“What? That happened?”

Hilla was very excited.

“There’s a limit to jokes, even if they’re uneducated fools, how can properly educated people be so childish and low?”

“Thankfully, I avoided getting angry.”

“Still, it’s fortunate someone was passing by. Did you thank that person?”

“Yes. I bought them a meal.”

“What was their name?”

“Don’t know. I asked but they didn’t want to tell me. So I plan to call them ‘you’ if we meet again.”

“…’You’?”

“They said they don’t care if I call them ‘you’ or ‘that person’.”

“Seems like they have a quirky personality.”

“It did seem that way.”

Hilla nodded and glanced to the side.

“So that’s why the gazes are so fierce.”

Riley looked around and smiled awkwardly. There were indeed a few people sending unfriendly glances.

“The Blestige bunch always stick together like that. It seems you’ve fallen out of their favor… Why don’t you just report yesterday’s incident?”

“Would they believe me without evidence?”

“You have a witness, don’t you? The man who saved you yesterday!”

“Well, he might find it bothersome.”

“Still, you should ask just in case.”

“I don’t even know where he is.”

“He must be somewhere around here. Look for him carefully. And report it to the student council.”

She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but there was no guarantee they wouldn’t do something like that again.

How did I get caught up in this? I just wanted to quietly live my academy life. Riley let out a long sigh. Seeing this, Hilla became gloomy and comforted her.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of help. There’s nothing I can do…”

“No, just listening and being by my side is enough. I’m more worried you might get involved because of me.”

“Sigh… They’re really childish. I’d heard rumors about their notoriety, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”

“I know, I was surprised too.”

“I guess people are the same everywhere. There were people like that at the academy I attended too.”

To think the Claire and Eadalyn family would seem decent in comparison.

They would annoy me once in a while, but they never bullied me to the point where I felt my life was threatened. This time was a bit scary. I thought I might actually die if I wasn’t careful.

However, maybe because I’ve already experienced being kidnapped by assassins and nearly dying, it wasn’t as scary as that time, so I was able to maintain relative calmness.

Of course, I was able to stay calm because I was convinced that they weren’t really threatening to kill me, just bullying to a certain extent.

While a situation where I’m deliberately murdered is scary, I’m used to being bullied.

It’s easier to deal with familiar situations and there’s relatively less emotional turmoil.

Riley was already accustomed to being bullied, so while she was a bit surprised, she wasn’t severely shocked.

However, she was worried about the future.

‘Will I continue to be bullied like this from now on.’

I don’t like being bullied. Just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean it’s good. There’s no one in the world who likes being bullied, right? If there is, that’s a pervert. Riley wasn’t a pervert.

“I don’t know if it’s because they’re still young and immature, or if they’re just all flash and no substance. Anyway Riley, don’t worry too much and be careful.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t follow just anyone.”

“I won’t.”

“For now, try to find that person who helped you and ask if they can be a witness to yesterday’s incident.”

They must be from the magic department since they clearly used magic.

But how easy will it be to find someone here when I only know their face and not their name? All I know is their prickly personality and handsome face, is that enough?

‘…I guess I’ll try looking for now.’

[This is the timeline separator]

“Van, it seems some girl is looking for you.”

Van leaned against a tree indifferently. He seemed uninterested.

“Why are you telling me such useless information?”

“Just, I heard she’s a freshman. Looks like your reputation has reached even the freshmen?”

“…A freshman?”

Van frowned as he sat up.

“What does she look like?”

“I don’t know, just that a pretty-looking girl is stopping people and asking about you.”

“How do you know she’s looking for me?”

“She said she’s looking for a tall, handsome guy with long silver hair and a nasty personality. If it’s not you, who else could it be?”

Van frowned at the ‘nasty personality’ part and lay back down.

“What on earth did you do to have a fresh-faced newbie looking for you?”

“…”

“Did you secretly date someone without me knowing?”

“Nonsense.”

“Well, I guess that’s too absurd to be true. I don’t understand why you waste your precious youth not using that face of yours.”

“Go away, don’t bother me.”

“Anyway, she’s desperately searching for you, so why don’t you meet her? It could be urgent.”

Van turned over without answering. When he didn’t say anything, the classmate who delivered the news disappeared somewhere.

Left alone, Van thought of Riley.

It was obvious who the freshman looking for him was. After all, he had only interacted with one freshman. And that too, coincidentally twice.

That blank face was just annoying. They say there are many naive and clueless people among freshmen, but that girl was especially bad.

She stood out in many ways among the gathered smart people. Of course, just getting into the academy might mean she’s smart, but her appearance and somewhat scatterbrained demeanor didn’t fit in with the people here.

Maybe that’s why it was hard to just pass her by.

Among the unpleasant and annoying guys, her figure was like a ball of fur surrounded by beasts.

Seeing her sitting blankly without saying anything while being subjected to unreasonable treatment almost made him sick, and it was shocking to see her staying still out of fear instead of trying to escape when they were openly bullying and mistreating her.

‘Why is she looking for me?’

Van didn’t want to get involved with that clueless girl again if possible.

Two encounters were enough. If he met her again or got entangled in her affairs any more, he felt like it would be irreversible. It made him uneasy, like his nose would be tied for life.

‘I must absolutely avoid running into her.’

·

·

·

“I finally found you!”

Van stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Hello, you. Could you spare me a moment?”

“Why am I ‘you’?”

“Last time you said I could call you whatever, ‘you’ or ‘that person’.”

Van covered half his face with his hand and let out a low sigh. How should I put it, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.

“I don’t have time.”

“Then please tell me when you’re available and I’ll come find you then.”

“There is no available time. I have no reason to meet you again in the first place.”

“Then I’ll state my business here, so please give me an answer. If you answer, I won’t bother you anymore. I’m sorry for being a nuisance.”

After pondering for a moment, Van spoke while standing crookedly.

“What is it, your business?”

“I want to report yesterday’s incident, could you be a witness?”

“…”

“They might do something like yesterday again, so I think I should report it.”

“…”

“You told me before, to report to the student council if something like this happens again. I need a witness to prove that I experienced such an incident.”

That’s right. He had told her not to be foolishly victimized, and to report to the student council if such a thing happened.

However, being asked to be a witness was a different matter. First of all, it would be very troublesome to go in and out of the student council to testify.

And above all… he had looked into the freshman who bullied Riley yesterday. And he came to a conclusion. That reporting to the student council would be meaningless.

“Do you know who that guy from yesterday was?”

“No, I don’t.”

That’s why she wants to report it.

“The ringleader of that group yesterday, the girl who was bullying you. I checked, and she’s the youngest daughter of Count Lucan.”

“…Lucan?”

“Count Lucan is the chairman of Narvik Bank. You probably know well that Narvik Bank is the largest bank in the empire, and you should understand what it means to be the daughter of that bank’s chairman.”

“…”

“Even if you report it, the student council will just bury it. The guys who picked on you on the first day were nobodies, but that girl from yesterday isn’t just any noble. She’s a high noble even among the Blestige nobles. So even if you report it and I testify, I don’t think they’ll accept yesterday’s incident.”

If it was just some ordinary guy involved, he might have helped despite the hassle. But it was best not to get involved with high nobles from Blestige if possible.

“And I have no intention of getting further involved in troublesome matters in the first place. I don’t plan to step in for your affairs anymore.”

Riley nodded in understanding at the harsh words.

“I see, it can’t be helped then.”

She turned around too easily. She seemed to be pondering something, but she didn’t look shocked. Van had thought she would be terribly shocked, but her calm demeanor momentarily confused him and he frowned as he turned away.

‘Whatever.’

But he didn’t get far before turning back.

Irritably ruffling his hair, he strode over to Riley and snatched her hand.

“?”

When those blank eyes met his, he felt oddly angry.

“How did you end up being targeted by those guys?”

“…I didn’t do anything in particular. I’m just taking the same classes.”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“What can I do? If they won’t accept the report, I’ll just have to bury it and think of other ways.”

“Why are you walking around alone in the first place after experiencing something like that? You should at least have someone with you. What if you ran into those guys again while searching for me alone all over the place?”

“I was tricked into following them that time, but I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

“Are you an idiot? Why do you think they’ll approach you the same way?”

“But I only have Hilla to accompany me, and Hilla can’t be with me every moment. It’s not like I can quit the academy either.”

What is it about her that makes her talk so calmly as if it’s someone else’s business?

“You should use magic to protect yourself even if you lose points. Don’t just do nothing stupidly like yesterday.”

“I want to do that too.”

“Then do it.”

“I’m saying I can’t.”

Riley, who had been calm until now, sighed repeatedly in frustration. Van was dumbfounded. Why was Riley frustrated? He was the one who felt so frustrated he could turn inside out.

Just as he was about to say something…

“Let go of this and let’s talk.”

Someone cut in between them. In an instant.

A man approached so suddenly that there was no time to sense someone coming close, and he snatched Riley’s hand.

Van looked at the unexpected intruder. A cold gaze met his. Van knew that gaze well. A gorgeous and beautiful man. How could he not recognize that face? The man who frequently graces the front pages of newspapers.

‘Givnen Lianster? Why is the Tower Master of Horizon here?’

As Van was taken aback, Givnen embraced Riley.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m fine. But what brings you here?”

“I came to have a meal with you. It’s lunchtime, isn’t it?”

“That’s right, I was just about to eat.”

“I know, that’s why I came.”

Riley happily welcomed Givnen and introduced Van.

“This is the person I told you about before. He helped me.”

Givnen slowly turned his head to look at Van. The warm, loving gaze he had when looking at Riley was gone, replaced by a cold glare full of hostility directed at Van. Van smiled in disbelief. Givnen glared at him and extended his hand.

“I didn’t know you were the one who helped my wife.”

‘Wife?’

Van’s face was filled with shock. Givnen reached out his hand to him, offering a handshake.

“Thank you for helping my wife.”

Van looked back and forth between Riley and Givnen, then grasped his hand. Givnen smirked and asked.

“Were you here to help my wife again this time? The atmosphere seemed quite hostile for that.”

“It’s not like that, he was just worried about me.”

“Worried? What could this guy have to worry about?”

“Well… Let’s move somewhere else first. Let’s not do this here.”

Riley pulled on Givnen’s arm, and Givnen let go of Van’s hand.

He was smiling, but his crooked upturned lips clearly revealed his displeasure. But that was all.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Riley led Givnen away. Van, who had been staring blankly at their retreating figures, burst out laughing in disbelief.

‘That clueless thing is the Tower Master’s wife? The protagonist of recent gossip?’

It’s such a mismatch.

How can it be such a mismatch? The protagonist of the recent buzzing gossip had the image of a fox-like woman who had bewitched the Tower Master, but that’s not a fox, just a ball of fur.

Moreover, her vibe was completely different from the women who had been embroiled in rumors with Givnen Lianster so far.

‘Well, well…’

How interesting.

Van left with a meaningful smile.

[This is the timeline separator]

Meanwhile, Riley bowed her head low while looking around cautiously.

She didn’t forget to let down her tied-up hair and cover her face. In contrast, the man drawing all the attention around him was too confident, if anything.

He was oblivious to the countless gazes pouring on him, too busy observing why Riley was acting like this.

“Should we eat outside? There are too many people here…”

“Do you feel uncomfortable?”

“…Yes, a little.”

“Let’s do that then.”

He embraced Riley, and in an instant, used teleportation to move to the floating stone carriage parked in the academy’s parking lot. Startled by this, Riley asked:

“Is it okay to use magic?”

“They’ll turn a blind eye to such simple magic.”

“…Still.”

“You looked very uncomfortable and anxious.”

They boarded the floating stone carriage, and it departed. Givnen stared intently at Riley’s hand.

“Your hand.”

“Huh?”

“Give me your hand.”

As Riley tilted her head and extended her hand, he gently enveloped it.

“White and small.”

“…”

“Is that why it’s cute?”

Givnen’s gaze was still fixed on her hand.

That hand which had been holding another man’s hand.

“Whether it was coincidence or not.”

“…”

“Whether it was intentional or not.”

His silver-gray eyes, always calm, flickered fiercely unlike usual.

“Don’t hold hands with other men.”