Everything that had happened, happened. Inner peace.
That’s what Nyx told herself, even with Lirien and Tressa staring at her with widened eyes.
In truth, it was less “inner peace” and more “I’ve given up.”
The three of them stood in silence until Tressa, visibly rattled, blurted out,
“Oh, Sister… Is Sir Cael your boy—”
“W-w-wha—eh?!” Lirien shrieked, cutting her off.
Nyx closed her eyes at the commotion and exhaled slowly, searching for inner peace.
‘Hey, system, wake up. Can you give this troubled one some help?’
‘Oh? Then what exactly is your expertise?’ Nyx replied.
But before Nyx could even begin berating the useless thing, all while barely restraining the urge to sigh, Lirien’s lips twitched violently.
She stammered, “Wh-when?! Wa-wah—m-my rival has a fianc—” Her words caught in her throat, cut short by sheer disbelief.
'A commoner and a duke?!' Lirien’s mind spun out of control.
She had been there earlier, seen them talking, but dismissed it as nothing—just some trivial circumstance she couldn’t grasp. Her rival was exceptional, yes, and her friends equally so, but already engaged to the duke’s son? And as a commoner no less? Her thoughts spiraled into chaos.
Nyx’s brows twitched at her words. So much for her fleeting idea of inner peace.
One girl had simply jumped to “boyfriend.” The other had launched herself three flights of stairs higher and landed on “marriage.”
She needed to stop this nonsense now. Her eyes flicked to Cael. He met her gaze with his usual cool indifference, exactly as expected. With a sigh, Nyx raised her hand and pressed her palm toward the two—her own little "shut up" gesture. Surprisingly, it worked.
“Ahem! First of all, assumptions are not good,” Nyx said firmly, enunciating each word. “Exactly what part of the conversation did you hear?”
The two exchanged a glance, shaken by her words, before Tressa answered for them both, “Just around the dormitory part, Sister Nyx.”
Nyx opened her mouth to reply, but Tressa quickly bowed her head.
“I apologize for assuming, Sister Nyx. And to you as well, Sir Cael. That was… truly disrespectful of me.” Tressa said.
Nyx’s composure cracked for a moment—she had half-expected Tressa to react, but not quite like this, and certainly not now. Still, that brief lapse gave her mind a chance to breathe. She drew in a long breath, steadying both heart and thoughts.
With a soft cough, she steadied herself, as if mustering every ounce of her resolve and wit. Then she began to explain. This time, her words flowed with clarity, carefully measured, avoiding every potential landmine she could think of, like a MasterChef handling delicate ingredients where one mistake could ruin the dish. After all, like it or not, she and Cael were living under the same roof. If even the slightest clue of that were to come out, Nyx could only shudder at the thought.
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When she finally finished, she exhaled lightly. “That’s everything,” she said, her tone even. A beat later, she added, “Of course, it’s up to you whether to believe it or not.”
Tressa, who had listened intently to every word Nyx said, gave a slow nod. “I see. Then I apologize, Sister Nyx. Though… I suppose I wouldn’t mind if my sister were to have one?” Her words wavered, uncertain even to her own ears.
Nyx glanced at her. In the first place, she had no intention of stepping into a relationship, but somehow it felt as though Tressa’s approval would still be required should that day ever come. Still, she chose to let the matter pass. Rather, her gaze drifted to the one individual she hadn’t really spoken to, despite their strangely close circumstances. Nyx tilted her head slightly. Truthfully, she couldn’t even define what kind of relationship she had with this girl standing before her.
Lirien flinched the moment their eyes met, as if shrinking back under the weight of it. She bowed her head slightly and muttered, “I… I apologize deeply, my rival, and Sir Cael.”
Nyx gazed deeper at Lirien, which only made the girl flinch back. After a moment, Nyx awkwardly asked, “Umm, Miss Lirien… why rival? I’m pretty sure I haven’t done anything bad toward you.”
Lirien met Nyx’s eyes again. The hesitation was gone, replaced by her usual composure. Straightening her posture and steadying her breath, she declared, “No, it was my ignorance, I admit that...” She grunted softly, then pressed on with conviction. “But it’s precisely because it’s you! You’re even the infamous benefactor tied to Sir Cael. And even if you call him only a friend, I’m sure Sir Cael is indebted to you in one way or another. That alone proves how exceptional you are. That’s why I cannot see you as anything but my rival!”
With that, she thrust out her hand and pointed at Nyx with her index finger. “And I swear, someday I will beat you,” she added, concluding her declaration.
Yes, Nyx had admitted that she was Cael’s benefactor—which implied she was the one who had saved him. Cael’s past condition was no secret, especially among the nobility, and even someone like Lirien, from a count’s family, would know of it. Tressa, on the other hand, understood far less of the situation. The announcement had circulated through high society, but Nyx didn’t mind being recognized in that vague manner. After all, her actual name had never been revealed. People only knew that the benefactor was a girl, someone close in age to the Duke’s son.
That anonymity was intentional, a way for Nyx to avoid unwanted attention. Still, it only truly held weight when Cael himself was by her side to confirm it. And for Nyx’s purposes, that arrangement worked perfectly.
Nyx, however, could only think wearily, 'What’s with this sudden glazing…?'
But then, Lirien quickly shifted her demeanor. She pressed her fingers against her soft, squishy cheeks in a thoughtful pose and mused aloud, “But my rival, a man isn’t allowed in the girls’ dormitory. So… why would you ask Sir Cael?”
Nyx froze on the spot. Yes, she’d been struck by her own stupidity. When she claimed she knew the dormitories, she had been thinking of the men’s dorms, not the women’s. She had completely forgotten that she was now a “she.”
Though clearly, someone else was getting the wrong idea. Lirien’s brows knit together as realization dawned.
“Hm? Don’t tell me… Eh? Ah?” Her face flushed crimson as she stammered, muttering meekly like a love-struck maiden—though she absolutely wasn’t. “D-don’t tell me—that?!!”
“No!” Nyx shouted back, louder than ever before. The outburst made everyone flinch, even drawing Cael’s attention. “Haaah, enough already. I told you, it’s not like that, so… let’s just drop this conversation.”
“O-oh… sorry, my rival,” Lirien muttered awkwardly.
Just as the conversation was about to settle, a voice chimed in—one that really shouldn’t have.
“Hmph. Quite immature and insensitive of you, Miss Lirien,” Tressa remarked flatly. “Sister is clearly not at that stage yet.”
Both Nyx and Lirien froze, staring at Tressa with equally awkward expressions. Tressa tilted her head, confused by their reactions. “Hmm?”
Lirien’s shoulders slumped. Her proud posture faltered as if she’d been struck down without a fight. “I… I’ll be going now,” she mumbled in defeat before trudging down the hallway.
Tressa’s gaze followed her retreating figure before she turned to Nyx. “Sister, shall I guide you to the dormitories?” she asked, unfazed by the scene.
Nyx slowly shook her head. “No, I can manage on my own. Still… thanks for the offer, Tressa.”
Tressa gave a small bow. “Very well. Then, I’ll take my leave. It seems I misspoke toward Miss Lirien.” She started forward, but as she passed, she added softly over her shoulder, “...I know I lack social skills—Master reminds me often. But I will do my best, Sister… so, I would be glad if you did not come to hate me."
Nyx’s eyes widened. Her reply stumbled out, almost panicked. “N-no! There’s no way I ever could.”
At that, Tressa quickened her pace, light steps carrying her after Lirien, leaving Nyx and Cael in heavy silence.
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The silence lingered, but it wasn’t awkward for Nyx. Perhaps it was for the man before her, though, as her gaze pressed into him.
“So, what’s your purpose in being here? I thought you still had business to attend to,” she asked. Her voice was calm as ever, but her eyes betrayed her, sharp with the feeling that everything that had just happened stemmed from Cael’s appearance.
“…Elaris told me to come and fetch you. She said maids aren’t allowed to wander the halls on the first day of classes,” Cael explained. After a brief pause, he added, “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.”
“…” Nyx found herself speechless—not at his words, but at how irritatingly detailed the game’s systems were. “I understand. I’m sorry for getting angry,” she replied.
“Do you want me to guide you to the dorms?” he asked.
“No,” Nyx answered flatly.
Cael didn’t waver. “It won’t draw attention. I’ve checked, and I can use some of my abilities to avoid detection.”
“O-oh, I see… If that’s possible, then I’d be grateful,” Nyx said, her tone softening.
They walked together through the quiet halls until they reached a more secluded spot. There, Nyx hesitated before speaking, her voice small. “Umm, I know you must already know so much… with your regressions, and entering the academy over and over again. That’s why—thank you for helping me. I truly appreciate it, and I’m sorry for being a bother.”
Cael was silent for a long while, then smiled. “It’s fine. This is something I chose.” He paused, then spoke again, his tone shifting, as if to correct Nyx’s words.
Yet one thing was unmistakable.
It froze Nyx in place.
“But I’ve only entered the academy once.”
Nyx’s entire being stiffened, her breath caught. She froze where she stood, as if struck by ice. The question she had always dreaded to ask surfaced in her mind.
“And I had already forgotten most of it.”
The answer had already arrived, and it was the worst case she could have imagined.
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| Chapter 39 – Halted Steps