Chapter 4

As they exited the library, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the surroundings. 

Young Master Nesferos glanced at Iberia to ensure she was descending the stairs safely, then smiled faintly. 

“It wasn’t as much as you thought, right?”

At his question, Iberia paused midway down the stairs. Now, the two of them stood face-to-face. 

He always had a way of saying things that were difficult to respond to. 

Iberia began to wonder if he was unaware of how hard it was to directly evaluate the place he had taken her to, or if he was doing it on purpose. Of course, the latter seemed more likely. 

After some hesitation, Iberia weakly nodded. It wasn’t just that it wasn’t much; it was worse than she had expected. 

“Libraries are all pretty much the same, aren’t they?”

For a moment, she felt a twinge of hurt at his words. Was it because of her own hidden inferiority complex? She had thought the library wasn’t great, yet somehow, his comment still stung. 

Suppressing her complicated emotions, Iberia descended the stairs as if nothing were wrong. 

Perhaps noticing the subtle turmoil within her, Young Master Nesferos’s expression grew slightly odd. 

“Shall we head back to the academy?”

“Sure.”

Half of his face caught the glow of the setting sun as he turned to look at her. Iberia quickly followed after him. 

The road back to the academy felt much longer than the way to the library. Iberia silently trailed behind Young Master Nesferos, her steps steady and quiet. 

By the time they arrived at the academy, darkness had begun to settle over the campus. 

“Take care.”

The dormitories were located on the outskirts of the academy grounds. With the self-study hall positioned in the center, there was a considerable distance between the women’s dormitory and the men’s dormitory. 

This meant their paths wouldn’t overlap much. 

At the main gate, Iberia gave him a polite bow before heading toward her dormitory. 

As she adjusted her bag, which kept slipping off her shoulder, Young Master Nesferos approached her. Iberia instinctively tensed up. 

“Would you like to have dinner together?”

Iberia lightly bit her lip. 

It was impossible to pretend she hadn’t heard him; they were too close for that. If she claimed not to have heard, he might start doubting her hearing rather than her memory. 

She wanted to refuse, but she had no idea how he might react to rejection. Swallowing nervously, she slowly nodded. 

Young Master Nesferos’s eyes curved into a smile. 

“Should we eat outside? Or at the academy?”

“At the academy. Let’s eat at the academy.”

Eating outside would mean spending more time with him, which Iberia found unsettling. 

Eating dinner with him at the academy could lead to some unwelcome rumors, but she could easily dismiss them by saying it was related to their group project. That should be enough to make the situation pass without much trouble. 

Iberia reassured herself that it wasn’t a bad choice. 

The walk from the main gate to the dining hall was quite long. As they walked side by side, Iberia glanced at him and then subtly fell back to walk behind him. 

“Come up here. Why are you walking behind me like that?”

Walking beside him was even more uncomfortable. Without showing her discomfort, Iberia complied with his request. 

“There aren’t many people around.”

“True.”

Thankfully, it was a relatively busy period, so there weren’t many students in the dining hall. 

When Young Master Nesferos and Iberia entered together, the students’ gazes immediately turned toward them. 

Iberia’s face flushed red. She knew the attention was because of Young Master Nesferos, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing. 

Worried that he might choose a seat in the middle of the dining hall where people constantly passed by, she quickly placed her bag on a seat in a corner. 

“Do you like this spot?”

“Yes.”

Iberia gave a short reply and ordered a small salad. Her intent to finish dinner as quickly as possible was clear. 

Young Master Nesferos watched her quietly. 

A silence hung between them. 

As soon as their food arrived, Iberia quickly greeted him. 

“Enjoy your meal.”

“You too.”

Iberia forced herself to eat, though the food didn’t go down easily. 

She wasn’t used to eating much for dinner, so it was even harder to eat now. She worried she might get indigestion and have trouble sleeping later. 

She decided to pick up some digestive medicine on her way to the self-study hall after dinner. 

Silently, she continued to eat her salad. 

“Do you usually eat on time?”

“No. But I make sure to eat lunch properly.”

“Make sure you eat well.”

“Yes. I’ll try.”

Iberia gave a short response and lowered her head, signaling that she didn’t want to continue the conversation. 

Having emptied her plate at an impressive speed, Iberia quickly stood up. 

“Thank you for today, Young Master. See you later.”

Fearing he might call out to her, Iberia quickened her pace. 

Her stomach felt uncomfortable—she was sure she had indigestion. Her face had turned pale. 

***

The project was progressing smoothly. 

Young Master Nesferos was more cooperative than she had imagined, pointing out flaws that even Iberia hadn’t noticed. 

Though her feelings toward him were far from positive, she had to acknowledge his competence. It was almost laughable to think that her acknowledgment mattered at all. 

As they discussed how to present their project, Iberia noticed him staring blankly at the edge of the desk. 

“Young Master, so for this part of the presentation… Are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll present the events from the period when ancient texts were used. Young Master, could you present the process of how the ancient language evolved into the imperial language?”

He didn’t respond.

Presenting the language’s evolution was more challenging than discussing historical events. 

It was also a topic likely to invite unnecessary questions and criticisms. That’s why she had deliberately assigned that part to Young Master Nesferos. 

Watching his reaction, Iberia cautiously spoke again. 

“Should we switch parts? If you’re not comfortable with it, please let me know.”

“No. Let’s stick to this plan.”

“Understood.”

Hearing his answer, Iberia stretched her stiff body. Her joints cracked audibly. 

Once the presentation was over tomorrow, her project with Young Master Nesferos would finally be complete. She held onto a faint hope that this would mean she wouldn’t have to see him anymore. 

Unfortunately, more than half of their classes overlapped. Iberia slumped over her desk in resignation. 

As he watched her black hair spread over the desk, Young Master Nesferos smiled faintly. 

“Even after this is over, I’ll say hello. Let’s see each other often.”

“…Sure.”

The timing was too perfect. Iberia straightened her back and replied in a deflated tone. 

Still, over the past ten days, she felt like she had grown a little closer to him. 

Contrary to the rumors and her first impression, he wasn’t particularly eccentric or cruel. 

Of course, he was still unpredictable. Sometimes, his actions made him seem a little crazy. 

Even though Young Master Nesferos differed from the rumors, that didn’t mean she felt entirely at ease around him. Iberia couldn’t help but feel a little tense whenever she interacted with him. 

Still, she had become more comfortable compared to when they first met. It felt like the tension had eased a bit. 

Perhaps that’s why the words slipped out of her mouth without going through her brain. 

“…Young Master, what do you live for? Ah, I’m sorry.”

Her mind snapped back to reality. 

She quickly apologized, unsure of how he might react. 

She had only been curious about his motivations, but her words could easily be interpreted as criticism or interrogation. 

It was careless. Unable to face him, Iberia tightly shut her eyes. 

A silence hung between them. Bowing her head, she apologized again. 

“I’m really sorry.”

“I have a good memory.”

At his unexpected response, Iberia cautiously opened her eyes. Young Master Nesferos’s voice was as cheerful as ever. 

What was he talking about? 

Beyond that single statement, he said nothing more. 

Though she was relieved he hadn’t reacted strongly, she still couldn’t understand him. 

***

“Iberia!”

The door to her room burst open. Iberia, who had been lying in bed after practicing her part of the presentation, craned her neck to see what was going on. 

Cynthia stood in the doorway, catching her breath. She must have run here again. 

Iberia pulled back her blanket and quietly approached her, patting her back. Cynthia, who had been bent over, suddenly raised her head. 

“Is it true? Are you… dating Young Master Nesferos?”

“No, of course not. Where did you hear that?”

Iberia’s expression turned sour. Cynthia let out a big sigh, as if she had expected that answer. 

“Well, some of the other girls were saying it. They told me to keep it a secret.”

“If you hear anything like that again, please correct them. Tell them I’ve only been meeting him because of our project. I have no idea why such rumors are spreading.”

“Got it. I thought it was strange too.”

Had Young Master Nesferos heard these absurd rumors as well? 

Honestly, if it wasn’t because of him, these rumors wouldn’t even exist.

Though he was also a victim of these baseless rumors, Iberia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment. Shaking her head a few times, she decided to stop thinking about it. 

Anything involving him felt like plunging into a bottomless pit. 

Rumors would die down with time anyway. 

Pulling the blanket up to her eyes, Iberia closed them. 

***

The project with Young Master Nesferos was completed without issue. 

As expected, he excelled in the presentation as well. Whether it was natural talent or something he had learned as the heir to the Ducal House, she couldn’t tell. 

“Hello, Iberia.”

“Hello.”

He always greeted her warmly, his bright smile a constant companion. 

Though his expression was cheerful, there was always something unsettling about it. Perhaps it was the transparency of his eyes. 

As if entranced, Iberia found herself staring into Young Master Nesferos’s eyes. Noticing her gaze, he asked playfully, 

“Can I sit next to you?”

“I’ll move to the back…”

“No, sit with me.”

He stopped Iberia as she tried to stand, grabbing the book she was holding rather than her directly. 

If he had grabbed her directly, she would have instinctively pulled away, so in a way, it was fortunate. 

But… did Young Master Nesperos not know what kind of rumors were going around about us right now?

Sitting back down, Iberia turned to him and asked, 

“Young Master, do you…?”

“Yes, go on. I’m listening.”

“Do you know about the rumors concerning us?”