Chapter 201

“Hmm·····”

Grace had nestled against me, and not even ten minutes had passed before she completely drifted off to sleep.

Her breathing was steady, and her heartbeat had noticeably slowed. It was the sign of deep slumber.

It might seem odd to fall into a deep sleep in just ten minutes, but if one is completely relaxed, it’s entirely possible.

This means that Grace was incredibly tense as well. After all, it must be her first time sleeping in the same bed as a man.

‘Maybe it’s because I patted her back, she’s sleeping well.’

When Grace clung to me, I was a bit flustered.

She was so close it felt like she wouldn’t let go, which was quite dizzying for me.

She had just bathed and smelled lovely, making it all strangely awkward.

The problem was, her body was definitely not that of a child. It was quite bothersome, to say the least.

‘Well, Grace does have a nice figure.’

I shook off those pointless thoughts and tried to quietly slip away.

There was no way I could remain lying in bed any longer, especially since Grace was completely submerged in sleep.

“Uuung······”

Or maybe not. Just as I tried to escape, Grace tightened her grip on my arm.

Trying to gently shake off her hand was pointless. By the time I finally broke free, her arm was flailing in the air.

Seeing her aimlessly waving in the air was so pitiful that I couldn’t help but return.

In the end, I used a pillow to cover up for her.

“Mmnya······ Hehe.”

Grace mistook the pillow for me and gave a sweet smile. She seemed to be having a nice dream.

Normally, she always wore a proud, haughty expression, so seeing her like this was a first.

Her smile felt pure, as if she was holding onto a small fairy tale in her heart.

‘Such a good person······’

If I hadn’t helped her, Grace would have been lost forever.

She would have been impossible to revive, both personally and socially. It was the same even in the Soul World.

Maybe that’s why I felt a bit regretful for not having dealt with Delphoi more thoroughly. I may have made sure he couldn’t act like a man for the rest of his life, but it wasn’t enough.

He shouldn’t just have been deprived of his masculinity; I should have made his life as a human impossible. Should I have even ripped out his tongue like a madman?

‘Well, now there’s no one bothering me.’

I gently patted Grace’s head as she slept peacefully and decided to move to another spot.

After all, I didn’t need sleep. I planned on stepping out to get some fresh air on the balcony.

Even if it’s a mansion, the balcony is quite spacious due to it being part of the Academy layout. Just as I stepped onto the balcony,

“Hmm? You.”

“?”

A familiar voice came from beside me. I turned my head to look.

Standing on the next balcony was Danyerin. She held a pipe in one hand, and her characteristic updo was all let down.

It was dark all around, but there was a lantern lit on her balcony. Thus, I could see her face clearly.

“Did you come because you were bored? Or is there another reason?”

“Just to get some fresh air.”

“Fresh air? Hmm.”

Danyerin took the response and placed the pipe in her mouth. Come to think of it, she was a smoker.

As she seemed lost in thought, I took a closer look at her. Overall, she was wearing a nightgown that resembled a robe.

The colors were a clean combination of black and red, which couldn’t hide her body’s curves.

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

I asked Danyerin, who was smoking her pipe. She shrugged her shoulders and replied dignifiedly.

“I am not good at sleeping at night. I feel uneasy lying on a bed.”

“Uneasy?”

“Yeah. You never know when danger might strike. Since you grew up in the forest, you should get the feeling, right?”

I certainly did. Back in the day, I almost died from anxiety every time I tried to sleep.

Luckily, thanks to my Wilderness Instinct, my consciousness was always awake, allowing me to react instantly at any moment.

If it weren’t for that, I might not have made it through. In fact, I had escaped death a lot thanks to my Wilderness Instinct.

“I know how that feels.”

“Then you can empathize. Huh.”

Danyerin let out a deep puff of smoke, and a hazy fog wafted into the air.

Unlike regular cigarettes, pipe tobacco can be smoked longer. Usually, people smoke it for mental comfort.

“So, what’s it like?”

“Like what?”

“Living with a rational being. How does it feel?”

“Hmm······”

At that question, I turned around. Grace was buried in her pillow, rubbing her face against it.

It seemed that if I were there, things would’ve been quite difficult. I’m really glad I slipped away in time.

“It’s good.”

“In what way?”

“I’m not lonely.”

But besides that, Grace’s presence was of significant help.

Ever since I got hit with that not-quite-illness, I realized how lonely it was being alone.

When I lived in the forest, I was used to solitude. But as time passed and I started to meet people, I became aware of my loneliness.

Grace needs me, but I also gain a sense of security from her. That is an undeniable fact.

“Not lonely, huh······ that strikes a chord.”

“You’re not lonely either.”

“Are you talking about Yeohye? Haha.”

Speaking of Yeohye, Danyerin gave a dry laugh. As if it was ridiculous.

She glanced back and then offered a faint smile, one laced with regret.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“How much do you trust people?”

That’s quite a loaded question. It encapsulates Danyerin’s experience succinctly.

Trusting someone inherently means that she’s encountered a fair number of untrustworthy people.

I can distinguish between those I should trust and those I shouldn’t, but not everyone has that ability.

Especially Danyerin, with her political ambition, must have felt quite the stress.

“Only those I trust.”

“Only those you trust?”

“Yeah. I only trust those I believe in.”

“What if that person deceives you?”

“Then I’ll be deceived.”

“··· ···”

Danyerin blinked at my simple yet straightforward answer. She looked completely taken aback.

Then, as if finding it utterly ridiculous, she chuckled softly. A response of genuine amusement.

“That’s an interesting answer. What’s the reason behind it?”

“It’s bothersome.”

“Bothersome?”

“Yep.”

Once you start nitpicking about relationships, it becomes exhausting. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get close to Kara.

When I first met Kara, she was in a situation where she was despised as a barbarian. I knew that very well.

But I didn’t care and befriended her. I received the same kind of judgment, but I didn’t mind it.

At heart, Kara is kind. She’s not the type to betray anyone. If anything went wrong, it would likely have been my fault.

“Is it because you have no ties that you feel this way? That’s quite a comfort, I suppose.”

Danyerin said this as she puffed on the pipe. Then, with a hint of jealousy in her voice, she said,

“That makes me envious. To have nothing means you can trust anyone.”

“That’s not true.”

“Not true?”

“I don’t trust just anyone.”

I definitely don’t trust everyone. I only trust those I can.

There are people among my classmates who approach me. Sometimes, they invite me to hang out.

Of course, I’ve flatly refused every single offer. I instinctively sensed there was something off about them.

“How do you know that? It’s not easy.”

“Instinct?”

“Instinct, huh······ can I ask one more thing?”

Thud—

Danyerin knocked her pipe lightly and then glanced over her shoulder, her voice more cautious now.

“What do you think of my bodyguard?”

“Bodyguard?”

“Yeohye. Is she a trustworthy person?”

Without hesitation, I answered.

“No.”

At that, Danyerin’s expression noticeably hardened.

She’s probably thinking about it now. Whether Yeohye, assigned to her, is actually a trustworthy person.

But she is definitely not someone to trust. If the story unfolds as it should, Yeohye will one day threaten Danyerin’s life.

And it would happen rather soon. Simply put, she’s a spy planted by higher-ups.

“······It hasn’t even been a week since I came to the Academy. And you say Yeohye isn’t trustworthy?”

“Yep.”

“On what basis?”

“None.”

There isn’t really any basis. I just know what the future holds.

That’s why I can say it outright. Whether Danyerin believes me or not is entirely her business.

It’s indeed a puzzling situation for Danyerin, as she came to the Academy to unwind but can’t seem to relax. Yet, she’s unlikely to abandon her ambitions.

“It’s contradictory to say that without basis, yet it’s concerning. Especially when I look at those around you.”

“··· ···”

“I should take this opportunity to investigate your instincts. Whether or not it’s something one can truly trust.”

Danyerin smirked slightly, but it’s clear she had plenty to think about.

She had to gather intelligence about the Hwan Empire and withstand assassination threats. Clearly, it’s an environment where one cannot sleep peacefully.

“Then lastly······ Sivar.”

“Yep.”

“Do you consider me a trustworthy person?”

“Yep.”

Danyerin is a trustworthy person. Although there’s a fundamental distrust because of her circumstances, she’s like Kara.

At her core, she is fundamentally good and would never betray. However, depending on the story, her disposition can turn evil.

‘If I earned her trust and then betrayed her first.’

In that case, Danyerin would transform into a typical tyrant. Especially when she ascends to the throne, this trait becomes prominent.

She’s not just going to purge her siblings; she’ll overhaul all her ministers too.

And don’t even get me started on the players. She’ll hate them to the core, to the point of pouring out all her hatred for the world.

No, it goes beyond hate; she would loathe them.

“What on earth are you basing that statement on? How long has it been since you’ve seen me?”

“Drinks.”

“Huh?”

“We drank together.”

Danyerin had a blank stare at my response. She honestly looked completely surprised.

Of course, this alone wouldn’t suffice. I didn’t really have anything in mind, so it was a bit of a shot in the dark.

Still, since we shared drinks, it should count, right? Plus, I got to hear Danyerin’s refreshing complaints too.

“······Haha.”

After a while of making a dumb face, Danyerin broke into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

Not just any laugh, but a burst of delightful laughter. She shook her head with glee.

After quite some laughter, Danyerin finally looked up to meet my gaze. Her face was filled with joy.

Seeing her wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, it seemed she genuinely had a good laugh.

“Hehe. This is fun. Really fun. I can’t believe how far off my expectations were······ completely unpredictable.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“It’s been a long time since something’s been this enjoyable. I think I’m starting to understand why you’re so captivating.”

Well, Rod’s in trouble because of my antics, and he might need a disguise potion soon.

Rod said before that his withdrawal symptoms have improved, but his stomach is starting to hurt.

Even Dan, a demon facade, managed to provide decent herbs.

“I think I can sleep well tonight. Oh, do you remember what I said before?”

“What?”

“The promise to have a drink. I need booze to sleep soundly. Can we push it to tomorrow since it’s a bit much for today?”

“If Grace is still asleep.”

Having a drink while Grace is awake seems troubling. That feeling washed over me.

Danyerin, hearing my response, wore a subtle smile and then spoke with strange intent.

“Drinking with another woman while leaving your girl behind······ sounds like cheating. Oh, do you know what cheating means?”

“I do.”

“Really? Just to clarify, this is absolutely not cheating. It’s merely camaraderie, got it?”

As long as it’s that, I nodded at her subtle plea.

Danyerin seemed satisfied with that, extinguishing the flame of her pipe. It looked like she was about to head to bed now.

“It was a refreshing conversation. I laughed heartily for the first time in a long while. In many ways, it feels like the heavy heart has lightened.”

“You should go to bed.”

“Yeah. It’s late, I need to sleep. You should head back in too.”

“Hmm······”

Hearing that, I looked ahead. More precisely, I gazed into the thick darkness below the mansion.

It was too dark to see anything, but I sensed a presence in the shadows.

“You go ahead.”

“And you?”

“I’m staying here for a bit.”

“Alright. Have a good night.”

Danyerin bid farewell and went back inside. I waited until I confirmed that she had entered before looking down.

The presence quietly reverted to the shadows as Danyerin entered. I had a pretty good idea of who it was.

‘Let’s wait for now.’

Since they only came to check, there’s no need to rush.

‘Oh, and isn’t smoking prohibited here?’

I’m not so sure. I’ll have to ask tomorrow.

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