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Chapter 1 – [A Miraculous Thing]**

Time flies.

It didn’t seem like such a long time ago, but when I looked back, too much time had already gone by.

Looking up, I brushed the image of my face in the mirror and stroked it with my hand.

When I was twenty years old, my face shone with brilliance and youth. But now, the glossy skin had already disappeared and in its place were faint wrinkles and smile lines.

A shameful old woman.

A spinster.

A poor baroness.

Those were all of their labels for me, Bella de Perrington.

In fact, I wasn’t even that old. I was only 38 years old. But in the aristocratic society, where political marriages are frequent, most sexes were already married. And by the time they reached the age of 38, they would’ve also had two or three wailing children.

But for me, there was no one.

I didn’t have a hardworking husband by my side, or children who would play around and light up our home in happiness. I was all alone.

My family is by far the lowest rank among the nobility, and there would be no dowry received if someone got married to me, which was one of the reasons why I was not married yet.

But even if you put aside my family rank and the lack of a dowry, I was still considered too old.

A 38 year old woman like me would no longer be considered beautiful or youthful. In the eyes of society, I was a failure as a woman.

There was no man who would want someone like this.

Perhaps everything could’ve been traced back to when my mother had looked at me blankly and with confusion as she asked, “Who are you?”

My mother looked around in confusion, “Where am I? Whose house is this?”

The shock and horror the first time I heard those questions would forever be ingrained in my memory.

The doctor examined my mother and defined the symptoms word by word.

It was called ‘dementia’.

Gradually, her memories would fade. She wouldn’t be able to recognize people around her and would eventually forget about everything they did as well.

At the time, my two older sisters had already married and had already left our home. Naturally, the responsibility to take care of my mother rested on me, the only unmarried sister.

And soon enough, two years had passed like that.

Even though my mother still had a healthy body, her mental state and memory had gotten worse with each progressing day.

However, while I was still taking care of my mother, an unexpected issue occurred when I learned that our family had insufficient funds.

When I was young, my father, the baron, had died, leaving my mother as the only authority in the home. She had three daughters, including me. Even though my mother was still alive and had the title of the baroness, it was uncertain what would happen to our family name since there were no successors in our household.

As my mother was still alive, she was able to maintain her title as the baroness, but it had been uncertain what would happen to the title as she didn’t have a successor.

So I had no choice but to fire all the remaining employees in the house and take over all the household affairs myself to save money. The future was unknown since our family did not have a successor, so there was no need to keep servants and the home in its best condition if we would not be sure who the inheritance would go to anyways.

However, the things I could do in the house were limited because I couldn’t take my eyes off my mother for too long, in fear of her hurting herself, or something worse.

Fortunately, my sisters helped me with my living expenses little by little, but in the end what they gave me was still only a little.

No one else could help me because they had their own families and welfare to take care of. They couldn’t afford to help my mother and I when they also had things to tend to. So before I knew it, my mother’s illness was under my management not only physically and emotionally, but also financially.

And so, twenty years passed in the same manner.

By now, I am already 38 years old.

Not long ago, when my mother was laughing and painting childish drawings on the wall, I had completely collapsed. I sat on the floor and my eyes began to fill with tears.

I had enough.

Because of all the hardships I had gone through, and all the sacrifices I had made by taking care of my mother for years, I had begun to resent her. I had wished that she would just disappear someday. The amount of nights in bed I’ve spent resenting my mother was innumerable.

It was so overwhelming to constantly be with her and take care of her that it got to the point that I had the urge to just die along with my mother. It was unfair that everyday I had to take care of her, while she would forget about me and never appreciate my efforts or my work.

Perhaps because of all the bad thoughts I had then, I still remember the calm face, free of worries and hardships, when she finally passed away.

All of which led up to today. The day of my mother’s funeral.

I stood around and stroked the reflection of myself in the mirror with my hand.

There I saw a woman in her thirties, who, even though was wearing plain black dress, still gave off an air of maturity.

She had silver hair, pale white skin, and clear blue eyes. Her face had fine features, but they still couldn’t escape the traces of time.

What I saw was a chaste-looking 30 something woman. Nothing more or less.

Yet, somehow, I still felt awkward about myself today.

In fact, I wasn’t used to the quietness of the house. Years before, it had bustled with some life with all of the servants. Even when it was just my mother and I, the house still had a lively feeling. But now it’s seemed so lonely and desolate.

It hurt me to be in there.

Drop-

A tear fell before I even knew it.

The moment my mother died and was no longer there like I wished, I really felt like there was nothing left for me to do. I no longer felt like I had a purpose to live.

I thought everything would be better if my mother disappeared, but it wasn’t like that after all.

There was no turning back all of the years I had spent with my mother anyways. What was done was done. Nothing was really different about my life, just that I could no longer see my mother that had always stuck around me like a friend or a child.

There was truly nothing to do without her.

I let out a small sob.

“I’m sorry mom.”

I’m sorry I didn’t treat you better.

I’m sorry I didn’t do better.

I’m sorry that you had a daughter like me.

No matter how hard it was, I should have laughed a little more instead of getting annoyed.

I should have enjoyed the lively moments with my mother instead of sitting there in dreadful anticipation of all the work I would need to do to clean up after her.

Drop, drop, drop.

More tears followed down my face.

I had always thought that by getting rid of my mother, I would be free of the heavy burden I had had for years, but at this moment I wasn’t happy or relieved that the burden had disappeared. It felt weird and funny.

I felt as if I was abandoned.

***

The funeral was held in a formal manner.

Relatives dressed neatly in black gathered together, and a coffin that contained my mother’s body laid peacefully in her casket as she was lowered down into her grave.

I could hear the occasional sobbing from all sides, but I couldn’t cry. I just stared blankly at my mother’s grave.

While I was standing there reminiscing our moments together, the funeral attendees began to leave one by one, until only my two sisters remained.

“Bella.”

When I turned my head to the voice calling me, I saw the face of my sister, Medina.

Medina was my eldest sister, a plump middle aged woman with two grown sons.

“Now that the funeral is done, let’s go home and finish all of the things we need to do for our mother.”

My second sister, Claire, spoke up next, “Yes, we need to talk about what we are going to do next.”

Unlike my sister Medina, Claire was skinny and lean. She, too, was a middle-aged woman with a grown child.

I answered with a slight nod.

***

When we arrived at the house where my mother and I had stayed, both of their husbands were already gathered there before we arrived.

I greeted them kindly with, “Hello, how have you all been?”

Medina’s husband, Miles, was a viscount, while Claire’s husband, Denver, was a baron.

Between the two, Miles answered first with a slight pretentious smile.

“Long time no see.”

With a hard look on his face, Denver said, “For now, you should sit.”

He pointed his chin at a chair nearby.

I sat down in the chair that Denver pointed at.

At this point, unless I was an idiot, I realized that they had something important to tell me. So I asked them, “Perhaps . . . Do you have something to tell me?”

Out of the four there, Medina answered my question.

“Bella, listen. We’ve actually already talked about this amongst ourselves, so today we will tell you what we want to say. There really is no other way to bring it up to you nicely.”

A tired smile rested on my face, “What do you want to say?”

“Now that our mother is dead, we can’t keep giving you money for your living expenses,”

she replied solemnly.

“Ahh. Of course.”

I knew that my intuition was correct.

Since my mother had finally passed away, I couldn’t keep receiving living expenses from my sisters since the reason why they were supporting me was not because of myself but out of filial piety towards my mother.

“That’s alright. I understand what you mean. Now that mom is gone, there is no need for you to keep taking care of me. Even though I’m not sure what I’m going to do in the future, I’m sure that I will find a job soon.”

Medina looked at me with a sliver of disdain. “We’ll be selling this house too.”

Medina’s unexpected announcement had me in shock.

Before I could say anything, Claire, who was watching me closely, agreed with Medina with a brazen face.

“What are you all surprised about? This house isn’t yours. It never was. Now that the real homeowner has died, my husband will find and sell it to a suitable relative. That way, we’ll be able to get back all the living costs we’ve been sending her all these years.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Claire.

Finally Medina spoke with an upright tone, “That’s right. It’s not just this mansion. We’re also selling the Baron title, as well as all the small land left in the will.”

After hearing that, I was moved into a further state of shock. I couldn’t say anything in response.

A terrible sense of loss swirled all over my body.

“Then. . .

What about me?”

Medina and Claire had already married and currently hold the title of Viscountess and Baroness, but I didn’t even have anything.

I knew that it would be hard to maintain the Baron name of our family, but if they really sold the title of the Baron, I couldn’t even be in the aristocracy anymore.

If they were to sell this mansion and the little land left, I would have no place to stay.

I tried once again, trying to hide my trembling shoulders.

“You may not need the Perrington name or title anymore, but it’s not the same for me. I’ve been carrying it my entire lives, while you’ve started carrying the names and titles of your husbands. You can’t do this to me.”

Claire’s face scrunched up in spurts of anger. “We can’t help it either! Your brother-in-law gambled away all the money! We have to pay back our loans!”

She glared fiercely at her husband, Denver. In response, Denver coughed lightly and looked somewhere else to avoid her eyes.

Medina spoke belatedly with a poor look on her face as if trying to arouse sympathy.

“Bella, your situation is pitiful, but what can we do about it? We’ve also been having a hard time.”

At that moment, my heart shattered a thousand different times at once.

Back then and now.

It was still the same.

They still acted the same.

Twenty years ago, they had passed the responsibility of our mother to me. I had spent years taking care of her while they were able to get married and have children, and have a life defined by their own actions and decisions. In comparison, my life had revolved around my mother for twenty years.

“You’re not the only one who’s been having a hard time,” I protested, “It’s hard for me, too.”

Until now, Medina and Claire were having a hard time with their family life as well, so I tried to understand. No one had an easy life, I understood that.

But this was it.

I couldn’t do it anymore.

There is not much left for me to do at the age of 38. If they took any of these things away from me, I wouldn’t be able to survive.

But Medina looked at me coldly.

“I can’t help it if you choose to refuse. Unless there’s an heir, I have the right to do as I wish with the property and inheritance as the eldest child. You can say whatever you want to say, but I’ adamant on selling everything.”

“But-”

I tried to refuse, but Claire, who was next to me, cut off my protests quickly.

“How is it our fault that you’ve grown so old?” Claire questioned with contempt.

She laughed,” Maybe you ended this way because you’ve been collecting pictures of the Duke of Acruge for years.”

Miles and Denver had ridiculous expressions on their faces as they looked down on me. They were mocking me.

Theansis Kaian Acruge.

Also known as the Duke of Acruge.

I hadn’t collected his pictures because I had a wild dream to be with him and live a happy life together. Instead I fancied him from far away, like many other ladies did.

Whenever I would look at his handsome and perfect face, I forgot about the hard reality of my own life for a while and would just imagine a life with someone like that.

When Claire noticed my red face and inability to say anything back, she gave me a pathetic look and continued.

“Why don’t you just marry Schellman before we sell the title to someone else? He did say he wanted to be with you. He already has three grown up sons, but at your age, you shouldn’t be too picky. The only thing people think that you’re good for at your age is to join a convent.”

“Stop.” I cut her off before I would hear something disgusting again.

I didn’t want to hear what Medina and Claire were going to say anymore.

“It hasn’t even been a day since our mother’s funeral,” I reminded them with a laugh.

Mom was not here, and I am left all alone to fight my own family members.

“Do you not have to say anything nice to me first? Like ‘you have done a great job taking care of your mother?’ or ‘I’m sorry that she died’? Couldn’t you have had some sympathy for me? Or what you’re about to take away from me?”

No one answered.

***

Shortly after, I kicked my family out of the mansion where my mother and I lived.

They shouted at me saying, “You’re the one who’s going to lose everything.” But I didn’t want to talk to them anymore.

It was unfair and vexing.

During my youth, my heart had ached to take care of my mother and not myself, but they consoled me by saying that it was a necessary sacrifice for my family.

But as soon as my mom died, my family couldn’t even afford to console me once more. The twenty years I spent caring for my mother felt like a worthless effort.

They were the most cold hearted people I’ve met.

But they weren’t even supposed to be cold hearted towards me. They were my family.

I drew my head up because my throat began to feel stuffy. I felt like I would cry and burst it all out.

But I didn’t want to cry. I really didn’t want to draw more tears on a day like this.

If I cry again, it’s only going to make me feel more miserable.

I sat down in defeat and looked at the newspaper casually tossed on the table. It was from this morning, and it contained a job opening advertisement from the Kamar Academy. They were searching for a pharmacist for a medicinal drug company.

Even though my mother’s dementia was incurable, I had still been studying a lot about medicine in hopes that her symptoms would improve even just a little.

Because I have never felt as useless as I have today, I had the urge to go to the job’s interview.

So on the spur of the moment, I left the house in a foggy state of mind.

I wasn’t even fully conscious or aware of what was going on around me, just that I had arrived at the location of the interview already. I was out of my mind.

Perhaps it was a coincidence that the security guard who had guided me there confused the drink he left for me with an unidentified experimental drug. Perhaps we were both a little out of our minds.

As soon as I realized that the drink had a unique pink color and strange taste, my mind grew sharp again. But by then it was already too late.

My head felt like it was spinning, I felt so dizzy. Then I plunged to the floor.

Clank!

As I fell, my grip on the container of the drink fell to the floor and broke.

On the floor, I turned my head towards the broken glass, and saw right behind it a large glass mirrored wall filled with laboratory vials and experimental drugs.

I couldn’t believe how I was reflected on the wall.

The woman reflected in the mirror was young, and had the face that I had when I was younger.

I had no choice but to stand up and stagger closer to the mirror to pinch my face.

I . . . got younger?

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Chapter 2

The drastic change in appearance was so surprising that it felt like a dream.

The once pale and placid complexion was replaced with bright and youthful skin. The fair wrinkles had also disappeared. The woman in the reflection had beautiful eyes that glowed with liveliness, and her lips were clear and supple.

It was shocking. All of the prominent features I had in my early 20s were back on my face.

“H-how did this happen…?”

I looked at my reflection on the glass wall with an amazed look.

It is absolutely impossible.

Unless it was a fantasy.

I need to check, I need to check it right now.

I couldn’t be sure of how real my appearance was if I had only seen my reflection on a glass wall that wasn’t even made to be a mirror. I had to go home and look into a proper reflective glass and check my appearance again, to make sure my eyes weren’t failing me.

When that thought came out of my mind, I hurried up from the floor.

It was then that the door of the lab opened, and the security guard who guided me around here was escorting a man in a white lab coat into the room.

Despite my desire to finally get a job, nothing was more important than my current situation.

I squeezed between them to get through the door, only leaving a short, “I’m sorry,” in my absence.

***

“Didn’t you say a woman came by for an interview earlier?” Gazing at the back of Belia running out like that, the man in the white gown said with a hint of annoyance.

The white coat he was wearing had the words [Alchemy Professor] embroidered on its right pocket.

The alchemy professor, Jerru, was in his late 30s, yet he was still as stunningly handsome as anyone ten years younger than him. He also carried a proud aura that attracts people’s attention.

But because he didn’t seem to care about his own appearance, he had shaggy hair and baggy eyes hidden underneath silver-rimmed glasses.

The guard looked at the lab where no one was present. “I-I know right. I’m sure that I showed her around awhile ago,” he said with a puzzled look.

“Tsk! I’m already so busy, but you had to waste my time like this,” Jerru snapped, turning around with a look of annoyance.

In his peripheral vision, he saw a broken beaker with remnants of pink liquid.

Jerru quickly approached the shards that had fallen awhile ago on the floor. Anger swallowed him as he recognized what he was looking at.

“Who the hell did this?! Why is this on the floor?!”

It was a mixture that was made of precious material that would be very hard to get again.

But it was broken and spilled just like that!

Jerru kneeled on the floor, and hurried to collect the remaining liquid scattered on the floor. But something was strange. There was too little of the liquid on the floor in comparison to the size of the beaker. There didn’t appear to be any paper towels or other absorbent materials that could’ve picked up the liquid.

Did someone drink it? But who the hell-

The lasting image of Belia’s back as he had run out of the laboratory passed through Jerru’s mind. With a surprised look, he glanced down at the broken beaker and spilled mixture.

“What were you telling me earlier?” Jerru asked, not looking up from the floor.

The guard answered in nervousness and astonishment. “W-what I said? I guided the woman inside for an interview.”

“Yes, but the woman who left just now was a young lady.”

The guard pondered over his words before realizing something. “That’s right, come to think about it, the young lady was wearing the same dress the older woman had a while ago.”

When he heard that, Jerru seemed to be in a daze.

If someone really took the medicine, they should have died.

None of the test subjects had survived during the animal experiments where they were fed this.

So then why was she alive?

And why did it seem like she had changed ages?

Jerru looked alternatively at the broken beaker and the path Belia had run off to, and murmured his thoughts quietly. “I need to do a biopsy to figure out what is going on.”

Suddenly, Jerru, who had been lost in his thoughts, raised his head and shouted at the guard. “The woman, or young lady who just went out earlier, get her back here right this instant!”

“W-what?” The guard flustered.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen from now on! Bring her right in front of my eyes this instant, before she dies!” Jerru shouted.

***

The vicinity of Kamar Academy is much wider than I originally thought.

I didn’t even know a single building or pathway here.

The Academy is where noble men and women of the Valkanus Empire study. They have to already have had their coming-of-age ceremony, and they also pay a huge amount of tuition fees as well.

From what I heard, there are fields of studies for all sorts of things, from leisurely subjects like horseback riding, housekeeping, and flower arrangement to more serious subjects like swordsmanship, business management, and astronomy.

At first, the Academy was built to keep the Dellac Empire in check, which is at the border of the Empire, but now it’s main purpose has changed, and it’s now a place where aristocrats are being educated.

But even though it is a school for aristocrats, the academy’s tuition is so expensive that it is difficult to enter even as a normal aristocrat. To enter, you’d need to be either powerful or rich. And so the Academy became a place for the best of the best.

Those who graduated from the Kamar Academy were never met with any discrimination. Many of the alumni became famous throughout the entire Valkanus Empire.

It is every aristocrat’s dream to attend.

The Academy was made up of young aristocrats of the Empire, and they were all gathered in one place, where they could find friends and make connections to use throughout their careers and lives.

Tap. Tap.

As I was wandering around, a quick motion caught my eye. I tried to look around for it, but I couldn’t find it.

“Save me!” Someone screamed gutturally

I flinched and shuddered at the scream that left a tingling feeling in my ears. The scream was not a sound that a human being could make.

What’s happening? Where did that scream come from?

Unknowingly, I stopped and looked around for the sound I just heard.

It was at that moment that someone yelled, “Get out of the way!”

Scuffles were heard as the people on the pathways scurried to move away. I also hurried to stop my way and stepped aside.

In the space created by the movement, dozens of horses were lining up and entering the academy, raising dust into the air.

Who is it?

Is it a member of the royal family?

To have such a grand entourage that person must be extremely powerful and rich.

The knights on the horses began to move out of the way for someone.

At the end of the long entourage, a blonde man came into my sight.

His glossy blonde hair stood out in the crowd. It shone like a golden thread that was carefully cared for.

But it wasn’t just his hair that stood out.

His eyes too. They were a stunningly bright purple. They were also a perfectly straight shape, and they gave you a very mysterious feeling.

Overall he was a very handsome man with a distinctive sharp nose and jawline.

With just one single glance I could recognize him.

Theansis Kaian Acruge.

The most popular man in the Valkanus Empire. He was powerful enough to hold the entire northern dominion, could run as the heir to the throne, and was also the youngest duke in the entire Empire.

But these were just some of the titles that he was called by. There were still many others he answered to.

As I was looking up at him, I froze in disbelief. This man, who had been living in my imagination was suddenly real, and right in front of me.

I can’t believe I’m finally seeing you up close.

I’ve collected his pictures from the black market, and I’ve been to a horse racing competition that he appeared before, but I’ve never met or seen him from such a close distance before.

The horse competition I went to was the first and probably, last time I’d ever go to one. At the time I still had to take care of my mother, but despite that, it was still one of the happiest days of my life, that I would get to be there with him.

Thump- Thump-

My heart began to beat quickly. I couldn’t believe that he was here, right in front of me.

For a second, I wondered how he had come here when he was supposed to be in the north. I didn’t even know that he was still a student at Kamar Academy, and this was an unofficial visit.

I was lucky to have met him today.

I was so starstruck.

But I knew my own status. I have never mixed up my imagination with reality. Theansis is at the peak of his youth, a young successful man in his twenties. In comparison, I am just a withered flower.

If I ever had a chance, I would just want to tell him that I admired him, just like many other ladies do.

Just like that, Theansis passed by as quickly as he had entered my vision.

My eyes unknowingly followed him as he left, his figure still imprinted in my mind.

A few movements caught my eye, and I turned to the back of the entourage. There, ugly monsters were being dragged in chains.

I stepped back, frightened at the sight. My eyes and mouth were wide open in surprise.

There was no one who wouldn’t be able to recognize the monsters that lived in the Taran Forest in the North. In fact, the Valkanus Empire was once almost defeated by these Tarantine monsters.

At that time, it was the Acruge Family that came like angels and defended the Empire. Ever since then, the Acruge Family controlled the North, which was where the Empire bordered the Taran Forest.

Yet knowing what the monsters looked like was very different from seeing them in real life. It was the first time I had ever seen one.

They had toad-like textured skin, and a face that looked like it had mud flowing down it and onto the floor.

Everything about the monster was so different from humans.

As I stared blankly at the monsters being dragged by the chains, I unconsciously held my breath. The sight was just so horrendous.

It was at that moment when I made eye contact with them.

Clang! Clang!

The monsters, who were being peacefully dragged by, suddenly began to riot in unison.

The once calm entourage march became a battlefield.

A knight screamed, “Stay back, everyone!” as he, and all the other knights, began to surround the monsters on horseback to subdue them

However, the biggest monster cut off the chain that had been binding him.

Clang!

Surprise shot through the entire crowd, and for a moment everyone froze in anticipation.

I froze looking at the monster, and I felt like its bloodshot eyes were staring straight at me.

It’s not possible, I thought.

But then the monster began to run, dodging the knights on horseback.

It was headed towards me.

I was so surprised that I couldn’t even let a scream out of my mouth.

I guess I really am dying here.

Skid-

Before I knew it, something moved in front of me, blocking me off from the monster’s sight.

When I looked up, I could see the dependable back of a man with blonde hair.

It was Theansis.

I didn’t know how he was able to move in front of me so quickly when he was just on the back of a horse moments ago.

Without looking back at me, he told me “Stay back, Lady.”

L-Lady?

It’s been such a long time since someone called me Lady, that I forgot how frightened I was earlier and just stood there, looking at Theansis’ back.

Because of my mother, I wasn’t able to leave the house very often, but when I would need to go buy daily groceries, the children in the markets would call me “Auntie.”

In the aristocratic society, where political marriages are very frequent, there were not many cases where a woman wouldn’t get married by the age of 30. Most women my age would’ve had several children already, so it wasn’t wrong for them to call me that.

I was just too old, and it was the truth.

It was heart-wrenching to hear the title “Lady” out of Theansis’ mouth as I had admired him for such a long time.

But that feeling only lasted for an instant.

Swish-

The sound of Theansis unsheathing his sword quickly brought me back from my thoughts.

The monster, which was several times larger than an adult male, was coming towards me at full speed.

My mind blanked and I couldn’t think of what to do or where to go.

Clang!!

Theansis’ sword clashed and hit the monsters’ chest.

When the two collided, there was a shock wave.

Whoosh-

A powerful wind blew around them, while the energy from the monster and Theansis scattered into the thin air.

Everyone had taken a step back.

Being the closest to the center of the energy, I tried to cover up the wind with my arms, but I was pushed back a few more steps. The force made me collapse on the floor.

It occurred to me then that if Theansis hadn’t shown up in time, I would have really been dead by now.

As I was moving away from the battlefield, I kept my eyes on Theansis, who was confronting the monster.

There was not a trace of fear on his face, even though he was much smaller in size when compared to the monster. In fact, it seemed as if the monster was being pushed by Theansis.

Despite Theansis’ sculptural appearance and noble status, he is one of the finest swordsmen in the Valkanus Empire.

Even the Knight’s Order had praised him, saying that his achievement and growth as a swordsman is something that is a nearly impossible task at the age of twenty.

It’s impossible to reach that kind of swordsmanship unless you are a genius.

The blue haze-like energy that was flowing through his sword was beautiful. The sheer amount of power that it contained was probably unimaginably large.

I crouched down quickly to avoid getting caught up in the fight between the monster and Theansis.

For now, this is the best that I could do. Just as Theansis said, I should step back.

Suddenly, The monster turned towards me and let out a grotesque sound.

“Krrrrr! Keuk!”

Theansis hurriedly moved in front of the monster and stabbed its side with his sword, but the monster still came towards me without stopping.

My body froze in terror.

I don’t know why, but the eyes of the monster were watching me.

“A-ahh—!” My lips shook as I looked at the monster that was getting closer.

But I still can’t scream properly due to fear.

My heart beat against my chest. I couldn’t hear anything but the beating in my ears.

I forced my body, which felt so heavy and slow, and tried to escape towards an area that didn’t have any monsters.

Te-euk!

Something caught my ankle.

Looking down reflexively, I saw the monster’s big hand grab my ankle.

The touch of the jelly-like monster’s hands gave me goosebumps all over my body.

Swisssshhhhh!

Theansis, who had been chasing after the monster, cut off its arm that was holding my ankle.

Soon after, the monster’s thick arm fell neatly to the floor.

My eyes were unconsciously drawn to the arm, and my mind went into disarray at its grotesqueness.

Fwish!!

Suddenly a large tree in the academy fell towards me.

Claaaaasssshhhh–

The tree fell right in front of where I was currently standing.

If I hadn’t moved a little further back, I would have been crushed by the tree.

A cold sweat broke out behind my back. My life was being threatened constantly for the past few minutes.

But it was extremely lucky that the tree which had fallen so suddenly, had fallen right on the monster, rendering it immobile.

Behind me, I heard a low voice ask me, “Are you okay?”

When I overcame the initial shock, I turned my head and saw Theansis, who had overpowered the monster.

Is it safe now?

“I-I’m fin—.” I struggled to get the words out of my mouth.

He sighed in relief.

His purple eyes shook with surprise while looking at me.

“Careful—!” He yelled.

Plop!

Something hit me hard on the back of my head before his words could even register in my mind.

I heard an unfamiliar voice say “Thank goodness.”

I wondered where the sound came from. But it didn’t matter as my whole body relaxed and slipped towards the floor.

But before my body touched the cold floor, I was held by Theansis.

His scent refreshed my mind before my head slowly passed into darkness.

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**

Chapter 3 – [Can I Touch You?]**

Everything felt like a dream.

I had come to the academy on a whim, accidentally took some strange experimental drugs, met the man I had admired and had been attacked by a monster.

It was hard for my mind to believe that all of that had happened in such a short period of time.

When I regained consciousness, I heard some people talking near me.

“Why did the monster suddenly go so berserk?”

“I don’t know.”

I didn’t know whose voice was asking the question, but I could recognize that it was Theansis who answered. His husky and low pitched voice was so charming that I could recognize it by just listening.

Theansis had answered with a hint of bitterness, but he switched his tone when he asked a question. “But the tree that suddenly fell down. Did you check why it fell?”

“Yes sir. The tree fell due to natural circumstances. A few days ago, someone had even said that the tree would become dangerous if the city would be hit by a storm. Its fall wasn’t related to the fight.”

“Even though someone said that they still just left it like that? The Academy Management is a mess.”

“I know. The manager made an excuse saying that he was busy with some festival. It was a horrible excuse. Speaking of which, do you know what the alchemy professor is trying to do with the monster?”

“No. We’ll just have to find out what that person is thinking later.”

I couldn’t fully understand what they were talking about, and I wanted to listen to their conversation for a bit more, but my eyelids were closing and I had no control over them.

So I fell asleep again.

Then I woke up again and opened my eyes.

How long has it been?

The first thing that I noticed was that the back of my head was hurting and my whole body felt heavy with a body ache. But as I spent more time awake, I began to feel more refreshed.

The last thing that I remembered was that something had suddenly hit me in the back of my head, so I couldn’t tell where I was lying right now.

I sat up in the bed and looked around with a hint of surprise.

“Oh my! You’ve finally regained your consciousness.” A maid nearby saw me raising my body and spoke to me in surprise.

“Where am I?”

“This is the Duke of Acruge’s dorm in the Academy. I’m Emily, a maid who works here.”

Dorm? Here?

Even though Theansis is the youngest Duke to rule the North, he still had a dorm just like any other student. It was a bit shocking to me.

But no matter where I looked in this room, I couldn’t say it was like a student’s quarters. The decorations and furniture here could be compared to any wealthy aristocratic mansion.

Well, it made sense that an Academy for prestigious aristocrats would not have ordinary dorms.

“So this is the Duke’s quarters,” I murmured.

I pulled myself out of the bed, clearing my head for a moment. Then Emily, who was next to me, hurriedly assisted me and exclaimed, “You just woke up. Where are you even going? You probably don’t know anything because you passed out, but you’ve been asleep for three days!”

“Oh.” I was surprised that I had slept for so long. “But now that I’ve regained my consciousness, I have to leave. Can you just please tell the Duke that I really appreciate him saving my life?”

I actually wanted to meet him in person and say hello, but it would probably be impolite to waste his precious time just for that. I’m eternally grateful that he saved my life, and someday I will get an opportunity to show him my gratitude. But for now, I know that my only position is to watch him from afar.

“You have to tell him yourself. He asked me to let him know immediately when you wake up. Please take your time and get comfortable here.”

“What?” My eyes went wide with what Emily said.

I won’t have to come to him, he’ll come here instead?

I couldn’t help but be surprised that Theansis would be coming here in person.

I am just a young Baroness, the lowest rank among the nobles. Theansis has one of the highest ranks in the entire Empire. Even though we are both aristocrats, our statuses are like heaven and earth.

Before I could say anything, Emily rushed out. She looked like she was about to report it to Theansis.

What am I going to do?

I’ve collected his photos and watched him like a fangirl for a long time, but this will be the very first time I’ll meet him up close.

A rush of memories flooded my mind. I remembered his voice when he called me “Lady,” and how he had asked me if I was okay with a worried look on his face.

My face blushed.

When I remembered the scene when he held me in his arms before I lost my consciousness, I felt a sudden joy inside me.

I just couldn’t believe it. It all just felt so dreamy.

What should I do?

When I was facing the monster my heart had stopped in fear, but now my heart was pounding readily at the mere thought of him meeting me.

I stood up in a hurry and fixed my disheveled hair. I wanted to dress up, but I didn’t have anything to change into, so there was nothing more I could do about my shabby appearance.

I laid down on the bed in anticipation, unable to sit or stand.

Thud- Thud-

There was an incoming sound of footsteps steadily approaching. My heart began to throb.

Creak–

Soon after, the door opened and Theansis entered the room.

In my eyes, it seemed like every move he took was in slow motion, as if time had stopped just for him.

What happened before I lost my consciousness was like a dream, but this scene with him was like a fantasy to me now.

“You are finally conscious, Lady.”

The way he said “Lady” was just so sweet, that it felt like there was a spring breeze that had enveloped my heart. My heart and mind melted at the sound. I couldn’t even say anything in response, so I just nodded my head instead.

Just then, I felt something dripping down my nose. I wiped my nose with my hands and saw blood.

Yes, that’s right.

My nose was audacious enough to bleed in front of Theansis.

“Ahh–” I panicked and froze. At that moment, Theansis quickly pulled out his handkerchief and held it out towards me.

Even though my nose was bleeding, all I could think about was how pleasant his handkerchief smelled. This handkerchief was probably very precious and valuable. It looked like it was worth a lot.

I just stared at it blankly, unable to muster up the courage to use it on my bleeding nose.

“Please take it,” Theansis said softly.

“I-it looks expensive, so I feel sorry to use it.”

The handkerchief had a white background that helped bring out its colorful pattern in the center. If I used it to wipe my nosebleed, the handkerchief would get stained and would look ugly.

“In that sense, carpets are more expensive than handkerchiefs,” Theansis answered.

“Ah.” I was looking down at the floor when he said that, and that’s when I noticed that my nose had begun to bleed onto the carpet. I quickly accepted the handkerchief from Theansis, slightly embarrassed.

“The doctor said that there shouldn’t be anything wrong after you woke up. Are you still feeling sick? Are you ok?” He was probably worried about my pale complexion.

“Ah, I’m not feeling sick at all,” I replied, pressing the handkerchief against my nose and waiting for the blood to stop.

I knew he was probably worried because my nose had started bleeding all of the sudden, but I couldn’t bear, to be honest. My nose had begun to bleed because I had finally seen him in person. It wasn’t because I was sick.

Just looking at his bright appearance made me feel like I was dreaming.

Even now, looking at his eyes which held worry and concern for me made me feel guilty for lying to him. But since I couldn’t just blurt out the reason behind my bleeding nose, I changed the subject.

“Why did I faint?”

I was certain that the monster’s arms had been cut off and had been overpowered and defeated right in front of my eyes. But suddenly something had hit me from behind, causing me to faint.

What hit me?

Did any other monster show up?

I couldn’t figure it out.

“You fainted after being hit by a flying fruit.”

“A flying fruit?!” Of all things to get hit by.

The tree that fell down earlier bumped into another tree, and that tree had fruit in it.”

Getting hit by a flying fruit…

I am surprised again.

I imagined myself automatically falling down after being hit by a fruit flying to my head.

How ugly and weak did I look when I was fainting?

The entire ordeal was just so embarrassing.

I wanted to hide in a rat hole.

“The doctor said that you have a bump on the back of your head, but that it wouldn’t be a big problem. If you do feel any discomfort, you can always file a claim in the Academy.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I carefully touched the back of my head after putting down the stained handkerchief. I could feel the bump on it.

Despite my embarrassment, I was also extremely grateful for how worried Theansis was about me. He was so polite to someone who was just a low-ranking aristocrat.

Theansis has been rumored to be cold-tempered. But here he is, right in front of me. Not a single part of him seems to be cold-tempered.

Every time there was a controversy about his personality, I always believed it. I feel like his care for me now was punishment for believing those kinds of rumors.

“Do you feel any pain in your ankle?” He asked me, still worried.

“My ankle?” I moved my ankle a few times.

“Oh, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

“The doctor told me that in normal circumstances, you would have broken it.”

“What?”

“The monster’s grip on your ankle would’ve broken it, and severely affected your leg as well,” He stated. “It amazes me, especially when I remember seeing how strongly that monster was holding onto you.”

The thought that I might have broken my ankle or leg gave me chills.

I remembered the time that the monster had come towards me, and the squishy feel that I felt when the monster caught my ankle as I was trying to run away.

I got goosebumps.

“If you don’t mind, may I take a look at it myself?”

“W-what?”

Take a look at it himself?

Where?

My legs?

My ankle?

As I sat there silently with my mouth agape, Theansis came one step closer to me.

I hurriedly shut my mouth before I could drool at the weirdly sexy scene.

“May I?” He asked again.

I didn’t know if it was a reflection of light, but it seemed like his eyes were shining.

“T-That’s not it—.”

“Even though the doctor has already examined it, the Acruge family are experts when it comes to monsters. I’d better examine it just in case.”

He wasn’t wrong. He’s an expert when it comes to monsters. It really would be better for him to look at it. There could be some trace of something left behind by the monster, but . . .

“I-I am not saying that it’s not a bad idea. It’s just that it shouldn’t be something done by The Duke—.”

It would be sinful to let his pretty purple pupils see my lowly leg.

Theansis tilted his head. He looked like he was wondering about what I just said. After a silenced moment, he pointed to the bed, as if completely disregarding what I said earlier.

“If you don’t mind, sit over there.”

“What? There’s a sofa I can sit on, and I don’t think I have to sleep again—.”

I knew he didn’t have any malicious thoughts. A courteous guy like Theansis wouldn’t tell me to sit on the bed for reasons to harm me. But the bed made me embarrassed. I thought that he was old enough to understand, and couldn’t help but think a little naughtily.

“You’ve just woken up, so I thought that it would be easier for you to sit in a big bed than on a sofa. Anyways, you can sit wherever you’d like, Lady.”

I nodded and sat on the sofa with a throbbing heart at the use of “Lady” again. He kneeled with a serious face in front of me.

My face heated up. The way he was positioned made it seem as if I was receiving a vow or a proposal.

I was lucky to have met him. But I would never expect that something like this would ever happen to me.

I lifted the hem of my dress with trembling hands and raised it high enough so he could see my calves. Theansis stared at my leg with an expressionless face.

For a short while, he didn’t move and I wanted to jokingly say that his stare was going to pierce through my leg, but when I opened my mouth, I didn’t dare to say it. I wanted to tell a joke to calm my nerves. But since I didn’t say anything, my nervousness only heightened. I was unconsciously holding my breath, and my heart was pounding.

“Can I touch it?” He asked suddenly.

“What?” I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that my face was tainted red.

I am fully aware it’s just a contact for medical treatment, but it’s because something more than that when the person doing the contact was Theansis.

“I know I am making an impolite request to you, but I’d like to confirm it myself. I’ve never seen a case like yours.”

When I didn’t say anything, he looked up at me again.

“May I?”

I wanted to refuse, but when I looked into his eyes, I nodded unknowingly.

At that moment, happiness flashed and tainted his eyes, but when I blinked, his eyes turned expressionless once more. The change was so quick that I doubted if I had truly seen his face full of happiness.

You acted kind to get my permission, didn’t you?

But then I shook my head to erase my nonsensical thoughts.

Then, Theansis reached into his pocket and pulled out gloves.

If anyone saw his gloves, they would’ve thought that he was being rude.

But I knew that no matter where he goes, he is always wearing his gloves.

There was a rumor a while ago that he had dead skin disease, where dead skin cells accumulate on your skin’s surface. But that rumor died down because men don’t wear gloves when they’re training for swordsmanship.

Even now, no one really knows why he wears them all the time. It’s still a very big mystery.

I was curious, but I didn’t want to ask him why. After all, there are always going to be one or two stories that no one wants to tell.

After he put his gloves on, he touched my leg.

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