensed in an instant. When I saw what came out of the bushes, I blinked and giggled. ¡°A deer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It must have come out to steal crops.¡± I picked up a branch nearby and swung it towards the deer slowly. ¡°Hey, go away.¡± Thanks to that, the scared deer turned towards the forest and began to dash away. ¡°Sigh.¡± Sir Zion let out a breath as if he was deflating, patting down his armored chest. His face was a little red as if he was embarrassed. ¡°Good work, everyone. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± When I began saying my farewell and was about to return back to the mansion, Sir Zion opened and closed his mouth in an awkward way. ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Already?¡± ¡°If I leave now, you¡¯ll have one less life to worry about.¡± With a clumsy smile, I straightened out my clothes. ¡°Dad said he¡¯ll take action as soon as possible, so please do your best for a little while longer.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything right now though¡­ Please stay here a little longer and help us pass the time.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only With disappointed expressions, the knights murmured with weak gestures. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you know how much we missed you, Miss?¡± ¡°But I have to unpack my luggage.¡± With a cheery smile, I waved. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all later.¡± Chapter 11.1 I realized the moment I entered the mansion that I hadn¡¯t even had time to change out of my uniform yet. What kind of chaos was this? To think that monsters that had rarely been found after the Second Age were appearing in our fief was very mind-boggling. ¡°I hope everyone¡¯s safe.¡± Saying as much into the empty air around me, I passed through the corridor that was polished so clean, it shined, and stepped into the familiar room I called mine. ¡°Whoa.¡± I raised my eyebrows at my room, which was so neat that you could even say that it had been remodeled. I had no idea what in the world was happening to our house. ¡°Miss?¡± As I was putting down my bag, a familiar voice from the doorway made me look back. ¡°Rita.¡± With a warm smile, I hugged my exclusive maid-in-waiting. ¡°I was just about to look for you, but I see that you¡¯re already here.¡± The corners of Rita¡¯s lips trembled with joy. Returning my hug, she patted me on my back. ¡°Long time, no see, Miss. Nothing¡¯s happened, right? Did you do well on your test? Is anyone bothering you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take our time talking.¡± I laughed as I sat myself down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Oh my.¡± Rita looked at the slightly crinkled blanket and frowned. Rita seemed to be acting exceptionally like a clean freak today. ¡°Oh right, I should put away your luggage for you. Everyone¡¯s so busy these days, and we don¡¯t have enough workers to go around.¡± Rita began unpacking the bag I¡¯d left on the floor and put my things away. ¡°Goodness, have you been lugging this around with you the whole time? It¡¯s so heavy!¡± Rosa yelped in the midst of unpacking when she found a thick book in my bag. I sat up and answered nonchalantly, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s for my club.¡± ¡°Your club? You mean your reading club or whatever?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I murmured softly, lowering my eyes. It just so happened that somebody had borrowed that very book from the library at that time, so I remembered now that I had to buy it with my very own money. Though it was cumbersome, I didn¡¯t want to look like the only fool who couldn¡¯t even bring the right book to the club meetings. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like something you would read by choice, Miss. Korlnwe, no, Korl¡­ What does this say?¡± Rita¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she held up the book and attempted to read the title. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t read that either.¡± Didn¡¯t they say that ancient dialect was mixed into it or something? Anyhow, it was a piece of very classic literature. Flora could pronounce it really gracefully. Noah didn¡¯t really talk much, so I didn¡¯t know¡­ What if it was something only Flora could pronounce in this entire world? Maybe she had a unique different tongue structure that only she knew about? I was tilting my head, thinking that might actually be credible, when Rita held up a familiar book and asked, ¡°This is a notebook, right?¡± It was a red book embellished with fanciful gold. No matter how much I tried to recall, I couldn¡¯t remember putting it in my bag when I¡¯d packed, but there it was anyway. I was used to it now, though, so I wasn¡¯t too shocked to see it. ¡°Wow, you didn¡¯t use it at all. Was it because you didn¡¯t study, or did you think it was too pretty to use?¡± Rita asked, flipping through the book, but I had no answer for her. ¡°Miss?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you upset because I said you didn¡¯t study?¡± Rita tilted her head, her expression forming a question as she looked at my face. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is there something worrying you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chewing on my lips, I searched for something to say. If I said that I got dumped by the person I liked, then Rita would probably bring me into her arms for a hug, right? I¡¯d be grateful and moved, but if that happened, the whole mansion would be filled with rumors within seconds that I¡¯ve been dumped, and I didn¡¯t want that. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°That just makes me more curious.¡± Pouting, Rita moved her hands to unpack the bag even faster. ¡°But why is the house so clean today? Is someone coming?¡± I made a curious face as I looked around my room. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Several guests are arriving soon.¡± ¡°Who? Who did Dad invite?¡± I had heard nothing about visitors. Blinking my suspicious eyes, I tilted my head. Dad must be really busy. He wasn¡¯t telling me anything. ¡°Hm, let¡¯s see¡­ Oh! They said that the people from the Tower of Magic are coming to fight off the monsters,¡± Rita answered, clapping her hands together after seeming to have thought of something. ¡°What?!¡± At those words, I sat up quickly from where I previously was lying idly on the bed. *** The Tower of Magic was the dream job for anyone who could do magic. Though I had yet to set foot there, in my fantasy, it looked exactly like paradise with milk and honey flowing from its fountains. ¡°Dad, the Tower of Magic!¡± I shouted, banging open the doors to his office. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The people from the Tower of Magic are coming?!¡± My heart was pounding with excitement. I couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªI was about to see several magicians who belonged to the Tower of Magic itself. ¡°Oh my, I forgot to tell you.¡± Dad pushed up his glasses with a rueful expression. ¡°We can¡¯t have monsters running around everywhere. So I put in a request for subjugation at the Tower of Magic as Viscount Blair.¡± Covering my mouth with my hands, I murmured, ¡°Wow¡­ Dad, you¡¯re so cool.¡± ¡°Haha, right? Your dad is so cool, right?¡± Squaring his shoulders back, he burst out laughing. ¡°I thought you might like it. So starting next year, work hard on your lessons to become head of the household, alright?¡± ¡°Oh, um, okay.¡± Twiddling my hands together, I secretly avoided Dad¡¯s eyes. The truth was my dad had no idea that my dream job was to work at the Tower of Magic. He thought that it would be a given that I would become head of the family after he dies. As he was someone who valued the family¡¯s name as much as he valued me, it was natural that he wanted to hand over his title to the daughter he¡¯d raised so preciously. Chapter 11.2 ¡°So that¡¯s why the house is so clean.¡± I smiled awkwardly, changing the subject. ¡°They¡¯re really coming.¡± Looking at the documents related to the Tower of Magic that was on top of his desk, I couldn¡¯t contain my smile. ¡°Dad, what do I do? My heart is all¡­¡± Pounding and fluttering. With my hands to my cheeks, I giggled out of excitement. Since some people had been hurt by the appearance of the monsters, I shouldn¡¯t be too happy, but it was still a huge deal. To be blunt, what other occasion could there be for magicians of the Tower of Magic to come all the way to a remote area like our place in the future? And three of them, to boot. When I returned to school, I was definitely going to brag to my friends. Reading and re-reading the documents over and over again, I hummed a happy tune almost naturally. *** ¡°Miss, your cheekbones could pierce the sky at this rate.¡± Stifling a snicker, Rita turned around as she opened the curtains. ¡°Of course, you know how long I¡¯ve been dreaming of this.¡± After spreading out all the magic books I¡¯d collected so far on my bed, I made a satisfied expression. With a pleased look of her own, Rita gathered all the laundry and asked for the last time, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t have anything else to wash, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks for all your hard work.¡± Only after Rita left did I carefully turn to look. The place my eyes immediately landed on was the red hardcover, emanating from where it was on my desk. With slightly trembling hands, I picked up the book. My hands found the page that I had now become familiar with: the part in which my ending was revealed. ¡°¡®You said so yourself, Noah, that liking someone is something you can¡¯t control. That¡¯s the same for me. I did it because I like you so much. Am I not allowed to have this much to myself?¡¯ Noah looked down at me with cold eyes and spoke. ¡®That¡¯s not my business. What¡¯s important is that Flora had a hard time because of you.¡¯¡± The Kate inside the book protested at first before crumbling down at Noah¡¯s cold response. It felt weird, looking at myself crying and clinging and even sobbing at the end of the story. But if Noah treated me so scarily like that, would I be able to not cry like I had in the book? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Since I thought I really might have done that if I hadn¡¯t known the future through this book, I couldn¡¯t feel at peace. It¡¯s alright. Soon I would be able to forget him. I¡¯d been in love with him for almost two years, so it was natural that I couldn¡¯t shake it all off so suddenly. Especially since I¡¯d thought Noah would kick me away harshly if I confessed, only for that not to be the case. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d gradually give up the more I saw Flora and Noah together. ¡°It¡¯s going to be¡­ Okay.¡± Muttering to myself bitterly, I closed the book. *** I couldn¡¯t fall asleep until the sky was completely dark. Eventually, I gave up on sleeping and was sitting on my bed blankly. It was then that far away, a few small points of light glowed outside the window. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Putting something on over my pajamas, I walked through the hallways and out the door. ¡°Miss Kate, where are you going?! Miss Kate!¡± I could hear voices calling for me from the direction of the mansion, but I didn¡¯t stop. The place where I could see the lights was at the border of Grania Forest. Our family¡¯s knights had crowded around with torches in their hands. Wrapping my clothes around me closer, I joined the crowd surrounding the forest. ¡°Excuse me, is something the matter?¡± ¡°Miss Kate? You shouldn¡¯t be here right now. Quick, please¡­¡± The moment Sir Zion turned his body in surprise, the identity of what the knights were crowded around was revealed. ¡°That- that¡¯s¡­!¡± A monster. This was a monster? Wow, gross. Was there a reason it had to look so gross? Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked at the monster that was black from head to toe. In the meantime, its¡ªshould it be called eyes? Anyhow, the monster¡¯s attention turned to me and would you know it? Its tentacles flew quickly towards me. I hastily drew out a defense magic circle in the air. ¡°Erk.¡± Maybe because I¡¯d activated it too quickly, but the magic was a bit unstable when I unleashed it. It was a relief that I had a defense spell memorized and was able to put it to good use when I needed it, which was now. ¡°Miss Kate!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everyone, stay back!¡± Scrunching up my face, I tried to maintain the magic circle. The monster looked a little different from the illustrations in the textbook. Its uneven surface had dark colors, so it felt like I was looking into the abyss. It was when I was distracted by the strange appearance of the monster that with a crash, the magic circle shattered. ¡°¡­!¡± Since this was the first time my magic had been canceled forcefully, I was a bit flustered. Shaking off my tingling hands, I stood still unaware of the approaching monster, when a knight threw his sword at the monster. ¡°Hya!¡± It was a brave choice but not enough to stop the monster. In order to help him, I began activating any offensive magic I could think of. My hands were still numb and tingly, but it was doable. ¡°¡­!¡± A part of the monster¡¯s body caved in as it got hit by the magic, and it made a strange cry before combusting in the air. Was it over? With a bit of a dumbfounded face, I stood there, rubbing my still tingly hands together. Chapter 12.1 ¡°Kate!¡± Running hastily towards me from afar, my dad grabbed my shoulders. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Oh, Dad,¡± I mumbled, feeling my shoulders go numb. ¡°I had no other choice. We can¡¯t defeat that thing by sword, and I was the only magician here, so¡­¡± ¡°Even still¡­ Haah, Kate.¡± Still in his pajamas, Dad rubbed his forehead as he sighed. ¡°Daddy¡¯s old now, so you can¡¯t shock him like this, alright?¡± ¡°I get it. Fine. But everything worked out well, didn¡¯t it?¡± With a rueful smile, I swept my hair back. But was it really the end, with just this? Since my magical prowess was nothing to speak of, it couldn¡¯t be. I glanced towards the dark bushes and bit my lips, worried. ¡°Excuse me, milord.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Frightened, Dad yanked me behind his back. Panting, the knight who had attacked the monster stammered, ¡°Please take a look at this.¡± The blade of the sword the knight had swung at the monster was corroded in black. A shiver ran up my spine as I imagined what would¡¯ve happened if that had touched me instead. Perhaps because my dad had the same thought, his hands on my shoulders were trembling. A shadow cast on his face, Sir Zion sighed and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Hurry up please, Tower of Magic¡­¡± My expression darkened too. I agreed. *** After that night, I realized that the appearance of monsters was much more serious than I had originally thought. The thought that there was more than one of those things gave me chills up and down my spine. Wild boars and roe deer were quite the formidable headache, too, but I thought I would prefer to have a hundred of them instead. ¡°You can stop now.¡± At Rita¡¯s words, I looked in the mirror. My disheveled hair was now all tidied up. I had no idea how many times I¡¯d combed it. Thanks to that, my head of hair that was usually frizzled looked as glossy as a spool of thread. Since it had been a while since I wore something other than my uniform, I felt awkward, but I was sure I¡¯d be alright soon. ¡°Yeah, this looks fine.¡± Today was the day the subjugation team would arrive from the Tower of Magic. Standing up hurriedly in case I was late, I ended up hitting my knee against the dressing table. Rubbing at it ferociously, I ran down the hallway. ¡°They¡¯re not here yet, right?¡± I asked Dad, rearranging my hair in the meantime in case it got frazzled again. Chuckling, Dad pulled me in by the shoulder. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re arriving right now.¡± ¡°!¡± At the end of the slope, a white carriage was coming towards us. My heart began pounding again. Soon, the wagon slid to a stop in front of our estate. I drummed my hands on my dad¡¯s shoulders, excited. ¡°They¡¯re getting off, they¡¯re getting off¡­¡± In between the slightly opened carriage doors, a silvery-white ponytail swayed in the air. Huh, it looked familiar, somehow. In the next moment, my jaw dropped open. ¡°¡­ Why, why is he¡­¡± What was he doing here? But those next words didn¡¯t come out of my mouth. Noah, who had just gotten off the carriage, made a small smile in our direction. My stomach felt like it was suddenly in pain. Two more people followed out after my senior, but there was no way they could catch my attention now. Why was Noah here? Why?! Dozens of question marks floated around in my head. ¡°Kate, is that someone you know?¡± I stood there stiffly like a wooden statue, unable to even answer my dad¡¯s question. I rubbed my eyes multiple times denying reality, but as expected, nothing changed. ¡°¡­!¡± I hurriedly inspected what I was wearing. It wasn¡¯t dirty or ripped or anything, and it was what I would normally wear at home. ¡­ Curses! If I¡¯d known this would happen, I would¡¯ve worn better clothes, even if it wasn¡¯t a dress. Was it a relief that I¡¯d brushed my hair recently? ¡°Hi.¡± Before I knew it, Noah had approached us in great strides and was greeting me, making eye contact with me the whole time. Honey-colored eyes bent into half-moons. ¡°Long time no see.¡± I could only open and close my mouth two or so times, unable to say anything. I looked around nervously, feeling sick to my stomach. It felt like a hole was going to rip through it at any moment. *** The full story was this. As a magical genius, Noah made frequent trips to the Tower of Magic since he was young, and he was also visiting the Tower of Magic during his summer break as well. And since Noah, who happened to be there, had as much skill as the average magician, and since they thought it would be a good experience for him, they¡¯d brought him along, or so they said¡­ Master of the Tower of Magic, sir, why did you do that? ¡°A senior student in the Academy? Haha, what a coincidence!¡± Sitting at his desk, Dad burst out into chuckles. To Dad, it might be a marvelous coincidence, but it wasn¡¯t to me. Especially since Noah¡¯s eyes were boring into me for some reason to the point of his gaze feeling prickly. Trying to keep my posture straight in complete nervousness was making this conversation uncomfortable as heck. Chapter 12.2 ¡°Young Master Yurielle, I know of your reputation well.¡± Dad pounded me on my back as he continued speaking, a smile in his voice. ¡°Would you know that my daughter happens to be a magician, too? She was so excited knowing magicians from the Tower of Magic were coming today!¡± ¡°D-Dad.¡± Why are you telling them this? I side-eyed my dad with narrowed eyes. ¡°Look at her being shy.¡± I couldn¡¯t be more resentful of my dad¡¯s innocent nature as of now. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. It was just this situation itself that was beyond awkward. I was twiddling my fingers with my back ramrod straight when refreshments were finally brought in. Just as I was spouting praises inwardly at the fact that I finally would have something to busy my hands with¡­ ¡°Kaitlyn.¡± Noah, who¡¯d picked up a spoon as soon as the maid poured tea into the cup, spoke up. ¡°Sugar cubes?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, please.¡± For some unknown reason, Noah even added sugar cubes to my tea personally. Would you believe it? He even stirred it with a spoon until it melted before he handed it over. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°No need.¡± If I¡¯d known this would happen, I would¡¯ve refused. I liked things that were a little more on the sweet side. Though this was a tea that Noah had personally added sugar to, I couldn¡¯t tell if I was drinking it with my mouth or with my nose. By the way, this was the first time I was seeing Noah wearing something other than a uniform. It had been a long time since I saw him with his hair up, too. Wow, so Noah wore earrings. It looked really good on him. I stared point-blank at the blue droplet-shaped gem subtly swaying near his long and white neck, then dropped my head quickly. Get a grip on yourself, Kate. But I had to say it really did look good on him. Stop. But Noah is just so handsome. ¡­ Please, just stop! An unexpected division of self was occurring within me. And this was all because Noah was just so uselessly handsome. While I was struggling with shame at my weakness, I heard a crunching sound from somewhere. ¡°?¡± When I raised my head to look for its source, I found a man, with navy blue hair like the night sky and dark circles around his eyes that spoke of nocturnal works deep into the night, noisily eating snacks without stopping. He was very fast, too. Since that was amazing, I kept glancing at him, but the man stopped, perhaps because he grew conscious of my gaze. I quickly bowed my head again, feeling sorry for some reason. I¡¯m sorry. Please continue eating. When I stopped looking, the crunching noises began again. ¡°Hmm.¡± Come to think of it, the tea was far less sweet than I usually took it; I wondered if I could add just one more sugar cube. If I reached out towards the bowel of sugar, then Noah would try to do it for me, right? When I glanced sideways, Noah was still looking my way. ¡­ Let¡¯s just drink it a little less sweet this time. Only as I sipped on my tea with depressed movements did I comprehend what my dad was telling the other magicians. ¡°We had a hard time the night before yesterday, too, because a monster suddenly appeared. Haha, but my daughter eventually came to our rescue and eradicated it with her magic.¡± ¡°Dad, why are you telling them that¡­¡± So embarrassing. I groaned, hiding my face. Bragging in front of the top three people in the industry ¨C wasn¡¯t that like showing off your stripes in front of a tiger? ¡°Haha, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. It just means that it¡¯s a great thing the young lady has magical talents, isn¡¯t that right?¡± said the blonde magician with the gentle impression, whom they called the subjugation leader. Was his name Linus? And that guy from earlier eating snacks¡ªdid they only pick handsome and beautiful people at the Tower of Magic? Then I most likely won¡¯t get in. ¡°Seeing how you were able to defeat a monster all by yourself, I would think that you have the abilities on par with that of the average mid-level magician.¡± When the man said so with a smile, Noah added a word from next to me. ¡°Kaitlyn is a talented magician.¡± ¡°!¡± Talented magician. ¡°Hehe.¡± They said I was a talented magician. I was praised by two of the best in the industry. I covered my mouth with my hand and calmed the corners of my lips from twitching. In a good mood now, laughter leaked out of my mouth as I hid my face with my teacup. But that too lasted only a moment. Returning to reality once more, my lips turned back down. All of a sudden, Noah addressed me in the midst of sitting there doing nothing just like me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it boring?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ or no!¡± I, who was nodding without thinking, raised my face. What was I saying? Seriously! When I stuttered like that, Noah smiled amusedly and rested his chin on his hand. ¡°You¡¯re finally looking at me now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Alarmed on the inside, I swallowed. I think my heart stopped for about two seconds just now. Did I hear wrong? My senior lowered his eyebrows as if he had noticed how hard my pupils were shaking. No, not my poor face. ¡°Is my presence here making you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°N-no,¡± I immediately answered. If I could, I wanted to steal my father¡¯s seal and order him to be deported, but I couldn¡¯t say as much to him. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, want to leave?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± To where? Dumbfounded, I blinked both eyes. Feeling like I had to do something, I picked up the teapot. ¡°Won¡¯t you drink more tea?¡± Noah shook his head. ¡°Oh.¡± I awkwardly put the teapot back down. ¡°Come to think of it, you must be tired from the journey. We¡¯re in such a periphery, after all¡­ Goodness, my dad.¡± I awkwardly turned to look at my dad, who was excitedly talking to Linus. ¡°If you¡¯re alright with it, would you like to go upstairs?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± When Noah nodded, I quietly raised myself from my seat. ¡°Dad¡­¡± I turned to him to ask where I should take Noah to, but Dad was still busy talking. Oh well, I could just show him to the guest room, right? They weren¡¯t going to go subjugating immediately, so¡­ With that thought, I called for Rita, a lot more relaxed than I was previously. ¡°Rita.¡± But somehow, an urgent look was all over Rita¡¯s face. She scampered to my side and whispered into my ear. Chapter 13.1 ¡°What?¡± The guest room wasn¡¯t ready yet? Realizing that my voice just now had been pretty loud, I hastily lowered it. What are we supposed to do if the room is not ready?! When I mouthed this to Rita, she furrowed her eyebrows and answered with her eyes. We didn¡¯t know they would come here this early. ¡°Emily accidentally smeared soot on the bed, so just until we¡¯ve cleaned that up¡­¡± ¡°Haa.¡± Hearing Rita whisper with a pitiful face, I rubbed my forehead, troubled. ¡°Noah, I¡¯m sorry. The guest room is not ready yet, but if we sat back in our seats¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really like that idea.¡± I nodded as if I understood. ¡°Now what?¡± It wasn¡¯t like I could keep someone here when he didn¡¯t want to stay. When I agonized over this while glancing at him, Noah lowered his head a little and made eye contact with me. ¡°Then would it be alright if I stayed in your room for a while?¡± ¡°What?¡± Noah quickly added on to his words. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, that is.¡± Reigning in my thumping heart, I considered this. Bringing an outside man into my room was a bit burdensome, but for some reason, I felt like it would be okay if it was Noah. Since Dad was over there, it was also my responsibility to serve the guests. Right. Serving guests. There wasn¡¯t any other significance to this other than that, right? ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Get the room ready as quickly as possible, I told Rita with my eyes before I led Noah into my room. ¡°A moment, please.¡± With that one phrase, I went into my room and roughly shelved all the books that had been scattered all over. Only after I re-inspected the bed, once Rita had already arranged and shoved all the other stuff into the closet did I open the door again carefully. ¡°Come in.¡± I quickly scanned the room again. The wrinkles on the bed from where I touched it bothered me, but the rest seemed fine. ¡°I didn¡¯t know anyone would be coming in, so I haven¡¯t had the time to clean¡­ Haha.¡± When Noah stepped in with careful deliberation, I slid the door closed. ¡°Please have a seat.¡± After guiding Noah to the sofa that didn¡¯t seem as messy, I scampered to the opposite sofa to sit down. ¡°You have a pretty room,¡± Noah said with a slight smile after he looked around the room. ¡­ Rita, nice! I smiled back at him awkwardly. By the way, has Noah become more talkative lately? Before, he only spoke this much if Flora was around. Thinking as much, I was sitting there with him with a kind of blanked-out face, when I saw the book I had roughly thrown to one side of the sofa. The red hardcover was very familiar to me. When I looked up, Noah was sitting with his back as straight as ever. ¡°Um, Noah.¡± I licked my dry lips. With trembling hands, I spread open the first page in which the beginning was written, then slowly lifted it up. ¡°By any chance¡­ Can you see this?¡± I had already been treated like some crazy person by countless people I¡¯d met when I asked if they could see this, but I was curious what Noah¡¯s response would be as one of the two protagonists. If he said he could, then since there wasn¡¯t any important information in the first chapter, it would be okay. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s nothing written there.¡± Blinking, Noah even took off his glasses as he spoke. Feeling my heart thump loudly at the purity of Noah without his glasses on, I hastily closed the book. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Do you have an answer you are unsure of?¡± Though I started a little at Noah¡¯s keen question, I laughed and glossed over it. ¡°No, I was just pulling a prank on you.¡± There could have been no answer vaguer than this, but as of now, that was my best. With this, I now knew that even the main character could not see the book. As embarrassing as the process made me feel, I now had a solid answer. ¡°By the way, how did you end up here? I was surprised when I first saw you, you know.¡± Trying to force a conversation may be a bit difficult, but it was better than an awkward silence. ¡°The Master of the Tower was looking for someone to go with him.¡± ¡°Goodness, but you should rest during the holidays.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d go.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I murmured, raising an eyebrow. Coming all the way here by carriage was quite a toll. But really, why did Noah come here? Other than superficial reasons, our fief was small and didn¡¯t have much of a presence, so there would¡¯ve been nothing to gain by coming here. ¡°Excuse me, Noah, but by any chance, when you came here¡­¡± I opened my mouth as I glanced at Noah, who had a peaceful expression on his face. ¡°Did you know that it was our fief?¡± I was in the process of regretting the question even as I asked it. ¡°¡­¡± And Noah was in the process of moving his lips as if he was about to say something, when¡­ ¡°Miss, the guest room is ready,¡± came Rita¡¯s voice, along with a knock. Perfect timing. Unable to hide my joy, I sprang up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Once Noah was up, I quickly began pushing his back towards the room door. ¡°Rita will take you to your room. Rest well, Noah.¡± Noah seemed to be taken aback for a second at the aggressive behavior he¡¯d never seen before from me, but he was soon heading out obediently. ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°Ye-s! Yes.¡± Noah glanced towards my direction a few times, then turned and walked away. Through the gap of the open door, his silver hair tied up into a ponytail swayed behind him. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I sat down and leaned against the closed door, sighing, then threw the red book across the room for no reason at all. What a situation, really. *** Chapter 13.2 While I was away at the Academy, our house¡¯s hunting hound Roger gave birth. I¡¯d wanted to be by her side during the childbirth, but oh well. ¡°No pulling on your older sister¡¯s clothes.¡± To the relief of my worries, Roger and the five pups were all in good health. I sat down in the yard and watched the tiny beings squirming eternally. My dad, who should be talking with Linus right now, had enjoyed hunting since he was young. He had a room just for his collection of hunting guns, and the dogs we raised in the mansion were all hunting dogs, such as retriever hounds or terriers. Though he was busy now and didn¡¯t have the time to go hunting, the dogs were getting chubbier with each passing day. As I scratched the whimpering boy¡¯s chin, I sighed. ¡°If only the people in the world were as easy to understand as you all are.¡± I was sure I wasn¡¯t deluding myself. Noah really had changed. I wondered what Noah was thinking. Why was he being so gentle suddenly? And why was he being so good to me? I did think of one possibility, a very big what-if possibility, but I erased that out of my mind. After all, it didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°Goodness.¡± Since the magicians needed to relieve their travel sickness, the subjugation of the monsters would begin in earnest tomorrow. I smacked my lips together as I muttered, ¡°I want to go, too.¡± That night had been scary, but since it had been the first time I¡¯d used an attack-type of magic, it had also been very interesting. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be saying this about something that had been dangerous, but it had been a little fun obliterating that monster. After all, I¡¯ve had so many magic spells concocted that I never had any use for. This saddened me a great deal. If I was to make the Tower of Magic my goal, then was it so bad of an idea to gain experience like this? Scratching Ben¡¯s chin as he wagged his tail mightily, I grumbled, ¡°I wanna go, I wanna go¡­.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± When I whirled around at the familiar voice behind me, there was Noah. ¡°Oh, Noah.¡± I was this close to landing on my butt in the dirt. Gathering Ben in my arms, I stood up. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡± ¡°The viscount says to come inside to eat,¡± Noah replied, gesturing towards the mansion. ¡°Oh, where did the time¡­¡± After glancing at my clock with the puppies still in my arms, I looked at Noah again. ¡°You can go on inside without me. I¡¯m going to give these guys something to eat first.¡± ¡°Should I help?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t refuse, but¡­¡± Before I could finish my sentence, Noah was already picking up Ben out of my arms. His motions were deft. Had he dealt with a lot of animals before? Yeah well, let¡¯s not be so sensitive when he¡¯s offering to help. Shaking my head, I gathered the puppies. Momentarily remembering that Ben uses a separate dish, I twisted my body around. ¡°Oh, for him¡­¡± The puppy in Noah¡¯s hand stretched out his tongue and began licking Noah¡¯s face. Sticky saliva was smeared on his white cheek. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± How dare you do what I haven¡¯t done yet. ¡­ was not the problem! ¡°He must be excited to meet someone new.¡± I pretended to send a flick towards Ben¡¯s forehead. He was still panting happily. Goodness gracious. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food for you guys too.¡± I was calling in Ben and Roger and all the other dogs when I was struck by a question. Was it okay for a precious ducal young master to be doing something like this? I myself did so because I liked being with them, but Noah was a guest. I looked around to ask if he normally did things like this when he came on subjugations, and immediately, my worries vanished. Standing against the wall of the mansion, Noah was smiling at the puppies as they ate. His warm golden eyes sparkled in the noon sunlight. He must like animals. ¡­ Adorable. An adorable person next to adorable things. Mind blank, I could only stare at Noah. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Ben, and that¡¯s Roger, Brown, and Paul.¡± After pointing out each of the eating dogs in response to Noah¡¯s question, I hastily added, ¡°I didn¡¯t name them.¡± ¡°Cute.¡± That would be you, Noah. I looked dazedly at Noah petting the puppies before I suddenly thought, Noah is close to the Master of the Tower, and he has a high-ranking title. Not to mention his skills. Doesn¡¯t that mean that he is kind of like the big shot around these parts? ¡°Noah. I, uh, I want to ask for a favor.¡± Once I had organized everything in my head, I opened my mouth after some hesitation. Noah turned to look at me. ¡°The monster subjugation, could I possibly go as well?¡± I¡¯ve done it. Feeling my heart thud against my chest, I waited with my hands fisted to my sides. Noah, who had been pursing his lips a few times, finally opened his mouth. ¡°This is a bit difficult.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Furrowing his brows a little, Noah turned back to me. ¡°I¡¯d like to tell you not to go because it¡¯s dangerous, but then I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll think that I¡¯m dismissing you.¡± Chapter 14.1 ¡°According to Linus¡¯ research, the problem is not that serious, and their numbers are on the small side, but I won¡¯t be at ease if you get hurt,¡± Noah said softly while looking down at me. I was rendered speechless. Even though I knew he was just worried for my well-being¡­ ¡°¡­. You¡¯re very kind.¡± And gentle. How cruel it all was¡ªhow could anyone not like Noah? ¡°I-If you put it like that, I can¡¯t even pester you about it anymore.¡± Smiling awkwardly, I scratched my cheek. ¡°But it looks like we¡¯ll be studying monster-related topics next year, and I have magical runes that I¡¯ve revised recently, so¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, but I really want to accompany you, so would it really be impossible just this once?¡± I stared up at Noah with my most pleading expression. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of how good your skills are.¡± I knew it was rude of me to ask this of him so suddenly. But when would I ever get to experience something like this ever again? I opened my mouth and searched for words once more. ¡°I¡¯ll stick right to your side the entire time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a pause, Noah silently turned his head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you for now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I¡¯ve passed the first round. I sorted out the magical runes that I would try out in my head. Though there were a lot that I wanted to use, I narrowed the list down only to those that I was most confident in. Speaking of which, I wondered if convincing my dad would be the hardest part. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Should we go eat?¡± Oh, whatever. I¡¯ll think about it after I fill my stomach. Straightening up my hair, I put the empty dog bowls away and rose to my feet. *** All throughout lunch, I couldn¡¯t tell if I was eating the food through my mouth or my nose. The subjugation was tomorrow. When was Noah going to say anything? What if he forgot? Or was he not saying anything because it was too much work? As the meal was almost over, many questions were swirling in my head. That was when¡ª ¡°May Katelin accompany us on our monster subjugation tomorrow?¡± ¡°Keh!¡± The potato got caught in my throat, and I coughed. This was all because Noah had waited until I was finishing up to say something. Oof, that scared me. After pounding at my chest and gulping down the water Noah offered me, I opened my mouth. ¡°Is this something my daughter agreed on?¡± ¡°Yes, I was the one who asked him. I was wondering if I could go, too.¡± ¡°Kate¡­!¡± shouted Dad, as if he was surprised, while Linus tilted his head with a smile. ¡°I think it may be a little difficult for a young lady.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ll be of any help, but I will never be in your way. I have pretty good stamina, and I know the geography of Grania Forest well because I used to go there often when I was younger.¡± ¡°Dad, please. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t trust your own daughter?¡± As I pleaded while pounding my chest, I sent a sparkling gaze to my father, whose face was crumpled in indecision. ¡°¡­ If I could place her in your care, Sir Linus.¡± Unexpectedly, Dad even asked Linus for the favor. ¡°My daughter is not an untrustworthy child. Whatever happens, I will not hold you responsible.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± I murmured, feeling moved in my chest. Hearing Dad¡¯s request, Linus¡¯s red eyes shined as he contemplated for a moment. The navy-haired man, Aiden, still did not say a word. ¡°Are you okay with this, Aiden?¡± ¡°Whatever works.¡± When Aiden responded as much with a shrug, Linus¡¯s handsome face broke out into a wide smile. ¡°You can come with us, Lady Katelin. But you cannot move away from Noah¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Simply happy from gaining permission, I had a happy smile on my face. ¡°Anyhow, it¡¯s really quite unbelievable to see Noah asking for something. The two of you must be close.¡± Eyes crinkling in a smile, Linus snickered at Noah. In response, Noah glanced in my direction once before replying with a peaceful expression. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± We are? Unable to read the atmosphere, my heart began to beat quickly once more. *** ¡°Haha¡­¡± Leaning against the wall, a despondent laugh leaked from my lips. I sure was beyond hopelessness. It was alright: when the next semester began, I just needed to keep my distance from then on. Noah didn¡¯t have any feelings for me anyways. I was just an underclassman he was slightly familiar with. Understand? ¡°One, two, three.¡± Look, when Noah leaves after a week, there will still be three weeks of vacation left. If I live a little busily during that time, I¡¯ll be able to give up by then. I also happened to have been invited to the Jenkinson Estate for next week. Echo would probably be there, too. Right? I¡¯ll chat the night away and forget him while playing cricket. ¡°I see you¡¯re already here, Lady Blair.¡± I was so excited that there was no way I could¡¯ve been late. I smiled embarrassedly, scratching the back of my head. Linus pointed at what I held in my hand and tilted his head. ¡°Is that yours?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I took a lot of notes recently. By any chance, could you take a look at my magic a bit later?¡± I lifted the thickest of my notebooks that had all my magical runes notes in them and chuckled. In it, all the runes that I had learned and familiarized myself with during the last semester were organized. However, because I was not an incredible veteran who memorized and could use all the magical runes I had learned while in school, I needed something to look at to be able to use a variety of magic. ¡°I can take a look for you,¡± Noah said as he came out and squeezed himself in between me and Sir Linus. I had no idea where he¡¯d come from so suddenly like that, but he was really quite pretty today as well. His silver hair was tied up, perhaps to keep it out of the way. Long silver eyelashes and sparkling golden pupils. 10 out of 10. Spectacular and magnificent. Chapter 14.2 Suppressing the unconscious urge to raise my hands and applaud, I decided to greet him instead. ¡°Good morning, Noah.¡± ¡°You too. Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Not really, I was so excited about today.¡± ¡°Are you good to go then?¡± ¡°Alright, save your small talk for later.¡± Cutting off our conversation, Linus pushed Noah¡¯s back all the way forward. Aiden was already in the yard, drawing a teleportation rune. Noticing our arrival, he stood up. ¡°If we¡¯re all ready, let¡¯s go.¡± Once we were all within its range, the runes began emitting blue light. My vision tangled into itself dizzily, and soon a completely different landscape from what we¡¯d had before came into view. We were at the entrance of Grania Forest. I¡¯d only visited here when I was very young, but I still had some memories. ¡°The apple tree that grew around here had really delicious apples.¡± At the spot, I turned to see the apple tree of my memories, as expected. Even its shape was the same as how I remembered it. I was staring at it in somewhat of a wonder when Linus asked, ¡°In order to find the monster¡¯s nucleus, we will have to venture quite into the center of the forest. Do you know how to go in, Lady Blair?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I do. We have to go that way,¡± I said, pointing at the bushes with the green leaves. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Aidan nodded, with a magic wand in his hand. Or you could do things that way. By the by, that magic wand looked really cool. I was moving along while staring at the magic wand that you wouldn¡¯t be able to even glimpse at a place like this when a shiver ran up my spine. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like something is surrounding us?¡± Looking at our seemingly darkened surroundings, anxiety flitted across my face. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Noah nodded as if he had also felt something was a little off about this. As my eyes darted around us, my eyebrows furrowed. That apple tree. For some reason, it felt like I kept seeing it show up in front of me. Everything was the same, from the elongated shape of its leaves to the length of its branches. I was thinking it was a little weird also, when Noah approached the apple tree and spoke in a serious tone. ¡°This is a trap.¡± ¡°A trap?¡± I repeated, aghast. ¡°A trap, huh. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Strangely enough, both Linus and Aiden looked unfazed. Was I the only one who was worried right now? If it was a monster that could set up traps, then it must be quite the high level creature. My gosh, and that thing was in our fief now? Seeing their calm faces, this probably meant that they were confident. ¡°Then how¡­.¡± I was just about to ask when golden magical runes sank into the ground, and the apple tree and its surrounding ground disappeared like it had never been there. Golden magic meant it was Noah¡¯s. My mouth slightly ajar, I stared at him. Feeling a little overwhelmed at seeing Noah, who stood there so calmly even after demonstrating such high-level magic, I right away took a small step back. That moment, I heard the rustle of branches snapping. ¡°Huh?¡± The spot that I had stepped on was unusually littered with branches as if it was there by some kind of design. ¡°¡­ Eh?¡± I was looking around in curiosity when the branches surrounding me began to glow, flashing with dark red light. My mind went blank for a moment. This was a teleportation rune, wasn¡¯t it? Oh, I was so doomed. And the last thing I saw was Noah, reaching out towards me with a panicked expression on his face. Swoosh. I gripped the book in my hand as if it was my lifeline. I felt like my stomach was going to lurch before long. No matter how strong the monster was, it was still a monster who¡¯d drawn this, so neither the formula nor the arrangement of the characters was uniform. And so the transferral would be undoubtedly uneven, which proceeded to make me feel dizzy. I was sick to my stomach. Just how bad at drawing could they be. If this was a test, they¡¯d get no points, nada. ¡°Ugh.¡± Holding my dazed head in my hands, I sat up. Where was I? In my hazy eyesight, I began to see something. The landscape, which had been full of lush trees just a second ago, was now changed to that of a dull cave. ¡°¡­?¡± I was busy being bewildered by what I saw through my blonde bangs when all of a sudden, I caught sight of a mess of silver hair before me. ¡°Noah?¡± It was Noah, holding his forehead in his hands as if he was dizzy. ¡°¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°Noah, you came here too? What was that just now?¡± So relieved at finding Noah by my side, I began blabbering away. ¡°The runes activated as soon as the trap was broken. There might have been a gap in the trap, or¡­.¡± Only after I had chattered on did I feel something in my hand. ¡°¡­ Oh.¡± Our hands were tightly clasped together. This must have happened when Noah was reaching for me as we teleported. His warmth against my skin felt somewhat embarrassing. I quickly extracted my hand and lowered my head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, because of me¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Noah, who had been staring into the distance the whole time, pointed inside the cave and replied. ¡°In fact, I have a feeling we¡¯ll end faster thanks to you.¡± Following his gaze into the cave, my jaw dropped slightly. ¡°¡­!¡± That was right. Inside the cave, an enormous number of monsters were gathered in a circle. ¡°T-That¡¯s not a small number?¡± They had all been gathered here all along. Scared stiff, I covered my mouth. ¡°If I knew this was the case, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you,¡± murmured Noah in a low voice. Clearing my throat, I dusted off the dirt on my clothes. ¡°I guess it was set up to bring us here automatically if we broke the trap.¡± The branches glowed and the apple tree started disappearing even though we hadn¡¯t even noticed the presence of magic before that. Chapter 15.1 Tilting my head, I pointed to the monsters clustered around some kind of center and asked, ¡°That¡¯s the nucleus, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Noah, who had been looking at the same spot as I was, nodded brightly. Then this just might be a good thing. After all, if you get rid of the nucleus, then the rest of the monsters would disappear on their own. But my brightened face soon crumpled. There was a rotten smell coming from somewhere. Like the smell of a rotting corpse¡­. ¡°Gurk.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Pinching my nose, I did my best to look composed. Wait, corpse? Now that I thought about it, my dad had begun telling me not to go to Grania Forest since I was about ten. Why was that again? Right, the whole forest had become a suicide spot after a man was found hanging from a tree. It looked like he had committed suicide there. In the first place, Grania Forest was infamous for being where people did not often visit unless they were hunters by trade. It was to the extent that some people would deliberately avoid it. ¡°Though monsters can form artificially through magical means, they say they can also arise naturally under the influence of negative energy.¡± Like from an old abandoned temple, for instance, or a haunted house. Recalling what was in the textbook for the next semester, I said, ¡°Come to think of it, this is actually a suicide spot.¡± As I said so, what seemed like apprehension brushed behind my back. I shrank into myself, trying not to look towards the monsters and their smell of corpses. Maybe because Noah knew what I was afraid of, he cast a spell in that instant. ¡°I¡¯ve used stealth magic for now. They can¡¯t see us, so we should be fine.¡± What the ¨C using such high-level magic so easily. I was astonished at how Noah acted like nothing was out of ordinary when I momentarily stiffened. Right in front of my nose was a firm chest. A number of buttons must have become loosened while we were moving, for I could glimpse the defined breastbone, the feast of flesh from between the white collars. Uhhh, um. Wow. Feeling heat rise in my face, I glanced towards the monsters for no reason. The monsters looked like someone had randomly smushed a brush dipped in black paint onto paper. The scene in which they situated themselves even looked like an abstract painting at times. They were similar to the monster I¡¯d seen before but still a little different. Privately scared, I swallowed thickly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be best if we called Sir Linus and Sir Aiden over first?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Noah immediately drew a magic circle on the floor. The skillfully drawn magic circle flashed with gold. Feeling like Noah was the only one using all kinds of magic when I¡¯d come along to help, I felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°It will probably take some time. So¡­¡± ¡°N-Noah!¡± Suppressing a hiccup, I called out to Noah. The biggest of the monsters was looking around sharply and approaching our way. Its tentacles flew dizzyingly in the air, making hissing sounds as it came nearer. If things went on like this, then it wouldn¡¯t matter whether it could see us or not. We were going to be crushed to death by its tentacles! I gulped, thinking of magical runes that I could possibly use right this instant. I was planning to use them right away if necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll fight it. Can you protect the magic circle here?¡± Noah asked, slowly getting up with his gaze fixed on the monster. With a tense expression, I nodded. ¡°Yes, please be careful.¡± As soon as Noah took a few steps, the monster¡¯s attack began. After glancing at him a couple times worriedly, I breathed out a little sigh. Noah would be fine. ¡°Hah.¡± I cast a shield around the yet-inactivated magical runes and stood next to it. Still not convinced, I was only able to relax after I put a double, triple protective shield over it. Standing next to it, I couldn¡¯t help but express my admiration as I watched Noah fight. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Cutting, tearing, slicing, and exploding¡ªall his motions were in perfect harmony. From the operation of the magic to his control over its intensity, everything was flawlessly perfect. Golden lights flashed everywhere. As a fellow magician, his talent was practically awe-inspiring. I¡¯d heard that he learned magic theory perfectly, but his practical skills were just as perfect. Huh. I stared hard at the magical runes that were just as detailed as he was. That¡¯s right, my mission here was to protect these magical runes. With Noah over there, the stealth magic must have been broken long ago. I glanced at the summoning magic circle after blasting flame magic at a few of the small approaching monsters. It was still only vibrating in my hands, showing no signs of activating. ¡°Hmm.¡± After watching Noah fight a little more, I hurled a magical rune towards an unusually large rock protruding from the ceiling of the cave. The rune boomeranged back to me after it broke the boulder. A few monsters were crushed beneath the shattered pieces of the rock, screeching before they combusted into smoke. I grinned and rubbed my palms together. ¡°Success.¡± I was guarding the runes while occasionally firing support to Noah when a relatively large-scale monster came my way. Our eyes met. I say this again, it was disgusting. Goosebumps ran down my back, but I suppressed the feeling. If I made it obvious that I found it disgusting, it might provoke the monster if it had any intelligence. A monster of that size seemed like it would be a bit difficult for me. But I was too worried about the magic circle to break the shield, and I couldn¡¯t draw Noah¡¯s attention my way, since he was busy fighting off the monsters himself. What else was there for me to do but try? In the taut atmosphere filled with apprehension, I swallowed and drew the runes for the attack I was most confident in. Chapter 15.2 Red flames licked the air as it danced forth. ¡°Kiek!¡± Ack, it even sounded disgusting! The sound and burnt smell of grilled meat vibrated in the air. Of all things, it even had to smell like pork. Holding back the urge to scream, I closed my eyes and continued to draw my magic circle with the intention to finish the monster off in the meantime. Green magic rippled in the air, before the monster disappeared into smoke the next second. ¡°Huh?¡± I wasn¡¯t even done drawing it yet. I looked despairingly at the incomplete magic circle, my jaw dropping. ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Sir Linus!¡± When I turned around happily, I saw familiar faces. It looked like the magic circle activated while I was fighting. Relaxing quite a bit, I lowered my hands in relief. While Linus and Aiden went to aid Noah, I massaged my tingling hand as I leaned against the cave wall. ¡°Phew.¡± As I was dealing with the small monsters that came my way from time to time, I looked over at Noah. Even though it felt like I¡¯d depleted half my magic, Noah was still doing just fine. Part of it must¡¯ve been because I used noncombatant magic, but this gap in stamina was one that couldn¡¯t be explained by that alone. I felt the difference in our talents in my bones. Goodness, how could he be more skilled than the magicians from the Tower of Magic? That must be what a real genius looked like. I will have to work very hard from now on. Throwing flame magic towards a squirming little monster, I sighed slightly. ¡°Kieeeeeeek!¡± An enormous monster that appeared to be the leader screamed in agony. Riding on top of it, Noah reached inside it with his bare hands with an indifferent face before he pulled out a black, wriggling sphere. He looked over at Linus and said, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Golden magic pulled from his hands like thread was bound around the nucleus even then. Who announced the end of a monster subjugation as if you were saying you just bought fruit from the market outside your house? ¡°Krek!¡± Without its nucleus, the monster began to combust with a strange sound. All the monsters within the cave, too, starting with the innermost ones, melted like ice. Soon, the ground was covered with a sticky, viscous liquid. Noah turned in my direction as if to ask if I wasn¡¯t injured anywhere. My eyes met his golden eyes infused with worry, and I gave him a thumbs up to say that I was alright. ¡°Your sudden disappearance worried us. Would you believe that dozens of monsters mobbed us the moment the trap was broken?¡± Linus said with a hearty smile. So there really were a lot outside, too. Perhaps because they were fighting, the two magicians looked a little worse for wear too. ¡°Good work, Noah. You were amazing.¡± Shaking off the slime from the soles of my shoes, I sent a sparkling look towards Noah. I could still remember seeing the countless flashing runes that he¡¯d used. There weren¡¯t many people who could cast more than ten spells at once, so it really was amazing. Noah coughed a little and turned his head slightly. His ears, peeping out of silver locks of hair, were red. Don¡¯t tell me, was he embarrassed? I was tilting my head in thought, when a strange sound came from next to Noah. I gasped. A single monster that had not combusted yet was wriggling in. While I rubbed my eyes to see if I was mistaking myself, it seemed to wake up and was making an attempt to attack. And looking at its trajectory, it was headed exactly towards Noah¡¯s face. ¡°¡­!¡± My mind blanked-out. A scar on that face? Absolutely not. That would be a national loss. And if he wanted to do this and that with Flora next semester, he had to keep his face intact. I will protect Noah¡¯s face. I ran in almost instinctively and cast a defensive magic circle. ¡°Not the face!¡± With a screech, the monster collided with the magic circle and fell. It was only then that I realized what I¡¯d said aloud. ¡°¡®Cause the face¡­ is a vital point for survival¡­¡± Along with my weak statement, the magic circle disappeared. I think my voice may have shook a little at the end. ¡°¡­¡± We remained silent for some time. I wanted to bash my head open. Mentally hitting myself over the head dozens of times, I stood there with my eyes tightly closed when I felt like my arm was hot to the point of notice. ¡°What the.¡± At the same time, a drop of blood rolled down my forearm. Noah¡¯s expression darkened immediately. *** ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± ¡°You, your¡­!¡± Seeing the arm that Noah had urgently administered first aid to, my dad grabbed at the back of his own neck in shock. Blood was evident on the piece of cloth wrapped around my wound. Understandable, since the daughter he¡¯d sent with trust had come back with an injured arm. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious,¡± I mumbled, avoiding eye contact with my dad. It was only that the tentacles had been a bit sharp, and besides, my arm had only been cut, not cut off. Though that was, of course, different from how painful it actually was. ¡°What in the world is this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Noah bowed his head towards my dad, whose mouth was wide open in bewilderment. ¡°Since Katelin was injured while trying to protect me while my thoughts were elsewhere, it really is my fault.¡± Aghast, I tried to dissuade him. ¡°Why are you apologizing? It was me who ran in!¡± Noah still hadn¡¯t looked my way. Was he angry? While I was nervously swallowing with a dry mouth, Linus, too, bowed his head in apology. ¡°I am the leader of this subjugation. It is also my fault for not being able to take good care of the lady.¡± With Noah and Linus both with their heads bowed, only Aiden was standing upright. And I felt like I was going to die from this very burdensome situation. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s get you some medical treatment first.¡± Dad beckoned, looking slightly uncomfortable. Chapter 16.1 ¡°Ow, owie.¡± Disinfectant dripped down my wounded area. When tears formed in my eyes, Dad said in a stern voice, ¡°I made a promise that I wouldn¡¯t hold them accountable even if you got hurt.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°And that means that you are responsible for your own actions, Kate. Right?¡± I nodded quietly. I couldn¡¯t help but think that I¡¯d only been a burden squeezing myself in there the more I thought about this, which had a way of making me feel even gloomier. ¡°Then rest.¡± Dad looked down at my wounds with a complicated expression on his face before he left with Linus and Aiden. Only Noah remained standing at my bedside. ¡°Noah¡­¡± Aren¡¯t you going to rest, too? Just as I was about to ask that, Noah¡¯s face suddenly came closer to me, and I inhaled sharply. ¡°Why¡­¡± Behind the glass lens, his golden eyes trembled minutely. Noah paused for a moment as if to catch his breath, and soon, a low-pitched voice weighed onto my ears. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Though I may not know a lot, I knew that the emotion held in that face had to be worry. But I still didn¡¯t have any vain misunderstandings. Because Noah was kind. Because Noah was a good person. If Noah had gotten hurt because of me, I would also have died from remorse. With a graceful smile, I lifted up my bandaged arm. ¡°Getting my arm a little hurt is better than seeing your face get hurt.¡± When I said as much, Noah heaved a little sigh. ¡°You really¡­¡± A wound on the body of a noblewoman meant more than just a simple scar. After all, any scars on your body would only hold you back when you got ready to get married later. But it wasn¡¯t like I was going to marry into some prestigious family, so this kind of wound was trivial at most. However, I did think that as a high-ranked noble from the capital, Noah might think differently. Wait, then the amount of guilt he was feeling right now must be no joke. Since an underclassman younger than him had gotten hurt trying to protect him and all. Curses, then should I have stayed out of the way then? But I couldn¡¯t just leave his face to be hurt like that. I was in the middle of thinking a thousand thoughts a second and furrowing my brows, when I decided to speak up. ¡°N-Noah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in pain,¡± Noah said as he wiped the small amount of tears pooling at my eyes. They must have sprung up when the wound started hurting from the disinfectant. My heart began to pound relentlessly again. ¡°That¡¯s just physiological, I mean, it did hurt earlier, but¡­¡± I was so flustered that I was beginning to ramble. Ahem. With a little cough, I cleared my throat and spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I burdened your heart, but I¡¯m really glad that you didn¡¯t get hurt, Noah.¡± Rubbing the back of my neck, I smiled. ¡°Mr. Norman also said that it¡¯ll heal soon. I¡¯ll probably be able to take off my bandages before the start of the next semester.¡± Noah continued standing there in silence. His eyes trembled slightly, laced with some complicated emotions. I squeezed the bedsheet in my hand in the strangely suffocating atmosphere and only then did Noah turn away. ¡°¡­ Get some rest.¡± I wondered if it was my imagination that Noah¡¯s face looked dark as I caught a glimpse of it through the gap of the closing door. *** I was banned from going out for a week. That didn¡¯t matter, but the problem was that today was the last day of the week, and the day the market opened in town. ¡°Dad, pleeaase¡­ Please?¡± ¡°I said no already.¡± Processing his paperwork, my dad gave his absolute refusal. Even though he always said I was the prettiest in the whole world, I still hated him for not letting me go. ¡°You don¡¯t even have anyone to go with.¡± ¡°Why not?! There¡¯s Rita!¡± Catching my eyes, Rita shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve already made plans to go with Lina¡­¡± Are you really going to do this to me? Dad continued speaking with a stern face. ¡°It¡¯ll be crowded there, so you can¡¯t go alone without a bodyguard.¡± ¡°Blegh.¡± As I pouted my lips, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I leaned on my dad¡¯s desk with sparkling eyes. ¡°Then what about Noah? Can I go with him?¡± Noah was an outsider, and he didn¡¯t know there was a market. I could take this opportunity to relieve the uncomfortable atmosphere between us and introduce the fief to him. ¡°It would be great to go with Sir Linus and Sir Aiden, too, right?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be awkward, so that would be really great. I gathered my hands together, appealing to my dad¡¯s good side. ¡°¡­¡± Dipping his pen into ink, Dad let out a sigh. ¡°¡­ Do as you will, then.¡± ¡°Really? Yay!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much money.¡± I stopped clapping my hands in glee, but then I started to tilt my head to the side. That¡¯s weird. Did Dad find Noah likable? Or no, maybe it was Linus he so approved. Humming a tune, I left my father¡¯s office. *** Noah seemed to like my father¡¯s study, seeing how he spent most of his time there. Knowing this, Dad also allowed him to use the study. ¡°Noah.¡± As he was not in his room again today, I came looking for him in the study. Setting the tea and cookies at a nearby table, I smiled. ¡°Have this before you finish.¡± Noah, who¡¯d been reading in his seat, looked rather taken aback. ¡°Thank you. There wasn¡¯t any need for you to bring those.¡± It was something a maid usually did, after all. But you see, I had something I needed to ask him today. ¡°Are you available right now?¡± Seeing his face full of questions, I let my eyes wander as I explained diligently, ¡°The thing is, there¡¯s a market opening in town. Oh, it¡¯s nothing special, just selling stuff like food and knick-knacks.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Mm, but, what I mean is¡­.¡± I was only going to ask one thing, so why was I so nervous about it? After faking a cough a couple of times, I opened my mouth. ¡°By any chance¡­ Would you like to go with me?¡± After I¡¯d been bandaged up, I hadn¡¯t had many chances to chat with Noah. That was only because we hadn¡¯t had any reason to meet each other recently, but during that time, it felt like we¡¯d gotten more awkward with each other. If we played together today, wouldn¡¯t we be able to solve that? Chapter 16.2 Noah, who¡¯d remained silent for some time, looked down at my arm and asked. ¡°Is your arm okay now?¡± ¡°Of course. In fact, I could honestly take off the bandages now.¡± When I waved my arms around to show that it was okay, Noah¡¯s eyes widened. His countenance also seemed to turn a little blue. Only after I consciously lowered my arm did Noah¡¯s expression relax a little. With a more at ease expression, Noah moved his lips. ¡°Yes, I would like to join you.¡± ¡°Sir Linus and Sir Aiden are coming too, of course.¡± I added, in case Noah might find it burdensome, ¡°Everyone¡¯s worked hard, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clapping in excitement, I headed to Linus¡¯s room. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Blair.¡± Contrary to my expectations, Linus refused me immediately. With a slightly wounded expression, I asked again. ¡°You really aren¡¯t going? It¡¯s very fun¡­¡± ¡°I apologize, Lady Blair. I must write this report to give to the master of the Tower of Magic, so¡­¡± With the still-to-be-written report in his hand, Linus answered me with an apologetic face. Aiden, too, glanced at Noah¡¯s face before he shook his head. ¡°Oh¡­ Alright,¡± I murmured, lowering my head. Glancing at Noah standing next to me, I pouted my lips. Then, did that mean¡­ we were canceling? Aw, what a shame. I¡¯ll have to ask Rita to bring back something to eat for me. What should be good ¨C cotton candy? Or some skewers? While I was in the middle of thinking about what to eat¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, seeing Noah turn around. ¡°Preparing to go out.¡± Then Noah blinked and asked, ¡°Would you rather not go if it¡¯s just two people?¡± ¡°Noo, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± Wah, ahh, ahhh? Only then did I understand and pointed at the both of us with my finger. ¡°Oh, you mean the two of us.¡± With a nonchalant expression, Noah motioned with his chin. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± Seeing how proactive he was, Noah must have been wanting to go out and play, too. That made sense. Even though it was our vacation, he was busy throughout with subjugations, leaving him no time to rest or to play. As someone who¡¯d received his help, it was the least I could do to take him out to have some fun. ¡°¡­ Coming.¡± I¡¯ll go and enjoy the market for just a little bit. We¡¯ll have to come back home when the sun goes down anyway. We had approximately three hours before sunset. We can play for just that much time. Counting down the time in my head, I began moving my feet. *** Out in the city now, I was awash in a huge struggle. What in the world was I supposed to feed Noah? I mean, in the first place, could I actually feed him anything at a place like this? Though I had no intentions to talk bad about our fief, Noah was the son of a marquis in the capital. First off, it didn¡¯t seem from mealtimes that there wasn¡¯t anything he didn¡¯t eat¡­ Eh, whatever, I¡¯ll just ask him to pick something for now. ¡°What would you like to eat, Noah?¡± I asked, pointing at the sprawling row of stalls. I felt secure with my allowance in my pocket. ¡°Oh, you know about cotton candy, right?¡± As soon as Noah quietly pointed at the cotton candy stall, I brought out my wallet. ¡°Let me buy it for you. Stay here.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s alright.¡± We took our wallets and argued for a while before I came up with a suggestion, thinking we wouldn¡¯t be able to reach an end like this. ¡°Then should we buy one each?¡± After reluctantly dissuaded by Noah¡¯s insistence that he¡¯d buy mine too, I accepted a large pink stick of cotton candy. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Eat well, miss.¡± After staring at the gold coin that Noah offered him in bewilderment, the uncle at the stall rummaged through his pocket and gave him a handful of copper coins for his change. It was natural that such a large unit of currency was rarely circulated at a small street stall like this. Somehow, it seemed a bit funny. Watching Noah receive the cotton candy with his hand full of copper coins, I bit into my cotton candy with a proud expression. It tasted great in my mouth. Licking at the sticky area around my lips, I turned to look at Noah. Noah was awkwardly licking the cotton candy with his pink tongue. And somehow, the appearance of this was rather obscene¡­ Get a grip, me. After shaking sanity back into my head, I glanced at Noah in observation. Did he not know how to eat cotton candy? Then why did he choose this? Though I guess cotton candy did look very pretty. Very fluffy and pink. Looking down at the cottony pinkness, for some reason, I was also reminded of Flora¡¯s hair. ¡°You can just tear it off with your hands and eat it.¡± Laughing softly, I ripped a part of the cotton candy and put it in my mouth. Hearing my words, Noah tore off a very timid size of the cotton candy. Just as he was about to chew on it, it must¡¯ve melted away¡ªNoah paused for a moment, his golden eyes shaking. Th-that¡¯s so cute. ¡°¡­¡± At the edges of his white fingers, cotton candy stuck to his fingertips like wool. I was about to bring my hand to my mouth and say that he could just lick that when Noah suddenly leaned in my direction. For an instant, I caught a whiff of sweetness. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± he murmured, licking his fingertips slightly. I averted my eyes for no apparent reason and nodded my head. Wait, but did Noah like sweets before? Remembering the peppermint that had disappeared into Dora¡¯s mouth, I tilted my head. ¡°Would you like to sit down?¡± I asked, pointing to a nearby bench, since Noah¡¯s eating speed was a bit slow. If I knew this would happen, should we have begun eating at a later time? But other than eating, there wasn¡¯t much else to do. Tearing and eating the cotton candy, Noah nodded. His cotton candy disappeared at a slower rate when compared to mine. Glancing at my side secretly, I slowed down my eating speed as well. Just like that, we slowly finished our cotton candy, bit by bit. Chapter 17.1 Once I gave this some good thought, I realized all I ever did when I came to visit town was eat, even on non-market days. And I even had the audacity to drag Noah out here. By the time we¡¯d walked about halfway through town, I caught sight of the familiar bookstore and impulsively asked, ¡°Would you like to go to the bookstore?¡± Of all the places I frequented, this was the most acceptable place for me to go with Noah. Noah liked books enough to reside in our library after all. ¡°Sounds good.¡± As expected, Noah nodded his head. Opening the door to the bookstore, I greeted the elderly owner. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Grandpa.¡± ¡°The used book section¡¯s thataway,¡± the grandpa said, pointing to the corner of the shop after taking one glance at my face. With a slight bow of my head, I headed to the used books section. Following me there, Noah asked in a low voice, ¡°Is he really your grandfather?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, no. Just someone I know,¡± I answered, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m a little hesitant to ask this, but¡­¡± Gazing down at me, he faltered for a second before he opened his mouth again. ¡°What about your mother?¡± ¡°She passed away when I was two,¡± I said nonchalantly, continuing to run my hands against the books. Noah stiffened immediately and spoke in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It was a long time ago.¡± My mother may as well have not existed in my memories. I¡¯d only been a baby who hadn¡¯t learned how to speak yet when she had been alive. The only thing I did remember was how much my dad had cried after her death. I barely remembered my mom¡¯s face, too, so all I could do was look at her portrait hanging in the house and think, so she was someone who looked like that. To be honest, living with my father, I had never felt the absence of my mother my entire life. If I said that, would that make me a wretched daughter? Laughing to myself, I turned the page of my book. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any magic books in this section. Shall we go over there?¡± Noah hastily put down the novel that he¡¯d been reading. It looked like Noah liked reading novels. I stopped walking and smiled faintly, then grabbed another novel to bring with me as I leaned against the wall, pretending to be ignorant of this fact. It didn¡¯t really matter, since it wasn¡¯t like we came here looking to buy magic-related books anyways. Noah stood there for a while as if he was gauging the situation, then picked up the novel again. I peeked at him from the side a couple of times before I fixed my gaze on the book in my hands once more. The sentences were so immersive that it was easy to get lost inside the pages. We spent an hour or so like that in the bookstore. I had fun, and I think Noah had fun, too. On top of that, having discovered a fun fictional series, I¡¯d bought the whole stack. Something to read over break, for sure. After paying for the books, I held my bag in one arm as I glanced at my watch. ¡°It¡¯s already past six,¡± I told Noah. One novel held preciously in his hand, Noah picked up my bag of purchases. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Your arm. You¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I blinked sheepishly as I turned my head. ¡°What should we do about dinner? Do you want to eat here, or have our meal at the mansion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± I instinctively recollected what today¡¯s menu for dinner was. Ugh, herring tasted awful. As long as Noah was okay, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to eat out here. Things weren¡¯t as awkward between us as I¡¯d thought it would be, too. My brows furrowed as I agonized over this choice before I slowly lifted my head. ¡°Then¡­ Shall we eat out?¡± When Noah nodded in agreement, we began walking as I asked him questions. ¡°Do you like meat?¡± Seeing him nod again, my steps became faster. The key to hospitality was always meat. I knew of a restaurant. It was the most famous and tastiest place I knew. I was well acquainted with the owner lady, too. ¡°Goodness, milady! How long has it been? What¡¯s wrong with your arm? Did you hurt it?¡± Unsurprisingly, as soon as I opened the door, I was hounded by greetings coming from place to place. ¡°Long time, no see. I¡¯ve been so busy for some time now.¡± ¡°My my, we all know how serious you are about your studies. Please have a seat, the both of you.¡± Guided by the owner lady herself, we sat down at a table. ¡°Milady, I heard you were also in the subjugation party?¡± One of the restaurant employees gave me a sparkling look as soon as we were seated. I awkwardly nodded my head. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And you hurt that arm there too? Goodness!¡± Her words ended with a sigh. While it was only natural as the heir next in line that I was going to be their next lord, I always felt burdened when I came here since all the attention always seemed to be focused on me. I was shyly rubbing my bandaged arm when the owner lady glanced at Noah and spoke. ¡°And my, isn¡¯t he the one who came from the Tower of Magic? The magician.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, she¡¯s right. I heard someone say he went into the forest with milady.¡± ¡°He did us a great favor, then! How difficult was it for us to always have to go around that forest, am I right?¡± ¡°Right. And the animals were suddenly so fierce, too.¡± The middle-aged lady pounded Noah on the back as she burst out into boisterous laughter. Noah, who¡¯d been just about to take a sip from his glass of water, swayed and missed the glass. Um, excuse me. He¡¯s the son of a marquis, you know. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for that. Hey you, bring me some food. Everything on the menu,¡± the owner lady told an employee. She smiled gently thereafter. ¡°I don¡¯t take money.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­¡± Noah was about to say no, making a face that screamed he didn¡¯t want to be a burden, but¡­ ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be sure to enjoy the delicious food,¡± I said, smiling up at the owner. Chapter 17.2 If she said something, she was the type to do it. Even if we forced her to take our money, she would send it back to the mansion sometime tomorrow for sure. Hearing my words, Noah also gave his thanks and quietly settled in his seat. ¡°Bon appetit.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The employee who was serving the food took one look at Noah¡¯s face and blushed furiously. Oh yes. I know how you feel. I understand. Closing my eyes, I nodded slowly. While the dishes were being served one by one, the owner lady began appealing past hardships to me. ¡°Thomas¡¯s field there-off became a mess because of them, you know.¡± ¡°I was too afraid to even go outside.¡± All the people inside the restaurant were talking about the monsters. It was one of the few and rare issues in this usually quiet and peaceful place. ¡°Miss, tell us a little something, please. How did you get rid of those fiendish things?¡± ¡°Oh, gosh, Noah¡¯s the one who basically did it all. I barely did anything.¡± Giggling sheepishly, I continued, ¡°I was crammed into a corner when Noah just went slice on the monster nucleus!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Before I knew it, even the men who¡¯d been drinking on the other side had snuck up to listen. It felt like I was regaling them with some sort of fairy tale. ¡°So they took the nucleus back to the Tower of Magic as research material,¡± I finished, stabbing my fork into the potato on my plate. ¡°Oooh!¡± Their reaction was very heated. When I snuck a glance to the side, Noah¡¯s head was turned away as if he was embarrassed. Abruptly hit with playfulness, I shouted, ¡°I think it¡¯s time now for some applause!¡± ¡°Yeaaah!!!¡± With a loud roar, applause filled the air, so deafening that it felt like confetti and flowers should be raining down at any moment now. Noah remained silent still, only once in a while taking sips of cold water. Seeing Noah¡¯s face so completely flustered was quite a fun sight to see, too. Pounding the wooden table, I laughed out loud. Noah raised one hand and covered half his face. On closer inspection, the tips of his ears were all red. So he really liked it when he was complimented, I see. It was surprising to find this side of him that had been hiding behind his constant perfect appearance all along. Fixing my gaze on Noah¡¯s flushed face, I continued eating. *** Once about thirty minutes had passed, the energy in the atmosphere built up for some reason, and, not surprisingly, alcohol began to overflow from the patrons¡¯ cups. I blocked all the farmer uncles from trying to offer drinks to Noah. That wasn¡¯t something you offered a student. Though they were good people, sometimes they really took things too far. Before it became a drinking party in earnest, I brought Noah out. It was summer, but coming from such a heated atmosphere, the streets felt chilly ¨C almost. ¡°Oh.¡± The time right now was currently eight. After checking my watch, I reflexively looked up at the sky. As expected, the sky was in the process of being painted in beautiful sunset colors. The simmering sun and rosy clouds. Pale buildings were lit up with sunlight and dyed in a scarlet red. I loved seeing the sunset outside, so I was very excited to have come out just in time for this. ¡°Noah, look over there.¡± While turning my head as I spoke, my entire body froze. Noah was already looking up at the sky. His eyes of gold gleamed with the same color as the sunset. For a brief moment, the reflection of the sky on his silver hair glinted brightly. Chasing that light with my eyes, I blinked. Soon, his silvery locks were colored with the sunset once again. At first glance, it could almost be mistaken to be shining with a transparent gold color. Beautiful. As if I¡¯d been possessed by something, strangely enough, I couldn¡¯t remember the place, time, or even what we were doing at that moment. And just like that, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of Noah until the sun went completely down. *** ¡°You¡¯re back later than expected.¡± I smiled at my dad sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I went out, so I spent a little more time playing.¡± Seeing how the servants were back before I¡¯d come, I did feel a little ashamed. ¡°You must be tired. Go in and rest now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I was about to go in as per Dad¡¯s instructions right away before I stopped and turned back. ¡°Noah, I had a lot of fun today. Thank you very much for accompanying me.¡± Noah replied with a gentle smile, ¡°I enjoyed it too. Thank you for taking me.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Coming out after a clean bath, I flopped onto my bed. Then I recounted everything that had happened today in my head. Noah eating cotton candy, Noah reading a book, Noah and the sunset. All of it had been so pretty. Feeling drowsy, my eyes were half-closed when the book at the bedside caught my eye. The nameless book with the red cover that was so familiar to me now. ¡°My goodness, milady. You¡¯ll get the bed all wet.¡± Wordlessly brushing my hands on the book cover, I asked Rita in a low voice as she ran in hurriedly with a towel, ¡°¡­ Rita, were you the one who brought this out?¡± ¡°Oh, it seemed important, but I found it under the bed. I also wiped off all the dust for you.¡± ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± Rita tilted her head at my strained voice, answering, ¡°No problem. Just doing my job.¡± Right. Let¡¯s not nurture any other thoughts. This was only a fleeting dream. One that would disappear like a mirage once the next semester starts. Squeezing the book with my two hands, I bit my lip. Chapter 18.1 Time passed and we were now one day away from Noah¡¯s departure. In the meantime, I didn¡¯t have many encounters with Noah. Even at meals, I only gave him formal greetings. Noah seemed a bit puzzled by my slightly changed attitude towards him, but he didn¡¯t ask about it in detail. ¡°I¡¯m going to be taking this off soon, you know.¡± In the midst of scribbling on my bandaged arm, Rita raised her head and answered, ¡°They say it¡¯ll get better faster if I do this. And Miss, you¡¯re always so gloomy these days. That¡¯s because you can¡¯t use your arm, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right, yeah.¡± I nodded mechanically. With a sympathetic expression, Rita patted my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll ask other people to do this, too. Stay here, milady.¡± Soon, my cast was filled with scribbles from everyone, from Rita to the coachman, Thompson. I was just making my way down the hallway, inspecting all the scribbles on my cast, when¡­ ¡°Oh, Noah.¡± I ran into Noah just as he was returning from the library to his room. ¡°How was your lunch?¡± I was only trying to greet him lightly enough, but Noah was looking down at my bandaged arm keenly. ¡°Oh, this is because they said you get better quickly if people sign my cast,¡± I said, laughing awkwardly and lifting my arm to show him. Pulling out a pen from who-knows-where, Noah asked me carefully, ¡°May I do so too?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, of course.¡± I gladly gave up my one arm and fixed my gaze elsewhere. I could hear the sound of the pen scratching over the bandages. ¡°Until you get better, remember not to move your arm as much as possible.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Feeling the concern in his voice, I was a little grateful. When I looked down once he seemed finished, I saw handwriting that was as neat and beautiful as its owner. Get well soon. I lowered my arm, taking care not to smear the wet ink. *** Today was the day that Noah was returning to the Tower of Magic. Though it had only been a week, a lot had happened. Now that he was really leaving, I was a little sorry to see him go, and a little hollow, too. ¡°Here, your luggage.¡± When I took the baggage from Rita and held it out, Noah hurriedly snatched the bag from my hands. ¡°Be careful. You¡¯re hurt.¡± It seemed like there would be no use protesting, so I just stayed still. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Looking down at my bandage one last time, Noah exhaled lightly. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Mkay.¡± Lowering my eyes, I nodded. It felt like Noah was ridden with guilt every time he saw my arm, so I felt even more bad for him now. His expression relaxed like he was a bit satisfied now and he lightly patted my head. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the academy.¡± The carriage door closed and the horse huffed. While I was fiddling with my bangs feeling peculiar, the carriage clip-clopped further and further away. *** When I entered the library in order to return a book I¡¯d been reading, my entire body stiffened. Nobody was inside. Other than the curtains fluttering from the wind, I couldn¡¯t see or feel any movement at all. The sound of turning pages that I¡¯d always heard while Noah had been here was no longer there. That silent scenery felt very strange. Shelving the book in its place, I closed the window where the wind was coming in. Once I¡¯d put away the curtains and turned around, there was a book lying open by the windowsill. I was going to close the book as it was before I noticed something sticking out of its pages. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was a bookmark. Though it had no name on it, it was clear whose it was. This was the book Noah had been reading last, and somehow, the bookmark looked like something Noah would own. The bookmark, which was rather card-like and had no decorations on it, had a hint of Noah¡¯s scent on it. Feeling a bit flushed for some reason, I lowered my head. *** I was a healthy person. In 17 years of my life, I had never been seriously ill, nor broken any bones. Which meant that an injury from me that warranted bandages like this would come as a pretty substantial surprise to those who knew me. ¡°And that¡¯s why I say, you shouldn¡¯t have done something you knew you couldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± Averting Echo¡¯s eyes, I tried to laugh it off. The brown-haired girl who¡¯d been standing on the side for some time now asked, ¡°Then does that mean you can¡¯t play cricket?¡± ¡°Yes, Dolia. Isn¡¯t that horrible?¡± I¡¯m a patient, you know. I understood that there really wasn¡¯t a lawn as spacious as Earl Jenkinson¡¯s here and that Lady Bailey was pretty passionate about cricket, but I was feeling a little bit hurt. I mean, I was injured. ¡°I can¡¯t today. I can¡¯t take off these bandages yet.¡± ¡°You look like you can, though,¡± grumbled Lady Bailey, grabbing the bat. I shook my head again. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not supposed to move around a lot.¡± ¡°Is that what the doctor said? Then I guess we can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± For a split second, I was about to say no. Noah was the one who¡¯d told me not to move. As soon as I thought that, I looked down at the words written on my bandages and smiled faintly to myself. I could hear Lady Bailey and Echo whispering to each other on the side. ¡°Though it¡¯s suspect whether it was her head that was injured and not her arm¡­.¡± ¡°I can hear you,¡± I harrumphed, laying my arm on the table. I was sitting there with my chin on my hand, feeling dissatisfied when someone placed a glass of water on the table. ¡°Kate, did you hurt yourself?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, too.¡± I turned in the direction Arkhan¡¯s voice was coming from. That was a given, of course. The daughter of Earl Jenkinson was well-connected, so most nobility in the south would have been invited. Chapter 18.2 ¡°She apparently ran at the monsters and got hurt, even though magicians from the Tower of Magic were right next to her!¡± ¡°Dolia!¡± I shrieked, whipping my head towards Lady Bailey. Getting revenge on me for not playing cricket now, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Hmm?¡± Arkhan laughed under his breath as if it was funny, tilting his head darkly. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°No, well¡­¡± My eyes darted left and right, trying to avoid his eyes, but Arkhan raised the corners of his mouth as if daring me to explain. ¡°You see, um, Noah came to our estate, that¡¯s why. But it¡¯s not Noah¡¯s fault. I just overdid things and got myself hurt, that¡¯s all.¡± While I was blurting out whatever came to mind, Arkhan had come right up to me before I¡¯d even realized it. ¡°So you mean that guy was right next to you¡­¡± Looking down at my cast, Arkhan raised his eyebrows. His hand slid atop my arm. ¡°¡­ but he did nothing¡­¡± At the slight throbbing pain, I frowned a little. ¡°¡­ and just stood there watching as you got hurt?¡± ¡°Ow.¡± When I groaned, Arkhan¡¯s mouth widened into a grin and took off his hand as if he hadn¡¯t gotten mad at all. ¡°That¡¯s not okay. That guy is so incompetent.¡± ¡°I said it happened because I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± ¡°Why do you keep defending him? Makes me jealous.¡± I wasn¡¯t defending him, though. It really was my fault. I glared daggers at Arkhan as he sneakily pushed his hair back, crossing his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you in plain clothes.¡± I gave Arkhan¡¯s neat outfit the once-over. His buttons were properly buttoned this time. Maybe it was just that he didn¡¯t like wearing the school uniform. Staring at Arkhan for a bit, I opened my mouth. ¡°Do you not like the uniform?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Glossing over it lazily, I turned away. The popular desserts like macarons were already all gone; the only things left were the mediocre sweets. ¡°Hmm.¡± I was wondering what the orange-flavored cookies would taste like when Lady Bailey, who¡¯d been at our side this entire time, gave us a little cough. ¡°So¡­ cricket?¡± Arkhan smiled smoothly and got up. ¡°I¡¯ll take Kate¡¯s place, Miss Dolia.¡± ¡°Oh my, really? That¡¯s great, we had some missing numbers on our side.¡± Lady Bailey handed Arkhan a bat, her face completely bright. She looked really happy just to be able to play cricket. She left once she¡¯d fulfilled her mission and I was left alone at the outdoor table. For some reason, I felt a bit betrayed. The next table over was full of ladies having fun embroidering. Seeing a lot of familiar faces there, too, I was about to sneak into their circle, but then remembered that I was disastrous at embroidery and gave up. ¡°Hah.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t have friends, so what was I doing here? With a small sigh, I pulled out a book. This was the novel I¡¯d bought last time when we went to the bookstore. I was flipping through the pages trying to find where I¡¯d last stopped when I paused. In the middle of the book was a blue bookmark. I¡¯d put it in a random book in case it got wrinkled, but it must have been this book. When I see him again at the academy, I should return it to him then. Squinting under the harsh sunlight, I was fingering the bookmark while flipping through the book when a shadow slipped over my head. I was starting to feel my skin sting under the summer sun, so this was nice¡ªor so I was thinking as I looked up. ¡°It looked way too bright out here from where I was, so I borrowed this from Miss Dolia.¡± Arkhan stood there with a smiling face, holding out a lace parasol that didn¡¯t suit him at all. Dragging my chair towards him, I asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Has the game ended already?¡± ¡°Yeah, we won.¡± ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Sure enough, Lady Bailey was waving her bat at me triumphantly. It was a fortunate turn of events for both her and Arkhan. Once she began, Lady Bailey never stopped until she had won. ¡°Want me to hold it up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, your arm is injured.¡± Tilting the parasol to my side, Arkhan smiled. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, bowing my head towards him to avoid the sunlight. After a beat, Arkhan caught sight of my plate and his eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, that looks good.¡± ¡°The orange one? It¡¯s not that great.¡± Unlike what it should be, the cookie wasn¡¯t sweet at all but rather sour, which wasn¡¯t to my liking at all. ¡°I just want to try it. Feed it to me.¡± One hand holding up the parasol, Arkhan dipped his body towards me and smiled. ¡°Since I¡¯m holding this up and all.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Picking up the cookie, I pushed it into Arkhan¡¯s mouth. I tried to withdraw my fingers as quickly as possible, but his lips closed just like that. ¡°My fingers, let me just¡­¡± I need to take them out, so open your mouth, I was about to say, when¡­ Lick. A squishy lump of flesh grazed against my fingertips. ¡°!!!¡± Shuddering with my whole body, I wiped my hand against my skirt. It was like I could almost still feel the moistness. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Arkhan wiped his lips with one hand. Perhaps because he was chewing on the cookie, his words were a little unclear. ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste good at all.¡± His red eyes were crinkling slightly as he smiled at me. Chapter 19.1 ¡°You¡­ You complete¡­¡± ¡°Not the orange-flavored one. Give me the one next to it,¡± ordered Arkhan with a completely brazen face, shamelessly. Wiping my finger completely with my skirts, I sighed with resignation and picked up the butter cookie. ¡°Yeah, yeah, go on and eat it all.¡± I offered it up to him so he could do whatever he wanted and this time he only pulled the cookie out with his teeth. What the ¨C what now? My eyebrows twitching, I lowered my hand a little and Arkhan winked at me as he chewed on his cookie. ¡°Did you expect something?¡± ¡°¡­ Scram off!¡± With quite some strength in the motion, I slapped Arkhan¡¯s arm. ¡°Ow, ow, ow.¡± There could be nothing more disgusting than seeing a fully grown guy crumpling in his big body and pretending to nurse his wounds. He¡¯d been at least cute when he was younger. Sighing, I shook my head from side to side. ¡°Man, I am so bored.¡± I spaced out for a second, then picked up my book and raised my stiffening body up. Tilting the parasol back, Arkhan asked me in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m honestly not having any fun. Can¡¯t do anything with my cast like this, see?¡± Resisting the urge to yawn from the boredom, I dusted off the cookie crumbs from my skirt. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just that everything seems so pointless.¡± Arkhan folded the parasol and sat in the chair next to mine. ¡°Kate, you¡¯re weird these days.¡± ¡°Hey, what did I¡­ do¡­¡± Trailing off, I rubbed the back of my head. It felt like his words had hit a sore spot for me. After I¡¯d read that book, I did feel really under the weather with how demoralized I felt. Though I¡¯d always known it was a hopeless emotion to have, once it turned out to be fixed facts, I¡¯d become a bit depressed. Rubbing the back of my head in awkward motions, I glanced at Arkhan sideways. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Grabbing his face, I sighed again. You really don¡¯t know anything, man. Arkhan blinked his eyes, taken aback, before he grinned and rubbed his face on my hands. ¡°Why, you like my face?¡± ¡°No¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s not that.¡± Even if his feelings got hurt, I needed to speak the truth. Smiling sweetly, I shook my head. ¡°Then do you like faces like that senior¡¯s?¡± Arkhan asked, tilting his head. The corners of his mouth were turned upwards, but there was no joy to be seen in his eyes. ¡°Well.¡± Noah¡­ Noah had a handsome face. I was pressing my hand to my chin in serious thought when I heard a flat voice from the side. ¡°Must be right.¡± ¡°Maybe I should grow out my hair,¡± Arkhan mumbled to himself, fiddling around with his short hair. Feeling pity at how glum he¡¯d become, I threw him a couple of words. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a looker too. Don¡¯t be discouraged.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying?¡± ¡°Has nobody ever told you that?¡± That was impossible. Nobody had told him that before? Brushing Arkhan¡¯s hair back, I leveled my eyes to his red ones and said it directly to his face, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re handsome.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His scarlet eyes blinked a few times before a red tint glowed on his pale face. Yo little guy, were you embarrassed just now? ¡°¡­ You¡¯re pretty too, Kate.¡± ¡°What? Pfft.¡± I burst out laughing at what Arkhan came up with after a long pause as a response. ¡°Don¡¯t say things you don¡¯t mean.¡± Shaking my head, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Now that I think of it, what are we both doing standing under this scorching sun?¡± With my unbandaged hand, I shaded myself from the sun. ¡°The parasol¡­¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯m going. I just need to say goodbye to Lady Jenkinson first.¡± Stopping Arkhan from raising the parasol, I patted his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Thanks. Thanks to you, I had a little fun today.¡± Though I was still going to head home anyways. As I walked towards my family¡¯s carriage, I twisted around to face Arkhan. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. We¡¯ll see each other at the academy, right?¡± I ruffled his red hair tremendously and gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°And, well, you can always come to visit our house.¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± As if he was never rendered speechless, Arkhan broke out into a picturesque smile. ¡°I¡¯ll come to visit soon.¡± *** And a couple of days later, Arkhan really did, in fact, come to visit. I waved at Arkhan as he came in through the doors. ¡°Wow, you really came.¡± Arkhan smiled, his eyes crinkling. ¡°Since you weren¡¯t coming, I had to.¡± ¡°You really like playing, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You finished all your homework, right?¡± Pausing on our way to the drawing room, I looked at Arkhan with a stern face. ¡°I did finish¡­ When I¡¯m with you, Kate, it¡¯s like I¡¯m with the family tutor,¡± Arkhan grumbled, pouting. ¡°And your arm. Is it all healed yet?¡± ¡°Mm, it needs two more weeks or so to heal completely. It¡¯ll come off before school starts, I¡¯m sure,¡± I answered, rubbing the cast on my arm. As soon as we entered the drawing room, Arkhan glued his butt onto the sofa and began complaining. ¡°Can you believe that when we were parking the carriage, this person called Sir Zion was glaring at me very hard?¡± ¡°Aw, really? That¡¯s not right.¡± Frowning, I patted Arkhan¡¯s head. Despite everything, Arkhan was still a noble and a count¡¯s son at that. ¡°The knights protecting your family hate me.¡± ¡°That does seem to be the case,¡± I said, acknowledging Arkhan¡¯s grumbles. Then I tilted my head. Sir Zion really wasn¡¯t someone who would do that for no reason, though. Chapter 19.2 ¡°Now that I think about it, maybe he¡¯s been that way ever since you won that duel between the two of you when you were fourteen.¡± He¡¯d lost, without being able to put up any fight. At my words, Arkhan muttered meaningfully, ¡°I wonder if it really is because of that.¡± ¡°Just look upon him kindly. He¡¯s our family knight.¡± ¡°Kindly, you say¡­¡± murmured Arkhan, his voice lowered and shaking his head. He then looked at me, practically sprawled on the couch and cleared his throat. ¡°Um, actually, I came to ask if you want to go somewhere.¡± I answered him with a completely hollow expression, void of any expression. I had no strength in my body right now, and since I¡¯d slept late last night, I was feeling sleepy to boot. ¡°Really? ¡­ If you take me there on piggyback, I might be able to go.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it break my back?¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± I said, narrowing my eyes at him with a sweet smile. ¡°You said you went out with that person. Why not me?¡± Leaning back on the sofa, Arkhan grumbled with a face full of dissatisfaction. ¡°I hate that you¡¯re closer to him than you are with me.¡± When I heard that, I stopped rolling around where I was and sat up. He was right, I¡¯d gone out with Noah before; there was no reason I couldn¡¯t accompany Arkhan today. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. What do you want to do?¡± If I went out and ate something, surely I¡¯d feel a little better. I peeled myself off the sofa sluggishly. ¡°That reminds me, I should¡¯ve had them bring you tea at least. I¡¯ll buy you something outside.¡± He¡¯d come all the way out here and he hadn¡¯t had a sip of tea yet. I felt bad for being such a poor hostess. Patting Arkhan on the back, I trudged out of the drawing room. ¡°As long as you¡¯re going with me, Kate, I can do all the buying.¡± Arkhan slung his arm over my shoulder, his eyes bent into happy arcs. Oof, how heavy. ¡°This is nice, going out with Kate for the first time in a long while.¡± ¡°Yeah, sounds great. Now tone it down for a bit.¡± In the end, Arkhan was so excited and jumping all over the place that he nearly tripped over the doorway of the drawing room. ¡°Whoa there.¡± I grabbed Arkhan¡¯s waist and supported him just as he was about to fall. Since he¡¯d grown and had muscles, unlike his younger self, it took a lot of strength out of me to support him. His waist felt firm under my arms. ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, Arkhan backed away and whirled himself around. His ears were flushed in between locks of red hair. Since I¡¯d snapped up Arkhan¡¯s shirt in the process, a few of his shirt buttons had come undone. I took a look at the open shirt and slid my eyes to the side. ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s pretty hot today, but are you planning to go outside like that?¡± When I said as much while awkwardly scratching my head, Arkhan hastily buttoned his shirt up in the midst of his robotic strides. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go now,¡± Arkhan mumbled, turning his head. A grin spread slowly on my face, and I answered by teasing him. ¡°What? Are you embarrassed? Why are you feeling flustered?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Kate,¡± Arkhan groaned under his breath when I kept screwing around. He rubbed the area around his waist with a completely red face. ¡°I said don¡¯t already¡­¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± What was that? Momentarily taken aback, I even stuttered. He¡¯d been just fine until just a moment ago, so what was up with him now? Looking at Arkhan¡¯s fire-red face, seemingly seconds away from exploding, I scratched my head in bewilderment. And just like that, the awkwardness continued for a little while longer. *** Thankfully, once I tried my best to talk to him and keep a conversation going, the awkwardness had mostly dissipated as we walked to the city. Since it was a weekday and not around any mealtime, the streets were pretty quiet and thus nicer to walk around in. With lowered eyes, I lifted my head up quietly. Street lined stalls and a wide sky spread out beyond the buildings. It was everything I had seen a while ago with Noah. ¡°Want cotton candy?¡± ¡°Mm, sure¡­¡± From where I stood, dazed out and staring at nothing, I turned my head to the fluffy pink cottony balls in the distance at Arkhan¡¯s question, nodding. ¡°Milady, you aren¡¯t here with that good-looking young man today, huh?¡± was what the stall owner uncle said as he handed me the cotton candy. ¡°¡­ Sorry?¡± ¡°You know, that one man with the long white hair and¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± With cotton candy in my hand, I stilled. It felt like he had just caught me thinking of Noah. ¡°Hmm.¡± Arkhan, lowering his head and taking a bite out of the cotton candy, licked his lips and smiled. ¡°I wonder what that¡¯s about.¡± ¡°Oh, that isn¡¯t¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°Heard he came to subjugate monsters but turns out he was just here to come on a date?¡± At this slightly misleading remark, the old man at the stall glanced at me peculiarly. No, no, I¡¯m not cheating, mister. ¡°Even so, isn¡¯t this a little too much? Since you came out to play with me and all.¡± Seeing my trembling eyes, Arkhan dropped his raised eyebrow and made a plaintive face. ¡°Well, then there¡¯s no other choice.¡± Just as I was about to explain myself to say that that wasn¡¯t it, Arkhan shrugged and began pulling on my hand, smiling as per usual. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make it so you don¡¯t remember that person at all.¡± Chapter 20.1 I bit into the cotton candy Arkhan was feeding me in a daze. It was strangely sweeter than it had been last time. ¡°Whoops, you¡¯ve got some there.¡± Rubbing off the bit of cotton candy at the side of my mouth, Arkhan smiled a little. But cotton candy was stuck around Arkhan¡¯s mouth, too. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve become uglier.¡± But since he had a nice face, a small flaw like this should be fine. Snickering, I pressed Arkhan¡¯s lips together. ¡°Oh.¡± Spinning the finished-off cotton candy stick in one hand with a red face, perhaps because he was embarrassed, Arkhan asked, ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go wherever you want to go.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s you, Kate, you¡¯d probably most likely want to go¡­ to the bookstore?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ No, I said you can choose.¡± Momentarily about to marvel in approval, I shoved Arkhan¡¯s shoulder instead. ¡°Did you go to the bookstore with him too?¡± ¡°Um, yeah.¡± I knew who he was referring to as ¡®him,¡¯ though I really didn¡¯t know why Arkhan kept minding Noah so much. ¡°Stop comparing yourself to Noah. I didn¡¯t do anything, so why are you acting like that?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I promised I¡¯d make it so you don¡¯t think of him at all.¡± The glum expression on his face softened my heart. ¡°Fine, fine. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± In the end, we wandered all the way to the outskirts of the city and bought dessert. Arkhan kept feeding me cake and cookies and all sorts of sweets, but the way he didn¡¯t eat anything himself and just watched me happily made me feel uncomfortable. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m full.¡± It was a relief that I¡¯d at least been the one buying our meal. Rubbing my bulging stomach, I stepped out of the restaurant. I was so full that I will most likely not be able to eat dinner. Arkhan, this guy, since when did he know my tastes so well? ¡°Yo, you¡¯re going to be such a good boyfriend one day.¡± The words seemed to stun Arkhan for a moment before he fell silent. Soon after, Arkhan gently smiled and answered, ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, Kate.¡± This guy was sure to meet someone great. I gave him a proud look. As we followed the road like that, a familiar building suddenly caught my eye and my feet paused. Eyeing my rather serious expression, Arkhan also did not say anything. I peeked through the window of the old pharmacy. ¡°Not here today, too,¡± I murmured lowly before turning away. ¡°She never is when you come to visit.¡± Arkhan patted my shoulder as if to tell me to brighten up. ¡°Still,¡± I said quietly, with a gloomy expression on my face. I¡¯d wanted to see her face just once during my summer vacation. My grandmother on my mother¡¯s side rarely stayed in the estate ever since Mom died. Having contracted wanderlust or something, she closed the pharmacy and went from fief to fief. On her own, too, at that. ¡°Here.¡± Seeing how depressed I¡¯d become, Arkhan bought me some ice cream. ¡°You really¡­ You¡¯re a good kid, aren¡¯t cha?¡± I said, feeling deeply moved. I took a bite out of the ice cream as the sweetness filled my mouth. Only when the sky was starting to gain the scarlet tinge of the sunset did we head back home. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been out for too long? Can you make it home?¡± ¡°Is that your way of inviting me to stay the night?¡± ¡°No.¡± It was with some frivolous conversation that we passed Grania Forest but feeling uneasy despite myself, I pulled on Arkham¡¯s arm sharply. ¡°Be careful. That forest¡¯s barred from entry for a month.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Nodding his head, Arkhan lowered his voice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make you sad, Kate? It was a place of memories for us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true but stepping back in there is a little ¨C you know.¡± I did have memories of playing there as a child with Arkhan, picking apples off the trees but now whenever I thought of Grania Forest, those disgusting monsters would come to mind which made me shudder as a result. How in the world had people survived living in the second century, when those monsters had been rife throughout the whole continent? ¡°It¡¯s quite amazing,¡± I murmured, pulling my clothes tighter around me. Since it was summer, I¡¯d thought I would be fine wearing thin clothes, but it was still a little chilly. If Dad saw me, he¡¯d nag so much. ¡°No, don¡¯t take it off, stop right there,¡± I stammered when I saw Arkhan unbuttoning his coat. But Arkhan stubbornly took off his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders, smiling at me. ¡°Here, milady.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ But you didn¡¯t have to, Sir Knight.¡± Even as I played along, I made troubled sounds before I began drawing magical runes on the ground. We¡¯d covered substantial ground walking, which meant we weren¡¯t far off from the mansion. If it was at this distance, I could teleport the two of us home, even with my meager magical powers. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood. I¡¯ll teleport us there so that we don¡¯t have to walk through Grania Forest at night.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m not cold at all.¡± ¡°You listen to your elder. Just take what I give you,¡± I said sternly. In response, Arkhan took back his coat sheepishly. Once the magic circle was completed, it flashed with brilliant green light and the world turned upside down. ¡°Ahh!¡± Thanks to how rough my estimations were for coordinates, we teleported smack dab in the middle of the training grounds, frightening the knights who were in training there. Once I was done apologizing to the knights and sending Arkhan off, it was already eight in the evening. Chapter 20.2 ¡°Miss, you should at least dry your hair.¡± Seeing me lying on the bed as soon as I¡¯d washed my hair, Rita heaved a heavy sigh and handed me a towel. Since I was also against getting my pillow damp before bed, I nodded in agreement and sat up. I dried off my hair for some time before I stopped, looking up at the night sky. The clouds floating in the darkening sky looked just like cotton candy. It felt like the sweetness of the cotton candy I¡¯d had earlier was still lingering in my mouth. The same went for the chocolate cake, the chocolate chip cookies, and the vanilla ice cream. Listing them all out like this, hadn¡¯t I eaten way too much? I hoped I wasn¡¯t going to get fat. Gah, Arkhan knew what I liked too well. When had that kid grown up so much? I wondered. Though Arkhan had done nothing wrong, I was suddenly very resentful of him. Anxious, I rubbed my stomach. *** The rest of the vacation passed very quickly. I spent the time relatively well: I memorized a lot of formulas, did all my homework, dealt with Arkhan on his occasional visits, and read the books that I¡¯d bought. Oh, and I also got my cast removed. While a long scar as fine as a thread remained, it didn¡¯t hurt anymore. And just like that, for at least two weeks, I didn¡¯t think about Noah. Mostly. Was it because he was out of sight? It felt like I¡¯d dreamt a miserably sweet dream for a moment there. But the thing about dreams was that you always wake up from them. ¡°If you leave now, how long does it take for winter vacation to start?¡± my father asked, with a face that looked like he would burst out crying at any second now. Slinging my bag on my shoulder, I chuckled. ¡°You better not forget to pick me up this time.¡± Coachman Thompson jerked his chin at me to tell me to hurry on, so I quickly entered the carriage. Outside the small window, I could see Dad, our servants, and the knights. ¡°Stay safe, sirs!¡± I said, waving at them with a regretful expression. Sir Zion was biting his handkerchief, tears streaming down his face. I looked down to discover a bright red hardcover book in my hand. Tearing my eyes off it to look outside, I gulped. The carriage rumbled mightily over the unpaved road. *** The carriage traveled nonstop for a full day and barely arrived at the academy. The first thing I saw as soon as I got out of the carriage clutching my nauseous stomach was Dora¡¯s face, who looked like she¡¯d been waiting for me. ¡°What? I thought you hurt your arm.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked back a bit stupidly. Dora blinked at me. ¡°I heard you broke your arm fighting a monster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already healed. Where did you hear that? Was that what Echo told you?¡± I rolled my eyes in sheer ridicule and lugged out my bags at the same time. ¡°Ho, is that so? She was exaggerating so much, so¡­¡± ¡°How¡¯ve you been? Is Auntie¡­¡± It felt like we¡¯d gotten the order wrong, but since we hadn¡¯t seen each other in so long, greetings were now in order. But then I stopped and froze. Two giant carriages were coming towards the school gates. Each had the family crests of Count Ivy and Marquis Yurielle, respectively, so it was easy to guess who was riding them. As Flora stepped off the carriage, her fluffy pink hair fluttered in the air behind her. It was a soft yet thrilling sight to behold. And soon, Noah emerged as well. I won¡¯t waste my breath with another description. He was blindingly beautiful as always. When the two of them stood together, they literally seemed to emit their own lights. Even when people gathered like a swarm of bees around Flora and Noah, even in a crowd, they outshone everyone. Maybe because they didn¡¯t see us, they didn¡¯t say hello. Actually, no, they didn¡¯t have a reason to say hello even if they did see us. I watched them for a moment before I turned away. Dora had been talking about her visit to the Lowell Kingdom. With a broad grin, she said, ¡°The aristocrats of the Lowell Kingdom are just so handsome.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± No wonder her face had become so serene. If that was the reason, I understood. As if she was reminiscing about her summer, Dora closed her eyes and giggled. I was pretty curious too by then and was about to ask her for more details when she suddenly turned serious and spoke again. ¡°Yo, I also saw that person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± In response to her abruptly lowered voice and secretive atmosphere, I raised my eyebrows. ¡°You know, the upperclassman who went to the Lowell Kingdom Seminary as an exchange student last year during the second semester ¨C the one who¡¯s supposed to return this semester.¡± Dora frowned, massaging her temples as if trying to recall this person¡¯s name, then suddenly extended her finger to point somewhere. ¡°Right, it¡¯s that person!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When I followed her gaze to where she was pointing, I saw a giant carriage as big as that of Count Ivy and Marquis Yurielle¡¯s. As well as the tall female student with platinum blonde hair, standing in front of it. Though the large lion crest carved into the white carriage drew plenty of attention, what was even more eye-catching was her appearance. Sparkling platinum blonde locks tumbled down her round shoulder line like a waterfall, accompanied by eyes of cold sea blue. She looked vastly superior as if she alone existed in this world. Her shirt buttons were left open lazily and her tie was nowhere to be found but even that fit her appearance to the tee. In awe of this girl¡¯s blinding beauty, I could only blink in shock when suddenly my mouth parted. Oh, I remembered now. Chapter 21.1 Gloria Lupinus, a third-year in the swordsmanship division. She was the daughter of the Minister of Finance and the heiress to the prestigious Lupinus Marquis, and she once was in marriage talks with Noah. In the book I had read, she had also been a villain, tormenting Flora because she was still not over Noah. The way she bullied Flora was on a scale that was so big it would be incomparable to mine, such as sexual harassment, bribing professors, and ostracizing her. In other words, she was one of the characters to avoid¡ªbut that didn¡¯t matter right now. Because wow, was she awfully pretty. My jaw slackened as I kept glancing over at Gloria¡¯s face. Though I usually never said this, she had a beauty that could be on par with Noah¡¯s. While I was going bonkers over her face, it seemed Dora was thinking of something else entirely. Dora muttered in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s¡­ wiping her sword.¡± The long silver blade flashed under the summer sunlight. We gulped together. Dora shivered slightly. ¡°Whew¡­¡± The truth was, I actually knew of Gloria¡¯s name even before I read the novel. It was a given, seeing how she was the eldest daughter of a powerful family in the empire. However, since we were in different grades and because she¡¯d gone to Lowell Kingdom as an exchange student for a year, I had never seen her for myself until now. Besides, as high a rank as she had, it was also hard to venture close to her. There was also a rumor that she didn¡¯t have that great a personality¡ªand the book all but confirmed all this to be true. Scary. ¡°You said you met her at the Kingdom. You didn¡¯t even greet each other?¡± ¡°What greeting? We¡¯re not even close.¡± Having said that, Dora shuddered and shook her head. I turned my attention back to the school gates. Having sheathed her sword, Gloria was walking, putting one long leg in front of the other in an elegant gait. ¡°Long time no see, Flora.¡± And the place she had headed to was none other than Flora. As soon as Gloria spoke, the crowd surrounding Flora retreated instantly. ¡°Ria! I missed you. How have you been?¡± Not knowing a single thing, Flora only smiled and took Gloria¡¯s hand. No, Flora. You have to flee. It would¡¯ve been nice if there was a way to let her warn somehow through body language, but unfortunately, we were too far away. Therefore, all I could do was watch nervously. ¡°I¡¯m the same as always. I¡¯m glad to see you.¡± With a smiling voice, Gloria finished greeting Flora and slid her eyes to fix them unto Noah. ¡°And you too, Noah.¡± Her blue eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°Looks like you got along very well without me. You look good.¡± Though I knew already¡­ so it was true. I nodded my head unnoticeably. In a weird sense, I felt something like a comradeship towards her. Though there was a difference in scale and level, she and I had similar roles. We also shared the same ending: expulsion. Fortunately¡ªif it was fortunate at all¡ªNoah didn¡¯t show any other reaction except to bow his head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold.¡± Her lips drew a pretty curve at the dry response. After showing one last smile to Flora, Gloria turned away with her sword still in her hand and left. ¡°Hah.¡± As soon as she walked away, I let out the breath I¡¯d been holding. It felt like the air around us had loosened in an instant. ¡°Wow.¡± Thinking I could understand just a little why Dora had been shuddering, I picked up the bag I¡¯d place on the floor. ¡°Kate!¡± I was just about to follow Dora into the main building when I turned around at the voice calling me. The first thing I saw was Noah¡¯s face. ¡°Hi¡­¡± ¡°Kate, long time no see! How have you been?¡± Noah¡¯s low greeting was buried under Flora¡¯s loud one. ¡°Oh, h-hello.¡± Waving at Dora to go on ahead, I bowed my head in greeting. ¡°Are you okay? Noah said you got hurt.¡± Furrowing her eyebrows, Flora gently held my arm. ¡°If I¡¯d been there, I could have healed you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You shouldn¡¯t waste your divinity on stuff like that.¡± I laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. ¡°I heard Noah was at your estate during the summer. Did you have fun without me?¡± Laughing mischievously, Flora covered her mouth. I was about to deny this, but the conversation moved on to the next topic before I could say anything. ¡°Right, I have some good news.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± With a pleasant giggle, Flora continued speaking with a proud expression. ¡°I¡¯ve recruited a new club member. We¡¯re going to be four now, you hear?¡± ¡°Wow?¡± My eyes darted around rapidly, slightly bewildered. Still smiling, Flora affectionately stroked my hair. ¡°A friendly, good person is coming. I¡¯ll introduce the two of you next time.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good news?¡± Her light blue eyes sparkled brightly at me. ¡°Um, Flora, actually I¡­.¡± Trailing off, I glanced at Noah. Since Noah hadn¡¯t opposed my resignation from the club that strongly, I wanted him to say something, but he did not say a single word. I felt betrayed. Chapter 21.2 I could actually tell them I was resigning at this very moment. Without the shared link of club activities between us, I would not have any reason to encounter Noah or Flora again. Then we would deviate naturally according to the contents of the prophetic book. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± But as soon as I saw Flora¡¯s face, all the scenes of bullying that she was to face flashed past my eyes. And I felt terribly guilty. Oh, Flora¡­ Flora. ¡°W-wow, that¡¯s great!¡± Swallowing back tears on the inside, I smiled, even going as far as to give her a thumbs up. ¡°Right? I knew you would appreciate the news too.¡± As expected, Flora smiled at me like she was the happiest person in the world. So bright, in fact, that I even wondered if she was doing that on purpose so that I couldn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Whoops, I better go in now. Bye, Kate.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Following behind Flora, Noah also said his goodbye and waved at me. With a half-given-up expression, I waved goodbye to them, and when I could no longer see them, I sat down on the spot. Gah, you nosy girl. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± You fool. Squatting on the floor, I ripped at my hair. No, but honestly, if you had an idea that someone you knew was going to be bullied, only psychopaths would pretend not to be aware of it. You have to keep an eye on them bit by bit, and if it gets really bad, you secretly help them avoid it. No matter what I felt, I couldn¡¯t just let Flora get bullied. No, that would be the end of humanity. That¡¯s right, let¡¯s not hit ourselves over the head too much. It isn¡¯t too late yet. If it really gets disgustingly bad, then let¡¯s go ahead and resign. ¡°Oh.¡± I¡¯m going to be late for the opening ceremony. After abruptly checking my watch in the midst of my passionate self-rationalization, I grabbed my bag and dashed into the main building. ¡°Why are you so late? Did you see how the professor was frowning at you?¡± ¡°No way, we haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± I slumped down on the chair that my friends had thankfully saved for me, giving them a smile. ¡°Your arm¡­¡± Mallory murmured, covering her mouth. If my arm injury was this summer¡¯s biggest news, how boring of a summer had you spent? ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s fine.¡± When I raised up my arm with the thin scar on it for her to see, Mallory nodded and continued speaking. ¡°Echo said that monsters appeared in your fief, so Noah came to subdue them?¡± Dora whipped her head around, her eyes lit up with interest. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t mention that.¡± I waved my hands to tell her to calm down. ¡°No, so what happened was¡­.¡± Ring. Ring. Ring. As soon as the glass bell rang out clearly, the noisy students immediately shut their mouths like clams. Myself included. ¡°Welcome, everyone. Have you had a good time during your one month of vacation?¡± The principal, coming up to the podium, began his speech with a kind face. Perhaps because he couldn¡¯t see the reproach within the eyes of his students, his speech went on and on for many more minutes. About the time people¡¯s eyes were starting to droop, I stretched out my body and hung loosely on my chair. Sir, I¡¯m not interested in what the future vision for this academy is. I was looking around in search of a clock, wondering when we were going to eat lunch, when it happened. ¡°Shoot!¡± Gloria¡¯s icy blue eyes were looking at me, from a few rows ahead. For a second, it felt like I¡¯d been struck by lightning. Not even lying, I nearly screamed. I only barely kept it in because I didn¡¯t want to commit social suicide in front of the entire student body. As soon as my eyes met Gloria¡¯s, I immediately dropped my head. Strength rushed back into my once-loosened body. When I raised my head back up again, Gloria had turned back to the front, but those blue eyes staring straight at me were still fresh in my mind. I pressed at my pounding heart. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Why, why? Why, when I don¡¯t even know her? When we¡¯d never even talked? No, this was the first time I even got a proper look at her face. Chewing on my lips furiously, my entire body trembled. Don¡¯t tell me, had the rumor spread because of last semester? That Noah and I were together all the time? I was dead. I quietly grabbed my head. To be honest, it did seem like I was overreacting from a single eye contact, but what could I do? I was scared. ¡°Ow, hmph.¡± No wonder my lips were tingling for some reason. They were torn and now bleeding. Fiddling with my torn lips, I frowned. To think, I¡¯d planned to help Flora with this weak of a mentality. No, no, it would be fine as long as I didn¡¯t overstep my boundaries. As long as I wasn¡¯t too rude¡­ Still, being ostracized would be scary. With a forlorn face, I looked at Dora. ¡°You guys won¡¯t leave me, right¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s crazy.¡± I probably felt a little relieved at Dora¡¯s as-per-usual response. Gathering my two hands together, I repeated these words to myself. Don¡¯t be cowed, don¡¯t be cowed. Chapter 22.1 ¡°Hnn¡­¡± Aching head in my hands, I managed to sit up. Thanks to a strange nightmare I¡¯d suffered from until dawn, I barely even slept. It was a dream in which the contents of the book were strangely mixed up. I felt like I could still see the notice of expulsion hovering in front of my eyes. It was still early, but if I wanted to avoid Noah, I had to leave now. ¡°¡­ What the, are you leaving this early?¡± Woken up perhaps by the sounds I made, Dora mumbled sleepily while rubbing her eyes. ¡°Yeah, sorry for waking you up. I¡¯m heading out first.¡± ¡°What time is it..?¡± ¡°You still have time to sleep. Join me later.¡± She must have heard me, seeing how Dora¡¯s breathing became more and more regular. Soon, only the sound of her light snores could be heard. Sweeping all the books into my bag, I left the room. Yaawn. Sitting in an empty classroom by myself, sleepiness was washing over me, but time flew by quickly as I looked through the books I¡¯d brought. ¡°Hahh¡ªack.¡± In the middle of another big yawn, I gasped. Out the classroom window, I could see glimpses of long silver hair fluttering past. Very slowly, I crouched under the nearby desk and held my breath. This way, Noah wouldn¡¯t be able to see me. Hah, the schedule changed this semester. Look for me if you can. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± At the door stood Dora, looking at me with a puzzled face after she¡¯d opened the door in a huge motion. ¡°Shh,¡± I whispered, frowning. Right behind her was Noah. I felt a rush of gratitude at how tall Dora was. ¡°You¡¯re Katelin¡¯s friend, right?¡± Discovering Dora in the midst of wandering around, Noah walked toward our direction. Ack. I curled into myself again. ¡°Yes. Are you looking for Kate?¡± Nodding, Noah asked Dora once more. ¡°Do you know where she is?¡± ¡°Beats me, I don¡¯t really know. But why are you looking for Kate?¡± After exchanging a brief glance with me, Dora countered with a question of her own with a tilt of her head. Dora, nice. Noah was silent for a moment before he answered with a slightly quieter voice. ¡°No reason, I only wanted to see her face.¡± My breath stopped. I could see that Dora too was standing there looking pretty dazed. ¡°¡­ I see. I¡¯ll let her know if I see her.¡± ¡°Thanks. Sorry I bothered you.¡± Dora stood outside watching until Noah walked away, then slammed the classroom door open. With an excited expression, she shouted in a booming voice. ¡°Yo, congratulations! What in the world?!¡± I fiddled with my lower lip, unsure of what expression to make. I knew I should be telling her that whatever misunderstanding she had was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t say a single word. I just felt very, very strange. *** Having avoided Noah for the past few days, I checked the watch with stabbing anxiety. I¡¯d arrived earlier than the club meeting time on purpose. He wouldn¡¯t be here yet, right? ¡°Hello, long time no see.¡± ¡­ Yes, it was. As soon as I opened the classroom door and went in, Noah smiled at me faintly from where he sat. I awkwardly tucked my hair behind my ear. ¡°You¡¯re here very early.¡± ¡°You too.¡± Calm down. Act like usual. Don¡¯t do weird things again, like a fool. And if he asks why I¡¯ve been avoiding him, pretend like I don¡¯t know. Pretend¡­ ¡°Um, Noah. You left this at our house.¡± After awkwardly moving toward him, I placed a card-shaped bookmark on the desk. Picking the bookmark up, Noah nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve completely forgotten about this.¡± ¡°And this, too. Since the bookmark was in the middle of the book, I thought you might not have finished it, so¡­¡± Trailing off, I held out the book Noah had been reading but left behind. Taking the book, Noah blinked, then smiled a little. ¡°Thank you. I was looking for it, but apparently, you can¡¯t get it in the capital.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you. You can return it once you¡¯re done.¡± Smiling, I let go of the book. I¡¯d thought he would only read books about magic, but Noah seemed to also like reading novels as well. Though if I thought about it, that would be why he was in the club, right? That book was one that I¡¯d read a lot when I was younger. Though it was a romance novel of pretty ordinary content, I¡¯d read it over and over again until I¡¯d practically memorized it, because¡­ ¡°That was written by my mother, you know.¡± I pointed to the author¡¯s name on the book. ¡°Jennifer Blair. See?¡± Noah rubbed the book with a concerned expression. ¡°¡­ Is it okay for you to lend me something like this?¡± ¡°We have a bunch more in my dad¡¯s room.¡± When I waved my hand to say it was fine, Noah took the book and smiled softly. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be sure to be careful as I read it and return it to you at a later time.¡± Scratching my arm, I quietly swallowed. This wasn¡¯t it. I kept trying to stick to different subjects in the fear that he might ask me why I was avoiding him. Chapter 22.2 Pulling up a chair, I sat down, while Noah turned his head and asked, ¡°Is your arm all right now?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s completely fine.¡± I showed him my un-bandaged arm. Since I¡¯d had my cast for over a month, my arm felt a little bare. ¡°It healed faster than expected. And it wasn¡¯t even a big injury to begin with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Noah gave me a polite, picturesque smile. ¡°Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you since the opening ceremony.¡± ¡°I-Is that right?¡± I fiddled with my hair in a way that couldn¡¯t be more awkward. ¡°It felt like I haven¡¯t seen you these past couple of days.¡± In a quiet voice, Noah raised the question gently. ¡°Why have you been avoiding me recently?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± My heart dropped with a thud. Blinking his golden eyes in melancholy a few times, he asked, ¡°Is it because¡­ you don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°N-No?¡± Don¡¯t like you? It¡¯s the exact opposite. I shook my head so violently that my hair flew up in all directions. ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡± After hemming and hawing for a bit, I opened my mouth. ¡°C-Can I ask why you keep coming to pick me up?¡± Noah replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Because I want to see you.¡± With a shallow inhale, I bit my lips. Excuse me, aren¡¯t you coming at me too fast, too suddenly? Noting that expression of mine, Noah asked quietly, ¡°If that makes you uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°Mm, just a little.¡± I continued speaking, slowly avoiding his eyes. ¡°You have your own daily schedule, too, so to be honest I feel apologetic and uncomfortable.¡± When I raised my eyes to look at Noah¡¯s face, at first glance he seemed the same as usual. But as someone who had been watching Noah for two years now, I knew that he was bothered. From the minuscule wrinkling of his eyebrows, I could tell: that was an expression of displeasure. D-Did I overstep my bounds? After a long beat of silence, Noah nodded slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I did it¡ªI¡¯d gotten rid of one aspect now. I pressed down on my chest, feeling relieved. ¡°If it made you uncomfortable, you could¡¯ve spoken up earlier.¡± With the sudden murmur, Noah fiddled with his glasses in apparent embarrassment. ¡°¡­ Oh.¡± I let out a barely audible sound, my mouth slightly open. Oh, Noah was feeling sorry. And now I was feeling sorry, too. With a slightly ashamed expression, I was fiddling with the collar of my shirt when I heard a clear voice from the doorway. ¡°Hey, both of you are here early, huh?¡± Her arm linked with someone else¡¯s, Flora came into the classroom with a sunny smile. ¡°By the way, this is the first time you¡¯ve seen Kate, right? Here, both of you say hi to each other.¡± ¡°H-Hello, nice to¡­¡± Rising from my chair to say hello, I stepped back almost instinctively. Standing by the door was a tall woman, her long blonde hair tied behind in a ponytail. With a wide smile, she greeted me back. ¡°Hello.¡± The new member from earlier was Gloria? ¡°This is Gloria. She came back from Lowell Kingdom this semester.¡± I could barely even hear what Flora was saying. Don¡¯t tell me, had she targeted Flora already? Or was it because of Noah? Or maybe both? No, but¡ªmore importantly, Gloria inside the book was part of the social club. While I was standing there feeling chaotic, Gloria extended her long legs to stride toward me. ¡°Hi there, you must be Katelin.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s me!¡± She reached out for a handshake. I held out a slightly trembling hand. Contrary to what I¡¯d expected, she didn¡¯t crush my hand tightly, but from her cool hand, I felt a terrifying aura somehow. The master doesn¡¯t use such childish antics such as this, right? But why was she smiling so coldly in my direction? Was she feeling satisfied thinking of how she would torture me big-time? I stood there frozen with an awkward smile. ¡°Hmm.¡± Only after a long while did Gloria let go of my hand, huffing out a small laugh. ¡°Hey there, Noah. Been a long time, hasn¡¯t it?¡± She put both her arms on the desk in front of Noah and smiled. Cynicism glowed within her dark sea-blue eyes. ¡°Thanks to someone who kept running around like a little mouse.¡± A villainess¡¯s flirting was pretty brutal, huh? Despite Gloria¡¯s somewhat menacing flirting, Noah looked completely calm. ¡°Move.¡± Taking a step further, he was even commanding Gloria! ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Katelyn¡¯s seat.¡± Ohh, Noah, please don¡¯t do that, please¡­ Please don¡¯t dip my destiny into hell so gently like that. I was biting my nails and trying not to cry, but Gloria only burst out into laughter. ¡°Pfft, bahaha.¡± After a booming laugh, she wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°Man, I¡¯m so scared I could die. Fine, fine.¡± Though that¡¯s what she said in words, her eyes were still staring daggers at Noah. ¡°Guys, I know we¡¯re happy to see each other after a long time but should we all sit down now?¡± intervened Flora, with an awkward smile. ¡°I¡¯m only keeping it in because of you, Flora.¡± Shaking her head, Gloria beckoned to me. ¡°Sit here. Sorry, I took your seat.¡± ¡°No, not at all. You can just sit there.¡± Declining her offer, I hurried to another seat and sat down. Chapter 23.1 ¡°Ahem.¡± Looking a little more at peace, Flora cleared her throat before she spoke with her clear voice. ¡°All right now, everyone here has read the book, right?¡± We were finally getting started. But why did I feel tired out already? ¡°Yeah, it was difficult. Why¡¯s the old language mixed in here?¡± When Gloria grumbled while flipping through the pages of the book, Flora smiled and explained in a friendly tone, ¡°That¡¯s because the author was so well-versed in the old tongue, he even had a degree in it.¡± Why was it that all the fields of study, from magic to literature, just couldn¡¯t bear to lose the old tongue? With a gloomy face, I looked down at the squiggles. ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t even read this title out loud.¡± I happened to relate very hard to Gloria¡¯s complaint. I wondered what kind of lives the people of old had lived. ¡°Haha.¡± With a small smile, Flora read the title with flowing, fluent pronunciation, and Gloria¡¯s eyebrows twitched as if in surprise. ¡°Wow, do you alone have a different tongue structure?¡± I covered my mouth, holding back the sudden burst of laughter that rose up in my throat. I, too, had thought that once. ¡°No, Noah can do it too, right?¡± said Flora, waving her hand in embarrassment. She pointed at Noah. ¡°Try reading it, Noah.¡± Noah glanced at me once, then fixed his eyes on the cover of the book before he read it out loud. ¡°¡­ Wow.¡± Unable to hide my surprise, my mouth opened wide. His pronunciation was very sexy. By which I meant, the way he moved his tongue¡­ Wait, that sounded a little weird. His use of tongue¡­ was good, according to what I¡¯d read in the book. ¡°Kate? What are you doing?¡± ¡°N-Nothing!¡± I only barely snapped out of my daze after Flora had called me three or so times. I massaged my hot cheeks with a cough. *** ¡°Bye, everyone. Don¡¯t forget to read the book!¡± ¡°Okay, Flora. See you.¡± As I was about to leave the clubroom casually, I looked outside the window to the hallway and stopped, startled. The hallway, which had always been empty before, was crowded with people. And most of them were girls. What was this now? Bewildered by the scenery which completely deviated from the norm, I was still able to squeeze my way out. ¡°Gwah!¡± Pushed by the crowd, I was staggering to keep my balance, when someone held me up. When I got a grip on my surroundings once more, Noah was holding up my left arm and Gloria my right. My both arms being held up like this, I felt like I was being escorted away by authorities. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± Gloria smiled at me as she let go, then approached a girl. ¡°I told you guys not to follow me.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon now, Gloria.¡± So it was. Gloria was only a villain within the book that I had read; in the eyes of others, she was just a popular person who was pretty and cool, from a good family, and with amazing swordsmanship. So good, that she had garnered the gossip that her personality, at least, was bad. Had I not known about that book, I would probably be thinking the same. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the store together, no? You don¡¯t know how shocked I was to hear that you didn¡¯t join the social club. I¡¯d reserved a seat for you on purpose, you know.¡± The girl pouted her lips, obviously upset. ¡°Hm. What should I do?¡± Gloria turned to me then with a wry smile, then grabbed my hand in one quick motion. ¡°I already have an appointment with this girl.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ma¡¯am, this is the first I¡¯m hearing of this. When I replied in question form, struck silly, her blue eyes stared at me intently. ¡°Why? Do you not have the time?¡± ¡°No!¡± turning deadly pale, I answered immediately. ¡°So you have time, right?¡± ¡°Certainly!¡± Noah looked in our direction with a skeptical face. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be going now.¡± I apologized to Noah. Nothing bad will happen if I don¡¯t go with you. But something will definitely happen if I don¡¯t go with her. ¡°You two are already friends!¡± In the midst of it all, Flora was delighted to see me and Gloria together. It seemed she was very happy at the increase of her club members. ¡°Bye, Flora. Bye, Noah.¡± With an airy wave goodbye to the two, Gloria wheeled around on her heel. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll accompany you to the second years¡¯ classroom.¡± Why was it that my seniors were always so eager to take me to class, I wondered to myself. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Though I had no idea why she was doing this so suddenly, maybe it meant she wasn¡¯t as scary as I thought? While contemplating on this, Gloria searched her uniform pocket before she brought something out. ¡°Want to eat this, my friend?¡± In her hand was a piece of candy. It wouldn¡¯t be poisoned, right? No, people who gave you food were good people. With stuttering motions, I took the candy. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Gloria looked down at me as if asking me with her blue eyes if I wasn¡¯t going to eat it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I ended up unwrapping the candy under the intensity of her look and popped it into my mouth. Chapter 23.2 The strawberry candy was unnecessarily delicious. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Oops.¡± Did I say that out loud? I covered my mouth, flustered, and Gloria pointed to my face and laughed boisterously. ¡°Haha! Your face is red.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± I let out a laugh with a completely insincere face. Once we¡¯d walked like that around for a while, we found ourselves on the floor of the second-year classes. ¡°W-We¡¯re here now. Thank you for accompanying me.¡± Bowing my head, I was about to high-tail it out of there immediately when Gloria called me to stop with a suddenly lowered voice, ¡°Hey, let me tell you something.¡± When I happened to look up at her face, my breath caught in my throat. Gloria was not your regular arrogant thug. Rather, she was shameless and vicious enough to create all sorts of traps and conspiracies and still claim to be Flora¡¯s friend. The Gloria from the book had shown the epitome of the thorough and calculating villainess. Just like, in fact, she was now. Gulp. Feeling her cold eyes on me, I swallowed. Her sunken, darkened blue eyes were still staring down at me. ¡°You don¡¯t suit him.¡± She didn¡¯t need to tell me who ¡®he¡¯ was for me to know what she was talking about. A worthless kid like you doesn¡¯t have the right to stand next to Noah, or something like that, probably. As I¡¯d thought, was she finally revealing her true colors in earnest? ¡°Then have fun in class, sweetheart.¡± Gloria gave me a sweet smile as if she had never put on a cold expression, then patted me on my shoulder. Had ¡®sweetheart¡¯ been such a scary nickname before? Wasn¡¯t that usually an affectionate term? ¡°¡­ G-Goodbye.¡± I greeted her back, barely managing to pry open my mouth. Gloria disappeared from sight after a final wave. The villainess thusly pronounces, stay away from my man. Squatting down, I rubbed my face up and down. My life¡­ ¡°Wow, what do I do now?¡± ¡­ is now targeted. No matter how you looked at it, she was targeting me. With a miserable face, I roughed up my hair. Every time I remembered those smiling blue eyes, my heart pounded wildly. I mean, who gives candy and pretends to be close friends then turns out to be that scary? Her ins and outs were no joke. I returned to my surroundings a little once I felt the pain from biting my lips. This was not the time to be doing this. At least I should be helping Flora. Now that Gloria had come into our club, Flora was now more in danger than ever before. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Even Gloria wouldn¡¯t be able to go all-out on a completely fine noble. And to be honest, it¡¯s not like I was as oblivious as Flora was. Now that I thought about it, according to the book, all the seniors were perfect with exactly one weakness each. Flora was a bit ignorant of her surroundings, Noah had an unexpected pushover side to him, and Gloria¡¯s sense of morality had been¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± My mind had wandered without my knowing it. Having left the classroom, Dora was looking down at me blankly. I grabbed onto Dora¡¯s shirt and whined. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to leave me?¡± ¡°What are you going on about since the last time, man?¡± Pulling me up by the arm, Dora grunted and nagged at me. ¡°Stand up already, we have to go to class.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sniffling, I shook my head. ¡°From the looks of it, something happened during your book club hours, didn¡¯t it?¡± said Mallory, pointing at my face. Making a pitiful face, I arranged my messed-up hair. ¡°The senior¡­ Gloria¡¯s with us now.¡± ¡°In your club?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. Ilya from the social club was so adamant about getting her to join them.¡± Though they seemed a little surprised, that was all¡ªmy friends had a more nonchalant reaction than I¡¯d expected. That was natural. After all, I was the only one who knew about Glora¡¯s true colors. ¡°Is it because you have a new rival for love?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried for me?¡± ¡°Why? Does she eat people?¡± When Dora asked with a puzzled expression, Mallory added to it. ¡°Yeah, she might have made a pretty sharp impression, but that¡¯s no reason to be so terrified of her. I think I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s not as scary as the rumors suggest.¡± Dora, who was brushing dust off my skirt, narrowed her eyes into slits and murmured to herself, ¡°That reminds me, I thought things were going well, but I guess they weren¡¯t? Goodness, Noah sure is weird, too.¡± At her last words, I clenched my hands into fists. Tightening my stomach, I yelled as loud as I could, ¡°Don¡¯t insult Noah!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at me like I was absurd, Dora sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯mma say this just in case, but¡­¡± Tidying up my messy collar, Dora spoke sharply. ¡°They say you¡¯ll be happier meeting people that like you, rather than with people you like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about you start looking for someone new, too.¡± Mallory pounded on Dora¡¯s shoulder, scoffing. ¡°Goodness, Dora¡ªsomeone new? It¡¯s not even like she divorced or anything¡­¡± ¡°Thanks, Mallory,¡± rubbing my face, I mumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s go to class now. We definitely need to study.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The material we need to study this time really seems like it would be over-the-top.¡± Putting my feelings and my expression away, I began replying to them as we moved. My hands were still tightly clasped onto the hems of my friends¡¯ clothes. Even if a diabolical villainess of a senior targets me and tortures me terribly, you guys can¡¯t look the other way, okay? Chapter 24.1 My face weary, I yawned. Haah. I couldn¡¯t sleep properly last night, which made first period feel like death. I have no idea how much water I drank to keep myself awake. I¡¯d skipped lunch in case I got even sleepier from the food, so I sat on the bench filling my stomach with water. ¡°Guh.¡± The wind chased the clouds away, revealing the sun behind them. The bright sunlight immediately imparted just the right amount of warmth to me. Unfortunately, the warm sunlight just made me sleepier. When I sat still like that, my eyes began to close on their own accord. My eyelids weighed a ton each. With a small sigh, I relaxed my body. Let¡¯s just close my eyes a bit, just a tiny bit. I¡¯m sure someone would wake me up¡­ *** ¡°Gweh.¡± Making a strange sound, I opened my eyes. I slept for longer than I had expected. According to my watch, it was still lunchtime, thank goodness. My sigh of relief lasted only a moment, however, when I wondered why napping on this uncomfortable bench had been so comfortable. ¡°Did you wake up? Maybe I should¡¯ve woken you up a little earlier.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Why was I¡­ leaning on someone¡¯s shoulder? A shiver ran down my spine. I quickly turned to my side. And at the same time, I could feel the blood draining from my face. With creaky motions, I opened my mouth. ¡°Noah¡­?¡± The owner of the shoulder I¡¯d slept on was none other than Noah. Tada. I better not have drooled while I was asleep. Did I? Panicking, I patted my mouth, but thankfully both my face and Noah¡¯s shoulder were nicely dry and clean. ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± ¡°I stopped by the store and came to return your book, but you were asleep,¡± Noah answered, sliding out the book he¡¯d borrowed from me. There was also a package of bread that he must¡¯ve bought from the store. ¡°I thought my shoulder would be preferable to leaning on the bench.¡± He explained himself so matter-of-factly that it felt like I was overreacting over nothing. ¡°Oh, thank you¡­¡± Embarrassed, I fixed up my messy hair. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat lunch?¡± ¡°I was so sleepy, that¡­ I thought if I ate something, I might doze off during class.¡± Trying to talk made me want to yawn again, so I lowered my head. Covering my mouth, I mumbled, ¡°Sorry you saw me in such a crude moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not crude. And you don¡¯t have to be sorry. I just wanted to take care of you.¡± Opening the crinkly packaged bread, Noah continued speaking calmly. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person you are to me.¡± ¡°¡­ you mean me? To you?¡± At the words he¡¯d said while handing me the unwrapped bread, I pointed a finger at myself and asked, bewildered. When Noah nodded, I also nodded slowly myself, my mouth hanging open. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know.¡± For now, since it seemed he¡¯d given me the bread to eat, I took a bite. Though it was delicious, the eyes I could feel on me made me think I might get indigestion. ¡°I see.¡± I quickly pretended to have gotten a deep impression upon reflection of what Noah had said¡ªit felt like if I didn¡¯t show some kind of reaction, the atmosphere would become very strange. ¡°Keh, cough.¡± And since I was eating like that, I naturally ended up inhaling the food into the wrong pipe. Really thankfully, though, the bell rang to signal the end of lunch and I grabbed the water due to be poured down my throat and took the returned book into my hands while saying goodbye to Noah. ¡°Thanks, cough, for this.¡± With that, I speedily dashed away to the classroom. Not only was I late, I was also embarrassed to have been caught choking and coughing. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± I started hacking again from trying to drink water while running. ¡°Cough, cough, ugh¡­¡± I felt tears welling up my eyes as I shook my head. I¡¯m sure my face was growing red because I¡¯d been coughing so much. *** Standing in front of the clubroom, I gulped. This was my second club meeting with Gloria. Nothing had happened the last time, fortunately enough, but I had no guarantee for the future. Since I also had my life, I wouldn¡¯t be able to follow her around blindly, but at least inside the club, I should be able to stop any type of evil deed committed against Flora while I was there. With that thought in mind, I opened the clubroom door¡ªand immediately my eyes met with Gloria¡¯s. Not even lying, I thought my heart would jump out of my mouth. ¡°Hey.¡± Her eyes curved into a smile as she gestured at me. ¡°Come here, sit next to me.¡± Her seductive voice was unnecessarily alluring. If the sirens of the legends really existed, would they sound like her? A voice that you know would be perilous to get close to but still makes you want to approach. Though in this case, I knew, it was still dangerous even if you didn¡¯t approach. Swallowing, I stepped inside. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a hot second. How have you been?¡± Long, white, and calloused fingers from wielding the sword, now barely ghosted through my hair, gently smoothing it down. ¡°G-Good.¡± ¡°Heh, why are you afraid?¡± Her laughter sounded like some kind of string instrument. She playfully blinked her eyes, her lashes as thick as butterfly wings. Only then did I come to my senses and bow my head. Even so, I still felt her staring at me. It felt like my stomach would start to hurt. ¡°Have you read the book? Wow, it was way too hard for me.¡± ¡°Right? I also¡­ yeah.¡± Doing my best to agree, I trailed off. When her platinum blonde hair rippled in front of my eyes, a cool scent wafted toward me. Looking downward, I tried sniffing my uniform. It smelled of the dorm¡¯s laundry soap. It probably smelled at least like laundry soap now because it hadn¡¯t been too long since I¡¯d washed it. Chapter 24.2 Flora smelled of roses, Noah had a jasmine scent, and Gloria had a cool water smell. Why was it that all the seniors were fragrant and I was the only one living in reality? Grumbling on the inside, I fiddled with the ends of my sleeves, dissatisfied. ¡°Kate is always here first! I¡¯m so happy to see you work hard.¡± Flora, who¡¯d opened the door and came in before I knew it, beamed at me and patted me on the back. Responding with a small smile of my own, I bowed my head. ¡°Hello.¡± Seeing Noah standing next to Flora made my heart ache a little, but I tried not to think about it. Gloria had her hand fisted on her chin and staring daggers at Noah with a cold smile. Conscious of her presence there in the room with us, I awkwardly opened my mouth, looking at both Noah and Flora. ¡°By the way, you two look dressed up as a couple today. Aww, you get along so well.¡± Noah glanced down at his own clothes, then spoke with a puzzled face. ¡°¡­ This is the school uniform.¡± ¡°Aww c¡¯mon now, Noah. Why are you being so nitpicky? I think Kate was joking.¡± Side-eyeing Noah once, Flora smiled at me. But seeing how she didn¡¯t mention it anymore, I could guess it wasn¡¯t a really good one. Yeah, it was better to be that kid with no sense of humor whatsoever than a kid who made strange moves on people. Oh, why did I start meddling? I looked over when I heard a muffled snort at the side, only to discover Gloria struggling to hold back her laughter. ¡°You and I look like a couple, too.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I murmured, trying to avoid her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just that the two of them are wearing their nameplates the same¡­ way, so yeah.¡± My attempt at excusing myself made the atmosphere a bit chilly again, so I gently closed my mouth once more. Holding her tie, Gloria whispered to me. ¡°And we have the same necktie, right?¡± I shut my eyes tightly. I get it, it wasn¡¯t funny. So please stop. *** ¡°Kate, you forgot your notebook.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I swallowed anxiously as Flora handed me a book with a red cover, smiling. As expected, it seemed even Flora couldn¡¯t see it. It was certain. Though this was closer to being a romance novel faithful to the human desires rather than the pure literature mixed in with the old tongue that she so loved. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Kate, just a moment.¡± I was about to turn and leave with the book when Flora called out to me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I told you to think about leaving the club over vacation and then glossing over it afterward. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Right, that had happened. Looking slightly more unsure, Flora continued, ¡°If you still want to quit now¡­.¡± ¡°No, I plan to stay in.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. The activities are fun and my literary score went up too,¡± I replied shyly in front of the quickly-brightened Flora. Oh whatever, be it as it may. Even if I died, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything unpleasant in front of that face. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯m glad. Really.¡± In the midst of blushing and smiling bashfully, Flora¡¯s eyes wandered to someplace else and she hurriedly tucked back her hair. ¡°Oops, I¡¯m being called.¡± At the end of her gaze was a male student with a hazy impression, waving his hand. Glancing in that direction, I murmured, ¡°Right. You have a boyfriend.¡± Flora was currently in a relationship. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to end up with Noah, you ask? But even at the beginning of the book, Flora had a lover. And she had a few before already. Noah had become jealous of this and he immediately began barging in when Flora broke up, which was when the events in question began happening. Which meant, soon the plot was supposed to begin. And sadly enough, that cute couple would break up soon as well. ¡°Alright, then, I¡¯ll be going!¡± Patting me on my shoulder, Flora gave me a fluttery smile and ran out without looking back. I was also beginning to move, when I saw Gloria standing right outside the door and sat down with an embarrassing scream. ¡°Gyah!¡± Immediately standing back up from the embarrassment that rushed through me right after, I asked shakily, ¡°That surprised me. H-how long have you been there?¡± ¡°Hey, are you afraid of me?¡± Do you read minds? My jaw dropped at the random words Gloria had thrown at me so suddenly. ¡°Even though I like you.¡± The words that followed were even more shocking. What in the world? After you warned me not to approach Noah last time, so suddenly? Was she playing around with me? Like how a huge carnivore waves around and plays with a small herbivore before eating it? ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± My eyes were darting around as I searched for an answer. Though what ended up coming out wasn¡¯t that great. ¡°T-thank you?¡± ¡°What? Bahahaha.¡± Bursting out in laughter at the clumsy words I¡¯d offered, Gloria snuck out a hand to pat me on my head. ¡°You¡¯re pretty cute.¡± What? In a good way¡­ right? By pretty cute, you mean you won¡¯t steal my homework or drop it in the pond or lead me into ostracization or put the answer sheets of the test into my drawer so I get 0 points or anything¡­ right? ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I immediately bowed my head. Looking content, Gloria stroked my hair again. Feeling bewildered, I swallowed. I did feel a little less scared of her now, but somehow¡­ Wait, wasn¡¯t this something she should be doing to the male lead? Why was she doing nothing to Noah and trying to seduce random old me? Chapter 25.1 So far, Gloria has not done anything. I was a bit surprised. Then why had she joined the club? Of course, it could be that she truly had an interest in literature, but something felt a little off about that. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°The swordsmanship division training.¡± After throwing Dora a careless reply, I propped up my chin with my hand on the window sill and stared blankly toward the exercise hall. Gloria was out there wielding her sword in comfortable clothes. With skills so unrivaled like hers, it seemed like the academy had prepared a separate practice hall all for her own, since nobody else was in the area. Gloria murmured something underneath her breath and the sword in her hand was soon covered with ice. My eyes widening into saucers, I leaned my body out the window to get a better look. ¡°¡­!¡± Sword Aura was a magical skill. Only those who had trained swordsmanship for a very long time would be able to reach this level of mastery. This was the first time I had seen with my own eyes what I¡¯d only heard about before. Super cool and pretty, too. When Gloria swung her blue-lit sword, about 20 straw bales were slashed through at once. The parts of the bales that had been sliced through were frozen solid. It was an ultra-rare sight to behold midsummer. Whoa, if that ever sliced through your body, then there was no way you could ever attach it back together again. After wielding her sword a couple more times, she put down the sword and rubbed her palms together. Complaining a bit about something for a moment, she suddenly whipped her head around in my direction. I turned away quickly, but it seemed like she¡¯d known the whole time that I was watching her. She stared point-blank in our direction for a while before she turned around and left. ¡°¡­ so cool,¡± I murmured, lowering my hand from my mouth. There had been times when I¡¯d heard rumors that the young lady of the Lupinus Marquis had almost reached the status of mastery. But to think it was to this extent. Knocking on the window, I shook my head while looking lost. Though it wasn¡¯t like I had some kind of knowledge about swordsmanship, I could say for sure that Gloria¡¯s swordsmanship was amazing to the point of wowing her enemies and that she looked genuinely happy when she was wielding her sword. For the first time, I felt something akin to humanity in my senior. And, though I didn¡¯t know why, I found myself thinking that, oh, I¡¯ve only ever considered her on the axis of absolute evil until now, without a drop of blood or tears to her. The thought washed an inexplicable feeling of embarrassment over me and I hung my head. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s stop being so mental. It¡¯s really hard on me, too.¡± In the end, Gloria was also an eighteen-year-old female student with the same red blood flowing in her veins, and above all, she hadn¡¯t done anything yet. Though, of course, the entire premise would change the moment she actually did commit evil. Even now, there were several differences from what had happened in the book. One of those differences would be me and the other would be Gloria. Gloria had joined our club. And even worse, it felt like she had more interest in me than both Noah and Flora. Though it did also look like she was trying to clear her obstacles one by one. Hmm¡­ And maybe Noah had changed a little, too? Since all of a sudden, he was beginning to show interest in me. Though it wouldn¡¯t last long, of course. Now, I didn¡¯t even know if that thing called the Book of Prophecy was really the unconditional truth. Even if it might be true when it came to the big picture and the two seniors¡¯ stories, the other smaller details looked like they were subject to change. Gah, I really didn¡¯t know. Why did I have to think about such headache-inducing worries anyways? ¡°Ugh.¡± I massaged my stiff neck. That¡¯s right, let¡¯s not overdo things and just stay still. Since things have turned out this way, let¡¯s just study and work even harder so that at least the tuition fee won¡¯t be wasted. *** Once I decided not to do anything, I felt so much more at ease. I slept well, too. Yeah, considering just how hard things had been until now. If you think about it, it wasn¡¯t like I would have any reason to go crazy and start tormenting others anytime soon, so maybe it would¡¯ve been better if I hadn¡¯t known a single thing about that Book of Prophecy. Then I could¡¯ve quietly given up on my feelings while swallowing down tears, even if that would make me a little sad. Thinking about such various things, I was in the middle of passing through the hallway like usual when¡­ ¡°Hi.¡± Like an unbelievable coincidence, I came right across Noah. His neatly pressed tie and silver hair tied up in one ponytail were beautiful enough to draw my attention as usual. I smiled softly at Noah¡¯s greeting. ¡°Hello.¡± It was also around at this point that I decided to stop avoiding Noah, too. I just wanted to get along well with him like before. After all, I didn¡¯t have to cut ties with him just because he had a lover. Though I would have to be prepared for a bit of bitterness, of course. Even after the contents of the books came true, couldn¡¯t I at least remain as an acquaintance? Well, when the two of them began dating, I could stand on the side, applauding them. Noah, who¡¯d been hemming and hawing for a while, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes, go on ahead.¡± Squeezing the book in my two hands, I made the most encouraging face I could manage. His well-shaped, well-positioned lips opened and closed two or so times before he finally struggled to speak. ¡°Is Gloria harassing you by any chance?¡± ¡°¡­ What? No.¡± Blinking my eyes blankly, I slowly shook my head. Technically, she hadn¡¯t done anything yet. Chapter 25.2 She patted me on my head and told me I was adorable, and escorted me to class¡­ Putting it all together like this, it kind of sounds pretty sweet, didn¡¯t it? Although I knew that it was a horror story waiting to happen. ¡°She told me I was c-cute, too,¡± when I stuttered out my answer, Noah muttered as if he was responding. ¡°So the nutcase still has good eyes.¡± ¡°The, huh?¡± The nutca-, huh? I was appalled by what Noah had just said. Who are you and what have you done with Noah? Surely Noah was the definition of gentle who never spoke a single syllable of a swear word in his life. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Noah smiled at me generously as if nothing had happened. ¡°Be careful, she has a weird personality.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Noah¡¯s next words were a little more understandable. After slowly nodding my head, I lifted my head in one quick motion. ¡°Is that all?¡± At my question, Noah chewed on his lips a couple of times in an adorable fashion before he continued, ¡°And it¡¯s true that you are cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡± According to the insights of Gloria, the nutcase with good eyes, and Noah, I was cute. What was with these people? Wrinkling my nose, I scratched my wrist. Noah still made my heart flutter, but at the same time, I was just a little taken aback. Awkwardly fiddling with my hair, I turned over the thought in my head Cute¡­ well, I suppose you could say that, yes. Gloria had told me I was cute before, too, so. Reaching an understanding by myself, I looked up at Noah¡¯s face. Though I just wanted to stare at him, that was rude, so I appreciated him while breaking eye contact from time to time. Suddenly, I wondered what it might be like if the book was actually a story of regret and Noah turned out to be a giant unforgivable b*stard. Then I wouldn¡¯t have liked him from the start and it would¡¯ve been easy for me to stop liking him, too. But though he was such a quiet guy and you could never know what he was thinking, apart from that, Noah was such a good person that it was rare for him to be an asshole. And because he was so good at saying things that made your heart flutter, that was why my heart was pounding away like this, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°I always feel like this, but you¡¯re really good with words, Noah.¡± So much so that it makes my heart pound. Swallowing down those last words, I slid my eyes away as I finished my words in a small voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± Though there had been a slight passive aggressiveness to my words, Noah only smiled happily. The way his golden eyes folded into half-moons was so pure and so pretty, that I decided to say that I¡¯d only meant it as a compliment. Yes, well, as long as Noah was happy. ¡°Um, then I¡¯ll be going.¡± Smacking my lips together, I did my best to smile, then began walking onwards, rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°I actually just wanted to talk to you.¡± As I turned around, the moment I heard Noah¡¯s voice behind me, I tripped over my own foot and swayed. I reached out towards the wall just as I was about to fall, but for some reason, I felt like I was floating. ¡°Uh¡­¡± A large hand was wrapped around me, supporting my back. W-What do I do? My waist better not have gotten thicker, has it? Inhaling sharply, I struggled to regain my balance as quickly as possible. ¡°T-Thank, I mean, no¡­.¡± Even after Noah had let go, I couldn¡¯t help but squirm, the touch I¡¯d felt through the fabric still vivid. Noah must have been just as surprised as I was, seeing how he was hiding the hand he¡¯d held me with behind his back and making a flustered expression. I guess that was a given, if he¡¯d seen someone just about to trip. ¡°¡­ Sorry for surprising you.¡± And here was my senior, apologizing to me once more. How will you live in this harsh world while being so kind? ¡°I-I¡¯m going to go now.¡± I stepped backward before whirling around and running away at a quick pace. Thanks to my hand on the pillar, this time I didn¡¯t stumble. I¡¯m embarrassed to death. Only after I¡¯d walked far enough so that Noah wouldn¡¯t be able to see me did I bury my face in my hands. Both my cheeks were hot and red. What was that? No, really, what was that? How could someone be that handsome and that pretty? ¡­ Didn¡¯t my heart flutter just now? ¡®Cause I liked the fact that it did, if I was being honest. Scratching my nose, I thought hard. All right then, let¡¯s just enjoy that. I think I just won the lottery. After clenching my fists and frowning for a moment, this was the conclusion I made: It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d particularly done anything that could be misunderstood, he just did that of his own volition. Though it was a bit disgraceful of him to be doing that after rejecting me, but yeah, it won¡¯t last long, so let¡¯s enjoy it for now¡­. ¡°Well.¡± The chaos that had been thrown into my heart was quickly replaced by composure. Yep, that was right. That was enough. Suddenly, it felt like everything had clicked back into place. It seemed I¡¯d been thinking too hard about things when all I had to do was not overstep my boundaries because of some petty reason like jealousy. I¡¯d already resolved not to do anything, anyways. Look at me, feeling excited and then calming myself down and making all this fuss all by myself. Was love like this, usually? At the thought that I was pretty pathetic, I hurried away. Chapter 26.1 Hair the color of a baby chick fluttered in the breeze behind a petite figure as it ran in haste. You simply could not take your eyes off those staggering movements. And even if it wasn¡¯t for that, too, it was a pity that she left without looking back even once. Until she completely disappeared from sight, Noah Yurielle held her in his eyes for a very long time. ¡°Hey, look who I found.¡± At the familiar yet unpleasant voice, Noah Yurielle sighed and looked behind him. ¡°What are you standing around here for, hm, Noah Yurielle?¡± Gloria was still in comfortable clothes, perhaps because she¡¯d just finished her swordsmanship class, drying off her sweat-soaked hair. Her pretense of friendliness as she approached made Noah Yurielle frown ever so slightly. That always-smiling expression of hers gave him goosebumps, like always. ¡°Hmm.¡± Her pleasantly smiling blue eyes lifted toward the end of the hallway. Cackling, Gloria tilted her head in surprise. ¡°So you were acting all pitiful looking at that kid?¡± Noah Yurielle frowned and tensed his shoulders away from Gloria before they touched. ¡°You stink of sweat, move.¡± She didn¡¯t even pretend to have heard him, chuckling as she nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see. One look and I can tell what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Here, let me give you a piece of advice.¡± Noah Yurielle tried not to listen to Gloria. Most of what she spit out of her mouth was bound to be nonsense, so it wasn¡¯t like that was hard to do. ¡°If you have anything in your heart, then don¡¯t hesitate, you moron.¡± Slinging her arm around Noah Yurielle¡¯s shoulders, Gloria tilted up the corners of her mouth, grinning. Her blue eyes flashed. ¡°Or else, who knows if someone might steal your chance?¡± *** I decided to think of Noah¡¯s unfathomable flirting the same as having read a romance novel. Okay, but if I really thought about it, I couldn¡¯t help but be a bit outraged and angry. Though it was a bit of a fudged-up confession, he had already rejected me anyhow¡ªand then now here he was suddenly messing with me and my feelings¡­? And he even had a woman he¡¯d end up with, though that hadn¡¯t happened yet. No, seriously, wasn¡¯t he horrible? But at the same time, it wasn¡¯t like I could grab him by the collar and yell at him for being too kind to me. Fuming on the inside, I walked down the hallway. I was just about to head to the store to buy something sweet to eat for the sake of my now somewhat disgruntled state of emotions. That was when I met Arkhan as I was heading down the stairs. ¡°Kate.¡± ¡°Oh hey, haven¡¯t seen you around in a long time.¡± Sliding my eyes off him, I gave him a greeting, but Arkhan spoke first. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to see me? I¡¯m hurt, really.¡± Huh, if I thought about it, this was the first time I¡¯d seen him since we returned to school. Thinking oops to myself, I scratched the back of my head as I made excuses. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy.¡± ¡°You forgot me because you were busy?¡± Arkhan furrowed his eyebrows, silently telling me that that was a little too much. Normally, I would have frowned in disgust and asked what was up with him, but this time I felt apologetic because it was really something someone could get hurt about. ¡°Oh, I know, I was just about to go to the store. Let¡¯s go together.¡± I¡¯ll buy you a snack. Pulling Arkhan by the arm, we headed to the store. I told him to choose anything he wanted and Arkhan swept snacks into the basket with a practiced hand. Thanks to the fast-approaching exams and the stress from Noah, I also chose several snacks to eat and then paid for them. ¡°Hah.¡± With a sigh, I vehemently ripped open the packaged chocolate. ¡°Is something up?¡± Sitting on the bench and happily chewing on snacks, Arkhan blinked his red eyes. Come to think of it, this guy was also male¡ªwouldn¡¯t he know their psychology better than I do? Scrunching my eyebrows for a moment, I finally opened my mouth. ¡°So this is about someone I know.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°This person I know had a crush, so she confessed to him. And then she was rejected, okay? But apparently, that person who rejected her just keeps¡­ coming up to her, a little too much,¡± chewing and swallowing the chocolate wildly, I continued to say. The bittersweet flavor moved down my throat. ¡°What does that mean, you think¡­?¡± Wait, why was there no response? I¡¯d been talking for a while, but he was being strangely quiet, so I looked to my side, only to find that Arkhan was holding his laughter back while chewing a chip in his mouth. ¡°Kate, you were rejected, huh?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°By that person, the Marquis Yurielle?¡± I glared at Arkhan with all my strength. ¡°Keke¡­ pfft.¡± ¡°You happy?¡± It appears someone likes this a whole lot. When I asked him coldly, Arkhan cleared his throat and began to flatter me instead. ¡°That person must not have eyes, rejecting you like that.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not true. Do you know how pretty his eyes are?¡± I grumbled, recalling those honey-colored eyes of Noah. I was well-aware of how beautiful those colors became behind his glasses and how dazzling they shone when they received light. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m bothering you, aren¡¯t I?¡± After thinking for a while with a dazed expression, I licked my lips and muttered to myself, What did he do to deserve being caught in broad daylight and made to be a dating counselor in return for some snacks? ¡°Nope.¡± Arkhan smiled kindly at me. ¡°First, let me tell you what I think.¡± Biting off a piece of the chocolate I¡¯d been eating, he licked his lips with his tongue. ¡°I think he¡¯s a bad guy.¡± Only then did I realize that Arkhan didn¡¯t even like Noah and therefore whatever he said would lack objectivity. Chapter 26.2 ¡°I think it¡¯s only right to give someone room after rejecting them.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± But what Arkhan was saying also seemed right, so I slowly nodded with a blank face. And then I saw Noah standing in front of a nearby pillar and my eyes widened. Not having looked that way, Arkhan was continuing to chatter on, ¡°How hard of a time would that other person be having? That¡¯s such a selfish and thoughtless thing to do.¡± Hey, shut your mouth. Though a few of those words were indeed true. Paling, I covered Arkhan¡¯s mouth with my hand. In a single moment, Noah had become a selfish and thoughtless person. I had no idea when he¡¯d begun eavesdropping on our conversation but chills were running up and down my spine. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± When Noah began coming our way after seeing me, Arkhan grinned and whispered in my ear, ¡°So it really is about this guy? What you told me right now, Kate*?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± If you¡¯re going to say it to my ear, then whisper. Rubbing my itchy ear, I avoided Arkhan¡¯s eyes. Hearing Arkhan call me Kate*, Noah raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Younger brother?¡± *T/N: Since we don¡¯t use the Korean suffixes in our translation (-unnie, -oppa, -sunbae, -noona, etc.), here Noah has heard Arkhan calling Kate noona, which is what a younger boy would call girls older than him, including (and especially) to his own sisters. This is why Noah asks if they¡¯re related. Arkhan¡¯s face crumbled in an instant and I pressed down on his head forcefully as I answered rather modestly. ¡°I¡¯m an only child.¡± At the same time, I placed my share of snacks in Arkhan¡¯s arms and mouthed at him to leave. ¡°Kate*?¡± Stay still, you child. I¡¯m trying to save you here. ¡°I¡¯ll go visit you next time, for sure. I know which class you¡¯re in. The bell¡¯s about to ring, so go.¡± With that urgent whisper, I pushed Arkhan on his back, and only then did Arkhan do as I say obediently despite the dissatisfied expression on his face. Surprisingly, he even lowered his head to bow to Noah. ¡°Hello. It seems I see you around often, senior.¡± Facing away from him, I quickly tidied up my mussed-up hair and turned around again. ¡°Mm¡­¡± What a lackluster answer. What was up with that? Though I was a bit bewildered by Noah¡¯s somewhat lifeless response, I pretended to be composed. ¡°Though he goes a bit too far every now and then, he¡¯s not a bad kid.¡± ¡°I see.¡± At Noah¡¯s peaceful-as-ever response, I calmed my heart, relieved. It seemed he hadn¡¯t heard us as I¡¯d originally thought. While I was letting down my guard like that, Noah opened his tightly closed mouth. ¡°So if he¡¯s not your brother, who is he?¡± Oho, was that more important to him? I wasn¡¯t sure if I could say that was fortunate or not. I was standing there awkwardly fumbling with my fingers when Noah¡¯s face was suddenly way too close. His voice, flattened to a low tone and sexier that way, rang in my ears. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now, but maybe lovers?¡± His beautifully formed pink lips moved right in front of my eyes. At the dizzying sight, I shut my eyes tightly and gulped. Foul, that¡¯s completely a foul move. If you asked anyone with that face, they¡¯d even tell you nationally protected secrets. Oh, I almost didn¡¯t catch what he¡¯d just said. Soon, I spoke in a pathetic, trembling voice, my hands shaking like I had hand tremors. ¡°Um, your face¡­ if you could just, back away¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Contrary to my expectations, Noah retreated obediently. Only after the sound of his breath became distant was I able to crack open my eyes. Wow, frick, that was a little heart-pounding. Now I can breathe a little. Taking a deep breath that I¡¯d been holding, I placed a hand on my pounding chest and opened my mouth. ¡°He isn¡¯t my lover, no. Oh no, not a lover.¡± Lover, he says. We¡¯d known each other since the days we¡¯d been sucking on our own thumbs and grew up seeing all the things you didn¡¯t want to see about each other¡ªbeing lovers with that guy? It almost gave me goosebumps. ¡°He¡¯s just someone I¡¯ve known since I was young.¡± ¡°You must be close.¡± ¡°Well, yeah, I guess so,¡± with a rather uninspired face, I answered him. If anyone asks you if you¡¯re close to someone you¡¯re really close to, then you would end up giving a pretty offhand answer. I think just about everybody is guilty of doing that. For some reason, Noah looked a bit uncomfortable. ¡°I was just curious.¡± Turning his head to the side, Noah murmured, ¡°You didn¡¯t really need to answer. I didn¡¯t mean to be forceful.¡± Oh, is that so? So what? Noah sometimes said things that were hard to understand and it seemed to have gotten worse these days. Noah opened and closed his mouth a couple more times as if he was about to say something next, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. His silver eyelashes trembled as if to say he was having some kind of difficulty. What in the world went in that pretty head of his, I wondered. With narrowed eyes, I stared up at Noah. Noah rubbed the back of his neck and avoided my eyes while I was all but glaring at him by this point. And that was when the bell rang. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± In a low-spirited voice, Noah said goodbye to me and turned away. Now that I saw him, even his complexion seemed pale. Wait, did he have indigestion? Even after I said goodbye and turned around, I tilted my head. Why was he acting like that? He¡¯d been completely fine up until this morning. Oh no, if he was acting like that because he was jealous of how I was sticking close to Arkhan¡­ that would be great. ¡°Geez.¡± In the face of such a delusion, I suddenly felt that things were a bit unfair. Even before I¡¯d discovered that Book of Prophecy or whatever, I¡¯d been in love with Noah, you know. I scraped the soles of my shoes on the floor to quench my anger, and then suddenly realized that the bell was almost done ringing. Chapter 27.1 I sat there twirling my pen and chewing on my lips, even though up until just a moment ago, I¡¯d been studying decently enough. There was less than a month away until the exams, so this was getting to be a huge problem. ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± Just up until one page ago, we¡¯d been dealing with very basic information ¡ª so why did it suddenly become this difficult? I read and reread that page, flipping back and reading it again and again, but I still didn¡¯t understand. Oh, don¡¯t tell me I actually missed taking notes on something important. Well, now what? Chewing on my nails, I broke out in cold sweat. To be honest, until I entered the academy, I used to think I was a genius. I was the only magician from our fief. With a tutor that wasn¡¯t very strict, a father and other members of the household that poured their love onto me, I was once in the perfect environment to be arrogant. I thought that someone of my level would, quite naturally, attend the academy comfortably and easily. But the unexpected difficulty level of the first exam gave me a huge shock, and even though I passed, my scores didn¡¯t even come close to landing a scholarship. The tuition I was paying for here was my dad¡¯s money. Thinking about that, I had thought last semester would be the last semester I¡¯d be wasting my tuition fees, but¡­! Gaah, no wonder I thought everything was so hard. If I didn¡¯t know this part, I wouldn¡¯t be able to solve all the other application problems. Pulling at my hair, I despaired silently. If I had someone I knew sitting next to me, I would ask them to show me their notes, but I was currently alone in my dorm room and it was almost time to go to the club. In the end, I could only swallow back tears and close the book. Later, I¡¯ll ask them later. *** ¡°Hello¡­¡± Holding my unfinished homework in one hand, I stepped into the club room. As soon as she saw me, Gloria stood up from where she was sitting far away from Noah and sat back down right next to him. Shrugging that off, I sat next to her. For some reason both Gloria and Noah were quiet, so I found the part I¡¯d been reading earlier and spread out the book in front of me. I was getting into the thick of it when I heard a rustle and I lifted my head. A caramel lay in front of me. Was this for me? I glanced at Gloria to gauge her expression. Seeing how she¡¯d placed the candy right in front of me, it did seem like it was meant for me. Did I look like someone you¡¯d enjoy giving sweets to? Oh, whatever. As they say, whoever gives you food is undoubtedly a good person. I popped the caramel into my mouth. This was an act based on the belief that as long as you weren¡¯t beyond crazy, the chances of getting poisoned at the academy were close to zero. ¡°¡­!¡± It was good. According to its wrapper, its brand was a name I¡¯d never heard of before. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind and buy it again later. Instead of throwing the wrapper away, I put it in the pocket of my school uniform and pinned my eyes on the textbook again. I¡¯d returned to chewing on my lips here and there and trying to understand what I was reading when, this time, Noah spoke to me first. ¡°Is there anything you find difficult?¡± ¡°Oh, this theory¡­. This part is a little confusing.¡± ¡°Would you like me to explain it to you?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Brightening, I raised my head. That had been something I¡¯d been hoping for, actually. According to what I knew, Noah had rarely missed getting first place every year, so it was certain that he¡¯d be very knowledgeable about this theory that was giving me such a hard time. The schoolwide valedictorian¡¯s pointed tutoring would be a great help in my time of need. Noah nodded easily and spoke. ¡°That is if you don¡¯t mind staying a little longer after we¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Oh, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± When I nodded back to him just as easily, Gloria¡¯s eyes slid to one side as she leaned her chin on one hand and she murmured quietly. It was a small sound, but I heard her clearly. ¡°And who¡¯re you to¡­¡± I thought I felt every drop of blood in my body go cold. Spotlights whirled in front of my eyes. She gave me a caramel just a moment ago, so why was she acting so hot and cold like this? Glancing at Noah, who hadn¡¯t moved a muscle as if he hadn¡¯t heard a thing, I gulped silently. Did he really not hear it, I wondered, or was he pretending not to? But thinking that Noah wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d pretend not to see his underclassman in trouble, I was relieved. Yes, that was how it was. Exactly like that. ¡°Can I come along too?¡± Gloria raised her hand, smiling kindly as if she hadn¡¯t just said that. Reluctantly, I had to nod. Anyways, that meant I didn¡¯t need to pore over this book anymore, so I put it down. My previously-heavy heart was at peace instantly. ¡°You¡¯re all here already?¡± said Flora as she opened the classroom door looking surprised. ¡°Uh-uh, is it really all right for the president to be this late?¡± Gloria said loudly, looking playful. Flora, who¡¯d been saying bye to her lover, smiled sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t it you guys who are arriving way too early?¡± I chanced a glimpse of the male student through the window, who gently squeezed Flora¡¯s hand one last time before he left. They looked good together. It wasn¡¯t like I knew Flora really well, but it hadn¡¯t come to my attention that she and her boyfriend were all that close to begin with. But seeing how they were always together, it was obvious that they were. But if things went according to the Book of Prophecy, then Flora and that student would break up. It probably won¡¯t end well, either. Would Flora be okay? For now, at least, they were so in love with each other. For the first time, I found myself thinking: I guess things aren¡¯t always so great just because you¡¯re the female lead. My envy toward Flora disappeared a little bit. *** Chapter 27.2 ¡°If you still don¡¯t get it, then let me know. I should have the notes I took last year in my room.¡± I looked down at my notebook as if I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. The theory, which I¡¯d been having such a hard time with, was now perfectly organized. ¡°No, I¡¯ve understood completely. I think I can solve the problems now, too.¡± Noah, I think it would be good if you seriously considered a career in education. If he used his face, he¡¯d be able to collect a lot of students, to boot. ¡°I think I can do really well on the exam.¡± Waving away my frivolous imagination, I admired the neater-than-ever handwriting in my notebook. ¡°It¡¯s not bad studying together like this,¡± murmured Noah in a small voice as he fiddled with the tip of his pen. ¡°Oh¡­ right. Since it¡¯s also time for exams.¡± Feeling a bit strange, I nodded. Did he want to keep studying like this in the future, by any chance? ¡°If it¡¯s all right with you, want to continue studying together?¡± So he must like hanging out with me. ¡°If Gloria comes with us¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to join in, too.¡± When I cautiously added the condition, Gloria nodded violently in response, even though she¡¯d been doing something else completely with her opened book. ¡°Would Flora refuse since she¡¯s got her boyfriend?¡± Contrary to Gloria¡¯s expectations, however, Flora also said yes as if it was a given also. ¡°No? I want to join too. Who said you guys can leave out your president like that?¡± And just like that, a study group was formed. With the exam period in mind, we finished club activities earlier than usual, then stayed in the club room to study. I was a little confused as to how things had become like this, but things turned out well in the end. The rest of the club members were upperclassmen who¡¯d already gone through what I was studying now, and if anything, they would have done better than me rather than worse. At times, when I came across something I didn¡¯t know and asked, Noah explained it to me carefully. I felt very bad for enjoying all these perks without offering anything of mine, but Noah said it was fine with a nonchalant expression, saying that he had time to spare. And as sitting among my three upperclassmen made me tense, I was also able to concentrate very well as a result. The scope of the exams this time was particularly wide, so the classroom felt quieter. I slept less at night to immerse myself in my studies and in my room, I was muttering formulas under my breath. Dora was afraid of me because of that, saying I looked like I was demon-possessed or something. I had so many all-nighters that my nose bled a couple of times, too. Thanks to my nose bleeding when I had momentarily dozed off, Dora who happened to wake up at dawn freaked out when she saw the blood and tripped over her own feet. ¡°Aaack!¡± Thanks to that, I also woke up. I calmly shoved a piece of cloth up my nose and grabbed my pen again while Dora put her hand to her heart and moaned, ¡°The way you¡¯re just sitting there and bleeding is super scary, okay? Please go to sleep now.¡± ¡°You sleep first.¡± At the sound of Dora¡¯s crying, I wiped the area around my nose and then gently pressed down on my nostrils. It needed to stop bleeding soon so that I could solve the next problem. Though I did fall asleep not far after that day, perhaps because I¡¯d studied harder than I ever had before, come exam day I was able to write down my answers without a single hesitation. Don¡¯t tell me ¡ª aren¡¯t I going to get a perfect score? Grinning thoughtlessly on the inside, I continued scribbling. My premonitions for the exams this time around felt real good. *** ¡°We¡¯re done!!¡± Dora gathered supplementary worksheets she¡¯d taken notes on and tore them, then threw them into the air. She¡¯d been doing that for a couple of days now. They said they¡¯d posted the grades in the hallway, so we were about to go see them together, but it seemed that the fact that the exams were over was more important to her than what her actual grades were. ¡°Don¡¯t they only post up the top ten? I won¡¯t be on there anyways.¡± I see. Unlike Dora, I secretly had high expectations, so when no one was looking, I snuck out to the halls. As expected, students were gathered around one part of the hallways. Tip-toeing, I looked up past the crowd of students. Straining my neck, I began scouring through the huge piece of paper, when I stopped and my jaw dropped open. Next to the number four, so very clearly, was my name. ¡°¡­ Fourth place?¡± I murmured the word, faintly, then I grabbed whoever was next to me to shout it again. ¡°I¡¯m in fourth place!¡± ¡°Oooh? Congrats.¡± The girl I was holding on to was someone I¡¯d never seen in my life, but she congratulated me so readily despite her confusion. Thank you for that. Among all those higher-ranking aristocrats who¡¯d learned all kinds of things from the very best tutors from the day they could walk, I wasn¡¯t aiming for valedictorian. Getting fourth place wasn¡¯t a small task. The highest rank I¡¯d gotten was sixth place when I was in first grade, and now I¡¯d risen two places. On my way back to my dorm room, I did a silly little dance while grinning from ear to ear. I felt like I could laugh off just about anything right then. ¡°You¡¯re back! So, was your name there?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°What place?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Speak properly.¡± Dora gave me an exasperated look from where she was reading on her bed. I shyly held up four fingers. ¡°Fourth place? For real?!¡± Wide-eyed, Dora put her book down and covered her mouth. ¡°It seems your bloodshed was worth it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rubbing my nose for no reason, I nodded. ¡°Then did you get number 11, right? The professor went completely all-out on that one.¡± Nodding again, I giggled bashfully. ¡°That¡¯s great. This weekend, let¡¯s go downtown to celebrate with Echo and Mallory.¡± ¡°Sure, and I¡¯ll treat you guys to a meal since I feel so happy.¡± Rolling around on my bed, I gave her a thumbs up. Chapter 28.1 It was almost time for the book club, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling. I covered my silly grin with my hand and opened the door to the club room. Since I¡¯d left early because I was so excited, there was no one in the classroom just yet. Oh right, I should call my dad. Sitting down and with a bright face, I pulled out the communication device I¡¯d gotten as a birthday present this summer. When I touched the surface of the round marble, I heard the call ring a couple of times before I soon saw my dad¡¯s face. I hadn¡¯t had the chance to contact him ever since I got back to school since it was the exams period, which was perhaps why he had an even more welcoming look on his face when the call went through. ¨C Kate, exams must be over, huh? Great work. ¡°Dad, Dad, we got our grades back and I finished in fourth place.¡± Waving my hand, I grinned widely at him. His two eyes widened and the pen in his hand clattered to the floor. Soon, a loud noise could be heard from the communication device. ¨C Is that true? Goodness gracious, my daughter¡¯s amazing! ¡°Aw shucks¡­¡± ¨C Hey, Kate said she got fourth place! Yeah, she really did! Haha! Going as far as to shout outside his office, my dad burst into laughter again and again. It turned out that he was really overjoyed that I was doing so well. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m actually supposed to be attending a book club meeting soon, all right? I think we need to hang up now. I¡¯ll call you back later.¡± Making a face of regret at my words, Dad puckered his lips. ¨C A peck before you leave. ¡°My gosh¡­ What peck now?¡± I wavered for a while before I finally wiped the surface of the device with my sleeve and brought it to my lips. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± And just as I was about to shut the communication device off, my eyes went to Noah, who I discovered was standing stock still at the door. Roll. At the same time I hung up, the device rolled right out of my hands and onto the floor. An uncomfortable silence ensued for a moment. Picking up the device, I hastily explained should Noah misunderstand. ¡°That was my dad.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh?¡± Noah calmly nodded. Then, pulling out the chair next to me, he sat down and stared right into my eyes. ¡°Did you do well on the exam?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to your tutoring, my grades improved tremendously,¡± I answered, smiling gratefully. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°So-so.¡± Wow, nothing different there. Always so modest. Rubbing my shoulder in a random sense of awkwardness, I said, ¡°But it¡¯s still nice that the exams are over.¡± ¡°I wonder ¡ª I think I¡¯m a little sad.¡± He was sad because exams were over¡­? Was he going bonkers? Muttering to myself in my head at Noah¡¯s incomprehensible answer, I put the device I¡¯d been fiddling with back into my pocket. Noah played with his fingers for a time before he opened his mouth. ¡°I liked how we stayed back together to study.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± Wow, okay, that was a bit heart-fluttering. Though I guess with that face, he could say just about anything and my heart would still flutter. Scratching my nose, I looked at the clock. ¡°Whew.¡± The door opened and Gloria and Flora entered. Unlike how she usually was, this time Flora was sighing with a sullen face, and Gloria, who was pounding at Flora¡¯s back, was asking her, ¡°You don¡¯t look very good. Was the exam that difficult?¡± ¡°Yeah, just a little.¡± Flora trailed off, looking depressed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been out playing so much these days? My grades fell a little this time.¡± True, I¡¯d seen her out often with her boyfriend even during the exam period. But Flora, who quickly flipped over her expression, gave me a greeting and asked, ¡°How about you, Kate? Did you do well?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. The exams for us second-years were a little easier this time around.¡± Bragging in front of someone whose grades had fallen was a little too much, after all. At my answer, Flora smiled softly but listlessly. ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well enough. You¡¯ll do better next time,¡± said Noah. ¡°Hmph, hearing that from Mr. Valedictorian doesn¡¯t make me happy at all.¡± When Noah¡¯s offer of consolation was met by Flora¡¯s admonition, he wisely closed his mouth. Just before Gloria sat down, she suddenly shot back up and looked between Noah and me in turns. She looked really, really unhappy with the fact that I was sitting next to Noah. Since it wasn¡¯t like we could move seats now, I slowly turned my head away so as not to make eye contact with her. *** For about an hour or so, Flora looked gloomy. Her explanations were done haltingly and she often stared into space. Looking at her depressed figure from the back, I suddenly remembered how she had given me candy last semester. After tapping her on the shoulder and drawing her attention, I held out a strawberry-flavored lollipop. ¡°Um, Flora. Have this.¡± With a strange expression, Flora took the candy from me not before she shed a soft chuckle. ¡°Thanks, Kate. Looks delicious.¡± ¡°Uh, there¡¯s, um, also this really tasty caramel. I don¡¯t have it now, but I¡¯m planning to go to town this weekend, so I¡¯ll buy it for you then. It tastes really good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s meant to cheer you up.¡± I finished with a small smile. ¡°Pfft.¡± Looking as if she¡¯d cheered up at least a little bit, Flora laughed as she patted my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, it looks like I¡¯ll be way too busy reviewing everything to even step out of the dorms this weekend. Please buy some for me.¡± Chapter 28.2 Unwrapping the lollipop, Flora popped it in her mouth, shaking her pink hair from her face. Saying goodbye to her, I was on my way back to the dorms, but for some reason my hands felt empty. I immediately stopped in my tracks. ¡°Ack! The book!¡± Goodness gracious, I¡¯d left that book behind. Ruffling up my hair, I turned around in a panic. My steps gradually grew faster and faster. The red hardcover book, the Book of Prophecy. It wasn¡¯t a book from the book club, so what was I thinking leaving that behind? Hitting myself on the forehead, I returned to the classroom in a hurry, only to find that Gloria was sitting with her legs crossed inside the room. That surprised me. What was she still doing here? Just as I was about to open the door, I stopped and stepped back. Taking a closer look, Gloria wasn¡¯t looking very happy. The moment I found myself wondering what was going on, I heard a loud sound. Bang. Gloria slammed her fist down on the table and swore, her platinum hair swaying with her movements. ¡°This rotten piece of shit!¡± Wincing, I hunched into myself. As I¡¯d thought, she was a scary person. Swallowing thickly, I looked inside and saw that my book, at least, was on the desk. ¡°That arrogant¡ªthe prick, smiling like that sticking right next to¡­¡± Gloria growled like an animal. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the existence of the book. ¡­ but that was me she was talking about, right? I¡¯m doomed. Closing my eyes, I rubbed my chest. Scary. I was scared to death. In this chilly mood, it felt like a snowstorm would come blowing through at any moment. ¡°I can¡¯t hand you over to that thing, that¡¯s for certain.¡± Wow, that was just like a standard line from a villainess in a novel. Licking my lips, I was trying to think of what to do when suddenly I realized all was silent right then. What the? Timidly, I peeked back into the classroom and almost screamed. Gloria was looking intently at the red hardcover book. ¡°¡­!¡± My heart dropped to my stomach but remembering that the contents could only be read by me, I was just barely able to calm myself down again. Since things didn¡¯t look all that great right now, I was pondering where I should hide until Gloria left when I heard a warm voice coming from inside the classroom. ¡°This¡­ This is the hardcover limited edition, isn¡¯t it!¡± With the book in her hands, Gloria¡¯s eyes were sparkling. ¡°¡­?¡± All the strength in my tense body poured out of me in a second. The book from the book club I was holding onto like it was my lifeline slid out of my hands from the sweat that had collected there. ¡°But what¡¯s this doing here?¡± Flipping through the book here and there, Gloria spoke to herself. Having managed just barely to grab the book before it fell on the floor, I leaned against the door to calm my pounding heart. But perhaps I had been leaning too hard, or maybe it was because I¡¯d forgotten the club room doors opened inwardly ¡ª with an ominous squeak, the door slid open. ¡°¡­¡± Doomed! I¡¯m doomed! I¡¯m doomed! Sticking onto the door, I was now turned toward Gloria, crying on the inside with a tearful expression on my face. ¡°You¡­?¡± Ahh, I don¡¯t know anymore. Now that things have come to this, I should just come clean and ask. Gloria looked bewildered as if she had been surprised by the sound. I opened my mouth and stuttered, ¡°Um, by any chance, can you¡­ see that? Actually, that, um, that¡¯s a¡­ a book.¡± ¡°Oh, is it yours?¡± Forgetting to even say hello, I closed the distance between Gloria and I with big steps. ¡°¡­ Can you see what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°¡­ You too?¡± Her sea-blue eyes gleamed as she looked back at me. ¡°You¡­! Don¡¯t tell me, you know too!¡± Tossing the book in her hand, Gloria screamed and took my hands. Her eyes shined with joy. ¡°¡­!¡± Oh my goodness, there were people who could read that besides me. Then did that mean Gloria had also been chosen by the goddess? Or were there several copies of the same prophecy? I was completely dumbstruck but feeling myself get a little choked up, I put strength into my hands as well. ¡°¡­ I thought I was the only one who knew.¡± ¡°Me too, I thought I was the only one who knew.¡± With a fonder-than-ever expression on her face, Gloria brought me into a hug. Her deep blue eyes sparkled, unable to hide her excitement. ¡°That we¡¯re living inside a novel.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­. Huh?¡± I blinked and gave her a bewildered look once I heard such random words come out of her bright red lips. What did she say just now¡­? ¡°Hey.¡± Before I could even do anything about my expression, Gloria took her hands off my shoulders and whispered into my ear. I was still baffled, but I paid close attention to what she was about to say. ¡°Are you also a reincarnator, then?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Despite my focus, the words that came out of Gloria¡¯s mouth still sounded like complete incomprehensible nonsense to me. No really, what are you even saying? I felt the corners of my lips waver before my tearful expression broke through once more. Chapter 29.1 When I stood there, speechless, Gloria blinked at me and asked again, ¡°If it¡¯s not reincarnation, then is it¡­ possession?¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you come from another world like me?¡± It was here that I needed to make a choice. Would I choose to continue listening to Gloria, or treat everything she had said up until now as complete nonsense, heft her up, and carry her to the infirmary? Common sense dictated the latter, of course, but I was also curious despite myself. What was reincarnation and what did she mean by another world? And what was that she was saying that we were inside a novel? ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not like one of those,¡± I answered Gloria, who was blinking at me, waiting for an answer. ¡°I¡¯ve been Kaitlyn Blair from the start. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but¡­¡± Mumbling through my words, I abruptly lifted up my head. ¡°But what did you mean by all of that?¡± ¡°Oh, so that was¡­¡± Her mouth parted slightly in understanding, then she rubbed her face with both hands as she muttered, ¡°All right, okay, I got it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wow, this is really embarrassing.¡± So she knew that. I was standing stiffly next to the table feeling out of place when Gloria pulled out a chair and said, ¡°For now, would you like to sit down? It feels like it¡¯s going to take a long time to explain, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Nodding, I sat down timidly on the chair. Sitting next to me, Gloria cast a look around then whispered secretly into my ear, ¡°The truth is, I used to live in another world, but after I was stabbed to death, I opened my eyes to discover that I¡¯d become the villain from the novel I¡¯d read in my previous life.¡± Listening to all this quietly, I furrowed my brows slightly. When it came to my superiors and especially to my upperclassmen, I never really went this far, but she¡­ she kind of sounded like a nutcase. Ack, maybe this was a new bullying technique. Was she planning on going through with this until she finally made me say she was crazy, then throw me into jail for blasphemy? Such were the absurd thoughts in my head, but for that to be true, Gloria¡¯s expression was much too serious. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that this is your second life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When my face stiffened, Gloria opened her palms and waved them around as if to tell me to hold up there. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that Gloria.¡± Wait, what? I felt a shiver run straight up my spine. ¡°Th-Then who are you?! Get out of that body!¡± Snatching up the book with trembling hands, I wielded it against Gloria like a weapon. Since the Book of Prophecy was a holy object if nothing else, I was half-expecting it to have some kind of power, but seeing how nothing happened, my expectations must have been too high. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m Gloria, but I¡¯m not that Gloria. I¡¯m saying I reincarnated as the Gloria in the novel!¡± ¡°H-How do I know that you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± ¡°I know what¡¯s written in that book you read.¡± As I lowered my arms in hesitation, Gloria continued speaking confidently. ¡°That¡¯s a romance novel, isn¡¯t it? Noah Yurielle as the male lead, Flora as the female lead, and you and me as the villainesses.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m neither the devil nor an evil spirit. So relax your defenses and sit down.¡± I pulled in my chair begrudgingly. ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, then just say so. I know exactly when and where those two are going to kiss, too.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s enough.¡± When I shook my head with a red face, Gloria laughed boisterously. Biting my lips, my eyes darted left and right. For now, I decided to trust what she was saying, seeing how she had known things from the book that only I could see. Though of course, it was hard to believe in her reincarnation rant and whatnot. ¡°Wait, then how do you know the existence of the original?¡± Tapping on the surface of the desk with her long fingers, Gloria threw me this question out of the blue. ¡°The original¡­? Oh, I picked up this book, but nobody else could see what was inside it except for me. Even though it looks like an ordinary book that doesn¡¯t have any magic on it on the surface.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Gloria opened the book I handed to her, then closed it again matter-of-factly. ¡°I can¡¯t see it either.¡± ¡°Yes, which is why I thought it was a book of prophecy, and so¡­. Wait, if you can¡¯t see it, then how did you know?¡± ¡°Prophecy? Oh, it¡¯s because I read that book several times in my past life. I can tell it apart just by looking at its cover.¡± Answering me calmly, Gloria plopped her chin on her hand and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not a weird person, so you don¡¯t have to be that tense. If you keep looking at me like that, I¡¯m going to feel a little sad.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± When I relaxed my tense shoulders and stiff expression, Gloria stroked my head saying I¡¯d done well, then stared at me for a long time. The serious expression on her face made me nervous for nothing. ¡°But by the way, do you¡­ like Noah Yurielle?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Flushing, I gave her a minuscule nod. ¡°I¡­ like him. Though I know he¡¯s way out of my league.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really adorable,¡± said Gloria as she squished my cheeks. Wah, what in the world? ¡°Then, hm, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to act as a wing-girl to Flora and Noah Yurielle, or¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that nice,¡± I mumbled, lowering my eyes aloofly. Though it wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t ever thought of that. ¡°Mmhmm, good. Let¡¯s not get caught up in clich¨¦s. It¡¯s been a long time since the original plot has gone off track.¡± Gloria murmured more incomprehensible things, then scratched her head. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 29.2 I sat there in silence for a while before a sudden thought occurred to me. I raised my head. ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t you¡­ like Noah too? Didn¡¯t the book say that you liked him also?¡± ¡°Ugh, why would I like that prick for?¡± Looking disgusted, Gloria scrunched up her face. At the sight of her honestly grossed-out expression, my face also became distorted. Huh, then why? ¡°But last time you told me, like¡­ how we don¡¯t look suit each other,¡± I stammered. Fluttering her long eyelashes, Gloria replied as if what she was saying next was a given matter, ¡°That? Well, that¡¯s obviously because I think you¡¯re too good for the likes of him.¡± My face froze just like that. Has this senior gone mad? In what way did those words make any sense? I resisted the urge to grab my head in all this confusion and settled for ruminating on the inside, but Gloria gave me a dewy, gentle gaze and licked her lips. ¡°Hey, I really like you, you know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What was with this confession out of nowhere?! My already-distorted face crumpled even more. ¡°Yes, it really was¡­ a lonely fangirling life.¡± With quite a wistful expression, Gloria sighed in regret and massaged the corners of her eyes. ¡°There weren¡¯t many descriptions of your appearance, nor any special goods, and not a single illustration¡­¡± I actually couldn¡¯t understand more than half of what she was saying, but I just let it be for what it was. Just as I was beginning to feel a deep skepticism for this entire conversation, Gloria opened her mouth again. ¡°You were my bias.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a bi¡­ as?¡± ¡°My favorite character.¡± What the¡­ Overwhelmed with bewilderment, I ended up nodding. Apparently, she¡¯d passed by both male and female leads and picked me. I, of course, felt good about that, but what in the world? From what I¡¯d read, I had clearly been a very cowardly and insignificant character. ¡°You might feel differently since it¡¯s your story, but I thought you were crazy adorable.¡± Cackling, Gloria raked back her platinum-blonde hair. I found her way of speaking to be odd, but it didn¡¯t bother me too much, so I slowly nodded and looked up at her. Only then was my impression of the face that had once looked so cold and terrifying changed completely. Instead of cold, when she smiled, she looked refreshed. Thinking that as I lowered my eyes, Gloria suddenly grabbed me by my shoulders to say, ¡°You should live the way you want, instead of being tied down.¡± I blinked at her in response to her randomness and she continued as if to answer me, ¡°You are way too good for such a b*st*rd like Noah Yurielle. He¡¯ll end up hurting you by the conclusion of the novel. You know it too, don¡¯t you? That scene.¡± That scene. How could I ever forget that? I¡¯d teared up every time my eyes fell on that passage. It had been so painful because just by looking at those letters, I could practically see and hear Noah¡¯s cold voice and eyes. Chewing on my lips, I lifted my head slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of that trash called Noah Yurielle and live a happy life, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± But somehow her argument felt like it was veering off course. ¡°Just thinking about how he behaved in the original novel makes me gnash my teeth. I almost wrote a protest email to the writer, you know. You are worth, so, so much more than that.¡± After hearing Gloria out, I quietly opened my mouth. ¡°Um, I know this might be a little rude¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re speaking as if my feelings for Noah equate to getting unfair treatment, so¡­¡± I gently pulled her hands away from my shoulders. ¡°I only like Noah and I don¡¯t have any desire for my feelings to be returned. I¡¯ve never thought I was tied down, either.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, all I have is feelings for Noah.¡± Even though I knew they were feelings I¡¯d need to give up one day. After inspecting her for a second, I finally brought out my main point. ¡°And¡­ I apologize for saying this in advance, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s up to you whether I like somebody or not.¡± To Gloria, who apparently had read that novel, I must feel like an acquaintance she¡¯d known for a long time, but in my point of view, she was just a stranger. And even if she didn¡¯t have any bad intentions, having someone like her ordering me around, especially when it came to my love life was a little¡­ yeah. Lifting my head up to meet Gloria¡¯s eyes, I swallowed. Eek. Her darkened blue eyes were narrowed as if she was thinking about something. Seconds passed like that until finally, Gloria opened her mouth, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I never thought about it that way. Sorry.¡± Seeing Gloria acknowledging her mistake so quickly, I was pretty amazed. I scratched my cheek. ¡®You dare argue back to what I¡¯d said? You¡¯re dead¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly the response I was expecting, but this was still quite a surprise in itself. As I never would have thought that a high-ranking marquise lady would admit and apologize for her mistake so easily, or that she would keep in mind my position, too, I was startled by her reaction. Of course, that¡­ reincarnation? Or whatever it was, meant that Gloria was now a different person from the Gloria in the book. ¡°Gah, looks like I acted too friendly too fast. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen anyone else who knows of the original¡¯s existence.¡± Looking embarrassed, Gloria fiddled with her loose tie. As if pulled into her words, I also opened my mouth. ¡°I was also wrong.¡± I remembered when I had first seen her, leaning on her carriage and wiping her sword. The fact that I was scared after making eye contact with her at the opening ceremony, or the thought that I blamed her for trying to separate me from Noah made me feel loads of guilt. At that time, I had only thought of her as a really evil and scary person, but hearing her side of the story made me realize that I was being an absolute fool. ¡°To be honest, I also thought you were a very bad¡­ a very scary person. Because that¡¯s how you came out in the book.¡± I was really not in the position to say anything to Gloria. I, too, had only read the book and scared myself, trembling so hard in terror every time I saw her that I was practically doing the moonwalk, so in her point of view it must also have been very unpleasant. ¡°Huh? No problem. I think it¡¯s very natural to think that way.¡± With a cheerful laugh, Gloria brushed back her blonde hair and grinned at me, holding out a hand. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re sharing a secret then. I can act like I know you from now on, right?¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Smiling brightly, I took her hand. Those blue eyes that had given me goosebumps at the mere sight of them now scared me no more. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 30.1 SIDE STORY ¨C Gloria Lupinus (1) (Trigger Warning: Detailed depiction of murder¡ªgo to *** to skip) How important was ice cream that I¡¯d left the house for it this late at night? Those were my thoughts as I shuddered at the feel of the rough hand covering my mouth. I was just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill college student, out to buy ice cream during the weekend. In other words, I had never done anything my entire life to be a cause for resentment from anyone. ¡°Urp¡­!¡± When I heard footsteps behind me while I was passing through a dark alleyway, I did feel a bit nervous. It had been a rather dark night, after all. So I was walking on while pointlessly fiddling with my phone when a man in a hood suddenly covered my mouth and overpowered me. I flailed around to throw him off, but the man had punched me hard in the stomach. A groan seeped through my firmly closed mouth at the stinging pain. It felt like my whole body had turned into stone¡ªI couldn¡¯t move a single finger. While I was groaning in pain, I suddenly remembered the news I¡¯d seen on TV about the indiscriminate murders. Never in my life had I ever thought that I might be a victim of something like this. Now that it was my reality, though, I couldn¡¯t even manage the commonest plea for mercy. ¡°¡­!¡± Cold iron pierced my stomach and ripped open my intestines. That was when I realized that if you were in too much pain, you couldn¡¯t even scream. Scary. Scared. I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m so scared. Nausea overcame me like I would vomit at any time and tears welled up in my tightly closed eyes. ¡°Hic¡­.¡± Collapsing onto the cold asphalt floor, I let out a breath that reeked of blood. I¡¯d thought that you would see your life flash through your eyes, or feel some kind of great remorse when it was your time to go, but all I could think of was that I wanted to live. Under the dim light of the street lamp, the blade flashed and the pain returned. It did not take long for blood to pool in my mouth. The smell of blood that lingered in my nose only got stronger and at the same time, my eyes gradually closed. In my blurring vision, I could see my cell phone on the floor with its shattered screen and a black plastic bag from the convenience store. That was probably how I died. *** The reason I spoke speculatively of what looked to be quite self-evident was because my consciousness returned not long after. I was lying in a very soft bed. Though I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, I could breathe easily and I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Thinking that I was in a very expensive hospital, I opened my eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± Wallpaper of a peculiar pattern, anachronistic furniture placed here and there, and a bed with a canopy. Now, it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d been to many hospitals, but I could be pretty certain that this medieval, European-style space was not a hospital room at the very least. As well as the fact that these tiny, chubby limbs and tiny body was not mine to start with, either. Having died by being stabbed to death by some b*st*rd in a dark alleyway, I was surprisingly enough inside a random baby¡¯s body. ¡°¡­ Waaah!¡± And so what I did was this: I cried. I cried a lot. I cried and screamed a tantrum until I exhausted myself. After all, that was the only thing I could do with this baby¡¯s body, which didn¡¯t have any proper teeth or proper hair. As a result, an entire horde of women in some kind of maid outfits ran up to me, waving circular toys that weren¡¯t even funny-looking and appearing anxious. Not caring about them, I continued to cry. WAAAAAAH. Just like that, I cried until I could taste blood in my throat, then fell asleep from my own exhaustion. I remembered how I¡¯d closed my puffy eyes, desperately wishing that this was all a dream. Come to think of it, all this had happened already eighteen years ago. *** Flora and Noah Schnoah were good friends. They dominated each other¡¯s entire childhoods and even after they grew up, that didn¡¯t change much. Friends. The first one to cross that implicit line between friends was Noah Yurielle. ¡°How about me, instead of that guy, Flora?¡± ¡°But Noah¡­ We¡¯re friends.¡± Friends. Shockingly enough, at that one word, a fire was lit in his ever-calm, golden eyes. ¡°Even if we do this? Are we still friends after we do this? Tell me, Flora.¡± ¡°I¡­. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing, urk!¡± Her wrist caught in his hand, Flora groaned painfully. ¡°That d*mn notion of friends ¨C friends. You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m thinking about right now, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Flora, the moment you bring up that blasted word again¡­¡± In a sticky gesture, Noah grazed his thumb on Flora¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ll block these pretty lips of yours myself.¡± #academy #r-18 #childhood friends #obsession *** ¡­ was what I was reincarnated in. Yeah, I know what you¡¯re about to say. Though it was a bit embarrassing, truth be told I was half-crazed about this novel. A romance-fantasy novel filled to the brim with clich¨¦s that told the story of two childhood friend protagonists who, after a couple of dramatic episodes, confirm each other¡¯s feelings and ¡®fall in love.¡¯ It did not take long for me to recognize that this world I¡¯d reincarnated into was inside that very novel. The mansion I was living in was the residence of Marquis Lupinus and I was his eldest daughter, Gloria. The problem with Gloria was that her over-the-top possessiveness toward the male lead made her harass the female lead so badly that, in the end, she played the role of the villain who¡¯d be forcibly removed by the pissed off male protagonist. Not that she died, though. I died and found out I was now the villain of the novel when I woke up. Huh. It was quite the clich¨¦ story and there were times when I¡¯d hoped to be reincarnated as a rich millionaire, but now that it was my story, I wasn¡¯t all that happy about it. Ah, but first of all, to have reincarnated. Reincarnation¡­ I mean, I¡¯m actually an atheist. At first, I couldn¡¯t accept the fact that I¡¯d died so futilely. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 30.2 SIDE STORY ¨C Gloria Lupinus (2) (Trigger Warning: Detailed depiction of murder¡ªgo to *** to skip) That was why I cried every single day and screamed my head off. My maids practically died because of my incessant wailing, though. Since I couldn¡¯t speak well until I was two years old and would vomit back out whatever I ate and cried whenever I did anything, apparently everyone thought I was a bit dull in the head. I could still remember vividly how the man I had to call my biological father was screaming at my mother for giving birth to something like me. Wasn¡¯t that a given, though? I¡¯d just been stabbed to death by a crazy murderer. And may the b*st*rd who killed me get caught for his heinous crimes. Well, after I turned three, I began learning things at a faster rate than anyone else, so my father, the Marquis, became relieved and canceled his divorce with my mother. Growing up, I deeply missed my original home. Of course, the house of Marquis Lupinus was one of the most prestigious families in the empire and Gloria was a tremendous beauty, so I¡¯d really been born in a privileged position, but there was one huge defect that was big enough to offset everything: the fact that this was an enormously effed up family. Actually, that was something I¡¯d felt the moment I opened my eyes inside this baby¡¯s body. A father with a wandering eye and a mother who was always depressed because of it. Thanks to my father¡¯s affairs, I had two half-brothers under me. When the mother of those two¡ªalso my father¡¯s concubine¡ªdied, my brothers were almost kicked out of the estate without a single penny to their name but horrified as I was of this world¡¯s values, I hounded my father and convinced my mother so that my half-brothers could be recognized as sons of the marquis. Children, after all, shouldn¡¯t have to suffer. My two younger brothers obeyed me very well and would sometimes look at me with envy in their eyes due to the attention our father gave me and every time they did, I would smile bitterly and pat them on their heads. To our father, he was merely ¡®investing¡¯ in me as the head of the household and there was not a single trace of love for his own flesh and blood to be found there. I still remembered how he¡¯d muttered in dissatisfaction on why I turned out to be a girl out of all things when I was a mere baby. The law prohibiting women from inheriting titles had disappeared after the Second Age and even now there were many families where women took their spot as heads of households. That had been a very outdated statement. Even now, he took the lead in spoiling my mood by spouting high-and-mighty nonsense to me every day with his patriarchal attitude. If I was being honest, there really wasn¡¯t much I was missing out on. I, too, had never thought of the man I called father as anything other than a wallet that gave me money¡ªno more, no less. Affection was dependent on that individual¡¯s actions¡ªwith the way he acted, how could I not hate him? Especially when I was skeptical of considering even a normal and good person as a father. It was only because I was a reincarnator with my priorities already straight that I turned out fine. If someone had been born straight into this kind of environment, they really could¡¯ve turned out a bit off. Though I didn¡¯t mean to say that the original Gloria hadn¡¯t done well. Perhaps I could go as far as to say that I could understand her actions from then a little more now. Anyhow, here I was the eldest daughter of this dysfunctional family and was raised as its only heir. I was a little unsatisfied with the conditions of this house, but there was one thing I found fortunate. That being the fact that unlike other possessed, or reincarnated people, I did not need to try so hard to work off the original novel¡¯s storylines. Why was that? Because in Gloria¡¯s case, all she got was a forced expulsion. Sure, it was a disgrace, but that was all. It was much better than how the other villainesses met their ends in their novels. The power of money and position might have something to do with it. How harsh could a punishment from an academy be anyways? The most they could do would be to expel someone, I suppose. Once again, I felt really fortunate to have been reincarnated in an academy setting out of the huge variety of romance-fantasy novels. If you looked at other novels, the finale of the villainess would be a death sentence, imprisonment, or something super hardcore like that. But Gloria had been horrid in a different way from those other villainesses who spilled tea on dresses and attempted assassinations and were crazy about plots and conspiracies. To think I was the perpetrator of school violence. In terms of crime, it may be lighter than assassination attempts, but due to the nature of the crime, it was more realistic, and thus felt eviler. After all, in modern times at least, if you were sane you didn¡¯t attempt to assassinate anyone. Oh girl, why did you do that? Looking at the graceful beauty reflected in the mirror, I clucked my tongue. I, of course, had no intention of harassing the female lead, Flora. No, actually, I did not have any direct interest in the male and female leads at all. Since I¡¯ve reincarnated, should I try seducing and dating the male lead? No, no. Y¡¯all, go get a life. But that may have been because my favorite character in the original was neither the female lead, the male lead, nor even the villain. It was the extra who had made occasional appearances in about two or so episodes. Her name was Kaitlyn Blair, an underclassman from the same division as Noah Yurielle. Although she was an antagonist with little substance, who clumsily bullied Flora because of her crush on Noah, her inner thoughts were explained to the readers in detail and as her rather cowardly and pathetic actions were kind of adorable, she had somewhat of a fan base. The treatment she got became a little strange in the latter half of the novel¡ªperhaps because the author was trying to make more money by coming up with more episodes¡ªbut she was like a garnish who appeared every now and then to spice things up. The kid, in both jealousy and in her lame attempts at flirting, was so absurdly cute, you know, that I couldn¡¯t help but develop a crush on her. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 31.1 SIDE STORY ¨C Gloria Lupinus (3) Until now, I had thought of daughters from noble families as glorified jobless people who had lots of money. a life in which one would go around laughing while wearing pretty dresses and waving a fan, and sometimes going to parties to eat delicious desserts. a life of leisure and excess. That was the life I had expected to unfold before me. But that was not the case. Being the daughter of a noble family was an extreme job.[1] From the age of nine, at the very least, the only thing I did was study, without any chance to meet the male or female lead. So much that it made me sick. To add to that, because I was to be the next head of the family, I not only had to learn basic etiquette, but also all sorts of theory, as well as knowledge about other families too, all of that in my tiny head. Instead of being the usual handsome daughter-con that is seen in novels, my father was a stuffy, old-fashioned tightwad, and the corset I had to wear to fit into those pretty dresses was a true torture device.[2] Having to live in such a situation as a child, I could understand why Gloria became so twisted. Things like these¡­ I never wanted things like these. At the very least, these were not the contents of those transmigration romance fantasy novels I had read copiously. I felt completely deceived. Ah, I just want to live comfortably. How nice would it have been if I had just been born in some mid-ranking noble family, instead of a high-ranking one. That was what I thought one day, as I was being tested on what I had learnt the day before, in front of my father. Isn¡¯t the father of the transmigrated female lead usually a daughter-con? She would act all lovely and he would just die from how cute she was? Alright, I would just help him awaken his inner qualities as a daughter-slave. So I dropped the pen I¡¯d been holding and made a small sound. ¡°Oh, Papa. Ria doesn¡¯t wanna study today.¡± [3] That punk that calls himself my father looked at me like I had lost my mind. I still cannot erase that cold look from my brain till this day. I mean, come on, wasn¡¯t that too much for someone to do to his daughter? I know we are not the most affectionate father-daughter pair. But still, wasn¡¯t that too harsh? Father looked at me like I was pathetic, telling me to give more time to my studies since I had the energy to do such nonsense. Then, he assigned me more homework. That was not all. That day, I copied the genealogy of the Marquisate thirty times, shedding bitter tears as I did so. In retrospect, I have no idea why I had thought of doing such a thing. Had all that heavy studying addled my brain? In any case, my goal became to just pass the days and run away from this crazy house, no matter what it took. Then when Father died, I would return to succeed him as family patriarch. A prodigal child, you say? Yes, I agree. But however much I may hate that household, becoming the Marquis is such a great merit that I would never think to give it up. I looked into it a bit and found that there was indeed a way for me to leave this house right until Father is on his deathbed. and that method was to become a Holy Knight. Imperial knights have to commute from their homes, but it¡¯s not the same for the Holy Knights. So from age five, I decided my course, and began taking classes like crazy with the Marquisate¡¯s swordsmanship teacher.[4] Unlike usual nobles, I poured any time I had left after studying into it. After the teacher said that I had talent, I became even more excited and continued to train. After more than a decade of training, I was even able to use aura. My boomer father initially opposed my training, asking what business a girl had learning swordsmanship, but I eventually won. Even the Gloria in the original novel had been in the swordsmanship department, so it seems this body has some real talent. In any case, I had lived a hard knock life like this, but there were many interesting things that happened in between. If I had to pick one, I would definitely not leave out the story of how I almost became engaged to the male lead. So what had happened was that, the year I turned ten, my so-called father and Marquis Yurielle began marriage talks. I had wondered what exactly a ten year old was doing getting engaged, but because there are many cases of people getting engaged at a young age here, I didn¡¯t dwell too much on it. Anyway, if I said I didn¡¯t like it and dug my heels in, the marriage talks would end. Because I had been designated the heir, my fianc¨¦ could not be the firstborn son. It also could not be the last daughter who was said to be sick, so the only left was the second son. Noah Yurielle. Yep, the male lead. He was well known for having a huge amount of mana and for being exceptionally intelligent, all from an early age, so he must have looked like an excellent live-in son-in-law to Father.[5] On top of that, it would strengthen his relationship with Marquis Yurielle too. If it was according to the original novel, the moment I saw Noah, I should have immediately fallen for his modesty, his appearance, abilities, and all his other numerous qualities, and begun pestering him. But unfortunately, Noah had not been my type even when I was reading the book, so I didn¡¯t care. I had enjoyed reading the novel, but he really was not my kind of man. I like people who are a bit more on the cute side. But as always happens, the opinions of the both of us who were directly concerned were completely ignored. Instead, we were pushed together by Father, and left alone in the drawing room. As I stirred my tea after dropping a cube of sugar into it, I glanced at Noah¡¯s face. Up till now, he had his nose stuck to a book, so his face wasn¡¯t showing much. But after I turned my head this way and that, in various angles, I succeeded in catching a glimpse of his face. My hand that had been stirring the tea stopped. Indeed, he was exactly as he had been described in the novel. Footnote: [1] extreme job: ; this is also the title of Korean action comedy that was released in 2019. Highly recommend it. The movie¡¯s title has now become a thing of its own. [2] stuffy, old-fashioned tightwad: ; basically a ¡®boomer¡¯ [3] This is what I thought of when I read this line: [4] The raws say five, but the age should probably be nine. [5a]Mana: ; this has been previously translated as magical powers. Instead, where the raws say <>, ¡®mana¡¯ will be used, and where it says <>, ¡®magic¡¯ will be used. [5b] Live-in son-in-law: ; refers to a son-in-law that lives with his wife¡¯s family: he marries into his wife¡¯s family and becomes a member of her family instead. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 31.2 SIDE STORY ¨C Gloria Lupinus (4) Wow. He was prettier than a girl. After seeing his face, I wondered for a long time if I had misheard ¡°young mistress¡± as ¡°young master¡±.[6] It was such a beautiful face that even I, who had gotten used to seeing my own pretty face in the mirror everyday, had to appreciate it. Perhaps because he was still young, his glistening silver hair that had been described as long in the novel was stopped at his shoulders. Because of his premature poor eyesight, he wore thick glasses, through which I could see his golden eyes. Ho, his nose was high as a ski jump. What was it pointing at, the future? While I was being all types of silly inside my head, Noah spoke to me without even looking up from his book. ¡°Let me set this straight. I have no intention of marrying you.¡± What? Once I heard that, I frowned like I had just been slapped with shit. Up till that moment, I had been appreciating his face, but my heart cooled immediately. You are saying that about a marriage alliance between families? Look at this punk. It seemed like the guy was as rude as he was good-looking. Would you just look at the bastard? I knew from the beginning that there was a reason why he was not my fave. This was the male lead? In that case, the female lead, Flora, must be some type of saint. Aigoo, in my past life, I lived more than 30 years, but here I was hearing this type of shit from a 10-year old. What exactly was so good about this crazy child for the original Gloria to make such a fuss over him? Although, I guess it figures. In the original novel, Gloria did not want to become the wife of some noble; she just wanted to live as ¡®Marquis Gloria Lupinus¡¯. So because he was the second son and could not inherit the title nor did he have any interest in noble titles, Noah must have looked like the ideal husband to her. A career woman with a handsome man on the side. That does sound cool. No, that¡¯s all by the way. In any case, since he was being so ill-mannered, there was no reason for me to remain silent. ¡°Who did you think wanted that? I had no intention of doing that either.¡± I snorted and then picked up a cookie from the plate next to me. Crush, the cookie was ground to powder in my angry hands. ¡°Seeing how weak you look, I have no need for a husband who will not be able to properly take care of things in the family.¡± The dude did not even respond to my provocation. He just kept on reading his book, like a huge poker face. Making a tower with macarons seemed to be more fun than continuing to watch him, so I took ten macarons, each one a different flavour, and piled them up neatly on the tea stand. It was while I was concentrating on my macaron tower. ¡°Ha.¡± Noah glanced at my macaron tower and sighed, as if to ask why I wasn¡¯t doing something more productive, but instead frittering away my time doing such a thing. What. What. What are you looking at? As I blinked my eyes, speechless at his attitude, the macaron tower that was already on the verge of collapse due to its poor construction finally succumbed to its fate. I became even more ticked off, so I knocked over my teacup, a smile on my face. ¡°Oh my, a slip of hand.¡± The marriage agreement was going to be broken anyway. I might as well relieve my anger, at least. The tea that had spilled on the table dripped down and soaked Noah¡¯s trousers. ¡°. . . . . .¡± But Noah did nothing except move his legs back and frown. As the icing on top, without giving me another glance, he buried his nose even deeper into his book. Ha, this punk, you¡¯re quite tolerant. Yeah, right now we are both kids in primary school, so let¡¯s fight like primary school kids. I poured tea that had gone cold into my cup as I ground my teeth. I had been quite happy that I had a good excuse to skip class during this time. He was the one who ruined it for me. Just as his clothes were about to become all soaked with tea, Noah stood from his seat. Left alone, I giggled, enjoying my victory. Even if he was the male lead, he was still a child, so how could he stand it? Don¡¯t I realise that I am doing this to a child that I am 20 years older than? Ah, yes, he is a kid, whatever. Maybe my mental age decreased because I was shut inside a young body, but I found these childish acts quite fun. ¡°You are grounded!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you did? You ruined Marquis Yurielle¡¯s son¡¯s clothing like that. Have you lost your mind?!¡± ¡°You are being too harsh over a few mistakes, Father.¡± ¡°Thi ¡ª this, how dare you say that, you foolish thing!¡± Only you would say that, Father. I stuck out my tongue at my roaring father. In any case, the relationship between the two families had been started during the time of past family heads, so it wasn¡¯t something that could be broken because of some child¡¯s prank. But this was pretty good, my eyes narrowed as I thought. This was not my first time having a conflict with nobles my age. Sometimes, there would be idiots who looked down on me or disregarded me because I was a girl interested in swordsmanship. Since I was in a position to, I would display my talents to my heart¡¯s content while fighting them. Usually, those I beat up would go crying to their parents. Everytime, I would roll my eyes and say ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was a mistake¡±, to get it over with. Since I was an heir and there was no reason to get on my bad side, the noble parents would skilfully skirt around it, and it would all blow over. But this time, Noah had walked off and snitched to my father instead. Pretty smart for a ten-year old. Just like that, the marriage agreement was broken and I was grounded for a week. The entire week, I had to relearn tea pouring and all the tea etiquette from scratch. Footnote: [6] The words used here are ¡®¡¯ [yeo-shik] and ¡®¡¯ [yeong-shik]. To keep the similarity, I used mistress and master. A bit of a stretch, but if you mumble, it kinda works. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 32.1 SIDE STORY ¨C Gloria Lupinus (5) ¡°Ria, Ria. Come play with me.¡± A girl with fluffy pink hair clung to my arm. ¡°What the heck, Flora? You¡¯ve creased my skirt.¡± ¡°Oh! Silly me.¡± As I scolded her with mock severity, the girl organised the skirt of my dress. ¡°So unladylike.¡± We spoke at the same time and promptly burst into laughter. It was our inside joke, having studied from the same etiquette books. She was Flora, the original novel¡¯s female lead. But right now, she was just my friend. ¡°And so what? Skirts always ended up like that anyway. Shall we go have some cake at the cafeteria?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Flora smiled radiantly and hugged my arm tightly. This was something that you would never have seen a year ago. At age 11, I succeeded in turning Flora, who was the perfect noble lady, into a slightly unruly noble lady, removing corsets, running around barefooted and secretly jumping over walls to go play. Just like in the original novel, she was kind and friendly. Being an only child, she took me as her older sister, and I took care of her like she was my younger sister. ¡°You come over here and hang out with us too, Noah!¡± Flora gestured to Noah, who was sitting in a corner and flipping through a book. I leaned against my wooden sword that was planted on the ground and looked on quietly. Noah, I and Flora. You could call us friends. Although I am not sure what Noah would think about that. If asked how this came to be, I would say that it¡¯s because our two families still had an alliance even after the marriage agreement was broken. So I ended up having to see Noah¡¯s face. Then, my family also began exchanges with Count Ivy, Flora¡¯s father, and I soon became friends with Flora, who was kind and affable. That was how we three became a group. When Flora had led me by hand, saying that she would introduce me to her new friend, I still remember how Noah and I¡¯s faces hardened the moment we saw each other. It was inevitable, given how bad our first meeting went. ¡°Hurry.¡± As Flora led Noah forward, I stuck my tongue out at him without her knowing. ¡°Tsk.¡± This punk. Does he know that that condescending look of his really pisses people off? Or does he know and still acts like that? I remember we also stared each other down that day. Flora had such a hard time trying to mediate between the two of us. Things didn¡¯t have to happen as it was written in the novel. But her dating a guy like that¡­¡­ It¡¯s quite dumbfounding. It¡¯s been eight years since then, so we could be called childhood friends. But we don¡¯t get along. I regarded him as an insolent magic geek, and he thought of me as a crazy lout whose dignity as a noble might as well have been eaten by dogs. Anyway, as we fought with each other, hung out and studied together in that fashion, at 16, the three of us got admitted to, and enrolled at, the Imperial Academy. And I found it a bit disappointing. No one was showing off their oodles of cash or anything; it was like I had gone back to my time in high school, having to take midterms and finals all the time.[1] In other novels, the characters would attend parties to dance and meet their friends. But the reality here was a bit different. Even the Empire¡¯s Founders Day fell during the exam period, and the Imperial Palace did not host that many parties. In my past life, I watched a few American dramas.[2] In youth dramas or school life dramas, there are supposed to be prom parties and such, but there was none of that here! And it¡¯s even a romance novel! If I had said these narrow-minded things to our principal, I am sure he would say that I should go use my time to study. The author is really showing how Korean they are. I mean, it¡¯s a fantasy world where we are flying on dragons, using magic and swinging swords. Is it such a difficult thing to throw a party or two into the mix? Where was my high-teen life? Give me my rugby captain school hunk now! I felt a bit aggrieved at transmigrating and then having to redo my school days, but after adapting over a year, things went well. At least, it was much better than listening to my Marquis father yelling his lungs away all day. Soon I advanced to the second year and gotten more comfortable. One day, I was passing through the corridors when, all of a sudden, a thought flashed through my mind. Ah, it is about time for my girl to appear. I had bought a pastry from the canteen and was eating it as I walked. Just as I began coughing because I¡¯d choked, someone peeked at me. It was a female student, and she looked like a freshman. She was hugging a few books in front of her. Her flaxen hair fluttered gently in the spring breeze coming in through the window, and her green eyes looked around the Academy¡¯s corridor, as if she was still unfamiliar with the layout of the rooms. Just as I was thinking to myself that she was such a cute kid, my eyes darted to the name engraved on her gold name tag. Katelin Blair. ¡°!¡± I forcefully swallowed the pastry that had blocked my throat, before rubbing my mouth roughly. It¡¯s Kate! My heart pounded violently. What to do. She was so lovely I wanted to gobble her up. How could there be such a fluffy, adorable creature? Because she was an extra in the original novel, there was no illustration of her and so I had no idea what she looked like. So she has such pretty eyes. The novel only used the word ¡®cute¡¯ to describe her. Meeting my fave for the first time, I stood there in the corridor looking like an AI that had just learnt what love was after 17 years. Spring was in the air. * * * * * * Left to me, I would have immediately gotten close to Kate and become friends with her. But unfortunately, I was competing with Flora for the spot to become an exchange student at the Seminary, and I had to pass the midterms with flying colours in order to win the spot. Eventually, after much sweat and tears, I tied with Noah for first place in the midterms, which was quite a feat. I had to leave my doll behind and go study abroad. The Lowell Kingdom Seminary was much more sombre than the Academy. No one made noise in the corridors, nor did people drop their honorifics when speaking.[3] The worst thing was¡­¡­ there was no canteen. I wanted to weep. There, I had no choice but to truly play the role of a Marquis elegant daughter. However, since it was an institution renowned for turning out high priests and holy knights, the level of the swordsmanship classes were certainly excellent. At the Seminary, I mastered how to deal with aura, and by the end of that year, I knew how to use it like the palm of my hand. * * * * * * Notes: [1] ¡®My time in high school¡¯: ; Korean students take the KSAT () to get into university. If you¡¯ve seen dramas like SKY Castle etc, you understand the stress they go through. [2] American dramas: ; this word is a portmanteau of . [3] Honorifics: ; here¡¯s a to learn about Korean honorifics. It is rare for people to call others by their first names; Kate actually calls Noah ¡®sunbae¡¯ [], meaning ¡®senior¡¯, which I will use going forward. is sometimes used in the same way ¡®oppa¡¯ is used. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 32.2 side story ¨C gloria lupinus (6) the academy was the same as ever after i returned a year later. sure, there were many new faces, but the atmosphere was still warm, bright and full of energy. perhaps because i left and returned in the same season, the scenery seemed to not have changed a jot. though i was chewed out by the housemaster for not wearing my next time, as soon as i returned. it was for sure the handwork of that thickhead, noah. the bastard, even if he couldn¡¯t say hello to me after not seeing me for a whole year, why screw me over like that? as i ground my teeth in annoyance, i heard a high-pitched voice from somewhere. ¡°ria!¡± ¡°oh dear.¡± i grabbed flora, who almost fell flat on her face from running, by her waist and smirked. ¡°look at this. running in the corridors without any dignity? truly unladylike.¡± ¡°what are you saying? did you become a true noble lady during your time at the seminary?¡± flora covered her mouth as she giggled. ¡°i missed you.¡± we laughed, looking each other in the face, before hugging the other tight. as flora patted my back, she turned her head and said. ¡°hey, noah. come over and say hello.¡± good heavens. how long has he been there? i startled, removing my hands from around flora. ¡°hey.¡± ¡°. . . . . .¡± such a curt and rude greeting. still, i laughed and put my arm around his shoulder. ¡°yeah, you weren¡¯t lonely while i was gone?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°tsk, you heartless thing.¡± then, i turned and smiled brightly at flora. ¡°you said you were going to start a book club. how is that going?¡± ¡°mhmm, it is, thankfully. there¡¯s this really cute junior named kate in the club.¡± flora nodded as she said, smiling with satisfaction. ¡°you know, flora¡­¡± i stood, tapping a finger on my cheek and still smiling brightly. ¡°¡­i want to join too.¡± * * * * * * after meeting my fave at the club¡¯s first meeting of the year, ironically, i returned to my dorm room feeling forlorn. kate¡­ kate was scared of me. why, just why are you avoiding me, kitten? she even advised me that i was not suited with that kind of guy. feeling sad, i put a piece of candy into my mouth. immediately, i could taste the cloying, artificial sweetness. i had given one of the same brand to kate. to think that she ate such a thing in such a cute way, and even said that it was delicious. i want to feed her all the desert from my house right this minute. so, pretty baby, would you like to come to my house? no, things shouldn¡¯t be like this. ¡°do i look scary?¡± i scrutinised my image in the mirror, my face glum. the mirror held the image of a pretty, but severe, sharp face. the expression on the face¡­ that sharp expression did look like fierce, like i was about to torture someone. ¡°whoa.¡± have i lived too recklessly all this while? did that give me a bad reputation? ¡°i don¡¯t think so.¡± my childhood aside, i have never caused trouble while at the academy. i have also not made any enemies, nor did i plot against and torment others behind their backs like the original gloria did. so why is she avoiding me like that? ¡°how strange.¡± i laid on my bed, my head tilted to the side, lost in thought. * * * * * * i tried to become friends with kate, with not an ounce of cool. but each time, i failed. kate always seemed to be scared of me. although, she was still as adorable as ever. come to think of it, it seems she¡¯s a bit interested in noah. how is noah better than i am? so annoying. after swordsmanship class one day, i was walking along the corridor, wooden sword in hand, when i saw noah and kate standing together. at first, i paid it no mind. but then, their conversation seemed to be going on longer than i¡¯d expected. as i stood behind a column, listening to their conversation, i caught a glance of noah¡¯s face and was so astonished that i had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from shouting. i nearly fell to the floor in surprise. this is crazy! who are you, and what have you done with noah? as the heavens are my witness, in the eight years i have known noah, i had never seen such a look on his face. even when flora and i were with him, he¡¯d never had such an expression. the look on his face was completely different. flushed cheeks, fluttering eyelids and an at loss gaze; no matter how i looked at it, it was the look of someone who had fallen in love. bruh, what is with that melodramatic look? that was not all. there was so much excitement hidden beneath his look, as he stared at her. i was 100% certain. noah yurielle was in love with katelin blair. and katelin was unaware of it. ¡°what in the world?¡± i held my forehead as i laughed. what in the rom-com setting was this? i don¡¯t even care about the original novel: the entire plot had already gone off on a tangent anyway. the problem was, it seemed both of them were in love with each other, while under serious illusions about the other person. kate received all of noah¡¯s flirting with a resigned face, while noah was still smiling softly. my doll was completely clueless, while my childhood nemesis was a complete airhead. i shook my head at the crazy situation, my hair tousling. ¡°hmm, how interesting¡­¡­¡± let¡¯s keep watching for now, shall we? Chapter 33.1 i peered into the first year classroom with my head sticking out through the window. coming to the classroom of another grade felt a bit awkward. i had forgotten to come find him during the week, so i decided to come show my face before leaving. but it wasn¡¯t as simple as i thought. i thought he would be in the dorms or in the drill hall, not expecting that he would be in his classroom. seriously, why is he spending his precious weekend in the classroom? he doesn¡¯t even like studying. ah, is he hanging out with his friends? makes sense though ¨C if the number of friends he has is in the double digits, then going out altogether will be a bit awkward. this punk has so many friends. i am so envious. i waited as i grumbled to myself, and soon i saw a head of red hair. ¡°arhan.¡± i waved at arhan who turned with a startled look on his face. ¡°you really came.¡± ¡°yeah, i did say i would come see you.¡± i laughed, feeling relieved that exams were over now, and happy because i had a meetup later with some friends. ¡°you didn¡¯t come all this time. not even to show your face.¡± i was in the wrong for not keeping the promise i had made. seeing the big round eyes of the kid that was like a younger sibling to me, i felt even happier and smiled brightly. at that moment, the sound of playful jeers and whistling came from inside the classroom. ¡°who is this, your girlfriend?¡± ¡°seriously¡­¡­ i said she isn¡¯t.¡± arhan ruffled his hair as he glared at the classmates who were teasing him. his ears, seen through his hair, were red. the taunting ceased, but i had heard it all. ¡°are those your friends? wow, you have so many friends.¡± i looked into the classroom with a casual smile. ¡°huh?¡± arhan tapped me to draw my attention back. then, out of the blue, he whispered ¡®twenty¡¯ to me. what does that mean? as i looked at arhan with a puzzled face, he avoided my gaze with an embarrassed look. ¡°that was my ranking on this exam.¡± ¡°yo! how amazing!¡± i patted arhan¡¯s back after hearing that and cheered. i didn¡¯t know what exactly his grades were on the last test, but objectively speaking, they must have been good. ¡°the first person i wanted to tell was you, noona.¡± arhan blinked shyly. ¡°since i knew you would praise me.¡± ¡°you cute bastard. you¡¯ve worked hard. now you can play as much as you want!¡± i laughed as i patted his head. ¡°ah, i have a prior appointment, so i¡¯ll head out now.¡± i¡¯d caught a glance of my watch and seen that it was almost time to meet up with my friends. ¡°so that¡¯s why you¡¯re not in uniform.¡± [1] ¡°mhmm, how does it look?¡± i spun around, causing the hem of the green dress to flutter. ¡°it suits you.¡± arhan, who was leaning against the wall, answered with a deep look in his eyes. ¡°thanks, i¡¯m off now! have fun with your friends.¡± ¡°okay. see you later.¡± having said bye to arhan, i hurried off to get to the meeting place, my shoes tapping loudly on the floor. * * * the main street where all the shops were was not far from the academy. wearing regular clothes for the first time in a while, my friends and i were out to explore downtown. ¡°shall we go buy some candy?¡± after the four of us had shared a cake, i pointed to a new candy shop, my eyes twinkling. the shop was huge, with a charming interior, so it had become famous among the students in no time. having led my friends to the candy shop, i saw a candy that i was familiar with. ¡°huh.¡± it was the caramel that senior gloria had given me some time back. it was so good! i swept through with an excited face, packing up the candy to my heart¡¯s content. the variety that they had here, miles apart from that of the school canteen, made me so excited. ¡°why are you buying so many?¡± dora looked at the size of the bag i had in my hand and scolded me, but i didn¡¯t care. hehe, sweets for life! i soon checked out and stood next to mallory looking at the lollipops, when i saw blonde hair that looked familiar. next to that were silver hair and light pink hair. it seems the seniors came out to have fun too. didn¡¯t senior flora say she was going to stay in the dorms to review? now she is out. yeah. it¡¯s a loss to just study on the weekends. oh, but what about the caramel i said i would buy for her? after hesitating for a while, i plucked up the courage to say hello. ¡°hello, sunbae.¡± ¡°oh, kate!¡± senior gloria¡¯s expressionless face immediately turned bright as she patted my hair. ¡°did you come to buy some caramels?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°aww, how cute.¡± mumbling softly to herself, she paid for some bags of caramel and turned to give them to me. i waved my hand with an embarrassed face. ¡°ah, no, there is no need¡­¡­¡± ¡°no worries, i am treating you to these. enjoy.¡± ¡°oh look, it¡¯s kate! hi!¡± i could also see senior noah behind senior flora, and he had a small smile on his face. ¡°hey.¡± ¡°hello sunbae.¡± senior noah looked at the caramels that senior gloria had given me with a sad face. i glanced at him for a moment before turning my eyes away. ¡°hmm, shall i buy something for you too?¡± senior flora took out her wallet and asked enthusiastically. ¡°no, it¡¯s okay. i have to go now so¡­¡­¡± ¡°you are with your friends i see. we¡¯ve been holding you up.¡± senior flora saw my friends who were gathered in the candy section and said apologetically. i replied no, waving my hands, before saying goodbye and returning to where my friends were. notes: [1] not in uniform: ; regular clothes. the in comes from the hanja for ¡®private¡¯ or ¡®personal¡¯. Chapter 33.2 mallory asked me with a surprised face. ¡°hold on, you¡¯ve become close with senior gloria?¡± ¡°mm, yeah¡­¡­ she doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person.¡± i handed her a caramel as i answered evasively. the issue was left at that, while we continued chatting until we reached somewhere far from the candy shop. all of a sudden, my friends, who had been observing me, grabbed me by the hand and led me somewhere. at the rough grab, the lollipop i had been holding fell to the floor. with my eyes rounded in surprise, i was dragged like a doll with no knowledge of what was happening. ¡°uhh¡­¡± finally, we stopped inside a cafe, sitting at a table that was isolated by a dark curtain. ¡°so, kate. you know¡­ there¡¯s something we wanted to ask¡­¡± my friends finished ordering our drinks, and began exchanging several glances. finally, dora spoke, as if she was their representative. ¡°how are things going with you and senior noah? did he really reject your confession? are you sure he is not just playing around with you?¡± ¡°ah¡­¡­¡± there were my really close friends, but i couldn¡¯t tell them everything. they would find it hard to believe the whole story. ¡°thank you for worrying about me. but it¡¯s really nothing. really, everything is okay.¡± in the end, i could only shake my head and say those words. ¡°it¡¯s just my greed. i know things will not work out the way i want them to, but i still want to be by his side. he is such a good person, and i¡¯ve liked him for so long.¡± i continued calmly, sipping my hot cocoa. strangely enough, perhaps because i was speaking with people i was comfortable with, i was able to say all that smoothly. i know senior noah is not such a person, but even if he decided to just play around with me, would i do anything? ¡°it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be seeing each other everyday for the rest of our lives, so things will be okay someday.¡± i put down my cup with a relaxed look on my face, only for it to stiffen again when i raised my head. ¡°¡­¡­why do you all look like that?¡± ¡°you¡­¡­¡± aiko had her eyebrows raised and had covered her mouth with her hand. mallory and dora were pretty much in the same state. ¡°kate¡­¡­ you are so slow.¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong? why are you all like this?¡± i shuddered at their gazes that seemed like they were looking at the heroine of a tragedy. it felt so uncomfortable. ¡°come here. i¡¯ll order one more for you.¡± ¡°i said it¡¯s fine though.¡± i pushed off the menu mallory was handing to me with a fed-up look. ¡°are you really okay?¡± ¡°i just said i am.¡± when someone you like treated you like that, there was no way your heart could remain immune to that. each time, it was hard to pull myself together afterwards, but it wasn¡¯t some global tragedy. afterall, even though i hadn¡¯t gotten rid of all my feelings, i had resigned myself to the way things were. maybe later, when i see senior flora and senior noah, i will no longer run away crying? ¡°and besides, i have been enjoying it myself.¡± the heavy atmosphere finally broke after i spoke, and my friends¡¯ faces finally relaxed a little. ¡°yeah, in any case it¡¯s all up to you. next time you come crying to me, i won¡¯t hug you.¡± the cake we had ordered came out and aiko pushed it towards me as she said. i mumbled my response with cake in my mouth ¡°mhmm¡­¡­¡± * * * ¡°phew, i am so full i could burst.¡± ¡°of course you would be, seeing how much you ate.¡± i nagged at dora who splayed out on her bed the minute we returned. i changed my clothes, organised the candy i¡¯d bought, before lying on the bed with a book when someone knocked on the room door. ¡°i¡¯ll go see who it is.¡± seeing how dora was fully prostrate on her bed, i walked up and opened the door in her stead. who could it be at this hour? ¡°¡­¡­sunbae?¡± senior noah was in front of the door. for a moment, it felt like my heart would jump out of my chest, but i could only bear it. ¡°is something the matter?¡± it felt a bit sad to watch myself instinctively begin to put my hair in order once i saw him. ¡°i¡­ this.¡± what he held out to me after hesitating for a while was a giant bucket of caramel candy. the bucket was so big that i wondered if i could ever finish it. ¡°i¡¯ll be very happy if you accept this.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡­¡± as i stood shyly, not knowing what to do, senior noah added on. ¡°it¡¯s bigger than the one gloria gave you.¡± my goodness, too cute. i swallowed loudly, and then laughed as i took the bucket. ¡°yes, it is quite big. i will savour it.¡± now that it was in my hands, i could feel the considerable weight of the bucket. i shook the bucket, causing the caramels inside to knock against each other and make a loud sound. it must have been pricey. is it okay if i just accept it? ¡°one second, sunbae.¡± suffering from some momentary guilt, i searched my pockets and gathered the mint candies that had been in the candy set i bought earlier. ¡°ah.¡± my fingers touched his palm as i gave the mints to him. the parts that had touched him seemed to tingle, so i placed both hands behind my back. ¡°thank you.¡± senior noah smiled softly as he received the mints. he looked just as beautiful as always.[2] maybe because he had let his hair loose, but the sight of his silver hair fluttering in the night wind, set against the backdrop of the dark hallway, was breathtakingly dreamy. i released the breath i did not know i was holding. [3] ¡°uh¡­¡­ it¡¯s late now, so i think you should return now.¡± ¡°ah, yeah.¡± with one hand holding the candy i had given him, senior noah turned to leave, before stopping to say goodnight. ¡°goodnight.¡± ¡°you too, sunbae.¡± after the short goodbyes, i carried the bucket of caramels into the room. dora, with her top-half raised from the bed, asked me with a curious look on her face. ¡°what¡¯s that? who was at the door?¡± i shook the bucket as i answered. ¡°senior noah gave it to me.¡± ¡°hold on, you¡­¡­¡± ¡°not to worry, i have decided not to read too much into it. eat, let¡¯s just eat.¡± i laughed drily as i handed a few caramels to dora, who had a puzzled expression. after that, i lay on my bed, staring off blankly as i put some in my mouth as well. sweet. they were so sweet my tongue stung. but strangely enough, i was not sick of them. notes: [2] beautiful: the word that is used here is , which is a ¡®beautiful spotted deer¡¯ according to naver dictionary. [3] literally my least favourite line in the entire romance genre lol. seen it one too many times man. Chapter 34.1 noah quietly counted the mints in his palm. one, two, three, four, five mints. he had to eat them slowly. no, in fact, he should just keep them, so he could treasure them. he smiled softly as he clenched the hand that held the candies. ¡°what are you doing in the girls¡¯ dorm? are you some kind of pervert?¡± gloria who had been going down the corridor yawned as she said. when she saw the candy in noah¡¯s hand, she wriggled her eyebrows. ¡°you should quickly eat the candy. why are you holding them instead? how nasty.¡± ¡°someone gave them to me.¡± ¡°whatever.¡± gloria retorted at noah¡¯s curt response, her forehead wrinkled. but the sight of him holding the candies so tightly in his hand, like they were treasures, was foreign to her. ¡°hold on, who gave it to you?¡± gloria turned her head and asked, her mind filled with doubts. ¡°kate did.¡± ¡°what?!¡± gloria frowned at the unexpected answer. she held out a hand as she said. ¡°¡­¡­ give me one.¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°oh, come on. don¡¯t be stingy.¡± being completely ignored, gloria rolled her eyes and said sarcastically. ¡°fine, stuff your face with them. if i ask her later, she will give them to me anyway.¡± ¡°are you close?¡±, noah asked furtively with a dry expression. ¡°of course we are. definitely much closer than you are to her. we¡¯ve even shared secrets with each other.¡± gloria answered confidently, as there was not false about what she had said. his beautiful forehead creased for a moment at her answer. but not a moment later, he calmly placed one of the candies in his mouth. ¡°bruh, you are so annoying.¡± as noah get farther away from her without any care for her at all, gloria raised her middle finger at his departing back. * * * the pocket of my school skirt was full of caramels, making every step i took heavy. i had so many of them, so i¡¯d packed some to share with the other kids, but i still had so many left. the bucket senior noah gave me was really too big. because the sunlight felt so good, i sat on an outdoor bench to rest until the next class. as my hair became hot from the warm sun rays, i heard the sound of metal clashing. oh, the drill hall is close to here. since the sound was not too loud, and since i was so tired that i had no intention of moving even my pinkie finger, i decided to stay put on the bench. ¡°huh,¡± i muttered, having discovered a familiar silhouette among the students. the platinum blonde ponytail stood out instantly in the drill hall full of dark-haired people. over the past few days, senior gloria and i had grown quite close. actually, rather than saying we grew close, it would be better to say that she frequently came to talk to me and make me laugh. you have no idea how confused i was when she winked at me while i was with my friends. but since she is such a good-natured and big-hearted person, i quickly relaxed my guard. once in a while she would say something weird, but since we both knew the contents of the book, i felt some closeness towards her. like a close relationship between a senior and a junior? ¡°hey, it¡¯s kate!¡± senior gloria, who had found me at some point, came walking towards me. probably because she had been in training for a while, she was wearing a large shirt and some comfortable trousers. she sat on the bench and grinned, sweeping her sweaty hair away from her face. she honestly looked very cool doing that. ¡°hello, sunbae.¡± as i greeted her, she tapped on my glasses. ¡°you are wearing glasses today?¡± ¡°yes, i was just in class.¡± ¡°how could you look so cute in glasses?¡± senior gloria smiled pleasantly as she said. ¡°they are so round!¡± excuse me, glasses were originally round. yeah, there are some square-shaped glasses, but mine is round as you can see. i¡¯d broken out in a cold sweat, but i tried hard to smile. even though a moment ago, i had just thought of her as cool ¡°you still have some time before your next class, right? do you wanna hang out with me?¡± ¡°shall we do that?¡± in any case, i didn¡¯t exactly have anything to do, so i nodded. but for some reason, the topic of our conversation kept turning to senior noah. in the end, i gave up and came clean. senior gloria was a pretty good conversation partner, and she was the only one i could tell everything to, so somehow it didn¡¯t feel bad talking to her, as it felt like my thoughts finally gained some order. ¡°no way! you confessed?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡­¡± ¡°and he rejected you?¡± ¡°something like that.¡± you¡­¡­ idiot, senior gloria murmured and shook her head after listening to me. ¡°are you referring to me?¡± when i asked aggressively, she hastily shook her head. ¡°no, no way. i was just talking to myself.¡± ¡°hmmm.¡± i nodded grimly. senior gloria looked at me quietly before speaking. ¡°ah, that aside, you should give me some candy too.¡± ¡°candy? here you go. please enjoy.¡± i took a handful of caramels out of my pocket and readily offered them to her. because the amount i handed her was much more than she had expected, she was stunned. ¡°what the¡­ this for me¡­ why are there so many?¡± ¡°someone gave me a bucketful.¡± ¡°hmmm.¡± her eyes narrowed, looking deep in thought. after a while, she laughed. ¡°for real. how childish.¡± ¡°pardon?¡± ¡°no, nothing. thanks for the candy.¡± perhaps because she was tired from the long training, senior gloria removed the wrapper from a few and put them in her mouth at the same time. after she chewed the caramels for a long time, she began speaking again. ¡°kate, what exactly is going on between you and noah?¡± ¡°hu- huh?¡± as i stammered with a stunned look on my face, senior gloria smiled slyly and said. ¡°no matter how i look at it, it¡¯s not just a regular senior-junior relationship.¡± ¡°there¡­¡­ there is nothing between us.¡± ¡°huh?¡± even though i denied it, as the questions that felt like an interrogation continued, i lowered my head and murmured. ¡°¡­¡­how can i steal him from senior flora?¡± how can i do that to someone so kind? what excuse would i have? Chapter 34.2 ¡°if that is really the book of prophecy, the both of them will eventually end up together. whatever interest senior noah has for me right now¡­¡­ who knows how long it will last?¡± i fiddled aimlessly with my tie and continued to speak in a subdued tone. my mouth tasted bitter as i spoke. ¡°plus senior noah has always been a good person, always so warm¡±. senior gloria listened to me speak with a straight face, before laughing scornfully. ¡°who, that guy?¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°those rose-coloured glasses are quite thi-, no, forget it.¡± senior gloria shook her head and then stopped to look at me. ¡°i think you have too little confidence in yourself, kate. anyone would fall for you, that¡¯s how cute you are.¡± let¡¯s just end the conversation here. ¡°more than that¡­¡­ well, if that¡¯s what you think, then it¡¯s fine. be sure to tell me if you change your mind later on.¡± senior gloria, who had looked like she was ready to speak for much longer, stopped with those words. surprised, i asked her. ¡°that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± ¡°yeah, you know what i think. noah is not worthy of you.¡± but most of all, i think he would be so sad and bored if i took you from him. a storm seemed to be astir in her eyes. sun- sunbae, why do you look so sad? as i moved my eyes, trying to find somewhere else to look at in my abashment, senior gloria stroked my cheeks as she smiled. ¡°so cute.¡± so cute, so cute, my ears were about to fall off from how many times i¡¯d heard that. i knew this was how she was from the beginning, but i felt a bit embarrassed after hearing it constantly. ¡°why do you keep saying that?¡± i felt my face flush as senior gloria continued to pat my cheeks. she asked a question in response, mischief written all over her face. ¡°saying what?¡± ¡°you keep teasing me, saying that i am cute.¡± ¡°but that¡¯s because you really are cute.¡± she smiled widely as she rested her chin on the back of the bench. her blonde hair fluttered in the wind. ¡°hold on, do you not know that you are cute? you are so cute.¡± this is going to drive me crazy. it was nice to be complimented on how cute you were, but the truth was that it felt vexing to hear someone as pretty as she was constantly compliment me, as if she was praising me. senior gloria went even further. for good measure, she picked a marigold from the flowerbed, put it in my hair and smiled brightly. i blinked for a moment, my head blank, before realising something that made my blood run cold. i grabbed senior gloria¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡­we should run.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°that flowerbed belongs to the department of horticulture. if echo sees that, she won¡¯t care if you are a senior or anything.¡± once they had gotten far enough from the flowerbed, i explained to senior gloria, who still looked as puzzled as before. echo belonged to the department of horticulture, and she had cultivated those flowerbeds with a fiery devotion. the only time i ever saw the slightest trace of passion on that placid face was when she tended to those flowerbeds. what happened if someone messed with them? ¡°last year, this boy stepped on the rose flowerbed as a joke, and echo almost cut off all his hair with the garden scissors.¡± [1] and she actually did cut a few strands. it was a sight to behold. i continued while recalling the chaos that had been. ¡°you did not because you were away from the academy for so long.¡± after listening to me, senior gloria muttered with an embarrassed face. ¡°there aren¡¯t even clubs at the seminary.¡± nodding my head, i replied to her. ¡°in any case, don¡¯t do that again, and if you ever see a green-haired, pointy-eared girl in the 2nd year, make sure to avoid her.¡± ¡°mmhm.¡± senior gloria toyed with the marigold next to my ear, looking embarrassed. this was unexpected. she looked a little¡­¡­ cute? hold on, what did i just say? i shook my head as if to erase the thought i had just held. ¡°despite that¡­ thank you for this. i ¡®ll keep it well.¡± i took the marigold from her, as she had removed it from behind my ear. the soft petals were quite pretty. she stared at me silently for a moment, before she smiled and patted my head. soon after, she said again that i was cute, and i, already familiar with it, let it enter one ear and leave through the other. the next day, i saw echo in class huffing that if she were to catch the bastard who touched the marigold flower bed, she would kill them. she had a muddy trowel in one hand. as if she was ready to bury the perpetrator. i quietly avoided her eyes. notes: [1] the word used here is , which could mean either head or hair. i wanted to translate it as head initially, because it is quite something to imagine just how mad she must have been to want to behead the guy. but that would also make her unhinged, and a murderer, so i left it as hair (which the next sentence corroborates). Chapter 35.1 because the book we read this time was much simpler, the club finished a bit earlier today. since i had some time until the next class, i decided to remain for a bit in the club meeting room. ¡°ah, sunbae. it¡¯s about what i told you last time.¡± i handed flora sunbae a bag of caramels. ¡°wow, thank you!¡± flora sunbae put some of the caramels i had given her into her mouth, raised her eyebrows and said to gloria sunbae. ¡°ria, isn¡¯t this what you bought last time? i remember how tasty it was.¡± ¡°yeah, it is. i gave some to kate and she said it was really good.¡± ¡°wow, you two seem to have become a lot closer all this while. that¡¯s great!¡± ¡°of course! we¡¯ve even shared our deepest secrets with each other.¡± gloria sunbae wrapped her hands around my shoulder and smiled at noah sunbae who was sitting on the other side. i saw his fine brows crumple slightly, but i pretended not to see it. ¡°secrets? what secret?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a secret.¡± flora sunbae looked hurt at the reply. ¡°oh, come on. what is it? you have to tell me. i want to know too.¡± ¡°no can do. it¡¯s a bit personal.¡± ¡°alright, got it.¡± seeing the sullen look on flora sunbae¡¯s face, gloria sunbae patted her head. how peaceful it all was. suddenly, i made eye contact with noah sunbae, who had been staring quite blatantly at me. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± with her hands still around my shoulders, gloria sunbae picked a fight with him. noah sunbae replied in a rare thorny tone. ¡°not you.¡± gloria sunbae replied in a voice dripping in aegyo, although what she said was not lovely or cute in the slightest. ¡°then turn your eyes away~¡± how scary. i shuddered, listening to her speak. flora sunbae laughed, seeming used to such a scene. it was like she had given up trying to do something about it. i felt pity for the past me that had mistakenly thought the relationship between gloria sunbae and noah sunbae was good. as expected, being biased was a bad thing. but why do they hate each other so? my gaze moved as i watched the two seniors. noah sunbae was indeed handsome, but when he wasn¡¯t moving, he gave off a cold feeling, and for gloria sunbae, it goes without saying that she was an ice queen. was it some type of hatred for the same kind? because they possessed the same type of beauty? [1] as i was thinking silly thoughts with my hand on my chin, the peals of the warning bell rang. ¡°oh, i have to get going.¡± gloria sunbae took my arm with practiced ease, leading me to the door. i began following her, but noah sunbae awkwardly grabbed my shoulder from behind, his long fingers leaving a subtle touch. ¡°can we talk for a bit?¡± then he turned to gloria sunbae and said in a cold tone: ¡°without you.¡± ¡°you go first, sunbae.¡± just as she began shaking her head as if i had stunned her speechless, i waved at her and turned my head towards noah sunbae. the quiet corridor was enveloped in silence for a moment; nervous, saliva began to pool in my mouth. i was worrying over when the bell would sound, when noah sunbae began speaking, ¡°did i do something wrong?¡± ¡°huh?¡± what did he mean by that? my eyes flitted around, avoiding his gaze, as i tried to understand what he was talking about. i shook my head as i replied. ¡° not at all. i am not sure why you felt that way.¡± noah sunbae murmured in such a small voice that i almost missed it. ¡°you have been avoiding my eyes since earlier¡­¡­¡± ¡°ah¡­¡­ i wasn¡¯t doing that on purpose.¡± even as i said that, i still couldn¡¯t meet his gaze. it was so strange. an awkward silence ensued once again. ¡°the caramels.¡± noah sunbae moved again, a low voice coming from them. ¡°why do you think i gave them to you?¡± my breath stopped for a second. the question blindsided me, and my heart thumped uneasily. ¡®calm down, be calm. just answer like you¡¯ve always done.¡¯ soon after, i carefully answered in a voice that was completely lacking in confidence. ¡°because sunbae is kind¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­thank you.¡± noah sunbae, who had been standing still with a vacant look on his face, replied awkwardly with his cheeks flushed. does he like hearing that he is kind as a compliment? ¡°you¡¯re welcome.¡± after standing for so long, i felt my body gradually lose strength. frowning at my sore legs, a question came to me all of a sudden. ¡°that¡­ are you and gloria sunbae not on good terms?¡± everytime the two met, there was always a violent undercurrent in the air. it wasn¡¯t some huge problem, but as someone who had no idea what was up between them, i couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°mhmm. it¡¯s just a difference in personalities.¡± noah sunbae hummed, replying with a troubled face. that figured. gloria sunbae was always relaxed and outgoing, while noah sunbae was detached and quiet; they really were not compatible. ¡°i¡¯m sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable.¡± hearing his next words, i looked up at him and smiled. ¡°not at all. it¡¯s almost always gloria sunbae who starts trouble first.¡± notes: [1] ice queen: , a cold beauty Chapter 35.2 come to think of it, gloria sunbae was always the first to pick a fight. but seen in another light, didn¡¯t it mean that they were close? i mean, unless you were an out-and-out bully, you wouldn¡¯t go out of your way to fight with someone that was indifferent to you. i felt a gaze on me and turned my head to find noah sunbae standing still and staring at me. i asked him, smiling uneasily. ¡°what are you doing?¡± sunbae smiled, the corners of his elegant eyes curving. it was such a beautiful smile it shook my heart. ¡°i am just thinking that you look so pretty.¡± ¡­¡­what did he just say? i felt heat rise up my face. i held my flushed face between my hands and lowered my head. soon even my hands became warm. i could feel my heart begin to beat abnormally fast all of a sudden. as i raised my head slowly, noah sunbae was still smiling as brightly as he was a moment ago. ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s sunbae who is beautiful.¡± those were the very words that flowed past my lips as i faced sunbae. i wanted to kill myself. i blinked my eyes for a few seconds. ¡°ah¡­¡­ thank you.¡± sunbae muttered in a shy voice, turning his head away. his long eyelashes trembled, his fair skin, so fair it was almost transparent, flushing at the same time. oh, i¡¯m doomed. i closed my eyes tightly and bit my lips. he really is beautiful. the thumping sound of my heart drummed loudly in my ears. i was worried that sunbae too would be able to hear it, but somehow, i felt that it wasn¡¯t bad being alone with him. * * * * * * ¡°why are the two of you on such bad terms?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°you and noah sunbae, i mean.¡± hearing my question, gloria sunbae blinked for a few moments, before bursting into laughter. ¡°ah, that? hahaha!¡± ¡°don¡¯t just keep laughing.¡± i leaned my back on the bench and pouted. gloria sunbae coughed, before she spoke. ¡°it¡¯s nothing really. we¡¯ve been this way since we were kids. our first meeting was a complete shitshow.¡± she played with my hair that rested on the back of the bench as she continued. ¡°i wanted nothing to do with him, but because of my father, we had marriage talks between our families¡­¡­¡± gloria sunbae paused for a while and stared at me for a while. ¡°we feel nothing for each other, so fret not.¡± ¡°ah, alright.¡± i should have thought of that in the first place. with the two of them fighting like that everytime they meet, could there possibly be any other feelings between the two? ¡°anyway, that was how we met for the first time. the moment i spilt tea on him, do you know what he said? he said he had no intentions of marrying me. all the while reading the book he brought with him.¡± what a cheeky child. gloria sunbae held her stomach as she laughed. ¡°how funny is that? it¡¯s hilarious, isn¡¯t it?¡± however, the sound of her laughter did not interrupt my imagination. a young noah sunbae. he must have been shorter and smaller in frame than he was now. his features would have looked much younger, and his voice must have been different, having not undergone puberty yet. i mumbled to myself in a stupor. ¡°¡­¡­how cute.¡± gloria sunbae¡¯s laughter came to an abrupt end. ¡°yeah, why did i even think i could separate two peas in a pod?¡± [2] she muttered depreciatively to herself. then she asked. ¡°but are you really planning to give up? it seems you still have a lot of feelings left.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ euk.¡± i had nothing to say, as she was right. i chewed on my lips, with my head bowed. ¡°the way i see it, you are in way too deep.¡± no way to refute that either. she was right again. i stared long at the wooden sword sunbae had in her hand, before trying to change the subject. ¡°oh, sunbae, have you decided on swordsmanship now? to join the royal knights?¡± gloria sunbae shook her head calmly. ¡°no, the holy knights.¡± ¡°the holy knights?¡± my eyes grew wide as an image of the world-renowned holy knights came to mind. the holy knights were the armed forces of the sacred temple, a noble and righteous group that guarded the holy empire and the goddess. i looked at gloria sunbae again with my head tilted. noble and righteous¡­? ¡°you will look great in the white uniform.¡± that was all i could say in the end. and i wasn¡¯t lying either. at the moment, she had on just a white shirt, but she looked brilliant in it. ¡°wow, isn¡¯t that too much coming from you?¡± as if she could read my thoughts, gloria sunbae grumbled with pouted lips. ¡°no, really. i think the uniform will suit you perfectly.¡± ¡°oh, really?¡± gloria sunbae smiled, her cheeks blushing. then suddenly, her face grew serious. ¡°hold on, what¡¯s today¡¯s date?¡± ¡°today¡¯s the 4th of august.¡± ¡°i see.¡± i answered unconsciously, and right after, sunbae began to count on her fingers as if calculating something. then she spoke. ¡°my birthday is the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°for real!?¡± i jumped up from the bench, freaking out. ¡°oh no! i had no idea. what should i get you as a gift?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i didn¡¯t get you anything on your birthday either.¡± ¡°but still¡­¡­¡± i made a tearful face, but sunbae patted my shoulder, saying it was alright. ¡°you really don¡¯t have to get me anything.¡± gloria sunbae began twirling some of my hair around her finger. ¡°instead¡­¡­¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°spend the whole day with me instead, on that day, alright?¡± the corners of her eyes curved upwards, the deep blue of them filled with my image. notes: [2] two peas in a pod: , two beans stuck together. i think this is similar to the idiom of mandarin ducks used often in c-novels. Chapter 36.1 gloria sunbae was a good person. she was generous, smiled all the time, and was so easy-going, unlike other high-ranking nobles. but that aside, at times like this, she made me so uncomfortable i could die. ¡°hey, look at her! she is so cute, isn¡¯t she?¡± i avoided the eyes of senior gloria who had her arms around my shoulder, and was laughing as she introduced me as her favourite hoobae. i felt the gazes of the 3rd year sunbaes turn towards me. the academy was a microcosm of society. these people fraternised with people who were of the same class as them, which meant that they knew where they stood in the pecking order. so did i. ¡°ah, really¡­¡­?¡± since the only daughter of the duke had not yet been admitted to the academy, and since noah sunbae was the second son (and not the heir), gloria sunbae was currently the highest-ranked noble in the academy. her blatant favouritism towards a virtual nobody was bound to draw attention. for someone like me who had been living a normal life, only hanging out with people i knew, this was bonkers. ¡°are you sure you¡¯re not bullying her instead? look at her, she looks like she hates this.¡± so said one of the sunbaes, her sharp, pointed gaze turned towards me. i was completely certain that i was smiling. what a fascinating thing for her to say. ¡°oh, come off it. we are very close friends, aren¡¯t we, kate?¡± ¡°ye-es¡­¡­¡± fortunately, the attention focused on me soon dwindled. ¡°that reminds me. are you going to continue with that reading club? it doesn¡¯t seem like you have much to gain from it.¡± one sunbae with pale brown hair said to gloria sunbae, grabbing her hand. another joined in with a smirk. ¡°yeah, are you having fun reading books, writing reviews and what not?¡± what the heck. i frowned slightly. it wasn¡¯t like i had a burning passion for my club, but as a member of the club, i did feel a tiny flame of anger surge within. although i made no rebuttal as to come back at a sunbae of higher ranking than myself would have spelt social death. hmph. they say they¡¯re ¡®socialising¡¯, but all they do is drink tea and gossip day in, day out. ¡°why don¡¯t you join the social club now? i think flora would understand if you told her you were leaving, wouldn¡¯t she? you know how nice she is.¡± and finally, we learn what the goal was. as expected. watching quietly, i glanced at gloria sunbae, trying not to let my discomfort show on my face. you¡¯re not really going to be a traitor and move to another club, are you? contrary to my worries, gloria sunbae replied without hesitation, a brilliant smile on her face. ¡°is there something i stand to gain by joining?¡± ¡°hu- huh?¡± gloria sunbae shrugged her shoulders while rolling her eyes. ¡°you know what i mean. i have no idea who¡¯s even in the club.¡± gloria sunbae was trying for a soft rejection, but that sunbae did not give up and tried to convince her. ¡°but it will be good to make more friends.¡± at that, gloria sunbae, her head tilted to the side, smiled as she muttered to herself. just by looking at how only one corner of her mouth was lifted, i could tell that the smile was full of sarcasm. ¡°why bother¡­¡­?¡± ¡­¡­trying to get to know a bunch of third-rates? that was probably what she meant, right? immediately, the mood in the room plummeted. with an innocent face, gloria sunbae dropped another bomb in the now silent room. ¡°ah, what was your name again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡±?? the corner of the sunbae¡¯s mouth that had been trembling up until that moment completely dropped. ¡°huh, why do all your faces look like that?¡± the moment gloria sunbae asked, as if she didn¡¯t know the reason for their sour mood, the sunbaes changed the looks on their faces. still, the expressions seemed a bit off. i snuck another glance at her face. what a scary person. * * * * * correction: gloria sunbae was a scary person. [1] with me, she hid her claws and acted all cute, but in fact, she is a true predator. ¡°don¡¯t worry about it.¡± after we¡¯d put some distance between ourselves and the group, gloria sunbae said, fiddling with her bangs. ¡°it¡¯s just some kids who would stick to me all the time at parties.¡± ¡°ah.¡± i had also heard strange stories about the capital¡¯s high society from some acquaintances. i grumbled discontentedly. ¡°but why did you bring me there?¡± ¡°i was scared. did you see how poisonous their glares were?¡± you were scarier than them, sunbae. gloria sunbae continued in a tone that said she had been wronged, making more excuses. ¡°but come on, i was with you, and then they came to talk to me first.¡± that was true. you have no idea how surprised i was when they approached while i was walking with sunbae. this wasn¡¯t even the 3rd years¡¯ floor. ¡°plus today is my birthday. you said you would spend all day with me.¡± that too was true. in some way, i was forced, but i did promise her, so it could not be helped. notes: [1] ¡®correction¡¯: the correction here refers to kate¡¯s earlier statement that gloria was a good person. Chapter 36.2 ¡°don¡¯t worry. you think anyone will be able to mess with you? while i am around?¡± ¡°so cheesy¡­¡­¡± i gave a great eye-roll at sunbae¡¯s wink, then handed something to her. ¡°oh, i forgot to give you this.¡± it was a dark blue hardcover notebook. i chose the best one at the store. ¡°happy birthday.¡± ¡°i said not to! ooh, but it¡¯s so pretty. thank you.¡± she smiled broadly, touching the cover of the notebook. ¡°when did you even have the time to buy this?¡± ¡°i had some free time yesterday, so i went to get it.¡± although, if i had known [about her birthday] earlier, i would have prepared a better gift. i was a bit ashamed to have given her a notebook bought in a hurry at the stationery store next to the academy as a present. sunbae must have received a lot of better presents, wouldn¡¯t she? ¡°hold on. why isn¡¯t anyone saying happy birthday to you? none of those sunbaes from earlier said anything.¡± i tilted my head at the sudden thought. ¡°they have no interest in my birthday. they probably don¡¯t even know it¡¯s today.¡± although i didn¡¯t tell them. gloria sunbae went on, the notebook cradled carefully in her arms. ¡°basically, only you and flora have given me birthday presents this year.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°oh, come to think of it, why didn¡¯t that punk give me anything?¡± gloria sunbae said abruptly in a grumbling voice. ¡°yep, i should go demand a present from noah.¡± ¡°i think you see him as a pushover.¡± ¡°well, he is indeed rude. but he¡¯s not a bad person, right?¡± is that so? soon, she inclined her head to the side. what is she thinking now? ¡°you know what? shall i help you?¡± ¡°sorry?¡± ¡°you said you wanted to let go. i¡¯ll help you.¡± gloria sunbae swept away her dishevelled hair and laughed brightly, her red lips curving upwards. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°how peculiar. there has never been anyone who hasn¡¯t fallen when i did this.¡± seeing that i stood still with no reaction, she said, taken aback. i covered my mouth and laughed. ¡°sunbae, you are acting just like the male lead of one romance novel i read when i was 13.¡± ¡°huh, a romance novel¡¯s male lead? so you mean i¡¯m cool?¡± ¡°don¡¯t just pick and choose what you want to hear.¡± ¡°hey, that¡¯s too much.¡± gloria sunbae grumbled at my admonishment, her lips pouted. ¡°so what are you going to do?¡± ¡°what am i going to do about what?¡± ¡°flora said that people don¡¯t think of anything when they are with me.¡± and that¡¯s a good thing? i frowned doubtfully. ¡°aren¡¯t you just asking me to continue hanging out with you?¡± ¡°oh, you caught me.¡± sunbae poked my cheeks as she laughed. it was such a bright, carefree smile. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll stay with you.¡± ¡°yes!¡± she chattered on, with her hand around my neck. ¡°can i come to your class? or shall we go to the cafeteria?¡± ¡°yes, okay, but are you going to pay for me?¡± as sunbae pulled me down the corridors, i saw noah sunbae. the moment he saw me, sunbae¡¯s face was coloured with joy. his golden eyes twinkled. ahhh. he looked so radiant that my eyes narrowed. ¡°hey! hand over my present!¡± ¡°hello to you.¡± ¡°¡­and my words have fallen on deaf ears.¡± gloria sunbae muttered with an angry face. i bowed slightly to greet noah sunbae. ¡°hmmm.¡± gloria sunbae in front of me hummed like she was pondering something. as i stood worrying if i had greeted noah sunbae properly, and whether i should greet him again, that was when it happened. smooch. suddenly, cold lips touched my cheek. ¡°?!¡± what, what was that!? i hurriedly rubbed my cheek and looked back, only to see gloria sunbae grinning like a cheshire cat. ah, what the heck. was she up to her pranks again? now that i was used to sunbae¡¯s eccentricity, i wasn¡¯t even surprised that she kissed me on my cheeks. she hugged my shoulders, and was smiling while looking somewhere. her gaze was pointed at where noah sunbae stood, looking confused. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± i made eye contact with noah sunbae, who startled and turned around, only to hit a pillar as he walked away. ¡°oh no.¡± ¡°pffft.¡± unlike my worried expression, gloria sunbae was holding on to her stomach as she laughed, almost tipping over. she had been snickering earlier, but now her voice had gone up an octave, her laughter loud and harsh. i could not understand what could possibly be that funny. what exactly was the point of her laughter? ¡°serves him right.¡± she murmured as she wiped the tears that had flowed down her face because of how hard she had laughed. noah sunbae walked away, his steps staggered. ¡°alright, don¡¯t worry about that idiot. let¡¯s carry on.¡± ¡°what was that, sunbae? why are you doing this?¡± i looked back at gloria sunbae, feeling confused. as always, she replied with a smile. ¡°why don¡¯t you call me unni instead? until when are you going to carry on calling me sunbae?¡± ¡°huh?¡± what nonsense was she on now? i felt my face become contorted. ¡°why are you suddenly changing the subject? that¡¯s unnerving.¡± ¡°huh? it¡¯s nothing, the thought just came to me. come on, just call me unni, okay? it¡¯s my birthday afterall.¡± i stared at the pillar noah sunbae had hit and mumbled to myself. ¡°i wonder if he¡¯s okay.¡± don¡¯t worry. he won¡¯t even be able to talk to you for a good while.¡± gloria sunbae smiled confidently at my mumbling. ¡°i¡¯ve basically set up a do not disturb for you.¡± [2] she played with my cheeks, showing a sly smile. wow¡­¡­ how corny. i pulled sunbae¡¯s arm with a cold face as i walked forward. ¡°yes, okay, shall we now head to the cafeteria, unni?¡± ¡°unni? unni!? did you just call me unni!? ah, my wishes have been fulfilled.¡± i ignored the noise that came from behind me notes: [2] do not disturb: ; the word is of buddhist origin, and it refers to an area where monks stay to meditate without unnecessary things (even food and clothing). now the word has entered common parlance, and has come to mean a sort of shield that blocks things you don¡¯t want. gloria means that noah will not come looking for kate for the foreseeable future. Chapter 37.1 noah ground his teeth as he thought about what had just happened. it was a bit far, but he was sure he had seen it. she kissed her. when gloria embraced katelin and patted her cheeks, gloria¡¯s lips moved. ¡®i told you i would take her from you.¡¯ his heart sank. he wasn¡¯t sure he had even had the right to feel this way, but his heart felt like it had been torn apart. he was upset, jealous, and even felt nauseous. every one of those emotions was loathsome. this¡­¡­ this was not okay. he didn¡¯t want to burden her. ¡°what are you doing standing there? hand over my birthday present.¡± gloria approached noah who was leaning against the wall, chewing on the snacks in her hand. she sounded just like a highway bandit. come to think of it, it was indeed her birthday. his golden eyes frowned as she interrupted his thoughts. ¡°my present. give it.¡± gloria harped on, repeating the same words like a parrot, before giving up. she clicked her tongue. ¡°i guess i should be glad you didn¡¯t give me a birthday punch at the very least.¡± [1] noah ignored gloria¡¯s incomprehensible words as usual and replied. ¡°¡­¡­i¡¯ll give it to you later.¡± ¡°so fierce.¡± after gloria exclaimed meaninglessly, a moment of silence ensued. noah stared at her and said in a dry tone: ¡°¡­¡­what¡¯s going on between you two?¡± what is he on about? gloria blinked for a moment at the unexpected remark, licked off the powder around her mouth left from the snack, and smiled insidiously. ¡°ha ha ha.¡± wicked laughter rolled from her lips. ¡°why don¡¯t you ask kate yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°you have fallen, fallen so, so deeply.¡± noah gave her a sharp glare, at which gloria murmured, shaking her head. ¡°can you now tell me how this came to be? what exactly happened while i was studying abroad?¡± ¡°move.¡± noah spat coldly and walked past her. gloria clicked her tongue as if disappointed. ¡°poor guy.¡± but my cutie doesn¡¯t like you, so what can i do? give it your best then. gloria shrugged, placed her hands in her pockets and went her way. * * * i paused from the book i had been reading quietly and looked at the door of the club room. through the window, i could see a silver head of hair going back and forth. noah sunbae was tall so anyone could look up and see him. what is he doing? i stood up, looking confused, and approached the door. i guessed i should say hi. even though our last meeting had ended on an embarrassing note. ¡°hello, sunbae.¡± as soon as i opened the door, sunbae trembled like a fish out of water. ¡°he- hello.¡± he- hello? why is he stammering? my brow wrinkled as i stepped back from the door so sunbae could enter. he passed by me and took a seat, but didn¡¯t even seem able to make eye contact with me, unlike before. but why does something feel weird? i turned my head and met noah sunbae¡¯s eyes. after opening and closing his mouth a few times, sunbae finally spoke, as if he had made up his mind to. ¡°uhm, this might sound rude, but what is your relationship¡­¡­ with gloria?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable,¡± he added hastily, his golden eyes darting here and there. ¡®what is he talking about?¡¯ i frowned unconsciously. ¡°she is just a sunbae to me¡­¡­ just a close¡­ sunbae.¡± it was only after answering that i grasped the intent of his question. with my face flushed, i stammered and asked him. ¡°did- did you think that gloria sunbae and i had¡­ that kind of relationship?¡± because gloria sunbae pecked my cheeks? but isn¡¯t that something girls do as a joke? and don¡¯t the nobles do it too? wait, then what does gloria sunbae think? as myriad thoughts ran through my mind, noah sunbae, whose face had loosened a bit, spoke. ¡°¡­¡­so it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°that is quite¡­¡­ open-minded of you. but it¡¯s really not.¡± i glanced at him as i continued. ¡°i like¡­¡­ men.¡± ¡°. . . . . .¡± ahh, come on, what the heck is wrong with me? because of my near-confession, the atmosphere became awkward. noah sunbae ahh-ed, and fell into an awkward silence. i tried to conceal the corners of my mouth that were beginning to curve upwards. aww¡­ he is a bit of a dork, but he is cute. wow, i have got it bad. [2] i tapped the floor with the sole of my shoes. ¡°mmm, got it.¡± noah sunbae smiled broadly. like realllyy wide. so broadly his warm-coloured eyes curved into crescents. i got distracted by that look of his. i couldn¡¯t help it. until now, i had never seen noah sunbae smile that widely. his smile was as pure as a flower blooming in the spring, and as refreshing as sprays of water from a fountain on a hot summer day. aackk! it was a face that made you realise how unfair the world was every time you saw it. i clutched at my thudding heart and turned my head away. these days, i seemed to be discovering sides of noah sunbae that i had never known before. like how he liked romance novels, how he liked sweets, and how he had a slightly fierce side to him too. it was all very cute. pat. i slapped my cheeks lightly. get a hold of yourself. i sighed as i tossed my bangs, and then looked up at sunbae. what kind of thoughts were running through his head right now? i hoped he was thinking of me just as much as i was thinking of him. i mean, it was unfair for him not to think of me at all when my head was filled with him. notes: [1] ¡®birthday punch¡­¡¯: ; this is when friends hit you on your birthday. at my secondary school, it was done the night before, and you would get chased around throughout study time. fun times. [2] ¡®have got it bad¡¯: ; means a severe case of an illness; the love bug in her case. Chapter 37.2 i hope he¡¯s thinking of me. that was the sentence i had thought of the most during this one year of unrequited love. but could there be a chance for sunbae and me? we could get along as acquaintances, but honestly, even i did not think we would make a good couple. not because i didn¡¯t like him, but because we were from different classes. noah sunbae was the son of a prestigious family in the capital, while i was the daughter of a lord from the outskirts. our difference in status was so big as to be galactic. there was even a rumour that he had been nominated for the position of imperial wizard. if that was true, we would be separated once he graduated. let¡¯s say things worked out for us and we were able to get married. i have to carry on the family line [as the only child]. but would someone like noah sunbae agree to marry into my family? would marquis yuriel even agree to let him marry me? [3] ¡­¡­ah, here i am getting ahead of myself again. what am i even doing? i said i would give up. i awkwardly twisted my hair. was i really thinking of sunbae and me getting married? how embarrassing was that? just in time, other sunbaes arrived and i banished my flights of fancy. * * * flora sunbae seemed to be in a good mood these days. things must be going really well between her and her partner. i turned around as i watched her go farther away, holding her boyfriend¡¯s hand. i felt a little heartsore thinking of the day when she would be sad, but there was nothing i could do about it. ¡°it¡¯s a bird¡­¡­¡± did it fly into the academy? it was so pretty. maybe the blue-feathered bird wasn¡¯t scared of me, as it sat on a tree branch and didn¡¯t fly off. ¡°good heavens!¡± i jumped as i bumped into noah sunbae, who was standing next to me. when did he get here? soon i collected myself and turned towards him. ¡°hi,¡± he said. ¡°are you bird-watching too, sunbae?¡± ¡°mhmm.¡± ¡°you must like animals then.¡± ¡°i do.¡± of course. people who like animals are never bad people. as i nodded my head with conviction, the bird flew off the branch, coming to seat on noah sunbae¡¯s shoulder. then it began to chirp. ¡°whoa! what is that, is it magic?¡± or do animals too look at how attractive people are before they approach? i approached sunbae, wondering to myself, only for the bird to fly away. ¡°oh¡­¡­¡± right as i was looking at the departed bird with a disappointed face ¨C ¡°!¡± i suddenly felt some strange object on my shirt. it felt like something had entered and was moving inside my shirt, causing me to tremble. ¡°what- what is that? is it a bug?¡± i asked noah sunbae who was behind me in a trembling voice. he in turn answered in a slightly nervous voice. ¡°no, just a leaf.¡± ¡°phew.¡± i sighed in relief, my body relaxing. i had thought it was a bug and almost screamed my lungs out in front of noah sunbae. ¡°ugh.¡± i reached towards my back trying to remove the leaf that had entered my shirt, but it didn¡¯t go as i¡¯d wanted. ¡®¡­¡­damn it, why is my arm so short?¡¯ ¡°i¡¯ll¡­¡­ i¡¯ll help you.¡± as i struggled, despairing over my arms¡¯ insufficient length, noah sunbae approached. his breathing sounded irregular, as if he was nervous. i could tell because i felt his breath on my neck. it brushed over the fine hairs on the back of my neck, making me tingle. ah, someone save me. i closed my eyes, feeling short of breath. what if even my neck turns red? the tips of sunbae¡¯s fingers touched the back of my neck. i stood still as a statue as all my muscles tensed, but only a moment later, noah sunbae moved away from me, having taken out the leaf. i must have mistaken where the leaf was. had it been attached to my collar? ¡°i- i¡¯ll be going now.¡± i said to sunbae before hurrying off, holding onto the back of my neck as i walked. ¡°ar-¡­¡­¡± passing by the boys¡¯ dressing room, i saw a familiar head of red hair and wanted to wave hello. but i awkwardly lowered my hand in the end. why¡­¡­ why was he so underdressed? arkhan had taken off his top clothing. it must have been because there was no one around. maybe he had been just about to put on his clothes after a shower, which would explain why several of his buttons were undone and why his collar was wide open. in between, his bare skin and his deep-set collarbones were showing. wow. wow. arkhan, who was sweeping up his half-dried hair, looked my way and screamed. ¡°ahhh!¡± the sound was deafening. arkhan cleared his throat, turned around to button up as he asked. ¡°you saw, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°no, nothing. really, ¡± i stammered as i answered. arkhan¡¯s face turned red while he covered his chest with his two hands as though he had been molested. he seemed to think that i had seen him when he was completely undressed. i felt like i had become a pervert. notes: [3] ¡®marry in¡¯: ; in some cultures, a man can marry into a woman¡¯s family instead. this would mean that he would live with her family, and their children would have the woman¡¯s surname. this was usually done if the woman was the only child and they needed someone to carry on the family name. Chapter 38.1 feeling like i had acted like a pervert, i waved my hands furiously. ¡°nothing at all. really. i just arrived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­really?¡± arkhan¡¯s brows wrinkled in doubt at the look of mortification on my face. ¡°yeah, i swear.¡± i nodded strongly, before asking the question that had just popped into my head. ¡°but why are you changing here?¡± ¡°i left my shirt outside.¡± arhan grumbled, saying that he had not expected anyone to be here. i scratched my head and nodded as i said, ¡°oh, got it.¡± the atmosphere grew awkward as we stood. cough, cough. i cleared my throat a couple of times, while turning my head. my hand unconsciously moved to hold the back of my neck. ¡°why do you keep scratching your neck? did you get bitten by a mosquito?¡± ¡°hmm? ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± my reply sounded suspicious, even to me. but there was no way i could tell him that all i could think of was sunbae touching the back of my neck. ¡°here.¡± sitting on the bench, arkhan laid out his coat on the bench for me. ¡°oh, thank you,¡± i said, carefully sitting atop the coat. a nice, refreshing breeze blew as we sat on the bench chit-chatting. ¡°that reminds me, do you know gloria sunbae? you are in the same faculty.¡± in the department of swordsmanship, the students often trained and competed together, so even students in different grades had a lot of interactions with each other. ¡°of course. she is quite famous, afterall. i trained with her once, and i swear, i thought i was going to die.¡± arkhan shuddered slightly as he spoke. ¡°really? do you want me to scold her for you?¡± ¡°you, noona? scold her?¡± at my confident words, arkhan scrunched up his face, as if he was saying, ¡®don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡¯ this little bastard. ¡°you too know each other.¡± ¡°yeah, same club.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± arkhan, who had been guzzling water, paused and frowned. he gulped down the rest of the water and tossed several questions at me in succession. ¡°you¡¯re in the same club? the book discussion club? that gloria sunbae?¡± ¡°yes, i know, she doesn¡¯t seem like the type to. but she¡¯s pretty good.¡± different from how she might come off, gloria sunbae was very forthright and sincere. i¡¯d thought she was bumming around at first, but she always read the books and commented well on them too. ¡°wow, who would¡¯ve thought?¡± arkhan said, his crimson eyes frowning. ¡°but why the book club though?¡± he continued. ¡°there is a swordsmanship club too.¡± ¡°who knows? i even wondered whether it was because of me.¡± i tilted my head as i spoke, a small laugh escaping my lips. it might be narcissistic of me, but it was true that, to gloria sunbae, i had become an existence she couldn¡¯t live without. ugh, it sounds weird even just thinking about it. ¡°sunbae is a bit unusual, but she is quite fun,¡± i said with a small smile. next to me, arkhan frowned and hummed. ¡°hmm.¡± ¡°why are you making that face?¡± i asked while pinching his cheeks. arkhan feigned pain and rubbed his cheeks. ¡°it just feels like i¡¯ve got more competitors.¡± ¡°what are you on about now? it¡¯s not like i can¡¯t hang out with you because i¡¯m friends with her,¡± i said, chuckling while ruffling his hair. ¡°oh, earlier, i saw a bird in the back gardens over there.¡± i tapped arkhan on the shoulder and continued, remembering the blue bird that had flown away earlier. ¡°do you remember? when we were kids, you hit a bird¡¯s nest with your slingshot and broke the baby bird¡¯s leg. then we carried it all the way to the village while crying. that bird was a blue bird too.¡± arkhan laughed as he replied, ¡°how could i ever forget that?¡± ¡°grandma fixed the bird up in the end.¡± that memory opened the floodgates, and we continued talking about our childhood. ¡°you know¡­¡­¡± arkhan fiddled with my hair, smiled and said. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, noona, would you like to meet here some other time? our encounters are always so irregular.¡± ¡°oh, sounds good. i always pass by here on the days i have book club.¡± ¡°in front of the boys¡¯ changing room?¡± arkhan asked, his eyes narrowed. i rolled my eyes and replied sullenly. ¡°i mean, that just happens to be where the road is.¡± ¡°all right, all right,¡± arkhan said, smiling playfully. then he waved. ¡°see you next time, then.¡± * * * whenever i passed by the academy¡¯s back gardens, i always felt like i had become a royal or something. it was the most majestic of the academy¡¯s corridors, and the gardens right beside it were as well maintained as the gardens in any noble mansion. i walked ahead with light steps, hugging the book in my hand to myself. the cool breeze fluttered my hair and put me in a good mood. but right then¡­¡­ i heard a faint sound; it sounded like a baby crying, but also like an animal whining. scared, i turned around, trying to find the source of the sound, but there was nothing. ¡°hmm.¡± was it just an auditory hallucination? i rubbed my ears, frowning. it was probably nothing. but a few seconds later, i heard the sound again. ¡­¡­no way. i recalled the ghost stories that had been shared around the academy. it was said that, once upon a time, a student had fallen into the pond in the back gardens, and if anyone passed through the back gardens on their own, that student would appear and drag them into the pond. or some cock-and-bull story like that. the pond wasn¡¯t even deep enough for a person to drown in, and was not so stupid as to believe in ghosts. so i¡¯d always laughed it off and continued on my way. now, i remembered that ghost story and chills ran down my spine. Chapter 38.2 i tried my best to ignore it and go on, but i heard the sound yet again. but this time, the source of the sound was clear. ¡°meow.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­a cat?¡± my eyes opened wide, i ran quickly to where the sound emanated from. in the bushes, i found a cat trying to wriggle its way out, its white fur stained with mud. ¡°oh dear, how did you get here, a cute baby like you?¡± i approached the cat carefully and squatted, unable to stop myself from trying to pet the cat. the cat, whose bright yellow eyes had just been staring at me, suddenly rose and walked off to some other place. the cat was headed to where noah sunbae was standing, a surprised look on his face. whoa, when did he get here. we seem to run into each other a lot these days. ¡°meow.¡± the cat rubbed cutely against sunbae¡¯s leg. even its tail was moving from side to side. with a blank face, i pulled myself up from my squat. ¡°sunbae? is this¡­¡­ do you know this cat?¡± ¡°¡­¡­no. i¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± as if embarrassed, he stroked the cat for a moment.. the cat purred from his gentle and soft touch. i stared at him with bright eyes. this had happened even the last time he came to my fief. he seemed quite used to handling animals. i wondered if he had raised one before. ¡°you are quite skilled at handling it, sunbae.¡± ¡°my younger sister had a cat when we were kids, and i helped her look after it sometimes.¡± ¡°ah.¡± i am not sure about dogs, but i have heard that cats are a little hard to take care of. i bent down to look at the cat and sunbae. the cat was still rubbing against sunbae¡¯s trouser legs, while noah sunbae himself was looking down at the cat with a gentle smile. ¡°¡­..so cute.¡± ¡°the cat, i mean,¡± i tacked on hurriedly. i felt a bit embarrassed after saying that. ¡°do you want to touch it?¡± ¡°oh, would that be okay?¡± after hesitating for a long time, i reached out carefully. but the moment my fingertips touched the fluffy fur¡­¡­ ¡°ouch!¡± the cat had clearly been quiet up until then. but now it was hissing fiercely, and the back of my hand was stinging. i lower my hand frowning. the wound was not deep, but i did feel a little sad. why are you discriminating? you were acting cute with sunbae just a moment ago. as soon as the sound of other students approaching came, the sly cat disappeared into the bushes. of the two of us who were squatting and panicking, noah sunbae to gather his wits. he grabbed my hand with a pale face, pulled me up and took me to the infirmary. as if he was planning to treat my wound himself, sunbae grabbed several items. ¡°ah, it¡¯s al¡­¡­¡± it¡¯s alright. that was what i was going to say, but i shut my mouth once i saw sunbae¡¯s face. his long eyelashes were shaking, and at first glance, i could tell he was feeling guilty. so i sat quietly on the sick bed. i held out my hand, and disinfectant covered the wound. i winced at the pain and rapped on the bed like crazy with my other hand. the hand that had been pouring the disinfectant paused for a moment, and as a result, the disinfectant flowed down and wet my arm. ¡°¡­¡­ah, i¡¯m sorry.¡± noah sunbae soon came to his senses, quickly picked up a piece of fabric from the shelves and wiped my arm. i tried as much as i could to hold back my groans until he finished applying the ointment and bandaged my hand. i couldn¡¯t ask sunbae if it was really necessary to put the bandage on, given that his face was so grave, as if he was dealing with some difficult problem. my hand was covered in so many wraps of bandage that it looked like a swollen bun. thankfully, i could still hold a pen, but only just barely. ¡°i am sorry,¡± noah sunbae said, his face ridden with guilt. ¡°hmm? it was the cat that scratched me. why are you apologising, sunbae?¡± ¡°i was the one who told you to touch it¡­¡­ i thought it was gentle.¡± i felt slightly embarrassed. it felt like i was being over-protected. but it¡¯s really alright. one could easily fall and get hurt, or roll down the stairs. i had experienced all of that. being scratched by a cat was nothing. but come to think of it, noah sunbae was a young master from a great noble family, so things like this must have seemed like a big injury to him. ¡°if you are worried that it would scar, you can also go to flora,¡± he added carefully, as he was still worried. ah, that was true. flora sunbae had divine power. but wasn¡¯t it a bit too much to use such great powers for a cat scratch¡­¡­ in the end, i nodded my head. ¡°ah, okay. i will.¡± * * * when dora heard that i had gotten scratched, she had come running. but her face relaxed when i told her it was a cat. ¡°cats are like that sometimes. but where was the cat?¡± ¡°wow, just look at how your attitude changed.¡± i clicked my tongue at how she was thinking of the cat even before her own friend. she stared at my hand, asking who had done such a terrible wrapping job. then she asked. ¡°by the way, you seem to be getting injured a lot these days.¡± ¡°mhmm. but thankfully, sunbae applied some medicine to it.¡± hearing my happy reply, dora shook her head. ¡°this crazy girl¡­¡­ are you really okay?¡± i chuckled at her concern-filled question, before answering. ¡°yeah, i seem to have gone a little crazy.¡± Chapter 39.1 ¡°sunbae, come this way.¡± gloria sunbae was walking by with a serious face. i grabbed her hand and led her towards the back gardens. ¡°what is it?¡± sunbae asked, her curiosity visible on her face. ¡°ta-da!¡± when we arrived at the back gardens, i smiled while pointing at the familiar bushes. as if saying hello, the white cat meowed at me. ¡°aww.¡± i covered my mouth, feeling touched. maybe the cat felt sorry for scratching me the other day; now that we had become close, it would always come to me first. ¡°whoa, it¡¯s a kitty! i love cats!¡± gloria sunbae¡¯s serious face had melted away, and she was now patting the fluffy cat with a mushy look on her face. hold on, why are you staying still? i glared at the cat that was meekly accepting pets from gloria sunbae. ¡°but the academy¡­¡­ i don¡¯t know if we are allowed to keep pets here.¡± ¡°i am not raising it. i just see it here everytime i pass by. it¡¯s amazing, it doesn¡¯t seem scared of people. ah!.¡± i pursed my lips, disappointed, as i looked at the cat that ran off into a corner of the bushed the moment i raised my hand towards it. ¡°it only hates when i touch it. the other time, it followed noah sunbae everywhere.¡± ¡°ah. i see.¡± as i grumbled, gloria sunbae crossed her arms and mumbled. ¡°animals love that guy. like he¡¯s snow white or something,¡± she griped, her hand cupping her chin now. ¡°who¡¯s snow white?¡± ¡°just some random person,¡± she half-heartedly answered, before carrying on. ¡°even my cat acts cute only when it sees him. i have raised it for 8 years, and i have never seen even a hint of aegyo from that cat.¡± [1] ¡°umm¡­¡­¡± that¡¯s probably just instinct, isn¡¯t it? i once heard that animals like pretty things too. the next moment, i looked at gloria sunbae with wide eyes and asked, ¡°sunbae, you have a cat?¡± ¡°yeah, i do. a very chubby one, with a terrible attitude. to be precise, it¡¯s my mum¡¯s. she said it was better to raise it than having some sorry excuse for an offspring.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡­¡± i pretended not to have heard the family details that had come up suddenly and turned my head. but gloria sunbae, being mischievous as she was, smiled naughtily and went even further. ¡°my family is just a long, cringey soap opera. probably everyone knows.¡± [2] ¡°oh.¡± is it okay to say that? unexpectedly finding myself learning about sunbae¡¯s family, i was astonished, but i continued listening carefully. ¡°i have two younger siblings, both of whom are so cute.¡± sunbae told me she had two younger half-siblings, and that growing up, the relationship between her parents had not been good. as she spoke, she smiled cheerfully, as if it was no big deal. ¡°sunbae, you¡­¡­¡± are you okay? i had wanted to ask that as soon as she finished, but i decided to keep my mouth shut instead. before she had said she was reborn or something, which i didn¡¯t completely believe. but it did mean she was an adult on the inside. so there was no point asking if growing up in such an environment was difficult for her. ¡°it must have been very hard.¡± although i thought so on the inside, my mouth seemed to move of its own free will and uttered those words. at the unexpected words, sunbae blinked, so i made a hasty excuse. ¡°i didn¡¯t mean that like i¡¯m pitying you, so don¡¯t take it the wrong way.¡± ¡°haha,¡± she laughed, stroking my hair. ¡°kate, you are such a sweet child.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± as soon as i replied, she murmured grimly. ¡°which is why it would be such a waste to let noah have you.¡± things were going so well; what is she saying now? i feigned a smile in response. we had been squatting, and now some of the books i had in my hands fell. ¡°can i take a look?¡± ¡°sure.¡± when gloria sunbae picked up the books and asked, i nodded easily. the notebook had some important personal research written in it, but since the research was still in early stages, it was fine for gloria sunbae to take a look. ¡°wow¡­¡­ this looks difficult.¡± she frowned as she looked at the bevy of formulae, text and magic circles, and said her head hurt. obviously, it would be difficult. magic wasn¡¯t something you invoked just by snapping your fingers. i pointed at the magic circle pattern and said, ¡°i am trying to find a way to interlock two squares so that they turn together.¡± ¡°ah, for a practical skill evaluation.¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not for evaluation. i am personally interested in this field. i might continue researching it.¡± i hugged the notebook after she returned it to me. ¡°but it¡¯s¡­¡­ well, it¡¯s a very new field, so there is very little material to refer to, and it¡¯s also hard to implement. i am having a bit of a hard time.¡± ¡°really?¡± as i sighed, gloria sunbae patted my back and gave me some advice. ¡°in that case, why don¡¯t you ask your sunbae for some help. i think you have quite a large framework, and already have the theory down. wouldn¡¯t it be okay to get a little help? you said it was for your own studies, not for evaluation.¡± ¡°sunbae? you do magic?¡± ¡°no, not me.¡± when i asked suspiciously, she smiled subtly. ¡°you know there¡¯s a magic genius around you.¡± i gave a short sound upon hearing her. ¡°ah.¡± * * * notes: [1] aegyo: ; acting cute and charming. according to naver open dictionary, it is ¡°most often used to describe the affectionate mannerisms of a woman toward her male friends, boyfriend or husband.¡± [2] long, cringey soap opera: ; i think this is the equivalent of ¡®dog-blood¡¯ used often in c-novels. think of those k-dramas where the daughter is lost, loses her memory, found and then disinherited or something like that. best makjang scene that comes to mind is the kimchi slap (lmao). Chapter 39.2 magic is invoked through magic circles, but drawing the circles is not all there is to it. magic also involves controlling the spell continuously, and maintaining the magic circle. there were formulas, text, spell sequence, and the outlines and forms of magic circles that were different for every field. when using magic, one had to consider various factors and know how to use them without constraint, which was why magic had been recognized as a subject of its own. that aside, possessing magic was such a rare constitution, such that for every ten people, there was barely one person who possessed it. and even among those, it was rare to find people who had the title of magician. in this age, when research on magic circles was at an all-time high, there had already been many theories put forward on how magic circles can be spun automatically using magic stones. however, those theories were unrealistic and somewhat inefficient, so they had only been touched on briefly during class. i began explaining to noah sunbae who was sitting quietly and listening attentively. ¡°as you know, without magic stones or mana stones, it is difficult to maintain a magic circle for a long time unless it is engraved on a magic tool, and you also cannot make it spin on its own.¡± magic stones were found in nature and were rare, while mana stones were made by skilled magicians. with either of the two, it was possible to draw a magic circle that worked automatically. theoretically speaking, that is. however, finding a magic stone or a mana stone was almost impossible, like picking a star from the sky, and inscribing formulas also required a lot of technical skill. so actually implementing it was difficult, not to talk of commercialising it. i¡¯d heard that in the royal family, they had made a carriage that ran on magic stones, but it was possible because it was literally the royal family, which had lots of money to burn. at the very beginning, magic was a privilege only the nobles had access to. the common folk could not even see magic tools or circles, talk less of trying magic. i took a deep breath and continued talking. ¡°that¡¯s why i am drawing additional auxiliary magic circles that supply mana.¡± chain sequence magic circles. it was an already existing form, but the connection formula was extremely complicated, so such circles were seldom used. noah sunbae¡¯s golden eyes grew bright as he listened. ¡°it is composed so that the mana inside the supply circles can flow properly into the main magic circle.¡± as i continued my quiet voice grew stronger. ¡°so even without the user controlling it, it can operate automatically. even if you don¡¯t have magic stones, mana stones, or some amazing technology.¡± after finishing my presentation, i coughed light and examined sunbae¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­¡­how does it sound?¡± ¡°it is a great idea.¡± noah sunbae nodded with a smile. but soon after, his face straightened and touched his chin in seriousness. ¡°to do so, you¡¯ll have to make sure that there is a clear connection. you¡¯ll need to consider the speed and quantity of mana, and find a way to input mana into the [supply] circle.¡± ¡°yes, i will have to do some more calculations.¡± i took a notebook out of the bunch i had in hand. as it was a chain of circles, the formula was as complex as one would expect. but since the amount of natural mana was not so great, it was easy for someone like me who was accustomed to doing calculations. ¡°that¡¯s why i made a big outline.¡± noah sunbae, who took the notebook from me, frowned slightly as he carefully looked through it. as he loosened his neck tie, rubbed his forehead and exhaled, my eyes followed his movements. wow, he looks so sexy when he concentrates. i cleared my throat and waited with bated breath for him to finish. ¡°¡­¡­is this right?¡± he swung his hand a few times and a number of gold lights coalesced in the air, forming a magic circle. after checking its shape, i nodded. ¡°yes, it is.¡± the main circle was made with simple luminescence magic. what was crucial was the supply circles. i wondered whether my rudimentary outline was enough to adequately materialise the circle design. after a few more seconds, the magic circle suddenly began to shine even brighter. ¡°¡­¡­wow.¡± i was the one who thought up the idea and did the calculations, but sunbae was now the first to succeed. but there was such a great difference between our skills that i couldn¡¯t even be jealous. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± even though sunbae put down his hand, the magic circle remained the same. i almost screamed with excitement. but just as i was holding my breath and having a party inside my head, the magic circle that had been turning quite well made a sound and went out. ¡°it doesn¡¯t last very long.¡± of course, given that the formula was still incomplete. but it meant that there was value in continuing the research! i looked at sunbae with shining eyes. ¡°sunbae, if it¡¯s okay with you, would you like to do the research with me? i will handle all the calculations, and all you¡¯ll have to do is try it out. i will put your name down too.¡± ¡°you thought up the idea, so it should have your name on it,¡± he said, before continuing. ¡°i¡¯ll just help you.¡± ¡°why¡­¡­¡± i wanted to ask what his reason was, but stopped and held back the rest of the question. why ask ¡®why¡¯? it must be because he finds it interesting, no? ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll ask for your help once the formula is complete.¡± i frowned for a while, wondering whether to ask my question. then, twiddling my fingers, i stammered and said: ¡°sunbae, are you by any chance free this weekend?¡± Chapter 40.1 ¡°where are you going?¡± the sound of a wrapper rustling came as dora ate her snack. she looked at me with raised eyebrows, wondering why i was neatly dressed even though it was the weekend. i smoothed my hair, slurring the end of my sentence as i spoke. ¡°uh, i¡­¡­ noah sunbae is helping me with something.¡± ¡°if you are wearing that to go see the person you have a crush on, i¡¯m cutting all ties with you starting today,¡± dora spat after examining my outfit. i was wearing my freshly laundered school uniform. the shirt was blindingly white, like it was new, and the skirt was neat too. i therefore saw no reason for her to be so indignant. ¡°is it that bad? what¡¯s wrong with wearing this?¡± the school uniform was neat and nice. i fiddled with my tie, doing my best to avoid dora¡¯s gaze. ¡°i don¡¯t like that sunbae much¡­¡­ but this is not it. this uniform is just not it! it¡¯s the weekend, not even a weekday!¡± dora cried out as she shook off the snack grumbles on her hand. then she grabbed me by the neck. ¡°at the very least, you should wear what you usually wear when we go out together. come here.¡± ¡°hold on, hold on. please make it look like i didn¡¯t spend hours thinking about it,¡± i begged, instinctively knowing what she had in mind. but dora was relentless. it wouldn¡¯t be good if i was the only one dolled up. in the end, feeling her touch my face, i just closed my eyes. * * * my white skirt fluttered gently in the wind. dora had said she would make me the ultimate version of myself, and as if proving her right, i could feel a number of people turning around to look my way. [1] feeling embarrassed, i shook my head and grabbed my bag tighter. what had that girl, dora, put on my lips? i shook my head again as i thought of dora who had laid the product thick on my lips while saying that it was an item fresh off the production line. when i rubbed my lips, slightly frustrated, an excessive pink colour, one that didn¡¯t suit me, came off on my finger. i turned my head and looked at my reflection in the store window. a girl with curly blonde hair looked back at me, her green eyes blinking. it was a face i saw everyday, but something was different this time. it was a little¡­¡­ pretty? ehh, what am i saying? staring at my face for no reason, i smiled and turned my head in embarrassment. ¡°you came early.¡± that was when i heard noah sunbae¡¯s voice coming from behind me. turning my head, i greeted him and took a look at his outfit. he was in plain clothing, not uniform. his pure silver hair was in a low ponytail¡­¡­ wow, the black shirt was unexpected, but he looked great in it too. wow, it would have been a mess if i had won my uniform. thank you, dora. i felt relief inside as i looked at noah sunbae with a dopey face. ¡°he-hello.¡± noah sunbae¡¯s eyes turned to my outfit. ¡°your clothes¡­¡­¡± i hurriedly waved my hands as i made an excuse. ¡°ah, i didn¡¯t dress up for this. i have another appointment later this evening¡­¡­¡± your lips are pink. it¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°huh?¡± sunbae touched my lips and smiled. i could hear a dumb sound flow from my lips. the corners of my mouth shook slightly, as his finger moved towards my lips again. the pink colour came off on his finger once more. dora, thank you so much. my heart was pounding fast. we were so close to each other; what if he heard the sound? ¡°an appointment?¡± i had a hand on my chest when i heard noah sunbae mumble to himself. ¡°must be nice.¡± he didn¡¯t even know who i was meeting. what did he mean? was he saying it must be nice for me or that it must be nice for the person i am going to see? [2] ¡­¡­i wished he meant the latter. i twisted a strand of my hair around my finger and felt my face flush. ¡°shall we go in? you must be tired from standing here so long.¡± ¡°not at all. i also just arrived.¡± we entered the cafe together and sat at a window table. the rays of summer sun that came in through the pretty pink curtains set my heart aflutter for some reason. this, this felt like a date. i blushed again as i tilted the cup of sweet hot cocoa. sunbae looked exceptionally good today; i wasn¡¯t just saying this to pay lip-service. he looked good on other days, but today, i felt blinded by how handsome he was. because we were seated by a window, his diamond-like silver hair that hung past his shoulders sparkled. his long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, while his golden eyes focused on me. the heart i¡¯d tried so hard to calm down began pounding again. it seemed i may have to see a doctor soon. was it okay for my heart to beat this fast? sunbae sat across from me drinking his tea, with no clue as to what my internal dialogue was. he cut such a lovely figure. i thought of the contents of that book again and felt like my heart would splinter. well, if sunbae was happy, then i was too¡­¡­ my foot. i was so, so jealous of flora sunbae. ¡°shall we begin?¡± i shook my head briskly to erase the thoughts running through my mind. then i took a notebook from my bag and placed it on the table. noah sunbae nodded and picked up his own notebook. i began feeling nervous again. notes: [1] ultimate version: ; means the final boss, and means green tobacco according to naver. so i am not sure what this actually means. [2] noah is jealous that she is going to see someone else, and wishes that he was the one she had an appointment with. i wasn¡¯t sure if it was clear, so here is a little explanation.