Chapter 70

On the way back to Jerion Academy in a carriage.

Iris tilted her head while looking at me.

As a result, her long black hair flowed down.

“Hanon, you look even more tired than before your vacation.”

“Really?”

Last night was a hassle with Isabel, and this morning was filled with Hanon’s troubles.

Maybe that’s why I unknowingly accumulated fatigue.

“Lie down here.”

Iris offered her lap as a cushion, patting her knee.

I’ve felt it before, but Iris completely treated me like a younger sibling.

“Well…”

Iris was the youngest in the royal family.

It looked like she secretly wished she had a younger sibling.

“Seems like she’s showering me with all the affection she wanted to give her little sibling.”

From this perspective, Iris was just an ordinary 17-year-old girl.

The issue was, even if I wanted to comply with her wishes—

“What are you doing? Iris says to lie down!”

The glance from Hania next to me was frightening.

But I couldn’t ignore Iris’s words.

In the end, I rested my head on Iris’s thigh.

The softness of her thigh felt nice against my head.

Though I wondered if this was really alright…

Iris gently stroked my hair.

‘Feels nice.’

I decided to stay as I was.

And then I fell asleep.

Perhaps Iris’s thighs contained immense magical power.

If they were distributed nationwide, insomnia would vanish from existence.

With such thoughts, I opened the dormitory door, feeling like I had returned from a long journey.

Once inside the dormitory, I stretched widely.

“Well then.”

I dropped my luggage and turned around.

There were about eight days left of summer vacation.

During these eight days, I planned to prepare for Act 4.

The first thing I needed to do was—

‘Just once, to get the audience president to agree to anything.’

I had to achieve the event conditions.

Finding the secret the president wanted to keep.

Let’s get started!

* * *

During the summer vacation period.

Vacation, as we know, flies by in the blink of an eye.

Students returning from vacation were all dragging their tired bodies back.

Thinking about having to go back to the long, endless academy life made everyone already look worn out.

And among them, there was one person whose exhaustion stood out more than the others.

‘Heh, I feel like I’m going to die.’

With his bronze skin and golden hair.

His big physique exuded masculinity.

His name was Card Velik.

He was the famous ladykiller of Jerion Academy.

Most girls who were renowned in school had probably encountered him at some point.

Card’s notorious reputation was profoundly spread across Jerion Academy.

Yet, he often received confessions from women, proving he was a natural troublemaker.

But the reality was different.

He belonged to the Shadow Knights of the neighboring country, the Kingdom of Panisis.

His true identity was that of a spy who entered Jerion Academy while hiding his status as a citizen of the empire.

He had two assigned missions.

One was to observe and report on talents who would become the empire’s assets.

Two was to scout for talented individuals for the Kingdom of Panisis.

‘Why would people living in a better empire want to be scouted for a kingdom, anyway?’

Even so, he carried out his spy duties diligently.

Among them, Card had chosen to seduce the daughters of key officials in the empire.

Unknowingly, the daughters often let slip countless bits of information that their fathers or mothers had dropped.

With their immaturity, they easily fell for Card’s cunning charm and spilled secrets.

So, Card flitted between various women, extracting information about the empire.

Yet, he didn’t end up dating anyone, making the angry women throw shade at him.

But Card understood human psychology well.

He knew that, while others might ignore him, they wouldn’t do that to him specifically.

Thanks to that strange expectation, even women who had overlooked him occasionally fell for him.

Moreover, Card had an incredible knack for spotting just those types of women.

Card had a natural talent for seeing through people.

The problem was, while conducting these spy activities, he also needed to maintain decent grades at Jerion Academy.

For Card, that was a death sentence in many ways.

This summer vacation, similarly, he had no time to rest.

He had been observing the imperial dynamics and even stopped by the Kingdom of Panisis.

Thanks to this, Card’s stamina was completely drained.

‘Just kill me. Just do it.’

With that thought, he lifted his head and saw kids chatting in the dorm hallway.

They were eagerly bragging about what they did during their vacation.

Seeing their carefree attitudes made Card smirk bitterly.

While some enjoyed their vacations and lived happily at the same age, here he was, having worked through his break without even going home.

It was truly an unfair life.

‘That girl he liked…’

Card felt a fleeting twinge of jealousy.

But soon shrugged off that thought.

He was the kind of guy who stayed clear of taken women.

Otherwise, he’d end up with a knife in his back at the academy.

“Did you hear? They say there’s a ghost in the dormitory.”

“Nah, that can’t be true.”

“It’s real! Apparently, it showed up at the swimming pool at night.”

As Card passed by the kids’ trivial chatter, he opened his dorm room door.

He needed to rest a bit before tomorrow arrived.

Just then, he spotted a guest who had arrived before him in the room.

Hanon Irey.

He was the only boy who Card couldn’t decipher, despite being good at reading people.

The problem was, right now, Hanon was sprawled out across the floor, casting shadows all over.

Moreover, he was covered in dust, as if he had been through a war.

“Wang Non?”

“Oh, Card.”

Hanon carelessly threw aside his dust-laden clothes and pulled out a fresh outfit.

He was wearing a pendant that Card hadn’t seen before.

The small, sword-shaped pendant looked quite expensive.

To Card, Hanon seemed like someone who never took a break.

What on earth could be keeping him so busy?

He was always rushing about at the academy, then after classes, he would shuffle into the dorm and study into the night.

Even for Card, Hanon was following an insane schedule.

Yet now, Hanon neither looked like he rested during the break.

“Wang Non, what on earth did you do during the vacation that you look like that?”

Upon hearing Card’s question, Hanon turned to him.

His eyes seemed to penetrate Card deeply.

Even though the talent for reading people belonged to Card, when Hanon looked at him that way, it felt weird.

“Just… kind of busy. You look pretty busy too, Card.”

Was this guy possibly a spy too?

Card thought that briefly, laughing softly.

“Seems so. We’re in the same boat, it seems.”

“Right?”

Hanon wasn’t one to pry into things.

Perhaps that’s why he didn’t seem to need to come up with lies about what he did during the break.

“Since we have to go back to the academy tomorrow, I should take it easy today.”

“Agreed.”

Card nodded in agreement with Hanon and plopped down onto the bed.

He felt relieved to share a room with Hanon once again.

* * *

Second year, second semester.

As Act 4, Scene 1 begins.

Once again, today I finished morning training with Aisha without fail.

“Senior, it looks like you’ve been training steadily even while I was away.”

“Of course. If I don’t train now, I feel like my body will be restless.”

Aisha, my training partner, brightened up at my words.

“As expected of you, Senior. I’m very proud to have you as my training mate.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Aisha.”

We exchanged smiles, blossoming with the strong friendship we shared as training mates.

“Speaking of which, what did you do during vacation, Aisha?”

“I went back to my family home.”

Aisha had visited the Countess of Bizbel in the north.

Called the warrior nation of the north, Bizbel was where Aisha had gone.

“I trained again after seeing my sister and brothers after a long time. I’m much stronger now.”

Aisha had become even more dependable.

“You’ll be coming along for the next Magung Battle, right, Senior?”

Last summer during the Magung Battle, I had informed my team beforehand that due to circumstances, I would have different members this time.

So it was only natural Aisha wanted to join me next time.

A smile stretched across my lips.

“Sure, we’ll go together next time.”

This upcoming fall Magung Battle was in preparation for the winter battle.

I also planned to actively participate in the Magung.

After finishing my training with Aisha, I returned to the dorm and quickly washed up.

Then I changed into my uniform and set off.

For now, I had to keep up the pretense of a relationship with Hania.

It was a bit annoying, but for a while, it’d be better to stay by Iris’s side.

It wasn’t all bad for me either.

‘Besides, it’s about time that kids with some rebellious spirit towards the student council start making their moves.’

The students’ protest in Act 4, Scene 1 was just around the corner.

And the one inciting the commotion from behind the scenes would be Iris.

Having received orders from the Duke of Robliju to take over the student council, she would surely execute it.

As I arrived in front of the girls’ dormitory, I saw students busily moving about for the second semester.

A few students cast glances my way, but I didn’t pay them any mind.

“You’re early.”

After waiting a bit longer, Hania finally appeared.

“I was doing morning training, as usual. What about you, Iris?”

“She’ll be out soon.”

Hania sighed lightly as she said this.

Not long after, Iris came walking out.

Unlike her usual sleepy self in the mornings.

Today, she didn’t seem drowsy at all.

‘Looks like she stayed up all night.’

When Iris didn’t sleep at all, it was usually when she was given orders from the Duke of Robliju.

She must have received orders to take over the student council by the start of the second semester.

“Good morning, Iris.”

As I greeted her, Iris looked at me.

She fluttered her black hair and suddenly reached out both hands towards me.

Startled, I instinctively took two steps back.

Iris blinked with her outstretched arms.

Realizing the action she was about to take, she curled her hands into fists and withdrew them.

Throughout the academy vacation, I had often been called upon to help Iris with her sleep.

Because of this, she had developed a habit of wanting to hug me whenever we met.

Especially today, when she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.

Her body craved rest, and she was probably reminiscing about the stuffed toy she hugged during sleep.

“Iris, at the academy, I’m your boyfriend.”

Hania held my hand and flashed a bright smile.

Realizing her blunder, Iris slowly lowered her hands.

Even so, she gazed at me with a look that seemed immensely disappointed.

It was like a puppy deprived of its favorite toy.

It just wouldn’t do.

No matter what, hugging Iris in front of the students would be irreversible.

“Hey, everyone, good morning.”

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out.

I never expected to hear it in front of the dormitory.

As I turned my head, there stood Isabel.

Wearing a bright smile, she was accompanied by the sleepy Sharine.

“Good morning to you too.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Since I hadn’t anticipated a morning greeting from Isabel, I answered somewhat absentmindedly.

Then I noticed the three of us standing there silently, making Isabel tilt her head.

“If we keep standing here, we’ll be late for the academy. Aren’t we leaving?”

Hania blinked and tilted her head.

“Isabel, shall we go together?”

“Sure, is that okay?”

“It’s not like it can’t happen.”

Hania glanced at me sidelong.

It was well known that Isabel and I had a rivalry.

Despite my presence, she wanted to walk to school together, which felt odd.

“Oh, it’s fine. I heard about the situation last time.”

Hania’s eyebrows twitched.

As she shot me a look, I shrugged as if to say there was nothing I could do.

“So you don’t have to worry about it.”

Hania exchanged glances between Isabel and me.

“It’s not that you shouldn’t worry, but…”

Hania looked like she had much to say.

But Isabel was right; if we delayed any longer, we’d be late.

“Alright, then let’s go.”

And so we began our journey to the academy.

Iris, Hania, Isabel, Sharine.

And me.

The problem was all but Sharine looked at me with strange eyes.

…What a weird combination.