They're Acting Like I'd Have to Say, 'Who the Hell Is This Guy?'

Chapter 121

A blunt question.

I thought she'd turn bright red and lower her head, or at least get flustered.

But Sophia opened her mouth calmly, in her usual flat tone.

"To be honest."

"Yeah."

"I still don't really know what exactly this feeling of liking someone is. Whether it's love, or just ordinary admiration."

Sophia quietly looked down at the hands gathered on her lap.

"But the time I spent with him today was just so enjoyable... and really comfortable."

"Comfortable."

"Yeah. Like I didn't have to force myself to put on some mask. So I wanted to meet him once more. That's all."

Sophia's voice was so calm that, at a glance, it sounded as dry as if she were talking about the weather.

But Lucius knew.

How deep and sorrowful the resignation hidden under that placid shell really was.

"Lucius."

"Yeah. I'm listening."

"After all, this person will probably be the last one before I get married."

Thud.

Lucius felt a dull pain, as if her heart had dropped to the floor.

"The man my uncle chose for me... when I think that the only man in my life might be some potbellied middle-aged man, or an old man—my arranged-marriage partner with whom I couldn't even share a shred of love."

"......"

"All of a sudden, I just thought, maybe once."

Sophia's blue eyes stared into the empty air.

They held neither resentment nor anger.

Only a clear, empty abyss.

"Wouldn't it be nice if, in my life, there were at least one man who passed by as a good memory? That paltry little desire came up."

"Sophia."

"Even though it was an arranged marriage you were so strongly against... I insisted on doing it myself for the sake of the family."

Her gaze, which had been lingering in the air, slowly turned to Lucius.

A blood relative with a face exactly like her own in the mirror, yet one who had taken on everything for her.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish."

"What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"Maybe even this is a heavy burden for you."

Sophia's lips trembled faintly.

"In the end, no matter how deep our relationship may be, the mere fact that I met a young man from another family alone will become an irreparable stain once my marriage is decided. Then it may be hard for you to clean it up, you know."

She did not shed a single tear.

Nor did she rage passionately and curse her fate.

She only calmly whispered her apology to the other half of her soul, worried that her market value would drop.

That sorrowful, cruel tone of resignation.

Tore Lucius's chest apart as if a dagger were slashing it hundreds of times.

"......"

Lucius slowly unclenched the fist she had been gripping tight.

Instead of spilling out her emotions, she cut off her younger sister's words in a calm, unwavering voice as well.

"You don't need to overthink it, Sophia."

"But..."

"Are you worried I'll sell you off? Or that I'd worry about those filthy old perverts and try to cover up flaws you don't even have?"

Lucius gave a snort of laughter and leaned back against the sofa.

"No matter who you spend time with, or how grand the rumors get, you're Count Rohanna's most precious treasure. Anyone who says you've got a stain on you will get kicked out by me before they even get to propose."

"Lucius."

"So you just..."

Lucius's blue eyes shone with a gaze that was sharp yet gentle.

"Just follow your heart and chase only that joyful, comfortable feeling. I'll take care of the rest."

Sophia looked at Lucius as if she had lost her words for a moment, then gave a small nod.

"......Thank you."

Sophia's back as she left the room, a light smile on her face.

Creak, thud.

The door closed completely, and perfect silence settled over the room once more.

"Haa..."

Lucius sank into the sofa and scrubbed her face with both hands.

She had talked big and bravely in front of her younger sister, but inside she was practically spitting blood.

All the original sin was hers.

If she had been a complete heir.

If she hadn't been a half-heir.

She would have snorted at her uncle's filthy scheme and wielded real power, the kind that could completely protect her beloved younger sister.

'If I had been a legitimate heir.'

Then her sister wouldn't have been left in this miserable resignation, begging for a single memory that might end up being her last.

A self-mocking laugh slipped through Lucius's lips.

"I'm really done for."

* * *

Monday morning.

The weather today, as I passed through the academy's main gate and walked toward the main building, was downright glorious spring weather.

The breeze was cool, and from the cherry-blossom-like roadside trees planted along the path, pale pink petals were drifting down in the breeze.

A picture-perfect scene.

But the other guys didn't seem to notice that lovely scenery, because they kept staring somewhere else.

'What the hell. Why is the attention on me again?'

Their stares were hellishly sharp.

Every time I walked along the campus path, I could vividly feel the gazes of the academy students gathered around in twos and threes snapping toward me at once.

Whisper, whisper.

Murmur, murmur.

"Oh my, that person..."

"Right. That's the young lord from the Farne family, isn't it?"

If this had been before, those high-and-mighty noble brats would have turned away the moment they saw my face, going, 'Ugh, what a disgusting barbarian,' or clicking their tongues as if to make sure I heard them and shooting me contemptuous looks.

But today the atmosphere hadn't just flipped 180 degrees; it felt like it had spun some 540 degrees.

They were staring at me like I was some celebrity, to the point where being looked at with contempt would have been less of a burden instead.

Especially those whispers leaking out from between those refined mouths, too—the kind of market gossip that was anything but refined.

"I heard he showed off an incredible grand spell during the Legion tour? He took down the sewer in one shot..."

"That's not all. He apparently stood his ground against a cardinal of the Order and escorted the saintess all the way through."

"Oh my, heavens. Then was the lightning at the main gate and the knights' retreat all arranged by the young lord of Farne?"

No, the lightning had been shot by Professor Iris, so why was that being turned into my achievement?

But the rumors didn't end there.

"But did you know? A few days ago, by the southern riverbank in the capital..."

"The riverbank? You don't mean Grand Asteria, do you?"

"Yeah! I heard he had an intimate blind date with a stunning young lady. He was so considerate everyone watching supposedly blushed."

Fuck.

My ears.

My ears are rotting.

Which bastard was it?

Which asshole twisted the moment when I was panicking and worrying someone might die into a romantic escort story and spread the rumor?

'And what the hell, why are rumors spreading this fast?'

Wasn't there supposed to be nobody interested in our side?

The insane information network of noble ladies definitely outstrips even the imperial intelligence bureau.

"You supposedly melted the floor of the Third Magic Training Hall over the weekend?"

"You acted rough on the outside, but in truth you were the empire's greatest magic genius and a sweet, hopeless romantic. Haa..."

Like hell.

I can really feel my breath getting cut off.

'Damn it all. A zoo monkey would be better.'

At least zoo monkeys get tossed bananas.

This was suddenly treating me like some kind of idol.

It was a hundred times, no, a thousand times better when they openly bad-mouthed me like before, going, 'Tsk, that savage bastard,' to my face.

But now they were subtly hyping me up and showering me with praise, so I couldn't even get angry anywhere and was just ridiculously embarrassed and uncomfortable.

The contemptuous looks had all vanished, but heavy gazes of envy—more than several times worse—were pressing down on my whole body.

'Should I drop out? No, that won't work, will it?'

I'm not built to be a superstar cheered on by tens of thousands.

I was clearly meant to be a shut-in loner, lounging around on my bed and peeling tangerines.

The phenomenon continued into the afternoon.

As I quickened my pace and entered the main building of the Department of Magic.

All the way down the hallway, my path split open like the parting of the Red Sea.

Is this the Red Sea or something?

'Fuck, I really want to skip class.'

If it were up to me, I'd turn right around, run back to my lab, lock the door, and zone out while munching dried meat with Lily.

But the Monday lecture, of all things, was Professor Iris's Introduction to Magic class.

The reasonable fear that our strict professor might blast the door off my lab with lightning and come barging in if I skipped class pushed me into the lecture hall.

Creak!

I opened the sliding door of the lecture hall I'd finally reached and stepped inside.

At that same moment, the noise inside the lecture hall cut off abruptly.

The guys who had just been gathered in little groups, chattering noisily among themselves.

The moment I opened the door and took a single step inside, they all shut their mouths at once as if they had made a promise and looked my way.

'Should I leave?'

I didn't know what was going on, but I wanted to run right away.

It was so quiet that even closing the door felt awkward, and it made me hold my breath too.

Creak.

I quietly closed the door, then swept a stiff gaze over them.

The hell?

Did these bastards spend the weekend binge-reading delinquent-bully stories together or something?

They were acting like I should be saying, "Who the hell is this guy?"

This shitty atmosphere made the ordinary first-year lecture hall of the Department of Magic feel like a back-alley noir movie set in an instant.

I forced myself to ignore the gazes drilling into me.

I walked to the empty seat by the window in the far corner of the lecture hall and plopped down.

Then, without hesitation, I flopped face-first onto the desk and buried my head.

Don't look.

If I make eye contact, they might try to say something annoying again.

The best thing to do is just lie dead until class starts.

After lying there like that for about ten minutes.

Click, click, click.

A very regular, sharp sound of high heels came from the hallway.

Creak!

"Now, take your seats. We'll begin class."

Professor Iris's cold, rational voice rang sharply through the classroom.

* * *

"Phew."

With my cheek against the desk, I let out a small sigh of relief.

As expected of the academy's tyrant, big-sister Iris, her presence was formidable.

The instant she stood at the podium and took up the chalk, the gazes pouring toward me vanished like a lie.

Everyone straightened their backs stiffly and began staring holes into the blackboard, all to avoid upsetting the professor.

At times like this, a real teacher really is the best.

I slowly lifted my head too and, resting my chin on my hand, turned my gaze to the blackboard.

Professor Iris, dressed today as impeccably as ever in a sharp suit, pushed up her glasses and began filling the blackboard with dense notes on mana array formulas.

Tap, tododok, tap.

This sound of chalk tapping against the blackboard.

Peaceful.

Yeah, this is it.

Now I just had to stare at the board while spacing out for an hour and a half, then go home like a dog once class was over.

...That thought didn't last long.

About thirty minutes after class started.

'...What?'

I wiggled the finger supporting my chin and narrowed my brow slightly.

The looks the students had been sending me had definitely disappeared cleanly.

But this time, a problem popped up from an unexpected direction.

Professor Iris, who had been lecturing while scribbling complicated magic formulas all over the blackboard.

Glance.

Halfway through her explanation, she suddenly looked my way, her words stumbling slightly.

No, more precisely, her gaze landed on me and then hurriedly slipped away.

...What?

...What is it?