Chapter 345

Recently, Danyerin’s mind had been getting increasingly restless.

Maybe that’s why she couldn’t sleep well at night and kept checking behind her every now and then.

All these worries sprouted from the whispers filling the air. Rumors that the Eastern Empire was on the brink of war.

To be honest, the talk of impending conflict had been a longstanding rumor. But lately, it had escalated to a whole new level.

‘The sight of those high-nosed noble families sending their kids to the Academy is quite a spectacle.’

First off, the children of renowned families were coming to the Academy as a way to escape. This added some credibility to the rumors.

Traditionally, the Eastern Empire doesn’t send students to the Academy unless they’re commoners. It’s due to a rather conservative mindset.

Why should they send their kids to the Academy when they already have their unique teachings? It’s a widespread sentiment.

Labeling the Eastern Empire as a land filled with mysteries also stems from this tendency. There’s almost nothing known about it, shrouding it in mystique.

But does that mean their national power is weak? Absolutely not! Their political strength goes without saying, and their military power is also quite formidable.

In fact, the average skill level of individuals is higher than that of the West. Conflicts between people, not monsters, happen frequently.

Moreover, due to the principle of no intervention among noble families, even the royal family refrains from meddling in their disputes.

The reasons are pretty clear-cut. There’s nothing to gain for the royal family by getting involved, and no noble would be foolish enough to provoke them.

After all, no matter how prestigious a family might be, they mean nothing against ‘the army,’ which is the pinnacle of human might. The royal family would rather ignore it than spill blood.

‘Looks like I need to be wary of everyone…’

Danyerin examined the list of new students written on a piece of paper. About half of the incoming students were from the Eastern Empire.

Half of them were from the Hwan Empire, and the other half from the Federation. Just looking at it made her feel anxious.

‘Lee Yeon-joo mentioned she would be in talks with the Federation, right?’

Danyerin tapped her pen against the list of those from the Federation. The busiest person right now had to be Lee Yeon-joo.

Just how busy could she be? She ends up napping on her desk during every single class. Her active hours are at night, not in the morning.

By night, Lee Yeon-joo morphs from a dazed student into a seasoned assassin. I couldn’t even express how shocked I was when I first witnessed that transformation.

‘At least it’s fortunate that our interests align.’

Under normal circumstances, Danyerin would also have been Lee Yeon-joo’s assassination target. But whether it was luck or fate, Sivar had come to her aid.

Not only that, but they also cleared up the misunderstandings between them and established common interests. When you think about it, Sivar has saved her life two times now.

‘If something like this happens just once more… it would surely be fate.’

Danyerin believed in fate. To be precise, she thought of it as a step beyond coincidence.

Once is coincidence, twice is a necessity, and from the third time onwards, it’s fate. Sivar had fulfilled the second stage.

In life-and-death situations, having someone come to rescue you at just the right moment? You just can’t help but believe that’s fate.

Thus, Danyerin always included Sivar in her plans. Although she would ask for his consent, their fates were intertwined by now.

‘Since Yeohye has returned, it’s likely that the royal family has gotten the news about Sivar. There are probably people watching him.’

Even though the relationship between the royal family and noble houses isn’t perfect, they unite when faced with foreign invasion.

So there’s no doubt that someone from the Hwan Empire is keeping an eye on Sivar. This is something she can be sure of.

‘But it might not mean much.’

Unexpectedly, Danyerin found out something she hadn’t anticipated. Sivar had become an assistant.

Now that he was an assistant, he would have more opportunities to interact with the first-year students, and vice versa.

Danyerin pondered. She had heard that Sivar was assigned to a class filled with noteworthy individuals.

Many of them were from prestigious noble families who need to be monitored closely. Danyerin was deep in thought as she looked over the list.

‘Not all noble families are loyal to the royal family. There are quite a few with grievances.’

Despite being nominally a civil war or rebellion, it’s essentially an independence war for the Federation. Their justification is much better.

The problem lies in how the Hwan Empire’s ability to control public opinion is beyond imagination. Even the rumors going around have nothing to do with rebellion, just independence!

Thus, the Federation would definitely spread their opinions at the Academy. The truths about the Hwan Empire’s atrocities and the forced annexation.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. With their eyes wide open and being foolish would mean certain doom; the Hwan Empire is far from that.

‘It’s giving me a headache.’

Danyerin pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. Politics is always complicated and a real pain in the neck.

The royal family and the noble houses are like a bag of spilled beans. The same goes for the Federation’s side.

You never know when, who, how, or where someone might betray you. Having someone you can trust in this world is a blessing in itself.

“Haah…”

Danyerin let out a long sigh as she gazed out the window. The sun had already set, plunging the room into darkness.

After class, she generally wouldn’t step outside the dorm unless necessary. Who wants to risk facing trouble?

Occasionally, Lee Yeon-joo would pass by the window, or Sivar would head to the adjacent room to serve up a meal.

It was lonely and desolate. Every time, she wished she could hug Sivar, just like Grace used to do.

Not just a bit envious; she was incredibly envious.

-Swish!

Unknowingly, Danyerin turned around. It was a habit born from anxiety.

After all the countless assassination attempts she faced while in the imperial palace, it had inevitably created a trauma.

Things improved a bit with Yeohye around, but now that she had become an assassin herself, there was only one person she could trust.

‘How can I keep Sivar by my side…’

It wasn’t just about loneliness. She also needed Sivar for her safety.

Due to her personal issues, Lee Yeon-joo wasn’t suitable for protection, and you never know when she might strike from behind.

For Danyerin, Sivar was both the best and the most essential choice. She mulled it over again.

‘Skipping a step wouldn’t be so bad.’

Currently, Sivar was guarding Grace. If she got Grace’s permission, then things would go smoothly.

But that would likely draw Grace into the Eastern political situation. That aspect made Danyerin uneasy.

“Huuh…”

Lost in complicated thoughts, Danyerin sighed once more. This time it was a pretty long sigh.

How can I make things go smoothly? How can I keep Sivar by my side?

As long as Sivar was by her side, the difficulty level would drop immensely. Thanks to his strength.

A trustworthy person possessing the strength of a general? Just that fact alone is an incredible advantage.

‘Seriously…’

Danyerin let out a bitter smile. At some point, her thoughts had become flooded with Sivar.

He’s an inexplicably attractive guy. Pure yet with a kind heart. Ridiculously strong and handsome, to boot.

He has every quality one could hope for—he wouldn’t look out of place as a prince from a faraway land. It was impossible not to be tempted.

-Knock, knock, knock!

At that moment, someone knocked on Danyerin’s room door. Instinctively, she became alert upon hearing the sound.

She didn’t forget to slip her hand into her pocket. Just in case, she was ready to throw her concealed weapons.

“Danyerin. It’s me, Sivar.”

“Sivar?”

“Yeah. Time to eat.”

As they say, when you talk about a tiger, it appears. The one knocking was indeed Sivar.

Hearing Sivar’s unique way of speaking and voice, Danyerin gradually dropped her guard. Peace settled in her heart.

“Oh right. Grace isn’t here today.”

“Not here?”

“Yeah. She’s in the research room.”

“Let’s go then.”

Hearing there were no interruptions, Danyerin sprang up from her chair. It was an uncharacteristic action for her.

-Thud!

“Oh.”

Maybe because of that, she slammed her pinky toe against the desk leg. Danyerin widened her eyes and bent down.

The most dreadful pain imaginable shot through her from her pinky toe. It hurt so much, she was bruising.

“Ughhh…!”

“Danyerin? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. Just bumped into something…”

Even as she cringed, she managed to get up with great difficulty. There was no way she’d give up a pleasant dinner over something like this.

She hobbled her way, limping toward the door. It was hard to keep a straight face.

“Really, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.”

“You don’t seem fine. Want me to hug you?”

“N-No, that’s not necessary.”

If it were up to her, she would want to be hugged. But being a princess held her back.

Eventually, Danyerin climbed out, beads of cold sweat beginning to form as she entered Sivar’s room. As soon as she stepped inside, the delicious aroma hit her nose.

‘Come to think of it, he’s quite the cook.’

Sivar exhibited outstanding cooking skills as long as he had sufficient ingredients. The way he stirred up her appetite was simply amazing.

The irony was that he claimed to love even bugs. Danyerin glanced at her throbbing pinky toe before settling down.

“Grace’s in the research room, you said?”

“Yeah. She mentioned she’d be late today.”

“Good.”

Danyerin couldn’t hide her pleasure rising after the pain. The later Grace arrived, the less stressed she’d have to be.

Whether he realized it or not, Sivar just stared with a blank expression.

“Alright. You eat too.”

“Okay.”

Finally, she finished feeding Neoburi as well. Neoburi had improved in dexterity lately and used the utensils quite neatly.

Danyerin looked at Neoburi, who was digging in with utensils, thinking how amazing that was.

If you didn’t watch carefully, you’d mix up whether it was a human or an animal. Moreover, it even understood human speech.

‘Is that what they call a spirit creature?’

Although countless spirit creatures existed in the Eastern Empire, Danyerin had never seen one up close. Thus, it was all the more fascinating.

As their cozy dinner concluded, the two found themselves with some private time.

Danyerin quietly observed Sivar as he tidied up when she finally spoke up.

“My dear.”

“Yeah?”

“While being an assistant, hasn’t anyone tried speaking to you?”

First off, she was curious about his experience as an assistant. It hadn’t been long since he assumed the role, but she was still curious.

Especially since Sivar’s class was filled with watch-worthy individuals. Danyerin needed to gather as much information as she could.

“Someone tried to engage me?”

“Yeah. Like picking fights over silly matters or asking about your abilities.”

“There were quite a few.”

“A lot, huh…”

Just as she assumed. Danyerin nodded her head.

Even without the rumors flowing into the Hwan Empire, interest in Sivar was at its peak.

There were probably plenty of folks wanting to witness his strength. Perhaps someone would apply for a duel soon.

‘If that happens, things might get complicated. The worst-case scenario would be an assassination attempt…’

Honestly, she never thought Sivar would get assassinated. For starters, he didn’t sleep.

Not metaphorically; he really doesn’t sleep. She discovered that when she shared a drink with him.

Having someone as capable as him for protection is optimal. And that made her desire him even more.

“So how did you respond in such situations? Just brushed them off?”

“Umm…”

Sivar rolled his eyes around a bit before telling her the truth.

How he received a proposition from a student who looked like a bear and how he accepted it without hesitation.

Danyerin’s expression stiffened as she listened to him explain. He had already displayed a variety of skills.

“…I see. Was there anything else?”

“There was.”

“What was it?”

“They just asked a few random things. Not about abilities, just simple conversations?”

“Okay. Conversations… huh?”

At that moment, Danyerin paused. Various scenarios flashed through her mind.

Among the people expressing interest in Sivar, could there be anyone who showed ‘negative’ interest?

Perhaps there are people who like him and show positive interest too.

“What topics did you discuss?”

“Nothing special. Just a casual greeting, like ‘Hope you’re doing well.'”

“Were they female?”

“Uh?”

“I asked if they were a girl.”

“Yeah, she was.”

“…I see.”

‘Why am I having such a thought? Because I’m doing exactly that right now.’

In fact, quite a few females were interested in Sivar. At least three, in Danyerin’s observation.

The possibility of someone trying to tempt Sivar to make him their own wasn’t off the table.

To Danyerin, that would be the worst-case scenario. A despair-inducing hypothesis.

“There’s no doubt it was a girl, huh?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering.”

Sighing, Danyerin took out a hand pipe that she had tucked away. Even pulling it out caused her hands to tremble.

Sivar observed her silently and then gently pointed out.

“Yeon-joo.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Smoke outside. No smoking allowed in here.”

“…Heh.”

Danyerin smiled faintly. Even his correction brought a smile to her face.

‘No matter who it is, I really need to investigate thoroughly.’

******

Meanwhile, at that moment in the girls’ dormitory.

“Achoo!”

Princess Reina with blue hair sneezed.

It was quite an adorable sneeze that didn’t quite match her lively personality.

“What’s that about?”

Reina tilted her head for a moment before refocusing.

She was currently looking at a common language dictionary. Doing everything she could to wield the common tongue fluently.

“I am a girl… no, no. I am a young lady…”

There’s still a long way to go.

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