6.3

“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way.”  

“Come on, it’s obvious. If you keep thinking about someone and they’re always on your mind, that’s a sign you like them.”  

Viola’s voice was filled with certainty as she continued.  

“You think about them before you sleep, your heart feels a little funny sometimes…”  

Every word Viola said felt like she was describing Delia’s exact situation.  

“Y-yeah, maybe…”  

“And when things aren’t going well with them, or you’re apart, your chest feels heavy and suffocating!”  

It was true. At this point, Delia couldn’t deny it any longer.  

“And yet, you still want to see them. Isn’t that right?”  

Viola’s words hit the mark.  

If it wasn’t love, then how else could she explain her feelings?  

“What else could it be if not liking someone?”  

Viola delivered the final blow.  

“I-is that so?”  

“So, Delia, is there someone you like?”  

At this point, even someone oblivious would have picked up on the situation.  

Before Viola could ask if the person was Kartan, Delia quickly denied it.  

“No, it’s not like that.”  

“But you haven’t been hanging out with Kartan lately, so maybe…”  

Delia felt a sense of panic. Viola seemed to be catching on.  

“No, really, it’s not.”  

She couldn’t let anyone else know about her feelings right now. Especially not with the current state of things between her and Kartan.  

As Delia desperately denied it, Viola pressed on.  

“You must have someone you like, though. Are you worried they might misunderstand? Who is it?”  

Delia breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Thankfully, Viola seemed to have misunderstood.  

“Really, it’s nothing. Oh, we’re here.”  

Delia brushed off Viola’s words with a guilty conscience, trying to move past the conversation.  

Although she had narrowly avoided suspicion, she felt that if the conversation continued, her feelings might be exposed.  

When Delia finally arrived at the lecture hall, she let out a sigh of relief to herself.  

‘Phew, at least I got through that.’  

She had passed a small hurdle.  

But the real challenge was only just beginning.  

Even as the lecture was about to start, Delia found it difficult to calm her tangled emotions.  

‘Do I… like Kartan Roxen?’  

I, Delia Acremen, liked Kartan Roxen.  

It was a sentence she had never once considered in her entire life.  

In fact, the very concept of “liking” someone was unfamiliar to her.  

But the moment she thought of that absurd sentence and Kartan’s face came to mind, her face flushed red with heat.  

Her heart began to pound.  

At this point, there was no denying it.  

I, Delia Acremen…  

‘Likes him.’  

Yet, Delia quickly became despondent.  

‘But now, there’s really nothing left…’  

The situation was hopeless.  

It had been days since she last saw his face. On top of that, there was no longer any reason for them to cross paths.  

Could I even approach him first in such a situation?  

When she thought of the cold demeanor Kartan had shown her that day, it seemed utterly impossible.  

All Delia could do was try to sort out her feelings as quickly as possible.  

‘…What could I even do?’  

Even if this was the first time in her life that she had liked someone, these feelings couldn’t be allowed to develop further.  

Because the person in question was none other than Kartan Roxen.  

Their connection had been nothing more than a transaction.  

And he likely despised her.  

***

Recently, the Imperial Lapolis Academy had been unusually quiet.  

Not only had there been no major incidents, but the atmosphere had also remained calm throughout.  

This was especially true among the second-year students.  

The reason was simple.  

It was the season for the midterm evaluations of the second semester.  

Students at the academy were required to take a total of 12 exams over three years, and for the second-year students, who had already completed half of these, this midterm held special significance.  

It was both an opportunity to improve their graduation grades and a potential risk.  

In other words, it was a turning point.  

However, amidst the tension gripping the students, there was one person who seemed entirely uninterested in the midterm evaluations.  

That person was none other than Kartan Roxen, the second son of the Roxen Family.  

A prodigy who not only entered the academy as the top student but had also never lost his first-place rank during his first year.  

He had little interest in preparing for the upcoming exams.  

Instead, his focus was elsewhere—on his older brother, Repel Roxen.  

It had been over a month since the day Kartan decided to end his arrangement with Delia.  

During that time, Kartan had not crossed paths with Delia even once. Part of it was coincidence, and part of it was intentional.  

At this rate, it seemed they would only continue to drift further apart.  

There was just one thing left to resolve.  

Before severing all ties with her, there was one lingering issue on his mind.  

That issue was his older brother, Repel Roxen.  

Over the past month, Kartan had been keeping an eye on his brother.  

It was because of something Repel had said during the summer break that had stuck with him.  

• If it’s just a physical thing, why don’t you invite me next time? Let’s try it with the three of us. I’ve had my eye on her, but you beat me to it, and now my pride’s in shambles.

‘Why would he say something like that?’  

Kartan clicked his tongue in irritation. The memory made his fists clench again.  

However, it seemed that his brother had only been speaking idly. Repel showed no further interest in Delia, nor did he exhibit any suspicious behavior.  

The fact that the two of them hadn’t been seen together at all suggested there was nothing to worry about anymore.  

‘So it was just my imagination.’  

Perhaps Kartan had overreacted.  

If the issue with his brother was more or less resolved, the next step was to address his own feelings.  

It had been a month already.  

He hadn’t seen Delia.  

By now, he should no longer feel anything for her.  

He shouldn’t even want to see her.  

And yet, strangely enough…  

His thoughts were still filled with her.  

This unexpected state of mind caught him off guard.  

Even so, Kartan remained composed. He had a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.  

Over the past month, while keeping an eye on Delia and Repel, it was only natural that thoughts of her would linger in his mind.  

Now that he could finally turn his attention away from the two of them, it was only a matter of time before these feelings faded.  

Yes, that was how it would be.  

Someone like Delia Acremen would soon vanish from his thoughts.  

She would, without a doubt.  

***

The bulletin board was unusually crowded today.  

The second-year students of the Imperial Lapolis Academy couldn’t tear themselves away from it.  

While some were there to check their midterm results, there was a bigger reason for the commotion.  

“What? What?”  

“Is that for real?”  

“Wow, I can’t believe this.”  

1st – Delia Acremen  

2nd – Er Geranion  

3rd – Perilton Rainclaf  

4th – Shan Luciano  

5th – Kartan Roxen  

A significant shift had occurred in the top rankings.  

This change was what kept the students buzzing.  

Though no one dared to speak too loudly, whispers and murmurs filled the space.  

“Did you see it? Kartan’s score.”  

“Is he really in 5th place?”  

“He’s been acting a bit strange lately, hasn’t he?”  

“What a surprise.”  

The person who had caused such a stir in the academy was none other than Kartan.  

Having always occupied either first or second place, Kartan’s name had now dropped to fifth.  

***

After the midterms, Delia returned to her role as Professor Idern’s assistant.  

Today marked her third day back.  

Still, she felt less uneasy than before, thanks to having already completed more than half of the work.  

From Delia’s perspective, the research materials were now in their final stages of organization.  

‘At this rate, everything should be done by next week at the latest.’  

In other words, there weren’t many days left when she would have to face Repel Roxen.  

Besides, if she thought about it, nothing significant had happened between them.  

Perhaps she had been overreacting.  

Delia silently resolved to pay him no mind.  

Moreover, today, she didn’t even have the luxury to worry about Repel Roxen.  

Like the other students, Delia had just checked her midterm results.  

‘Why did Kartan do that?’  

Her thoughts were a mess.  

The results had been entirely unexpected.  

For the first time ever, Kartan’s name wasn’t directly above or below hers.  

While this result didn’t affect Delia directly or negatively,  

The fact that Kartan had placed fifth weighed heavily on her mind. His name, written beside the number 5, lingered in her thoughts.  

‘Could something bad have happened to him?’  

In truth, a sense of worry began to rise within her.  

About a month ago, after realizing through her conversation with Viola that she liked Kartan Roxen, Delia had found it increasingly difficult to face him.  

Even when they attended the same classes, he often disappeared before she could approach him.  

Because of this, she hadn’t even had the chance to “accidentally” bump into him.  

Not being able to properly talk to him only made her more anxious, but there was no way Delia could go to Kartan first.  

How could she approach someone who so clearly expressed his intention not to face her?  

And even if she did speak to him…  

‘I wouldn’t even know what to say.’  

If she met him, she might freeze or blurt out that she liked him without thinking.  

That would only push him further away.  

‘…Still, I’m worried about him.’