Chapter 5

A brief silence hung between them. Young Master Nesferos still wore his usual smiling expression.

“Aren’t there always a lot of rumors about me? I even show up in the newspapers often.”

It was another answer that seemed slightly off.

Iberia glanced at his ever-smiling face before abruptly turning her head away. 

For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, it seemed unlikely that he would ever cooperate. Closing her eyes, Iberia rubbed her eyelids.

His violet eyes gazed intently at Iberia’s troubled profile.

“Does it bother you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll make sure the rumors don’t bother you anymore.”

“Thank you.”

Iberia smiled, though her expression lacked any genuine emotion.

“You don’t believe me. I said I’ll take care of it.”

Young Master Nesferos muttered quietly to himself.

She couldn’t begin to guess what he intended to do. While it was likely just an empty promise, the thought that he might actually follow through was unsettling.

Contrary to Iberia’s doubts, Young Master Nesferos subdued the rumors between them in a very unique and effective way.

***

The news of Young Master Nesferos’s engagement to the Imperial Princess spread throughout the entire academy.

Naturally, the rumors about Iberia and Young Master Nesferos, which had already been dying down, quickly disappeared.

“So, the Crown Prince heard about the rumors… Iberia, are you listening?”

“Huh? Young Master Nesferos is getting engaged to the Imperial Princess?”

“You weren’t listening!”

Cynthia raised her eyebrows as if annoyed.

Iberia found it hard to focus with so many thoughts swirling in her mind. On top of that, she hadn’t been feeling well lately. Pressing her fingers to her temples, she apologized.

“Sorry. My mind’s been all over the place lately. I’ll really focus now.”

“Alright. Anyway, His Highness got angry when he heard about the rumors.”

“Really? No way. Why?”

Iberia’s eyes widened in exaggerated surprise.

Cynthia laughed at her over-the-top reaction. That overly dramatic response was Iberia’s way of apologizing. Moments like these made it impossible to dislike her.

“His Highness said, ‘My sister’s about to get engaged to Young Master Nesperos, so what kind of nonsense are people spreading?’”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“And he said that anyone who continues to bring up the rumors will be considered as insulting the Imperial Family. Oh no, I’ve got class starting soon. See you later!”

Cynthia checked the time, grabbed her books, and hurried off. Iberia waved goodbye.

The Crown Prince’s actions were undoubtedly a relief for Iberia.

It was definitely a welcome development, yet Iberia couldn’t hide her conflicted feelings. She wondered if this had anything to do with Young Master Nesferos’s promise to resolve the issue.

“The timing is strange.”

The rumors had been circulating for quite some time, so why respond only now? And why specifically order people not to mention those particular rumors? Something about it felt off.

What were the chances that Young Master Nesperos had somehow influenced the Crown Prince?

Given the circumstances, it seemed almost certain. However, it was too awkward to ask him directly. She wasn’t even sure how to phrase the question.

Lost in thought, Iberia made her way to her next class.

With each passing day, her worries only grew.

Each time one problem was resolved, another would arise, often requiring subjective judgment to address. They were all far too complicated for Iberia to handle. It gave her a headache.

Deciding she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her studies in her current state, Iberia put down her book and considered taking a short walk. As she turned, her vision spun. She barely managed to steady herself by grabbing the desk, which scraped noisily across the floor.

If she had fallen, she would have been seriously hurt. She had been feeling unusually weak lately, and now it was clear that something was wrong with her health.

Carefully, Iberia sat back down.

“Ha…”

Nothing seemed to be going right. Her body felt cold and shaky, and it didn’t seem like an ordinary illness.

Exam season was approaching. Falling ill at such a critical time was the last thing she needed, especially with so many assignments to complete. Resting her head on the desk, Iberia felt her eyes grow warm. Being sick made her feel inexplicably emotional.

Whether he was aware of her condition or not, Young Master Nesferos appeared as cheerful as ever.

“Hello, Iberia.”

Worried that her face might still show traces of tears, Iberia didn’t fully lift her head.

Fortunately, her voice sounded normal. Pressing her cool fingertips to her eyes, she felt the heat gradually subside.

“Hello.”

“Did the thing that was bothering you get resolved?”

“Yes.”

Iberia opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it again.

She needed to say something, but she didn’t know what would be appropriate. Her headache made it hard to think clearly.

Once was enough for thoughtless words to escape her lips and lead to regret.

“Thank you.”

Iberia glanced at his face out of the corner of her eye. After much hesitation, she finally managed to express her gratitude.

She had considered mentioning the matter more specifically but worried about what to do if it turned out he wasn’t involved. At the same time, it felt wrong not to say anything at all.

Even if he wasn’t responsible, she could frame it as gratitude for his concern. It was a short and safe expression of thanks.

Young Master Nesferos’s eyes widened slightly before curving into the brightest smile Iberia had ever seen from him.

Iberia stared directly into his eyes. Meeting his deeply curved violet gaze made her cheeks flush with warmth.

***

After the day’s classes ended, Iberia found herself lying in the infirmary, having fallen asleep without realizing it.

She had chosen not to return to her dormitory, fearing that if she rested there, she might not wake up in time the next morning. Instead, she opted to rest in the infirmary.

By the time she woke, the sun was setting. Iberia hurriedly tidied the bedding and stepped outside.

She felt noticeably better after a bit of rest.

“I still have to finish that assignment today…”

She needed to work on proofs. Mathematical proofs.

Iberia mentally calculated how to allocate her remaining time for the day. Her plans from that morning had already fallen apart when she decided to rest.

Just then, someone called out to her.

“Are you Iberia Del?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Achel Demian Keitanner.”

Hearing the unfamiliar man’s name, Iberia flinched. It was a name she couldn’t possibly not know.

Keitanner. The family that ruled the continent’s only empire. The Imperial Family. And his golden hair confirmed it.

Iberia bowed her head deeply. She couldn’t fathom why a member of the Imperial Family would seek out someone as insignificant as herself.

“Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Raise your head. I came to see your face.”

“Please, speak formally.”

“How could I, knowing of your talents, Miss Iberia? Raise your head. Should I make it a command?”

It was a veiled warning. He had asked twice; there wouldn’t be a third.

Slowly, Iberia lifted her head. Their eyes met—hers and his, both the same color but of different shades. The Crown Prince’s dry gaze roamed slowly over her face.

The way he scrutinized her, as if assessing the quality and condition of meat, sent shivers down her spine.

Iberia barely managed to maintain a neutral expression. After taking in every detail, he smiled faintly.

“I can see why he’s so fixated.”

A beautiful face. Decent judgment and the ability to conceal her true feelings.

Not bad.

Not exceptional, but not bad.

He turned his gaze to the sky. Iberia quickly lowered her head again.

Half-turned, the Crown Prince spoke casually.

“Tell Ermite thank you. He often starts things without properly finishing them.”

“Yes.”

Though she didn’t fully understand, she knew she needed to respond.

The Crown Prince turned to leave but paused, stepping back toward her. He removed his glove and extended his hand.

Iberia hesitated briefly before extending her own hand to meet his.

Surely, he wasn’t expecting her to kiss the back of his hand.

Her judgment appeared correct, as he simply shook her hand up and down a couple of times before letting go. Turning completely, the Crown Prince walked away with long strides.

His hand had been unexpectedly warm. Iberia touched her trembling fingers, deep in thought.

Everything about him seemed warm except for his eyes. For someone with such cold eyes to have warm hands—it was strangely disconcerting.

After meeting the Crown Prince, Iberia headed straight for her dormitory.

Half of her haste came from a fear of running into him again, while the other half was to reflect on what the Crown Prince had said about Young Master Nesferos. His words felt like tiny needles pricking her heart.

At that moment, her thoughts were consumed not by assignments or academy life, but by Young Master Nesferos.

Slumping against the wall, Iberia hugged her knees and buried her face.

“So, Young Master Nesferos…”

He must have been the one to influence the Crown Prince. To quell the rumors.

To help her, who had been struggling because of those rumors.

While she couldn’t fully grasp the meaning behind the Crown Prince’s words, one thing was clear.

“…Why would he go this far?”

Sometimes Young Master Nesferos seemed inexplicably kind and considerate, yet other times he was utterly unreasonable.

Even though she wasn’t a noble, she knew enough to understand that favors among the aristocracy always came with a price.

Especially when it involved moving the Imperial Family. The cost must have been significant, yet he had done it anyway. Why?

She couldn’t understand. She had never understood him.

“I don’t know.”

His unpredictability frightened her.

Why had Young Master Nesferos done it? If it was the result of meticulous calculation, what was his ultimate goal? If it was mere whim, that was even scarier.

Her instincts, combined with her worst-case assumptions, turned all her feelings toward Young Master Nesferos into fear.

Lifting her head, Iberia resolved herself.

No matter what, she needed to properly thank him.