Hmph.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of crying over your own mistakes. Lina suppressed the overwhelming urge to burst into tears.
‘I… I’ve said everything.’
Thinking about it, she had managed to do something she never thought possible. She cleared her mind, expressed her apology.
She hopes to punish her someday, but she knows it will take some time.
For now, she just hoped for acceptance of her apology. That’s what she kept repeating in her mind.
Lina cautiously watched Ian’s reaction.
Ian was lost in thought, silently.
“…”
The tension of waiting for his response, the relief of having said her piece. And the anticipation of what comes next.
With a mix of emotions, Lina felt oddly nervous.
Unconsciously, her eyes kept drifting to Ian’s forearm.
It seemed thicker than before. Veins protruding more distinctly, giving a more masculine look. His shoulders were broader too, noticeably different from before.
Thicker neck, sharper jawline.
And even his eyes had become calmer, more composed, and deeper.
Was it because of the tension or the subtle anticipation bubbling up from deep within?
Gulp.
Lina swallowed her saliva without realizing it.
◆
Heroine.
After all the deliberation, Ian came to one conclusion.
The existence of a heroine is crucial.
Of course, it’s not about Ian ‘himself’. In terms of intimacy, he has deeper connections with girls like Danya or Silvia.
The reason why heroines are important is because they are the central premise around which the scenarios unfold.
After all, they’re the ones who drive the scenarios in this gacha game.
Lina Rosewell.
Even if these conflicts were born out of misunderstandings, he knows she brought him perilously close to death.
Ultimately, it might feel cold, but it leads to contemplating whether she could be helpful in the future or not.
‘Then there’s no need to ponder.’
From the beginning, he met Lina with the belief that she could be helpful.
Thanks to Lina’s confession, many doubts were resolved.
The Lina on the screen seemed excessively perfect.
‘Like a case of the ‘Nice Girl Syndrome’.’
The reasons behind Lina’s attack and her murky emotions – perhaps Ian was in the best position to understand.
‘After all, I’ve been embodying the epitome of murkiness.’
He also realized that Lina’s feelings towards him were straightforward.
‘Since the Pongpong days, there was no attraction.’
It was rather refreshing.
‘If there was no interest from the Pongpong days, it’s easier to deal with it now.’
Having one heroine versus having no heroines at all makes a huge difference.
Ian nodded towards Lina.
“I’m relieved that our emotions seem neatly sorted out.”
Lina’s dilated eyes, once as small as peas, expanded.
Then.
“Ah… yeah!”
Lina grabbed Ian’s hand with both of hers, laughing brightly. A pure laugh, so characteristic of Lina.
“More than anything, it’s a relief that you didn’t have any interest in me, Lina.”
But Ian’s subsequent words startled her.
“Huh? Wha…?”
t wasn’t the time back then, but now it was a story of interest.
Or at least –
If the day comes when she escapes this worm-like state, she hoped Ian would look back at her at least once. It was a shameless hope, but it existed.
But for now.
“…Yeah.”
Lina nodded quietly.
For now, just receiving his acceptance of the apology was enough.
Being a fool and a snail herself, there was nothing she could do…
‘But no, I can’t give up like this.’
Lina shook her head vigorously.
It wasn’t over yet.
If there’s even a slight chance, she should hold onto it.
“Hey, Ian. If I were a v*rgin…”
“?”
“If I worked hard and you wanted to praise me.”
“Yeah.”
“I-I prefer punishment over praise.”
“…?”
Ian, seemingly perplexed, set down his teacup.
“Well, uh. If that’s what you want.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Lina grinned and grabbed the ribbon on the table.
Ian had already explained this.
It was quite important for him to confirm whether someone was a virgin or not. He said that when the string was inserted and pulled out, if it remained white, it meant purity.
‘I’ve heard it before. There’s something that a man ties up there before doing anything.’
Lina cautiously held the string.
A pure white string that looked like a flat elastic rubber band.
Despite wrapping it around her fingers, the thickness made Lina’s face instantly flush.
‘But how big…’
But it was a pointless speculation.
Ian had said she just needed to insert and remove it herself.
Suddenly, an idea struck Lina.
“But Ian, can you trust me?”
“Huh?”
“If, if I’m a v*rgin, it’ll disappear. But what if, while you’re not looking, I use magic to change the color? Then, you wouldn’t be able to confirm it properly… right?”
“You would do that?”
Looking at Ian’s expression, Lina shivered involuntarily.
It seemed like he didn’t expect her to do such a thing.
“Oh, no! I wouldn’t do that! I mean…”
Rolling her eyes.
Lina’s face turned crimson.
-‘Do you want to check it yourself? We’re near my house.’
She thought of saying this…
But perhaps it’s still too much?
Instead.
“Just, watch closely, okay?”
There was nothing more she wanted to hide from Ian.
◆
The next day.
Around 10 a.m., people had already gathered at the train platform located outside the northern gate.
“Ian!”
Lina, who had already wrapped herself up tightly, greeted enthusiastically.
Beside her, Danya, with a chubby expression, raised her eyebrows slightly as she made eye contact, then turned away with a slight smirk.
‘Why is she acting like that?’
Since it would take more than 16 hours on the train to reach the Northern Territory, they’d have time to figure it out gradually.
Ian walked towards the princess who came to see him off.
She had disguised herself as she did before, hiding her face with a large pair of sunglasses over her snowy white hair. Using her original serious demeanor as a disguise was truly bold.
“Don’t overdo it. A little evidence is enough for the princess.”
“Of course. If you want more conclusive evidence, you’ll have to pay extra.”
“You cost more than the top assassins in the kingdom.”
“I appreciate your recognition of my worth.”
“Hmph.”
The princess, who elegantly covered her mouth, gently placed her hand on Ian’s arm.
“Since you’re attending as a representative of the court, you should treat them well. As they’re academy students, they might not be as guarded. However, beware of Lord Richard. He’s always cunning and fierce.”
The princess spoke carefully, then bit her lip for a moment.
“He’s more cunning and fierce than any wild beast.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
With a wry smile, she glanced back at the train.
“I’m sorry. I feel like I’m taking your time for no reason. Noble etiquette often tends to be far from efficient.”
“It’s okay. I wanted to ride the train at least once.”
“You speak well. Your tastes are truly unpredictable.”
The princess muttered as she watched people boarding the train.
– Choo-choo!
The sound of steam signaling departure.
Ian lightly bowed his head towards the princess.
“May the stars guide your path.”
With the princess’s farewell, Ian boarded the train.
◇
The corridor connecting the cabins.
[VIP Guests]
Pointy ears peeked out from under the sign.
“Danya, were you waiting?”
“Hmph! I wasn’t waiting; I was worried you’d sit in the wrong place!”
“Don’t worry.”
“Quit your nonsense and come quickly, meow. My legs hurt.”
Danya tugged at Ian’s shirt sleeve and entered the VIP cabin.
“Oh, Ian.”
Awkwardly standing in the corridor, Lina sat next to Karen, the princess’s escort, with a forced smile.
After reaching the front row, Danya let go of Ian’s hand and went to sit by the window.
Ian followed her and sat down beside her.
– Sniff sniff
Wriggling her nose, Danya casually threw out a question.
“What did you do with Lina yesterday?”
“We had tea.”
“And?”
“Um.”
Ian hesitated for a moment.
Lina’s v*rginity was confirmed. It was clear that he would cause too many misunderstandings if he said that.
“…”
As Ian momentarily closed his mouth.
Danya leaned against the window, chin in hand, looking contemplative.
The small hairpin attached to her side hair glimmered.
As a means to break through Yurran’s protection, Ian couldn’t just overlook Danya’s despairing eyes. So, he gave her the hairpin as a gift.
After playing with it for a moment, Danya spoke up.
“Let’s go out for a meal when we return from the north. I know a good restaurant.”
“Sure.”
“But it’s quite far.”
“Let’s go.”
Ian’s answer was decisive and without hesitation.
‘Since we’re going together to the north, we can eat together anywhere.’
That was Ian’s thought.
Anyway, thanks to his prompt response, a smile returned to Danya’s lips.
At that moment.
—Chugga-chugga
Perhaps it was because of the magic stones used as materials.
Although not fast, the train started smoothly.
— We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the passengers who boarded the train to Schulz…
The northern part of the Empire was ruled solely by the Grand Duke of the North.
The Pierce Duchy was, in essence, a giant fortress itself.
Originally, its purpose was to constantly fend off external threats. Many people are drawn to the specialties of the Pierce Duchy, known as the ‘Cold Knights’ and ‘Giant Gate’.
The scenery outside the window gradually began to change.
The landscape of Lichten flowing backward.
Danya’s ears twitching like butterflies.
An unnamed plain.
Casual chatter.
Danya’s eyes becoming droopy.
And so, five hours passed.
As snowflakes began to fall outside beyond Danya leaning on his shoulder.
The next stop was Schulz, a small city located at the junction of the central and northern regions of the continent.
And so, the train slid forward towards the second Act of the story.
