Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After the incident that surprised many people, Elenoa was able to live in peace at the Academy. People have come to know about it that he was just holding it in.

Martin was living in a state of discouragement and absence. At this rate it would be difficult to go to the next grade because he didn’t come to class properly while staying in the dormitory.

However, people did not pay particular attention to Martin because they were busy whispering about Elenoa.

Come to think of it, he was a really insidious person.

The unknown feeling, the vague atmosphere that the little boy had, used to make many people uncomfortable. Maybe the true reason for being reluctant to go near that boy must be the instinctive rejection felt from danger and the sense of alienation felt from him

Those who saw Elenoa’s expressionless face while using violence, began to avoid him. They didn’t want to get involved with him even by mistake.

Elenoa was now alone for a different reason than before.

Meanwhile, it was around that time that another rumour swept through the academy. Unfortunately, the main characters of the rumour were Elenoa Schuberg again and Irina Nordiak.

The fact that a count’s second son made a confession to the girl, whose nickname couldn’t even be telled aloud in academy, shook everyone.

Irina didn’t know the rumors about her until a long time later.

“Irina, I heard Elenoa confessed to you.”

Even today Irina, who used Ludwig’s stiff thighs as her own pillow, freaked out. Huh? She jumped up with a shocked scream.

“Hey, how do you know that?”

Irina asked Ludwig with a startled expression..

Ludwig, who had always been held captive by Irina, clicked his tongue. She looked as if she gotcaught red-handed.

Irina flinched a little at his look of reproach.

“How do I know? There’s a lot of talk in the Academy. You didn’t know?”

It was a scandal between two celebrities. Of course, neither of them were a celebrity in a good sense, so rumours tended to be consumed more and more arbitrarily.

“….. Was it a rumor?”

Irina blinked her eyes in embarrassment.

It couldn’t have been. Only Eleanoa and Irina were present that day and Irina had never said anything.

Even Irina who used to chatter about everything to her boyfriend, kept her mouth shut. She had the common sense to know that it was not a pleasant thing to hear.

In fact, it was neither Irina nor Eleanoa who made the rumour known. It was the people in the classroom who saw them leave together.

It didn’t take much time for the small talk that started with “Where the hell are they going?” to lead from “I guess he’s going to confess” to “Are they dating?”

And it was only today that Irina, hearing all these stories for the first time, was remarkably bewildered by her boyfriend’s questioning. She jumped from her seat and waved her hands, and in the end she answered honestly.

“No, Ludwig. I have you.”

Seeing Irina sulking with remorse, Ludwig finally smirked and giggled.  There are times when she is seriously scorned, but the fact is, only those who are close to her know that she has a very naive and warm side.

He lifted Irina up and placed her on his lap. Having a good physique, he sometimes carried Irina with him these days, perhaps because his physical strength has improved since he devoted himself to physical education classes.

“Rina, are you sure?”

Ludwig drew himself close to Irina’s back and combed her red hair with his hand.

Irina Nordiak. Princess of the Marquis of Nodiac and tomboy of the Academy.

It is said that only a hundred years ago, red hair was a symbol of bad luck in the Kingdom of Kissen.

It was said that Irina’s maternal grandmother had the same hair colour, and even she, who was of a high status, went out with her hair dyed or wrapped in a robe during her childhood, being well aware about the social situation at the time.

But if there was such a cute girl during those days, wouldn’t people have second thoughts about it again?

The second problem was that her curly red hair matched her very well.

Hey. Is the hair a sin, too?! It would have been difficult to think of it as a sign of bad luck and ominousness, rather it’s the colour that gets attention and love, when he saw her rushing and jumping.

“Tell me the truth. Did you really say no?”

She was so cute and funny that he stroked her hair several times, and when Ludwig whispered, Irina flushed.

“Of course! I’ll say no! What? Are you doubting me?”

Ludwig, who saw her in the defensive rather than a hard-line stance, hesitated.

“No, but rather…… He’s honestly handsome.”

Irina looked very surprised at his unconfident remark. He couldn’t relate to the tilt of her head at all.

“What? You’re much better.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Well, he does have a neat face but he’s not my type.”

“Why, Elenoa, if it were him…….”

Ludwig hesitated, and then omitted the rest of sentence.

He was still trying to say that he was the count’s second son.  But those words were an insult to Irina. He continued, combing his girlfriend’s bright red hair with his fingers.

“I heard that pretty-looking men are popular in Impenon these days. And Elenoa is smart, too. I’m sure he’ll get good grades. He is good at fighting as well. Isn’t a man who is pretty, has a background, and has protective instincts what a girl likes?”

Then Irina scoffed at his words

That’s exactly what she didn’t like.

As a matter of personal preference, Irina was very ashamed that men were pretty.

She wasn’t a high-nosed beauty, but she at least wanted to be prettier than her lover. But she thought it would hurt her pride to have a prettier boyfriend than herself, and this hurt her self-esteem, so she didn’t want to even walk side by side.

Her strong preference was for a strong man who seemed to be able to punch a cow in one shot.

She took time to solemnly confess her ideal type.

“I like how you look like a bandit.”

Ludwig, very perplexed by this, asked suspiciously.

“…is that a compliment?”

“…isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s not it,”

“Well… “

But after that, Irina often felt that Elenoa was hovering around her.

She became convinced the following year when the next semester began. Elenoa became the sixth student to study Ilse language.

When the face that shouldn’t be here quietly entered the lecture room, the elite group of five roared.

The students were actually proud of themselves. It was the pride of those who maintained non-mainstream studies in the Impenonian Academy, but it was a lonely feeling that was communicated between the five people but the truth was that it was all useless.

Entering the lecture room, Elenoa looked around and smiled faintly when he found Irina. He, who walked toward her without hesitation, pulled out the chair next to her, and Irina asked with a puzzled look.

“You didn’t attend the beginner’s lecture, did you?”

Elenoa, glancing at Irina, looked back at her, and replied,

“Yes, but I’d like to hear it.”

“Why?”

“I’m just interested,”

“…….”

It was a somewhat eccentric answer.

What a strange boy he is.

Irina felt the fact once again.

Although he has an elegant gait, he sometimes sits as obliquely as he does now.  He has a well-groomed, ascetic face, yet he has an ominous smile, and he looks down on people with a polite but stern look.

Could this incongruity be due to his past?

She thought for a moment, but then shook her head, trying to erase the thought from her head. This feeling of having a person by her side felt despicable.

Instead, she looked disapprovingly at him, who was sitting lazily in the seat next to her.  As she listened to the calm answer, she lost the strength to ask why he was sitting here.

In the end, she gave him advice and began to show her pride in Elenoa’s needless work.

“This is a glimpse of Ilse. Can you get your grades up after that?”

“Irina must have gone down.”

“…….”

“…have you screwed up a lot?”

Sorry.

When Irina shut her mouth sullenly, Elenoa still looked straight ahead, curved his eyes and laughed. Irina grumbled because she didn’t like his relaxed face.

“You’re the type of person who doesn’t really listen to others.”

I think he’s a bit of a weird kid too.

Irina, who was pouting with her chin on her hand, straightened up when the old Ilsse language teacher came in. She looked at Elenoa, who was still sitting still, asked with a puzzled look.

“You don’t have a textbook?”

“Yes, I’m a little behind in my application.”

Oh, she nodded, and put her book in the middle with a little desk. Still, she murmured non-stop with her mouth.

It was hard to get a sense of whether she was trying to give him advice or whether she was complaining to Elenoa.

“It must be difficult to keep up with the intermediate classes.  Are you really okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Aren’t you working very hard on taking good care of your grades?”

“Not exactly,”

“…….”

Ah, so that was a grade that he didn’t worked hard for. Suddenly, feeling a sense of shame, Irina looked dark. and continued with a sullen look.

“You think that old man is kind, he’s good, but honestly, he’s rather strict. Examinations are difficult and credits are merciless. Why are you listening to this? You’re screwed, too. It’s all over.”

Angry, she turned over the first page of the intermediate textbook and bent down to straighten it out. And yet, she seemed to like this class, contrary to what she said, her eyes were twinkling in anticipation..

“Anyway, be sure to prepare your textbook next time. He’s good at remembering things like that.”

As she leaned down, the red hair fell like a waterfall after her. Only then did Elenoa look away from the front and stare at her.

But it was difficult to stare at the white neck for a long time, so he immediately lowered his dark blue eyes. And soon he smiled.

“…yes, I will.”

****