3.1

Several days had passed since the day Delia and Kartan first shared such an intimate moment.  

Now, just hearing Kartan’s name within the academy was enough to bring back memories that left Delia flustered.  

‘I need to stay on guard.’  

She reminded herself to be cautious. That strange emotion from that day was surely just a fleeting feeling caused by her first experience, she told herself repeatedly.  

“Delia, you’re in the same group as Kartan, aren’t you?”  

“W-what?”  

Up until just a moment ago, she had been trying to convince herself not to be shaken by his name anymore. But controlling her emotions was easier said than done.  

And it was happening again now. Even in the middle of a mundane routine like heading to the dining hall for lunch, just hearing his name from a friend’s mouth made her jump.  

‘It’s just a passing comment, so why am I… wait, what?’  

“In the same group?”  

Delia’s voice rose as she repeated the words. Viola nodded as if Delia’s surprised reaction was only natural.  

“That’s what I’m saying. I was shocked too! Isn’t this the first time you and Kartan have been in the same group?”  

Delia was horrified. To be in the same group as him under these circumstances? She had thought there would hardly be any chance of running into him within the academy.  

After all, the two of them rarely encountered each other face-to-face under normal circumstances.  

But why was this happening now? Life truly was unpredictable.  

Ever since Kartan’s proposal, she felt strangely intertwined with him.  

‘No, Viola must be mistaken.’  

Clinging to her last shred of hope, Delia asked again.  

“Viola, doesn’t it seem unlikely? Me, in the same group as Kartan Roxen?”  

“I was surprised too, but it’s true. My brother is an assistant to Professor Ines, so I’m certain.”  

This couldn’t be. 

The source was far too reliable. The probability of this being false was practically zero, and Delia’s face turned pale with shock.  

Unaware of Delia’s turmoil, Viola continued, envious.  

“You’re so lucky. Being in the same group as Kartan. When will I ever get the chance? But what was Professor Ines thinking, pairing you with Kartan?”  

That was exactly what Delia wanted to ask.  

The top student and the second-ranking student. It was almost unheard of for them to be put in the same group.  

And for good reason. When groups were evaluated, it was more balanced to include students of varying performance levels within the same group.  

‘Well, Professor Ines is a bit eccentric.’  

Professor Ines, who taught classical studies, was quite different from the other professors.  

Thinking that it might make sense coming from someone like him, Delia arrived at the dining hall with Viola, though a sense of unease lingered in her heart.  

The classical studies lecture was scheduled for 2 PM.  

For now, Delia planned to eat and spend whatever time remained sipping a warm cup of tea to mentally prepare herself.  

Perhaps seeing Kartan’s face afterward would feel a bit less overwhelming. That was what Delia was thinking when—  

“Oh, isn’t that Kartan?”  

Viola’s voice shattered Delia’s plan.  

It was an odd day. Not only would she have to face Kartan openly in Professor Ines’ class after lunch, but now she almost ran into him here at the dining hall as well.  

There were five dining halls within the academy. Why did we have to end up at the same one?  

Delia briefly considered turning around and heading to another dining hall, but she quickly realized that wasn’t an option and moved toward the ordering counter.  

It was already 1 PM. Considering the time needed to eat and get to the 2 PM class, there wasn’t as much time as she thought.  

Walking to another dining hall would take about 15 minutes.  

On top of that, the building where Professor Ines’ lecture was held was quite far from there, so moving to another location now would almost certainly make her late for class. She couldn’t risk being late just to avoid someone like him.  

‘I’ll sit at the table farthest away from him.’  

Thus, Delia decided to sit as far away from Kartan as possible and pretend not to notice him.  

“But Delia, isn’t Kartan really amazing?”  

Unaware of Delia’s inner turmoil, Viola clasped her hands together and began to sing Kartan’s praises.  

“What? Him?”  

Delia couldn’t stop the incredulous response that escaped her lips. But Viola, instead of agreeing, seemed even more confused by Delia’s reaction and continued to extol Kartan.  

“‘Amazing’ doesn’t even begin to describe him. He’s so flawless it’s almost unreal.”  

Flawless? Unreal?  

People only said such things because they didn’t know his true nature. 

Delia wanted to beat her chest in frustration.  

“He’s honestly incredible.”  

Incredible, my foot. 

Everyone was being deceived. It was frustrating that Delia was the only one who knew the truth about that perverted man’s real self.  

“Not to mention, he’s tall, broad-shouldered, and doesn’t he look like he’d have a solid build?”  

“Well, that part is true.”  

To be fair, he was well-built. Unlike her, who only focused on studying, he seemed to exercise regularly. And his back and thighs were also…  

“Wait, what did you just say, Delia?”  

Gasp. She had accidentally agreed out loud. Flustered, Delia shook her head vigorously. 

What was she thinking?  

“N-no, no. I mean, you’re right. He does look like that.”  

“See? You might not realize it, but Kartan is really popular.”  

Delia knew that too. After all, no one paid more attention to Kartan Roxen, the perennial first-place student, than Delia herself.  

“Top grades, good looks, prestigious family—he’s got it all!”  

Annoyingly, every word was true. In the past, Delia herself had thought the same when she looked at Kartan.  

The Roxen Family was one of the most prominent merchant families in the empire.  

And to top it off, Kartan consistently brought home first-place marks. Unlike her, he was probably a beloved and celebrated son.  

No, even without the top marks, he would still be loved.  

‘He’s different from me, with only half the family blood running through my veins.’  

She had never heard any rumors of Kartan Roxen being illegitimate.  

That was why Kartan could afford to do things like this while holding onto the first-place spot she so desperately wanted.  

A bitter feeling welled up inside her, but there was nothing she could do. After all, it was thanks to his “game” that Delia even had a shot at aiming for first place.  

‘I shouldn’t dwell on it.’  

Focusing only on the present, Delia steadied herself and picked up her tray of food, searching for an empty seat.  

Naturally, she started by looking for spots farthest away from Kartan, but unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any open seats.

“There are no empty seats.”  

“That’s what I’m saying. Oh, there’s one over there!”  

Delia turned her gaze in the direction Viola pointed.  

‘That’s right next to Kartan Roxen.’  

It truly was a strange day. To make matters worse, the only available seat happened to be at the table next to Kartan Roxen’s.  

It felt like a cruel joke of fate—every other seat was occupied except for that one.  

Ever since the day his proposal began, she had weirdly felt entangled with him at every turn.  

“Oh my, what luck! I get to sit right next to Kartan today.”  

Following behind the cheerful Viola, Delia silently prayed.  

‘Please, someone, just stand up.’  

Even if it happened while they were walking, she could change direction and head toward another table.  

But her desperate wish didn’t come true.  

“Hi, Kartan!”  

Oblivious to Delia’s inner turmoil, Viola placed her tray on the table and greeted Kartan at the adjacent table.  

“Hello.”  

His voice was calm and indifferent, but Viola’s face lit up with excitement as if it was the best thing ever.  

‘What’s so great about him returning your greeting?’  

Of course, Delia had no intention of saying hello to him. She focused on her food, hoping their eyes wouldn’t meet.  

“Hello, Delia.”  

A pleasant voice called her name.  

Why did he have to acknowledge me? 

Delia felt a mix of resistance and irritation.  

Should I just ignore him? 

She hesitated, but Viola was sitting right in front of her. If she didn’t respond, Viola would surely find it odd.  

On top of that, he might use it as an excuse to say something strange later.  

“…Hello.”  

But she had no intention of addressing him by name as he had done with her.  

Giving a short and brisk reply, Delia tried to refocus on her meal.  

“I heard we’re in the same group for Professor Ines’ class today. Did you know?”  

If only his voice hadn’t interrupted her again.  

‘How does he even know that?’  

Kartan Roxen. Why was he so insistent on starting a conversation with me?  

We weren’t even sitting at the same table, so why did he keep pestering me?  

Did the events of that night mean nothing to him? Of course, since it was a game he had suggested, it might not bother him at all…  

But it wasn’t the same for Delia. She found it unexpectedly difficult to move on from what had happened that night.  

Even if she could turn back time, she wouldn’t have made a different choice, but that was beside the point.  

“Is that so? I guess I’ll find out when I get there.”  

Delia forced herself to respond in a curt tone, her words clipped and cold. By now, anyone could tell she wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation.