Chapter 11
Chapter 011.
The misunderstanding between my new stepbrother and my best friend was resolved, but my advancement exam was still ongoing.
Lenny tilted her head, watching me unusually nervous before the written exam.
“You just have to do as well as you usually do.”
“I was going to, but the situation has changed a bit.”
Since the first written exam was an absolute evaluation anyway, it didn't matter as long as I passed the cut-off.
However, seeing the care and attention Orion was giving me, it seemed I couldn't just get by with that level of score.
“The Dukedom is something else, after all.”
Lenny frowned.
“Funny. You should worry about your own grades.”
“You’re already perfect, though.”
I could tell without even checking.
He had received awards directly from the Imperial Family several times, and after graduating early, he was already serving as the captain of the royal guard.
“That’s nothing special. Just because your grades are great doesn’t mean…”
“It’s not just the grades that are great.”
His family was great, his looks were great, and his grades were great.
Lenny gnashed her teeth as if her pride was deeply wounded by my words.
“Just you wait. The Dukedom? I’ll buy it with money someday.”
“Your ambition is impressive.”
I, who had a best friend who would buy the Dukedom with money someday, focused on the written exam.
Fortunately, the first written exam was not difficult as long as you understood the basics, even though the scope was broad.
After taking the test in a separate space, a familiar figure waved at me.
Trevor Beryl not only gave me a friendly smile but even started talking to me.
“How was the exam?”
“It seemed easier than I thought. It must have been even easier for you.”
I was planning to leave right away, but it seemed he still had something to say to me.
“Do you remember me saying before that our research topics overlapped?”
“Yes.”
Trevor looked at me intently and said.
“As you know, the second exam requires you to focus on studying the topic you’ve chosen.”
He was beating around the bush, but he got to the point, perhaps reading boredom in my eyes.
“I was wondering if you’d like to study together.”
“About the topic?”
“I have quite a lot of data I’ve collected so far.”
It was an excessively kind offer.
He was a well-mannered person, but there was no reason for him to help me so actively.
We had only exchanged a few words at the Academy, so there was no connection between us.
‘Could he know that I’m Madam Tetiana’s daughter?’
If he knew that I had become the adopted daughter of the Dukedom, his attitude would be understandable.
I blinked and answered cautiously.
“I’ll think about it. I haven’t decided on the direction of my topic yet.”
“I can advise you on that too…”
Before he could finish speaking, the door burst open.
I was delighted to see a familiar face.
“Sorry. My friend came.”
I nodded to Trevor, grabbed Lenny’s hand, and left the spot.
I felt a strange gaze from behind.
“Lenny.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think any of the students at the Academy could know my real name and background?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I handled your identity perfectly. Even a professor would have a hard time finding out.”
Her confident words relieved me a little.
She, who had been speaking confidently, suddenly stopped.
“But they might find out for other reasons.”
“Huh?”
I turned my head to where Lenny was looking, and I saw a familiar carriage waiting in front of the gate.
It was the black carriage with the horses still snorting, not yet freed.
Lenny said seriously.
“That’s something I can’t stop.”
“…Okay.”
It was too conspicuous to ignore.
I left Lenny, who was waving with a regretful face, and headed for the carriage.
Instead of my sleepy new stepbrother, I saw a knight with kind brown eyes as I sighed and got into the carriage.
“Lord Rune?”
“It’s been a while, Miss.”
He smiled brightly and naturally reached out to take my bag.
“Did you do well on the exam?”
“Do you even know that I had an exam today?”
“Of course.”
I stared blankly at him, once again feeling the greatness of the Dukedom’s management and supervision.
Was my grade such an important factor to the Dukedom?
Would my mom be scolded if my exam score was bad?
She wouldn’t tolerate that.
‘She might grab the Duke by the hair and shake him.’
I shuddered at the image in my head.
“I heard you chose the topic of the land of death.”
“If you don’t mind, I thought it might be helpful. There are many resources in the Duke’s Residence’s library.”
“You’re really serious about my exam score…”
“Oh, of course, it doesn’t mean you have to get a good score. It’s just a simple favor.”
That’s how I heard his words.
‘If you don’t accept this favor and fail the exam on your own, you’re on your own.’
He smiled so brightly that his eyes disappeared and added.
“It’s just a suggestion from the bottom of my heart, hoping you do well.”
In the end, I quietly nodded.
* * *
The carriage passed through a large gate.
Sharp-eyed guards were guarding both sides of the gate.
“Orion is out, so you can relax.”
No sooner had Lord Rune finished speaking than the carriage stopped in front of a large building.
The magnificent building, worthy of being called a noble’s mansion, was entirely the Dukedom’s library.
Lord Rune, who got out of the carriage first, held out his hand.
As I took his hand and got out, a waiting servant bowed politely.
“I will guide you to the library. The materials have been prepared in advance.”
“Thank you.”
As I carefully greeted him, the servant in charge of the guide smiled.
He led us to a table set up inside the library.
“Wow.”
Everything needed was already prepared on the table.
In addition to reference books, there was everything from writing utensils to high-quality parchment.
“If you need anything else, please let me know.”
“No, this should be enough.”
I began to feel more and more burdened.
At this point, the goal was not just to pass the exam, but to pass with excellent grades.
Lord Rune glanced at me, who was staring blankly at the table, and grinned.
“Are you touched?”
“No, I’m getting scared now.”
The servant, who had been walking out confidently, stumbled for a moment.
Lord Rune muttered with a somewhat regretful face.
“Oh dear.”
I quietly opened a book.
I didn’t know why, but from the moment I entered the Duke's Residence, my gut was strongly insisting that I should ‘finish my business and leave as soon as possible.’
Otherwise, it felt like an unwanted situation would torment me again.
Lord Rune, who I thought would leave after guiding me to my seat, stayed by my side and helped me organize the materials.
He was not only highly knowledgeable but also had a wealth of empirical cases not found in the materials.
Moreover, he was excellent at teaching, and every time he explained, the information sank into my ears.
‘Amazing.’
Even the vice-captain of the royal guard was so outstanding, so it was understandable that he wanted me to get good grades on the exam.
“Shall we take a break?”
“No.”
“Sometimes taking a break can be more efficient.”
“The exam is not far away, and I feel uncomfortable being here.”
I was planning to put what I needed into my head as quickly as possible and leave.
Lord Rune widened his eyes and then laughed helplessly.
He shook his head at me as if he couldn’t help it.
“It’s so hard to get a good score from our Miss.”
“Score?”
“Orion has been so depressed, so I was hoping to get at least a good score and make him like us.”
At his cryptic words, my hand, which had been copying materials non-stop, stopped.
“Isn’t it me who has to get a good score?”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve given me so much support, so I must meet your expectations…”
Lord Rune laughed again.
Then, he covered his mouth and looked away before looking back at me with a kind gaze, as if he understood.
“You’re the type to always repay a favor.”
Isn’t that usually the case with purposeful favors?
I swallowed the answer that had risen to my throat and blinked.
“But you’re wrong. We’re not working this hard because of your good grades.”
His words sounded even more confusing.
“Our captain of the royal guard has been in a bad mood for the past few days.”
“It seems he hasn’t made a good impression on his sister, whom he was so looking forward to.”
I rolled my eyes.
I hadn’t particularly thought badly of Orion.
Was Jen’s words, ‘perverted psycho,’ still bothering him?
But I swear, that wasn’t a modifier I made up.
He looked at me and said kindly.
“All I’m asking for right now is that you greet someone you meet after leaving this hallway.”
“Greet?”
“If you have to repay a favor, let’s call that the price.”
Outside, the sunset was already setting.
As I looked at the garden turning crimson, Lord Rune carefully took my hand and pulled me up from my seat.
Like someone possessed, I headed down the hallway he pointed to.
With a flurry of footsteps, a maid with a flushed face bowed to me.
“Oh, hello!”
Behind her, who greeted me loudly, someone appeared.
“Hello!”
This time, it was a knight dressed neatly in a knight’s uniform.
I tilted my head at his greeting, which even had a insignia, but bowed.
I met many people while walking down the short hallway.
A maid in a plain maid uniform, a lady-in-waiting in attire that seemed to be of a fairly high rank, a cook who had come out of the kitchen, a knight in riding clothes who seemed to have come from riding a horse, an administrator with documents under his arm…
‘What’s going on?’
Do people usually pass through the hallways this much in the Dukedom?
It was the moment I finally left the hallway and came out to the garden with the fountain.
I blinked, watching the dazzling blonde hair shining from afar, lingering in front of the fountain.
‘All I’m asking for right now is that you greet someone you meet after leaving this hallway.’
Lord Rune’s voice echoed in my head.
I hesitated for a moment, then took a breath and approached the fountain.
“Hello?”
It was a time when the whole world was dyed crimson.
The water gushing from the fountain also held a crimson color and wet the surroundings.
Even as the world was dyed in the color of the sunset, his hair color maintained its brilliant golden color.
Orion’s blue eyes, looking at me, blinked.
He was the owner of a truly picturesque appearance, no matter when I saw him.
Even more so in moments like this.
