Chapter 52

“Sharine Sazarith.”

When I ran into her in the hallway, I froze in place.

“What are you doing here?”

Sharine narrowed her eyes. We had managed to build a somewhat friendly relationship amidst everything that had happened, but that didn’t change the fact that…

A guy dressed as a girl sneaking into the girls’ dormitory was hardly going to be taken lightly.

So I was at a loss for words. No matter what I said here, it would just be a flimsy excuse.

In truth, the only one who could save me right now was Iris.

Maybe because I was silent, Sharine stared at me for a moment before exhaling softly.

“What’s going on?”

Sharine asked in a languid tone.

Hearing those words, my eyes widened.

Here I was, dressed like a girl and sneaking into the girls’ dormitory, and instead of scolding me, she wanted to check on me first?

“…Sharine, are you an angel?”

“So you finally figured it out!”

Sharine puffed her chest out a bit with pride. She was more compassionate than I expected.

“Honestly, it’s not like that.”

“She’s hiding something again!”

Just then, the voices of other girls echoed down the hallway. Hearing them, Sharine walked over to me.

“I’ll listen inside.”

There was no point in showing them I was chatting with others.

Sharine kicked off her shoes as she entered Hania and Iris’s room, plopping down on a chair barefoot.

Why does she never wear socks?

She looked more relaxed than someone in a room that isn’t her own should be.

“So, what’s with that getup?”

Now that I was caught, hiding wouldn’t do any good. Sitting opposite to Sharine, I laid out the rough situation.

“It’s to protect Lady Iris.”

Of course, I glossed over the whole Nikita affair.

Sharine didn’t pry further, either. She understood that there were things I simply couldn’t explain.

From the beginning, I was suspicious in her eyes anyway. Nothing was particularly surprising now.

“So that’s why you didn’t let me join your team?”

For this summer’s Magung team, I had caused a stir during the last Magic Arts class, and as a result, the other students wouldn’t let us participate. This is why Sharine was willing to join our team.

But this time, I had to decline.

With me absent, putting in Sharine would only draw attention and likely blow my cover.

So I had warned the team members that the one who would be joining was not really me. But I hadn’t mentioned it to Sharine, who wasn’t even part of the team.

“Do the Hanoan team members know?”

“I didn’t explain it specifically, but they know it’s not me. They’re all good at understanding things like that.”

It was a bit annoying that Seron kept wanting to know the reason, but I managed to distract him with some snacks.

“So they got the scoop while you kept it from me, huh?”

For some reason, her tone was sharp.

“…Sharine, are you mad?”

As I asked cautiously, Sharine smiled, looking like her usual self.

“Nope.”

Oh, she was mad.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this. I just thought it wouldn’t be good to blab to everyone.”

Sharine stared at my face, her gaze heavy.

It was pretty uncomfortable.

“I just thought it would be a bit funny to see Hanon in a skirt.”

Sharine’s lips curled up teasingly. She seemed like she’d never let this go.

What a sadistic sense of humor.

“But it’s especially Hania.”

Sharine looked like she had something on her mind.

“What? Is there something with Hania?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. Should I say there is, or is there not?”

I didn’t know what it was, but it felt very ominous.

“I need to stay like this until tomorrow. So tell me what it is.”

It seemed like Sharine finally decided to let me in on the secret.

“Recently, Hania has been targeted by a stalker.”

Wait, what?

＊＊＊

A stalker.

It’s a crime that causes anxiety and fear by following someone without justifiable reason.

Of course, to the victim, it’s a highly unpleasant act.

Looks like Hania is going through just that.

“…Who’s stupid enough to do that?”

I mention Hania is the top student of the Martial Arts Department.

And she’s the daughter of the commander of the knights.

Easily capable of sending someone to the ground if she sets her mind to it.

“You know, not every situation can be solved by brute force.”

“That may be true, but I don’t see Hania sitting around while she’s being stalked either.”

As I have seen earlier, Hania wouldn’t just sit idle if she were being stalked.

If she wanted to lie down and wallow, she would have done it long ago.

“I haven’t heard too many details. I just caught Isabel talking about it.”

Well, that makes sense since Sharine doesn’t have that many close friends. She probably hadn’t heard it directly from Hania, so it must have come from Isabel.

I figured Hania could solve this on her own.

“The problem is, right now, I’m Hania.”

So I’m going to be stalked for the next two days?

“Hmm, that’s why I told you.”

“Is that a problem?”

Today, I’ve already wrapped up my affairs at the academy and plan to stay in my room. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Magung all day anyway.

Once I’m back to my original self, the stalker won’t have time to follow me.

“You never know…”

Sharine merely mentioned it as a caution. She didn’t seem particularly worried.

After all, I’m not the one being stalked.

I have no real reason to be concerned.

“I hope it doesn’t turn into a mess.”

One thing that did bother me was why Hania hadn’t resolved this stalker issue sooner.

‘Is there some reason she hasn’t?’

As I mulled over the butterfly effect, I recalled that Hania was a supporting character around Iris.

Her martial arts skills were certainly impressive. Overall, she was a balanced character.

But as Lucas came into the picture, she ultimately ended up losing her top spot.

‘She had her fair share of popularity due to her looks and being the hopeless romantic for Iris.’

Yet, like most supporting characters, Hania’s information was limited.

Plus, later on, when she ended up being injured while hanging around Iris, her role started to dwindle.

‘I can’t think of anything that pops up.’

I just didn’t know.

Creek-

At that moment, the door swung open.

“Ugh.”

Iris had just finished bathing and was back. She was drying her hair with a towel when she noticed me.

She sensed my presence and turned her head, catching sight of Sharine.

Iris tilted her head slowly and then looked back at me.

“It’s our room, you know? Try not to bring your girlfriend over too often.”

Girlfriend, huh?

“That’s a misunderstanding. I brought her in to explain my situation since it got blown out of the water.”

Hastily, I rushed to clarify before it became more awkward. In response, Sharine covered her mouth in shock.

“How could you?! I thought Hanon was genuinely into me!”

She better change her blank face when she talks.

“You better take responsibility.”

Iris chimed in, keeping up the banter.

Stuck between these two, I quietly swallowed my frustration.

The top students of the Martial Arts and Magic Arts were giving me a hard time.

One day, I will take my revenge on both of them.

Grrroooowl-

Just then, my stomach growled, reminding me of the hunger I had briefly forgotten while talking to Sharine.

“Hania doesn’t make those kinds of sounds.”

Iris pointed out my gut’s hazard warning.

Hey, this isn’t something I can control!

＊ ＊ ＊

After suffering through dinner with Sharine and Iris, the next day, I woke up stretching vigorously.

‘I’m so tired.’

Must be because I’m not sleeping in my usual bed.

I guess I was a bit too tense to sleep well.

‘I wonder if things are alright on their side.’

I had filled my roommate Card in on the situation with Hania.

‘Card isn’t the type to cross boundaries.’

He wouldn’t be foolish enough to mess with the commander’s daughter.

“Ugh.”

As I turned, I spotted Iris fidgeting in bed.

She was all snuggled up and showed no sign of wanting to get out from under the covers.

Only her long black hair peeked out like a rebellious child.

Iris hadn’t been able to sleep until late last night.

She had been sitting at the window lost in thought until the wee hours.

Being an insomniac, she struggled to fall asleep easily.

Maybe that’s why Iris was terrible in the mornings.

She would sometimes spend sleepless nights and occasionally, wake up almost late for class because she stayed up too late.

Hania was typically responsible for waking her up.

On Iris’s desk, I spotted the honey tea I had recommended long ago.

Along with that, a beautiful candle that left a calming aroma while it extinguished.

Looks like she was trying various methods to sleep based on my advice.

“Lady Iris, it’s morning.”

Today, I was Hania.

So, I moved closer to Iris’s bed to call her gently.

But Iris showed no signs of getting up.

Knowing her struggles with insomnia made me want to let her sleep a bit longer.

But today was the day of the summer Magung.

Letting her sleep could lead to trouble.

“Lady Iris, you really need to wake up.”

Reluctantly, I pulled down the covers, exposing Iris’s pale face.

Long eyelashes and rose-tinted lips.

And the dark shadows under her eyes gave off a somehow alluring appearance.

How is it that her unique charm shines even while she sleeps?

She was truly breathtaking.

And the fact that she wasn’t in her usual uniform but in relaxed sleepwear made it hard to look away.

Even if knights came bursting in, I wouldn’t have the words to argue.

“Lady Iris…”

At that moment, I felt a grip on my wrist.

Turning my head, I found Iris’s hand firmly clasping my wrist.

My instincts kicked in.

Pull away now.

Strength surged through me in an instant.

It was time to show off my hard work training.

Yet, I was pulled closer instead.

The wall that was Iris, the strongest royalty, was far too tall.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break free unless Iris released me.

As I was caught in this situation, Iris slowly opened her eyes.

She stared at me with sleepy eyes, then gently smiled.

“Good morning…”

Thank goodness I became a girl at that moment.

If I had still been a guy, things would have been awkward in so many ways.

Just then, Iris began to close her eyes again, as if ready to drift back to sleep.

This was where I draw the line.

“Lady Iris.”

I raised my hand respectfully.

“Just let me see you once.”

And I lightly gave her forehead a playful poke to wake her up.