“Ian…”
The room was dimly lit, with the curtains half-drawn.
Lina, wrapped in disheveled sleepwear and a thin black handkerchief loosely tied around her neck, lay motionless on the bed.
For those who knew Lina’s usually vibrant self, this sight would be astonishing.
Lina was well aware of how pathetic she must appear.
But by now, any rational judgment regarding Ian had dulled, yet she couldn’t bring herself to let go.
“Just once. Just apologize properly once, and then I can…”
She wished he could hold her tight like that again.
Truth be told, Lina’s judgment was clouded at this point.
Obsession with someone only deepens the more one indulges in it.
Since she regained her senses, Lina had been wearing the black handkerchief Ian gave her around her neck, tightening it whenever she felt anxious.
At every opportunity, she would secretly approach him, stealing glances unnoticed.
The sight of him with Danya, Silvia, or, more recently, the Princess made her feet tingle, but there was a reason she couldn’t approach him.
“I need to know my place…”
Lina was aware of how much trouble she had caused Ian. She even rejected him when he brought lunch. It was foolish, incredibly foolish.
At that time, she happily rejected him, and now she was fixated on him. In terms of wisdom, wasn’t she at the level of a worm or a snail?
“Surely, Ian thinks the same…”
If Ian viewed her the way she viewed him, then she was like a snail. So, she decided to be careful not to harm Ian. Just observing from a distance should be satisfying enough.
That’s how she resolved.
“But Ian, snails aren’t that clever…”
She kept imagining herself as a snail.
Apologizing to Ian and seeking forgiveness – the image of Lina herself. Ian punishing Lina’s soul. So, so diligently serving him to wash away her sins…
“Let’s go down to my hometown together…”
They would descend to her hometown located in a beautiful area in the Grand Forest. Introduce Ian to her siblings, take walks basking in the sunlight beyond the large trees. Wake up early and share a lunch made from fresh fruits and vegetables, laughing happily… Those images kept coming to mind.
“It’s truly an absurd thought…”
When she thought about Ian, she found herself immersed in such fantasies before she knew it. In fact, this was considered an improvement.
She was of no help to Ian at the disciplinary committee, and until she got a chance to talk to him once… it was pure hell.
It might be better to indulge in such flower-filled fantasies in her mind.
“… What an shameless imagination I have. Get a grip on yourself.”
Such daydreams were better suited for after Ian accepted her apology.
Lying down with her face buried in the pillow, Lina heard the Kirtos Terminal notification.
“Please, let there be more posts related to Ian…!”
The only place where Lina could find comfort was the Kirtos Network bulletin board. Thanks to the constant influx of posts about Ian after the grading event, it helped fill the Ian void in her deprived heart a little.
She found joy in reading the posts and leaving comments, feeling like she was helping Ian in some way.
— Tap, tap, tap.
However, that joy was short-lived.
– No new posts.
“Ah…”
Lina’s face darkened rapidly.
Just as she was about to lose hope, an alarm sounded on her terminal.
[Kirtalk!]
[Message from ‘Ian Blackangers’ has arrived.]
“I-Ian?! Ouch!”
Thud.
Her forehead and nose hit the fallen Kirtos terminal.
Suppressing the pain with a few strokes, Lina quickly opened the Kirtalk.
[Ian]: There’s something I want to check. Can you come to this cafe?
[Lina]: Yeah. Yeah. I’ll be right there! Thanks!!
It had to be a confirmation.
“Whether I’m a v*rgin or not…”
Lina took down her pajama top for no reason.
“He even asked me directly last time.”
Are you asking because you like women like that?
Lina has heard that there are many men who are obsessed with the chastity of their partner.
Could it be… Ian was interested in her romantically?
Lina’s ears turned red.
“W-Well, of course not.”
Thump, thump.
Regardless, the fact that Ian wants to talk to her made her heart beat wildly.
Lina rushed straight to her wardrobe.
Choosing the outfit was easy.
The problem was the underwear.
“Uh, maybe something modest is better?”
But if she wore something like this, wouldn’t it make her look too childish?
She didn’t want to miss the chance she had worked so hard to get.
Thud, thud, thud.
Lina’s heart raced as if it was about to burst.
◆
Not bad for a growth trend.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s a bit intimidating, right?”
No. It’s actually quite good.
While waiting for Lina, Ian checked his condition.
Finally, the utilization of Transformation had become quite proficient.
Even with lower- to mid-grade materials slightly lacking, he could easily transform them into simple shapes like shields.
For higher-grade materials like Lunar, assuming they stick to the body, he could freely transform them into shapes like gauntlets.
Moreover.
Once he transformed Lunar covered over his fist into a gauntlet shape.
— Swish.
After that, he could even transform it into a dagger-like point.
In appearance, it looked as if a dagger was extending from the back of his hand.
“It can be used quite flexibly as a variable.”
Ian was satisfied as he released Transformation.
Even though it was a private room where privacy was guaranteed, someone might be surprised if they saw it unexpectedly.
“Ugh! I-Ian! Ah, hello!”
Just like someone who conveyed a surprised voice, Ian wanted to calm her down. Relieved to hear a familiar voice, he turned his head, and sure enough, it was Lina.
The white blouse she wore contrasted nicely with the black choker, and the neat yet slightly flowing long skirt subtly highlighted her figure.
In a moment of trying to calm down the somewhat frightened girl.
“Ah-uh! N-No, I mean, it’s not that I’m scared, I just, just got startled, you know? I know Ian, you’re a good person!”
Lina poured out words as if she was sorry for being surprised.
Then she seemed to be embarrassed by the words she spat out.
“N-No! Good person doesn’t mean like, foolishly kind. Handsome? Yeah! Handsome.”
What on earth did she want to talk about?
For some reason, lately, Lina seemed to be in a hurry every time they met.
“It’s okay, just sit down and have some water.”
“Uh, okay.”
“For the drink, would herbal tea be okay since you seem a bit tense?”
Seeing that Ian thought she needed to calm down a bit, he ordered herbal tea.
“Y-Yes! Uh, thank you!”
Bowing her head as if greeting, Lina sat still, staring at the table.
Ian was momentarily surprised, but since it had turned out this way, he carefully observed Lina.
Come to think of it, this calm face-to-face encounter with Lina was the first time since the ‘Blue Mushroom’ incident.
They did meet before the disciplinary committee, but Lina was so excited, pouring out words, and it was the day before the disciplinary committee, so it wasn’t that noticeable.
Since then, Lina has been acting as if her self-esteem has dropped significantly.
‘Anyway, she seems to have a lot she wants to talk about.’
Ian glanced at the clock.
Considering the circumstances, the important preparations would likely be made by the princess. There probably wouldn’t be anything more important to do later.
If Lina can be put to good use, she will undoubtedly be quite helpful during this Northern expedition…
‘Should I listen to her story a bit?’
As soon as Ian made that decision…
Lina, clenching her fist as if making a pledge, raised her head.
“I-I, well! I won’t ramble like last time, and I’ll speak properly now! Uhm, I practiced a lot at home. So, 15 minutes should be enough! I-If it’s convenient for Ian, that is.”
“Yeah.”
“T-Thank you!”
Lina’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Like a person who, after wandering through a mountain path, discovers light, Lina’s eyes were filled with hopeful anticipation.
“So, what is it that you want to say?”
“W-Wait a moment!”
With deep breaths, Lina, with closed eyes, took two breaths and then opened her mouth.
“During this time, I’ve thought a lot about you. Your actions, the occasional words of encouragement, the confession you made to me before, and the way you looked at me coldly and warned me after that. All of that.”
Though there seemed to be a slight misunderstanding, Ian nodded once.
“So, I’ve come to this conclusion. The incident where you fell from the rooftop and left a note. I think someone framed you for that. Misunderstandings about you started from there.”
“So, that’s why you helped me at the disciplinary committee.”
“Yeah! What I said at that time was all sincere! So, I want to say this for sure…”
Lina, with a subtle smile, struggled to open her mouth.
“Sorry.”
With a once-trembling mouth, Lina continued her words.
“I’m sorry for not firmly rejecting your confession when you needed my help because I was thirsty for assistance. I’m sorry for seeing you, who treated me kindly, as somewhat trivial. And I’m sorry for feeling jealous when you suddenly changed and started doing well. I couldn’t handle those emotions properly, and in the end, I attacked you using the power of the Blue Mushroom. I … was wrong.”
Thud.
Tears poured from Lina’s eyes.
Despite closing her eyes and wiping away the tears, she spoke again.
“You’ve taken care of me, and afterward, you’ve looked at me with a calm gaze. So, in the end, I gained courage. I wanted to break free from the mold of being the kind Lina who had to live like a fool. So, Ian, you’re my savior. I’m the fool who betrayed my savior. So, if, if someday…”
Sob, hiccup-
Even as tears were swallowed, and emotions burst out, Lina desperately opened her mouth.
“If you ever feel like it, um, someday, I hope you’ll punish me. Insult me, hit me… whatever it is, since I was the one who was wrong. So, please, just don’t treat me like I don’t exist.”
With tightly closed eyes, Lina bowed her head.
As she stopped speaking, the surroundings became eerily quiet.
The warm yellow light gently illuminated the surroundings, and the subtle scent of herbs calmly settled the air.
— Drip, drop.
In the midst of this, the sound of falling water droplets began, starting from Lina’s eyes and trickling down her back of the hand.
“…”
Ian silently looked at Lina.
— Thump.
Like waiting for a verdict, Lina’s hand, clenched into a fist, trembled.
