Chapter 28

On the evening the Mage Tower Master visited, the Crown Prince came to see Iberia in her hospital room.  

Iberia, who had been sitting up with her back against the pillow, stiffened the moment the Crown Prince entered the room. It was an instinctive reaction of tension.  

It was the first time she had seen him since the day he had suggested she stay in the hospital a little longer. Iberia bowed deeply in greeting.  

“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”  

“Please, stay seated.”  

The Crown Prince sat in the chair next to her bed, and Iberia raised her head. Even so, her gaze remained fixed on the floor.  

He looked at her as if observing her, then casually spoke.  

“Don’t worry too much about the hospital expenses. The academy provides support, and there’s also aid from the Imperial Family.”  

“Yes, thank you.”  

Iberia forced an awkward smile.  

If the amount wasn’t excessively high, she might be able to cover it with the money she had saved while attending the academy. If she emptied her savings and gathered all the scholarships she had received so far. She would end up penniless and have to tighten her belt for a while, but it might work.  

The Crown Prince repeated his assurance, as if emphasizing it.  

“I’m sure there won’t be any costs for you to pay.”  

“Yes, thank you.”  

Iberia answered stiffly. She understood that the Crown Prince was offering her a favor that wasn’t entirely a favor. However, she didn’t know how to respond.  

The Crown Prince carefully examined Iberia, who looked visibly uncomfortable. Feeling his gaze, Iberia blinked more frequently.  

He smiled once, then slowly stood up.  

“Recover well, and I’ll see you at the academy.”  

“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”  

The Crown Prince left without a sound. Soon, the door to the hospital room closed silently, and Iberia buried herself into the pillow. The stiff muscles in her back finally seemed to relax.  

***

Young Master Nesferos was excessively attached to Iberia’s side. It was doubtful whether he was even attending his academy classes properly.  

Calculating his weekly class schedule, there was no way he could spend so much time by her side. Iberia looked at him with worried eyes.  

Meanwhile, he alternated between looking at the food in front of Iberia and her face before asking her a question. His voice carried a hint of concern.  

“Can you eat on your own?”  

“Yes, I’m fine.” 

She hadn’t injured her hands, and her condition wasn’t severe enough to warrant being in the hospital in the first place, yet he was overly protective.  

Iberia slowly picked up the spoon and took a bite of food. She could still feel his gaze on her.  

Trying her best to ignore it, Iberia lowered her eyes back to the food.  

“By the way, Young Master.”  

“Yes?”  

“I was wondering if your classes are okay?”  

She heard the sound of Young Master Nesferos laughing. Iberia cautiously glanced up at him.  

Their eyes met, and Iberia quickly looked away again.  

“Don’t worry, I’m attending all the ones that overlap with yours.”  

She didn’t understand how her schedule was connected to the classes he was attending. With a somewhat puzzled expression, Iberia nodded.  

***

Iberia was only allowed to return to the academy after receiving a clean bill of health from the medical staff and the Mage Tower Master.  

As soon as she returned, she had to run around to fill the gaps in her now-empty academic life. The tasks seemed endless.  

“This is overwhelming…”  

Iberia buried her face in her palms and slumped over her desk. Since it wasn’t yet the official exam period, the self-study room was empty.  

Even though Young Master Nesferos, Cynthia, and even some professors had urged her to take it easy, Iberia regretted not returning to the academy the moment she woke up.  

After the avalanche of assignments, the exam period would follow. She felt suffocated.  

As Iberia sat in despair, Cynthia approached her.  

“I’ll lend you my notes.”  

“Thank you…”  

Normally, she wouldn’t accept the favor, but this time, she had no choice.  

Iberia tightly shut her eyes as she took the notebook Cynthia handed her.  

“I worked extra hard to focus and take detailed notes just for you.”  

“Thank you so much…”  

Unlike usual, Cynthia didn’t continue the conversation. She did so out of consideration for Iberia, who was already pressed for time.  

Feeling Cynthia’s thoughtfulness, Iberia smiled faintly and opened the notebook.  

Unlike Cynthia’s usual notes, this one was packed with information. Even the professor’s jokes were written down. Seeing this, Iberia couldn’t help but chuckle softly.  

As she diligently organized the material, a piece of paper was suddenly held out in front of her.  

[Do you want me to help?]  

Iberia quickly looked up. Right in front of her was Young Master Nesferos. He tapped his head lightly and whispered in a very soft voice.  

“I don’t have notes, but I remember the content.”  

His confident tone left Iberia in awe. She wondered if he had attended overlapping classes with her for this very reason but dismissed the thought as an overreach.  

Young Master Nesferos casually took a seat directly in front of her. Then, he grabbed the piece of paper still lying on her desk and scribbled something on it.  

[Want to go to the self-study room next to the library?]  

The self-study room next to the academy’s library was a space where conversations were relatively unrestricted. Knowing this, Young Master Nesferos was suggesting it to Iberia.  

Iberia instinctively nodded but then frowned.  

How could she accept his help without knowing his true intentions? Iberia’s mind became a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts.  

Young Master Nesferos’s words and actions flowed as naturally as water.  

“You’re not going to refuse, are you? It’s probably a good thing for you.”  

Though his face held a gentle smile, his words carried a subtle pressure. Whatever his true intentions, that’s how it felt to Iberia.  

When she reluctantly nodded, Young Master Nesferos smiled with satisfaction.  

It was the first time his smile had felt so annoying. Iberia averted her gaze, focusing on her notebook instead of his face.  

The Young Master’s light voice rang in her ears.  

“How about the weekend?”  

“Yes, that’s fine.”  

“Alright, see you then.”  

After Young Master Nesferos left, Iberia closed her eyes and slumped over the desk.  

The fact that she couldn’t accept his kindness at face value left her feeling conflicted. She couldn’t stop herself from constantly questioning the reasons behind his actions.  

A sigh escaped her lips.  

***

For several days, Iberia lived as if it were exam season. Today, too, after finishing her academy classes, she returned to the dormitory and immersed herself in her studies.  

Cynthia watched her with worried eyes.  

“Don’t you think you should take a break…?”  

Her tone was cautious.  

It hadn’t been long since Iberia had collapsed, yet she was already overexerting herself again. Cynthia found it deeply unsettling.  

Sometimes, Iberia acted as if she had no reason to live unless she did everything perfectly. Recently, this tendency had only grown stronger.  

As expected, Iberia responded with indifference and calmness.  

“You know I’ve already rested a lot.”  

“That wasn’t resting! You were unconscious!”  

Cynthia tried to keep her tone steady, but her words came out as though she were reprimanding Iberia. Seeing Cynthia’s unusual intensity, Iberia hesitated before replying.  

“Well, time passed all the same, so…”  

“This is driving me crazy.”  

Cynthia rubbed her temples.  

She wanted to burn the academy down.  

If the conversation continued, it was clear that Iberia’s sleeping hours would only be delayed further. Cynthia bit her lip but kept her mouth shut.  

Sensing this, Iberia offered a small apology.  

“Sorry.”  

It wasn’t as if she wanted to push herself to the brink.  

A gap had formed.  

Though she was diligently attending academy classes, there were parts she didn’t understand due to the gap in her studies.  

If she left those parts unresolved, they would undoubtedly snowball into something unmanageable later.  

Not knowing what to say to reassure Cynthia, Iberia slowly chose her words.  

“Don’t worry too much. I’m still getting enough sleep. I’ll take care of myself.”  

“Alright… If you collapse again, I swear I’ll burn the academy down, so you’d better rest properly then. Got it?”  

Though it sounded like a joke, there was too much sincerity in her voice. Iberia gave an awkward smile.  

She truly meant it when she said she would take care of herself.  

Cynthia quietly left the room, and Iberia once again buried herself in her studies.  

Perhaps because there was so much to do, time flew by too quickly.  

As the sky outside darkened, Cynthia returned to the dormitory and called out to Iberia.  

“You’re going to eat dinner, right?”  

“Yes, I promised, so I have to eat. You just ate, didn’t you?”  

“Yeah, I ate well.”  

Since she started having dinner with Young Master Nesferos, Iberia almost always ate dinner. What began as an obligation had become a habit.  

Cynthia couldn’t help but feel a strange expression cross her face, wondering if this could be considered a positive change.  

Even as she put on her coat and shoes, Iberia didn’t let go of her notebook.  

Cynthia held the notebook up to Iberia’s eye level. Iberia smiled faintly.  

The chilly evening air brushed against her face.  

Realizing she might be late for her appointment, Iberia tucked the notebook into her pocket and quickened her pace.  

In front of the dining hall, she spotted the silver hair of Young Master Nesferos. Iberia paused briefly to catch her breath before walking toward him.  

Sensing her approach, he looked at her and lifted the corners of his mouth. The way her blue eyes gazed at him pleased him.  

“Hello.”  

“Hello, Young Master.”  

“How’s your studying going?”  

“It’s going well.”  

Iberia gave a short reply, followed by an involuntary sigh. Soon, there would be even more assignments, and exams were approaching, yet the workload seemed endless.  

Young Master Nesferos observed her expression and smiled.  

“It’s alright.”  

She didn’t understand why he was telling her it was alright, but Iberia didn’t bother to ask.  

How many times had she been unable to understand Young Master Nesferos? Whenever she spoke with him, she was left with more questions than answers.  

“Iberia.”  

“Yes?”  

At his sudden call, Iberia lifted her head. Their eyes met, and Young Master Nesferos smiled genuinely, radiating happiness.  

Because of that, she couldn’t bring herself to ask why he had called her.  

For a moment, they simply looked into each other’s eyes. Then Iberia lowered her gaze again. For some reason, her ears felt warm.