《Marilyn Likes Lariensa Too Much!》 Chapter 1 - Marilyn, the best friend of the heroine. Chapter 1. Marilyn, the best friend of the heroine. My name is Marilyn Roner. I was born a girl in a humble country village. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s correct to say that I was born in the wrong situation. The name Marilyn is the same as that of a famous Hollywood actress, but I was not as beautiful as her. Also, Hollywood itself did not exist here. And to add one more thing, like that Hollywood star, I can¡¯t live my life like that of a main actor. If you ask me why¡­ ¡°Marie!¡± You can find the answer right now. From Lariensa, who is running towards me with her brilliant blonde hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, have you been waiting for a long time?¡± ¡°I came here slowly. I didn¡¯t wait very long.¡± Because this pretty girl is the main character of this world. And I¡¯m the supporting actor. *** It is said that you can¡¯t see the future of your life, but no one would ever think to be born again in a novel¡­¡­ But I did. My real name is Songiseul. With this childish name, I was just 20 years old in Korea. I studied really hard and took the CSAT! I went to college! I was dating a guy. I¡¯ve been to MT. I thought I could make my life big! All I did while living as Songiseul, in South Korea, was read a novel I always enjoyed called ¡°You In The Dark¡± in my bed before going to sleep. Lariensa had always been this way in the novel. She always took away what Marilyn had most wanted, with her innocent face, as if she did nothing wrong. Marilyn wasn¡¯t going to put up with it anymore. ¡®You feel it once too, how miserable it feels to be deprived of everything that you want.¡¯ Marilyn was no longer a naive country girl. The red-haired woman, whose lower lips were clenched to the point of bleeding, turned her back from Lariensa. Their friendship was in vain, and that was the end of it. They turned their backs on each other. But Marilyn became a villainess when her crush was taken away by Lariensa. I made Marilyn, the most pitiful character in the novel, my favorite. Honestly, Lariensa didn¡¯t do anything wrong. But I was moved by Marilyn, who had never lived a life loved by everyone like Lariensa. She was compared to a friend who was so bright and smiling every day, and lost all her interest and affection to Lariensa. ¡°Oh, Marilyn. What a pity.¡± I was tearful after reading about Marilyn, who was shunned by her family after finding out that she had committed a great crime against Lariensa. I connected my smartphone to a charger and lay in bed. ¡®Marilyn, La¡­.¡¯ I wished for her to be happy in her next life. Even if there wasn¡¯t a next life. I fell asleep wishing for Marilyn¡¯s happiness. I never thought I¡¯d wake up in Marilyn¡¯s body. * * * I was surprised when I woke up again. ¡°Marie, are you awake now? Hold on! I¡¯ll get¡­!¡± When I got out of bed, I thought I was still dreaming when I saw the golden-haired Lariensa. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong, Marie?¡± ¡°Why is there a yellow-haired woman in my house?¡± After a moment of silence, Lariensa ran out of the room scream-crying. ¡®Madam! Ma¡¯am! Marilyn hurt her head!¡¯ It was only later that I found out that Marilyn had fallen the day before playing with Lariensa and struck her head on a stone. I couldn¡¯t believe I possessed a villainess in a novel, so I spent a lot of time wandering around, and people around me supported me with special love and interest. ¡°What kind of ice cream do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Get me chocolate flavor, Lara.¡± Not longer after I possessed Marilyn, I started to call Lariensa by a nickname. Because one day, Lariensa asked me in tears. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling me by my nickname like before?¡± Then I forced myself to call Lariensa her nickname, ¡®Lara¡¯. In the novel, ¡°You In The Dark,¡± my favorite character was Marilyn, so even good-natured, Lariensa, who made Marilyn unhappy, didn¡¯t seem good to me. But! That idea soon changed. ¡°Marie! I¡¯ve got the ice cream!¡± I had to admit. All men have no choice but to love Lariensa. On the day I went on an errand for ice cream, I sat on the bench under the excuse of being sick, and Lara rushed to hand me an ice cream cone. ¡°You have to eat it quickly before it melts.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t have strength in my arm, what should I do?¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Lara was so gentle and innocent. Moreover, she was so pretty! Looking at it now. For me who couldn¡¯t move my hands, she fed me the ice cream. ¡°Lara, give me some strength on my shoulders. My head keeps going down.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was busy feeding you ice cream¡­¡± Lara gave some more strength on the shoulder I was leaning on. I didn¡¯t mean to be so mean, but¡­This child had a wide range of factors that would excite a person¡¯s school-bullying spirit. Do I have to say that I want to keep bothering you and teasing you? Well, now I know some crazy people are going to stick onto her. ¡°Shall we go home now?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t walk because my legs are tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry you!¡± It was a complete lie, of course, to say that my legs were tired. People around me have been taking care of me because I¡¯ve been down with a headache. Far from being sick, I was very energetic. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stronger than I look! You know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I really am!¡± ¡°What if I trust you and end up falling down?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to go home on Lariensa¡¯s back but¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll never let you fall!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ is that true?¡± ¡°I can promise to heaven!¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t.¡± Lariensa was super tease-able. Eventually, I was carried by her, and this good kid was all sweaty by the time we got home. At home, Lariensa and I were right next door. The two houses were so close that no ant could pass through them because of the narrow distance between them. ¡°Oh, my God! Lariensa, did you carry Marilyn?¡± ¡°Yes, she said she didn¡¯t have any strength in her legs.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call us?¡± ¡°I wanted to carry Marie.¡± ¡°What can I do to repay you?¡± Marilyn¡¯s mother, Mrs. Roner, thanked Lariensa for her hard work. She had some suspicion of my bluff, but she still had a long face. ¡°It¡¯s late, so go home and have dinner, you can play with Marilyn tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Bye.¡± ¡°Good-bye, Lara.¡± I winked at Lara, who was about to turn around. Lara, who knew what my wink meant, smiled shyly and headed home. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed now!¡± After dinner, I ran to the floor of the bedroom. There was only one reason to rush. My pretty girl is waiting for me! Lara opened it the window and I did too. Taking advantage of the narrow gap between the two houses, where the windows were almost aligned, I jumped across the window and jumped into Lariensa¡¯s room. ¡°Are you going to sleep in my room again today?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get upset if I don¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been upset, well.¡± Lariensa, who talked with her cheeks puffed out, smiled at me. Ugh, so cute. It wasn¡¯t long after I possessed Marilyn¡¯s body, that I started crossing into her room without my parents knowing. Until then, the original Marilyn and Lariensa must have been chatting late at night with the windows open, but it became different once I possessed Marilyn. She was worried for me, so Lariensa went through the window into my room, first. But Lariensa had a feeble fear of heights. So now that my condition has improved, I¡¯ve started crossing over to Lariensa¡¯s room. Since then, it has become a habit to go to each other¡¯s room secretly and sleep over. Even if I pretend not to, I know that Lariensa will be in a tight spot for a few days, if I ask to sleep with her in my room. Because of that, it is natural to go to Lariensa¡¯s room at night. ¡°Lara, did you get new pink pajamas?¡± ¡°Yes. I got a report from my brother and it¡¯s a gift for passing the entrance exam.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a ribbon on it. The design¡¯s pretty earful.¡± ¡°Do you want us to match pajamas or something similar later?¡± ¡°You and I aren¡¯t even a couple, so why would I do that?¡± ¡°Then how about friendship pajamas?¡± I didn¡¯t know it in the novel. Lariensa liked to match a lot of things with me. When Lara, who grew up loved by everyone, expressed affection to me in this way, it was difficult for me to refuse. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to have to prepare for your entrance ceremony.¡± So I turned the subject around a bit. A year ago, Lariensa had a chance of entering the Cloud Academy with the real Marilyn. The Cloud Academy is a prestigious academy where students who take the entrance exam every year will not be able to know the results until a year later. Anyway, that¡¯s why the test results from a year ago were recently released. There, Lariensa was the only one out of the two of us, to pass. ¡°Don¡¯t give me a present.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡± ¡°Are you celebrating my entry into the academy?¡± ¡°You wanted to go in that way. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, but¡­¡± Lariensa murmured in a small, crawling voice. ¡°I have to break up with you if I go¡­¡± Lariensa¡¯s admission into the Academy in the first pace was one of the reasons why Marilyn in the original book ignited a sense of inferiority towards her. ¡°Are you sorry about that?¡± ¡°Marie¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want you to have any other friends than me.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, okay. ¡± In fact, I wasn¡¯t worried at all. Because¡­I know all the things Lara¡¯s gonna get into, in the academy. The original story begins with Lariensa entering the Academy. It already hurt my head to think that this innocent, kind, and weak girl would be associated with crazy men. As a good-natured heroine, Lariensa was a character who couldn¡¯t refuse anything. I frowned as I recalled the events. All the other male leads. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had this feeling. Wow, that¡¯s funny! Is this a sign of love? Ah, it¡¯s awful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lariensa.¡± I gritted my teeth thinking of the male lead and other love interests I hadn¡¯t met yet. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right.¡± Obviously, in the original, Lariensa entered the academy, and the misfortune began, but I decided not to worry too much. There was something I believed in. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to stop worrying about me making other friends, and you don¡¯t have to worry about going into the academy by yourself.¡± Because you¡¯re not going to enter the academy alone. I hugged Lariensa, who was still anxious. Don¡¯t worry, Lara. You¡¯re in my care from now on! Chapter 2 Marilyn Likes Lariensa Too Much! 02 ¨C A few days later, I received an acceptance letter from the entrance exam. One of the students who passed the exam was caught cheating and their admission was canceled, so I was given an extra pass. I went straight to Lariensa¡¯s house with the letter of acceptance. She screamed on the spot when I entered, with a confident look on her face. ¡°Aaah!¡± It didn¡¯t sound like a cheer. It was a really loud scream that hurt my ears. ¡°Oh, my God, Marilyn! What¡¯s up with this! Well, I guess we¡¯re just destined not to fall apart.¡± I knew she¡¯d like the news. ¡°Look. I told you everything would work out. Didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know the address of the person who cheated, do you?¡± ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to them, I¡¯d like to send them a present.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± They might think she¡¯s making fun of them. ¡°Brother! Brother!¡± Lariensa didn¡¯t listen to me and was so excited that she jumped down the stairs. Lycan, the brother of Lariensa, looked at me and back at Lariensa with a surprised face, while eating a snack. He looked at me questionably. I waved the paper at Lycan. That seemed to be enough of an answer for him. ¡°Lariensa, you must be very happy to be enrolled with your friend.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to break up with Marie.¡± The original Marilyn and Lycan managed to get along well, but I didn¡¯t get along with him very well. It was because Lycan knew I was going to dump a job on Lariensa, or tease her for something. Lycan was like an ideal brother to many other younger siblings. ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll go buy you something to eat.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re already eating a snack.¡± Ugh¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to be left alone here with your brother! ¡°Then I¡¯ll come with you, Lara.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ve been through a lot already, so sit here. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°What kind of trouble have I been through?¡± ¡°You must have been heartbroken! You almost broke up with me.¡± Lariensa replied. Just say yes, I¡¯m going to cry. I nodded softly, as if I wasn¡¯t worried at all. Then Larien brutally broke open the pig¡¯s stomach(piggy bank), took out the allowance in it, and went outside. She was going to buy food. Thanks to Lariensa, who was being considerate, only Lycan and I were left in the house. It was an unnecessary act. Lycan didn¡¯t try to hide his dissatisfaction of being alone with me. ¡°I also got into the Academy, so why are you still accompanying Lariensa.¡± ¡°Would you rather have your third-year older brother accompany you, or a friend of the same grade as you?¡± ¡°I thought there would be another chance for Lariensa to make new friends, but I guess not.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy, complain to the Academy.¡± I shamelessly took the spoon Lycan had been using and took a bite out of the pudding he had been eating. It was my favorite strawberry pudding so how could I resist! I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t do anything to me. He was three years older. ¡°Did you hit your head too hard or are you just starting to show your true colors?¡± As expected, Lycan didn¡¯t say anything about sharing spoons. ¡°Why does my sister like you? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m good to her.¡± ¡°I know you lied about the cockroach in your house the other day and scared her.¡± ¡°Ahem, what happened was¡­¡­¡± Oh, so this is the problem. It was true that I lied to her a lot¡­ But that was a little unfair, though. Even though I told her I was lying, she was so scared that she cleaned the house all day long and gave me a report that there were no cockroaches! I was so guilty that I bought her some bread with my pocket money. ¡°When friends play with each other, they don¡¯t cry, scream, or any other experiences like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already enough having more than one of those experiences.¡± Even though he was the pretty Lara¡¯s brother, he hated me. This serious brother, Lycan, was Marilyn¡¯s first love. However, Marilyn is hurt when she overhears what he said to Lariensa next door. ¡®Lariensa, when you enter the academy, keep your distance from Marilyn. She¡¯s not up to par with you all the time.¡¯ Of course Lariensa was furious, but Marilyn left without even hearing Lariensa¡¯s outburst. Well, even if she did, would it change the outcome? ¡°Hey Lycan, it¡¯s true that I tease Lariensa alot, but if you¡¯re looking for someone to have a lot if fun with her, just hire a nanny.¡± I felt Lycans¡¯ sharp gaze on me, but I didn¡¯t care. What is he even going to do to me? ¡°Lariensa¡¯s not a child. If I really was going overboard, she wouldn¡¯t even be with me. So, why don¡¯t you stop glaring at me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think a good brother glares at their sister¡¯s friend like that.¡± Lycan gave me a reluctant face. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to know me when you bump into me at the Academy.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m with Lariensa, how am I supposed to do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If I ignore you, she¡¯ll ask why, and I¡¯ll have to tell her the truth. Don¡¯t pretend to know me at the Academy my ass¡­¡± ¡°Then only pretend to know me when Lariensa¡¯s there!¡± This conversation will come to an end soon. I laughed and replied with a satisfied smile. ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll pretend to know you specifically.¡± Lycan furrowed his brows. In the meantime, I¡¯ve eaten a lot more of his strawberry pudding. ¡°Brother! Marie! I¡¯ve brought back snacks!¡± Just in time, Lariensa came in carrying a heavy load of snacks in both hands. Lycan and I took up the luggage that had been in her hands. I took an apple out of the bag and sliced it. Lariensa took the other food out and set it on the table. I sniffed the air. She had bought a lot of my favorite foods. That¡¯s good. When I patted her on the head, she stuck her head out, as if asking for another. I patted her on the head again as I sneered at Lycan. You could almost see the veins popping out of his forehead¡­.don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to hit me in front of his little sister? ¡°What did you two talk about while I was away? It¡¯s not my fault is it?¡± ¡°Well, Lycan¡­¡± Lycan looked into my eyes for a moment. He was afraid I¡¯d really tell Lariensa. But I¡¯m not that mean. ¡°I said that when we come across each other at the Academy, we should pretend not to know each other.¡± Lycan was in his own world, so to him, I looked like a servant. He seemed to be nice, but in his heart, he regarded me as Lariensa¡¯s maid of honor. In that sense, I hated Lycan, but I didn¡¯t want to ruin his relationship with Lariensa. It wasn¡¯t for Lycan. It was for Lariensa, who was nice and innocent unlike him. ¡°Did you say that?¡± ¡°Yeah? I asked him to pretend not to know me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother, but he actually cares a lot about you.¡± At that moment, Lycan¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°It seemed like he was paying special attention to you right after you fell down and woke up.¡± Lycan spoke urgently. ¡°¡­ Lariensa! The fruit isn¡¯t fresh.¡± ¡°I picked it out myself. Are there any bruises on it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and pick out a better one.¡± But I didn¡¯t miss my chance and pried deeper. ¡°How did he care for me?¡± Lycan almost broke into a cold sweat and tried to interfere with our conversation, but I completely crushed his efforts. ¡°He said ¡®It¡¯s different than before. My view of her is different than before.¡¯¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, brother?¡± ¡°When did I say that¡­¡± Even though Lycan¡¯s efforts to maintain the situation didn¡¯t work, Lariensa nudged me. ¡°Was that why I sensed someone¡¯s presence beside me and heard someone talking to themselves while I was out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lycan became similar to a small chick. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m going to go sword training.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to eat?¡± Lycan went outside without answering Lariensa¡¯s words. I could see Lycan¡¯s ears turning red outside. What¡¯s with that reaction¡­¡­. I was just trying to tease him, but that reaction is so weird. It¡¯s weird that he was looking after me too! Why was he doing that? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Lariensa, who had exposed Lycan¡¯s feelings, didn¡¯t understand his reaction. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was bothered by Lariensa¡®s words & Lycan¡¯s red ears, but I pretended to be oblivious. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± I¡¯d decided not to eat the rice that day. *** The news that I was also accepted into the academy was known throughout the whole village. ¡°You two have been together ever since you were kids, and now you¡¯re going to the Academy together. ¡°Lariensa¡¯s smart, so I wasn¡¯t worried, but Marilyn got accepted too, you guys sure are close.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an extra pass, unlike Lariensa, but I still congratulate you.¡± Can¡¯t you just say congratulations on getting accepted? Why emphasize that I¡¯m an ¡®extra¡¯ person¡­¡­ Those were some of the comparisons that made the og Marilyn feel bad. ¡°Marie.¡± It felt weird that Lariensa was mentioned in every one of my congratulatory remarks, but I could still smile because of Lariensa. ¡°Look. When you knot the ribbon to your school uniform, tie it like this. Okay?¡± Of course, dealing with Lara was not always easy. She didn¡¯t let a lot of things slide. She said, ¡°Pair your pajamas with the same pink pajamas as mine and match your hairpin with mine. Now, make sure to tie the ribbon of your school uniform the same way as mine.¡± ¡°Ah, do I have to tie the ribbon like this? We both wear the same school uniform anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we can¡¯t. If everyone else wears the same uniform, then we can¡¯t display our friendship.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do I have to tie my school uniform a certain way to display our friendship?¡± Larienza nodded firmly. ¡°Oh, and we can ride in a carriage. The Academy says they¡¯ll send a separate carriage for the honor students. My brother was selected as an honor student because of his good skills in swordsmanship. We can ride in the same carriage.¡± ¡°I should go and thank him, but did Lycan say I could ride in the carriage, too?¡± ¡°I asked him that earlier and he said that it would be hard to get into a carriage with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ack! My brother told me not to tell you that, what should I do?¡± ¡­¡­You¡¯ve already blown his cover? ¡°I won¡¯t tell Lycan what you said.¡± Lariensa said it without meaning any harm. ¡°But these days, my brother¡¯s been acting really weirdly.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°He¡¯s caring about you a lot these days¡± ¡°You mentioned that last time.¡± ¡°Yes, but even after talking about it, it¡¯s still really weird.¡± Somehow I wanted to block my ears. I was wondering if Lycan was going to tell me something¡­like a premonition or something like that. ¡°If you go out, I wonder if you¡¯ll have enough pocket money?¡± ¡°Brother gave me some a while ago.¡± ¡°I used to give you my pocket money, but if you say that you¡¯re going out, just give me the money. In the first place, ask me every time you go out. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m seriously worried that you hit your head too hard.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Next to Lariensa, who had just worn her newly bought uniform, I recalled the first time I encountered Lycan after possessing this body. Chapter 3 After I woke up, Lariensa came every day, and her parents would visit me almost once a day. To be exact, I already possessed this body for about a year during the vacation season of the academy. But the thing is, Lycan had never once visited me! ¡°Um, Marin¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I was just lying in bed and eating the snacks that Lariensa brought when she suddenly apologized to me. I was extremely flustered by her sudden apology. It already happened a long time ago, but you still want to apologize again? ¡°I¡¯m sure brother was also worried about you.¡± But unexpectedly, she defended Lycan for not visiting me. ¡°I told him to come with me, but¡­ He also has a lot of assignments because it¡¯s vacation, and he¡¯s focusing on sword training these days¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll visit you soon!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s busy, it¡¯s okay if he couldn¡¯t come. We¡¯re not even that close, and he doesn¡¯t have to come just because we¡¯re friends.¡± I was really fine. I might be quite curious about his appearance because he really looks like Lariensa. He was quite handsome with his blond hair and blue eyes. But, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me if I couldn¡¯t see him. When I told her that I was okay, Lariensa looked hurt on the contrary. Why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry? ¡°How could you say that?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The relationship between us! How can you not be disappointed?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Think about it, Marin. Suppose you¡¯re married.¡± I nodded gently and listened to Lariensa for the time being. ¡°Then you¡¯re injured! Like seriously injured!¡± ¡°To the extent that it¡¯s that serious¡­¡­¡± ¡°However! Your sisters-in-law didn¡¯t even come to see you even though you¡¯re seriously injured and still can¡¯t get out of the bed!¡± At that time, I was still not familiar with Lariensa¡¯s affection for Marilyn in the original work. So I made a slip of the tongue. ¡°Ey, how is my husband¡¯s family the same as your brother?¡± [T/N: Okay, you need to imagine Lariensa is Marilyn¡¯s husbando.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lariensa¡­?¡± Lariensa¡¯s eyes were turning red, and tears started to form. No matter how emotional the heroine¡¯s position is, why are you still crying at this age?! ¡°Marin got cold after she hurt her head¡­¡­¡± I know that I hurt my head because it bled, but¡­ ¡°Is that what happens when you hurt your head? How could you change so much?¡± Dear, you can now stop talking about my head injury¡­ and also, I¡¯m a different person from the Marilyn that you used to know. However, I couldn¡¯t tell Lariensa the truth. ¡°You once said friendship is more than love. My Marin has changed¡­¡­¡± On top of that, when I saw Lariensa crying, I couldn¡¯t say anything cold towards her. I was not exactly the type of person who was weak to tears. But both men and women were vulnerable to pretty faces, and Lariensa was quite pretty. ¡°I mean¡­ I, I¡­¡± I had to immediately make an excuse. ¡°You know! A husband and a friend are different! Doesn¡¯t your brother have to come even if my sisters-in-law don¡¯t? His sister¡¯s best friend is dying of such pain! When I tried to soothe her with such a lie, Lariensa finally regained her strength. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Marin! I¡¯ll tell him this time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it time for him to come home now? I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°La-Lariensa?¡± ¡°You take a good rest. I¡¯ll make sure to come with him tomorrow!¡± ¡°Hey, Lariensa? ¡­Hey!¡± The next day, Lariensa really dragged her brother with her. Lariensa¡¯s ability to act made my mouth open. And until then, I really had no idea about what Lycan was thinking. After giving me a formal greeting, he only watched us in the corner of the room. As usual, I was given ¡°special¡± care by Lariensa. ¡°I still haven¡¯t washed my face yet¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to wash, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll do it.¡± I swear to the heavens, I never forced Lariensa not to say no. ¡°Your arms look weak¡­ give me a spoon. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Everything she did, she wanted to do it herself! ¡°I¡¯ve been lying down so much, and I want to walk for a while.¡± ¡°Not yet. Just lie down. I¡¯ll massage your legs.¡± I was not guilty. I was just favored by Lariensa. ¡°Ah, ah! It hurts.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be gentle. Does this hurt?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s just about right.¡± However, it seems that my behavior of using his younger sister annoyed Lycan. ¡°My throat¡¯s kinda scratchy¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll get you some water!¡± Lariensa left the room for a while. That man who was left behind showed a fierce look and said in a low voice as if he had been waiting in distress. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bothering my sister too much, Marilyn Launer?¡± I was wondering why he was just staying still. He seemed to have waited until his sister was gone. I admit that I¡¯ve been feigning illness to Lariensa to keep bothering her, and it was now slowly poking my conscience. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll bow down to him. Before Marilyn turned into a villainess, she liked Lariensa even though she felt inferior to her. So just as what Lariensa did to me right now, the real Marilyn also took good care of her when she was ill. Well, as Marilyn turned her back on Lariensa, their past relationship was tarnished. Anyways, the funny thing is Lycan didn¡¯t like how Lariensa always took care of me. He said his sister was having a hard time. However, he took for granted that Marilyn also supported Lariensa. I instinctively noticed what was on Lycan¡¯s mind, and in front of me, he only unilaterally cared for Lariensa. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m bothering her? Did it look like I forced Lariensa to do it?¡± His eyes widened for a moment, as he had never imagined I¡¯d talk back. ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that you hurt your head.¡± So it¡¯s natural for you to think of me as your sister¡¯s maid, but you don¡¯t want her to take care of me? ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t she nursing her friend who hurt her head?¡± ¡°Massaging your legs, feeding you meals, and running errands are not considered nursing¡­¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What you just said, that¡¯s how you nurse somebody.¡± He quietly stared at me as if he had nothing to say now. I¡¯m not scared of you at all, you know? ¡°Friendship is an exchange. Of course, I¡¯ll also do the same if ever Lariensa gets sick.¡± ¡°¡­.¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any complaints now, do you?¡± What can he say when I just said that I¡¯ll do the same for her, and not just be the one on the receiving end? On top of that, he knew well how I am usually good to Lariensa. ¡°It seems you¡¯re all better now that you¡¯re making a lot of noise, so I¡¯ll be going now.¡± As he tried to leave the room faster, I bid some last words to him. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere too much with your sister¡¯s friendship.¡± ¡°¡­.¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really silly.¡± His shoulders flinched, but I pretended not to see it. I know that your family must come first, but they don¡¯t force others to do the same. Having had a minor revenge on Lycan, who had hurt the original Marilyn, I rejoiced in my heart. Serves you right, you rascal! It was natural for Lycan to leave the room right away after losing a verbal fight. But before he went out, he left a strange remark. ¡°¡­You seem to have changed a lot.¡± I had millions of question marks in my head. What does that mean? Does it mean something like ¡°you¡¯re the first woman to hit me¡±? Section 2. Academy¡¯s Angel Marilyn Launer. When she was young, her nickname was Ginger, and her hair was scarlet red in color. Marilyn was a child who had freckles when she was young and had no merit in appearance other than being cute. But as she grew older, her freckles disappeared, and she became pretty. The problem was that Marilyn¡¯s friend is not just anyone else; it was Lariensa. If Marilyn had a decent appearance, then Lariensa was certainly a fraud. She had golden hair as if it were gold threads hanging on her head, and her eyes were blue like the sea. Even if Marilyn has a pretty good appearance, she would be discouraged if she went around with a friend who has a goddess-like beauty. ¡°Lara.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lariensa, who tied my hair in front of the mirror, raised her head and made eye contact with me through the mirror. Today was the day Lariensa¡¯s family and my family decided to hold a party to celebrate our admission to the academy. Lariensa was now tying my hair up. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It may be natural for Lariensa to respond like that because she loves Marilyn so much, but objectively speaking, Marilyn did not look bad. It wasn¡¯t as beautiful as a real beauty, but it was already good as a young girl. Nevertheless, Marilyn, who has always been compared to others, was pitiful. ¡°I especially like your eyes, Marin.¡± Listening to Lariensa¡¯s words, I looked into the mirror. Marilyn¡¯s eyes were light green. ¡°It¡¯s like a fresh leaf on a tree during summer.¡± She¡¯s not the heroine for no reason. Lariensa naturally said that embarrassing remark that I would never ever say. ¡°There will certainly be a lot of guys who¡¯ll like you in the academy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s you¡­¡± The problem is that all the boys are scumbags¡­ No. They are not merely scumbags, they are despicable! Trash! ¡°Lara, what if there¡¯s a guy who will like you when we enter the academy, would you date him?¡± I thought she was interested in something like that, but unexpectedly Lariensa shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to date someone until I graduate.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a waste? School couples are everyone¡¯s dreams.¡± I glanced at Lariensa. In fact, if she wouldn¡¯t date, I would be glad about it. When Lariensa entered the academy, she was constantly dragged around by the male lead, and in the end, she fell in love with him in a disordered state¡­ though I would be crazy if I called it love. Let¡¯s make sure Lara doesn¡¯t bump into the male lead first. But can I do it myself? We¡¯re inside a novel, and the two are fated to meet each other. And it¡¯s not like I can hide her beauty. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Marin?¡± Struggling alone thinking about what to do, I returned to reality when Lariensa called me. ¡°Ta-da! Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± My hair seemed to have been tied up completely while I was thinking for a moment. ¡°Woah£­¡± Looking at the mirror, I admired Lariensa¡¯s flamboyant dexterity. She braided my hair splendidly and tied it in a circle, which made it look like a princess in a fairy tale. ¡°I just need to put on a crown, and it¡¯ll be perfect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right because you are pretty like a princess.¡± I mean, it¡¯s just my hairstyle that was like a princess, but somehow it turned out to be a self-praise¡­ ¡°Lara, promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°First of all, promise me that you¡¯ll keep this promise.¡± Lariensa nodded candidly, not knowing what I would say. ¡°Stay away from people that I don¡¯t want you to get close to. If they talk to you, ignore them and run away when they get close. Okay?¡± Lariensa nodded again this time, but that carefree response was somewhat worrying. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t answer without much thought. It¡¯s a promise you have to keep under any circumstances. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just say it.¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± Lariensa held my hand tight. ¡°Because you don¡¯t like those people that you want me to stay away from them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I also don¡¯t like them.¡± ¡°I know what kind of people I¡¯ll tell you to stay away from.¡± ¡°Anyways, if we stay away from those people, we¡¯ll never know what kind of people they are.¡± It was unusually a cool answer from Lariensa. But it was certainly true. I nodded my head, still having a bewildered look on my face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So you can rest assured, Marin. I¡¯ve been listening to you for a long time.¡± As I was anxious, Lariensa gave me confidence. Chapter 4 ¡°Let¡¯s go down now. Our parents are waiting.¡± I was so worried about what would happen after entering the academy that I forgot our families were waiting downstairs. Lariensa and I held hands and went downstairs in good harmony. My parents¡­ or rather Marilyn¡¯s parents, asked Lariensa to take care of me, and her parents also asked me to take care of Lariensa. Our parents cried so much that someone might think we were being exiled. I felt guilty when I saw Marilyn¡¯s parents seriously worried about me. I¡¯m not the real Marilyn though¡­ ¡°Marilyn, your hair is so pretty. Let me see¡­ Oh, this style is familiar.¡± By the time I was feeling down, Lariensa¡¯s mother, Mrs. Jellinus, spoke to me. ¡°Lariensa tied me up.¡± ¡°As expected, our princess really is skillful.¡± Lariensa blushed at her mother¡¯s praise. Mrs. Jellinus then nudged her son, Lycan. ¡°Look, Lycan. Marilyn looks like a princess, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Why ask Lycan when your husband¡¯s right by your side? I feel awkward with him! Lycan glanced at me momentarily then turned his head away snobbishly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a little pretentious.¡± If it¡¯s pretty, then just say it¡¯s pretty. It doesn¡¯t cost you anything to become honest. ¡°After you guys enter the Academy, we will not be able to see you for a year except during vacation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to look at your face a lot today.¡± Including the adults, we had a drink and made a toast. Adults could drink alcohol, but they were considerate of us not to drink any alcoholic drinks because this celebration was for Lariensa and I. ¡°For our princesses¨C¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡­It¡¯s just like I¡¯m at a drinking party in Korea. Even though there were no alcoholic drinks, the atmosphere was certainly like a drinking party. Everyone was worried about us entering the academy, but they seemed proud that we passed the exam and got accepted. A hint of anxiety and anticipation can be seen in Lariensa¡¯s face. For me, I might look excited on the outside, but in my innermost thoughts, I did not really hold any expectations. It¡¯s all thanks to the fact that I¡¯ve already had indirect experiences with the original novel¡­ And I already know everything Lariensa will go through when we enter the academy. Lariensa knows nothing about it, so I must watch this child thoroughly. I was now a soldier on the verge of war. £ª £ª £ª It was the same morning as usual. But this was also a special day that could not be compared to any other days. Because today is the day, we would depart for the capital. The village we live in is in the rural areas, far away from the capital that we have to travel for three days by carriage in order to get in there. ¡°We¡¯re going to miss you guys.¡± ¡°Make sure to write us a letter.¡± We were seen off by our parents early in the morning. We then managed to wrap up our goodbyes and got on the carriage. Lycan was already there when we got in. As Lariensa had said before, It was a carriage provided by the academy only to their top-notch students. It was spacious enough for three people to ride in, so I didn¡¯t think that the ride would be uncomfortable. What kind of school is spending so much money on one student anyway? Well, according to the novel, the founder of the academy was the king¡¯s nephew, so it doesn¡¯t cost much for them anyway. ¡°Dressing up for the capital, aren¡¯t we Marilyn? It takes three days for us to get in there, though?¡± Lycan looked up and down and twisted the corners of his mouth. ¡­No matter how I see it, he¡¯s sneering at me. ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t Marin really pretty?¡± Lariensa¡¯s naive question came out of nowhere. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s pretty in her own way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I mean, it depends on the person who sees her.¡± Oh, what a compliment! ¡°As expected, brother also thinks that Marin is pretty.¡± Yeah, right, that¡¯s not it. I was speechless when I saw Lariensa smile and even thought that her brother was really complimenting me. Lara, look at his expression. Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s mocking me¡­? Lara¡¯s naivety is lovely, but at times like this, I became quite depressed¡­ Your brother¡¯s sarcasm could already pierce bones, but you still fail to notice it! As I lifted my head, I could still see that smug on his face. ¡°Lara, I think my shoulders are a little stiff.¡± ¡°What? Turn around so that I can massage you.¡± With Lycan coming out like that, I¡¯ll take revenge on him. ¡°Lycan might think I¡¯m bothering you when he sees you doing it.¡± Lariensa shook her head as I looked at Lycan. ¡°How can that be? I¡¯m sure brother doesn¡¯t think so.¡± He already thinks that way though¡­ Lycan, who was wary of my intentions, raised his eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trust your massage skills and leave it up to you.¡± I trusted Lariensa with my shoulder. Lariensa¡¯s hand felt like a touch from the heavens. She then showed off her excellent massaging skills and pressed the muscles on my shoulder. One did say that the more one does something, the better one gets at it. Lariensa¡¯s massage skills have definitely improved day by day. I made a face like a pervert and melted as Lariensa massaged me. ¡°Marin, does it feel good?¡± ¡°Totally¡­¡± As I answered ecstatically, I made eye contact with Lycan on the opposite side. His eyes were glaring at me full of anger because I was making his younger sister do a lot of things for me. But I¡¯m not scared of him at all. ¡°Your massage is thrilling; it¡¯s always like a new experience. Your hands are the best.¡± Despite the strange compliment I gave to Lariensa, she was still proud. I hugged Lariensa like that and stared at Lycan as if to show off. He glared at me, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. As expected, you don¡¯t have the confidence to blame me in front of your sister, do you? Before, he was the one who¡¯s making fun of me, but now, the tables have turned. £ª £ª £ª The short three-day journey was never smooth. The lovely naive Lariensa might not have noticed it, but Lycan and I fought a war of nerves without a break. It was like this, for example: ¡°When I look at you two who are always together, I think you guys are like a flower and a bee.¡± Lycan used to argue that way first. It was so obvious that he didn¡¯t have to interpret it. The flower is Lariensa, and the bee is me. Like a bee hanging around a flower, I¡¯m always stuck to the flower-like Lariensa. Of course, I made sure that I¡¯m not going to suffer from it alone. ¡°When I look at you, I think of a mantis who¡¯s constantly guarding the flower.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It means that you¡¯re reliable.¡± Lycan was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, even though I could see him quivering. Anyhow, we bickered around and around in front of Lariensa and dissed each other in this way. ¡°Brother and Marin are really on good terms!¡± It can¡¯t be helped, Lariensa is really this tactless. Even though she¡¯s like this, she is good at studying and also has a pretty face¡­ The main character¡¯s buff is really good! ¡°Marin! Look outside, the Academy!¡± Anyways, after three days, we finally arrived at the capital. ¡°Lara, let¡¯s take a deep breath. I think the air here smells different!¡± This was a world without smartphones, TVs, and computers. The village I had lived in was a rural area of the country, but the capital city was much more different from that place. It looks much more lively even though it didn¡¯t have any smartphones, TVs, or computers. Whenever I made more trouble than Lariensa, Lycan would crease his forehead. ¡°Can you stop acting so crude, your province-like tendencies are showing.¡± Aren¡¯t you also from the same place? He said that he had already been to the capital many times that he was getting tired of looking at the same sights. ¡°Brother, brother! Can¡¯t we have a little tour in the capital? We still have some time left.¡± Lycan might be mean to me, but he was a brother who became indulgent towards his sister. If I were the one who said it, he would tease me for being crude, but when Lariensa asked him to do so, he immediately nodded with a relaxed look. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry, so let¡¯s eat nearby and go in.¡± Gosh¡­ Who can live with a brother like him? I gnashed my teeth at Lycan, who clearly had a difference in attitude between Lariensa and I. But before long, my sadness was completely dissolved. ¡°Lara, look at this. Doesn¡¯t it look delicious?¡± ¡°Wait, Marin. Brother! Marin says she wants to eat this.¡± In this way, I seduced Lariensa and got a snack from Lycan. Lycan had quite a lot of money because he won several swordsmanship contests on the recommendation of the academy. At first, I was going to exhaust his wallet as a revenge, but when I drank the sweet drink, my heart melted. As always, free foods taste great. ¡°What¡¯s your stomach made up of?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, how does all of that stuff go in?¡± While Lariensa went to the bathroom, Lycan didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to scorn at me. ¡°You must have forgotten that Lariensa ate with me too.¡± ¡°Lariensa is still growing.¡± ¡°Then, do you think I¡¯m all grown up?¡± As I raised my voice in tears, he glanced at me and soon turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I meant that it is good to see you eat well.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear it in that way at all?¡± If I keep sitting here with this man, I think I¡¯m just going to hurt myself. I stood up in an outburst. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you eat too much that your stomach¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not getting big!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Without Lariensa, I was constantly being bullied by Lycan. At first, he was surprised that I talked back to him, so he couldn¡¯t even properly fight back, but these days Lycan became quite sly. I loudly stomped my feet and headed towards the bathroom. It was childish, but it was an act that came out of desire to let him know that I was grumpy. But there was one fact that I had forgotten. ¡°¡­Where am I?¡± I¡¯m a bit, no¡­ I¡¯m really bad at directions. ¡°Why can¡¯t¡­ I find the bathroom?¡± Even though my village had a simple road structure, I used to get lost in the same place every day. Lariensa and Marilyn¡¯s parents were emotional about it, saying that it was an aftereffect of my head injury, but in fact, I was originally bad at directions. And now, I am in the capital which is more crowded than the village. ¡°Slowly, let¡¯s slowly go back to the way we came from¡­¡± It would be nice to have an item like Doraemon¡¯s ¡®Anywhere door!¡¯ Why can¡¯t someone like Doraemon help a desperate child like me right now? I went back to the way that I had recalled, but I still couldn¡¯t see Lycan nor Lariensa. Gradually, I became anxious and bit my fingernails as I looked around me frantically. ¡°Ah!¡± But then I bumped into someone. My forehead took the brunt of that impact, and now my head hurts like hell. Bastard! You killed my brain cells! Well, I¡¯m not sure if I was properly looking ahead. I then glared at my opponent. But when I raised my head! ¡°¡­¡­¡± I became speechless. The halo pierced my eyes sharply. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The light became brighter as that man opened his mouth. ¡°Oh, wait a minute¡­¡± It¡¯s so bright that I feel like I¡¯m tearing up. I¡¯ll talk to you after I wipe it off. After wiping my tears, I calmly looked up again. There stood an incredibly handsome and beautiful man in front of me. With a mysterious ash blue hair color, and clear turquoise eyes like the sea¡­ ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m okay¡­¡± What wasn¡¯t okay was his appearance and his aura that made one feel better by just looking at him. The owner of a much more dazzling beauty than Lycan, who was already attractive enough (which I didn¡¯t want to admit) gave off a deadly smile at me. Ugh, what a heartwarming smile¡­ But as I kept looking at it, I got used to it, and now I could look straight at the man¡¯s face. Ash blue hair and turquoise eyes¡­ It was not a common combination. Come to think of it, there was a male character described similarly in the novel¡­ ¡ºSibel was a boy with a fresh appearance like the sea. Ash blue hair and turquoise eyes really reminded me of the clear sea during summer days.¡» ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Then I¡¯ll get going¡­¡± Gasp! I remember it now! Ash blue hair, turquoise eyes! It was the male lead. Sibel, the male lead of this novel! Unlike his refreshing appearance that resembles the sea! He¡¯s wicked! He¡¯s got a lot of secrets! He¡¯s going to roll my Lara in the name of love in the future! You good-for-nothing! You¡¯re despicable! Trash! ¡°Oh my gosh, Sibel¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I immediately stopped talking and cursed inwardly, Sibel then looked at me with a stiff look. Realizing that I wasn¡¯t looking at Sibel at this time, I quickly hid my bewildered feelings and laughed hard. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, you can go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I think you just called my name¡­¡± I didn¡¯t call your name. I was just cursing. So go away! [T/N: Sibel sounds like Ssi-bal (??), which is a curse word in Korean.] ¡°No way. I¡¯m sure you were mistaken.¡± Sibel looked up and down at me with a meaningful look. This silence is so uncomfortable. ¡°Marilyn Launer!¡± Fortunately, I could see Lycan walking toward me from a distance with an angry look on his face. I was glad to run over there, but subsequently, I had no choice but to falter. I could see Lariensa next to him. I know that these two were destined to meet one day because they were the male and female lead of the novel, but they should not have met already. I decided I¡¯m going to protect my friend from that handsome male lead. ¡°Marin!¡± As they came closer, Sibel¡¯s head was about to turn around and look at them. I desperately took off my coat without a moment to think. Whoosh! Then I threw it towards Sibel¡¯s face. Taking advantage of his blind spot, I held Lariensa¡¯s hand and quickly ran away. Lycan was dumbfounded and alternated between Sibel, whose face was covered with my coat, and us, who were currently running. He then chose our side and followed us. ¡°What the hell is going on, Marilyn!?¡± Even Lariensa, whom I dragged along was reproaching me for what I have done, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Sibel, who finally turned around after we ran, was standing stiff with the coat I threw over him. Chapter 5 ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You said you¡¯ll go to the comfort room. Did you know how long we were looking for you? And why did you throw your jacket at a random person out of nowhere?¡± When we were now out of Sibel¡¯s sight, I was fiercely scolded by Lycan. ¡°Brother. Marin always gets lost easily.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to defend your best friend, Lariensa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s the truth. Ever since she hurt her head, she gets lost in our village everyday.¡± When Lariensa explained it to Lycan, he then looked at me, trying to determine if what she was saying was the truth. I had no choice but to admit it. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I always get lost in the village ever since I hurt my head. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know about it because you only care for your sister, and not me, who¡¯s your sister¡¯s friend.¡± I stealthily tried to be sarcastic with Lycan. He was obviously flustered by it that he immediately turned his head away. ¡°But, Marin. I understand that you were lost, but why did you do that earlier?¡± Lycan¡¯s nagging was over, and this time, it was now Lariensa¡¯s turn. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like you. I know you won¡¯t do something out of sort without reason.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Yeah. You know what, Lara. That Sibel guy would fall in love with you. With your kind and beautiful heart. Then you¡¯ll be imprisoned by him at the academy, and not only that, you¡¯ll be **** and ****, then be ******! Also ****! He¡¯ll do all those things to you! That¡¯s why I just wanted to protect you from him! Argh, what should I do? I have read the novel! I may not have finished it, but I¡¯ve already read the part where you suffer from a mental breakdown. And also, I¡¯m not really your friend Marilyn! I don¡¯t know where the real Marilyn has gone to, but I came from another world and just possessed this body! Do you get it? Understand? ¡­and that was something I could never tell her. ¡°I guess, I might have turned crazy for a moment there¡­¡± I lowered my head down. There was no proper excuse to make, even if I wanted to create one. ¡°Looking at his uniform, I think he also goes to the same academy as us. What are you going to do if you run into him?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just apologize to him about it.¡± I wouldn¡¯t really be sorry to him if I apologized though. ¡°Lariensa, Marilyn. Start changing into your uniforms now. We¡¯ll be late if we don¡¯t hurry now.¡± Lycan pressed on us as he checked his watch. After changing into our school uniforms, we entered the academy together in a carriage. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go to the entrance ceremony with you guys.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother. We¡¯re not kids anymore, so there¡¯s no need to worry about us.¡± Lariensa had said so. Lycan glanced at his sister, yet I can also his piercing gaze at me. ¡°Lariensa.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Take care of Marilyn Launer. If she ever gets lost again, things might get complicated.¡± He looked at me as if I were a burden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I¡¯ll take care of Marin properly.¡± Lariensa replied with a determined look. Being treated like a child made me utterly dispirited. Lara. That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going to happen to you. I was just protecting you from harm, you know? But none of these people recognize the injustice they did to me. Lariensa and I held hands as we finally went to the entrance ceremony. And there, we met ¡°him¡± again. ¡°Goodness, look there!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± Indeed, this was a situation that can only happen in novels. As soon as the male lead appeared, every male and female student turned their eyes on him. Including me. Sibel¡¯s appearance was dazzling enough for a halo to appear around him, even though I knew he was just some nasty guy. As everyone who attended the entrance ceremony turned their eyes towards Sibel, his eyes met mine. But soon turned away as if he was not interested, and sat down quite far from where Lariensa and I were sitting. There were ten students sitting between Sibel, Lariensa, and I. For some reason, we were sitting on the same row. I took a glance at Lariensa¡¯s expression. As expected, Lariensa¡¯s really the heroine. While everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the male lead, she did not even bat an eye on him. I also didn¡¯t bother bringing up Sibel to Lariensa. It was rather fortunate for me that she doesn¡¯t even pay attention to him. ¡°Marin, where do you keep looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just couldn¡¯t concentrate on the program.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bored, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± The principal came up to the podium and delivered his speech¡­ It doesn¡¯t have much to do with the rules of the academy or something I had to be aware of, so I just let it pass on my ear then out on the other. ¡°Lara, stop holding my hands.¡± ¡°Marin¡¯s hands are so soft that I want to keep touching them.¡± Lariensa took my hand for no reason and just kept on holding it. Later on, I just went along with her and also played with my hands. And for the entire duration of the entrance ceremony, we just played around. I might seem playful on the outside, but actually, I was very busy! I had to sneak a peek to where Sibel was sitting every now and then while playing with Lariensa. However¡­ Why do I keep making eye contact with him every time I steal a glance?! ¡­Is that it? I tried to delay their meeting as written in the novel, but that Sibel guy seems to have his sights on my Lariensa already. Eventually, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and looked at Sibel. He was also now looking at us intently. Not a shred of embarrassment was seen on his face as he continues to stare at my friend. Far from being embarrassed¡­ it seems that he has been watching us for a long time. ¡°Marin, where are you looking at this time?¡± While I was briefly distracted by Sibel, Lariensa followed my gaze and turned around. I tried to stop her, but it was already too late. ¡°Huh? That person¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the guy whom you threw your jacket at, right?¡± I tried to delay their meeting even though he has his sights on her already¡­ I¡¯m screwed. I¡¯m totally screwed! £ª £ª £ª After the entrance ceremony, I was troubled because we were then assigned to our classrooms. I already knew what was going to happen in advance because I read the novel, but I still wanted for a miracle to happen. However, nothing of such sort happened. Lariensa and I were in the same class, which was good so far. But the problem is that Sibel guy is also in the same class as us! Fortunately, when he entered the classroom, he pretended not to know us, but I¡¯m still worried. ¡°It must be our destiny to be classmates and also roommates in the dormitory at the same time!¡± As I was filled with worries about Sibel, I couldn¡¯t even hold a proper conversation with her as she began to appreciate the dorm¡¯s ambiance. ¡°Lara, remember the promise you made with me before?¡± ¡°That promise where you told me to stay away from people you don¡¯t want me to get close to?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And also to ignore them if they talk to me, and run away if they approach me.¡± Although I knew that Lariensa liked Marilyn very much, I didn¡¯t think she would remember the promise so accurately. ¡°Why? Is there someone I should avoid?¡± Yes, there is. Sibel, that very nasty guy. ¡°Si¡­¡± I was about to say Sibel¡¯s name when suddenly this thought struck me. ¡®Would it be a good idea to advise Lariensa to avoid Sibel?¡¯ Isn¡¯t it already written in the novel? Like he would think¡­ You¡¯re the first girl to treat me like this! ¡­because Lariensa would deliberately avoid him and that everything is already predetermined by the author? One evidence is that Lycan was now becoming more ¡°friendly¡± with me than before because I was rude towards him. But this kind of friendship is a bit problematic though. Anyways, if Lariensa would start avoiding Sibel¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it make Sibel wary of her actions? ¡°Marin? Were you about to say something?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to test if you still remember the promise you made with me.¡± ¡°How mean. I remember everything you said to me.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t just remember it. You should actually keep your promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can keep any promises I made with you.¡± When Lariensa said it like that, I was relieved. ¡°Then, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Alright. If Lariensa would continue to avoid and not pay attention to Sibel as she does right now, Sibel would also not gain any interest in her. Sibel wasn¡¯t interested in Lariensa in the first place either. Although he was interested in her appearance to a certain extent, it was only a passing interest. But since they are both the main characters of the novel, they would always bump into each other, whether on big important or small trivial events. Through these events, Sibel gradually became strongly attracted to Lariensa. Eventually, in the novel, Lariensa found some kind of secret of Sibel and kept an eye on him in good faith. Despite learning some of his disgraceful secrets, she still thinks of him as a good and kind character. It continues with Sibel developing his love for Lariensa, and then gradually becoming interested in her (or obsessed in my perspective). I don¡¯t really want to think about what would happen after that. I enjoyed reading the novel, but it never fully sank to me how the people around me right now, especially my best friend, would go through all these things. The mere thought of it was just terrible. ¡°And you know I¡¯m bad with directions, right? If you leave me alone, you¡¯ll never know when, where, or how I¡¯ll get lost, so never leave me alone. Wherever and whenever you go, make sure you take me with you, okay?¡± Despite my brazen request, Lariensa smiled brightly and nodded. ¡°I will.¡± The obedient Lariensa was so pretty that I hugged her and rubbed her cheeks wildly. Hearing her laugh like a child, I regained my composure. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll let you enjoy the normal academy life you wanted! And in order for that to happen¡­ Chapter 1 ¨C Do not let the hero and heroine meet! £ª £ª £ª My efforts to protect Lariensa were a tearful. During recess, I would immediately take her out of the room. Also, if I happen to see Sibel on the hallways, I would quickly grab her hand and run away. However¡­ As if mocking my efforts, Sibel seems to show no interest in her. I haven¡¯t even made eye contact with him ever since the entrance ceremony. Maybe that¡¯s why I unwittingly let my guard down on that day of all the days. ¡°You two look inseparable ever since the start of classes. Have you been friends since childhood?¡± During lunchtime, Lariensa and I were eating our lunch near the fountain with an angel statue. We are eating together with our new friends Emily, Violet, and Natalie. ¡°Of course! We are so close that we even know the number of spoons and forks we have in each others¡¯ houses.¡± Emily, Violet, and Natalie became close inside the academy. Lariensa spoke enthusiastically about how close we are in front of them. ¡°Marilyn¡¯s parents like me, and my parents also treat her like their own daughter.¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± ¡°I am envious of you two. I wish I could also enter the academy with a close friend like you¡­¡± Lara, please stop¡­ My face flushed in embarassment. The children here were all docile and kind. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have asked¡­ Still, it was a good thing. I was worried that Lariensa would only be stuck with me in the academy, but now it¡¯s good that we are able to make friends with such nice kids. It was all the more so because Marilyn was the only friend of Lariensa whose name was directly mentioned in the original work. Everyone might love Lariensa, but not many were close to her. I looked at these friends who looked gentle, hoping that none of them would go through that predictable storyline where someone will turn black and become a villain. ¡°Guys. What do you expect the most of your life here at the academy?¡± Each one of them had their own unique answers showing their personality. ¡°I would secretly sneak out at bedtime and then explore the academy!¡± First, Emily was the adventurous type. ¡°I want to graduate as the top student. I won¡¯t accept becoming the second seat. Then after graduating with the best grades, I will get a job at the royal palace.¡± Violet was a smart and ambitious friend. However, the problem is her grades aren¡¯t cooperating with her¡­ ¡°I want to have a happy academy life with Marin! Walk around with Marin, then eat together with Marin, and¡­¡± I¡¯ll just skip on Lariensa. ¡°I want to date.¡± I was wondering why ¡®dating¡¯ didn¡¯t come out as an answer earlier. ¡°Our parents aren¡¯t here to interfere with us, and this is also a place where both young women and men are gathered¡­ isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Natalie spoke haughtily while folding her arms. All of them looked up to Natalie. Natalie, who has the same mental age as me, seemed to look mature. ¡°Then Marilyn, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You also want to date, right?¡± Natalie perfectly guessed my answer. Well, honestly, I¡¯m old enough in my past life to be interested in dating, but unfortunately, my answer is, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you flirting with Sibel?¡± ¡°Huuk!¡± I choked up on the water I was drinking. What?! Flirt?! There is actually a word for ¡°flirt¡± in this world?! And where did that even come from?! [T/N: They used the word ?(sseom) in here which is short for something between a man and a woman. I just directly translated it to ¡°flirt¡±.] Chapter 12 £ª £ª £ª What you utter as just mere facts to you may be a matter of life or death for the others. Chapter 15 ¡°Very good. When Lariensa took the entrance exams, she got the highest grade for history. Lariensa, are you interested in the subject?¡± Chapter 16 The tests have begun to select the students who would be part of Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring classes. Students who had a thing for Professor Bentley didn¡¯t skip a beat in partaking, it was after all a test that would give them a chance and an excuse to see him. Lariensa and I, however, were just forced to participate. Since we¡¯re still freshmen in this academy, there are some things we surely haven¡¯t learned just yet, right? But, that¡¯s fine! I can definitely pass this. I¡¯ve been studying so hard for days! Even though I told Lara to purposely get all the answers wrong, I studied hard in case Professor Bentley would do something about it, so I did my best and took the test, and somehow, I eventually got accepted. However¡­ ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe Lariensa¡¯s score on this test. A student who¡¯s supposed to be good at history has a score like this? As a history professor, it¡¯s undeniably my job to supervise a student like her.¡± Woof woof! Arf arf! Bark bark! Can you believe this dog barking some nonsense!? Professor Bentley deliberately passed Lariensa even though she purposely got all the items wrong. And as for me, I barely managed to pass the test by a hair¡¯s width. It was too difficult for a freshman to even answer. Of course, there were a few students who passed his test, but Professor Bentley used some tricks to remove some of them. ¡°Please write down why we should learn history, what history means to you, and then submit your thoughts as a paper.¡± Even if we submit a paper, it will still just be scored subjectively. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to put Lariensa on it no matter what. ¡°Oh, Lariensa doesn¡¯t need to submit one because I can feel her passion to learn history.¡± See. When there were no students left anymore, he went towards Lariensa and said something to her discreetly. And this got me agitated. Even though I know I¡¯ll drop this class in the future, I had no choice but to write my paper all night long. I just can¡¯t leave Lariensa alone with him! On the deadline, surely, I almost saw my spirit trying to leave my body. I then proceeded to the faculty room to submit my paper, ugly-looking with tissue on my nostrils. ¡°Marilyn Launer.¡± There I was wondering who was that guy standing in the hallway, it seemed to Sibel. Sniff! I pulled out the bloody tissue out of my nose and faced him as he stood in my way. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hand that in.¡± I also know that, you know? Who are you kidding? ¡°You don¡¯t have to care.¡± ¡°Even if you pass, you¡¯d better not go to his classes.¡± There¡¯s no way Sibel doesn¡¯t know about him. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know what Professor Bentley is like. He must have instinctively recognized this man as someone who has bad intentions towards Lariensa. ¡°But I still have to do this. I can¡¯t let Lara be alone with that bastard.¡± I tried to walk past Sibel, but he stood in my way again. Maybe because I called him out last time before when he touched me that he didn¡¯t do so right now. Tsk, he keeps blocking my way. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before to stay out of my sight?¡± ¡°Why are you bringing that up now?¡± ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? You keep doing things that bother me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be bothered about it though..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hand in your paper. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to pass, and even if you will, you shouldn¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You know that you¡¯re being too nosy right now, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m a nice and kind student who can¡¯t turn a blind eye to a friend in need.¡± Heh, that¡¯s funny. How long are you going to keep up that facade? ¡°I am still not sure whether Lara would actually be included or not, so I have to prepare for the worst.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being too nosy.¡± ¡°Lara¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Have you actually been in a dangerous situation?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°When you are in a really tough and scary situation, you become on your own ¨C no one suddenly remembers you as their friend or family.¡± Is it related to his past? I have no idea about Sibel¡¯s past before the storyline in the novel. I just came to this world with everyone already having their own defining characteristics and backgrounds. ¡°I don¡¯t have to put myself in that situation, and I won¡¯t in the future. Because I¡¯m going to make sure that it¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± My words went past by him. Then he just simply stepped out of the way. When you are in a really tough and scary situation, you become on your own? What does he mean by that? ¡­Sigh, I don¡¯t know anymore. Protecting Lara is already too much for me right now, what more trying to probe about Sibel¡¯s past. There¡¯s no need for me to know about it. Creak¨C I opened the door of the faculty room and submitted my paper to Professor Bentley. ¡°Good job, Marilyn. I hope you¡¯ll get a good result.¡± I¡¯ll get good results if you let me through. ¡°Yes, professor. I hope so, too. Lariensa felt uncomfortable taking this class alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for her sake, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered myself to enroll in this class.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m fine with you doing that.¡± ¡°But Lariensa¡¯s not fine with it though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Facing Professor Bentley who has the same eye color as Marilyn¡¯s, no, as I do now, I purposely smiled even more brightly. ¡°I trust professor to give me a fair evaluation.¡± As I turned my back on him, my face immediately turned sour. Well, I guess his expression is also the same as mine as he looked at me from behind. £ª £ª £ª It was now nighttime, and Professor Bentley, who was known to be diligent, was still inside the faculty room. His desk contained carefully written papers by other students, but in his eyes, they were all rubbish. For him, there was something more important than those papers. Bentley entirely focused on one thing on his desk. Amidst the dozens of papers, there contained a portrait of a girl. ¡®No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t capture her beauty.¡¯ Eventually, he even crushed his own drawings which he drew relentlessly, and approached the window to look up at the sky. The stars in the night sky were shining so brightly today. It looked so much like that child¡¯s blond hair that he couldn¡¯t help but think of her. ¡°Lariensa¡­¡± While carefully calling out her name, he recalled Lariensa¡¯s innocent smile. She was naive and timid, and rarely showed her smiling face, but Bentley already saw her smile. When she is with her friends, she smiles like someone her age. ¡®Indeed, when she is with her friends¡­¡¯ Especially with that Marilyn Launer. ¡º ¡®Yes, professor. Lariensa felt uncomfortable taking this class alone.¡¯ ¡» ¡®That lovely child. My Lariensa!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t say that to her. Bentley could recognize Lariensa at first sight. She was very similar to his first love, and the woman who would surely become his last love. Lariensa doesn¡¯t know about it because she doesn¡¯t even have a chance to talk to him right now, but she will realize it soon. ¡®The fact that we are each other¡¯s destiny.¡¯ That¡¯s what he thought. ¡®But that Marilyn Launer¡­ that damn Ginger.¡¯ [T/N: In Chapter 3, it was stated that Marilyn¡¯s nickname is Ginger.] The man who took away his first love was also red-haired. Frickin¡¯ Ginger! Because of his anger, Bentley threw Marilyn¡¯s paper into the trash can without hesitation. The school janitors would be cleaning the faculty room early in the morning before the other professors enter anyway ¨C and so he became quite complacent in throwing the paper due to this fact. Bentley was preparing to leave the faculty room when suddenly¡­ A cold wind blew from behind. ¡®Did I open the window?¡¯ ¡®I saw a star that looked like her, but I don¡¯t remember opening the window at all.¡¯ However, when he turned around, the window was certainly open. ¡®I guess I¡¯m getting too old now. I¡¯m already forgetting things.¡¯ Bentley sighed and closed the window again. ¡°Ohh, so you threw it away.¡± It was unexpected for him to hear someone¡¯s voice in the faculty room when he was supposed to be the only here inside. Bentley hurriedly looked back. ¡°Who¡­?¡± At first, it was too dark to recognize who it was, but soon the moon, which was covered by the clouds, revealed itself and lit up the room. ¡°Sibel.¡± Sibel was sitting on his desk. Inside the room, there were drawings of Lariensa spread out which Bentley planned to take with him. Bentley gritted his teeth but still tried to disguise himself by smiling. ¡°Sibel. You have to go back to your dorm right now. It seems like it¡¯s past bedtime, and going out past curfew is against school regulations.¡± Even though Professor Bentley still dared to speak despite being caught, Sibel didn¡¯t gave him a reply. It seems that he was silently reading something. ¡°Sibel?¡± ¡°When I saw her earlier she looked pale. Her under eyes are now dark with eyebags and she even had a nosebleed.¡± Far from retorting, he was talking strangely. ¡°You haven¡¯t even read it. You must have had a hard time reading it with your dysfunctional brain.¡± Bentley realized that on Sibel¡¯s hand was Marilyn Launer¡¯s paper, which he had just thrown into the trash can. ¡°Sibel! Are you aware that you¡¯re violating the rules now?¡± ¡°Am I more guilty of breaking the rules than a professor who¡¯s stalking a student?¡± ¡°What the hell are you saying¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re going to do with Lariensa Jellinus.¡± Sibel smiled brightly as usual, and because of this Bentley couldn¡¯t relax. Sibel, who he only considered a student, was now somehow intimidating for him despite remaining polite. ¡°Well, I just want you to do something for me.¡± Sibel, who held Marilyn¡¯s paper tightly in his hand, stood up. He then approached Bentley, who was standing in front of the window. ¡°Let me join your mentoring class. Of course, including Marilyn Launer.¡± Right now, Sibel Nouma Khan was threatening the professor. ¡®You dare!¡¯ ¡°Sibel, picking students for this mentoring class was done through a fair screening. You didn¡¯t even pass a paper, let alone take the test for it. Don¡¯t be so childish.¡± ¡°Professor.¡± ¡°Do you have anything more to say?¡± ¡°Why did you steal Lariensa¡¯s hair tie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You also stole her handkerchief the other day.¡± ¡®How did he know that? I only took items when no one was there so that I won¡¯t be suspected. I intentionally only stole the ones that would not have a big problem when lost so that I could make an excuse even if I was caught.¡¯ ¡°Ahem. You seem to misunderstand, I just lost my chance to return those things to her.¡± ¡°Then what about these hundreds of portraits of Lariensa Jellinus in your room?¡± ¡°In my room¡­ Sibel, you¡­¡± ¡°I just need you to do me a little favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems that you want to make this big.¡± Sibel turned his back on Bentley as if he was on his way to tell it to somebody. Bentley hurriedly grabbed Sibel before he could even finish thinking. ¡°All I have to do is include you in the mentoring class, right?.¡± As a professor, having a romantic affection towards a student was considered a big taboo and unacceptable for someone like him. He didn¡¯t know how Sibel got into his room but he found out his weakness, and that weakness was certainly fatal to Bentley. He couldn¡¯t now oppose his threat which was disguised as a request. ¡°Answer me, Sibel!¡± Until a while ago, it was Bentley, who was holding out as if he would not comply with Sibel¡¯s request, but now that Sibel wasn¡¯t making a sound, it was making him more nervous. It wasn¡¯t long after that Sibel smiled back at him and replied. ¡°Yes, together with Marilyn Launer.¡± Chapter 17 ¡°Guys! The students who have been accepted to Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring class have been announced!¡± Even though he was a professor, he was so popular among students that he was included in the B4. Therefore, it was natural for all students to pay attention to who would have been selected for the mentoring class he conducted for the first time. I nervously searched for the notice posted on the wall. ¡°Oh, there it is!¡± Emily shouted as she found the notice, which was posted almost as high as the ceiling. They really put it in a place that¡¯s hard to stick on¡­ and hard to see. ¡°As expected, Lariensa got in. Oh, and Marilyn, too?¡± ¡°How lucky for you guys.¡± Natalie, this is not something to be envious about. Rather, I feel like I¡¯m going inside a cave filled with beasts hiding amidst it. ¡°Oh, Sibel is also in there.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even take the test, right?¡± ¡°But I heard he still submitted his paper even if it¡¯s late. Well, Sibel would have passed the test anyway.¡± ¡°Right, if it¡¯s Sibel then¡­¡± Must be great to be famous. You don¡¯t get cursed for joining in late. I pouted my lips. If I couldn¡¯t take Lara away from that pervert, then I can just stick with her. I tried to find comfort in myself by shifting my perspective in a positive manner. ¡°Uhm, Lariensa.¡± Some students from the other class whom we didn¡¯t know approached and spoke to us. To Lariensa, to be exact. ¡°You know, I have a question.¡± Lariensa is innately kind when it comes to strangers because she is a child sheltered from life¡¯s cruel realities, she opened her eyes wide and listened to the girl she barely even knew. ¡°I heard you didn¡¯t pass the mentoring test.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s¡­ ¡± ¡°I also heard that this mentoring class was originally made by Professor Bentley only for you, is that true?¡± What are these guys doing now? Hey! Lara has more than the capacity to pass the test if she decides to, you know? ¡°That test, Lara didn¡¯t see the need to do well. She doesn¡¯t want to take Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring class.¡± When I stepped in, those girls instantly gave me an ugly look. ¡°But in the end, she still got the chance to be mentored by Professor.¡± ¡°How can she refuse when the Professor keeps asking her to do it?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t she say no? Professor Bentley isn¡¯t the one who forces students who don¡¯t want to do something.¡± ¡°Hmph! How can you say so?¡± Eventually, my voice grew louder. ¡°You¡¯re just complaining to someone who you think is easy to bully. If you¡¯re really that dissatisfied, go tell the professor who wants to mentor her. Also, Sibel didn¡¯t even take the test, he just wrote his paper and passed the mentoring even though it¡¯s late, so why didn¡¯t you also tell him something?¡± ¡°Sibel is smart, so¡­¡± ¡°And you think Lariensa would have done worse than you?¡± Perhaps because they were now out of excuses to say, those girls chose to retreat rather than continue arguing with us. However, our arguments have begun to stir up some gossip about Lariensa among the students surrounding us. ¡°Why is she the only one favored by the professor?¡± ¡°Professor originally doesn¡¯t show favoritism¡­¡± ¡°She can just refuse if she really doesn¡¯t want to be mentored though.¡± You guys don¡¯t even know anything, sigh¡­ I was really agitated by these guys. However, I could feel Lariensa¡¯s warmth in my hands and as I looked to the side, she shook her head. She was asking me to just bear with it. I then realized, wouldn¡¯t I make it more difficult for Lara if I get angry here? So since I couldn¡¯t get angry here, I can only grit my teeth in silence. ¡°Life is unfair by nature, you bastards!¡± Thankfully, there was someone out there who spoke [out] for me. ¡°My brother also experienced the unfairness of life!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same age as Lariensa, and my brother and hers are also the same age. So, why is my brother¡­!¡± Suddenly, a guy stood beside Emily. It was Emily¡¯s brother, Esco. Esco was taller than Lycan, but he was so thin that at first glance he looked like a tall scarecrow. However, he has a naive look on his face when he smiles. ¡°Hey, hey. I envy you, too. Lycan and I are of the same age, and my sister is also the same age as his sister, so why, heuk¡­!¡± Emily kicked Esco in the shin. Because his sister was stronger than him, Esco couldn¡¯t even make a sound in front of his sister¡¯s strength. ¡°Lariensa, are you alright?¡± Esco, who was relieved of pain after a long time, looked at Lariensa and asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I know this is just a misunderstanding.¡± Seeing her talk like that while holding my hand and not letting it go, it seems that what happened earlier really made her very flustered. ¡°You know, you can just swear and curse them for all they care. It¡¯s a bad habit for these people to deliberately and intentionally misunderstand you, euk!¡± When Esco stroked Lariensa¡¯s head, he was immediately kicked by Emily in the shin again. ¡°You don¡¯t even wash your hands properly. Don¡¯t stroke my friend¡¯s head!¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t wash up all the time? I washed my hands today.¡± ¡°Really? Your hands couldn¡¯t even be compared to any human being. It¡¯s dirty. It¡¯s filthy. It¡¯s contemptible.¡± Watching Emily and Esco bicker, Lariensa began to laugh little by little. What a relief. If it weren¡¯t for those siblings, I would have been in a bad mood all day ¡°But Lariensa and Marilyn¡­ do you guys really wanna be mentored by Professor Bentley?¡± We explained the whole story to Esco. Lariensa was just forced by Professor Bentley to enter the mentoring class, and that I also joined because I was worried for her. Emily, Natalie, and Violet, who had not thought much about Professor Bentley¡¯s behavior also became serious after hearing our story. ¡°You seem to attract the weird and toxic ones, Lariensa.¡± ¡°But Lariensa never really wanted to do so.¡± ¡°Does it really need to be seen in a serious manner? Maybe professor just really wants to help her.¡± Sigh, I can¡¯t even bring up what happened in the original storyline¡­ If they were to know about it, they¡¯ll immediately know that it¡¯s not something that they can disregard so easily. In this case, I realize that I might be possessed by a book. I can¡¯t tell them the truth and that there are secrets that I have to hide. ¡°Hmmm¡­ come to think of it, there was something a little disturbing that happened before you guys entered the school.¡± Esco, who was listening to us quietly, began to speak in an unusually cautious tone. ¡°There was a girl in my grade who was particularly fond of Professor Bentley. I used to be a little close to her, but one day, she suddenly dropped out of school.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Could you tell us more about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I¡¯m afraid it would only give you some strange thoughts if I bring it up.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already piqued our interest, quick!¡± At my urging, Esco scratched the back of his head and recalled what happened at that time. And when we heard his story, our faces hardened. £ª £ª £ª ¡¯At first, it was Professor Bentley who was fond of her. But later on, she was the one who chased after him more. So there were some people who didn¡¯t like it.¡¯ There was silence between us, but in my head, what Esco said lingered for a long time. ¡¯However, one day, as she bumped into Professor Bentley she suddenly turned pale and immediately avoided him. She told her friends that she found some of her clothing and other things inside his room¡­¡¯ In the original storyline, they really wrapped it up as if Lariensa would become his last love. You pervert, you¡¯ve been a regular, haven¡¯t you? ¡®Within the academy, it¡¯s known that Professor Bentley has taken good care of her even though she was the one who keeps on stalking him. In addition, it is said that the portraits and objects she saw in his room were all just her delusions, or that maybe she sneaked into his room and planted those things while stalking him, but we didn¡¯t know the truth.¡¯ ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just like ¨C not go there at all?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Lariensa will then become known as a student who ignores a professor¡¯s sincerity and interest, especially since he¡¯s been really trying to mentor her¡­ It was a situation that she couldn¡¯t refuse from the beginning. ¡°But that was just a rumor, so I¡¯m not really sure if it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Still it¡¯s a little uncomfortable for it to become a rumor. And our situation now is somewhat similar to what happened back then¡­¡± Emily, who was listening to Violet and Natalie¡¯s conversation, suddenly broke into a fit of rage. ¡°So the gist is, we just need to find out if Professor Bentley is truly a pervert or not?¡± Yes, that¡¯s true. However, the question is how do we find it out. ¡°Then, we just simply have to go inside his room.¡± What?! Emily expressed her idea, but I couldn¡¯t agree with it. It¡¯s not like we can collect the evidence right away if we just enter his room, and moreover, it¡¯s too dangerous. ¡°Hey, guys¡­¡± I tried to talk them out but they didn¡¯t even listen to me. ¡°Okay. So while Marilyn and Lariensa are being mentored, Violet and I will go inside the Professor¡¯s room and then leave.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°But Natalie, you¡¯re a coward.¡± Guys, this isn¡¯t like a test of courage! ¡°C-calm down, First we¡­¡± I tried to calm them down, but Emily, Violet, and Natalie were already playing rock-paper-scissors among themselves to decide on who should be the one to enter Professor Bentley¡¯s room. It was then that Lariensa made a sound. ¡°¡­No.¡± However, the tone of her voice right now was more serious and had a higher pitch, and that was a new sight for me as well. The three who were ignoring me suddenly turned their heads as they heard Lariensa¡¯s stern voice. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want you guys to do that.¡± Ah¡­ we were only thinking about Professor Bentley that we forget Lariensa, who is also an important stakeholder in this issue. Emily, who has a bad temper, Natalie, who just says everything she wants to say, and Violet, who couldn¡¯t read other people¡¯s minds, focused on Lariensa¡¯s words at this moment. ¡°What if you get caught inside the professor¡¯s room and find out that he¡¯s actually not a bad guy?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a possibility that the professor is really a bad guy.¡± ¡°Then, all the more I hate it!¡± La¡­ ra? There might have been times where Lara became upset but it was the first time that she spoke so seriously and firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to endanger other people¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­because of me anymore.¡± What does she mean by that? I have never once thought that I was endangered by Lariensa in any way. And without saying it, it would also be the same for Emily, Natalie, and Violet. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Please, don¡¯t cry! She was about to burst into tears, and at this sight, I was very flustered because this was the first time that she was so dejected. However, Violet suddenly came forward, and¡­ Flick! hit Lariensa¡¯s forehead. Natalie and I suppressed our shock as we clasped each other¡¯s hands, too surprised. In midst of this, Emily hurriedly took the cookies out of her bag. ¡°It smells like a fight.¡± You ain¡¯t watching a movie, you know? ¡°For others, you might be like a little princess, but do you think you¡¯re someone that great to us?¡± I can¡¯t believe you said that when you saw Lara¡¯s tears in this pitiful state. Violet! This is not the time to blow up some facts! Chapter 18 ¡°Aside from you, I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing while speculating if Professor Bentley is really that kind of person. If I work in the royal palace in the future and then they would find out that I had a teacher that¡¯s a pervert. Oh, that would be very embarrassing.¡± At Violet¡¯s words, Lariensa¡¯s expression somehow loosened. ¡°That¡¯s right, and you¡¯ll be able to play with me if you don¡¯t go to this mentoring!¡± Emily added. ¡°Emily. Even if we aren¡¯t around, at least you still have Violet and Natalie with you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s willing to play with me, Marilyn.¡± ¡®Playing? Like whenever we arm wrestle? Or sometimes when we hit each other and run away? Is that what you call playing?¡¯ There are times where I was really pissed off with her and hit her hard but she just thought that I was playing with her¡­ However, as expected, I can¡¯t beat Emily when it comes to pure strength. ¡°And teasing Lariensa is more fun than I thought.¡± It¡¯s not a very moving reason, but thanks anyway, Emily¡­ ¡°But, Natalie, didn¡¯t you like Professor Bentley the most among the B4?¡± Natalie had a serious look on her face as she lowered her head. ¡°A handsome man should also have a kind heart¡­¡± ¡­Huh? ¡°If it¡¯s truly just our misunderstanding, I¡¯ll apologize a hundred times to him, but if it¡¯s real, I will exorcise that malicious dark soul out of that body!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive him in the name of love and justice!¡± Mianhae suljikhaji mothan naega~ Jigeum i sungani kkumiramyeon~ [T/N: This is the lyrics of the OP song of Sailor Moon in Korea.] Sailor Moon~¡î It¡¯s a new experience, but I¡¯m still very skeptical. How come none of these girls here are normal? ¡°Lara, you hear that? Do not think we¡¯re doing this because of you. Everyone has their own reasons.¡± Although their reasons were quite strange. ¡°¡­I got it.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Lara was convinced that we started to plan our invasion in earnest. To go inside Professor Bentley¡¯s room and find evidence of his crime! £ª £ª £ª Even though I really hated the idea, Lariensa and I had to go to an empty classroom on the fifth floor for the mentoring classes. Professor Bentley was really the worst type of person that I have encountered. He¡¯s leading the situation by using his position as a professor so that students can¡¯t refuse him. There were quite a few similar crimes back in my world. Just like now, a professor and sometimes even CEOs of companies. After the crime was committed, other people would always ask the victim¡­ ¡®Why can¡¯t you just refuse it outright? Why did you just follow what you were told to do? I thought you were on good terms with each other.¡¯ Try sitting here, and I¡¯ll ask you the same question. It¡¯s a crime committed by making the other person not able to resist in the first place! Do you think that this a crime that you could just suppress by force?! ¡°Sigh¡­ Lara, don¡¯t worry too much. Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Marin than myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think that perv¡­ Professor Bentley is just obsessed with blondes.¡± As I reached out to the doorknob to open the door¡­ ¡°You knew about this?¡± Lara¡¯s words made me stop moving. I slowly turned around and faced her. ¡°Is that why you told me to avoid Professor Bentley and asked me if I had any intention of dying my hair black?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­How? Since when?¡± I know that I couldn¡¯t really imitate Marilyn completely, but I should at least try to act like her. However, people around me accepted me so easily that I just naturally showed my true self. But no matter how tactless Lariensa can be, it¡¯s inevitable that she would notice¡­ That I¡¯m not the real Marilyn Launer. If she was really the kind of person that I read in the novel before. Will she believe in me? If yes, will she be able to accept me as I am? ¡°That¡­¡± I tried to explain to her but no words left my mouth. Creak¨C But with good timing, the door opened. ¡°¡­Sibel Nouma¡± ¡°¡­Khan.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Sibel Nouma Khan.¡± It was Sibel who opened the door from inside. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t want to co-exist along with him, but now I¡¯m a little grateful to him for letting me out of this difficult situation. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been feeling it before¡­ it seems like you¡¯re purposely saying my name like you¡¯re cursing or is it just me? ¡°Yup, it¡¯s just you.¡± Although Sibel and I were laughing as we faced each other, in our minds, we were still in a heated fight, splashing invisible sparks in the air. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get inside, so can you move out of the way?¡± ¡°Ah, you said you didn¡¯t like being molested, right?¡± Look at him talk like that. Ahhhh! I really hate him! I took Lariensa with me and sat down while blatantly avoiding Sibel. ¡°Where¡¯s Professor Bentley?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here yet.¡± After we sat down, Sibel belatedly greeted Lariensa with a smile on his face. ¡°Hi, Lariensa.¡± How was he able to resist wanting to talk to Lariensa from the moment he opened the door? But right now, I need to focus on Professor Bentley as he is the most dangerous one out of them, so I¡¯ll restrain myself for now¡­ Still, I actively talked to Sibel as much as possible to eliminate any chance of him talking to Lariensa. ¡°You had it great. You are favored by professor that¡¯s why you were able to skip the test, and just wrote a paper. Above all, you got chosen for the mentoring classes, and the other students just easily accepted that fact. ¡°Oh, that. That¡¯s just a rumor. I didn¡¯t submit a paper.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even get to write that?¡± ¡°Even if I wrote one, I don¡¯t need to spend the night finishing it just like what you did.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°After all, I¡¯m smarter than you.¡± Essentially, it wasn¡¯t me who took the entrance exam that I was able to enter the academy (it was Marilyn herself who took it before I got into her body). Obviously, compared to Sibel, my grades are¡­ B-but! At least, I still have better grades than Violet (there were also rumors that Violet might be the hidden daughter of the school chairman, that¡¯s why she was able to enter the academy. But of course, that¡¯s all false)! ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re undermining someone¡¯s efforts. I thought ¡°Sibel¡± was nice and kind to every girl around.¡± ¡°What do you mean undermining your effort? Rather, I appreciate it.¡± Sibel smirked as he said that. Oh? What¡¯s with that ominous smile?! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there is no future for a kingdom that has forgotten its history?¡± ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± I was swallowing my saliva when I accidentally choked myself. ¡°Marin, are you alright?!¡± No, Lariensa. I¡¯m not okay at all! How the hell did that Sibel read my paper? I looked at him with eyes like a startled rabbit. ¡­Oh, right. He almost went into the dark side in the novel. ¡°How ardent your patriotism was for the kingdom. It even infused me with patriotism that I didn¡¯t even know was inside of me.¡± ¡°Y-y-you¡­! Why did you look at my paper?!¡± ¡°Is it really that vexing for you that I looked at your paper?¡± You¡¯re getting on my nerves now, Sibel. ¡°Sibel, you said you wanted to get along with Marin. You shouldn¡¯t have teased her like that.¡± Lara, I knew it! You¡¯re the only one who cares about me¡­ After Lara said that, Sibel, who was teasing me, stopped teasing me. ¡°Hahaha. I apologize. Her reaction was so cute that I wanted to keep teasing her.¡± Sibel then grinned. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but the moment this guy smiles. Shalalala lalalala lalala~ It¡¯s like the heavens opened up their gate and angels came down singing songs of the heavens. He¡¯s the novel¡¯s male lead, so of course, he would be handsome. If Sibel had been a little less trash and had considered the possibility of psychological help, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to keep Lariensa away this much. Since this world is based on a novel, it would be hard to change the plot. However, when I read about Sibel in the novel, I kinda perceived him as someone serious though¡­ They said that happiness with a handsome husband would only last for three years, but happiness with a virtuous husband would last a lifetime. Although Sibel is pretty handsome, his ugly personality easily consumes that three years¡¯ worth of happiness plus diminishing returns. That¡¯s why I will never ever give my daughter who I raised so well to Sibel! £ª £ª £ª ¡°Everyone¡¯s already here. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Finally, the pervert is now here! ¡°Nice to meet you today, Professor.¡± The first person to greet Professor Bentley was Sibel, who stood up politely with his signature abominable smile on his face. ¡°Take your seat, Sibel. You don¡¯t have to be so polite in front of me.¡± Even though the table was long, he still sat close to where Lariensa was. ¡°I want you guys to be comfortable with me here. Just treat me like your older sibling.¡± ¡­A professor is a professor, not an older brother. Who do you expect would call you ¡°brother¡± here? Don¡¯t count your chickens before they even hatch. ¡°There are students who need intensive mentoring, but¡­¡± Are you dissing me right now? Hmph. Who do you think I am? Even my friends admitted that I am thick-faced. No matter how much you diss me, it won¡¯t hurt me at all! ¡°Ahem. To start with¡­¡± For a moment, the mentoring class went smoothly. During class, Bentley did not immediately touch or approach Lariensa, perhaps because Sibel and I were also there. But I know Bentley won¡¯t just sit still and back down like this. ¡°This. Lariensa, you got this one wrong.¡± Knowing that he could have a chance to get in contact with Lariensa under the pretext of correcting her, he gave her questions that were harder than usual. Although Lariensa tried to get it all right, however, she got one problem wrong. When I got five mistakes, Bentley just explained them in words to me, but to Lariensa¡­ He stood up from his seat and put his arms around her shoulders. Not only that¡­ ¡°Oh, you smell nice.¡± Euk! I feel like puking at his words. I¡¯ll punish you for sexual harassment! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! I then buried my nose on Professor Bentley¡¯s hand which was on Lariensa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sniff! Sniff!¡± ¡°¡­Ma-marilyn?¡± ¡°Ahh, professor. You know, professor also has a fragrant smell.¡± I made fun of him by pretending to praise him with a nasal voice, just like what he did to Lariensa. ¡°Oh! Professor also has these reliable muscles! If you wear something thin, I¡¯m sure it will accentuate the shape of your arm muscles.¡± There¡¯s no such thing as the same revenge! I will double it or even triple it, you bastard! ¡°Marilyn, this is an academy. As a student, it¡¯d be better if you refrain from having excessive physical contact with your professor.¡± ¡°Oh is that so, I¡¯m sorry. I thought it was okay because Professor Bentley was also touching Lariensa¡¯s shoulders.¡± ¡°¡­I was just encouraging her.¡± ¡°I also wanted to be patted and encouraged by the professor.¡± ¡°Encouraging someone and plainly touching someone are different things.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know! Then I want the one you did to Lariensa next time.¡± Professor Bentley¡¯s face was expressionless, but I could see some veins protruding out from his neck. If only he could just quit after being humiliated like this, but no, his perversion did not end here. As the mentoring class was ending. ¡°Good job, Lariensa.¡± He tried to stroke Lara¡¯s head again, but before he could do that, I snatched his hand and put it on top of my head. ¡°You also did a great job, professor.¡± I controlled his hand to pat the top of my head with his hand. ¡°This is what you call encouragement, right?¡± Look at Professor Bentley¡¯s face rotting! Haha! I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself for Lara! I continued to control his hand and rubbed the top of my head while appreciating Professor Bentley¡¯s expression. ¡°Professor.¡± Sibel removed Professor Bentley¡¯s hand from my head. Chapter 19 Sibel¡¯s expression as he removed Professor Bentley¡¯s hand on the top of my head was stiff, different from his usual scornful face. ¡°Please head out first, professor. We would like to clean up the room in peace before going home.¡± But it was immediately overlaid with a smiley face as if that never happened. ¡°Then, please, Sibel.¡± Professor Bentley attempted to evade vexation with a forced smile, much to his dismay. As soon as Professor Bentley went out, Sibel¡¯s face hardened again. What the heck? What¡¯s wrong with him? ¡®Are you angry because Professor kept making obvious advances on Lariensa?¡¯ But that thought soon quickly vanished. It was because Emily, Natalie, and Violet appeared right after Professor Bentley left. ¡°Violet, Natalie. Take Lariensa with you and go directly to the dormitory. No matter who it is, men will not be allowed to enter the women¡¯s dormitory.¡± ¡°Okay, but what about you? Will you be alright?¡± Earlier in the morning, after quarreling about who would sneak into Professor Bentley¡¯s room, it was decided that Emily and I would be doing it after the mentoring class. Because I have already read the novel, I already know that Professor Bentley was really a pervert, but my friends were still doubting about it, and I¡¯m also worried about letting them go by themselves. The security in the women¡¯s dormitory becomes stricter once classes are over, and it would also be safer for us to sneak in at night because the darkness will hide us away. Professor Bentley always stayed in the faculty room until late at night, so we decided that we would go to his room after the mentoring class. ¡°We¡¯ll easily get caught if many of us will go. So you guys, go straight to the dormitory.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And Emily, just wait for me outside for a moment. I¡¯ll quickly clean up the room first, and then we¡¯ll go right away.¡± Aside from Emily, my friends immediately left and headed towards the dormitory. Now, Sibel and I were the only ones left inside the classroom. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sibel¡¯s silence was deafening. Although he was somewhat an obnoxious and insufferable person, he¡¯s a little scary when he doesn¡¯t talk¡­ I tried not to pay attention to him and quickly put away the chairs and cleaned the room. There, Sibel just stood in his place and kept his eyes on me, however, I didn¡¯t have time now to care about him, so I ignored him as much as I could but suddenly¡­ Crash! Sibel threw away the chairs that I arranged on the tables. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I¡¯ve never even scolded you for not cleaning up and did everything myself! Why are you messing it up all again?! Even though I was annoyed at him, Sibel still looked at me in a detestable manner. As expected, his pretty face does not coincide with his personality. ¡°You said you hated it.¡± ¡°Hated what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t want other people touching you except for the people that you like?¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°Do you like Professor Bentley?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t think you like him. Then, is it because of that chick?¡± Chick¡­ Does he mean Lariensa? But why is he so mad about me having physical contact with Professor Bentley? ¡®Is it because you wanted to protect Lara yourself, but because I was there, you then lost your chance of doing so?¡¯ But¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. That¡¯s just weird. Why did I even think about it? ¡°Why do you care about her so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Friend? If you become Professor Bentley¡¯s victim because of her, will you still be able to call her your friend?¡± ¡°Why are you mad at me? I protected Lara for you. Isn¡¯t that a good thing for you as well?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re doing it unwillingly?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re so handsome, huh? It was my own decision to risk myself for Lara¡¯s sake, so why are you still displeased about it?¡± ¡°Why are you so insistent in sacrificing yourself just for that Jellinus girl?¡± Ah, really, what is wrong with you?! ¡°What if I actively approach Lariensa?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Will you also sacrifice yourself again for her? Are you also going to do the same as what you did to Professor Bentley to me?¡± Don¡¯t take me as an idiot. I know you¡¯re also aiming for Lara. I don¡¯t understand why is he this angry in the first place, yet I can¡¯t now waste time on his tantrums that never even made any sense. In any case, it may be because of what happened earlier between Lara and Professor Bentley. It¡¯s already too late for me to try to stop his feelings for Lariensa. He has already fallen in love with her. If that is so then, it is better to warn him directly instead of avoiding him anymore. ¡°This may seem funny to you, but I am warning you!¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­Do not approach Lara from this point on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t have a choice but to like her, however, Lara is such a waste to you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Sibel¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Just bury your feelings for her.¡± It took quite a while for Sibel to finally give me a response. ¡°So¡­ wait, haha. Can you say that again? I didn¡¯t quite get it. ¡± Sibel glared at me strangely, as if he just heard something outrageous and unbelievable. I made myself clear right. So why does he look so confused? This guy¡­ ¡°I said don¡¯t approach Lara anymore. Bury your feelings for her. She¡¯s just a naive girl, and you¡¯re extremely not suitable for her. So want me to say that again?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Sibel laughed in bewilderment. This is just ridiculous for you, right? After laughing for a while, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you still going to continue to like Lariensa?¡± He smirked. That was obviously to insult to me. ¡°You¡¯re completely mistaken.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡± Sibel slowly strode towards me. Flustered, I stepped backward, but unfortunately, behind me was a wall. Before I knew it, I was caught in between the wall and Sibel¡¯s body, who came too close to me. ¡°Lariensa or whoever is it, I¡¯m not interested in them.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep approaching her?¡± ¡°Has it crossed your mind that maybe you¡¯re mistaken about something?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sibel lowered himself and put his lips close to my ears. I could feel his breath tickling my ears as I shrunk away from him. At the same time, he spoke some words which were hard to believe. ¡°The one whom I¡¯m really approaching.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your friend¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± When I lifted my head from shock, my eyes met Sibel¡¯s. Then, he gave a mischievous laugh as he looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re the one I¡¯m interested in, Marilyn Launer.¡± Ding¨C Ding¨C Ding¨C I couldn¡¯t tell whether the campus bell was really ringing or my sanity was breaking down. What¡­ did I just hear? It¡¯s not Lara¡­ but me? No way. Is this all pretense from him? Because Marilyn Launer, who was always next to Lariensa, paled in comparison to her all things considered. Yeah, that must be it. Because¡­ Does it even make sense? Why would Sibel be interested in me? He must be pretending to like me just so he could approach Lariensa¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why I warned you.¡± Hiik! But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it! If it¡¯s a warning, then is it the one where he told me to stay out of his sight? ¡®You know, it¡¯s rare for me to have fun.¡¯ So the person you¡¯re putting the flag on was not Lara¡­ ¡®And the rarer it happens, the more I desire it.¡¯ ¡­but me? ¡°Sssiibel¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s also amazing how you make my name sound like you¡¯re cursing.¡± Well, Sibel doesn¡¯t know that his name really is a curse word in my world since there¡¯s no word like that here. Oh, but what do I do with this? Whether I like it or not, I have already set foot on this route unknowingly! So in the end, Lara¡¯s misfortune was passed on to me! ¡°Okay wait. For now, can you move away from me?¡± What era do you belong to that you¡¯re still pinning a girl to a wall with your body!? If I can¡¯t avoid this misfortune wherever I go, then I¡¯d rather die as a supporting actress! When I was reading the novel, I felt more sorry for Lariensa than those characters who were horrified by Sibel, that¡¯s why I kept on warning her, but¡­ ¡°What you just said¡­ that you¡¯re interested in me¡­ is that really true?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie about these things.¡± I don¡¯t wanna be the angel in your cage. No way in hell! Hoo! Hah! Hoo! Hah! Okay, let¡¯s calm down first. Does he think I¡¯m going to do the same as what Lariensa did in the original story just because the plotline was now distorted? Oh, I¡¯m getting goosebumps. ¡°Also, when you said that you were teasing me for being so cute, is that also true?¡± ¡°Well, you look just like a dog.¡± Hey! Why are you treating me like some kind of animal? ¡°When I was young, I got bitten by my dog for teasing it for food, and I couldn¡¯t stop because it was so fun.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the dog.¡± ¡°That kind of feeling.¡± So you¡¯re actually not insulting¡­ you¡¯re just saying I¡¯m purely like your dog in your childhood? It was surprising that that Sibel Nouma Khan had a dog. But I don¡¯t think he was really fond of it. ¡®You didn¡¯t beat that dog to death like those psychopaths in movies, did you?¡¯ ¡­Anyway, if he still thinks of me like that then I¡¯m glad. ¡°For now, I get it. You¡¯re the one who messed this up, so you clean it. I have to go now.¡° ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I have to go to the dorm now and sleep.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not going to sleep.¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m not going to sleep?!¡± ¡°Kids like you only come to their senses when they¡¯re in big trouble.¡± ¡°Then just let me be in trouble!¡± ¡°¡­But the problem is, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Yeah, right. If I go into a relationship with someone in this world, I would definitely not choose this route. I pushed Sibel away with force. In fact, I didn¡¯t really push that hard, but for some reason, he was pushed out. Hmph, you acted like you¡¯d never let me go. ¡°Even if I go through something dangerous, what does it have to do with you? So get lost and mind your own business.¡± I ran out of the classroom as fast as I could, fearing that Sibel would catch me again. I¡¯ve already taken up a lot of time because of that guy. ¡°Emily!¡± Emily, who was waiting for me near the building where the professors live, put me in a headlock for coming late. ¡°Tap! Tap! I surrender!¡± Where the hell does she learn these skills? ¡°Why are you so late?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had a lot of stuff to clean up.¡± ¡°I found a path where we could sneak in while I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Emily guided me to the back of the building where there were no guards. There was a flagpole with the flag of the academy hanging from it. ¡°We will use this to climb up.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, you can. Because I have acknowledged you as someone equal to me.¡± Emily¡¯s expression was so serious that I have nothing to say¡­ ¡°Alright, but Emily, you could get hurt on your way up there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. When I was scolded and got kicked out of the house before, I climbed on the walls and entered our house again through the window.¡± Okay, from now on I am baptizing Emily a new nickname ¨C Spy Girl! ¡°Did Natalie and Violet give you something?¡± ¡°Ah right, they gave me a rope!¡± You should have told me that first! ¡°You go up first and then lower the rope so that I can climb.¡± Emily then put the rope over her shoulder and began climbing the pole. ¡°Emily, be careful. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± In fact, to the shame of my concern, Emily climbed up the flagpole very imposingly and confidently and then jumped to the rooftop next to her. I knew Emily was strong, but I didn¡¯t know she was this athletic. I felt like we were doing such a cool thing like those Avengers or X-men movies back in my world. She was like a hero just by basing on her pure strength. ¡°I¡¯ll lower the rope now!¡± Emily disappeared as she grabbed the pole and lowered the rope for me. No matter the situation I¡¯m in, I¡¯d surely be scared if it was somewhere high since I was afraid of heights that¡¯s why when I grabbed the rope and climbed up, I tried not to look down as much as possible. However, for some reason, I was climbing up with minimal effort. Whoosh ¨C Whoosh ¨C Why is this rope pulling me up on its own? Chapter 12 £ª £ª £ª What you utter as just mere facts to you may be a matter of life or death for the others. Chapter 21 The door rattled as if it were about to open at any moment. ¡°Emily, can you get to the flagpole and go down quickly?¡± ¡°I can even jump out of here.¡± ¡°Then you run away first!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try hiding somewhere else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take you down with me.¡± ¡°Even if it seems possible, do you really think we can do that?¡± ¡°We have to try it!¡± It¡¯d rather not risk both of us being injured. No matter how athletic Emily is, there¡¯s no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t fall while taking me down in a hurry. Even if it¡¯s for my sake, I can¡¯t let Emily get hurt. ¡°¡­Alright then, let¡¯s go to where the flagpole is.¡± We quickly went towards the flagpole. Emily showed her back, gesturing to carry me, but I instead pushed her down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily!¡± ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Emily, who had excellent instincts, was skillful enough to hold onto the flagpole and go down safely, even though I suddenly pushed her. After she reached the ground, she then opened her arms as if she was telling me to jump, but I beckoned to go quickly. In the end, Emily turned her back to me and ran away first. ¡°If I catch you two today, you¡¯ll be dead!¡± Bang! Bang! At this rate, the door will soon open. ¡°Where to hide¡­?!¡± No matter how many times I looked around, there wasn¡¯t a good hiding place that I could think of¡­ or there is? It was a bit uncomfortable, but there was no other option now. I endured the putrid smell and hid inside of it. BANG! As soon as I hid, the door opened. What great timing. ¡°Where did those brats go?¡± Oh, the smell¡­ On the rooftop, where the professors would sometimes gather and spent time together, there was a trash can along with the chairs and tables. And there was enough space for me to fit inside of it. In the end, I had no choice but to hide in it despite the trash. It¡¯s better to be dirty than be hit by that crazy bastard. Breathing itself was hard because of the smell, but if I exhale even just a little, the piled up garbage would move which was also another problem. ¡°Where did they hide? Hmm?¡± I¡¯m already anxious enough to think this might end up like those movies I watch back in my world. I¡¯m sure Professor Bentley would have noticed. That the only place one can hide on this rooftop is in a trash can. Slowly, I could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. I thought I was quite brave, but at this moment, I was so scared that tears were about to come out of my eyes. It seems that people have heightened senses when they are too scared. That¡¯s why I could feel the touch of one of the soda bottles around my head even though it didn¡¯t touch me. Not long after, I could hear another person walking. Tap, tap, tap¡­ ¡°¡­What the hell are you doing?¡± Unlike when he was chasing me and Emily, Professor Bentley now had a more rational voice. ¡°It must have been you. What were those girls? Were they the watchmen you sent for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Answer me! I already did you a favor! You said I could just put you in the mentoring class!¡± Mentoring? Who is Professor Bentley talking to? Let me think. The people chosen to be mentored by Professor Bentley right now are Lariensa, me, and¡­ Sibel. ¡°You should have just done what you usually do.¡± ¡­That voice, so it¡¯s really Sibel. ¡°¡­Tell me straight. What do you really want from me?¡± ¡°You pretend to be smart but you don¡¯t even have a clue.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do something called imagination, professor.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that Sibel actually threatened Bentley to join the mentoring program. I could already tell that he joined in through unjustifiable means. What surprised me is, why is he here? ¡°Let¡¯s say you went to a jewelry store and found the most beautiful diamond in the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯d want to have it at any price.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But if someone keeps scratching such a precious thing, will he or she be angry or not?¡± ¡­Is that diamond, me? Ah, I think someone is whispering nonsense in my ear. Yes! It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you! You¡¯re that diamond! Somebody, please tell me I¡¯m not! I was twisting the original plot in order to protect Lara, but I didn¡¯t mean to sacrifice myself and take Sibel¡¯s route! ¡°So, get your head straight.¡± Ohhh, he¡¯s talking down to the professor. It¡¯s the usual hateful Sibel, but I like what he¡¯s doing now. Yeah! Let¡¯s go! Scratch that professor¡¯s pride as much as you can! ¡°You¡­ You¡¯ll regret this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what the weak say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°For example, someone like you?¡± After a while, I heard the sound of empty footsteps. And I couldn¡¯t now hear Sibel¡¯s and Bentley¡¯s voices. That pervert, is he gone now? Just when I was about to go crazy over thinking what was about to happen, I heard someone scrambling through a pile of trash above me and pulled me out. I know that it was not Professor Bentley because if that were the case, he would have grabbed my hair right away and pulled it hard. As I poked my head through the garbage, I realized that it was Sibel who let me out. But¡­ Why is he laughing at me like that? That smile is bad for my heart! ¡°I like it.¡± Huh? What? ¡°You look like an abandoned puppy right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s abandoned, then I can just pick it up.¡± I was covered with trash and other fluids from the bottles in the garbage can. Tsk, these professors can¡¯t even differentiate recyclable materials and food waste! Anyways, Sibel gently wiped my dirty face with his bare hands. Then, with his killer smile, he spoke as if he was really talking to an abandoned dog. ¡°Want to come with me?¡± No, the trash can is more comfortable and nice. So don¡¯t lead me to your route and just go¡­ ¡°Woof, why don¡¯t you try barking?¡± Surprised at Sibel¡¯s sudden remark, I came to my senses and crawled out of the trash can. He even stretched out his hand to help me, but I just ignored it. ¡°That¡¯s very unkind for a person who just helped you. It¡¯s quite upsetting.¡± I guess he really did come all the way here to help me¡­ Ah, I really can¡¯t understand him. My friend is Lariensa! Lariensa Jellinus! The prettiest, most studious, and has the greatest personality in the academy. But why do you like me? Of course, it¡¯s fortunate that he doesn¡¯t like Lara. But why am I the one taking his route?! ¡°Thank you for helping me out. I¡¯ll definitely pay you back someday.¡± ¡°Everyone just says that and never actually does something.¡± ¡°¡­Then, do you have something you want?¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you hear me out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it seems like you don¡¯t want to.¡± Then why did you put the premise of ¡¯listening¡¯ on it? It¡¯s because you¡¯re the receiving party that¡¯s why I¡¯m reluctant to hear it! ¡°If it¡¯s not anything weird, then I¡¯ll listen to it.¡± ¡°I want to get closer to Lariensa Jellinus.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°See.¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested in Lara?¡± ¡°Not even now.¡± So you¡¯re finally giving up now? ¡°Sigh, I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re helping her to this extent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unusual to help a friend.¡± ¡°Friend, family, or lover. They aren¡¯t worth as much as you think. Just like now. Your friend left you after all.¡± I guess you¡¯re not that interested in me yet, considering that you include friends, family, and even lovers. That¡¯s a good thing. ¡°Value is a matter of personal judgment.¡± I didn¡¯t want to take this seriously, but my friends are still precious to me. This might not be my body, and I have to hide this inevitable secret from them. However, I still like them. Especially when I first entered Marilyn¡¯s body and I still couldn¡¯t adapt to my surroundings, my life would have really been more difficult without Lariensa¡¯s consistent care. ¡°And, besides¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been abandoned.¡± Looking under the roof, I saw five people rushing in. Four of them were familiar, but the other one¡­ was someone unexpected. ¡°Marin! Are you alright?¡± I gave Lara an okay sign. I wasn¡¯t even going to war, but friends had all these kinds of tools in their hands. I¡¯m a little embarrassed, but I felt proud. ¡°See?¡± I proudly pointed to my friends for Sibel to see. But when I turned around, he was suddenly gone. As if he wasn¡¯t even there to begin with. £ª £ª £ª As soon as I came down from the rooftop, my friends flocked towards me. ¡°Guys, relax! Relax!¡± Emily especially hugged me so tight that I had a hard time breathing. ¡°I thought you were in big trouble¡­ but what is this smell?¡± ¡°I was hiding in a trash can.¡± ¡°You should have said that first!¡± Emily, Natalie, and Violet took three steps away from me as if we just didn¡¯t have a touching reunion. Those traitors¡­ Hmph! Atleast, my Lara still hugs me like this! ¡°I still like Marin even though she smells bad.¡± Ouch, the truth hurts, but¡­ ¡°How come Lycan is also here with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± This was how Lycan came with all of them. Emily, who was running to her friends to ask for help, ran into Lycan first by chance. Lycan, recognizing his sister¡¯s friend, spoke to Emily. Then, Emily explained the whole story to Lycan as fast as possible, and the rest of them who he met along the way also joined and ran to this place. ¡°Then did you tell him about Professor Bentley¡¯s diaries?¡± ¡°I heard.¡± Instead of Emily, Lycan replied. I then looked at him with an ominous expression. ¡°You know you can¡¯t just run to the faculty room or the professors¡¯ dorm to make a fuss for your sister, right? If things go wrong, you and Lariensa will lose.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°However, are you just going to let him go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No good will come out from being silent!¡± As I continued to urge him, Lycan sighed and finally gave an answer. ¡°No matter how angry I am, I still can¡¯t make a mess in the faculty room or the professors¡¯ dorm where everyone is watching because if I do that, my scholarship will be cut off.¡± I thought he would just go there immediately without looking back, but he¡¯s surprisingly realistic. Well, I should¡¯ve thought more about my scholarship too, since I don¡¯t want to go home either. Even so, I know that this move wouldn¡¯t sit well with that idiot of a brother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and just go back to your dorm for now.¡± Well, that certainly sounded reassuring. So we trusted Lycan and went back to our dormitory. There, the five of us huddled together and read all of Bentley¡¯s diaries. The oldest diary was filled with content about his first love, which could already be interpreted as him stalking her one-sidedly. And now he already has his third victim, and that victim is my friend! So I can¡¯t just leave this bastard as it is. ¡°What are we going to do about these diaries?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we show it to the other professors?¡± ¡°No. What if the academy tries to bury this case?¡± I came across several articles about school violence, sexual violence in school, and attempts to bury such issues. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m doubting everything now, but I have no choice but to be cautious as the situation is dire. ¡°Marilyn, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hand it over to the newspaper.¡± ¡°To the newspaper?¡± ¡°How about The Clean News?¡± Lariensa agreed that it was good all the way, but she wasn¡¯t the main character of these other two diaries. However, there was no way or time for us to find out now where these two people were and persuade them to agree. I¡¯m sure Bentley will frantically open his eyes to retrieve these diaries now. But The Clean News can be trusted. Although The Clean News was not mentioned much in the original story, it was mentioned as if it was the favorite newspaper company of the vice president of the Cloud Academy. In fact, instead of acting blind to a certain issue, The Clean News has been trying to publicize unfair things that others do not care about. And I believe that The Clean News wouldn¡¯t publish provocative articles without the consent of the victims first. ¡°Will it be okay for you, Lariensa? They might have to interview you about it.¡± Natalie was worried about Lariensa. ¡°Yeah. Since I¡¯ve already been rumored in the Academy to be favored by Professor Bentley. I¡¯d rather let them know about my resentment than staying silent!¡± Way to go, Lariensa! Lariensa lifted her chin, feeling proud. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to go out of the academy the day after tomorrow, right? Let¡¯s visit the newspaper by then.¡± We had to endure until we could go out of the academy, but at least we are now in a more advantageous position than before. ¡°Lara, just hang in there for a day. Okay?¡± ¡°I can even stand a day or so!¡± After a long time, Lara smiled brightly. However, nothing happened the next day as we attended the class because¡­ ¡°Professor Bentley was seriously injured as he sprained his foot on his way to the main building. For the time being, today¡¯s history class will be replaced by physics, so just follow the adjusted timetable.¡± My friends and I exchanged glances without a word. Bentley¡¯s sick? What kind of luck is this? Oh yes! Before we knew it, our shoulders were jumping from joy. Chapter 22 ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Meanwhile, at the very place where the commotion took place last night, Bentley applied medicine on his body alone. Blisters and cuts filled every portion of his body. Most notable was the injury on his head which was dealt by a suspicious woman who smashed his head with a vase last night. However, all his other remaining bruises and injuries were made by another person. And that was, Lycan Jellinus. He was Lariensa¡¯s brother, the brother of Bentley¡¯s recipient of affection. This morning Bentley decided to go to work despite the injury on his head because that¡¯s the only he could do to find and identify his assailant. However, on his way to the faculty room, someone suddenly covered Bentley¡¯s mouth from behind and kidnapped him. Bentley, who was taken to a secluded forest inside the academy, was flustered to find out who had kidnapped him. ¡°L-Lycan?! What do you think you¡¯re doing? No matter how well-recognized you are as an outstanding student, you cannot do this to me!¡± Wham! The blow to his face left Professor Bentley speechless. ¡°Even you will get expelled from school for this¡­ Ugh!¡± There was no time to talk. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down first¡­!¡± He was beaten without even having a chance to talk. ¡°You know¡­ there are two kinds of people that I hate the most in this world, professor.¡± Lycan sat down with his knees bent and made eye contact with Bentley who was lying on the ground. ¡°First are those people who use their power against the weak, and second¡­ are those people who dare hurt my sister. But professor¡­ you did both. Even in the former case, your target is my sister.¡± ¡°Y-you must¡¯ve misunderstood! Lariensa and I love each other!¡± At those words, Lycan¡¯s eyes flashed in anger and hit Professor Bentley a few more times. However, he did not stop there. Lycan even pulled out his sword. ¡°Hiik!¡± Wham! The sword stuck between Bentley¡¯s legs. ¡°If this happens again, this sword won¡¯t then miss as it did now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t be so delusional, and¡­ don¡¯t bother my sister anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or I will kill you for real.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, u-uh¡­!¡± Bentley eventually roared in anger. ¡°AHHHHH!¡± ¡®She loves me, too! We are meant to be! I recognized her the moment I saw her, but why doesn¡¯t she recognize me?¡¯ Professor Bentley then recalled what happened last night. Lycan and Sibel. Both of these guys who approached him in rage and in broad moonlight were all men. But the assailant who broke into his place last night were women. ¡®Who were they?¡¯ He had to find out. Bentley couldn¡¯t afford to miss his last love just like what happened to his first love. ¡®In order to get Lariensa, I will destroy everything that hinders our love!¡¯ ¡®First things first, those two girls seem to be the easiest.¡¯ Bentley focused on remembering what happened last night. Both of them were covering their faces. One had a common hair color, and the other one was¡­ ¡°¡­Ginger¡± A red-haired woman. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I notice earlier?¡¯ He definitely saw her hair when he tore the paper bag! ¡°That damn girl again¡­!¡± Finally, he had found one of the two criminals. Now, it¡¯s time for payback. Bentley clenched his fist so hard that his veins sprang out. £ª £ª £ª Today, everyone in the class was noisy and they didn¡¯t focus on the lesson. And it was also the same for us. ¡°Guys, you know it¡¯s today, right?¡± We all nodded as Natalie whispered in class. Today is finally the day we are given free time to go out. Oh yeah! Usually, everyone would be excited to go out to buy clothes and food and have fun, but we were a little nervous as we have a different reason to go out. ¡°What time was it again?¡± ¡°Five o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°After this class, we¡¯ll then be free to go.¡± On days like today, where we have free time, class ends a little after lunch. And now, there are only 10 minutes before the class is over¡­ I hope the professor will let us go now already. Although Bentley has been quiet lately, I¡¯m still worried knowing that he¡¯s still freely walking around the campus! ¡°Alright, class is over. You all know when¡¯s the curfew, right? Try not to come back too late.¡± After the class was over, I immediately gave my bag to Emily which contained all of Bentley¡¯s diaries. Although we had the free time all to ourselves, I was in a hurry to leave because as long as Bentley is here, I can¡¯t help but feel burdened holding onto his diaries. ¡°Lariensa!¡± Suddenly, somebody called out to Lariensa. ¡°The homeroom professor said he has something to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± Although we¡¯ve always been together, I stuck to her much more this time because of the recent incident. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Marin. She¡¯s also with me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I know you had a hard time protecting me every day. Professor Bentley called in sick today anyways. Also, we just have to endure up until today, right? Do you still think something bad is going to happen?¡± That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m still worried. However, since I know that Lariensa has been feeling bad about me following her all day just to protect her, I decided to follow her will this time without saying anything. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be waiting at the entrance of the main building.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± I was just relieved thinking that after this day, Lariensa would now be safe from that bastard. But I never knew that that decision would be something that I would regret for the rest of my life. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Lariensa arrived yet?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she was going to the faculty room?¡± Violet nervously checked her watch. ¡°It¡¯s already four. We have to hurry out¡­¡± ¡°Nothing bad happened, right?¡± Natalie was also anxious as she bit her nails and hit the back of her hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go ahead and talk to the publisher first. Don¡¯t give them the diaries easily.¡± ¡°Marilyn, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for Lariensa in the meantime.¡± ¡°But, what if something will happen to you¡­¡± As Natalie murmured anxiously, Violet criticized her for saying such a curse. ¡°All the more so that you have to keep these diaries.¡± If that bastard gets ahold of his diaries again, we¡¯ll have nothing as proof anymore. After I instructed my friends on what to do, I quickly headed to the faculty room to find Lariensa. ¡°Lariensa isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you call her here, professor?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I never called Lariensa.¡± ¡­That can¡¯t be. ¡°Are you¡­ sure, professor?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even met her this day, so if you don¡¯t have any more businesses with me, please leave. As you can see, the teachers¡¯ office is a very busy place.¡± The homeroom professor seemed to find me very troublesome, but I just stood there, frozen. I felt like my head was turning white. So, where is she now? ¡®The homeroom professor said he has something to talk to you about..¡¯ Yeah, she didn¡¯t say the professor called her to the faculty room. But, the professor never even called her. No way, no, no, no¡­ I stormed out of the faculty room after realizing something. At that time, I saw the student who called Lariensa and took her. ¡®Good to see you!¡¯ Running towards that student, I immediately grabbed her shoulders and began asking her. ¡°Where¡¯s Lariensa?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Come on, tell me. You¡¯re the one who took her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the homeroom professor asked me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! The professor said he never even called Lara.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ he definitely asked me to bring her to him¡­¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± From the student¡¯s lips came a name that I hope it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Professor Bentley¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He said the homeroom professor asked him to call Lariensa for him.¡± ¡°T-to where¡­?¡± ¡°To the classroom on the fifth floor¡­!¡± I instantly knew where it was after hearing that much. Surely, it¡¯s the empty classroom where we¡¯re being mentored by Professor Bentley! After letting go of her, I ran straight up to the fifth floor. However, Lara was not in there. Instead, a note was left on a desk. ¨C Bring the diaries to me at the entrance hall by 5:00 PM. I¡¯ll kill you if you call another person and if you don¡¯t bring the diaries. ¨C You have now gone all the way, huh. In the end, you¡¯re kidnapping her?! What a complete psycho. No, he¡¯s always been this crazy. It¡¯s my fault that I was careless. But, I have to give the diaries to him by 5? The diaries are with Emily and the others, and it will take too much time even if I tried to get it back. Also, we never know, if I really give it to him directly, he might not easily hand over Lariensa to me. I think his diary had a common design. And according to the original story, he was an oddly constrained man, so maybe¡­ I went back down to the faculty room. ¡°Marilyn, what are you doing?!¡± Naturally, the other professors yelled at me as I suddenly burst inside and searched at Professor Bentley¡¯s desk. Regardless of them yelling at me, I didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°¡­Found it.¡± There were notebooks similar in design and color on his desk with only some slight differences. Technically, he wouldn¡¯t be able to identify those from afar unless he looked at it closely. So, after collecting three similar-looking notebooks to his diaries, I quickly left the faculty room, not minding the other professors yelling at me. The academy was so large that it took a considerable amount of time to get from the main building to the entrance hall. It would be nice to ask Lycan for help, but right now, I don¡¯t have the time to look for him. After arriving at that place alone, I found another note. Written in it was simple instruction to go to another place. ¡®You seem to be getting cocky now that you have the upper hand, but you will never see this coming.¡¯ Furious, I headed to the music room at the end of the hall on the first floor, following the note left by Bentley. I swallowed my saliva then opened the door carefully. ¡°You really took your time coming here, Ginger.¡± Ginger, Ginger, aren¡¯t you being too familiar with me? Maybe he¡¯s actually not obsessed with blondes, but those with red hair. ¡°Where¡¯s Lariensa?¡± ¡°The diary first.¡± ¡°No, Lariensa comes first.¡± As I remained firm, Bentley¡¯s first hit the old piano inside the room. The piano keys created a strange noise, not a beautiful melody. ¡°You must be mistaken now, girl. You do not get to choose.¡± ¡°So are you going to threaten Lariensa by saying you love her?¡± Nothing good will come if I provoke him here. Since I didn¡¯t have the time to ask for help earlier, and there¡¯s no one who would come to my rescue now, I have to take time as long as I can until I can think of another way. ¡°Ah, of course, I love her very much. But she doesn¡¯t love me back! Why? How come!¡± All right, let¡¯s induce the conversation in this way. ¡°So what did Lariensa say to you?¡± Professor Bentley was completely absorbed in his emotions that he was unable to make rational decisions. Even now¡­ look at him being excited as he recalls what happened with him and Lariensa earlier. ¡°I said I love her, but she doesn¡¯t! She said it was unpleasant! How could that be?¡± Lara said that? How crazy are you that you said those things to her? Seeing that he was now showing his true colors, I was more worried about Lariensa. ¡°So what did you do next, professor?¡± ¡°Then, I screamed at her a few times. She was shaking like a leaf. Afterwards, she passed out.¡± ¡°S-¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­She passed out?¡± I barely managed to hold myself back. How scared must she have been that she fainted? ¡°Professor, why don¡¯t we calm down first and try to make up with each other. I think there has been a lot of misunderstanding between us.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes, a misunderstanding. Why don¡¯t we talk calmly about this first and reconcile with each other, hmm?¡± As I approached him carefully, Professor Bentley, who had a look like a gentle sheep earlier, suddenly changed attitude as soon as he heard my words. ¡°Because of you¡­ It¡¯s all your fault! What misunderstanding?¡± Professor Bentley then strangled my neck. ¡°E-euk!¡± ¡°If you just disappear, then Lariensa will know how I feel.¡± ¡°¡­Heok!¡± ¡°If I can prove my love for her by getting rid of you, then I will gladly do it!¡± I was suffocating. Tears filled my eyes as I struggled to resist and then I fell on the floor. I managed to find something that could be a weapon, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t reach it. Chapter 15 ¡°Very good. When Lariensa took the entrance exams, she got the highest grade for history. Lariensa, are you interested in the subject?¡± Chapter 16 The tests have begun to select the students who would be part of Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring classes. Students who had a thing for Professor Bentley didn¡¯t skip a beat in partaking, it was after all a test that would give them a chance and an excuse to see him. Lariensa and I, however, were just forced to participate. Since we¡¯re still freshmen in this academy, there are some things we surely haven¡¯t learned just yet, right? But, that¡¯s fine! I can definitely pass this. I¡¯ve been studying so hard for days! Even though I told Lara to purposely get all the answers wrong, I studied hard in case Professor Bentley would do something about it, so I did my best and took the test, and somehow, I eventually got accepted. However¡­ ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe Lariensa¡¯s score on this test. A student who¡¯s supposed to be good at history has a score like this? As a history professor, it¡¯s undeniably my job to supervise a student like her.¡± Woof woof! Arf arf! Bark bark! Can you believe this dog barking some nonsense!? Professor Bentley deliberately passed Lariensa even though she purposely got all the items wrong. And as for me, I barely managed to pass the test by a hair¡¯s width. It was too difficult for a freshman to even answer. Of course, there were a few students who passed his test, but Professor Bentley used some tricks to remove some of them. ¡°Please write down why we should learn history, what history means to you, and then submit your thoughts as a paper.¡± Even if we submit a paper, it will still just be scored subjectively. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to put Lariensa on it no matter what. ¡°Oh, Lariensa doesn¡¯t need to submit one because I can feel her passion to learn history.¡± See. When there were no students left anymore, he went towards Lariensa and said something to her discreetly. And this got me agitated. Even though I know I¡¯ll drop this class in the future, I had no choice but to write my paper all night long. I just can¡¯t leave Lariensa alone with him! On the deadline, surely, I almost saw my spirit trying to leave my body. I then proceeded to the faculty room to submit my paper, ugly-looking with tissue on my nostrils. ¡°Marilyn Launer.¡± There I was wondering who was that guy standing in the hallway, it seemed to Sibel. Sniff! I pulled out the bloody tissue out of my nose and faced him as he stood in my way. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hand that in.¡± I also know that, you know? Who are you kidding? ¡°You don¡¯t have to care.¡± ¡°Even if you pass, you¡¯d better not go to his classes.¡± There¡¯s no way Sibel doesn¡¯t know about him. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know what Professor Bentley is like. He must have instinctively recognized this man as someone who has bad intentions towards Lariensa. ¡°But I still have to do this. I can¡¯t let Lara be alone with that bastard.¡± I tried to walk past Sibel, but he stood in my way again. Maybe because I called him out last time before when he touched me that he didn¡¯t do so right now. Tsk, he keeps blocking my way. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before to stay out of my sight?¡± ¡°Why are you bringing that up now?¡± ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? You keep doing things that bother me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be bothered about it though..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hand in your paper. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to pass, and even if you will, you shouldn¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You know that you¡¯re being too nosy right now, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m a nice and kind student who can¡¯t turn a blind eye to a friend in need.¡± Heh, that¡¯s funny. How long are you going to keep up that facade? ¡°I am still not sure whether Lara would actually be included or not, so I have to prepare for the worst.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being too nosy.¡± ¡°Lara¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Have you actually been in a dangerous situation?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°When you are in a really tough and scary situation, you become on your own ¨C no one suddenly remembers you as their friend or family.¡± Is it related to his past? I have no idea about Sibel¡¯s past before the storyline in the novel. I just came to this world with everyone already having their own defining characteristics and backgrounds. ¡°I don¡¯t have to put myself in that situation, and I won¡¯t in the future. Because I¡¯m going to make sure that it¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± My words went past by him. Then he just simply stepped out of the way. When you are in a really tough and scary situation, you become on your own? What does he mean by that? ¡­Sigh, I don¡¯t know anymore. Protecting Lara is already too much for me right now, what more trying to probe about Sibel¡¯s past. There¡¯s no need for me to know about it. Creak¨C I opened the door of the faculty room and submitted my paper to Professor Bentley. ¡°Good job, Marilyn. I hope you¡¯ll get a good result.¡± I¡¯ll get good results if you let me through. ¡°Yes, professor. I hope so, too. Lariensa felt uncomfortable taking this class alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for her sake, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered myself to enroll in this class.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m fine with you doing that.¡± ¡°But Lariensa¡¯s not fine with it though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Facing Professor Bentley who has the same eye color as Marilyn¡¯s, no, as I do now, I purposely smiled even more brightly. ¡°I trust professor to give me a fair evaluation.¡± As I turned my back on him, my face immediately turned sour. Well, I guess his expression is also the same as mine as he looked at me from behind. £ª £ª £ª It was now nighttime, and Professor Bentley, who was known to be diligent, was still inside the faculty room. His desk contained carefully written papers by other students, but in his eyes, they were all rubbish. For him, there was something more important than those papers. Bentley entirely focused on one thing on his desk. Amidst the dozens of papers, there contained a portrait of a girl. ¡®No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t capture her beauty.¡¯ Eventually, he even crushed his own drawings which he drew relentlessly, and approached the window to look up at the sky. The stars in the night sky were shining so brightly today. It looked so much like that child¡¯s blond hair that he couldn¡¯t help but think of her. ¡°Lariensa¡­¡± While carefully calling out her name, he recalled Lariensa¡¯s innocent smile. She was naive and timid, and rarely showed her smiling face, but Bentley already saw her smile. When she is with her friends, she smiles like someone her age. ¡®Indeed, when she is with her friends¡­¡¯ Especially with that Marilyn Launer. ¡º ¡®Yes, professor. Lariensa felt uncomfortable taking this class alone.¡¯ ¡» ¡®That lovely child. My Lariensa!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t say that to her. Bentley could recognize Lariensa at first sight. She was very similar to his first love, and the woman who would surely become his last love. Lariensa doesn¡¯t know about it because she doesn¡¯t even have a chance to talk to him right now, but she will realize it soon. ¡®The fact that we are each other¡¯s destiny.¡¯ That¡¯s what he thought. ¡®But that Marilyn Launer¡­ that damn Ginger.¡¯ [T/N: In Chapter 3, it was stated that Marilyn¡¯s nickname is Ginger.] The man who took away his first love was also red-haired. Frickin¡¯ Ginger! Because of his anger, Bentley threw Marilyn¡¯s paper into the trash can without hesitation. The school janitors would be cleaning the faculty room early in the morning before the other professors enter anyway ¨C and so he became quite complacent in throwing the paper due to this fact. Bentley was preparing to leave the faculty room when suddenly¡­ A cold wind blew from behind. ¡®Did I open the window?¡¯ ¡®I saw a star that looked like her, but I don¡¯t remember opening the window at all.¡¯ However, when he turned around, the window was certainly open. ¡®I guess I¡¯m getting too old now. I¡¯m already forgetting things.¡¯ Bentley sighed and closed the window again. ¡°Ohh, so you threw it away.¡± It was unexpected for him to hear someone¡¯s voice in the faculty room when he was supposed to be the only here inside. Bentley hurriedly looked back. ¡°Who¡­?¡± At first, it was too dark to recognize who it was, but soon the moon, which was covered by the clouds, revealed itself and lit up the room. ¡°Sibel.¡± Sibel was sitting on his desk. Inside the room, there were drawings of Lariensa spread out which Bentley planned to take with him. Bentley gritted his teeth but still tried to disguise himself by smiling. ¡°Sibel. You have to go back to your dorm right now. It seems like it¡¯s past bedtime, and going out past curfew is against school regulations.¡± Even though Professor Bentley still dared to speak despite being caught, Sibel didn¡¯t gave him a reply. It seems that he was silently reading something. ¡°Sibel?¡± ¡°When I saw her earlier she looked pale. Her under eyes are now dark with eyebags and she even had a nosebleed.¡± Far from retorting, he was talking strangely. ¡°You haven¡¯t even read it. You must have had a hard time reading it with your dysfunctional brain.¡± Bentley realized that on Sibel¡¯s hand was Marilyn Launer¡¯s paper, which he had just thrown into the trash can. ¡°Sibel! Are you aware that you¡¯re violating the rules now?¡± ¡°Am I more guilty of breaking the rules than a professor who¡¯s stalking a student?¡± ¡°What the hell are you saying¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re going to do with Lariensa Jellinus.¡± Sibel smiled brightly as usual, and because of this Bentley couldn¡¯t relax. Sibel, who he only considered a student, was now somehow intimidating for him despite remaining polite. ¡°Well, I just want you to do something for me.¡± Sibel, who held Marilyn¡¯s paper tightly in his hand, stood up. He then approached Bentley, who was standing in front of the window. ¡°Let me join your mentoring class. Of course, including Marilyn Launer.¡± Right now, Sibel Nouma Khan was threatening the professor. ¡®You dare!¡¯ ¡°Sibel, picking students for this mentoring class was done through a fair screening. You didn¡¯t even pass a paper, let alone take the test for it. Don¡¯t be so childish.¡± ¡°Professor.¡± ¡°Do you have anything more to say?¡± ¡°Why did you steal Lariensa¡¯s hair tie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You also stole her handkerchief the other day.¡± ¡®How did he know that? I only took items when no one was there so that I won¡¯t be suspected. I intentionally only stole the ones that would not have a big problem when lost so that I could make an excuse even if I was caught.¡¯ ¡°Ahem. You seem to misunderstand, I just lost my chance to return those things to her.¡± ¡°Then what about these hundreds of portraits of Lariensa Jellinus in your room?¡± ¡°In my room¡­ Sibel, you¡­¡± ¡°I just need you to do me a little favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems that you want to make this big.¡± Sibel turned his back on Bentley as if he was on his way to tell it to somebody. Bentley hurriedly grabbed Sibel before he could even finish thinking. ¡°All I have to do is include you in the mentoring class, right?.¡± As a professor, having a romantic affection towards a student was considered a big taboo and unacceptable for someone like him. He didn¡¯t know how Sibel got into his room but he found out his weakness, and that weakness was certainly fatal to Bentley. He couldn¡¯t now oppose his threat which was disguised as a request. ¡°Answer me, Sibel!¡± Until a while ago, it was Bentley, who was holding out as if he would not comply with Sibel¡¯s request, but now that Sibel wasn¡¯t making a sound, it was making him more nervous. It wasn¡¯t long after that Sibel smiled back at him and replied. ¡°Yes, together with Marilyn Launer.¡± Chapter 17 ¡°Guys! The students who have been accepted to Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring class have been announced!¡± Even though he was a professor, he was so popular among students that he was included in the B4. Therefore, it was natural for all students to pay attention to who would have been selected for the mentoring class he conducted for the first time. I nervously searched for the notice posted on the wall. ¡°Oh, there it is!¡± Emily shouted as she found the notice, which was posted almost as high as the ceiling. They really put it in a place that¡¯s hard to stick on¡­ and hard to see. ¡°As expected, Lariensa got in. Oh, and Marilyn, too?¡± ¡°How lucky for you guys.¡± Natalie, this is not something to be envious about. Rather, I feel like I¡¯m going inside a cave filled with beasts hiding amidst it. ¡°Oh, Sibel is also in there.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even take the test, right?¡± ¡°But I heard he still submitted his paper even if it¡¯s late. Well, Sibel would have passed the test anyway.¡± ¡°Right, if it¡¯s Sibel then¡­¡± Must be great to be famous. You don¡¯t get cursed for joining in late. I pouted my lips. If I couldn¡¯t take Lara away from that pervert, then I can just stick with her. I tried to find comfort in myself by shifting my perspective in a positive manner. ¡°Uhm, Lariensa.¡± Some students from the other class whom we didn¡¯t know approached and spoke to us. To Lariensa, to be exact. ¡°You know, I have a question.¡± Lariensa is innately kind when it comes to strangers because she is a child sheltered from life¡¯s cruel realities, she opened her eyes wide and listened to the girl she barely even knew. ¡°I heard you didn¡¯t pass the mentoring test.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s¡­ ¡± ¡°I also heard that this mentoring class was originally made by Professor Bentley only for you, is that true?¡± What are these guys doing now? Hey! Lara has more than the capacity to pass the test if she decides to, you know? ¡°That test, Lara didn¡¯t see the need to do well. She doesn¡¯t want to take Professor Bentley¡¯s mentoring class.¡± When I stepped in, those girls instantly gave me an ugly look. ¡°But in the end, she still got the chance to be mentored by Professor.¡± ¡°How can she refuse when the Professor keeps asking her to do it?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t she say no? Professor Bentley isn¡¯t the one who forces students who don¡¯t want to do something.¡± ¡°Hmph! How can you say so?¡± Eventually, my voice grew louder. ¡°You¡¯re just complaining to someone who you think is easy to bully. If you¡¯re really that dissatisfied, go tell the professor who wants to mentor her. Also, Sibel didn¡¯t even take the test, he just wrote his paper and passed the mentoring even though it¡¯s late, so why didn¡¯t you also tell him something?¡± ¡°Sibel is smart, so¡­¡± ¡°And you think Lariensa would have done worse than you?¡± Perhaps because they were now out of excuses to say, those girls chose to retreat rather than continue arguing with us. However, our arguments have begun to stir up some gossip about Lariensa among the students surrounding us. ¡°Why is she the only one favored by the professor?¡± ¡°Professor originally doesn¡¯t show favoritism¡­¡± ¡°She can just refuse if she really doesn¡¯t want to be mentored though.¡± You guys don¡¯t even know anything, sigh¡­ I was really agitated by these guys. However, I could feel Lariensa¡¯s warmth in my hands and as I looked to the side, she shook her head. She was asking me to just bear with it. I then realized, wouldn¡¯t I make it more difficult for Lara if I get angry here? So since I couldn¡¯t get angry here, I can only grit my teeth in silence. ¡°Life is unfair by nature, you bastards!¡± Thankfully, there was someone out there who spoke [out] for me. ¡°My brother also experienced the unfairness of life!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same age as Lariensa, and my brother and hers are also the same age. So, why is my brother¡­!¡± Suddenly, a guy stood beside Emily. It was Emily¡¯s brother, Esco. Esco was taller than Lycan, but he was so thin that at first glance he looked like a tall scarecrow. However, he has a naive look on his face when he smiles. ¡°Hey, hey. I envy you, too. Lycan and I are of the same age, and my sister is also the same age as his sister, so why, heuk¡­!¡± Emily kicked Esco in the shin. Because his sister was stronger than him, Esco couldn¡¯t even make a sound in front of his sister¡¯s strength. ¡°Lariensa, are you alright?¡± Esco, who was relieved of pain after a long time, looked at Lariensa and asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I know this is just a misunderstanding.¡± Seeing her talk like that while holding my hand and not letting it go, it seems that what happened earlier really made her very flustered. ¡°You know, you can just swear and curse them for all they care. It¡¯s a bad habit for these people to deliberately and intentionally misunderstand you, euk!¡± When Esco stroked Lariensa¡¯s head, he was immediately kicked by Emily in the shin again. ¡°You don¡¯t even wash your hands properly. Don¡¯t stroke my friend¡¯s head!¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t wash up all the time? I washed my hands today.¡± ¡°Really? Your hands couldn¡¯t even be compared to any human being. It¡¯s dirty. It¡¯s filthy. It¡¯s contemptible.¡± Watching Emily and Esco bicker, Lariensa began to laugh little by little. What a relief. If it weren¡¯t for those siblings, I would have been in a bad mood all day ¡°But Lariensa and Marilyn¡­ do you guys really wanna be mentored by Professor Bentley?¡± We explained the whole story to Esco. Lariensa was just forced by Professor Bentley to enter the mentoring class, and that I also joined because I was worried for her. Emily, Natalie, and Violet, who had not thought much about Professor Bentley¡¯s behavior also became serious after hearing our story. ¡°You seem to attract the weird and toxic ones, Lariensa.¡± ¡°But Lariensa never really wanted to do so.¡± ¡°Does it really need to be seen in a serious manner? Maybe professor just really wants to help her.¡± Sigh, I can¡¯t even bring up what happened in the original storyline¡­ If they were to know about it, they¡¯ll immediately know that it¡¯s not something that they can disregard so easily. In this case, I realize that I might be possessed by a book. I can¡¯t tell them the truth and that there are secrets that I have to hide. ¡°Hmmm¡­ come to think of it, there was something a little disturbing that happened before you guys entered the school.¡± Esco, who was listening to us quietly, began to speak in an unusually cautious tone. ¡°There was a girl in my grade who was particularly fond of Professor Bentley. I used to be a little close to her, but one day, she suddenly dropped out of school.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Could you tell us more about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I¡¯m afraid it would only give you some strange thoughts if I bring it up.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already piqued our interest, quick!¡± At my urging, Esco scratched the back of his head and recalled what happened at that time. And when we heard his story, our faces hardened. £ª £ª £ª ¡¯At first, it was Professor Bentley who was fond of her. But later on, she was the one who chased after him more. So there were some people who didn¡¯t like it.¡¯ There was silence between us, but in my head, what Esco said lingered for a long time. ¡¯However, one day, as she bumped into Professor Bentley she suddenly turned pale and immediately avoided him. She told her friends that she found some of her clothing and other things inside his room¡­¡¯ In the original storyline, they really wrapped it up as if Lariensa would become his last love. You pervert, you¡¯ve been a regular, haven¡¯t you? ¡®Within the academy, it¡¯s known that Professor Bentley has taken good care of her even though she was the one who keeps on stalking him. In addition, it is said that the portraits and objects she saw in his room were all just her delusions, or that maybe she sneaked into his room and planted those things while stalking him, but we didn¡¯t know the truth.¡¯ ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just like ¨C not go there at all?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Lariensa will then become known as a student who ignores a professor¡¯s sincerity and interest, especially since he¡¯s been really trying to mentor her¡­ It was a situation that she couldn¡¯t refuse from the beginning. ¡°But that was just a rumor, so I¡¯m not really sure if it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Still it¡¯s a little uncomfortable for it to become a rumor. And our situation now is somewhat similar to what happened back then¡­¡± Emily, who was listening to Violet and Natalie¡¯s conversation, suddenly broke into a fit of rage. ¡°So the gist is, we just need to find out if Professor Bentley is truly a pervert or not?¡± Yes, that¡¯s true. However, the question is how do we find it out. ¡°Then, we just simply have to go inside his room.¡± What?! Emily expressed her idea, but I couldn¡¯t agree with it. It¡¯s not like we can collect the evidence right away if we just enter his room, and moreover, it¡¯s too dangerous. ¡°Hey, guys¡­¡± I tried to talk them out but they didn¡¯t even listen to me. ¡°Okay. So while Marilyn and Lariensa are being mentored, Violet and I will go inside the Professor¡¯s room and then leave.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°But Natalie, you¡¯re a coward.¡± Guys, this isn¡¯t like a test of courage! ¡°C-calm down, First we¡­¡± I tried to calm them down, but Emily, Violet, and Natalie were already playing rock-paper-scissors among themselves to decide on who should be the one to enter Professor Bentley¡¯s room. It was then that Lariensa made a sound. ¡°¡­No.¡± However, the tone of her voice right now was more serious and had a higher pitch, and that was a new sight for me as well. The three who were ignoring me suddenly turned their heads as they heard Lariensa¡¯s stern voice. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want you guys to do that.¡± Ah¡­ we were only thinking about Professor Bentley that we forget Lariensa, who is also an important stakeholder in this issue. Emily, who has a bad temper, Natalie, who just says everything she wants to say, and Violet, who couldn¡¯t read other people¡¯s minds, focused on Lariensa¡¯s words at this moment. ¡°What if you get caught inside the professor¡¯s room and find out that he¡¯s actually not a bad guy?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a possibility that the professor is really a bad guy.¡± ¡°Then, all the more I hate it!¡± La¡­ ra? There might have been times where Lara became upset but it was the first time that she spoke so seriously and firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to endanger other people¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­because of me anymore.¡± What does she mean by that? I have never once thought that I was endangered by Lariensa in any way. And without saying it, it would also be the same for Emily, Natalie, and Violet. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Please, don¡¯t cry! She was about to burst into tears, and at this sight, I was very flustered because this was the first time that she was so dejected. However, Violet suddenly came forward, and¡­ Flick! hit Lariensa¡¯s forehead. Natalie and I suppressed our shock as we clasped each other¡¯s hands, too surprised. In midst of this, Emily hurriedly took the cookies out of her bag. ¡°It smells like a fight.¡± You ain¡¯t watching a movie, you know? ¡°For others, you might be like a little princess, but do you think you¡¯re someone that great to us?¡± I can¡¯t believe you said that when you saw Lara¡¯s tears in this pitiful state. Violet! This is not the time to blow up some facts! Chapter 18 ¡°Aside from you, I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing while speculating if Professor Bentley is really that kind of person. If I work in the royal palace in the future and then they would find out that I had a teacher that¡¯s a pervert. Oh, that would be very embarrassing.¡± At Violet¡¯s words, Lariensa¡¯s expression somehow loosened. ¡°That¡¯s right, and you¡¯ll be able to play with me if you don¡¯t go to this mentoring!¡± Emily added. ¡°Emily. Even if we aren¡¯t around, at least you still have Violet and Natalie with you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s willing to play with me, Marilyn.¡± ¡®Playing? Like whenever we arm wrestle? Or sometimes when we hit each other and run away? Is that what you call playing?¡¯ There are times where I was really pissed off with her and hit her hard but she just thought that I was playing with her¡­ However, as expected, I can¡¯t beat Emily when it comes to pure strength. ¡°And teasing Lariensa is more fun than I thought.¡± It¡¯s not a very moving reason, but thanks anyway, Emily¡­ ¡°But, Natalie, didn¡¯t you like Professor Bentley the most among the B4?¡± Natalie had a serious look on her face as she lowered her head. ¡°A handsome man should also have a kind heart¡­¡± ¡­Huh? ¡°If it¡¯s truly just our misunderstanding, I¡¯ll apologize a hundred times to him, but if it¡¯s real, I will exorcise that malicious dark soul out of that body!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive him in the name of love and justice!¡± Mianhae suljikhaji mothan naega~ Jigeum i sungani kkumiramyeon~ [T/N: This is the lyrics of the OP song of Sailor Moon in Korea.] Sailor Moon~¡î It¡¯s a new experience, but I¡¯m still very skeptical. How come none of these girls here are normal? ¡°Lara, you hear that? Do not think we¡¯re doing this because of you. Everyone has their own reasons.¡± Although their reasons were quite strange. ¡°¡­I got it.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Lara was convinced that we started to plan our invasion in earnest. To go inside Professor Bentley¡¯s room and find evidence of his crime! £ª £ª £ª Even though I really hated the idea, Lariensa and I had to go to an empty classroom on the fifth floor for the mentoring classes. Professor Bentley was really the worst type of person that I have encountered. He¡¯s leading the situation by using his position as a professor so that students can¡¯t refuse him. There were quite a few similar crimes back in my world. Just like now, a professor and sometimes even CEOs of companies. After the crime was committed, other people would always ask the victim¡­ ¡®Why can¡¯t you just refuse it outright? Why did you just follow what you were told to do? I thought you were on good terms with each other.¡¯ Try sitting here, and I¡¯ll ask you the same question. It¡¯s a crime committed by making the other person not able to resist in the first place! Do you think that this a crime that you could just suppress by force?! ¡°Sigh¡­ Lara, don¡¯t worry too much. Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Marin than myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think that perv¡­ Professor Bentley is just obsessed with blondes.¡± As I reached out to the doorknob to open the door¡­ ¡°You knew about this?¡± Lara¡¯s words made me stop moving. I slowly turned around and faced her. ¡°Is that why you told me to avoid Professor Bentley and asked me if I had any intention of dying my hair black?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­How? Since when?¡± I know that I couldn¡¯t really imitate Marilyn completely, but I should at least try to act like her. However, people around me accepted me so easily that I just naturally showed my true self. But no matter how tactless Lariensa can be, it¡¯s inevitable that she would notice¡­ That I¡¯m not the real Marilyn Launer. If she was really the kind of person that I read in the novel before. Will she believe in me? If yes, will she be able to accept me as I am? ¡°That¡­¡± I tried to explain to her but no words left my mouth. Creak¨C But with good timing, the door opened. ¡°¡­Sibel Nouma¡± ¡°¡­Khan.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Sibel Nouma Khan.¡± It was Sibel who opened the door from inside. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t want to co-exist along with him, but now I¡¯m a little grateful to him for letting me out of this difficult situation. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been feeling it before¡­ it seems like you¡¯re purposely saying my name like you¡¯re cursing or is it just me? ¡°Yup, it¡¯s just you.¡± Although Sibel and I were laughing as we faced each other, in our minds, we were still in a heated fight, splashing invisible sparks in the air. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get inside, so can you move out of the way?¡± ¡°Ah, you said you didn¡¯t like being molested, right?¡± Look at him talk like that. Ahhhh! I really hate him! I took Lariensa with me and sat down while blatantly avoiding Sibel. ¡°Where¡¯s Professor Bentley?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here yet.¡± After we sat down, Sibel belatedly greeted Lariensa with a smile on his face. ¡°Hi, Lariensa.¡± How was he able to resist wanting to talk to Lariensa from the moment he opened the door? But right now, I need to focus on Professor Bentley as he is the most dangerous one out of them, so I¡¯ll restrain myself for now¡­ Still, I actively talked to Sibel as much as possible to eliminate any chance of him talking to Lariensa. ¡°You had it great. You are favored by professor that¡¯s why you were able to skip the test, and just wrote a paper. Above all, you got chosen for the mentoring classes, and the other students just easily accepted that fact. ¡°Oh, that. That¡¯s just a rumor. I didn¡¯t submit a paper.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even get to write that?¡± ¡°Even if I wrote one, I don¡¯t need to spend the night finishing it just like what you did.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°After all, I¡¯m smarter than you.¡± Essentially, it wasn¡¯t me who took the entrance exam that I was able to enter the academy (it was Marilyn herself who took it before I got into her body). Obviously, compared to Sibel, my grades are¡­ B-but! At least, I still have better grades than Violet (there were also rumors that Violet might be the hidden daughter of the school chairman, that¡¯s why she was able to enter the academy. But of course, that¡¯s all false)! ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re undermining someone¡¯s efforts. I thought ¡°Sibel¡± was nice and kind to every girl around.¡± ¡°What do you mean undermining your effort? Rather, I appreciate it.¡± Sibel smirked as he said that. Oh? What¡¯s with that ominous smile?! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there is no future for a kingdom that has forgotten its history?¡± ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± I was swallowing my saliva when I accidentally choked myself. ¡°Marin, are you alright?!¡± No, Lariensa. I¡¯m not okay at all! How the hell did that Sibel read my paper? I looked at him with eyes like a startled rabbit. ¡­Oh, right. He almost went into the dark side in the novel. ¡°How ardent your patriotism was for the kingdom. It even infused me with patriotism that I didn¡¯t even know was inside of me.¡± ¡°Y-y-you¡­! Why did you look at my paper?!¡± ¡°Is it really that vexing for you that I looked at your paper?¡± You¡¯re getting on my nerves now, Sibel. ¡°Sibel, you said you wanted to get along with Marin. You shouldn¡¯t have teased her like that.¡± Lara, I knew it! You¡¯re the only one who cares about me¡­ After Lara said that, Sibel, who was teasing me, stopped teasing me. ¡°Hahaha. I apologize. Her reaction was so cute that I wanted to keep teasing her.¡± Sibel then grinned. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but the moment this guy smiles. Shalalala lalalala lalala~ It¡¯s like the heavens opened up their gate and angels came down singing songs of the heavens. He¡¯s the novel¡¯s male lead, so of course, he would be handsome. If Sibel had been a little less trash and had considered the possibility of psychological help, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to keep Lariensa away this much. Since this world is based on a novel, it would be hard to change the plot. However, when I read about Sibel in the novel, I kinda perceived him as someone serious though¡­ They said that happiness with a handsome husband would only last for three years, but happiness with a virtuous husband would last a lifetime. Although Sibel is pretty handsome, his ugly personality easily consumes that three years¡¯ worth of happiness plus diminishing returns. That¡¯s why I will never ever give my daughter who I raised so well to Sibel! £ª £ª £ª ¡°Everyone¡¯s already here. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Finally, the pervert is now here! ¡°Nice to meet you today, Professor.¡± The first person to greet Professor Bentley was Sibel, who stood up politely with his signature abominable smile on his face. ¡°Take your seat, Sibel. You don¡¯t have to be so polite in front of me.¡± Even though the table was long, he still sat close to where Lariensa was. ¡°I want you guys to be comfortable with me here. Just treat me like your older sibling.¡± ¡­A professor is a professor, not an older brother. Who do you expect would call you ¡°brother¡± here? Don¡¯t count your chickens before they even hatch. ¡°There are students who need intensive mentoring, but¡­¡± Are you dissing me right now? Hmph. Who do you think I am? Even my friends admitted that I am thick-faced. No matter how much you diss me, it won¡¯t hurt me at all! ¡°Ahem. To start with¡­¡± For a moment, the mentoring class went smoothly. During class, Bentley did not immediately touch or approach Lariensa, perhaps because Sibel and I were also there. But I know Bentley won¡¯t just sit still and back down like this. ¡°This. Lariensa, you got this one wrong.¡± Knowing that he could have a chance to get in contact with Lariensa under the pretext of correcting her, he gave her questions that were harder than usual. Although Lariensa tried to get it all right, however, she got one problem wrong. When I got five mistakes, Bentley just explained them in words to me, but to Lariensa¡­ He stood up from his seat and put his arms around her shoulders. Not only that¡­ ¡°Oh, you smell nice.¡± Euk! I feel like puking at his words. I¡¯ll punish you for sexual harassment! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! I then buried my nose on Professor Bentley¡¯s hand which was on Lariensa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sniff! Sniff!¡± ¡°¡­Ma-marilyn?¡± ¡°Ahh, professor. You know, professor also has a fragrant smell.¡± I made fun of him by pretending to praise him with a nasal voice, just like what he did to Lariensa. ¡°Oh! Professor also has these reliable muscles! If you wear something thin, I¡¯m sure it will accentuate the shape of your arm muscles.¡± There¡¯s no such thing as the same revenge! I will double it or even triple it, you bastard! ¡°Marilyn, this is an academy. As a student, it¡¯d be better if you refrain from having excessive physical contact with your professor.¡± ¡°Oh is that so, I¡¯m sorry. I thought it was okay because Professor Bentley was also touching Lariensa¡¯s shoulders.¡± ¡°¡­I was just encouraging her.¡± ¡°I also wanted to be patted and encouraged by the professor.¡± ¡°Encouraging someone and plainly touching someone are different things.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know! Then I want the one you did to Lariensa next time.¡± Professor Bentley¡¯s face was expressionless, but I could see some veins protruding out from his neck. If only he could just quit after being humiliated like this, but no, his perversion did not end here. As the mentoring class was ending. ¡°Good job, Lariensa.¡± He tried to stroke Lara¡¯s head again, but before he could do that, I snatched his hand and put it on top of my head. ¡°You also did a great job, professor.¡± I controlled his hand to pat the top of my head with his hand. ¡°This is what you call encouragement, right?¡± Look at Professor Bentley¡¯s face rotting! Haha! I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself for Lara! I continued to control his hand and rubbed the top of my head while appreciating Professor Bentley¡¯s expression. ¡°Professor.¡± Sibel removed Professor Bentley¡¯s hand from my head. Chapter 19 Sibel¡¯s expression as he removed Professor Bentley¡¯s hand on the top of my head was stiff, different from his usual scornful face. ¡°Please head out first, professor. We would like to clean up the room in peace before going home.¡± But it was immediately overlaid with a smiley face as if that never happened. ¡°Then, please, Sibel.¡± Professor Bentley attempted to evade vexation with a forced smile, much to his dismay. As soon as Professor Bentley went out, Sibel¡¯s face hardened again. What the heck? What¡¯s wrong with him? ¡®Are you angry because Professor kept making obvious advances on Lariensa?¡¯ But that thought soon quickly vanished. It was because Emily, Natalie, and Violet appeared right after Professor Bentley left. ¡°Violet, Natalie. Take Lariensa with you and go directly to the dormitory. No matter who it is, men will not be allowed to enter the women¡¯s dormitory.¡± ¡°Okay, but what about you? Will you be alright?¡± Earlier in the morning, after quarreling about who would sneak into Professor Bentley¡¯s room, it was decided that Emily and I would be doing it after the mentoring class. Because I have already read the novel, I already know that Professor Bentley was really a pervert, but my friends were still doubting about it, and I¡¯m also worried about letting them go by themselves. The security in the women¡¯s dormitory becomes stricter once classes are over, and it would also be safer for us to sneak in at night because the darkness will hide us away. Professor Bentley always stayed in the faculty room until late at night, so we decided that we would go to his room after the mentoring class. ¡°We¡¯ll easily get caught if many of us will go. So you guys, go straight to the dormitory.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And Emily, just wait for me outside for a moment. I¡¯ll quickly clean up the room first, and then we¡¯ll go right away.¡± Aside from Emily, my friends immediately left and headed towards the dormitory. Now, Sibel and I were the only ones left inside the classroom. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sibel¡¯s silence was deafening. Although he was somewhat an obnoxious and insufferable person, he¡¯s a little scary when he doesn¡¯t talk¡­ I tried not to pay attention to him and quickly put away the chairs and cleaned the room. There, Sibel just stood in his place and kept his eyes on me, however, I didn¡¯t have time now to care about him, so I ignored him as much as I could but suddenly¡­ Crash! Sibel threw away the chairs that I arranged on the tables. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I¡¯ve never even scolded you for not cleaning up and did everything myself! Why are you messing it up all again?! Even though I was annoyed at him, Sibel still looked at me in a detestable manner. As expected, his pretty face does not coincide with his personality. ¡°You said you hated it.¡± ¡°Hated what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t want other people touching you except for the people that you like?¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°Do you like Professor Bentley?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t think you like him. Then, is it because of that chick?¡± Chick¡­ Does he mean Lariensa? But why is he so mad about me having physical contact with Professor Bentley? ¡®Is it because you wanted to protect Lara yourself, but because I was there, you then lost your chance of doing so?¡¯ But¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. That¡¯s just weird. Why did I even think about it? ¡°Why do you care about her so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Friend? If you become Professor Bentley¡¯s victim because of her, will you still be able to call her your friend?¡± ¡°Why are you mad at me? I protected Lara for you. Isn¡¯t that a good thing for you as well?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re doing it unwillingly?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re so handsome, huh? It was my own decision to risk myself for Lara¡¯s sake, so why are you still displeased about it?¡± ¡°Why are you so insistent in sacrificing yourself just for that Jellinus girl?¡± Ah, really, what is wrong with you?! ¡°What if I actively approach Lariensa?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Will you also sacrifice yourself again for her? Are you also going to do the same as what you did to Professor Bentley to me?¡± Don¡¯t take me as an idiot. I know you¡¯re also aiming for Lara. I don¡¯t understand why is he this angry in the first place, yet I can¡¯t now waste time on his tantrums that never even made any sense. In any case, it may be because of what happened earlier between Lara and Professor Bentley. It¡¯s already too late for me to try to stop his feelings for Lariensa. He has already fallen in love with her. If that is so then, it is better to warn him directly instead of avoiding him anymore. ¡°This may seem funny to you, but I am warning you!¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­Do not approach Lara from this point on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t have a choice but to like her, however, Lara is such a waste to you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Sibel¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Just bury your feelings for her.¡± It took quite a while for Sibel to finally give me a response. ¡°So¡­ wait, haha. Can you say that again? I didn¡¯t quite get it. ¡± Sibel glared at me strangely, as if he just heard something outrageous and unbelievable. I made myself clear right. So why does he look so confused? This guy¡­ ¡°I said don¡¯t approach Lara anymore. Bury your feelings for her. She¡¯s just a naive girl, and you¡¯re extremely not suitable for her. So want me to say that again?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Sibel laughed in bewilderment. This is just ridiculous for you, right? After laughing for a while, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you still going to continue to like Lariensa?¡± He smirked. That was obviously to insult to me. ¡°You¡¯re completely mistaken.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡± Sibel slowly strode towards me. Flustered, I stepped backward, but unfortunately, behind me was a wall. Before I knew it, I was caught in between the wall and Sibel¡¯s body, who came too close to me. ¡°Lariensa or whoever is it, I¡¯m not interested in them.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep approaching her?¡± ¡°Has it crossed your mind that maybe you¡¯re mistaken about something?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sibel lowered himself and put his lips close to my ears. I could feel his breath tickling my ears as I shrunk away from him. At the same time, he spoke some words which were hard to believe. ¡°The one whom I¡¯m really approaching.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your friend¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± When I lifted my head from shock, my eyes met Sibel¡¯s. Then, he gave a mischievous laugh as he looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re the one I¡¯m interested in, Marilyn Launer.¡± Ding¨C Ding¨C Ding¨C I couldn¡¯t tell whether the campus bell was really ringing or my sanity was breaking down. What¡­ did I just hear? It¡¯s not Lara¡­ but me? No way. Is this all pretense from him? Because Marilyn Launer, who was always next to Lariensa, paled in comparison to her all things considered. Yeah, that must be it. Because¡­ Does it even make sense? Why would Sibel be interested in me? He must be pretending to like me just so he could approach Lariensa¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why I warned you.¡± Hiik! But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it! If it¡¯s a warning, then is it the one where he told me to stay out of his sight? ¡®You know, it¡¯s rare for me to have fun.¡¯ So the person you¡¯re putting the flag on was not Lara¡­ ¡®And the rarer it happens, the more I desire it.¡¯ ¡­but me? ¡°Sssiibel¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s also amazing how you make my name sound like you¡¯re cursing.¡± Well, Sibel doesn¡¯t know that his name really is a curse word in my world since there¡¯s no word like that here. Oh, but what do I do with this? Whether I like it or not, I have already set foot on this route unknowingly! So in the end, Lara¡¯s misfortune was passed on to me! ¡°Okay wait. For now, can you move away from me?¡± What era do you belong to that you¡¯re still pinning a girl to a wall with your body!? If I can¡¯t avoid this misfortune wherever I go, then I¡¯d rather die as a supporting actress! When I was reading the novel, I felt more sorry for Lariensa than those characters who were horrified by Sibel, that¡¯s why I kept on warning her, but¡­ ¡°What you just said¡­ that you¡¯re interested in me¡­ is that really true?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie about these things.¡± I don¡¯t wanna be the angel in your cage. No way in hell! Hoo! Hah! Hoo! Hah! Okay, let¡¯s calm down first. Does he think I¡¯m going to do the same as what Lariensa did in the original story just because the plotline was now distorted? Oh, I¡¯m getting goosebumps. ¡°Also, when you said that you were teasing me for being so cute, is that also true?¡± ¡°Well, you look just like a dog.¡± Hey! Why are you treating me like some kind of animal? ¡°When I was young, I got bitten by my dog for teasing it for food, and I couldn¡¯t stop because it was so fun.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the dog.¡± ¡°That kind of feeling.¡± So you¡¯re actually not insulting¡­ you¡¯re just saying I¡¯m purely like your dog in your childhood? It was surprising that that Sibel Nouma Khan had a dog. But I don¡¯t think he was really fond of it. ¡®You didn¡¯t beat that dog to death like those psychopaths in movies, did you?¡¯ ¡­Anyway, if he still thinks of me like that then I¡¯m glad. ¡°For now, I get it. You¡¯re the one who messed this up, so you clean it. I have to go now.¡° ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I have to go to the dorm now and sleep.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not going to sleep.¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m not going to sleep?!¡± ¡°Kids like you only come to their senses when they¡¯re in big trouble.¡± ¡°Then just let me be in trouble!¡± ¡°¡­But the problem is, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Yeah, right. If I go into a relationship with someone in this world, I would definitely not choose this route. I pushed Sibel away with force. In fact, I didn¡¯t really push that hard, but for some reason, he was pushed out. Hmph, you acted like you¡¯d never let me go. ¡°Even if I go through something dangerous, what does it have to do with you? So get lost and mind your own business.¡± I ran out of the classroom as fast as I could, fearing that Sibel would catch me again. I¡¯ve already taken up a lot of time because of that guy. ¡°Emily!¡± Emily, who was waiting for me near the building where the professors live, put me in a headlock for coming late. ¡°Tap! Tap! I surrender!¡± Where the hell does she learn these skills? ¡°Why are you so late?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had a lot of stuff to clean up.¡± ¡°I found a path where we could sneak in while I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Emily guided me to the back of the building where there were no guards. There was a flagpole with the flag of the academy hanging from it. ¡°We will use this to climb up.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, you can. Because I have acknowledged you as someone equal to me.¡± Emily¡¯s expression was so serious that I have nothing to say¡­ ¡°Alright, but Emily, you could get hurt on your way up there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. When I was scolded and got kicked out of the house before, I climbed on the walls and entered our house again through the window.¡± Okay, from now on I am baptizing Emily a new nickname ¨C Spy Girl! ¡°Did Natalie and Violet give you something?¡± ¡°Ah right, they gave me a rope!¡± You should have told me that first! ¡°You go up first and then lower the rope so that I can climb.¡± Emily then put the rope over her shoulder and began climbing the pole. ¡°Emily, be careful. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± In fact, to the shame of my concern, Emily climbed up the flagpole very imposingly and confidently and then jumped to the rooftop next to her. I knew Emily was strong, but I didn¡¯t know she was this athletic. I felt like we were doing such a cool thing like those Avengers or X-men movies back in my world. She was like a hero just by basing on her pure strength. ¡°I¡¯ll lower the rope now!¡± Emily disappeared as she grabbed the pole and lowered the rope for me. No matter the situation I¡¯m in, I¡¯d surely be scared if it was somewhere high since I was afraid of heights that¡¯s why when I grabbed the rope and climbed up, I tried not to look down as much as possible. However, for some reason, I was climbing up with minimal effort. Whoosh ¨C Whoosh ¨C Why is this rope pulling me up on its own? Chapter 20 When I arrived at the rooftop after a while, I finally knew why I was climbing up so smoothly. I couldn¡¯t see it before on the ground, but it seems that Emily was pulling the rope. I thought she just tied the rope to a pillar or column of some sort¡­ ¡°Emily, you¡¯re really strong!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the food okay, the food.¡± I¡¯d rather not be doing these kinds of things ever again, but if ever something happens again, I¡¯m going to make sure that Emily eats a lot first in case we need her brute strength again. Afterwards, Emily and I went down and found a door leading inside the building. Unlike the student dormitory where the rooms were marked with numbers, the professor¡¯s rooms were marked with their names respectively. Thanks to that, we easily found Professor Bentley¡¯s room. ¡°Emily, what else did Violet and Natalie give you?¡± ¡°A candle, one little skewer¡­¡± ¡°Take out that one.¡± I thought Emily wouldn¡¯t come in with any preparation. That¡¯s why I am thanking Natalie and Violet with all my heart and soul. I think this skewer is from the cafeteria, the one we used when Emily and I were doing sword fights. I didn¡¯t expect it to be used this way. Though I¡¯m glad that I could use this instead of a wire. The skewer might be thicker than a wire, but it can still fit into a keyhole. But since I¡¯ve never picked a lock on another person¡¯s door ever, I grunted without any knowledge on how to do so. ¡°Marilyn.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Emily. I need to focus now¡­¡± ¡°No, I can hear footsteps.¡± Only then could I hear footsteps in my ear. It was also quite close. ¡°Hurry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also in a hurry!¡± Clack. Clack. Clack. Ahhh! It¡¯s getting closer and closer! ¡°Where can we hide right now¡­?!¡± Clack. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When I pulled my hand out to run away, the lock suddenly clicked. After exchanging eyes for a moment, Emily and I hurriedly opened the door and went inside before the owner of those footsteps emerged. Slam! I closed the door hard because I was in a hurry. ¡°Oh my, Professor Bentley. Are you in there?¡± The literature professor knocked into Professor Bentley¡¯s room to see if he already came home. Inside, Emily and I swallowed our saliva as we grabbed the doorknob hard. Even though we closed the door immediately, we were still anxious. ¡°Professor Bentley? I thought I heard the door close though¡­¡± Fortunately, the professor soon gave up and left. ¡°Phew¨C¡± ¡°We are already having difficulties right now¡­¡± As soon as the literature professor left, Emily and I leaned against the door and sighed in relief. ¡°Marilyn, I can¡¯t see anything. Can we turn on the lights?¡± ¡°No, what if we get caught? The security guard knows that Professor Bentley hasn¡¯t entered yet.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too dark¡­¡± ¡°Just hang in there for a little while, Emily.¡± Thanks to the moonlight coming through the big window, we were able to get used to the darkness to a certain extent, and even though it wasn¡¯t that bright because the curtains were closed, it was better than nothing. ¡°Students who pay the tuition are only given a small room, while the professors live in some kind of a fancy apartment.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an apartment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a building where there¡¯s a lot of big and well-furnished rooms like this.¡± I thought it was just a bit spacious, but it¡¯s really like a big apartment house. ¡°Can we just light a candle?¡± Unlike the living room, the room was too dark. We couldn¡¯t see what was ahead of us, so whatever we wanted to find, we couldn¡¯t find it. Thus, Emily and I were forced to light some candles in order to search every nook and cranny of this room. There were about three rooms except for the bathroom, but none of these rooms were unexpectedly suspicious. We even searched the desk, but it was the same. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still something here¡­ ¡°Marilyn! Come here, quick!¡± At that moment, Emily urgently called for me, and I immediately headed to the room where she was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s another room behind the closet.¡± ¡°What did you find in here?¡± Instead of responding, Emily opened one of the three closets in this room. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± It was not a closet at all but a door disguised as one leading to another room. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Emily and I took one step at a time as we put out the burnt candle and lit a new one. We went inside with caution. ¡°¡­Oh my goodness.¡± We were shocked to see the walls beyond the closet door filled with paintings of someone. ¡°If what I¡¯m seeing isn¡¯t wrong, those paintings on the wall. It¡¯s Lariensa, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong, Emily. I¡¯m also seeing the same thing as you are seeing right now.¡± We then searched the desk. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Lariensa¡¯s hair tie?¡± ¡°Her ribbon¡¯s also here.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t these Lariensia¡¯s items? Trivial things, in fact. No one would notice if these things go missing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t notice that Lara had lost her stuff even though we¡¯re in the same room.¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a diary in here, too!¡± As Emily said, there were three thick diaries found inside the desk drawer. We picked any of the three and opened it. ¡ºYear XXX, Month XX Day X I had found my destiny at first sight at the entrance ceremony among the new students. Isabella Ronis. Ahhh, her name is as beautiful as she is¡­! Alas, her brilliant blond hair reminded me of my first love. Maybe she will become my last love. You don¡¯t know how lucky I am to have the ability to recognize our fate at first sight, Isabella.¡» T-this dirty little¡­! ¡°You ****** bastard, I will **** the **** out of you! Then I¡¯ll *****¨C your **** until you¡¯ll be barren for life, you ****!!!¡± ¡°¡­Emily, calm down.¡± ¡°This ****¨C¡± I was also angry that I was about to curse but I was able to calm down after hearing Emily¡¯s swearing, which was both acrimonious and terrifying. The remaining two diaries were the resentment and memories of his first love, and one whom he has just recently begun which contains his story about Lariensa. ¡°Let¡¯s take these.¡± Emily then put the diaries in her bag. Now that the evidence was somewhat secured, I led Emily to the living room. ¡°We have to hurry. Professor Bentley will arrive soon¡­¡± Click. Someone is opening the door with a key. We had to rush out now. £ª £ª £ª ¡®The chair where she sat¡­¡¯ Bentley sat down in the chair where Lariensa sat earlier. ¡®The desk where she puts her books¡­¡¯ Lariensa sat here, made eye contact with him, and listened to him. ¡®Lariensa must have also felt the same way. She must have been so kind and gentle that she was concerned about the dangers of what we were doing despite her friends¡¯ threats that¡¯s why she was trying not to get close to me so that they won¡¯t notice.¡¯ ¡°Marilyn Launer, if only that Ginger is gone¡­¡± Bentley, who clenched his teeth, approached the window and looked at the night sky, which resembled Lariensa. Then he happened to see something from a distance. From the windows in the faculty room, he couldn¡¯t see the professor¡¯s dormitory, but not in this classroom. There, Bentley saw¡­ Orange lights peeking through the windows of his house. Although the curtains were closed, it was still clearly visible from afar. ¡®There are intruders in my house.¡¯ Surely, anyone would be afraid if your house was intruded. However, Bentley had his own reason to be deathly afraid of any attempts of people breaking into his room. Because that was his only place where he could openly express his feelings for her. Thus, Bentley ran out of the classroom at a faster pace than ever. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Quick, hide!¡± Emily and I hid in different places. I hid under the kitchen table, while Emily hid behind a pile of flowerpots near the door. Not long after the door opened. Tap. Tap. A steady gait drew the curtains off the window across the door. The footsteps once again came close and opened another door with a bang. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± As expected, it was Professor Bentley. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, so you don¡¯t have to hide.¡± What do you mean it¡¯s alright? It¡¯s not alright at all. He already looks like he¡¯s half-dead. ¡°You still wanna live, right? Why don¡¯t you guys come out first and then let¡¯s talk, hmm?¡± Under the table, I could see his feet slowly coming towards the kitchen. I know I shouldn¡¯t make a sound, but I kept breathing hard. I think I¡¯m going to hiccup¡­ Growl¨C Huh? I¡¯m not hungry though¡­ ¡°Aha, did you hide behind the flowerpot?¡± E-emily! So you were hungry huh?! It was a physiological phenomenon, so I couldn¡¯t blame her. Suddenly, I heard a rustle. I lowered my head to get a better picture of the situation. Emily, who was hiding behind the pots before, had volunteered to come out. She already has been caught anyway¡­ But what¡¯s that thing on her head? ¡°Looking at your clothes, I think you¡¯re a student. How about taking that thing off of your head first? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I won¡¯t scold you.¡± Emily wore a vase that looked a little heavy on her head. Her hair color wasn¡¯t as noticeable as Lariensa and I, so if her face was covered like that, one wouldn¡¯t know who she was¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s put down that weapon in your hand first, okay?¡± The weapon that Bentley was talking about was a small pot that Emily had in her hand. Emily, you¡¯re not trying to hit him with that, are you? Oh, no. I have to stop her. If something goes wrong and Professor Bentley gets hit with that, it¡¯s Emily who¡¯s gonna be in trouble later! I heard the prison in the kingdom doesn¡¯t even give food properly to the prisoners. I frantically looked around. Just in the corner, there was a large paper bag that Professor Bentley had brought containing food bought outside. ¡°Did you see the back of my closet?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­So you saw it, huh.¡± Professor Bentley¡¯s face grew more and more violent. Aish, I don¡¯t care anymore! With a paper bag on my head, I ran straight towards Professor Bentley. Even though my eyesight was obscured, I located him with my senses. ¡°These brats!¡± But I was immediately overpowered by Professor Bentley. ¡°Do you want this Professor to see your face, huh?!¡± I could hear the paper bag I was wearing flapping. However, my face hasn¡¯t been revealed yet. Then I heard something breaking. ¡°E¨C¡­!¡± I was about to call her name reflexively, but I hurriedly closed my mouth. Emily seemed to have struck Bentley with a flowerpot. Afterwards, I smelled blood and heard a groan on the floor. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I then held her hand. Emily was able to quickly identify who I was. So we ran down the hall as we covered our faces, and sometimes, we would hit a wall along the way. It was when Emily and I went up to the stairs that we threw off the flowerpot and paper bag we had on our heads. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s still following us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± However, as soon as we stopped to take a breath by the stairs, we heard a thud and someone staggering along from where we were before. Tsk! That damn Bentley! ¡°Don¡¯t stop, keep running!¡± Without a moment to catch our breath, we ran up the stairs again. Even though we couldn¡¯t see him, we could still hear him following us. ¡°Hurry, hurry!¡± Emily, who went up first, opened the old rooftop door. ¡°Faster!¡± Emily reached out her hand to me after I went up a couple of steps. When I held her hand, I felt a pull almost lifting me up. Thud! As soon as we passed through the door, Emily immediately closed it and blocked the door with a flowerpot and a chair. But not long after, we heard a loud barrage of banging on the door. Chapter 21 The door rattled as if it were about to open at any moment. ¡°Emily, can you get to the flagpole and go down quickly?¡± ¡°I can even jump out of here.¡± ¡°Then you run away first!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try hiding somewhere else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take you down with me.¡± ¡°Even if it seems possible, do you really think we can do that?¡± ¡°We have to try it!¡± It¡¯d rather not risk both of us being injured. No matter how athletic Emily is, there¡¯s no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t fall while taking me down in a hurry. Even if it¡¯s for my sake, I can¡¯t let Emily get hurt. ¡°¡­Alright then, let¡¯s go to where the flagpole is.¡± We quickly went towards the flagpole. Emily showed her back, gesturing to carry me, but I instead pushed her down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emily!¡± ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Emily, who had excellent instincts, was skillful enough to hold onto the flagpole and go down safely, even though I suddenly pushed her. After she reached the ground, she then opened her arms as if she was telling me to jump, but I beckoned to go quickly. In the end, Emily turned her back to me and ran away first. ¡°If I catch you two today, you¡¯ll be dead!¡± Bang! Bang! At this rate, the door will soon open. ¡°Where to hide¡­?!¡± No matter how many times I looked around, there wasn¡¯t a good hiding place that I could think of¡­ or there is? It was a bit uncomfortable, but there was no other option now. I endured the putrid smell and hid inside of it. BANG! As soon as I hid, the door opened. What great timing. ¡°Where did those brats go?¡± Oh, the smell¡­ On the rooftop, where the professors would sometimes gather and spent time together, there was a trash can along with the chairs and tables. And there was enough space for me to fit inside of it. In the end, I had no choice but to hide in it despite the trash. It¡¯s better to be dirty than be hit by that crazy bastard. Breathing itself was hard because of the smell, but if I exhale even just a little, the piled up garbage would move which was also another problem. ¡°Where did they hide? Hmm?¡± I¡¯m already anxious enough to think this might end up like those movies I watch back in my world. I¡¯m sure Professor Bentley would have noticed. That the only place one can hide on this rooftop is in a trash can. Slowly, I could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. I thought I was quite brave, but at this moment, I was so scared that tears were about to come out of my eyes. It seems that people have heightened senses when they are too scared. That¡¯s why I could feel the touch of one of the soda bottles around my head even though it didn¡¯t touch me. Not long after, I could hear another person walking. Tap, tap, tap¡­ ¡°¡­What the hell are you doing?¡± Unlike when he was chasing me and Emily, Professor Bentley now had a more rational voice. ¡°It must have been you. What were those girls? Were they the watchmen you sent for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Answer me! I already did you a favor! You said I could just put you in the mentoring class!¡± Mentoring? Who is Professor Bentley talking to? Let me think. The people chosen to be mentored by Professor Bentley right now are Lariensa, me, and¡­ Sibel. ¡°You should have just done what you usually do.¡± ¡­That voice, so it¡¯s really Sibel. ¡°¡­Tell me straight. What do you really want from me?¡± ¡°You pretend to be smart but you don¡¯t even have a clue.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do something called imagination, professor.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that Sibel actually threatened Bentley to join the mentoring program. I could already tell that he joined in through unjustifiable means. What surprised me is, why is he here? ¡°Let¡¯s say you went to a jewelry store and found the most beautiful diamond in the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯d want to have it at any price.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But if someone keeps scratching such a precious thing, will he or she be angry or not?¡± ¡­Is that diamond, me? Ah, I think someone is whispering nonsense in my ear. Yes! It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you! You¡¯re that diamond! Somebody, please tell me I¡¯m not! I was twisting the original plot in order to protect Lara, but I didn¡¯t mean to sacrifice myself and take Sibel¡¯s route! ¡°So, get your head straight.¡± Ohhh, he¡¯s talking down to the professor. It¡¯s the usual hateful Sibel, but I like what he¡¯s doing now. Yeah! Let¡¯s go! Scratch that professor¡¯s pride as much as you can! ¡°You¡­ You¡¯ll regret this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what the weak say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°For example, someone like you?¡± After a while, I heard the sound of empty footsteps. And I couldn¡¯t now hear Sibel¡¯s and Bentley¡¯s voices. That pervert, is he gone now? Just when I was about to go crazy over thinking what was about to happen, I heard someone scrambling through a pile of trash above me and pulled me out. I know that it was not Professor Bentley because if that were the case, he would have grabbed my hair right away and pulled it hard. As I poked my head through the garbage, I realized that it was Sibel who let me out. But¡­ Why is he laughing at me like that? That smile is bad for my heart! ¡°I like it.¡± Huh? What? ¡°You look like an abandoned puppy right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s abandoned, then I can just pick it up.¡± I was covered with trash and other fluids from the bottles in the garbage can. Tsk, these professors can¡¯t even differentiate recyclable materials and food waste! Anyways, Sibel gently wiped my dirty face with his bare hands. Then, with his killer smile, he spoke as if he was really talking to an abandoned dog. ¡°Want to come with me?¡± No, the trash can is more comfortable and nice. So don¡¯t lead me to your route and just go¡­ ¡°Woof, why don¡¯t you try barking?¡± Surprised at Sibel¡¯s sudden remark, I came to my senses and crawled out of the trash can. He even stretched out his hand to help me, but I just ignored it. ¡°That¡¯s very unkind for a person who just helped you. It¡¯s quite upsetting.¡± I guess he really did come all the way here to help me¡­ Ah, I really can¡¯t understand him. My friend is Lariensa! Lariensa Jellinus! The prettiest, most studious, and has the greatest personality in the academy. But why do you like me? Of course, it¡¯s fortunate that he doesn¡¯t like Lara. But why am I the one taking his route?! ¡°Thank you for helping me out. I¡¯ll definitely pay you back someday.¡± ¡°Everyone just says that and never actually does something.¡± ¡°¡­Then, do you have something you want?¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you hear me out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it seems like you don¡¯t want to.¡± Then why did you put the premise of ¡¯listening¡¯ on it? It¡¯s because you¡¯re the receiving party that¡¯s why I¡¯m reluctant to hear it! ¡°If it¡¯s not anything weird, then I¡¯ll listen to it.¡± ¡°I want to get closer to Lariensa Jellinus.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°See.¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested in Lara?¡± ¡°Not even now.¡± So you¡¯re finally giving up now? ¡°Sigh, I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re helping her to this extent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unusual to help a friend.¡± ¡°Friend, family, or lover. They aren¡¯t worth as much as you think. Just like now. Your friend left you after all.¡± I guess you¡¯re not that interested in me yet, considering that you include friends, family, and even lovers. That¡¯s a good thing. ¡°Value is a matter of personal judgment.¡± I didn¡¯t want to take this seriously, but my friends are still precious to me. This might not be my body, and I have to hide this inevitable secret from them. However, I still like them. Especially when I first entered Marilyn¡¯s body and I still couldn¡¯t adapt to my surroundings, my life would have really been more difficult without Lariensa¡¯s consistent care. ¡°And, besides¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been abandoned.¡± Looking under the roof, I saw five people rushing in. Four of them were familiar, but the other one¡­ was someone unexpected. ¡°Marin! Are you alright?¡± I gave Lara an okay sign. I wasn¡¯t even going to war, but friends had all these kinds of tools in their hands. I¡¯m a little embarrassed, but I felt proud. ¡°See?¡± I proudly pointed to my friends for Sibel to see. But when I turned around, he was suddenly gone. As if he wasn¡¯t even there to begin with. £ª £ª £ª As soon as I came down from the rooftop, my friends flocked towards me. ¡°Guys, relax! Relax!¡± Emily especially hugged me so tight that I had a hard time breathing. ¡°I thought you were in big trouble¡­ but what is this smell?¡± ¡°I was hiding in a trash can.¡± ¡°You should have said that first!¡± Emily, Natalie, and Violet took three steps away from me as if we just didn¡¯t have a touching reunion. Those traitors¡­ Hmph! Atleast, my Lara still hugs me like this! ¡°I still like Marin even though she smells bad.¡± Ouch, the truth hurts, but¡­ ¡°How come Lycan is also here with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± This was how Lycan came with all of them. Emily, who was running to her friends to ask for help, ran into Lycan first by chance. Lycan, recognizing his sister¡¯s friend, spoke to Emily. Then, Emily explained the whole story to Lycan as fast as possible, and the rest of them who he met along the way also joined and ran to this place. ¡°Then did you tell him about Professor Bentley¡¯s diaries?¡± ¡°I heard.¡± Instead of Emily, Lycan replied. I then looked at him with an ominous expression. ¡°You know you can¡¯t just run to the faculty room or the professors¡¯ dorm to make a fuss for your sister, right? If things go wrong, you and Lariensa will lose.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°However, are you just going to let him go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No good will come out from being silent!¡± As I continued to urge him, Lycan sighed and finally gave an answer. ¡°No matter how angry I am, I still can¡¯t make a mess in the faculty room or the professors¡¯ dorm where everyone is watching because if I do that, my scholarship will be cut off.¡± I thought he would just go there immediately without looking back, but he¡¯s surprisingly realistic. Well, I should¡¯ve thought more about my scholarship too, since I don¡¯t want to go home either. Even so, I know that this move wouldn¡¯t sit well with that idiot of a brother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and just go back to your dorm for now.¡± Well, that certainly sounded reassuring. So we trusted Lycan and went back to our dormitory. There, the five of us huddled together and read all of Bentley¡¯s diaries. The oldest diary was filled with content about his first love, which could already be interpreted as him stalking her one-sidedly. And now he already has his third victim, and that victim is my friend! So I can¡¯t just leave this bastard as it is. ¡°What are we going to do about these diaries?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we show it to the other professors?¡± ¡°No. What if the academy tries to bury this case?¡± I came across several articles about school violence, sexual violence in school, and attempts to bury such issues. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m doubting everything now, but I have no choice but to be cautious as the situation is dire. ¡°Marilyn, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hand it over to the newspaper.¡± ¡°To the newspaper?¡± ¡°How about The Clean News?¡± Lariensa agreed that it was good all the way, but she wasn¡¯t the main character of these other two diaries. However, there was no way or time for us to find out now where these two people were and persuade them to agree. I¡¯m sure Bentley will frantically open his eyes to retrieve these diaries now. But The Clean News can be trusted. Although The Clean News was not mentioned much in the original story, it was mentioned as if it was the favorite newspaper company of the vice president of the Cloud Academy. In fact, instead of acting blind to a certain issue, The Clean News has been trying to publicize unfair things that others do not care about. And I believe that The Clean News wouldn¡¯t publish provocative articles without the consent of the victims first. ¡°Will it be okay for you, Lariensa? They might have to interview you about it.¡± Natalie was worried about Lariensa. ¡°Yeah. Since I¡¯ve already been rumored in the Academy to be favored by Professor Bentley. I¡¯d rather let them know about my resentment than staying silent!¡± Way to go, Lariensa! Lariensa lifted her chin, feeling proud. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to go out of the academy the day after tomorrow, right? Let¡¯s visit the newspaper by then.¡± We had to endure until we could go out of the academy, but at least we are now in a more advantageous position than before. ¡°Lara, just hang in there for a day. Okay?¡± ¡°I can even stand a day or so!¡± After a long time, Lara smiled brightly. However, nothing happened the next day as we attended the class because¡­ ¡°Professor Bentley was seriously injured as he sprained his foot on his way to the main building. For the time being, today¡¯s history class will be replaced by physics, so just follow the adjusted timetable.¡± My friends and I exchanged glances without a word. Bentley¡¯s sick? What kind of luck is this? Oh yes! Before we knew it, our shoulders were jumping from joy. Chapter 22 ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Meanwhile, at the very place where the commotion took place last night, Bentley applied medicine on his body alone. Blisters and cuts filled every portion of his body. Most notable was the injury on his head which was dealt by a suspicious woman who smashed his head with a vase last night. However, all his other remaining bruises and injuries were made by another person. And that was, Lycan Jellinus. He was Lariensa¡¯s brother, the brother of Bentley¡¯s recipient of affection. This morning Bentley decided to go to work despite the injury on his head because that¡¯s the only he could do to find and identify his assailant. However, on his way to the faculty room, someone suddenly covered Bentley¡¯s mouth from behind and kidnapped him. Bentley, who was taken to a secluded forest inside the academy, was flustered to find out who had kidnapped him. ¡°L-Lycan?! What do you think you¡¯re doing? No matter how well-recognized you are as an outstanding student, you cannot do this to me!¡± Wham! The blow to his face left Professor Bentley speechless. ¡°Even you will get expelled from school for this¡­ Ugh!¡± There was no time to talk. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down first¡­!¡± He was beaten without even having a chance to talk. ¡°You know¡­ there are two kinds of people that I hate the most in this world, professor.¡± Lycan sat down with his knees bent and made eye contact with Bentley who was lying on the ground. ¡°First are those people who use their power against the weak, and second¡­ are those people who dare hurt my sister. But professor¡­ you did both. Even in the former case, your target is my sister.¡± ¡°Y-you must¡¯ve misunderstood! Lariensa and I love each other!¡± At those words, Lycan¡¯s eyes flashed in anger and hit Professor Bentley a few more times. However, he did not stop there. Lycan even pulled out his sword. ¡°Hiik!¡± Wham! The sword stuck between Bentley¡¯s legs. ¡°If this happens again, this sword won¡¯t then miss as it did now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t be so delusional, and¡­ don¡¯t bother my sister anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or I will kill you for real.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, u-uh¡­!¡± Bentley eventually roared in anger. ¡°AHHHHH!¡± ¡®She loves me, too! We are meant to be! I recognized her the moment I saw her, but why doesn¡¯t she recognize me?¡¯ Professor Bentley then recalled what happened last night. Lycan and Sibel. Both of these guys who approached him in rage and in broad moonlight were all men. But the assailant who broke into his place last night were women. ¡®Who were they?¡¯ He had to find out. Bentley couldn¡¯t afford to miss his last love just like what happened to his first love. ¡®In order to get Lariensa, I will destroy everything that hinders our love!¡¯ ¡®First things first, those two girls seem to be the easiest.¡¯ Bentley focused on remembering what happened last night. Both of them were covering their faces. One had a common hair color, and the other one was¡­ ¡°¡­Ginger¡± A red-haired woman. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I notice earlier?¡¯ He definitely saw her hair when he tore the paper bag! ¡°That damn girl again¡­!¡± Finally, he had found one of the two criminals. Now, it¡¯s time for payback. Bentley clenched his fist so hard that his veins sprang out. £ª £ª £ª Today, everyone in the class was noisy and they didn¡¯t focus on the lesson. And it was also the same for us. ¡°Guys, you know it¡¯s today, right?¡± We all nodded as Natalie whispered in class. Today is finally the day we are given free time to go out. Oh yeah! Usually, everyone would be excited to go out to buy clothes and food and have fun, but we were a little nervous as we have a different reason to go out. ¡°What time was it again?¡± ¡°Five o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°After this class, we¡¯ll then be free to go.¡± On days like today, where we have free time, class ends a little after lunch. And now, there are only 10 minutes before the class is over¡­ I hope the professor will let us go now already. Although Bentley has been quiet lately, I¡¯m still worried knowing that he¡¯s still freely walking around the campus! ¡°Alright, class is over. You all know when¡¯s the curfew, right? Try not to come back too late.¡± After the class was over, I immediately gave my bag to Emily which contained all of Bentley¡¯s diaries. Although we had the free time all to ourselves, I was in a hurry to leave because as long as Bentley is here, I can¡¯t help but feel burdened holding onto his diaries. ¡°Lariensa!¡± Suddenly, somebody called out to Lariensa. ¡°The homeroom professor said he has something to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± Although we¡¯ve always been together, I stuck to her much more this time because of the recent incident. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Marin. She¡¯s also with me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I know you had a hard time protecting me every day. Professor Bentley called in sick today anyways. Also, we just have to endure up until today, right? Do you still think something bad is going to happen?¡± That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m still worried. However, since I know that Lariensa has been feeling bad about me following her all day just to protect her, I decided to follow her will this time without saying anything. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be waiting at the entrance of the main building.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± I was just relieved thinking that after this day, Lariensa would now be safe from that bastard. But I never knew that that decision would be something that I would regret for the rest of my life. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Lariensa arrived yet?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she was going to the faculty room?¡± Violet nervously checked her watch. ¡°It¡¯s already four. We have to hurry out¡­¡± ¡°Nothing bad happened, right?¡± Natalie was also anxious as she bit her nails and hit the back of her hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go ahead and talk to the publisher first. Don¡¯t give them the diaries easily.¡± ¡°Marilyn, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for Lariensa in the meantime.¡± ¡°But, what if something will happen to you¡­¡± As Natalie murmured anxiously, Violet criticized her for saying such a curse. ¡°All the more so that you have to keep these diaries.¡± If that bastard gets ahold of his diaries again, we¡¯ll have nothing as proof anymore. After I instructed my friends on what to do, I quickly headed to the faculty room to find Lariensa. ¡°Lariensa isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you call her here, professor?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I never called Lariensa.¡± ¡­That can¡¯t be. ¡°Are you¡­ sure, professor?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even met her this day, so if you don¡¯t have any more businesses with me, please leave. As you can see, the teachers¡¯ office is a very busy place.¡± The homeroom professor seemed to find me very troublesome, but I just stood there, frozen. I felt like my head was turning white. So, where is she now? ¡®The homeroom professor said he has something to talk to you about..¡¯ Yeah, she didn¡¯t say the professor called her to the faculty room. But, the professor never even called her. No way, no, no, no¡­ I stormed out of the faculty room after realizing something. At that time, I saw the student who called Lariensa and took her. ¡®Good to see you!¡¯ Running towards that student, I immediately grabbed her shoulders and began asking her. ¡°Where¡¯s Lariensa?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Come on, tell me. You¡¯re the one who took her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the homeroom professor asked me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! The professor said he never even called Lara.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ he definitely asked me to bring her to him¡­¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± From the student¡¯s lips came a name that I hope it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Professor Bentley¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He said the homeroom professor asked him to call Lariensa for him.¡± ¡°T-to where¡­?¡± ¡°To the classroom on the fifth floor¡­!¡± I instantly knew where it was after hearing that much. Surely, it¡¯s the empty classroom where we¡¯re being mentored by Professor Bentley! After letting go of her, I ran straight up to the fifth floor. However, Lara was not in there. Instead, a note was left on a desk. ¨C Bring the diaries to me at the entrance hall by 5:00 PM. I¡¯ll kill you if you call another person and if you don¡¯t bring the diaries. ¨C You have now gone all the way, huh. In the end, you¡¯re kidnapping her?! What a complete psycho. No, he¡¯s always been this crazy. It¡¯s my fault that I was careless. But, I have to give the diaries to him by 5? The diaries are with Emily and the others, and it will take too much time even if I tried to get it back. Also, we never know, if I really give it to him directly, he might not easily hand over Lariensa to me. I think his diary had a common design. And according to the original story, he was an oddly constrained man, so maybe¡­ I went back down to the faculty room. ¡°Marilyn, what are you doing?!¡± Naturally, the other professors yelled at me as I suddenly burst inside and searched at Professor Bentley¡¯s desk. Regardless of them yelling at me, I didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°¡­Found it.¡± There were notebooks similar in design and color on his desk with only some slight differences. Technically, he wouldn¡¯t be able to identify those from afar unless he looked at it closely. So, after collecting three similar-looking notebooks to his diaries, I quickly left the faculty room, not minding the other professors yelling at me. The academy was so large that it took a considerable amount of time to get from the main building to the entrance hall. It would be nice to ask Lycan for help, but right now, I don¡¯t have the time to look for him. After arriving at that place alone, I found another note. Written in it was simple instruction to go to another place. ¡®You seem to be getting cocky now that you have the upper hand, but you will never see this coming.¡¯ Furious, I headed to the music room at the end of the hall on the first floor, following the note left by Bentley. I swallowed my saliva then opened the door carefully. ¡°You really took your time coming here, Ginger.¡± Ginger, Ginger, aren¡¯t you being too familiar with me? Maybe he¡¯s actually not obsessed with blondes, but those with red hair. ¡°Where¡¯s Lariensa?¡± ¡°The diary first.¡± ¡°No, Lariensa comes first.¡± As I remained firm, Bentley¡¯s first hit the old piano inside the room. The piano keys created a strange noise, not a beautiful melody. ¡°You must be mistaken now, girl. You do not get to choose.¡± ¡°So are you going to threaten Lariensa by saying you love her?¡± Nothing good will come if I provoke him here. Since I didn¡¯t have the time to ask for help earlier, and there¡¯s no one who would come to my rescue now, I have to take time as long as I can until I can think of another way. ¡°Ah, of course, I love her very much. But she doesn¡¯t love me back! Why? How come!¡± All right, let¡¯s induce the conversation in this way. ¡°So what did Lariensa say to you?¡± Professor Bentley was completely absorbed in his emotions that he was unable to make rational decisions. Even now¡­ look at him being excited as he recalls what happened with him and Lariensa earlier. ¡°I said I love her, but she doesn¡¯t! She said it was unpleasant! How could that be?¡± Lara said that? How crazy are you that you said those things to her? Seeing that he was now showing his true colors, I was more worried about Lariensa. ¡°So what did you do next, professor?¡± ¡°Then, I screamed at her a few times. She was shaking like a leaf. Afterwards, she passed out.¡± ¡°S-¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­She passed out?¡± I barely managed to hold myself back. How scared must she have been that she fainted? ¡°Professor, why don¡¯t we calm down first and try to make up with each other. I think there has been a lot of misunderstanding between us.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes, a misunderstanding. Why don¡¯t we talk calmly about this first and reconcile with each other, hmm?¡± As I approached him carefully, Professor Bentley, who had a look like a gentle sheep earlier, suddenly changed attitude as soon as he heard my words. ¡°Because of you¡­ It¡¯s all your fault! What misunderstanding?¡± Professor Bentley then strangled my neck. ¡°E-euk!¡± ¡°If you just disappear, then Lariensa will know how I feel.¡± ¡°¡­Heok!¡± ¡°If I can prove my love for her by getting rid of you, then I will gladly do it!¡± I was suffocating. Tears filled my eyes as I struggled to resist and then I fell on the floor. I managed to find something that could be a weapon, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t reach it. Chapter 23 No, no¡­ I am slowly losing consciousness¡­ I can¡¯t fall down like this. At this rate¡­ ¡°Die! I don¡¯t need someone like you standing between her and me!¡± What happens if I fall down here now? I¡¯m sure Sibel won¡¯t save Lara. So the novel ends with him kidnapping Lara? ¡­Of course, that¡¯s not going to happen. However, I still need to get the two of us out of this situation. If I don¡¯t have a weapon, then I just have to use my hands! ¡°Argh!¡± I poked Bentley¡¯s eyes with my two fingers. Professor Bentley rolled on the floor with his eyes closed. Then, I immediately moved away as far as I could from him. So what do you think of my fingers, huh? I also did not forget to take the ¡°fake¡± diary amidst all of this. ¡°Huff¡­ huff!¡± While desperately running away, I was panting so hard that I drooled along the way. If I were the main character of this novel, I still would have looked innocent and pitiful as he was strangling me, but no, I only play the supporting role. ¡°Come here right now!¡± I noticed Bentley approaching me from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t come too close! Don¡¯t you want this diary?¡± ¡°Do you want me to kill you myself and just take it away from you?¡± ¡°Even if you kill me and destroy this, it won¡¯t make all your crimes disappear!¡± ¡°How dare you call my love a crime?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you also stalk your first love?! The same goes for Isabella Lonis!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all wrong!¡± His calm demeanor from before was now gone, and his eyes were bloodshot. Now that he had revealed his true colors, his appearance is now an accurate reflection of who he really is. ¡°Okay. Now that it has all come to this, I will tell you everything that happened. My sad history of love.¡± No thanks. Why the hell would I even want to know? However, regardless of my thoughts, that pervert began to talk about his past. £ª £ª £ª I was the son of a poor farmer. When I was 12 years old, I became a servant of the richest family in town in order to make a living. ¡°My name is Bentley¡­ Lady Rosetta.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same age as me, right? Let¡¯s be friends.¡± My first love, Rosetta, was a girl who loved flowers and music. Oh, my sweet Rosetta! When Rosetta found out that I¡¯m quite smart, she told my father to let me go to school as she felt sorry for me not getting the education that I deserved. She also said that I had a talent for playing the piano and sat next to me as I taught her how to play it. I had no choice but to fall in love with my kind Lady Rosetta. And soon, I also realized that¡­ ¡®So you love me too, milady.¡¯ So please¡­ just give me an opportunity¡­ ¡°I really only think of you as a good friend.¡± You don¡¯t have to say it like that. I know how you feel about me¡­ ¡°Lady Rosetta! Why are you doing this? Why are you avoiding me?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t come near me. Why did you hide in my room last night? Why did you steal my clothes?¡± ¡°Milady, I just love you so much¡­¡± ¡°I-I am to marry someone! I hope you don¡¯t cross the line.¡± In the end, the richest girl in that small town married the richest man in the capital. Bentley wanted to kidnap Rosetta, but he couldn¡¯t. Knowing that Rosetta¡¯s prospective husband came from a family with connections to the royal family, he couldn¡¯t dare to do so. £ª £ª £ª So the bottom line is, you wanted to kidnap your first love just like what you did to Lariensa right now; however you couldn¡¯t because his husband was someone of power? Why would you wrap it up in such a stupid way? ¡°¡­What about Isabella Lonis?¡± Bentley seemed to be completely obsessed with acting as the victim and was so delusional that he didn¡¯t even hear the noise behind the door. At this point, I realized that something was going on, so I kept drawing his attention to make sure he doesn¡¯t notice what¡¯s happening outside. ¡°Isabella, she¡­¡± £ª £ª £ª ¡°Professor, stop!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Isabella? Everything was just fine, right?¡± ¡°I have never once thought of you as a man.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true. Then why do you always bring me a sandwich and ask me to have breakfast with you everyday? Why do you always approach me in the teacher¡¯s office and share your problems with me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ve been so nice to me, professor, that I also want to repay your goodwill¡­¡± ¡°I mean, you like me, right?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± You brat! After all the hard work that I did! And for what? You still don¡¯t see me as a man? How dare you play with me? But that idiot girl only knew one thing and never thought of the other. That I have a greater reputation than you in the academy! £ª £ª £ª ¡°I hadn¡¯t even lifted a finger, and everyone took my side! Stupid people! Haha!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care what happens to those two gals now. As long as Lariensa stays with me!¡± ¡°Kidnapping and confining someone against their will is a crime.¡± ¡°Why is it a crime? Lariensa is mine! Mine!¡± She¡¯s mine! Mine! For Pete¡¯s sake, you¡¯re like a kid throwing tantrums and begging for toys in a supermarket! I can¡¯t believe there are still people like him alive on this planet. ¡°Professor, you really¡­ you don¡¯t know true love.¡± I pity you who do not know the beauty of true love! I never thought there would come a day when I¡¯d say this line. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give this back to you.¡± I threw the diary to Professor Bentley. His eyes widened and hurriedly confirmed if it was real. Of course, it was fake, so¡­ ¡°Are you¡­ playing with me right now?¡± Bentley became furious and rushed towards me angrily. However, before he could even reach me, someone suddenly barged inside the room and rushed towards Professor Bentley like a bull, and that person was none other than¡­ ¡°Emily!¡± Her foot had precisely hit Professor Bentley in the face. ¡°Go die, you bastard!¡± Yahoo! For the first time, Emily looked heroic! ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on¡­?!¡± Professor Bentley looked at Emily with a perplexed face and looked at the door belatedly. ¡°Professor¡­?!¡± In front of the door, several students and professors stood looking perplexed at the scene, including my friends. ¡°S-since when¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly when you were about to finish talking about your first love story.¡± So you mean, you guys all heard about Lariensa¡¯s kidnapping as well as what he did to Isabella Lonis?! Oh yeah! ¡°T-That is just a misunderstanding! It¡¯s a false accusation! I¡¯ve been wronged!¡± He appealed with a disordered face, but the professors and students who had already seen his true face did not believe him. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m going to have to fire you, Professor Bentley.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°The Imperial Crime Squad has also come to arrest you for kidnapping, imprisoning, threatening, and using of violence to a student in the academy.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean? I was wronged, vice-principal!¡± However, as soon as the vice-principal finished speaking, the security guards came in and arrested Professor Bentley. ¡°Marilyn, are you okay?¡± Natalie quickly rushed in and helped me stand up. ¡°What is happening¡­?¡± When I saw people standing outside the door, I was a bit confused about what was going on. However, I was still worried about something. ¡°What about Lara¡­?¡± ¡°Lara¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s take care of you first.¡± In a hoarse voice, I asked my friends what had happened to them earlier and how they had found me. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°We went to the newspaper company and told them the whole story as you instructed, and they told me that you and Lariensa should not be left alone in the academy right now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°To give you a detailed explanation¨C¡± ¡®So they¡¯re still inside the academy?¡¯ ¡®Hmmm¨C Being an old journalist, I don¡¯t feel good about this situation for some reason. Let¡¯s go to the academy for now. I think we should bring your two friends out of there first.¡¯ Due to his sense of professionalism, the journalist went to the academy with my friends. Then, they happened to run into Lycan¡­ ¡®Have you seen my sister? I took a nap, and I don¡¯t feel too good about my dream. I think I need to see her right now to calm myself down.¡¯ If the reporter noticed the danger with his sense of professionalism, Lycan noticed Lariensa¡¯s crisis due to a foolish reason. Then, at that moment, a scream could be heard somewhere. They followed the voice until they reached the professors¡¯ quarters. From there, they could see Lariensa¡¯s blond hair from the window of Bentley¡¯s room, Natalie said. Although she was tied up, she managed to stick her head out and ask for help. ¡°It turned out she pretended to faint and waited for the right moment to ask for help.¡± ¡°Did she get hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± ¡°Lariensa may look guileless, but she really is smart.¡± It goes without saying that the academy became noisy as they found out that a student was tied up in a professor¡¯s quarters. The professors called the security guards to also search for me, who had suddenly disappeared. ¡°If we were a bit late, you would have been in big trouble. Had it not been for the witness who saw you then¡­¡± ¡°Who¡­ saw me?¡± ¡°It was Sibel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He said he saw you at the entrance hall.¡± I don¡¯t remember encountering Sibel, but considering his character in the original story, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he knew where I was. Come on, if you¡¯re going to help me, then just personally do so. ¡°¡­Sigh, really.¡± Even though I try not to think about that nuthead intentionally, he was always the one who helps me at the most critical times, even before¡­ I feel like I owe him too much now. ¡°Let¡¯s get out, Marilyn.¡± ¡°Okay, ah¡­!¡± I was going to take a step forward, but my legs suddenly felt weak and I fell down. I must have been very nervous earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a special piggyback since you¡¯ve done a good job.¡± Emily knelt down to her knees and showed her back reliably. I knew that I had worked hard, so I was willing to be carried on her back. While being carried, I suddenly felt tired. Other professors tried talking to me, but I couldn¡¯t even respond to them. Still, when I left the academy building, a cool wind blew, waking me up. ¡°Marilyn! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Marin! Did you get hurt?¡± From afar, I could hear Violet and Lariensa, who was on her brother¡¯s back just like me. Violet and Lariensa breathed a sigh of relief after I said I was okay several times. ¡°Lara, what about you? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. My scalp is just tingling a bit because he pulled my hair so hard, but I pretended to faint right away so that he¡¯ll stop pulling it.¡± Lycan¡¯s forehead crumpled when he heard that his sister¡¯s hair was pulled. ¡°Wait, Lariensa! Please!¡± Hearing Bentley shouting from afar while being taken away by the guards, Lycan lowered Lariensa on the flowerbed and quietly approached him. ¡°This is unfair! Lariensa! You just don¡¯t know yourself. We are meant to be! You are my last love!¡± ¡°Shut up, you bastard.¡± Didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t harm a professor because of your scholarship¡­? Lycan broke through the security guards and drew his sword at Bentley. ¡°This sword won¡¯t miss this time.¡± Whether it would be a prison or a hospital, I¡¯m sure this will be the first thing Bentley will think of once he wakes up again later. ¡®Where is it? I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s gone! I¡¯ve been emasculated!!!¡¯ ¡°I also have a brother, too, but¡­¡± Emily, who saw Lycan fight Bentley for his sister, couldn¡¯t get over it. ¡°Why can¡¯t he be my brother instead?!¡± Oh, Emily, you must have been so jealous about it. ¡°I¡¯m glad no one got seriously hurt.¡± Everyone agreed with her. Today was such a long day as many things happened. I was that tired. But the most important thing was that no one was seriously hurt, and everyone was safe. That alone seemed to be enough for me to laugh away today¡¯s incident. £ª £ª £ª The academy, which was always quiet at night, became noisy today. Sitting on the watchtower railing, Sibel¡¯s eyes were fixed on Marilyn, who was currently being carried on her friend¡¯s back. Marilyn Launer readily and easily sacrifices herself for her loved ones. That¡¯s why he refrained from helping her out in the hopes that she would come to her senses. However, for the first time, Sibel felt regret. The handprints on Marilyn¡¯s neck, which were visible from afar, made him feel something repulsive deep down within him. ¡®What is this feeling? Why am I feeling this way?¡¯ The small scratch on Marilyn Launer¡¯s body made him feel terrible. ¡°Marilyn Launer¡­¡± Sibel reached his hand towards Marilyn, who was too far away to reach. Then he carefully pulled back his hand. ¡®How interesting¡­ I really want her.¡¯ But is that really all that he feels? Sibel became a little confused. Chapter 24 The situation went well for us. Articles about Professor Bentley stalking students at Cloud Academy were widely distributed. Of course, the exclusive went to the Clean Newspaper. In particular, Isabella Lonis¡¯s case intensified the people¡¯s criticism towards the Cloud Academy, which made a lot of students drop out. Lycan was still punished due to crippling Professor Bentley; however, he wasn¡¯t put into a bad light, and they clarified to the people that he had done it because he was protecting us. I was more worried about Lariensa because of all the bad things that happened, particularly with her becoming the center of it all, but surprisingly, she was a strong child. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hide from them. It¡¯s those kids who misunderstood me who should be ashamed of themselves.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m more worried about Marin. Because of me, you have to go through all of that when in fact, you didn¡¯t have to.¡± What Lara was really worried about was not herself but someone else. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m always hurting Marin. That¡¯s why I¡­¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°No, never mind.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ so suspicious.¡± Lara seemed to be feeling more guilty about getting her friends involved. However¡­ None of us think she has endangered us at all. ¡°Lara, let¡¯s say I was the one being stalked.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Will you not help me at all if I was in danger?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help you! Even if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± ¡°Even if you get hurt because of me?¡± ¡°You getting hurt is something that I hate even more than me getting hurt.¡± Although I asked the question, I already knew what the answer would be. ¡°I also don¡¯t want you to get hurt more than I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You have nothing to say against that, right?¡± Lara puffed up her cheeks as if she was dissatisfied, but as I kept poking her cheeks, she eventually stopped feeling upset. ¡°Everyone, big news!¡± I was resting in my dorm room with my friends when Natalie suddenly rushed in with a newspaper. I¡¯ve been through so much that I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be shocked by anything anymore. ¡°Did they stitch back anything that was cut off from Bentley?¡± ¡°Such a miracle shouldn¡¯t happen.¡± There were already four people inside the room, so Natalie had to squeeze herself in to get inside. Then I opened the newspaper in front of Emily¡¯s face, who was currently lying down, taking a nap. ¡°Stalking Professor Bentley, transferred to a mental hospital?¡± Reading the article, it said that he had suddenly developed abnormalities in his mind and body and was sent to the mental ward. Black spots of unknown cause were spotted on his skin¡­ ¡°He persistently cried out that he didn¡¯t strangle ¡®Ginger¡¯¡­¡± And it was said that he kept begging for his life, saying he had made a mistake while facing a wall. Black spots¡­ Surely, it¡¯s that guy! Sibel was able to curse or hypnotize someone just by getting in contact with the other person physically. I also don¡¯t know how he got that ability or how it works, but maybe the longer one is in contact with him, the easier it is to be cursed, or maybe he can curse someone whenever he wants regardless of time to any degree. What¡¯s certain is that if black spots can be seen on the skin, then it¡¯s a curse of the highest intensity. ¡°As expected, God is fair.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t feel great about it.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I felt sorry for him even though I had to go through all of that because of him. In particular, I was not more comfortable knowing that it was Sibel who did this to Bentley. Did he take my revenge in his own way? ¡°He deserves that. He must pay for all of his crimes. What we just need to do now is forget about him and enjoy the rest of the day.¡± I heard someone talking, but none of the people that I can see opened their mouths. It was for a while that I realized that it was Emily who talked since she was lying down and her face was covered with the newspaper. ¡°Emily, can you still read the newspaper in that position?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tiring.¡± Right now, my friends are like cats lazily lying around in our room. ¡°Emily, Natalie, Violet. Why aren¡¯t you going to class?¡± Lariensa and I are the victims of the incident, so we can take a few days off. I had a big bruise on my neck, and Lariensa had sprained her foot. So why are they also resting with us, complaining of psychological shock and suffering? I am grateful for all the help you¡¯ve given us, but you guys are really making a fuss just for that! ¡°Why would I miss this opportunity when I¡¯m not being disciplined for skipping class?¡± ¡°A psychological trauma is also a wound that needs to be treated. I¡¯m greatly distressed because of what happened back then. Oh¡­ I already feel dizzy thinking about it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pass out, Natalie! Wake up?!¡± Looking at Emily and Natalie¡¯s shameless act, I turned towards Violet, who was currently reading a book called ¡®The Secret in Getting Rich.¡¯ ¡°Hey, future top graduate?¡± Violet pretended to concentrate on the book. However, she couldn¡¯t manage her facial expressions perfectly. ¡°I can understand why Emily and Natalie are here, but you said your goal was to graduate at the top, right? So what are you doing here?¡± Violet responded by raising her large new round pair of glasses. ¡°Why are you wearing glasses?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I look like a student good at studying?¡± ¡°Is there anyone in the academy who doesn¡¯t know you can¡¯t study?¡± ¡°¡­Fair enough. I¡¯m amazed.¡± I can see you¡¯re speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to fully talk about it because of that incident, but I changed my goal.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t want to graduate as the top student anymore?¡± ¡°It was for fame that I wanted to be the top graduate and work at the palace. I wanted to be envied and admired by people just by passing by me on the street!¡± ¡­V-violet? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re that shameless! ¡°But I realized that fame could also be bought by money!¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Many people became rich even though they were not good at studying. So I don¡¯t need the title of the top graduate anymore.¡± Emily, who was lying still, threw her that indisputable fact. ¡°Didn¡¯t you give up because you realized you couldn¡¯t graduate as the top student?¡± Violet glared at Emily. She is now contemplating violence towards Emily and is anguished with all her heart and soul because of the fact that a few slaps won¡¯t be enough to shut her trap. Although she was angry and upset, she didn¡¯t have the strength to deal with Emily. ¡®Sigh¡­ I don¡¯t think they would be sleeping in their own rooms tonight.¡¯ I should now conform to the fate of sharing a room with my friends like this. ¡°I¡¯ll just go to the restroom.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I replied with a familiar smile to Lariensa, who still asked even though the restroom was just in the room. Really¡­ Lara¡¯s like a real baby. ¡®What should I do, Marin? Should I do this or no? I¡¯ll just go there for a moment.¡¯ Does this mean you want me to know everything that you do? Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I hate it. Hoho, you cute thing. Okay! You can do this and that, too! Kuku, I will know everything that you do! Natalie spoke to me as I unintentionally smiled insidiously. ¡°How many days can we rest at least?¡± Although we have experienced such an incident, there was still a limit to pretending to be sick. Instead of me, Violet brought a calendar and counted how many days they could pretend to be sick. Overall, it was about three days. ¡°Huh?¡± Looking at the calendar, I realized something. ¡°Has it already been this long?¡± Every day was so hectic that I didn¡¯t realize that months had already passed since I entered the school. ¡°¡­birthday.¡± ¡°Huh? Birthday? Whose? Yours?¡± ¡°No, not mine!¡± I looked at the calendar and counted. Seven days from today¡­ ¡°Lara¡¯s birthday is coming.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes, which had always been calm, grew bigger. Emily, who was lying down like a cat, lifted herself up, and Natalie dropped the cookies she was eating. ¡°¡­We have to prepare for it.¡± My friends nodded in unison at my determined voice. Section 4. The Price for Changing the Original Story When you say a surprise party, it¡¯s all about blowing up balloons, preparing food, and giving gifts as everyone else does. The question is, what kind of gift should I prepare for her¡­? ¡°Brother Lycan!¡± With his sister¡¯s birthday just around the corner, surely this idiot of a brother won¡¯t just stay still. As soon as I found Lycan leaving the training ground wiping his sweat with a towel around his neck, I called him out in a loud voice. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lycan came up to me, sweating. I hate to admit it, but¡­ he¡¯s really handsome. ¡°Is your punishment not over yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still going on.¡± ¡°Do you just need to train?¡± ¡°No. This morning, I also cleaned the stables, then I also need to train the other students even after the training session.¡± How diligent. He deserves to take a break after all of this. In the original story, I remember reading that Lycan does not neglect his knight training to take responsibility for his family. Of course, he has talent, but he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who only believed in talent. It¡¯s kind of cool to see him work hard like this. ¡°Brother, you know that Lara¡¯s birthday is coming up, right?¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know when my sister¡¯s birthday is?¡± Yes, of course, you know. ¡°Have you got a present?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­Already?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t prepared the others yet, though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you usually just give one gift?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be beaten when it comes to giving presents to my only sister, especially on her birthday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really amazing.¡± The Cloud Academy does not spare any support for talented people. That¡¯s why Lycan, although coming from an ordinary family, could even buy his sister some gifts without worrying about his tuition. Although his scholarship was cut off because of the recent incident, Lycan must have saved quite a lot of money. So I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to afford to also buy her a present this time. ¡°How about you? Did you already prepare her present?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just starting to find one now.¡± ¡°Tsk. How slow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too advanced.¡± Lycan turned his eyes away. He always does that whenever he has nothing to say. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to ask for your help.¡± ¡°My help?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to go out and look for something to give to her. Maybe you can help me decide on something.¡± Lycan, who seemed to be agonizing for a while, soon nodded. ¡°Okay, sure. Let¡¯s go together.¡± It¡¯s just taking a walk outside the academy. Aren¡¯t you talking as if you¡¯re doing something great? ¡°Before that, I¡¯ll just go get change.¡± He was currently sweating, and the training suit must be heavy, so of course, he would want to change. But after a while¡­ After he changed his clothes, I was dumbfounded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a suit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t usually wear clothes like that, right? How come you¡¯re wearing it right now?¡± ¡°I do wear it often.¡± ¡°No, you like comfortable clothes. I see you always wearing your training clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also comfortable wearing suits, though.¡± Why are your ears getting red? Shoo shoo, get away! I don¡¯t want to take your route! I felt like I shouldn¡¯t ask any more questions, so I decided to play dumb on that excessive outfit. The academy already set a date when students can get out, but that doesn¡¯t mean we are also banned from going out on other days. If you just give a plausible reason, you could go out of the academy. ¡°So what excuse did you give?¡± ¡°I said I had an interview with the Clean Newspaper.¡± The homeroom professor was worried about us leaving Lariensa alone but eventually, he gave in and permitted us to go out. The Cloud Academy was still cautious due to that incident, but they were quite lenient on us, the victims. In particular, because Professor Bentley lured Lariensa under the pretext of a homeroom professor calling her, that¡¯s why the homeroom professor was excessively looking out for us now. After all, it was not the professor¡¯s fault, but I liked that I could rest and go out because of it. ¡°You can freely go out of the academy in about two years.¡± ¡°That still feels a long way off.¡± We went out to the main street and looked around for cute objects. I¡¯ve been stuck with Lara all this while, but I still don¡¯t know what she likes. Someone Lara likes = me. That¡¯s true, but¡­ I can¡¯t just give her myself, can¡¯t I? Chapter 25 I have come to a realization just now that there are still many things that I actually don¡¯t know about Lariensa. I know that she loves eating and is not picky about her food. She doesn¡¯t particularly hate anything. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything (or anyone for that matter) that she likes in particular (except me). ¡°Brother? What are you doing there?¡± I was so immersed in my own world thinking about Lariensa that I didn¡¯t realize that Lycan was not by my side. Currently, he was looking at a scarf from a store window. ¡°Do you think Lara will like that as a present?¡± Instead of answering my question, Lycan took out a white scarf and put it on his neck. When his finger accidentally touched his neck, I flinched reflexively. Then, I felt Lycan¡¯s blue eyes, which resemble Lara¡¯s, stare at my face for a while. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Without realizing, I¡­¡± Lycan did not answer. However, he nonchalantly placed the scarf around my neck. ¡°Lara doesn¡¯t wear a scarf or anything like that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So why the scarf then? Do you want it?¡± ¡°Not funny.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± I¡¯m just saying, aren¡¯t you being too serious?! Lycan looked at the scarves of different colors for a long time and, as if he liked it, picked up the white scarf he had first picked up and bought it. Lara definitely looks good on white. ¡°Here.¡± Eh¡­ Why are you giving it to me? ¡°Ahh¡­ You want me to pass it on to Lara?¡± However, Lycan¡¯s forehead crumpled. ¡®Ehh?! Why are you angry?¡¯ ¡°Tie it around your neck.¡± ¡°You mean tying it like a rope?¡± ¡°¡­Wear it as a scarf. ¡± ¡°You¡¯re not giving it to Lara?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so tactless.¡± Isn¡¯t that too much!? If I don¡¯t have tact, then it¡¯s because my circumstances with Lara have changed now, not because I was always this tactless! Hah, I never imagined Lycan would give me a scarf! ¡°Your hair¡­ put it up.¡± I had never imagined this situation to happen at all. As I kept mumbling by myself, Lycan brushed off my hair on the shoulder and put it back. That action took me by surprise that I immediately pulled my hair back on my own. Afterwhich, Lycan put the scarf around me. He was careful not to touch my neck. ¡°You still had bruises on your neck that¡¯s why I bought it.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s hideous, right?¡± ¡°Who said it was hideous?¡± Sigh, why do I live such a chaotic life even in this world? ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s almost faded away anyway. I can¡¯t even see it anymore.¡± He wore it around me loosely so that I wouldn¡¯t feel stuffy. Afterwards, he stepped back. ¡°So, how does it look on me?¡± ¡°¡­pretty than I thought.¡± I didn¡¯t listen to what he was saying. Of course, I was excited since anything that is free is welcomed by me with open arms. Oh yeah! I jumped joyfully on the spot as this event of me receiving a gift from him was like a once-in-a-lifetime event for me. I thought for sure that Lycan would look at me with a disgusted look like my friends. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± What¡¯s with that enchanted expression? Feeling embarrassed, I stopped moving and scratched the back of my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you would like it that much¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, so now we¡¯re going back to picking¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat first?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Are you treating me dinner?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s usually the person who asked to eat to pay for the meal.¡± Emily doesn¡¯t do that, though? ¡­Is this situation a little bit different? Then Emily, I¡¯m sorry. I get to have a free meal without you. I¡¯m not the type of person to refuse someone if they¡¯re buying food for me. Then, I chased after him. The place where Lycan took me was to a restaurant which I can only say had unreasonable prices than the ones in our academy. I was nervous just by looking at the exterior, but when I looked at the menu, I became even more stiff. ¡®I can¡¯t choose¡­¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything that you like?¡± No matter how thick-faced I am, this wasn¡¯t right. The Jellinus family and ours are just next to each other, and I know better that Lycan is not born with a golden spoon on his mouth. I know that the academy gives huge allowances to scholars but still¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯ll have this¡­¡± I carefully chose the cheapest food on this menu. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s the cheapest! But Lycan felt skeptical about my menu selection. ¡°No need to be conscious. I know you don¡¯t like salads with only vegetables.¡± It¡¯s just salad with only vegetables, but it¡¯s this much!? Too expensive! ¡°If you really can¡¯t choose, I¡¯ll choose for you.¡± I thought he ordered just enough for the two of us to eat, but the foods that came after were enough to make my eyes pop out of their sockets. When it comes to quantity, it¡¯s like we have the buffet all by ourselves. Why are there so many? ¡°If you can¡¯t finish it all, we can just leave it here.¡± ¡°¡­Have I offended you in any way, brother? In our past lives, perhaps?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow. Why do you think that?¡± Because this is too burdensome¡­ ¡°You said you¡¯re buying, right? So I¡¯ll eat to my heart¡¯s content.¡± Yeah, sure. Let¡¯s just enjoy all this free food! It would be rude to refuse a blessing in front of me. And we shouldn¡¯t leave any food behind! If we do so, we¡¯ll go to hell! ¡°Good to see you eat well.¡± ¡°Ack! Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Slowly.¡± Really, what¡¯s wrong with him¡­ How am I supposed to reply to that? This is awkward¡­ Why don¡¯t I bring up a new topic? ¡°I¡¯m glad that your punishment is lighter than I thought.¡± ¡°I was prepared to face some kind of punishment when I did it. Moreover, it would have been unfair if they made it heavier since I just did it out of emotion and spite.¡± ¡°Emily was really jealous about it. You¡¯re so different from his brother.¡± ¡°I was angry because of what that professor did to my sister, but that day, I wasn¡¯t exactly angry about Lariensa¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lycan glanced at my neck and clicked his tongue. ¡°You really can¡¯t read between the lines.¡± Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll just live without any sense. You¡¯ll find out things, even the ones you don¡¯t want to know, if you¡¯re too sensible. Lycan and I continue to eat without a word after that. After eating, I really thought we were going to buy Lara¡¯s gift for real this time. However, Lycan¨C ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some ice cream.¡± Bought me a dessert¨C ¡°This hairband matches your hair color.¡± Put a green headband over my head¨C ¡°Cover yourself. It¡¯s cold right now.¡± And gave me the coat that he was wearing! ¡°It¡¯s late. We¡¯ve got to go now.¡± As we walked on the street at night, I could see my reflection from the window of a store we were passing by. Lycan¡¯s coat, the white scarf, and even the hairband¡­ We went out to buy my present for Lara, but it seems that I was the one who was getting a lot of presents now. This situation was so strange for me. I bit my lower lip for a while, and soon after, something touched my lips. It was a lollipop. As I opened my mouth, Lycan put it inside. The sweet taste of lollipop covered my tongue. ¡°I have to put something in your mouth for you not to do anything strange.¡± ¡°When else have I done something strange?¡± ¡°As long as there¡¯s food, you eat well even though you feel pressured. If I buy you ice cream, you immediately empty your head even though something was bothering you earlier, and now I have to give you candy so you don¡¯t bite your lips.¡± Did I do that? Certainly, the moment I eat something, my head feels lighter. ¡°If someone gave you some candy, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll go with an adult you don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how cute you are.¡± Ah! I was caught off guard! This time my heart skipped a beat. ¡°¡­Why are you so nice to me?¡± I tried to pretend I didn¡¯t know what it was, but Lycan¡¯s attitude toward me was too blatant. ¡°We weren¡¯t even on such good terms before.¡± Lycan walked slowly towards me without minding my anxiousness. But when I stared at him, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°One of my friends said he had a crush on someone.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°When I asked him how he realized that he liked her, he said he bought her food and clothes and thought that it wasn¡¯t a waste no matter how expensive it was.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re starting to like me?¡± Oh, please¡­ ¡°At the very least, you¡¯re not that dense.¡± Of all the women, why me?! First, Sibel, now, you too?! It¡¯s a lot different than before. I¡¯ve never seen a woman like you before. Don¡¯t let this novel stray away from its original path! ¡°So¡­ you bought me all these things, pretending to do me a favor for you to confirm your own feelings if you really like me or not?¡± ¡°No, I was really going to help you choose a gift for Lariensa.¡± You didn¡¯t even choose one, though. ¡°So what¡¯s your conclusion? Wasn¡¯t it a waste?¡± Lycan smiled instead of answering me. Without a trace, it was like a blissful and tranquil smile like that of an innocent boy. ¡°No. not at all.¡± I realized for the first time that Lycan was a person who could smile so brightly like that. ¡°I had so much fun with you today.¡± He didn¡¯t confess openly. But knowing him, I knew that those words were as good as a confession. This is definitely a difficult situation, but¡­ ¡°D-don¡¯t smile like that!¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Just don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Walk beside me. You know, the streets are very dangerous at night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be such a gentleman, now!¡± The heck, why am I getting hot¡­ £ª £ª £ª ¡®Lariensa would appreciate it more if you give her a letter rather than a material gift.¡¯ It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t get any advice, but¡­ it just wasn¡¯t very helpful. ¡°What should I do¡­¡± Currently, I was sitting in a chair in our dormitory room, staring blankly up at the empty ceiling. Lara sat down near me and asked. ¡°Marin, is something bothering you?¡± ¡°¡­Lara.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This¡­ I just happen to hear this from someone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so this is a story from a distant friend of the sister of the cousin of the friend of our classmate.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°To sum it up, it¡¯s just a story of a person we don¡¯t know the name of.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°So that girl had a friend who was very close to her. However, her friend¡¯s brother and her didn¡¯t get along well.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t they get along?¡± ¡°Just because?¡± ¡°Her best friend must have been troubled by it. How nice it is to just get along with each other like my brother and Marin.¡± Haha¡­ her best friend isn¡¯t even a bit troubled by it since she¡¯s slow-witted. ¡°Anyways! Moving on, her best friend¡¯s brother suddenly confessed to her.¡± ¡°Did she hate it?¡± ¡°No, she liked it.¡± ¡°Whaaat?!¡± Lariensa¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°If those two get married, that person¡¯s family, friends, and relatives would also be tied together with the other person¡¯s family.¡± Is that what it means? ¡°Marin!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°You and brother should really marry each other!¡± Cough, cough! What are you saying, Lara? ¡°I¡¯ll tell my brother to confess right away. Why didn¡¯t I think of this before?¡± Lara was really about to run to her brother. Wait, Lara, don¡¯t go! ¡°Marilyn, Lariensa! We¡¯re here!¡± Fortunately, before Lara could really run out of the room, Emily, Natalie, and Violet opened the door. Whoo¡­ thank God. Now, this story would then be skipped over. ¡°Both of you, change quickly into your school uniforms.¡± ¡°Why? We¡¯re still taking a break, right?¡± ¡°I knew this would happen. We have to gather at the auditorium right now.¡± Today¡¯s just a regular class day, so why? ¡°It looks like they have some important announcements to make.¡± Lara and I immediately dressed up and followed our friends to the auditorium. £ª £ª £ª The place was noisy and crowded as all the students of the academy had gathered. After a while, the well-dressed vice principal went up to the podium, facing the students who were lined up. ¡°Dear students. I am the vice-principal of Cloud Academy. I¡¯m aware that all of you have suffered due to the recent incident in the academy. That¡¯s why we decided that we are going to hold a festival to comfort our dear students!¡± You¡¯ll make us have fun so that we can forget about it, and then the whole incident would now be cleanly buried. I see what you did there, vice-principal. ¡°It will be held next week, and¡­¡± The festival would last for three days; coincidentally, the first day was Lariensa¡¯s birthday. What a coincidence, right? She really is the heroine. Even though the festival date is right around the corner, the acrobatic troupe and the chefs are already ready¡­ Wahh, money is really the best! ¡°Let¡¯s take this chance to throw Lariensa a party at the same time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already collected all the materials that we need.¡± ¡°Okay, there are also chefs on the day of the festival, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to run out of food.¡± We planned the party, ignoring the boring speech of the vice principal that followed. ¡°How about you guys? When are your birthdays?¡± At Emily¡¯s initiation, they revealed when their birthdays are. Except for Lariensa, everyone¡¯s birthday was still a long way off. ¡°Marilyn, when is your birthday?¡± Violet asked me. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± At that moment, I pondered. ¡®Which of the two dates should I say?¡¯ The real Marilyn¡¯s birthday or my own birthday? ¡°¡­a secret.¡± I ended up making another secret to my friends again. ¡°We¡¯ll know if we ask Lariensa anyway.¡± At Natalie¡¯s words, I had no choice but to laugh. Chapter 26 It wasn¡¯t easy for me to secretly prepare for Lariensa¡¯s birthday party since she was practically glued to me every day. ¡°I have an interview with the Clean Newspaper.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, professor.¡± An interview or two as excuses. The professor looked at me, sighed, and eventually gave me an exit slip. ¡°Here¡­ but once the festival ends, these privileges are over, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± As Lariensa and I were the main victims of the incident, the professors weren¡¯t as lenient to Emily, Natalie, and Violet as they were to us, rendering them unable to go outside the academy. So it was naturally up to me to go outside and get some things needed for the party. After collecting the money given to me by my friends, I gave the guard an exit slip and went out of the academy. Then, I entered the busy street downtown to buy a list of gifts and some party items. First, I went inside a hat shop to buy a hat that matched Lariensa¡¯s blonde hair. ¡°As expected, white would suit Lara, but her favorite color is sky blue¡­¡± Now that the bruises on my neck were all better, I remembered the white scarf that Lycan gave me. I tried to shake it off of my mind as I was picking out a suitable color for Lariensa¡¯s gift, but that white scarf kept bothering me. Lycan¡¯s gift was a bit burdensome, but I couldn¡¯t just throw out other people¡¯s gifts in some corner, so I just tied it around on my wrist like this. Really¡­ what was Lycan thinking, giving me this white scarf? Unlike Lariensa¡¯s blonde hair, mine is brilliant red, so the color white wouldn¡¯t suit me¡­ I fiddled with the scarf tied to my wrist for no reason. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Suddenly a long brim hat was placed on my head. My vision was blocked for a moment, but as I lifted the visor and looked at the mirror, I found out who was behind me. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ash-blue hair and turquoise eyes. With a refreshing smile, he pressed the hat on me even more. ¡°It¡¯s hard to meet you in the academy.¡± ¡°You followed me?¡± ¡°Maybe I should also stalk you like what Bentley did.¡± ¡°Yah, Ssi-bel!¡± ¡°Usually, people call me Sibel Khan without the middle name. But the way you¡¯re calling me¡­ it somehow doesn¡¯t sound nice.¡± It¡¯s because I purposely say it as if I¡¯m cursing¡­ ¡°I¡¯m too busy to play with you.¡± ¡°Is it for that gal¡¯s birthday party?¡± ¡°¡­Since when have you been following me?¡± As I was preparing to flee from Sibel, he pointed to the note I was holding in my hand. At the top of the note, it said, ¡®List of preparations for Lariensa¡¯s birthday party!¡¯ ¡­Ugh, so embarrassing. ¡°So are we clear now?¡± I had no choice but to nod. I¡¯m the one who suspected someone without proof after all. Of course, considering what he did in the original story, I can¡¯t help but be suspicious of anything that he says or does. But somehow, by some strange luck, I was saved by Sibel during those dire situations. The day he sneaked into Professor Bentley¡¯s room, he helped me out on the rooftop, and I was able to escape from being choked to death because of him. It was all possible because Sibel was there. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here, do you have something you want to buy?¡± ¡°Will you buy it for me if I say there is?¡± Because of Lara¡¯s gifts, my friends and I have a little money left for saving. Still, I wanted to repay my debt to him. However, looking at Sibel¡¯s eyes¡­ It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s going to pick something expensive on purpose. ¡°Okay, never mind. Don¡¯t pick.¡± ¡°So mean. You haven¡¯t even thanked me once for everything I did.¡± Ugh! My conscience! It¡¯s true that Sibel helped me, but I¡¯m still too stubborn to thank him for that. Although I¡¯ve always regarded Sibel as an absolute evil while constantly being hostile to him, it hurts my pride seeing him be the complete opposite of that. Sibel stopped trying to reach out to me as I closed my mouth and made a sour face. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to pay me back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to choose what you wanted.¡± ¡°Not that¡­ I want you to pay me back in some other way.¡± ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Sibel lowered his head towards mine. He was careful not to touch a single strand of my hair as he whispered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick a hat first?¡± Sibel¡¯s eyes were then directed sideways. I followed his gaze, and I could see that the shopkeeper was staring at us with an annoyed look. Well. I¡¯ve already been here for quite some time. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s annoyed by now. ¡°Personally, I recommend that white hat.¡± ¡°I think white suits Lara too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you, though.¡± This is why handsome faces are bad for the heart. Even if you know that gentle personality is just a pretense, you¡¯ll be fascinated by their dazzling smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a present for Lariensa, not mine.¡± I went back to choosing Lariensa¡¯s gift while ignoring Sibel as much as I could. In the end, I picked up the sky blue hat and bought it. After wrapping it up, I headed to the bookstore to choose the second gift, a book. I was worried that Sibel, who had followed me there, would also bother me like what he did at the hat store, but he was surprisingly quiet. On the contrary, he isolated himself and read a book quietly. Him reading a book on fairy tales didn¡¯t sit well with me either. After choosing the book about another country that Lariensa liked, I felt conflicted as I watched Sibel reading a picture book as if he were being sucked into the story. ¡®Should I leave him behind or bring him with me?¡¯ I know that I can just leave him behind since he¡¯s the one who followed me on his own anyways, but I was worried that he might hate me for it. In the end, I was forced to head towards Sibel. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d leave me for sure.¡± ¡°¡­You knew that I was done picking out a book?¡± ¡°I was keeping an eye on you.¡± ¡°But weren¡¯t you reading a book?¡± ¡°I¡¯m smart; focusing on two things at the same time is no sweat.¡± ¡°¡­Jerk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡®Okay, sure. Why don¡¯t we take a look at what you were reading.¡¯ I read the title on the cover of the book. ¡°Princess Flora?¡± ¡°Would you like to read it?¡± The story was short since it was a picture book. It seems that I could finish it in just one sitting. I quickly opened the book and read it. The story was quite simple. It was about a princess as beautiful as Snow White who was offered to a monster because her father was possessed by a witch. In the end, the prince saves her from the monster¡¯s clutches. Of course, it was a happy ending. ¡°Your taste is quite unique. Do you like these kinds of books?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like it. I just read these once in a while when I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°You usually read fairy tales like this when you¡¯re young, though.¡± ¡°I never read fairy tales when I was young.¡± ¡°Eyy, there¡¯s no one who¡¯s never read a fairy tale when they were young.¡± However, as soon as I finished that sentence, I got flustered. At this point in the novel, his past had not been revealed yet, even though he¡¯s the male lead. What he did to Lariensa in the original story was unforgivable despite his dark past behind it, but now Sibel isn¡¯t interested in Lara. On another note, it¡¯s also rude to carelessly talk about other people¡¯s past. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± I said it in a hurry, but Sibel was unexpectedly not upset about it. But he¡¯s fake. One shouldn¡¯t be fooled by that face! ¡°You can say sorry, but you can¡¯t even manage a simple ¡®thank you¡¯, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t something to be sorry about.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re good at putting on an act.¡± Sibel laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have to do that in front of you, though.¡± Come to think of it, Sibel never hid that awful temper of his in front of me anymore. He didn¡¯t play the perfect student with an infinitely sweet and gentle personality as if someone created him. When he¡¯s angry, he would just vent his anger out, and when something¡¯s funny, he would just laugh as it is. ¡°Are you comfortable with me?¡± I asked Sibel while choosing gifts and party supplies around the shop. ¡°Super. You¡¯re fun.¡± Sibel answered without hesitation. But I couldn¡¯t say anything about it, so I just shut my mouth and continued shopping. Finally, I was able to buy all the things that were on the list. I was about to head back to the academy when¡­ Sibel threatened me, no not threatened, asked me with a smile to stay with him longer; that¡¯s why I¡¯m currently sitting face to face with him at a cafe. At least there¡¯s no pushing against the wall this time or any forced contact with him. It was clear that he cared about what I said regarding what counted as harassment. ¡®¡­He¡¯s more human than I thought.¡¯ ¡°I can see you¡¯re thinking about something else.¡± As I was drinking with a straw, I broke from my thoughts when he talked to me. Hmm¡­ what does he think of me now? Does he think about me in ¡®that¡¯ kind of way? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m definitely breaking his arms and legs! ¡­You didn¡¯t go that far, did you? Gosh, goosebumps. ¡°I can see clearly what you think.¡± ¡°Not everyone can put on an act like you.¡± ¡°So, are you thinking of Lariensa Jellinus again?¡± ¡°No, I was thinking of you.¡± Sibel¡¯s eyes grew very briefly, but they immediately returned to their original state. It was a very momentary look, but I saw it clearly. Sibel, with a relaxed expression on his face, held his chin in his hand and asked. ¡°So, what were you thinking about me?¡± If possible, I hope Sibel¡¯s feelings toward me haven¡¯t reached that stage yet, but if he couldn¡¯t avoid it until the end, it would be better to face him earlier on. ¡°Do you, by any chance, want to lock me up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to take away the sight of everyone who looks at me, and you want to own me even if I was broken?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sibel¡¯s relaxed expression disappeared again. He, who was expressing his bewildered expression, soon burst into laughter. You¡¯re making fun of me, aren¡¯t you? ¡°¡­Marilyn Launer, you¡¯re really unique.¡± Sibel, who barely stopped laughing, answered slowly. ¡°It¡¯s true that you¡¯re greedy, am I wrong?¡± Is that so? Was I overthinking this? ¡°But the idea of wanting to lock you up, or taking away the sight of someone else who sees you¡­¡± Why don¡¯t you continue it? That long pause is ominous. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± But Sibel¡¯s tone seemed to be implying, ¡®why didn¡¯t I think about it?¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I shouldn¡¯t have provoked that crazy guy! ¡°If you lock me up, I won¡¯t be fun to be with anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡®Cuz I¡¯m not going to say a word.¡± I added the words in a hurry. ¡°If you got ahold of my friends, I¡¯d still talk since they¡¯re my weakness. But it won¡¯t be as fun as it is now. I have to be in a pleasant state to make jokes.¡± I said it just in case, but my expression became strange as I was thinking about it. I don¡¯t know if he did that on purpose, but the act he was putting in front of me wasn¡¯t perfect. Sibel said he could see all my thoughts, but I can also see some of his thoughts. ¡°And one more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t force yourself to own the other person. It rather backfires with resistance.¡± ¡°Then what can I do to get you?¡± The idea of owning the other person is wrong in the first place. But he wouldn¡¯t understand if I said this. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you know about that later.¡± I don¡¯t think he thought of me in that way yet, so I¡¯ll let this go for now, but on the fateful day that he does. I¡¯ll tell you on that day. It would be better if such a day didn¡¯t come. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re fun.¡± Listening to that, it certainly seemed far from romantic feelings yet. Yeah, so far, your obsession won¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now to the academy.¡± Whether or not Sibel was satisfied with spending this much time, he returned to the academy with me obediently. Chapter 27 Translator: Flameu Editor:Yunan A week passed by quickly. Our room was full of gift boxes early in the morning, and the sender was someone named ¡®Lycan¡¯. ¡°Is this all prepared by Lariensa¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°Woah, Senior Lycan is so cool¡­¡± ¡°If you add his scholarship allowance and the money he received from parents all these years, I¡¯m sure he still has quite a bit of money left in his pockets¡­¡± Since we live in the academy, I don¡¯t think we ever need to wear fancy clothing or anything of the sort. However, with Lycan being a fool for his younger sister, he gave her many extravagant gifts. ¡°Oh heavens! Why is my brother not like him?¡± Listening to Emily¡¯s cry, we greeted Lariensa with a ¡®Happy Birthday!¡¯ Afterwards, Emily reluctantly stuck out a paper and gave it to Lara. ¡°It¡¯s a three-day slave coupon.¡± ¡°You can make us do whatever you want.¡± Even though it¡¯s a fake gift, it¡¯s a little saddening to just give her this paper. But who was our Lara? ¡°Thank you, guys. I¡¯m so touched¡­¡± Lariensa was a kind angel who was so moved by that present. Violet then snuck beside me and whispered. ¡°Why do I feel sorry seeing her so touched with just that¡­¡± Later on, we would give her our real presents during the surprise party. The three-day slave coupon was just a fake gift. Nevertheless, that expression of Lariensa, who was so moved, made us feel as if we had done something terrible. ¡°Okay, guys! Shall we now enjoy the festival?¡± Natalie immediately dragged Lariensa out with her first. After them, Emily, Violet, and I went out and followed them. £ª £ª £ª After leaving the dormitory with my friends, I was fascinated by the scene of lively mercantilism in the academy. Entertainers with makeup on their faces played the flute and gave balloons to passersby, and street vendors settled in the wide campus. ¡°Ah¡­ that delicious smell!¡± Emily dragged us with her, saying she wanted to eat chicken with cheese that she saw across the stall. ¡°Somewhere¡­ I can smell waffles!¡± ¡°E-emily!¡± Emily¡¯s appetite was really amazing¡­ At this rate, she¡¯s going to eat all the food she wants to eat! ¡°Sniff sniff! It smells like a baguette with cream and cheese!¡± We were dragged again helplessly by Emily because, as you all know, she is too strong! Our strengths combined cannot even make her move an inch. ¡°Emily¡­ Ugh, I¡¯m already full¡­¡± Violet appealed, but those words did not reach Emily, who now became a hyena looking for food. ¡°Halt, Emily!¡± The one who stopped this madness was none other than Lara, our savior. ¡°For Natalie, Violet, and Marin¡¯s sake, I¡¯m going to use the coupon now! Look at their stomachs! They are about to explode!¡± Emily, who had lost her reason because of all the food present, was forced to return to her senses. So now, we were able to enjoy the festival normally again. The festival was really fun. And of course¡­ ¡°Look! There¡¯s a handsome man over there!¡± Whenever Natalie sees a good-looking man, she loses her mind. ¡°You run that small store, and you¡¯ve made this much money? What¡¯s your secret? C¡¯mon, tell me.¡± Although there were many things happening together at the same time along the way, such as Violet asking the vendor¡¯s secret in making money showing her greed for money, we still proceeded with the plan. ¡°Ah, guys. I have a book I need to return to the library by tomorrow, but I think I left it in the classroom¡­¡± By early evening, Violet gave us the signal. In fact, what she gave was a ridiculous excuse. We didn¡¯t attend class recently, and she said she left the book she was reading inside the classroom? ¡°And it¡¯s scary to go to an empty classroom by myself¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Violet! We will come with you!¡± Emily pretended to be quite worried about Violet, unlike usual. ¡°If you delay returning your books, you¡¯ll have trouble borrowing again later.¡± Natalie added. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we all go to the classroom then?¡± And, of course, I just went along and feigned agreement. ¡°Violet, don¡¯t worry. The book must surely be in the classroom.¡± Despite it being suspicious, our kind Lara didn¡¯t even doubt it and was even worried about Violet. So we then headed towards the main building where the classrooms are. ¡°It¡¯s too dark.¡± ¡°Natalie, come close towards me.¡± ¡°Ouch! Someone stepped on my foot!¡± The main building was dark since all the lights were off. At the same time, we didn¡¯t stop chatting as we continued our way towards our classroom. ¡°Hurry up and turn yourself in. Who was that?! Who stepped on my foot!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Definitely not me.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not you guys, then who is it?!¡± Natalie then questioned us. However, Emily, Violet, and I denied it. Still, Natalie stared at us, but no one came out. At that moment, Violet raised her fashion glasses, looking sharp as if she had realized something. ¡°I think I know who the culprit is.¡± ¡°How? You haven¡¯t seen it either.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t see it. But there was only one of us who didn¡¯t deny the crime.¡± Violet stared at us one by one with her arms folded. ¡°Which among us would not be suspected of stepping on our feet, nor would be suspected of actively denying the charges?¡± D-don¡¯t tell me¡­! Our eyes went straight towards someone. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Violet lowered her head slightly, and light came out of her fashion glasses. ¡°The culprit is you¡­!¡± Violet¡¯s finger was then pointed to¡­ ¡°Lariensa Jellinus!¡± Despite Violet¡¯s accusing her, Lariensa did not even deny it! Rather, she shyly smiled and admitted the crime. ¡°I accidentally stepped on it, and Natalie immediately got so angry¡­ that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t speak. Sorry, Natalie.¡± We didn¡¯t expect the birthday girl to be the culprit. Now, Natalie couldn¡¯t get angry with her. ¡°Woah! You¡¯re so sharp!¡± Emily praised Violet. And with great confidence, Violet said something in return. ¡°My name is Violet, a great detective.¡± Why do I see an afterimage of someone wearing a red ribbon tie on a school uniform? [T/n: It¡¯s just a reference to ¡®Detective Conan.¡¯] Anyways, leaving the little skirmish behind, we started moving again. It wasn¡¯t long before we all arrived at the classroom. Emily and I then exchanged glances and slipped behind Lariensa. Then we took out what we had prepared from our pockets. ¡°Sorry, Lara!¡± ¡°I will kidnap you!¡± We rushed to Lara from both sides and covered her eyes with a cloth. Emily ran with Lara hanging on one shoulder, struggling. We then tread inside the classroom. Soon, Lara was seated in a chair inside the classroom with the lights off. ¡°H-hello¡­ are you guys still there?¡± If it was me, I would immediately scream and go crazy. It¡¯s amazing how our meek child didn¡¯t do that. ¡°Lara, have you forgotten something today?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ I can¡¯t think of any.¡± ¡°You really can¡¯t think of any? That¡¯s very disappointing!¡± Violet then removed the cloth from Lara¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ta-da! Surprise!!¡± ¡°You think we didn¡¯t even prepare a surprise party for you?¡± Early in the morning, Emily, Natalie, and Violet had already prepared the room, and, of course, they already asked permission from our professor. I couldn¡¯t help in preparing in case Lara woke up and suspected something was wrong because I disappeared. Various delicious foods, gift boxes, flowers, and candles decorated the space beautifully. ¡°G-guys¡­¡± Lara¡¯s eyes, which had blinked at first, soon became dewy. You¡­ Do you like it that much? ¡°¡­But how did you guys light the candle? We were together all along.¡± In the midst of being moved, Lariensa asked a keen question. I smiled and poked her side. ¡°There¡¯s someone waiting for you outside the classroom.¡± ¡°For me¡­?¡± ¡°Who do you think it is?¡± Lara answered after a timid glance. ¡°Is it¡­ my¡­ brother?¡± ¡°Shout it louder!¡± ¡°My brother?!¡± ¡°Louder!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Soon after, the door opened, and someone came in with a candlelit cake¡­ and that someone was, Lycan Jellinus! However, before this, there was a great deal of twists and turns before Lycan was invited and attended this surprise birthday party. This is what happened at the beginning¡­ ¡®I think we need more people to help us no matter how hard I think about it.¡¯ Violet first mentioned that she lacked hands. Lariensa was definitely sticking to me like a gum; therefore, I couldn¡¯t leave her side even if I wanted to. Also, it wasn¡¯t just me, Lara liked her friends so much that she didn¡¯t want to miss a single moment to be with us. ¡®Why don¡¯t we just disappear for a moment and then surprise her at the end during the festival?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not heartwarming enough. We need something stronger.¡¯ ¡®Is there a better way?¡¯ ¡®Can you ask Lycan to help us with the preparation?¡¯ Instantly, my body lost its strength. Lycan? To our party? Him crouching down and lighting the candles? ¡®No matter how much he cares for his sister, he wouldn¡¯t like to hang out with us and work his ass off.¡¯ However, Violet¡¯s reply continued to fluster me for the second time. ¡®Why don¡¯t you just try convincing him?¡¯ ¡®No! Why would I?¡¯ ¡®This is for Lariensa.¡¯ ¡®He would rather prepare another event for her¡­¡¯ ¡®What could be more touching for Lariensa than her brother coming to the party himself? If he hates doing such a thing, then it¡¯s even more touching.¡¯ ¡®But why me?¡¯ ¡®I thought he would do you a favor.¡¯ With that, I chased after Lycan around the academy, and eventually, he ended up doing me a favor. Even now, his face showed how upset he was with the current set-up. However, when he saw Lara being moved to tears and saw her sniffling face, his expression loosened. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you this, but I¡¯ll say it again. Happy birthday, my beloved sister.¡± Lariensa, who smiled beautifully, blew the candles. After all the candles went out, they then turned on the light inside the classroom. ¡°Happy birthday, Lara!¡± At first, everything was so confusing for me when my soul transferred inside Marilyn. I was quick to adapt to this world, but I still thought that I wanted to go back to my own world. But now, even if I have a chance to go back, I would not go. Because I¡¯ve met some really precious people here. ¡°Thank you guys for being my friends.¡± In celebration of her birthday, I hugged Lariensa. Emily, Natalie, and Violet also joined in and hugged us like that. My precious friends. Do you know that meeting you guys here in this life is the luck of my life? ¡°So after this hugging and whatnot, all that¡¯s left to do now is to eat, right?¡± Emily reached out to the food as soon as she spoke. Emily, from the beginning, you were just thinking about eating, right? ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Brother, come join us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin this time for you to bond with your friends.¡± Although he said it out of politeness, as expected, he¡¯s sensible. ¡°Lariensa, don¡¯t play with your friends too late.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll go home early.¡± ¡°Eat whatever you want today, and you know what I mean.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s already a happy day for me!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m glad. Also¡­¡± His hand, which was affectionately stroking Lariensa¡¯s head, moved towards mine and carefully stroked my head. ¡°Have fun.¡± Afterwards, Lycan walked out of the classroom. My friends, who had been dumbfounded for a few seconds, soon went wild. ¡°What was that just now?¡± ¡°Did he really pat you on the head?¡± ¡°Lariensa, does your brother usually do that to Marilyn?¡± Lariensa shook her head with food still in her mouth. ¡°He¡¯s never done that before, but don¡¯t be surprised if my brother does that to Marilyn from now on.¡± Lara¡¯s subsequent words made me grab the back of my neck. ¡°They¡¯re going to get married soon.¡± What¡­ Did she just mention something outrageous of an idea¡­ My friends were going crazy with the bombshell Lara dropped, and I suddenly lost my senses due to the heat rising in my head What do you mean Lycan and I are getting married? Does Lara even know that Lycan likes me? But Lara¡¯s subsequent words made me feel more cramped at the back of my neck. ¡°Even if he likes someone else, I¡¯ll make him marry Marilyn!¡± I could feel Lara¡¯s determination in her voice. Hey, Lara, does your brother know about that? ¡°Hey, guys. Won¡¯t the fireworks show start soon?¡± Because I was so embarrassed by the talk about Lycan, that¡¯s why I hurriedly changed the topic. Fortunately, my friends were easily swayed, and their attention was now focused on the fireworks show. ¡°What time did you say it¡¯ll start?¡± ¡°It starts at ten and ends at twelve.¡± ¡°Oh? There¡¯s not much time left.¡± ¡°What should we do? We won¡¯t be able to see it from here.¡± ¡°I know the perfect place!¡± Natalie hit the desk and stood up. ¡°There¡¯s a building next to the training grounds. They say it¡¯s a great spot to see the fireworks.¡± But Violet dismissed it right away. ¡°I know a much better place inside the campus.¡± Natalie and Violet¡¯s fight was already intense, but I still dared to butt in into their fight. ¡°You fools, you could see much better at the clock tower!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too high there.¡± ¡°Of course, you have to go up high to see the fireworks. Oh, is it impossible for Natalie because she has low stamina?¡± ¡°Are you done talking?!¡± This time, the academy held a festival to cover up the incident, but originally, a big festival was held once a year at the Cloud Academy. In the original story, the festival begins when Sibel begins to obsess over Lara in earnest. Sibel shows the fireworks on the clock tower to make Lariensa smile, but she never did. Eventually, Sibel exploded, and¡­ I will omit the following. It was one of the famous scenes in the original story. But Sibel is not interested in Lariensa right now, so he¡¯s probably not at that clock tower. ¡°Want to bet whose place is better?¡± ¡°Okay, sure!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡± We then quickly rushed out of the room. Emily sat down with Lara and watched our fight excitedly. ¡°Lara! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± ¡°Just trust in me guys!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you guys whose place is better!¡± ¡°Wait, guys¡­¡± Natalie, Violet, and I ran as hard as we could that we didn¡¯t even hear Lara¡¯s voice from behind. Chapter 28 Emily opened a bag of candy and ate all the food that even today¡¯s main character couldn¡¯t eat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. They¡¯ve don¡¯t fight like that all the time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°My brother said he could even see it well from the rooftop of the main building.¡± Lariensa then said something in a worried tone as she looked at Emily, who was opening a chocolate bar. ¡°If they split up like that, how do we know where¡¯s the best spot then?¡± Emily was about to put the chocolate in her mouth when she realized that what Lariensa said was actually true. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a while, Emily opened her mouth. ¡°Oh no! What are we going to do with those fools?!¡± I can¡¯t believe Emily said those words. If Marilyn and the others were here, they would have smacked her on the head, but Lariensa couldn¡¯t even refute her words as she lowkey agreed to it. £ª £ª £ª Natalie and Violet¡­ just wait and see. You fools don¡¯t even recognize where¡¯s the best of all the places! I ran nonstop and climbed the tallest building in the academy, the clock tower. I was really out of breath, so I kept hearing myself gasping for air, but I couldn¡¯t stop. I went up a couple more steps. Then I lay on the floor as I was falling. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ you guys are the losers¡­ Natalie, Violet¡­¡± After taking a long breath and making a smile as if I were already the winner, I suddenly realized something wrong. ¡®But how do we know who won the bet? How do we know where¡¯s the best spot?¡¯ ¡­Did I go up the stairs for nothing? Is that it? ¡°I¡¯m doomed¡­¡± It¡¯s at this moment that my friends can say I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°I have to go back to them now¡­¡± What¡¯s the point of watching fireworks here alone? By this time, Natalie and Violet would have already gone back after realizing this loophole in our bet. I tried to move my legs, which were still shaking, down the stairs again. Pew! Boom! Boom! I would have continued to go down if I hadn¡¯t heard those sounds coming from behind. ¡°It¡¯s already starting¡­¡± Natalie and Violet are already there with Lariensa and Emily, and it¡¯s unnecessary for them to go all the way here¡­ I sat down quietly on the railing of the clock tower. My life here was always so eventful that I felt that I needed time to be alone these days. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­¡± My friends are probably watching this pretty thing by now, right? On Marilyn¡¯s birthday, the real Marilyn, I know that my friends would also take care of me and congratulate me like what we did to Lariensa. However, it was a little sad that no one really knew my birthday. Maybe only I will ever know my true birthday as it passes by. Sigh, let¡¯s just watch the fireworks. I moved my body a little further forward, which was sitting on the railing. ¡°Oh¡­?¡± I just moved a little bit, but my body is now gradually falling forward. ¡°EHHH?!¡± How could I be such a dunce! I should have just kept a safe distance from the railing! I¡¯m sorry, Lara! Of all the days I could¡¯ve died, it was on your birthday! I closed my eyes, imagining my upcoming death, falling down from a distant height. However, I felt a firm force wrapped around my waist, and soon I was lifted up. My body is now sitting again safely on the railing. ¡°T-thank you for saving me¡­¡± I tried to turn around to thank the person who saved me, but I couldn¡¯t because that person didn¡¯t let go of his hands. Then, that person placed his face on my shoulder. ¡°E-excuse me? Who are you? Why are you doing this?¡± Hardly turning my head to the side, I found a silver-blue hair stained with the colorful fireworks and paused. ¡°Sibel?¡± I was too complacent. I thought that it would be different this time because everything now doesn¡¯t follow the original plotline. Don¡¯t tell me, even though Lariensa is not with him, he¡¯s going to watch the fireworks here alone! ¡°U-uh, why don¡¯t you let go of me first?¡± ¡°¡­This, hah¡­ is this also considered molestation?¡± ¡­Why are you panting like that? Aren¡¯t you breathing too heavily? You pretended you weren¡¯t interested, but now you wanted to touch me all over, right? I shouldn¡¯t have given you a little faith in your humanity! If Sibel¡¯s obsession is now that severe, I¡¯m never going to see the daylight even if I¡¯m alive. I was about to jump down from here and free myself but then¡­ ¡°¡­Are you hurt?¡± I realized that Sibel¡¯s breathing was not that of an animal huffing for food or a beast grappling for its prey. Turning to the side, I could see a Sibel sweating a lot. ¡°Are you¡­ sick?¡± I¡¯m really skeptical about him acting this way, but at the same time, I¡¯m also surprised. Although the original work was written from an omniscient point of view, it was mainly from Lariensa¡¯s perspective. And in her eyes, Sibel was an absolute being, without a single weakness. We¡¯re not yet even on the second half of the original story, but surely, as I remember, he would become stronger later on¡­ that¡¯s why he¡¯ll be able to take care of all the other crazy men from Lariensa. But now, ¡°that¡± Sibel is sick? ¡°I know this is a bad thing to ask, but you¡¯re not pretending to be sick to get my attention, are you?¡± Sibel¡¯s shoulders were moving up and down as if he was giggling. My words seemed to be funny for him even as he¡¯s sweating profusely now. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s faking it though. ¡°Move. I¡¯ll take care of you for now.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°The weather¡¯s not that cold. Is it flu?¡± Although I said that, I speculated that his sickness might be related to his ability. ¡°I¡¯ll get better in a little while.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Then can you stay away from me?¡± I know I¡¯m not supposed to say this to a sick person, but your ability is a little scary for me either. ¡°No.¡± But Sibel shook his head in protest. Why? WHY?! This time, I tried to detach his arms from hugging me. Thank you for saving me, and I feel bad that I¡¯m doing this to you when you¡¯re sick, but your ability is¡­ However, Sibel¡¯s subsequent words kept me silent. ¡°If not for this sickness, I won¡¯t be able to hug you like this.¡± ¡­Why are you painting me as the bad guy in this situation, huh? ¡°Hah¡­¡± However, after hearing him pant heavily, I decided to leave him as is. You¡¯re not gonna use your powers on me, right? In the original story, it was when his relationship with Lara was at its worst that he directly used his abilities on her. Although there¡¯s nothing good about our relationship right now, there¡¯s also nothing bad about it! Sibel embraced me even more, knowing that I had allowed him to do so. Now, I was trapped in Sibel¡¯s arms as I watched the fireworks. How many minutes have passed? I could feel Sibel¡¯s breathing gradually becoming stable. ¡°¡­Sibel.¡± ¡°¡­Ughh.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re alright now though?¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± If you¡¯re already better, you should have said so! Why do you keep hugging me? ¡°Seems that I can¡¯t deceive your eyes.¡± As he had said, he looked much better after a while. I then leaned against the wall on the wide railing, sat with my knees together while staring at him. Every time a firework lit up the sky, his silver-blue hair and white face were tinged in red, yellow, and blue, alternatively. No matter what color it was, he was still handsome. ¡°Are you going now?¡± Sibel, who looked better now, suddenly brought it up while looking at me. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said are you going now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Why? ¡°You said you don¡¯t like being with me.¡± I know, right? Normally in the past, whether he¡¯s sick or not, I would just ignore him. However, since he had helped me once, I can¡¯t help but do the same. But I think I should get going now¡­ ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t even open your mouth if I forced you to stay by my side.¡± ¡°¡­I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± Why are you talking about that all of a sudden? ¡°But if I don¡¯t hold you, you won¡¯t stay here with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What should I do then?¡± You¡¯re not threatening me, are you? Now that his attention has been transferred to me, I don¡¯t want to be like Lariensa in the original story. I don¡¯t think Sibel is as mean as in the novel now, but I still don¡¯t know when that would change. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving though? I plan to stay longer here and watch the fireworks.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m around?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± Fortunately, I think he liked my response. See, look at him smile that much. Sibel sat on the railing with his back against the wall, just like what I was doing. ¡°They say it takes a proper whip and carrot to tame horses. Other animals would also be normally tamed that way.¡± Your point is? ¡°For a guy like me, I think carrots are more effective than being whipped.¡± So the bottom line is you¡¯re threatening me to be nice to you. ¡°What you think is not up to me.¡± Do you really need to be intimidating when you¡¯re just asking for attention? Take a look at Lara. If ever she wants attention or she¡¯s upset, she would just say it out loud! And that by itself is pretty and cute. ¡°If you give me a carrot, I might just ask for it nicely.¡± ¡°People aren¡¯t animals, what carrots and whips? Don¡¯t you usually just ask for it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how people usually do that.¡± ¡°What kind of life have you been living?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡­No, it¡¯s unnecessary for me to get closer to him by knowing his past here. I turned my head away. ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I¡¯m curious about you though.¡± Poof! Sibel¡¯s face was tinged with a hint of yellow. Poof! This time, in blue. ¡°Then ask.¡± The fireworks were so pretty, and Sibel looked so handsome, but today, he¡¯s just like any other ordinary person you¡¯d see on a daily basis. He no longer seems to be that character that he was while I was reading the novel. Although he still had an awful personality as I see it, at least he seemed to be a person whom I can relate to when it comes to emotions. ¡°If I ask, will you answer me? Whatever it is?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t ask strange questions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s strange for you though?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just forget about this?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be in a hurry.¡± I said I would answer whatever he asks, but he still ponders on it. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite color?¡± ¡°After that much thinking, that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to ask me?¡± ¡°The first question is important.¡± ¡°¡­Yellow or maybe white.¡± That¡¯s why I envied Lara. She has brilliant blonde hair, that¡¯s why the color white really suited her. ¡°Then, do you have any plans to change your favorite color from now on?¡± ¡°To what?¡± ¡°Silver blue? or maybe turquoise?¡± Quite a shameless fellow, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that the color of your hair and eyes?! ¡°Pass. Next question.¡± ¡°What kind of animals do you like?¡± ¡°I like small animals. I like rabbits, puppies, and I also like cats.¡± ¡°And which animals do you hate?¡± ¡°Rats and snakes. They¡¯re disgusting.¡± Sibel¡¯s questions were surprisingly trivial. Before I knew it, I began to gradually answer his questions without feeling any discomfort towards him. ¡°Then one last question.¡± Sibel asked me the last question while I stared blankly at the fireworks. ¡°When is your birthday?¡± I was a bit flustered. Just like when my friends asked me this question, I couldn¡¯t give an answer easily this time also. Whose birthday shall I say? The real Marilyn Launer¡¯s? Or mine? ¡°I think you already know about it.¡± ¡°I want to hear you say it directly from your mouth.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Certainly, Sibel knows when Marilyn¡¯s birthday is. One visit to the faculty room, and he could get a hold of every student¡¯s personal information because he has enough ability to sneak in. I bet he already looked at my personal information right after he became interested in me. So it would be better to just tell him Marilyn Launer¡¯s birthday. I was about to say it when he stopped me from doing so. ¡°No lies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What would happen if I lie to him? And even if I tell him my real birthday, he would think it¡¯s a lie right away. ¡°You said you would answer whatever I asked.¡± At Sibel¡¯s urging, I, who was in a very short mess, became flustered and uttered my real birthday when I was still Song Yi-seul. ¡°¡­It¡¯s tomorrow.¡± I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll ask. Why did I lie? Surely, what I said and the date written in my personal information sheet were completely different. But Sibel said nothing. And soon, the bell rang. It was now exactly 12 o¡¯clock. Finally, a big white-colored firework lit up the sky as the finale. Poof! ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Then it went out. After the fireworks show, the calm moonlight shone on us as we sat on the clock tower. The world became silent as if the fireworks didn¡¯t lit up the sky before. Sibel smiled at me. ¡°Happy birthday, Marilyn.¡± Although I sincerely congratulated Lara on her birthday, it was actually also something I wanted to hear for myself. The words, ¡°happy birthday.¡± I lowered my head. I¡¯ve always thought Sibel was just some handsome-looking guy, but now¡­ I felt something strange within me¡­ ¡°I think¡­ I really have to go now.¡± Sibel is the first person in this world to greet me on my actual birthday. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know how to face him all of a sudden. Besides, since when did we get so close? ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll just be tired if ever those Sisamo girls would see us.¡± I escaped from Sibel as if I were running away from a crime scene. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look back to the clock tower. I might get a glimpse of his stupid face again. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Marin? Marin!¡± Instead of getting ready, I was still daydreaming about what happened last night. Only when Lariensa had repeatedly called my name, that I returned to reality. ¡°Uh¡­ oh! Lara, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been spacing out since earlier.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just a little tired because I climbed up the clock tower yesterday.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just lie down and rest.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my first festival, so I would like to make the most out of it.¡± So I got up from my seat. Knock knock¨C However, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who is this?¡± As soon as I asked, I saw the dorm manager standing outside when I opened the door. ¡°Are you Marilyn Launer?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better if you come outside.¡± The dorm manager spoke with a serious face, so I thought I did something wrong without my knowledge. It wasn¡¯t until I went down the stairs that I realized what she meant by it. On the first floor, there were so many boxes that even the porters couldn¡¯t count. ¡°What the hell¡­ are these?¡± The dorm manager shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask.¡± The sender was unknown. When I unpacked some of the boxes, there were dolls of many sizes, flowers, and various other gifts. ¡°Here¡¯s a card too.¡± One of the people who was moving those boxes gave me the card sent by the sender. [Birthday gifts.] Clearly, it was Sibel. These are birthday presents that he prepared for me. There were too many gifts for them to fit in our room. Also, some of them are too big. But it was also the first time I received gifts as ¡®Song Yi-seul¡¯ since I came to this world. ¡°Marin, who sent all these gifts?¡± Lara asked. Soon after, Emily, Natalie, and Violet also went down. Everyone looked surprised by the scene that they were seeing. ¡°Marilyn, are you dating someone behind our backs? Do you have a boyfriend you¡¯re hiding from us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then who sent all these gifts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe an animal?¡± According to him, he likes carrots more than being whipped¡­ A handsome blue animal. Chapter 29 ¡°Marin, where are you going?!¡± Even though Lara was calling me from behind, I dashed forward without replying to her. I still don¡¯t have any plans of getting close to Sibel! It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I received so many presents! It¡¯s only natural for me to thank him! That¡¯s all. So I left the dormitory and ran around the academy for a long time. However, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find Sibel by just aimlessly wandering around. So then what should I do? It¡¯s the festival period, so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be in the classroom¡­ ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s here?¡± Huh? I think I¡¯ve heard this voice a lot somewhere¡­ ¡°¡­Hailey?¡± When I turned around and checked who it was, I got goosebumps by this wonderful coincidence. I was just trying to find Sibel but I met the Sisamo¡­ sigh, should I be glad about this or not? ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Isn¡¯t this Marilyn Launer, who¡¯s been associated with my idol for a while, but it turns out to be just a misunderstanding, and who¡¯s close to my second favorite¡¯s sister?¡± Is it because this reality is based on a novel? Why did she introduce me with all that unnecessary information out loud? It¡¯s like in a crazy drama where the main character would answer the phone and said, ¡®What? My sister got splashed with cold water from that slut at a cafe and when she got admitted to a hospital, it was discovered that she has cancer?!¡¯ and just telling everyone everything. ¡°Good to see you, Hailey.¡± ¡°The heck? Why are you so friendly all of a sudden?¡± Although Sibel¡¯s current whereabouts are not known, no one in the academy knows his every move better than the Sisamo. ¡°Do you know where¡¯s Sibel?¡± ¡°And why do you ask?¡± As I had guessed, Hailey became wary when I asked for Sibel¡¯s location. But didn¡¯t I thought of an excuse just in case? ¡°Lara¡¯s our vice president, right? They have a meeting with Sibel regarding their duties as class officers, but Lara has something to do and she can¡¯t find him anywhere.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for Sibel instead of Lara.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Contrary to my expectation, Hailey was unexpectedly determined even if it¡¯s for the sake of her second favorite¡¯s younger sister (Lariensa). ¡°No matter how much my second favorite¡¯s sister needs this information¡­ I won¡¯t! Reveal! Sibel¡¯s location! To anyone! Easily!¡± Sigh¡­ Should I give up for now and find him later¡­? ¡°Therefore! Whatever you say or do, I will never ever tell you that Sibel entered the haunted house 15 minutes ago!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You will never know that Sibel helped a girl who fell at the entrance of the haunted house and then went inside with a dazzling smile!¡± You¡¯re telling it to me now though? ¡°Hoho. You¡¯re curious, right? About why Sibel went inside the haunted house¡­¡± Hailey, I didn¡¯t expect it¡­ but your mouth is as light as cotton candy, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m sooooo curious! But now that I know, I¡¯ll leave now. Byeee~¡± ¡°What? You already know? Hey!¡± I don¡¯t think Hailey even remembers what she just said. You weren¡¯t going to tell me where Sibel is, so I¡¯m not going to tell you either! Alright, let¡¯s go to the haunted house! Coincidentally, the haunted house was also not far away and now I¡¯m at the entrance of the haunted house. I was about to enter when someone blocked my way inside. Had it not been for the gatekeeper to block me, I would have already been sprinting down that dark hallway. ¡°Please pay the entrance fee.¡± ¡°Entrance fee? There¡¯s an entrance fee?!¡± It¡¯s the school festival. What do you mean entrance fee? Other stalls don¡¯t ask for it though? ¡°The haunted house is specially crafted, so we charge a small entrance fee.¡± Ah, what should I do? I didn¡¯t bring any money because I was in a hurry. If I go back to the dorm, surely Sibel would have already left after I came back. At that moment, I remembered what Natalie said before¡­ ¡®I borrowed a book called and there I read that when a man sees a girl acting cutely (aegyo), they would be completely captivated by her charms and fall prey to her whims.¡¯ Natalie was a master of theory without practical experience. What if I do it and I¡¯m the only one who gets embarrassed? I slowly raised my head and looked at the gatekeeper. The person in front of me was smiling menacingly, implying that I should go away if I don¡¯t have any money. Inhale¡­ Exhale¡­ I can¡¯t help it. I don¡¯t have any choice now but to show you my super duper cute act! ¡°Marini ish sho upshet (You know, I was so upset).¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When you ashkedt Marini fhor money, I wash really, really, reaallly upshet! I wash sho shad! Shad! (When you asked me for money, I was really, really, reaalllyy upset! I was so sad! Sad!)¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm~? Hmmm~!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± How is it? Cute, right? You¡¯re going crazy now, aren¡¯t you? When Lara saw this cute act, she covered her mouth and even cried because of cuteness overload! ¡­Although I was beaten up by my other friends because of it, let¡¯s just skip that. ¡°I heard you¡­ y-you can go in¡­¡± Ohh? For real? When I looked up at the gatekeeper with my eyes raised, I could see him turning away, covering his red face. Hey, Mr. Gatekeeper! Why is your face turning red? Anyway, anything free is good! Even if I have to suffer, I¡¯ll spend my whole life accepting free stuff. ¡°Wahh~ yayy! You¡¯re the besht! The bwesht, the best!!! (Wahh~ yayy! You¡¯re the best! The best, the best!!!)¡± Finally, I winked and sent hearts toward the gatekeeper whose whole face was already red and then entered the haunted house. Once I came in, the haunted house was much spookier than I thought. Well, they¡¯re all dressed up as various monsters and paranormal creatures¡­ ¨CHihihihihihi. ¡°WAAAAHHH!¡± It¡¯s a ghost! It¡¯s laughing! No, no, no, no! Go away! Then someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I thought a staff member came to pick me up after hearing my scream¡­ but no, it was a zombie! ¡°AHHHHHH! SAVE ME!!!¡± That¡¯s how the chase with the zombies began. Why the hell did Sibel go inside the haunted house?! And what person would pay so much attention to the quality of the haunted house during the festival?! When I looked back, the zombie who was chasing me blew up to five. ¨CUwahahaha! I thought I could hear a dreary sound somewhere, and then suddenly, a bloody ghost popped out of my sight! ¡°Lara! Emily! Natalie! Violet!¡± Mom, save me! I think I¡¯m going to die! When I looked back again, not only zombies but also a bunch of bloody ghosts were now chasing me. What kind of haunted house would have so many staff dressed up like this! It was so dark that I ran without knowing where I was going, that I barely managed to open a door that was in front of me and went inside to get away from those chasing ghosts and zombies. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± The room was a lot darker than where I was before, so I couldn¡¯t see anything in front of me. It wasn¡¯t until I managed to get used to the dark that I realized that this was a dressing room. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna take a breath and then I¡¯ll go out¡­¡± Now all I wanted was to leave this haunted house quickly, whether I¡¯ll find Sibel or not. Taking a closer look at the costumes, it was not as scary as I thought. Why the heck did I run around screaming like that then? Having the courage, I took a step and looked around the dressing room a bit more. Tap! But then, someone grabbed my ankle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Feeling the cool air, I slowly lowered my head little by little, and when I finally saw it¡­ There¡¯s another zombie near my feet! ¡°AHHHHHHHHH! I don¡¯t like haunted houses anymore! Let me goooo!!!¡± The courage that I had before was blown away in just a second. I lost my mind and beat up the zombie. ¡°Uh, ugh¡­¡± It was only after the zombie groaned that I came back to my senses. I was horrified! The fact that this zombie is actually not a zombie but a human being! ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± W-what if his ribs are broken? ¡°A-are you alright?¡± I bent down on my knees and tried to examine his wounds. However, that person struck my hand coldly. How cold¡­ ¡°Do you want me to take you to the clinic?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want to? Is it because it¡¯s hard to walk? Should I call someone then?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You also don¡¯t want to call someone¡­ Then, should I carry you on my back?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°So you just don¡¯t like going to the clinic? If you don¡¯t mind, can I turn on the light so that I can examine your wound?¡± ¡°No.¡± You don¡¯t like this! You don¡¯t like that! Then what do you want me to do?! Are you taking revenge on me by doing this because I hit you earlier? Otherwise, you can¡¯t just repeatedly say ¡®no¡¯. Unless you¡¯re Sio Owens¡­ ¡­Wait a minute. Sio Owens? ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Hello?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Half fried, half seasoned, with lots of radish.¡± ¡°No.¡± I just said whatever random as a test, but I can¡¯t believe he still said ¡®no¡¯. This zombie is undeniably Sio Owens! ¡°Do you really say ¡®no¡¯ to everything?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you not say anything else? If you file a complaint against me later, at least make it pass through the Disciplinary Committee first!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay. You¡¯re the one who kept saying ¡®no¡¯, so I¡¯m leaving.¡± Just like that, I turned my back on Sio Owens without regret. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± If Sio Owens hadn¡¯t groaned a little behind me, I would have already walked away through the door. You said you didn¡¯t want to go to the clinic! Then you shouldn¡¯t act sick! ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Still, I was the one who hurt him, so I have to take responsibility! I tried to help him even if I didn¡¯t want to. Of course, Sio refused and pushed me with all his strength. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want help and you don¡¯t also want to be carried.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t help it. I have to call someone else.¡± ¡°N-¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll call someone. In particular, there¡¯s a boy named Sibel who I¡¯m close to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sio¡¯s shoulders slightly trembled by the mere mention of Sibel¡¯s name. It seems that he¡¯s afraid of Sibel just like in the original story. ¡°Should I go out and get Sibel, or will you take my help?¡± Sio, who was biting his lips, soon reached out to me. It was an inevitable ¡®Yes¡¯ from intimidation. £ª £ª £ª Sio Owens! ¡®Who is he?¡¯ you ask¡­ He is the son of the chairman of the board and is a distant relative of Sibel. His self-esteem is very low due to Sibel¡¯s constant bullying. In the course of the story, he eventually falls in love with Lariensa but he instead helps Sibel as a wingman for Lariensa to fall for her. Although he¡¯s one of the characters who I told Lara to avoid, he wasn¡¯t really that bad of a guy. ¡°Oh my god! Sio, how did you get hurt like this?!¡± The professor, who was in charge of the infirmary, made a fuss as he examined Sio¡¯s body. It was true that Sio¡¯s body is covered in bruises because of me, but¡­ Professor? I don¡¯t think you had the same reaction when Emily fell and came here with her nose bleeding though¡­? Is it because he¡¯s the chairman¡¯s son? Just because he¡¯s the son of a powerful man?! ¡°Tell me, Sio. Who hurt you?¡± ¡°¡­in the haunted house.¡± ¡°Someone hit you in the haunted house?!¡± Hey! You always say ¡®No, no¡¯ before, but now you open your mouth when you tell on me?! ¡°Professor, I found him there!¡± ¡°And you are¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Marilyn Launer! I found him collapsed and rolling inside the haunted house!¡± Sio knitted his brows, disgruntled. But I don¡¯t really care, so I just blatantly lied to the professor. ¡°I think he hit the walls here and there while running away and got bruises along the way.¡± ¡°But how did he get bruised on his ribs and stomach?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Sio must have been really scared.¡± ¡°I was worried that Sio would not have any friends, but I didn¡¯t know he already had a friend like Marilyn here. I¡¯ll go get the medicine, so can you take care of Sio for the meantime?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll properly take care of him.¡± I was the one who hurt him, so how can I not take care of him? Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, professor, just slowly take your time! After the professor went out to get the medicine, Sio stood up and walked towards the bed, intending to lie down for a bit. Of course, I tried to help him but¡­ ¡°No.¡± I was rejected as expected. ¡°Are you just going to say the same exact thing for the entire day?¡± Originally, he wouldn¡¯t even reply to others, so compared to what others thought of him, he already talked a lot to me. And it seems that is the case. How many times have I heard him say ¡®no¡¯ just today? ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t speak more than two words, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that. I¡¯ll leave as soon as the professor comes back.¡± It¡¯s at this moment that I realized that Lariensa was really amazing. How could one approach someone and be kind to him when all he just did was say ¡®no¡¯? ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Have you thought of anything else to say to me?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re close with Sibel?¡± Sio kept saying no to this and that, so I just said that to threaten him to come with me. But it seems to have bothered him quite a lot. Chapter 30 I¡¯m not really close to him, though¡­ ¡°Well, in a way¡­¡± But, I don¡¯t have to tell him the truth. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that it? Anything else you would like to add?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s none then okay sure.¡± This is awkward¡­ I¡¯m not used to this silence since I¡¯m with my extroverted friends all the time. However, fortunately, this awkward silence ended quickly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, Sio.¡± Now that¡¯s what I call perfect timing! You¡¯re such a life savior, professor! ¡°Could you please take off your shirt?¡± Sio then gave me a menacing look, implicitly conveying this sentence¡­ Go away creep! ¡­Ain¡¯t he so cold-hearted? I¡¯ll leave now, okay? Bye~ ¡°Professor, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Well, didn¡¯t I promise him that I would leave once the professor comes back? And promises should be kept. I then bid my farewell to Sio and left the infirmary. I went back to the haunted house as per my original goal, which is to find Sibel, but I still couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. I think something must be going on with both of them, Sio and Sibel. What a coincidence, truly¡­ How come these two were in the same place at the same time? Did Sibel intentionally went to find Sio? Ugh¡­ I think I shouldn¡¯t think too much about this incident. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna be a good thing. ¡°There she is!¡± ¡°Marilyn!¡± Walking through the crowded campus, I lifted my head when I heard familiar voices from a distance. ¡°Guys!¡± Ahh, my dear friends! I¡¯m so glad to see all of you today! ¡°We¡¯re having a matchmaking party!¡± Babump! What did you say? ¡°A matchmaking party~? With whom, where, when?!¡± ¡°Just us! Me, Emily, and Violet!¡± ¡°Why is Lara not included?¡± ¡°Lariensa isn¡¯t interested in these kinds of things.¡± Come to think of it, Lariensa said she isn¡¯t interested in men. I don¡¯t really plan on dating a guy here either. But still¡­ ¡°What about me?¡± Why exclude me out naturally? ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a lover who gives you soooo many gifts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have a lover!¡± ¡°Traitor. You didn¡¯t even tell us.¡± ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything going on!¡± ¡°Anyway, you still can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°This is not fair!¡± ¡°Lariensa isn¡¯t also included, so it¡¯s not like you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s being left out here.¡± ¡°Hmph, you guys are so mean¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe you left me out of this matchmaking party so naturally! Whether I¡¯ll be able to date a man or not, it¡¯s still so upsetting! ¡°Marini ish sho upshet! (I¡¯m so upset!)¡± ¡°Are you trying to court death?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Don¡¯t you know Mr. Gatekeeper liked it so much that he went as red as a tomato? However, judging by the fierce looks of my friends, I better stop at this point. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it, guys? She was so cute.¡± Lara took my side in tears. Oh, my baby. As expected, you¡¯re the only one who understands me. ¡°Awww, Marin. Are yu upshet? (Are you upset?)¡± ¡°Yeang, leaving Marin out fhor da paty¡­ you guysh arr sho mean! (Yeah, leaving me out for the party¡­ you guys are so mean!)¡± Violet lifted a thick book entitled in an aggressive manner. I can still ignore Violet but seeing Emily clench her fists, I think I should really stop for real now. ¡°I want to see more of Marin¡¯s cutesy skits, though¡­¡± ¡°When we go back to the dorm, I¡¯ll do it for you. If I continue to do this, these guys would really kill me.¡± Lariensa laughed at my words. But it wasn¡¯t the usual carefree laugh. Should I say¡­ it was suspicious? ¡°Sorry, Marin.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to relax when we go back to the dorm.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lariensa lowered her head and released her hand that was holding me. Suddenly, I felt a huge shadow cast behind me. When I looked back, my friends were glaring at me straight in the eyes. In that moment of silence, Violet forcefully commanded the others. ¡°Take her in.¡± Hey, guys? Why are you tying my wrists? Where did that rope even come from? ¡°You have the right to remain silent, but if you exercise your right to remain silent, you are obliged to give all the meat you will eat to Emily.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Anything you say can and will be used against you in the dormitory, and you have no right to an attorney.¡± ¡°Is that even written in the law?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡± ¡°Lara! Lara! Please! Help me out!¡± Restrained by Emily, I reached out to Lara for help. But¡­ ¡°Marin, you shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± ¡°Lara¡­¡± ¡°How could you do this to me¡­!¡± What¡¯s this feeling? Why does it feel like I¡¯m an unfaithful man who¡¯s been having a secret love affair with someone?! ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Lara! Lara!¡± Despite my excuses, my friends dragged me to the dormitory. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Now, tell us! What were all those gifts? Since when did you make a lover?¡± Violet hit the table hard. After suffering terrible mental torture, my head was hung low. ¡°Is it from Sibel? Is that it? Am I right?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Next to me, Lariensa then asked me with hopeful eyes. ¡°So are those gifts from my brother?¡± ¡°Eyy, even though the subsidies Lycan receives are enormous, isn¡¯t it unreasonable for him to buy that many gifts just for her?¡± Natalie¡¯s rebuttal left Lariensa sullen again. Violet clicked her tongue. ¡°Let me ask you again. Who was it that sent you all those presents this morning?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve come to your senses yet. Emily, do the thing again.¡± It was a time of torture again. Natalie hugged me from behind so I couldn¡¯t move, all the while Emily was getting ready to put her hand between my armpits. And¡­ with her unrelenting hands¡­ ¡°EUHEHEHHAHAAHAHA!¡± She tickled me! ¡°I can¡¯t watch this¡­!¡± Lariensa turned her head away from the scene with tears in her eyes. Except for Lara, these devilish friends of mine seemed to enjoy torturing me. Eventually, I decided to confess. ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll confess! EUHAHHA! Just stop, please!¡± Only by saying that I¡¯d confess was I freed from this torture. ¡°Now, tell us! Who gave you all those presents?¡± In the end, I had no choice but to tell them the truth. The fact that I ran into Sibel in the clock tower on that day, and got a little closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s Lara¡¯s birthday, and she received so many presents from Lycan that I said I was jealous since I don¡¯t get to receive that many presents.¡± I can¡¯t tell the complete truth, so I added a little bit of a lie. Although, it was true that I envied Lara. ¡°Marin! Don¡¯t you know that the presents I received are also yours?¡± Lara hugged me tight. Everything was fine up to here but¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re not having a love affair with that guy, right?¡± Since when did Sibel become ¡°that guy¡± to you? ¡°Lariensa, you still don¡¯t understand? Marilyn denies it, but in truth, they¡¯re in love.¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be! That is not possible!¡± Lara? Why are you looking at me with such eyes¡­? ¡°How could Marin leave me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°and abandon my brother!¡± Why is Lycan mentioned here again?! ¡°No! Marin is going to marry my brother!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± This is the first time I heard that though? Since when was our marriage finalized? ¡°Marilyn and Sibel are in a love affair? If this is revealed, you¡¯ll surely suffer from the Sisamo.¡± ¡°Incidentally, I heard that a few people from Sisamo make fanfics about Sibel and Lariensa together.¡± What? Sibel and Lara together? ¡°Who dares make fanfics about Sibel and Lara together?!¡± Did they know how hard I¡¯ve been trying to get Lara off of Sibel¡¯s radar! How dare these people make fanfics about them!!! ¡°If anyone ties Lara and Sibel together, I¡¯ll destroy them all!¡± ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re concerned for your man, huh?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not like that, what I meant¡­¡± ¡°So now Lara has to be on the lookout for your boyfriend?¡± Here me out, will you! Lara staggered in shock. Emily, Natalie, and Violet. You three are the main culprits for this worsening situation¡­ ¡°You¡¯re going to eat something delicious tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Emily, does that matter now? What¡¯s more important is what would be our attire for the party.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have their resumes ready, right? About their past relationships, career, and family¡­¡± ¡°Violet, no one brings out a resume at a matchmaking party.¡± Now, they¡¯re so into talking about the party between themselves. Those devils¡­ £ª £ª £ª ¡®Just hear me out, Lara! There¡¯s nothing going between us!¡¯ ¡®I need time to think about it for the time being.¡¯ Now my insides were boiling up. Emily, Natalie, Violet! Whenever it be, I must avenge what happened yesterday¡­ ¡°Please, Marilyn!¡± Oh? But I think the opportunity has already come¡­ ¡°You see¡­ they said we have to bring another one somehow.¡± The reason Natalie came to me early in the morning was simple. It wasn¡¯t a 3-on-3 party, but a 4-on-4, and Natalie misheard the number of people coming. Hoho. What an unexpected opportunity for revenge. You don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going to happen in life, ain¡¯t it? ¡°So then why didn¡¯t you ask Lara?¡± ¡°Lariensa¡¯s heartbroken right now because of what happened yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, and whose fault do you think that is? Hmm?¡± ¡°Marilyn, this humble servant begs your forgiveness¡± I sat cheekily with my legs crossed. Hoho, Natalie. ¡°What should I do then? Thanks to you guys, I¡¯m currently dating someone.¡± ¡°But you said it wasn¡¯t true.¡± ¡°Who was it that ignored me again when I was explaining myself?¡± ¡°M-Marilyn! What should I do to make you feel better?¡± ¡°¡­Can you guys handle it?¡± I had an evil smile on my mouth. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Clear-white skin, Marilyn! We love you, Marilyn!¡± In the middle of the campus, someone held a sign ¡®Marilyn, the supreme goddess of Cloud Academy!¡¯ and it was none other than Natalie. Emily and Violet were also reluctantly holding one each. Violet said to me, ¡°Are you not ashamed? Isn¡¯t it embarrassing when people become disappointed every time they see you when they visit our classroom?¡± Me? Ashamed? No, Violet. I¡¯ll just laugh at those people and enjoy seeing their disappointed expressions on their faces! ¡°Hey~ Emily!¡± Esco can be seen waving his hand from a distance, and he couldn¡¯t keep his laughter when he saw his sister. ¡°¡®Marilyn, the supreme goddess of Cloud Academy!¡¯?¡± ¡°And that goddess¡­ that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What does that silence mean?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing! You¡¯re the goddess, that¡¯s right!¡± Emily, now I understand why you wanted to hit your brother whenever you have time. ¡°But why are you dressed up like that?¡± ¡°Is it too obvious? Am I overdoing it?¡± ¡°No, not really. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s more glamorous than usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute.¡± After cutting off Esco¡¯s words for a moment, I shouted at Natalie and the others in an impertinent manner. ¡°Guys, I think my ears have gone haywire! Your voices are so quiet! Ohh? Emily! I think you just cursed at me. It¡¯s just my imagination, right?¡± ¡°Clear-white skin, Marilyn! We love you, Marilyn! Goddess of the Universe, Marilyn! You¡¯re the only one in our hearts, Marilyn!¡± It was not until their voices praising me grew louder that I concentrated again on Esco. ¡°¡­At first, I felt sorry for you guys when you got close to my sister. But I guess similar people do hang out with each other.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not badmouthing me, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Esco immediately refuted it. ¡°Anyway, today is a special day for me.¡± ¡°A special day?¡± ¡°If I do well today¡­¡± Esco¡¯s face turned red and acted shyly. ¡°I might have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Who are you going to confess to?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not somehow like that¡­¡± Esco didn¡¯t seem to want to go any further. I understand, though because if ever I make this slip to Emily, she¡¯ll tease him for sure. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well, Good luck! ¡°Thanks!¡± After Esco went away, I decided to stop punishing Natalie, Emily, and Violet. ¡°I¡¯m very impressed by your deep sincerity and hard work in proclaiming my beauty throughout the campus, and by that, I now forgive you guys.¡± ¡°This ***¨C¡± ¡°Oh? Emily, did you just swear at me?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Right?¡± There is not much time left for the party because I took time punishing my friends. We then headed to Natalie¡¯s room instead of our room because Lariensa is currently in a heartbroken state. Chapter 31 It¡¯s been a while since I wore something other than a school uniform¡­ ¡°Does this dress look good on me?¡± I asked Violet because she is the most objective when it comes to these things. And indeed, Violet does not even sugarcoat her words! ¡°You¡¯re going to wear a black dress on such a sunny day? It looks hot just looking at it from a distance.¡± She is relentless when it comes to giving opinions, isn¡¯t she¡­? Natalie was still busy dressing herself up, while Emily was stealing and eating leftover snacks from Natalie¡¯s room. On the other hand, I was able to finish quickly with Violet¡¯s help. ¡°Natalie, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m about to finish now.¡± Alright then, let¡¯s go to the first matchmaking party of our lives! We then left the dormitory with bright and confident smiles on our faces. Without knowing what kind of aftermath this party would bring to us¡­ £ª £ª £ª ¡°Natalie, do you know who we are going to meet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly the details. All I know is that they¡¯re also students at our academy.¡± Violet then asked angrily. ¡°What?! You accepted this invitation without even knowing who the other parties were?¡± ¡°Supposedly, the girls from the other class would be the ones who¡¯d go to this party, but they handed it over to us because something came up on their side.¡± ¡°¡­They didn¡¯t hand it over to us because they were all ugly, did they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say something so ominous!¡± Natalie¡¯s right this time, Violet! Don¡¯t you know that words can be seeded? We then went out, showed the guard our exit slip, and headed to the promised cafe. When we went inside, the staff guided us, saying that the other party had arrived first. The first matchmaking party of my life! Oh, I¡¯m so nervous! What if they¡¯re ugly just like Violet said? No, let¡¯s not think negatively. Aren¡¯t there a lot of handsome guys in Cloud Academy? ¡°This way¨C¡± As we followed the employee around the corner of the hallway, we saw a man sitting at a long table. Oh? They look fine to me though? As we walked forward, we saw another three people sitting, which makes it four people in total sitting on the table, and all three were strikingly handsome. Now, what about the last guy?! Hopeful, we checked the face of the last person as he walked towards us. ¡°That guy¡­¡± After confirming the last participant, we froze on the spot. ¡°Why is my brother here¡­?¡± The most surprised of all was Emily. Esco! Why are you also with them? Esco, who soon noticed us, was also wide-eyed. £ª £ª £ª Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Only the sound of the clock ticking rang inside the quiet, still room. Lariensa, who was lying helplessly in bed, soon lifted herself. No matter how hard she thought about it, nothing would be resolved if she kept sulking like this. So she decided to apologize to Marilyn first and talk things then. Lariensa went to Emily and Violet¡¯s room in hopes of seeing her. But Marilyn and her other friends could not be seen. She then visited Natalie¡¯s room, but she still couldn¡¯t see her friends here either. Lariensa had no choice but to ask another friend whom she often encountered in the hallway about Marilyn¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Have you seen Marilyn today by any chance?¡± ¡°Marylin went out with her other friends.¡± ¡®That¡¯s weird¡­ my other friends said they are going to have a 3-on-3 matchmaking party today¡­¡¯ ¡°Natalie was very excited about their 4-on-4 party. You didn¡¯t know about that?¡± ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not 3-on-3, but 4-on-4?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what she said.¡° She felt dizzy for a moment. Marilyn went after Sibel again! ¡°La, Lariensa?¡° That girl was surprised to see Lariensa cry all of a sudden. However, Lariensa had no time to think about that girl in front of her and immediately ran outside. To tell Marin¡¯s love affair to her future husband! £ª £ª £ª Lycan, who was on his way to sword training after doing his punishment, was surprised to see someone at the entrance of the training ground ¡°Lariensa.¡° It was Lariensa, his precious younger sister. Normally, he would welcome Lariensa happily, but not today. Because his precious sister was crying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you come here alone? Where are your friends?¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡° ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lara?¡° ¡°M-Marin is¡­¡° Lariensa barely managed to speak, as if grieving. ¡°Cheating on us¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s currently attending a matchmaking party with my friends!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°And Marin might already find a boyfriend there.¡± When she saw that her brother was too calm she shook him hard to press him for a response. ¡°It¡¯s Marilyn¡¯s freedom¡­¡± However, Lycan¡¯s response was not what she expected. ¡°She¡¯s free to have a boyfriend, and it is not up to us to decide for her who is she going to end up with.¡± And then he turned his back on her and started walking. Lariensa was about to burst into tears when her brother refused to help her. But not long after, Lycan stopped walking. ¡°But I¡¯m still curious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°What kind of lowlife is hanging out with my neighbor whom I have long cherished as a younger sister?¡± Only then did Lariensa¡¯s face brighten up. ¡°Shall we go somewhere and roam around?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Roaming around, they say¡­ These siblings were just going to interrupt Marilyn¡¯s first matchmaking party. £ª £ª £ª ¡°Brot¨C¡­¡° ¡°Shh!¡° When Emily was about to call her brother, Natalie grabbed her hand. ¡°Please, Emily. It¡¯s the first matchmaking party of my life¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Please, just this time, okay? Please¡­¡± Although Emily was already doomed at her first matchmaking party, Natalie, Violet, and I still had hope. That¡¯s why Emily¡­ This just means you need to sacrifice yourself for our sake¡­ I know you guys have to fill in the number for the party. That¡¯s why I made you shout those ¡°embarrassing¡± words outside the academy earlier. You guys did all those things, but too bad Emily, you got the short end of the stick here. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Every one of us could feel Emily¡¯s conflict within¡­ But the power of the majority is always stronger! ¡°Emily, we won¡¯t forget your noble sacrifice.¡° Before Emily could answer, Violet had already made up her mind. We didn¡¯t know if we would like the remaining three men who attended¡­ But they¡¯re visually appealing so that¡¯s good. ¡°¡­Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Emily, who made a big decision, took a step. However, despite her actions, Emily¡¯s face looks grim. ¡°Hoho, hello there. Are you the ones who we are supposed to meet for the matchmaking party today?¡± ¡®Hoho¡¯? Who just said that? Violet? Our often out-of-place outspoken friend? ¡°My name is Violet.¡± Seeing her assertive attitude, it seems that she also liked the guys who came quite a lot¡­ Starting with Violet, we introduced ourselves one by one. We thought Esco would pretend to know Emily, but somehow he was quiet. But I soon found out why. Emily, who sat across from Esco, was trampling his foot under the table and giving him a hint! These siblings¡­ As I drank with tears in my eyes for the two siblings whom we are grateful and mournful of, my eyes met the gaze of a man staring at me from the other side of the table. Why is he looking at me like that? Now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before¡­ ¡°Huh? I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before¡­¡± I was the one who made the lines that seemed to flirt childishly. Although I said that, it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not true! It¡¯s not a familiar face, but I¡¯m sure I met him somewhere before. ¡°Now you recognize me.¡± The guy on the other side of the table smiled at me, clasping both of his hands. ¡°We met in front of the haunted house.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As soon as I asked, I then remembered. Yeah, that¡¯s right! Isn¡¯t he the gatekeeper who turned so red when I acted cutely before? ¡°I¡¯ve always regretted not asking you what grade and class you are in¡­¡± Did he really fall in love with me because of that? ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°N-Nice to meet you¡­¡° Oh my god! I was right. He really did fall for my fatal cuteness. Mr. Gatekeeper, you really got a unique taste. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t a student from the academy.¡± ¡°I volunteered because there were not enough people at that time.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The fact that we¡¯ve bumped into each other before seemed to make everyone here amused. And Esco took this opportunity to speak up. ¡°Ha¡­ haha! You and Marilyn have already met before¨C EUK!¡± Esco suddenly stopped talking and swallowed hard. Everyone seemed to be wondering what was wrong, but I know. Under this table, Emily was pressing down on her brother¡¯s foot very very hard¡­ As Esco and we know each other well, he doesn¡¯t have any intention to do well at a party with his sister¡¯s friends. But it¡¯s still embarrassing for him to see his sister face-to-face at a matchmaking party! So he ignored Emily as much as possible and talked to me and my other friends. But every time he does so, Emily would block his advances and protect us from him. ¡°Natalie seems to be eating less today¡­¡± ¡°Esco?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡° ¡°Focus on me, will you?¡° Even at this moment, Esco¡¯s foot must be trampled strongly under the table¡­ Sigh, I could see his tears pouring out like a tsunami now. ¡°Emily seems to like Esco, doesn¡¯t she?¡± No, that¡¯s not it. Although it was over for her from the beginning, to save this matchmaking party, she had to sacrifice herself for our sake! Emily, I acknowledge you as a true loyal woman. All the guys in front of us, including Esco, are our seniors, and they said that they aren¡¯t actually close. They also said that the people who originally planned this party somehow didn¡¯t go on and thus were given to them. Then surely the rest of them don¡¯t know that Esco and Emily are actually siblings. ¡°Come to think of it, Emily and Esco look alike. I heard that people who are attracted to one another look alike.¡± Pftt¨C Seeing Emily spilling her drink out of her mouth, I hurriedly wiped her face with my handkerchief. We are now comfortably talking to each other, but only Esco and Emily glared at each other coldly. ¡°I think those two really like each other. They just kept on ignoring us and keeping eye contact between themselves.¡± If you don¡¯t know anything, just shut your mouth, please! It¡¯s not like that! They¡¯re not burning hot, they¡¯re sinking cold! ¡°I think we know each other enough by now¡­ So shall we decide on our partners?¡± Usually, in matchmaking parties, people would just point out the person that they like and if it matches they would then become partners, but we decided to do things differently. First, the guys must close their eyes, then we¡¯d take out one of our belongings and mix them together! Afterwards, the men would choose one of the things placed on the table one by one, and then their partner would be decided. Mr. Gatekeeper suggested this because he says he believes in fate or what you call that. So we each began to take out one of our belongings, put them on the table, and mixed them randomly. ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± Finally, the guys opened their eyes, and the first one to pick was Esco. Chapter 32 Esco¡¯s eyes carefully scanned the table. Soon, his eyes fell on a small box of chocolates. He thought it was Emily¡¯s since she¡¯s the gluttony incarnate, so his hand was going towards there. STOP! Esco! Just look at Natalie¡¯s expression! ¡°¡­U-Ugh!¡± ¡°Esco, is there something wrong?¡± ¡°N-Nothing¡­ Hahaha.¡± I didn¡¯t see anything. I really never saw Emily stepping on Esco¡¯s foot at all, okay? Emily then sneakily pointed towards an object using her eyes, and that object at the end of her gaze was a small hand mirror. ¡°Ahem!¡± Knowing her sister¡¯s true nature, Esco coughed and grabbed the cute hand mirror brought by Emily. Poor guy¡­ I could see his hands shaking! Yeah, it¡¯s like walking into hell. He was so happy earlier because he thought he might get a girlfriend now¡­ Farewell, Brother Esco. ¡°That¡¯s mine, Esco.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯re partners, shall we leave?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The tactless Mr. Gatekeeper laughed loudly, saying that Emily was very active. Although it was not really like that¡­ For our sake, Emily sacrificed herself and pulled his brother in. We will never forget you, Emily. ¡°Emily and Esco already went out, so shall we continue ahead?¡± Next was Mr. Gatekeeper. He was very careful in picking an item as he took turns looking at me and the stuff on the table. Honestly, I don¡¯t really care if I become his partner or not¡­ But Natalie and Violet seem to have their eyes on other people besides Mr. Gatekeeper, so I think it would be best if I became partners with him. ¡°I¡¯ll pick¡­¡± Finally, Mr. Gatekeeper picked an object from the table. He only has a one-third chance of picking mine so will he get it? ¡°This!¡± In the end, he chose a green headband. ¡°¡­This is yours, right?¡± I had no choice but to nod at Mr. Gatekeeper, who was trembling in both nervousness and excitement. Because that headband was really mine. Particularly, it was the one Lycan gave to me as a gift when I went out with him before. I really didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be partners with Mr. Gatekeeper but well here we are. ¡°How surprising.¡± As he heard me say that, Mr. Gatekeeper bowed his head and smiled shyly. ¡°Well then, shall we go out now?¡± After a match was finalized, it was natural for the couple to leave. Nodding indifferently, I reached for the headband to get it back, but someone suddenly robbed my headband in front of my eyes! ¡°I didn¡¯t give you this headband just for you to use it this way.¡± And the headband was in the hands of the person who gave it to me. ¡°L-Lycan, why are you here?¡° ¡°I just got here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lycan sneered as he looked through the men across from us. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re outright sneering at them. That¡¯s too much as ever¡­ Oh? Why is he smiling more kindly and lovingly at me than when he looks at Lariensa? ¡°Because you¡¯re attending your first ever matchmaking party.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry about my younger sister hanging out with some thugs.¡° ¡°S-Sister?¡± Since when was Marilyn Launer your sister? And why are you stroking my head right now? I can¡¯t believe I can get goosebumps when people are suddenly being nice and all. Is this for real?! And why are you putting that green headband on my head? What the heck¡­ Why are you getting so terrifying?! ¡°Lycan, I appreciate you worrying for me but I have to go now.¡± ¡°And where are you going?¡± ¡°Now that I have a partner, I have to go out and spend some time together with him.¡± ¡°Together¡­ just the two of you¡­¡± Don¡¯t act like this, Lycan. I don¡¯t want your route! ¡°And who is that thug that you need to spend your time alone with?¡± Why are you talking like that¡­? Oh, it¡¯s coming! The feeling like I should protect Mr. Gatekeeper! All Lycan did was stroke my head, but it was so suffocating as if I¡¯m caught by the collar. I glanced at Mr. Gatekeeper, and I don¡¯t think he understood the situation yet. Actually, I can¡¯t figure out the situation either, Mr. Gatekeeper. ¡°Oh goodness. I¡¯ve lost my cool for a moment. What I mean is¡­¡± ¡°You and Marilyn are siblings?¡± Arrghh! Mr. Gatekeeper, just please stay quiet. I¡¯m trying to protect you here! I think Mr. Gatekeeper is still very confused¡­ That¡¯s understandable, though. Lycan is a celebrity at the academy, and so is his sister, Lariensa. Although we are not really siblings by blood, Lycan is telling him that I¡¯m his sister¡­ ¡°Uhmm, Lycan and I came from the same hometown and we just live next door to each other. That¡¯s why I¡¯m also close to his sister, Lariensa.¡± ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s why he said you¡¯re his ¡®younger sister¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Lycan is just my neighbor¡­ who I¡¯m a little close to.¡± I had no intention of getting too deep with my relationship with Mr. Gatekeeper, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay for me to be misunderstood with my relationship with Lycan! ¡°Was that really all there is to it?¡± Alas¡­ Lycan doesn¡¯t seem to like what I was saying. I could feel it. This is the calm before the storm. ¡°I¡¯m not just your neighbor.¡± If you and I aren¡¯t just neighbors, what are we then? ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to marry me when we were young?¡± ¡°Pfttt!¡± I wasn¡¯t the one who just spat water, it was Natalie who was next to me. It was fatal to her because the one who said it was the guy that she likes¡­ Sorry, guys. Emily sacrificed herself and got rid of her brother, but I ended up destroying the party. ¡°When did I say that? Why are you making things up?¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t remember doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t promise me before.¡± ¡°Lycan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m upset that you don¡¯t even remember what you said.¡± When did I make such a promise? Wait. Was it Marilyn who did it? Okay, let me recall what happened at all¡­ Ah! I remember! It was in the epilogue! Marilyn was so young at that time that it was less likely for him to take that seriously at all! ¡º¡°I¡¯m going to marry Lycan!¡± The young Marilyn shouted loudly during a gathering of Lariensa and Marilyn¡¯s family. At that time, Lariensa was asleep on her father¡¯s lap so she did not hear her best friend¡¯s sudden confession. Lycan¡¯s parents laughed and adored Marilyn at her childish confession. Marilyn wouldn¡¯t have said it if Lycan was there, but because he wasn¡¯t there, she confessed her feelings to the adults who were there. Marilyn could not have imagined that Lycan was upstairs, listening, and must have been upset by this.¡» Don¡¯t tell me he still remembers that day? But he was upset about it! ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I did promise you¡­¡± I can see Mr. Gatekeeper make a shocked expression. No, wait! It¡¯s not like that! ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone satisfactory here that Marilyn can date. I think we¡¯re done here so we¡¯ll take our leave.¡± If you want to go, then go along. Why are you holding my hand? As I held out, Lycan looked at me fiercely. What?! What are you going to do, huh?! ¡°Marilyn.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lycan called my name and¡­ ¡°He¡¯s in the same grade as me and he¡¯s in Class D.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Chris Extra.¡± ¡­Mentioned his name, and what grade and class he is in. ¡°You must have really liked him, seeing that you wanted to stay here so bad.¡± So you¡¯re threatening me right now!? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! What are you waiting for! Great timing, I was just about to leave!¡± I quickly packed my things. Mr. Gatekeeper, you liked me so much. Sigh, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I feel bad for things to just end here¡­ I think this is just what we¡¯re meant to be, Mr. Gatekeeper¡­ As I followed Lycan outside, I could feel a longing gaze staring behind me. Looking back, Mr. Gatekeeper¡¯s dim eyes, which are so burdensome that I¡¯m sweating¡­¡­! Bang! But before I couldn¡¯t stand his gaze, Lycan and I left the cafe. If you think Lycan just slammed the door hard by accident¡­ then you¡¯re off by a large margin. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®damn it¡¯? I should be the one saying that though?¡± ¡°When I was your age, I didn¡¯t even dream of attending a matchmaking party.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like an old man.¡± ¡°Did you want to have a boyfriend that much?¡± That was not really what was on my mind at all. I only did Natalie a favor. But whether I want to have a boyfriend or not¡­! ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°How can I not care? If you want to date someone, don¡¯t look for someone in that setting.¡± ¡°Then where will I find one?¡± ¡°If you really want to date someone, there¡¯s me, right next to you¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t like you.¡° Thud! In response to my straightforward reply, Lycan was stupefied. ¡°But you said¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I said I wanted us to get married.¡± Well, it was not me, but the real owner of this body. ¡°But I think it¡¯s not me who¡¯s having trouble remembering, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± It¡¯s always the person who hurt someone who doesn¡¯t remember what they have done. The axe forgets but the tree remembers. ¡ºIt was not because Marilyn seriously liked Lycan that she wanted to marry him. At that time, Marilyn said she wanted to marry the uncle across the street, who was 20 years older than her. She also wanted to marry the man who just walked by and even the dog. In extreme cases, it would be her dad¡­ She just declared that she would marry everything she thought was cute, cool, or pretty. It was true that Marilyn liked Lycan, but her marriage declaration at the time could not be taken seriously.¡» So how did Lycan trample the heart of such a cute, innocent child? Marilyn almost fell down on the side of the road, and Lycan happened to catch her as he passed by. ¡º¡°T-thank you!¡± The young Marilyn was mesmerized by Lycan¡¯s beauty as usual. But Lycan frowned and immediately removed himself from his grip on Marilyn. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only kind to you because my sister cares about you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So just be kind to her.¡±¡» Lycan¡¯s face sweated faintly as I brought up what actually happened before. You can¡¯t say anything now, can you? ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said to me that day, knowing that I told our parents I was going to marry you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And now you¡¯re going to talk about the promise I made you as a kid, and ruin our party?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°At the time, I told my dad that I would marry him and that I also wanted to marry the dog that was just passing by. Who I¡¯m going to marry would change once a day.¡± ¡°What a weak commitment¡­!¡± Lycan, who showed signs of anger, soon calmed himself down, lowered his voice, and calmly said, ¡°You¡¯re taking it too lightly. Marriage is a solemn vow.¡± ¡°How can an adult believe a child¡¯s solemn vows?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems that Lara also played a role in your interruption and in what happened today so let¡¯s move on. And can you please return my headband now?¡± Lycan had my headband in his hand. I don¡¯t know when he got it back but since he gave it to me, it¡¯s now mine. Don¡¯t you know how valuable free stuff is? It¡¯s the best, okay? But Lycan must have had a different opinion from me. Tak! ¡°Why did you break it?!¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just being mean, aren¡¯t you? I hate people who are mean!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not being mean.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then what are you doing?¡± ¡°I just got rid of garbage.¡± Why don¡¯t you just be honest? That you don¡¯t like the fact that the headband was used as a link between Mr. Gatekeeper and me. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new headband that looks better on you. So just let go of the lingering feelings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already putting it in the trash without my permission.¡± The thug is not Mr. Gatekeeper, it¡¯s you! ¡°M-Marin!¡± A shiny blonde popped out of the store right next door. ¡°I-I just h-happen to be p-passing by! W-What a coincidence? Hahahaha¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°W-Woah! W-What a surprise!¡± Lara¡­ I know you can¡¯t lie, but if your voice is trembling so hard, I can¡¯t pretend that I don¡¯t know! She was just like a robot whose body is stiff, with a hardened smile and trembling voice. ¡°Lara¨C¡± I smiled brightly at her. Then Lara¡¯s expression became much more relaxed. Hmph! You thought I¡¯d just let you go like this? ¡°Got you!¡± In front of me blazing mad, Lariensa trembled like a rabbit caught by a predator. Afterwards, it goes without saying that Lara was subject to torture, which was tickling her. Chapter 33 Sniff. Inside the cafe, Lara sat on a chair and tears could still be seen on her face from laughing too hard earlier when I was tickling her. Oh! How can I look at those innocent eyes with tears in them?! Even if one is not aware of her being the heroine of this story, her exuding beauty along with her teary expression is an artwork! ¡°Drink this and calm down first, Lariensa.¡± Lycan ordered warm tea for Lariensa to make her calm down. My spirit was so fierce that even Lycan couldn¡¯t stop me from ¡°tickling¡± her sister. As I fiercely stared at these two siblings, Lariensa bowed her head with a glum look while Lycan turned his head away. ¡°I will never attend a matchmaking party again, but this¡­ I can¡¯t let this incident go. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll accept whatever punishment you¡¯ll give me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I¡¯m telling you guys, I¡¯m weak against Lara. But I can¡¯t just overlook what happened earlier either. ¡°I¡¯ll be moving out of our room for a while.¡± ¡°Huh? W-What?!¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be staying in Natalie¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me, M-Marin!¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d accept any punishment, right?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. That¡¯s too cruel for me!¡± Every time I see Lara¡¯s expression like that it makes my conviction terribly weak¡­ No! I can¡¯t just let this slide. ¡°Ruining today¡¯s party was cruel for our friends as well. I would have let you off the hook if you were the only one who came and interrupted the party but¡­¡± When I glared at Lycan again who was comforting his sister, he turned his head away again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I involved my brother¡­¡± Lariensa had a look of despair. But I cannot let this slide either! ¡°I thought I should let my brother know¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Marin and my brother¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to get married.¡± Ding¨C Lariensa looked stunned as if she had been hit by a hammer. On behalf of his sister, Lycan refuted with a cough. ¡°Ahem, the future beyond us is uncertain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Marin! Don¡¯t be so sure. My brother is really handsome, you know?¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯m good at academics!¡± ¡°And kind!¡± ¡°And well mannered!¡± What are these two sibling tandems up to? They sound like those suspicious side hustlers in the streets selling contrabands. ¡°Stop! Just don¡¯t forget we¡¯ll be separating rooms from now on.¡± ¡°Marin¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t still let you go with that look.¡± And that is how this incident was settled. Since we were outside the academy, we took the liberty to stroll around town. Normally, Lycan and I would have a war of nerves between Lara. But that wasn¡¯t the case today. ¡°Marin has a sweet tooth, right? Shall we go get some chocolate ice cream?¡± ¡°Strawberry flavor is also sweet. Add a scoop of that too.¡± There was no war of nerves between me and Lycan at all. ¡°There¡¯s something on your mouth. I¡¯ll wipe it for you.¡± ¡°Brother! I¡¯ll wipe it.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m much closer to her.¡± We¡¯re getting along well, but it feels like I¡¯m in between the two of them. ¡°Since we¡¯re in separate rooms starting today, I should stick to you as much as possible now!¡± Lara wrapped her arms around my arms and didn¡¯t think of falling off. ¡°Walk besides here on the sidewalk ¨C it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Lycan made way within the sidewalk, saying it was dangerous, and he positioned himself on the outermost side. Come to think of it, I am really in between the two of them¡­ Argh! Being stuck in the middle of these siblings is so burdensome! ¡°Lara should walk next to her brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good enough being on Marin¡¯s side.¡± This isn¡¯t it¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you walk beside Lara?¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because you have to protect your sister?¡± ¡°I can protect her from here, too.¡± I¡¯m telling you guys, this isn¡¯t what¡¯s supposed to happen! £ª £ª £ª The day ended with our friends tickling (torturing) Lariensa, abandoning her as she held my legs, pleading not to move to Natalie¡¯s room. I thought¡­ everything was over after this day. But I was greatly mistaken. ¡°Marilyn, look over there.¡± After the festival, classes returned, and I was sleeping on my desk because I was tired. But Violet suddenly awoke me from my slumber and made me look at the front of the classroom. There, I can see¡­ Mr. Gatekeeper waving at me! ¡°How did you get here?¡± I rushed towards the door while looking around the room. Phew, fortunately Sibel isn¡¯t in the classroom. Forced to tread Sibel¡¯s route, which has all the red flags planted on it, I was very worried about Mr. Gatekeeper. ¡°I was flustered that day and just let you go, however, I thought things over.¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t give up on you like this!¡± No one knows that I went to a matchmaking party except for Lycan and my friends. I was relieved thinking that this incident would pass quietly like this. What kind of disturbance is this? ¡°Why are you so willing to go through all this trouble for me?¡± Is it really because of what I did at the entrance of the horror house during the festival? ¡°When I first saw you, I thought you were really pretty. But then, you made those short-tongued sounds¡­¡± So? ¡°¡­and it was so cute.¡± The world is big and full of diverse people, so there may be people who have unusual tastes. But you¡¯re so hooked into that (aegyo) that you¡¯re doing this much? ¡°Iff yu shay thoshe r showt-tonged shounds, Marini will bi mhad! (If you say those are short-tongued sounds, Marin will be mad!)¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mhad! Mhad! (Mad! Mad!) ¡­This is what you¡¯re talking about, right?¡± Looking at him nodding with his red face down, unable to answer. What an unusual taste¡­ Okay! If you¡¯re so into my cuteness, then that¡¯s a plus for me! ¡°Hmm? Hmmm~?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­For real though, please don¡¯t like me.¡± I¡¯m getting all embarrassed here¡­ ¡°Never mind Lycan or anyone else¡­ what do you feel about me?¡± Mr. Gatekeeper, who had escaped from my deadly cute act, returned to the main point. ¡°That day, I just attended the party for a friend¡¯s favor. You said your name was Claus, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Chris.¡± ¡°Okay, Chris. Thank you for liking me, but our interaction ended that day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Although I had fun with you on that day, I wouldn¡¯t have decided to meet you again.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Was that too much? No, this is better than giving him false hope. Was that already enough, Mr. Gatekeeper? If you already did this much, save your life from Lycan. ¡°¡­A-Are you crying?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Please don¡¯t cry, please, please! However, a tear fell down on his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt this way before¡­¡± If you say that line with such moist eyes¡­! ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My feelings must be a burden to you.¡± NNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!! I¡¯m not good at being thin and weak like that. ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can I take you out for a date one more time? Please?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If after that day, you still don¡¯t have any feelings for me, then I¡¯ll give up.¡± Was my cute act fatal enough to be worth hanging on to? Enough to throw away your pride like this?! ¡°Is that really not possible, Marilyn?¡± If you look at me with such eyes, I¡¯ll¡­! ¡°If I still don¡¯t feel anything for you on that day, you have to keep your promise and give up, okay?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sigh¡­ I¡¯m screwed. In the end, I ended up scheduling a date. £ª £ª £ª Strike the iron while it¡¯s hot. Today, we¡¯re just going to take a short walk, eat something delicious, and talk for a bit¡­! And then break up right away! As if to get rid of my delayed homework, I decided to go on a date with Mr. Gatekeeper today. ¡°Marilyn, where are you going?¡± ¡°I have an appointment.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°You think you guys are the only friends I have?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re the only ones.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Those words are so true that I have nothing to say. Lara looked suspicious on the day when she went somewhere other than the direction of the dormitory. I didn¡¯t want someone to come and disturb us again, so I gave her a stern warning. ¡°If you or someone else follows me, we¡¯ll be separating rooms forever.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s too much.¡± I won¡¯t let you go even if you cry with such a pretty face. Turning my back on my friends and Lara with a determined look, I rushed to the meeting place. Soon after, I saw Mr. Gatekeeper who greeted me with a bright smile from afar. ¡°Hey, Chris!¡± The name Chris is quite pretty¡­ But as expected, calling him Mr. Gatekeeper is much better. ¡°Did you have a hard time coming?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so hard about walking?¡± ¡°Thank you for coming. Actually, I thought you wouldn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Since I promised you, it would be quite rude if I didn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Not only are you pretty and sweet, but you¡¯re also polite too.¡± I just kept the basics, It¡¯s a bit embarrassing if you compliment me for just that. I¡¯m even more embarrassed because I¡¯ve never met anyone who would tell me that they like me so openly. Lycan and Sibel are trying to get me on their route, but they haven¡¯t even attempted to make something as bold as a genuine confession! ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± ¡°I made up a plan.¡± ¡°Is there anything you want to do at the academy?¡± ¡°First, we¡¯ll walk in the quiet forest together, sit in the giant fountain, then share food with you, and lastly, serenade you in the music room¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay, stop right there.¡± What person is going to report the date course they¡¯ve prepared to their partner?! ¡°I worked hard on it, do you not like it?¡± ¡°N-No! It¡¯s not like that!¡± When did I say I didn¡¯t like it? I think it¡¯s the best dating course one can do inside the academy. Although the serenade in the music room was quite burdensome, the rest were fine. ¡°Is there a forest nearby?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw one before!¡± Mr. Gatekeeper took the course steadily as he had planned. We took a walk in the forest where there were few people to avoid the eyes of other students. As we talked, I realized Mr. Gatekeeper was actually pretty kind. You¡¯d think he¡¯s quite eccentric because he fell for my cute act but he¡¯s just a pure and simple guy. ¡°Would you like to sit here?¡± He¡¯s also well mannered as he puts down a handkerchief in front of the fountain. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­Oh? Ah, sorry! You¡¯re just so pretty that I unknowingly¡­¡± Whether he fell quickly for me or not, it seems that he likes me so much. If you look at the person himself, there was nothing wrong with him. However, there are too many interruptions just for me to flirt with Mr. Gatekeeper. There¡¯s Lara and Lycan, and also Sibel¡­ Wait, what is this? I looked down and saw Mr. Gatekeeper putting his finger on my hand that I put down on the fountain. And slowly he was getting closer to my hand as if he¡¯s trying to hold hands with me. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gatekeeper, but let me just take my hand off. I tried to pull out my hand first. I really meant to¡­ It was not that anyone was disturbing me, but that I was trying to deny skinship on my own. ¡°It¡¯s curfew soon.¡± But the timing was so bad that ¡°he¡± saw it first. ¡°Also, the school rules tell us to refrain from excessive contact between male and female students, Senior.¡± Sibel was precisely looking at my hand and Mr. Gatekeeper¡¯s half-stretched hand. My gut is telling me¡­ That he¡¯s in a very bad mood right now! I pulled out my hand so hard that Mr. Gatekeeper looked shocked. Don¡¯t look so hurt! This is for your sake! ¡°Holding hands is not excessive contact. Everyone else is also doing the same.¡± ¡°Excessive contact can only be subjectively judged unless specifically stated.¡± Sibel was not pushed by Mr. Gatekeeper even though he was a senior. You sound like you have no intention of interrupting with a smile on your face, but why is that smile so scary? ¡°Today¡¯s date can¡¯t end here¡­¡± You stupid guy! The date¡¯s not important right now, what¡¯s more important is keeping your life! Forget about the serenade in the music room! ¡°I know it¡¯s still early, but I¡¯ll confess right now.¡± Are you really going to confess right now? ¡­In front of Sibell? ¡°I¡¯m going to confess with all my heart~ cuz I wanna be brave~¡± No, it wasn¡¯t just a normal confession. Mr. Gatekeeper started to sing his love serenade! STOP!!! Right now! Just take a look at my face, please! Chapter 34 ¡­I¡¯m suddenly reminded of the original story. In the novel, there were many other men other than the B4 who approached Lariensa. She was pretty and lovely, so it was natural that many men had approached her. However, the problem was the main character of the novel was Sibel. At that time, Lariensa didn¡¯t know what a frightening bastard Sibel was and how a student committed suicide at the academy because of him. Because that student was the one who confessed to Lariensa the day before. After that, all men who confessed to Lariensa committed suicide. As a result, various articles in newspapers were pointing out the educational issues of the Cloud Academy for a while. There was a scene where Lariensa, who later learned that it was the work of Sibel, went to him and questioned him. As Sibel¡¯s secret has already been revealed and his obsession with Lariensa has begun, Lariensa¡¯s life has become worse since then. ¡º¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that, Lariensa.¡± ¡°I already know everything. Those students who died did not actually commit suicide. It was all your doing!¡± Sibel laughed. Just like how he always does. A good guy with unwanted power. She used to believe that Sibel was that kind of guy but then he whispered cruel words to her with a contemptuous smile. ¡°Everything was all up to you.¡± ¡°Sibel¡­¡± ¡°It means everything that happened was all because of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want them to die?¡± What was he talking about? She couldn¡¯t understand him. No¡­ She didn¡¯t want to understand. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your smile and show it to others.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why many people get tangled up.¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°The guilt that you feel right now is your punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You, an insect who keeps toying with me.¡± Sibel, who embraced Lariensa, said terrible things with a devious smile, not his usual bright smile. ¡°Anyone who takes you away from me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wipe them all out.¡±¡» This can¡¯t be¡­ I¡¯m glad I saved Lara from him, but I hate to be on the receiving end of that terrible fate! I want to protect Lara but I also want to protect myself! But why does this gatekeeper keep on singing even after seeing my stiff face? Ohh?! He¡¯s coming even closer! Why are you holding my hand? No way! Are you going to kiss the back of my hand?! Now, Sibel¡¯s expression, who was wearing a pretentious mask, sank coldly. ¡­His eyes look mad. Sibel took off his mask and stretched his hand towards the back of the head of Mr. Gatekeeper, who was about to kiss the back of my hand. I assure you guys, if that hand reaches Mr. Gatekeeper now, this man will soon die. I didn¡¯t want to hurt such a nice person but¡­ it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gatekeeper! ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted before Sibel¡¯s hand could touch Mr. Gatekeeper¡¯s head, and before he could kiss the back of my hand. Of course, I pulled out my hand. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡± Don¡¯t blame me too much. I¡¯m just doing this to save your life! ¡°I think the date is over, so I¡¯ll give you my answer. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel anything for you. You understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± ¡°Marilyn¡­¡± ¡°So now, I need you to move on and forget about me.¡± I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d dump a man rudely. Mr. Gatekeeper, don¡¯t cry this time, okay? ¡°Ma-Marilyn! Come on, just give me one more chance¡­!¡± Why are you so persistent when all I did was act cute?! If you keep doing this, I have no choice but to say something worse! ¡°How pathetic of you!¡± In a romance novel that Natalie read, there¡¯s this beautiful wicked woman who had a lot of men who courted her. What did she tell those men who courted her again¡­? ¡°Stop being so clingy to me and just get out of my life!¡± My heart hurts even more when I say this¡­ It seems that not everyone can become a villainess. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re really a cruel woman!¡± Surprisingly, just like in the novel that Natalie read, Mr. Gatekeeper left, blowing the same lines as those men who were dumped by the wicked woman. Mr. Gatekeeper, you looked so hurt¡­ If it weren¡¯t for Sibel, I could have refused you nicely. ¡°¡­You¡¯re trying too hard.¡± We were the only ones left after Mr. Gatekeeper left, but Sibel was still angry. He didn¡¯t even wear the fake smile that he used to wear. ¡°You¡¯re very tactful. You meant to protect him from me, didn¡¯t you?¡± First of all, I said those harsh words to Mr. Gatekeeper because I had a bad feeling¡­ But your feelings for me have already grown this deep? Isn¡¯t it too fast? After our meeting at the clock tower, there was nothing to talk to each other about. Sibel even pretended not to know me in the classroom, perhaps because he knew how I was annoyed with the Sisamo. So the last time we talked was during the festival, at the clock tower! But you¡¯ve grown to like me so much that you¡¯re showing this crazy jealousy? Even the word ¡®jealousy¡¯ seemed cute in his vocabulary. ¡°You attended a matchmaking party and now you¡¯re making separate appointments with people you know little of?¡± Moreover, Sibel is being aggressive towards me. I think it¡¯s getting a little bit dangerous, isn¡¯t it? ¡°How did you know I attended a matchmaking party?¡± Was it a useless question to ask? For Sibel, who always controls things behind the scenes and activities in the dark? ¡°Is that really important right now?¡± ¡°Yes. If you wanted to mess with me, you should have come to the party and mess with me. Then I wouldn¡¯t have to make a separate appointment as you said.¡± ¡°Then I would have killed four people, not one.¡± W-What do you mean by that? K-Killing is too harsh. Relax, relax! ¡°And, even if it wasn¡¯t me, someone else has already made a big deal out of it though?¡± ¡°You even know that?¡± ¡°Stop trying to divert my attention.¡± ¡­Tsk, how quick-witted you are. ¡°Calm down for now. Why are you so angry? Is dating another guy something to be so angry about?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t understand what?¡± ¡°All these things that you guys do. Going to a matchmaking party, holding hands, kissing, and then getting married. Why go through so many unnecessary procedures?¡± ¡°This guy¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. But because you¡¯re doing those things that I just don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I can feel it again. A black fog rising from somewhere, and this menacing aura! ¡°It makes me so angry.¡± Sibel stared at me and asked me outright. ¡°If that bastard asked you out, were you going to go out with him?¡± I was going to reject him anyway. So, can you suppress your anger now? ¡°Marilyn Launer.¡± Don¡¯t call me by my full name! It¡¯s ominous! ¡°Don¡¯t waste your smile and show it to others.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t waste your smile and show it to others.¡¯ Huh? Isn¡¯t this the line from the novel¡­? ¡°That¡¯s why many people get tangled up.¡± ¡®That¡¯s why many people get tangled up.¡¯ Is it already decided that I would be the one who would tread on his route? Is Lariensa¡¯s fate now being pushed upon me? Is that so, huh? I will not let that happen! ¡°Hiing! No, no!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Marini rheally, rheaallly hatesh it when Tibbel ish sho schkary! (Marin really, really hates it when Sibel is so scary!)¡± I wasn¡¯t confident to make eye contact with him, so I closed my eyes and acted cutely. Even if my eyes were closed, it¡¯s an additional bonus because it can still make me look cute! ¡°¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hear a response from Sibel so I decided to open my eyes and look at him. When I opened my eyes, Sibel found himself dumbfounded by what he just saw. Unlike Mr. Gatekeeper who fell in love with this cute act, this is the normal reaction one would have. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s better to be dumbfounded than angry. Take it, my cuteness! ¡°R u shtil goin to bhe angrei iff Marini dosh dish? (Are you still going to be angry if Marin does this?)¡± I made all kinds of cute expressions like taking a selfie with my other hand on my cheek. ¡­No matter how I think about it, I think I¡¯m into acting cute. ¡°Hiiing! Hiiing! Tahke itt!¡± I alternatively finger bullets at Sibel as if I were holding a gun on both hands. I just need to protect myself from a real gun, though I doubt that thing would appear in here¡­ Even if it does appear, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t work against Sibel. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°Reaally? ¡­Can I really stop now?¡± Sibel nodded with a blank face. He looked expressionless, but he looked better than before. Covering his face with his hand, Sibel was trying to calm himself as he breathed in. ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡­You just laughed right now, didn¡¯t you? ¡°¡­If you¡¯re going to laugh, you should have done so earlier.¡± If you turn your head now and laugh, I¡¯ll be more embarrassed.. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks to you.¡± If you feel better in exchange for my shame, then should I say it¡¯s a relief that nothing serious happened? But Sibel also muttered something unusual. ¡°But that¡¯s weird¨C¡± ¡°What¡¯s weird, huh? What?!¡± It¡¯s very ominous if you say things like that. ¡°You speak as if your tongue is cut in half.¡± ¡°Just say it¡¯s short-tongued sounds.¡± ¡°Yes, that. If someone else did it, I would have thought they were sick in the head.¡± ¡°Hoho. Is it cute when I do it?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± It¡¯s all lost now. I¡¯m deep in his route already. I¡¯m now forced to ride Sibel¡¯s route. ¡°May I touch you?¡± ¡°W-Where do you want to touch me?¡± ¡°Just your hand.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something to check.¡± I was trying to make Sibel feel better, and he asked me for this earnestly. I think it¡¯s a lot of improvement for Sibel, knowing his true personality. Okay, sure. I¡¯m just glad that you didn¡¯t hurt anyone today. I reached out my hand as a gesture of permission, and then he took my hand. Then we stayed still for a long time just holding hands. ¡°Until when are we going to stay like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still checking. I wouldn¡¯t still know even if I¡¯m gonna kiss you, right? ¡°Why would you ask if you know it¡¯s not gonna work?¡± Earlier, Sibel said that he doesn¡¯t understand why one would go through so many steps just to date someone like holding their hands, kissing, dating, and then finally getting married. But suddenly, that Sibel asked me if I could kiss him. I want to deny it, but it seems that his feelings towards me have already grown deep¡­ What should I do with this? ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before, but nothing good would happen if you lock me up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never said I¡¯d lock you up, isn¡¯t it ironic when you say that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how ominous your presence is!¡± ¡°¡­Ominous? I am?¡± ¡­What¡¯s wrong with you? Usually, he used to think little of anything I said or just laugh at it, but now, for some reason, his reaction was different from other times. At first glance, he looked angry, but I clearly felt different from anger. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve been trying my best.¡± Don¡¯t tell me¡­ are you hurt? Because I said your presence is ¡®ominous¡¯? ¡°You told me not to lock you up. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right, I did.¡± By the way, confinement isn¡¯t really supposed to be done. ¡°But I allowed you to touch me just now.¡± ¡°Also¡­¡± That¡¯s a matter of course, Sibel. ¡°But my presence is ominous?¡± ¡°You just said¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because I tried to kill that bastard earlier?¡± I think he¡¯s starting to get mad again. ¡°If you still think that my presence is ominous even though I didn¡¯t kill him, it would be better if I just¡­¡± I put my thoughts into action before Sibel continued his next words. I put both of my hands on Sibel¡¯s face. I don¡¯t like the fact that I have to tiptoe because he¡¯s tall, but I can¡¯t help it because it would look weird if I hold his shoulders. ¡°This is a carrot.¡± [T/N: Just to clarify, know that in the previous chapters, she compared Sibel to a beast and took a carrot-and-stick approach to tame him. So, this line corresponds to her holding his face and that this is a ¡°carrot¡±.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And what I said about you being ominous¡­ I just said it out of anger.¡± It was true that Sibel¡¯s presence was very ominous, but I should still lie a little to survive and keep Mr. Gatekeeper alive. ¡°But it¡¯s true that every time you talk like that, it¡¯s a little scary. Do you want to become a scary person?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said, yes.¡± Are you trying to be perverse? ¡­Let¡¯s not get annoyed for now and just let it slide. ¡°You may want to be, but others won¡¯t. They don¡¯t want to be with scary people so they run away.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve never been scared of me.¡± ¡°Earlier, you were really frightening. You act like you¡¯re going to kill someone else.¡± ¡°Exactly how many days have you been together that you¡¯re trying to protect him from me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Mr. Gatekeeper to die, but I¡¯m thinking of you, too.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to kill people.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± But I think he already killed someone¡­ I don¡¯t want Sibel to commit murder, though. Not at least since he met me. That way, people around me will be safe and I will be able to feel a little more at ease. ¡°For your sake and mine?¡± ¡°I can see you¡¯re forcing yourself to come up with a reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡­You¡¯re really quick-witted. ¡°I would feel uncomfortable if I find out that you¡¯ve hurt someone and I¡¯ll have a repulsion against you. You¡¯ll get angry if I refuse to see you, right? Surely, that would be the case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And that would make me hate you even more. Then, this vicious cycle would only go on and on and on. So, for the sake of our relationship not to end, don¡¯t hurt anyone else.¡± ¡°For our relationship¡­¡± Sibel smiled again and asked me a question. ¡°So, what¡¯s our relationship?¡± Our relationship is somewhat ambiguous and I don¡¯t see Sibel as a man for me to date either. Although, Sibel¡¯s feelings for me have already started, but not me, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re lovers or something. Taking that into consideration, there is one normal relationship left that we can call ourselves. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°¡­friends.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you remember, but we¡¯re already friends.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The day I returned your coat when you threw it away in the trash.¡± Oh, I remember! ¡®I¡¯m glad it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Then, Marilyn.¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®Can we be friends?¡¯ ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ After that, ¡®Are you reluctant to shake hands with me?¡¯ In the end, I decided to be ¡°friends¡± with Sibel. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s do it. Friends.¡¯ ¡°B-but that was when you were still pretending to be a kind guy to me! I didn¡¯t know who you really were at that time, but now that I know you, this time, I want to be friends with you for real!¡± In a hurry to make excuses, I scratched the back of my head with embarrassment. ¡°From now on, we are really friends.¡± ¡°Hmm¨C¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not bad.¡± Thank god¡­ I hope this saved me and Mr. Gatekeeper from danger, right? Mr. Gatekeeper. Live well. You have to live the life that I gave you well! ¡°Sibel.¡± I took my hands off Sibel¡¯s cheeks and opened my mouth as I watched Sibel listen to me like an obedient child. ¡°As my friend, promise me three things.¡± ¡°What else are you going to say again?¡± ¡°First, promise me not to hurt anyone no matter what happens.¡± Sibel¡¯s nodding face showed signs of calmness. He keeps his promises, so I think I can trust him. ¡°Second, if you¡¯re angry or upset with something, release it to me.¡± This means not to take it out to others like before. Sibel nodded while I looked at him to see if he understood. ¡°Lastly, let me know right away if I said something that hurts you.¡± Chapter 35 Sibel¡¯s expression became strange, perhaps because what I said was unexpected. What I said this time was not an unfounded statement to relieve Sibel¡¯s mood. I was very worried about Sibel¡¯s reaction when I said his presence was ominous earlier. ¡°I¡¯ve been joking around a lot with my friends that sometimes I might say things that hurt their feelings.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me anything, I might just forget about it without knowing you were hurt¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Earlier¡­ when I said that your presence was ominous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± I was getting nervous because there I couldn¡¯t hear a response coming back. In particular, I felt more urgent because it was right after I said something embarrassing. ¡°You get it?!¡± So I just raised my voice. ¡°I accept those three promises.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°But to accept your apology¡­ You see, I¡¯ve already been hurt.¡± Euk! So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t accept apologies! ¡°I don¡¯t want a simple apology.¡± ¡°Then, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Will you listen to anything I say?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t make me do strange requests.¡± Sibel, who laughed in a low voice, soon beckoned me with a cheeky look. ¡°Come here.¡± Look at him ordering me around now that I¡¯ve given him the chance! First of all, I¡¯m really sorry, so I¡¯ll just make this an exception this time! As I reluctantly approached him, Sibel stretched out his arms. ¡°Hug me.¡± I thought I heard it wrong at first. However, Sibel stood with his arms outstretched in a dignified manner. ¡°It¡¯d better if you caress my broken heart.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just end this with a hug.¡± I left behind my petulant heart and hugged Sibel carefully. I wrapped my arms around his waist and put my hand on his back. As we were wearing clothes, I couldn¡¯t feel his warmth. I felt this when my skin touched his a few times but his body temperature is pretty low. At first, I couldn¡¯t even imagine holding a Sibel like this. It seems that our relationship has improved a lot. ¡°Right, Sibel.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± I just remembered what I¡¯ve been wanting to say to Sibel during this long hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± I wonder if I could use all those gifts in my entire life. Still, I¡¯m grateful knowing that he actually cares about my birthday. I¡¯m embarrassed because I feel like I¡¯ve been bribed, but that¡¯s why I don¡¯t avoid Sibel now as much as I used to. Far from avoiding him, it seems that he also opened his heart slightly after we saw the fireworks together at the clock tower. ¡°I was a little touched that you gave me a lot of things for my birthday. If you tell me when¡¯s yours, I¡¯ll take the time to also celebrate yours.¡± I looked at Sibel and tried to pull away from him to hear his answer but he wouldn¡¯t let me go. There was something strange about it, but I decided to stay still for now because this was my apology to him. This handsome blue beast¡­ Although he has lots of veiled secrets and was a real pain in the ass, why do I think he¡¯s worth getting close to though? Am I crazy? Of course, the answer to that has not come out for the life of me. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I just kept silent and Sibel kept me in his arms for so long. £ª £ª £ª How nice would it be if I transmigrated into the world of a finished novel? But damn it! is an unfinished novel! I don¡¯t even know why or how Sibel got his ability in the first place! Although I succeeded in separating Sibel from Lariensa, but I failed to keep Sibel away from me. And now if I still avoid Sibel again¡­ I¡¯ll surely be forced to tread the death route! Sigh¡­ It¡¯s better to get to know Sibel now that this has happened. Also, those sincere words that he had said also caught my attention¡­ ¡°Marin, Marin!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about so deeply?¡± Lara pouted her lips and gave a clear sulky look. ¡°Are you becoming cold to me now that we have separated rooms?¡± It was sad to see her being depressed these days. Feeling weak by the despondent Lariensa, I said that I will no longer separate rooms with her. ¡°Really? Really?!¡± Uwu uwu, Lara, are you now feeling better? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be jealous of anything if I have a daughter like Lara. I was having a lovely time patting Lara¡¯s pretty blonde hair, but then I could feel someone staring at me from somewhere. Turning around, I could see Sibel staring at me. We already had a tacit understanding to pretend not to know each other in the classroom, so what¡¯s wrong with him? Sibel, who had been looking at me for a long time, suddenly stood up and is now walking towards me! Suddenly I remembered my early days at the academy. Even then, Sibel approached me in front of other students¡­ ¡°Marilyn.¡± and spoke to me in an unusually friendly way! What is this unwelcomed d¨¦j¨¤ vu?! ¡°Did you go back to your dorm safely last night?¡± What¡¯s wrong with you, Sibel? We already made up, right? Was it only my misunderstanding?! ¡°L-Last night?¡± ¡°After we¡­ finished hugging, you suddenly ran away.¡± ¡°H-Hold on!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on doing it but¡­¡± I could feel menacing gazes everywhere. First of all, my friends, then my classmates, and the Sisamo! ¡°Let¡¯s go out first and talk¡­¡± ¡°The face that you made when you were listening to the love serenade yesterday was really worth seeing.¡± Oh God, I don¡¯t believe in any religion, but I¡¯ll become a devout believer of you at this moment. So please give me an answer. Did I do something wrong to Sibel again? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± As I whispered to him, Sibel smiled and replied quietly that only I can hear it. ¡°The more I think about you making eye contact with another man, the more I feel hurt.¡± Is this really the attitude of a wounded man?! ¡°If you wanted to make up for the whipping (sticks), you should have given me more carrots.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I hugged you yesterday.¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t enough.¡± You, you, you jerk¡­! My face turned red, but Sibel was still smiling brightly. This blue beast that I¡¯m currently raising really has¡­ a rotten personality, too rotten. £ª £ª £ª I¡¯m running now. I don¡¯t know why but I¡¯m currently running as fast as I can. ¡°Stay right there, Marilyn!¡± ¡°Marin, why are you running away?¡± ¡°How dare you keep secrets from us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a traitor!¡± Oh, right. I was being chased. Also by my dear friends¡­ Emily, Lariensa, Violet, and Natalie were chasing me with a frightening force. If it were just my friends, I would have gladly talked to them, but behind them were the members of Sisamo! ¡°Stop right there, Marilyn! I want you to confess what¡¯s going on with you and Sibel!¡± ¡°Why did you hug Sibel last night?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that you two are in a relationship!¡± As I ran, I cried out explaining to them even though I knew they won¡¯t believe me in the first place. ¡°We¡¯re not in that kind of relationship!¡± The scariest of them all were Emily and the Sisamo chairman, Hailey. The two chased me with tremendous speed that if I slowed down a little bit, I¡¯d surely be caught in no time. Look at the crowd! It¡¯s already impossible for me to beat all those people alone. ¡°Don¡¯t lose sight of her!¡± ¡°Get her!¡± Isn¡¯t this a romance novel? Why am I now shooting an action movie? ¡°You guys are gonna regret doing this to me!¡± Because Sibel and I aren¡¯t really in that kind of relationship you think we are! But the Sisamo and my friends weren¡¯t easily scared. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s really a misunderstanding or not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to let you go after torturing you.¡± You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to torture me first before you listen to what I¡¯ve got to say? And you guys. Since when have you been close with the Sisamo? I suddenly feel lonely¡­ ¡°When have you guys been friends with the Sisamo? Have you guys got no loyalty?!¡± ¡°You kept a secret from us first, you traitor!¡± Fortunately, the other pursuers are gradually falling behind but I still can¡¯t slow down here. Because Emily is one of my pursuers! Just in time, I saw a big trash can next to the hallway. ¡°Take this!¡± I knocked down the trash can, and thanks to it, I was able to widen our gap¡­ was what I thought would happen. Not until I saw Emily jump over the trash can. Somebody! Please, stop Emily! ¡°Marilyn! Are you guys currently having a race? That looks fun.¡± AHHHHHHH! Esco! Does this look fun, huh? ¡°Esco! Help me!¡± Esco, smiling brightly across the hallway, stiffened his face when he heard my cry for help. ¡°Emily is about to kill me!¡± Dash! Tak, tak, tak! I can hear Emily running from behind. When I looked back, Emily¡¯s eyes were¡­ I can assure you at this moment. Facing Emily is scarier than facing Sibel! Esco nodded his head with a serious look on his face when our eyes met, signaling that he would help me. But Esco is always beaten up by Emily, so how can he help me¡­? The method was simpler than I thought. ¡°Take this, Emily! It¡¯s a freshly-baked egg tart!¡± At the same time, Emily jumped at me. But when the egg tart flew in, Emily instantly stepped on the wall and turned around to catch it! That mind-blowing athletic ability of hers! ¡°Thank you, Esco!¡± I turned around the corner and completely left my pursuers out. But if I keep running in this long hallway, I¡¯ll eventually get caught again! Looking around, I decided to hide in the library. ¡°Where did she disappear to?¡± ¡°Emily! How could you get distracted by an egg tart?¡± ¡°Marin¡¯s gone!¡± My heart was still racing fast as I leaned against the library door, listening to their conversation outside. ¡°Did she perhaps went inside the library?¡± V-Violet! Why are you only so sharp at times like this? Use that sense when you study! ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Marilyn hates books. Even if she¡¯s being pursued, there¡¯s no way she would hide inside the library.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Marin always tells me not to go to the library and not to approach the guy who¡¯s always in there.¡± Guys, I avoided coming to the library because of Sio, not because I hated books! And Lara, I didn¡¯t even tell you to avoid Sio¡­ ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not in there.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Everyone was about to leave the library when they heard Hailey¡¯s voice. ¡°You guys don¡¯t need this to know, so I won¡¯t tell you, but let me just tell you that the library is one of the places that Sibel often goes! If Marilyn Launer is found to be hiding in the library now¡­ then their relationship is definitely more suspicious now.¡± You said you wouldn¡¯t tell them, but you just told them everything¡­ ¡°All right, let¡¯s do a search.¡± I could feel the door slightly opening at Violet¡¯s words in which I hurriedly blocked with all my strength. Rattle! Rattle! ¡°Strange, the door won¡¯t open.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the library always open?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try opening it together.¡± Clatter! I can¡¯t back down like this. Even though I¡¯m already sweating profusely from blocking the door, I can never back down! I know so well that if the door opens like this, I¡¯ll be tortured by these girls! ¡°You guys are so weak. Get out of the way.¡± Damn it! Emily finally stepped up! ¡°Let¡¯s just give up on the library. I think the door is locked.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s locked, then we can just break it.¡± If something breaks somewhere in this academy, I¡¯m sure the professors suspect you immediately even if you weren¡¯t there on the scene of the crime¡­ ¡°And my gut tells me that this is not locked. Someone¡¯s blocking it.¡± ¡­Was Emily always this sharp? ¡°There¡¯s only one person I can think of other than me who can block the door with such strength.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡± I can feel it¡­ Emily¡¯s getting close! What to do? I can¡¯t beat her! I was all alone in a cold sweat. Mindful of Emily and the other girls beyond the door, I didn¡¯t even notice the presence that was approaching me. ¡°¡­Step aside.¡± I heard a man¡¯s voice from behind and turned around¡­ ¡°Sio Owens?¡± Sio was standing there. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Forgetting that Emily was about to open the door now, I made way for Sio and hurriedly hid behind the bookshelf closest to the door. Bang! The door, which had not been locked, opened with a booming sound. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not Marilyn.¡± Although Sibel is her favorite among B4, Hailey still came forward with a shy look as Sio was also a member of the B4. ¡°Excuse me, Sio. Did a red-haired girl come inside here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sio shook his head instead of answering. The girls questioned him further because they didn¡¯t believe him, but he just shook his head every time. You really don¡¯t say a word to other people¡­ it¡¯s understandable why many people misunderstood you for not talking at all. Is saying ¡®no¡¯ to me already you being nice to me? ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s really in here.¡± ¡°See. Marilyn won¡¯t hide in the library, no matter how desperate she is.¡± I¡¯ve never read a book ever since I came to this world because I was so busy with all the things happening, but I read a lot of books when I was in Korea, you know?! ¡°Sigh¡­ One must read a lot to become a great person like me.¡± Natalie, all you just read were romance novels! I know you secretly bring an R-18 book with you back to the dorm every time you went out¡­ You traitors! Anyway, thanks to Sio, those girls left the library without doubt. I never thought I¡¯d be helped by Sio Owens¡­ ¡°Huu¡­ thank you, you saved my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can I stay here for a while?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sio did not answer. In fact, I didn¡¯t even need an answer. Even if he¡¯s the chairman¡¯s son, the whole library in the academy isn¡¯t his. So I thought it would be much better to just stay in the library than go out and be chased by them. It¡¯s all because of that Sibel Nouma Khan! The title of a book on the bookshelf suddenly caught my eye. ¡­Is this a sign from the heavens to read a book now after? How in the world did I come across a book that I need by chance like this? I should borrow this book! But isn¡¯t the book next to it also good? I should borrow this too! And this! It was actually my first time in the library alone ever since I warned Lariensa to avoid Sio Owens, the last member of B4. For that reason, the library bookshelves that I saw for the first time were overflowing with books worth reading. ¡°¡­You.¡± With my arms full of books, someone called unto me. It was Sio. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you two were close.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With Sibel?¡± Sio nodded. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± You brought the topic up first. So what do you want to ask?! As of this moment, I can feel how amazing Lariensa is in the novel for actively approaching Sio despite him being like this¡­ As expected, my Lara is amazing! ¡°¡­harassing¡­¡± ¡°Sibel, to me?¡± Sio nodded again. Ugh! So frustrating! I¡¯ll look for a book on how to have a proper conversation with a taciturn person later. ¡°You¡¯re asking if Sibel is harassing me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, is it because those girls were chasing after me?¡± Of course, it was really his fault why I¡¯m being chased by them right now. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So why harass you?¡± I think he¡¯s asking why Sibel, who¡¯s supposedly my friend, makes me be chased around like this. Although they¡¯ve known each other for a longer time than I do, there may be parts of him that he still doesn¡¯t know because he¡¯s not that close to him. ¡°Because Sibel is a yandere.¡± [T/N: Yandere is a person who will go to near-extreme to extreme lengths to be in or deepen a desired relationship, whether it be romantic, platonic, familial, etc (Urban Dictionary: Yandere, 2019)] Such characteristic of Sibel is enough to turn into a degenerate novel. If it weren¡¯t for Sibel, I¡¯d surely have a happy academy life by now. ¡°The heck¡­¡± You really don¡¯t speak more than two words that much, do you? ¡°He¡¯s like this¡­ ¡°if you don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯ll break you down and make you only see me!¡± that kind of guy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do you not understand?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wrong?¡± Sio nodded. Ohh, look at this guy? I¡¯ve never liked how Sibel was so hooked on me but seeing that determined tone of Sio made me feel better. ¡°You might not know, but Sibel really really likes me, you know?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not lying!¡± ¡°So sad.¡± ¡°You, really!¡± Looking at his expression, he certainly doesn¡¯t mean to tease me, but he rarely keeps his mouth open for a long time. ¡°That guy¡­ he enjoys seeing people suffer.¡± Oh my! I still can¡¯t get used to the fact that he¡¯s opening his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to like someone.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You never know what the future holds.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to cover for Sibel. But even in the original story, Sibel loved Lariensa. Although, he used violent methods to attain it. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to die.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll suffer.¡± ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, but I¡¯m not going to suffer. I then pointed to the thick books on the desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to study hard from now on, and I¡¯m no amateur, you know?¡± I¡¯ve read almost all types of fictional novels including those who have a scum as the main character in my time back then! Sibel was the worst, but I have various indirect experiences with all sorts of psycho male characters in my arsenal! Other people might think it¡¯s not best to rewrite the story, but I have no other option here. Either I rewrite it or reject him directly. Although there are two options, rejecting him would definitely make me tread on the death route! ¡°That¡¯s right, Sio. Is it true that Sibel went inside the haunted house during the festival to look for you?¡± The haunted house where I talked with Sio for the first time¡­ I was supposed to find Sibel in there. It was uncomfortable running into him in such a place. Sure enough, Sio¡¯s complexion grew dark. ¡°Since there¡¯s a festival, it¡¯s so noisy¡­¡± ¡°So you went inside the haunted house to sleep quietly?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This time, he nodded. ¡°So Sibel went there to look for you?¡± He nodded again. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Now, he was just silent. Okay, I¡¯ll give you a nickname. From now on, Sio, you are Mr. Nodder! Well, let me think about it. Why did Sibel bother to search for Mr. Nodder in the original story? Hmmm¡­ I can¡¯t think of any reason. I guess I won¡¯t know unless something is revealed. In the novel, nothing was known or revealed about Sibel¡¯s past. ¡­That¡¯s right, I need to know more about Sibel. ¡°Sio¡­ Perhaps, do you know¨C¡­¡± But before I finished talking¡­ Bang! ¡°Found her.¡± ¡°I was right to search again in here!¡± My friends and other members of the Sisamo suddenly came in. ¡°Hey, guys¡­ wait a minute!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. Get her out!¡± I still wanted to ask him something! However, Sio couldn¡¯t now help me this time. So he just stared at me leaning on the bookshelf as I was being dragged out by the people around me. ¡­And what I experienced on that day was pure hell. ¡°SAVE ME!!!¡± This is all because of that bastard! £ª £ª £ª ¡°You only appear when I say good things to you, Sibel Nouma!¡± Tortured harshly by my friends and the Sisamo, I went looking for Sibel with my hair in a mess. If you¡¯re still angry about something, talk to me then. Hit me in the back of my head like this! ¡°You bastard! Come out right now!¡± This black-hearted guy always looks down at everything from above. I have a feeling that he¡¯s looking at me from the rooftop¡­ Flip! I turned my head to the clock tower. And there I could see Sibel Nouma Khan smiling and waving at me. ¡°You¡­ stay where you are!¡± After pointing my finger at him at the clock tower, I ran to the clock tower with a runny nose. I¡¯ve always thought about this¡­ but climbing the clock tower is so hard! I¡¯ll run out of energy first before I can take revenge on him¡­ ¡°UGHHHH¡­!¡± Before, I would have gone up to the top even if it was hard, but now I was very tired after being tortured earlier. From my neck to my armpits to the soles of my feet! It¡¯s like there¡¯s a bug crawling around me from their tickling¡­ EUUUGH! Just imagining it is terrifying. In addition, they were filming an eating show in front of me¡­ Where the heck did these students get chicken and pork when it¡¯s not even lunchtime? I almost died of the smell. In the end, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. When I was about to take my last step, I slipped and slowly fell down. Thud. Someone lightly touched the back of my head on the floor. As I struggled to raise my head, this damn Sibel was looking down at me. ¡°You look so pretty.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks for the compliment.¡± I came here to argue with him because I was angry, but I just used up all my energy to climb the stairs. Lying down and looking up at Sibel, I noticed this wicked guy¡¯s hair was trimmed neatly. He then withdraws his hand in an exaggerated manner as if he had realized something. ¡°Is this also considered sexual assault?¡± He really holds grudges for a long time¡­ ¡°You wicked¡­¡± ¡°You have to say good things. I kept my promise.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You told me that if ever I felt upset, I should just talk to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I just vented it to you.¡± How can you say such a cruel thing with an angelic smile? Don¡¯t be fooled, members of the Sisamo! ¡®We will never give our handsome, sweet, and kind-hearted Sibel to you!¡¯ I admit that he¡¯s handsome, but is he sweet and kind to everyone? You guys are being fooled! ¡°Guess what I¡¯m upset about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still angry at me going on a date with someone I just meet at my first matchmaking party?¡± Sibel, who had his hand on his chin, smiled softly with his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s one thing. However, I¡¯m upset because Lycan does not need to pretend not to know you in front of other people, and also Sio. I¡¯m the only one who gets treated differently as if I¡¯m a patient with an infectious disease that you don¡¯t even want to get touched by me.¡± Although he¡¯s smiling like an angel, let¡¯s not forget guys. That¡¯s the look Sibel makes when he¡¯s really angry! ¡°How do you know I talked to Mr. Nodder?¡± ¡°Mr. Nodder? Ahh, that¡¯s a good nickname for such a stupid guy like him.¡± I thought it was a cute nickname. It sounds like a curse when Sibel says it¡­ maybe I¡¯ll just keep that myself. ¡°The bottom line is, you want me to talk to you openly in front of others, so you did that?¡± ¡°Now that you understand, it¡¯s worth the long explanation.¡± ¡°So are you going to talk to me in front of other people from now on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll be continuously harassed by my friends and members of the Sisamo every time because of it.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just remain the status quo ¨C pretending not to know each other just like before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can continue pretending when I already know you well.¡± ¡°Then what about those girls from the Sisamo?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll just have to handle it.¡± ¡°You are so¡­!¡± The devil inside me whispered, Let¡¯s just close our eyes and hit Sibel hard. I¡¯d rather go to the death route with peace of mind rather than be so frustrated by the current situation! But the angel inside me dissuaded it. Don¡¯t do that, Marilyn! You still don¡¯t know Sibel? Think of the novel. If you understand Sibel¡¯s character well, you¡¯ll be able to solve this problem smoothly.