Chapter 31.1

I kneed Alexid in the butt.

Whoo. Why did he have to point out that I inherited my mother’s olive hair and my father’s scarlet eyes?

On the contrary, Alexid, who inherited our father’s black hair and our mother’s blue eyes, was blessed.

I fiddled with my hair.

In the past, children used to tease me by calling me a carrot and even Gerald as a unicorn.

Ah, I’m thinking about him again.

“You guys are still close,” Veronica said.

But I think it’s nonsense.

“No, we’re not,” I immediately replied.

“No, Veronica.” Alexid said as well.

But the scene was interrupted when a voice could suddenly be heard at the moment.

“Veronica! Come here. It’s your turn.”

“Yes, father!”

“Then I’ll see you inside,” she said with a big grin and waved us goodbye.

Veronica greeted us only for a few moments and then went away. Originally, Veronica was to enter with her fiance, Alexid.

But this was the first time I’ve attended a social banquet since I became an adult.

My dad was now busy with the Monster Wave and Alexid was now staying at home and became in charge of everything.

Veronica and other young adults who had already come of age a few years ago were first. They were still unmarried but already had an engagement ready for them.

And they became the next newly grown-up aristocrats.

This was my second time doing a coming of age ceremony, but I was still nervous. I took a deep breath and squeezed Alexid’s arm.

“Don’t fall.” He said.

“You too.” I replied.

Alexid and I exchanged light words of blessing.

“Louella Leander! And Alexid Leander escorting her.”

It’s finally my turn. I realized that I was slowly stepping into a new world.

It was time to say goodbye. From now on, I would be an adult who would be responsible for myself.

It will be different from before and it will be different from when I was young.

* * *

“Is the medicine done?”

Gerald asked, fiddling with the cube of the icosahedron. Under the pressure from Gerald leaning against the wall and staring at him with a cold look, Billiers felt a drop of sweat slide down his forehead.

Before he knew it, he had already become an assistant professor. Now that the medicine was published and the paper was adopted, Billiers would now become a professor.

It was the quickest promotion in history. No precedent had been that until now and in the future.

And yet, Gerald remained the same.

“Yes. Almost done.”

“It’s taking so long even though I gave you everything about it?”

“You’re not being so kind about it now . . .”

The ingredients of the drug and the brief experimental process were written, but the most important details were omitted.

For example, the time when the drug is combined, the temperature, and so on.

As a result, he had no choice but to take his time. Eventually, Gerald and Louella almost filled the decade helping him and finally succeeded in what they had hoped for.

“I thought you’d discover that much by yourself.” Gerald narrowed his eyes.

Gerald was also distracted at the time and was not good at writing a detailed experimentation process because it was not in his field.

“It’s done.”

Billiers put a small box on the palm of his hand, looking thrilled.

There was a round ring on it. A ring that seemed to be the size of a child’s fist. It was black in color and he couldn’t help but feel afraid to put it in his mouth.

He couldn’t do anything about the color because of the mana stone. It was the default color.

Billiers closed the box and handed it to Gerald.

“But why did you ask for it first? Louella doesn’t even know that the medicine has now been completed. Yet.”

In fact, the drug had been completed about three months ago. However, Gerald asked to postpone informing Louella.

“You don’t have to know the reason.” Gerald spoke briefly and put the box in his pocket. He still held an equilateral cube in his hand.

“Are you still solving it?”

He didn’t think Gerald would answer politely, anyway.

Everyone at the academy knew that the scenery of them being together was like a unicorn walking in the spring garden, and a cold wind blew in their faces.

The academy girls, who knew that Billiers and Gerald were close despite their ten-year age difference, often offered love letters to him instead.

He couldn’t believe he had to ask his assistant to deal with love letters. Thanks to that, Billiers didn’t have to worry about snacks.

But Gerald didn’t accept a single love letter at all.

“Why do you want to solve it?”

“I think I can solve it, but it’s annoying because it’s blocked.”

That’s a disease too.

Billiers sighed.

Gerald was a man who had near-perfect talent. Billiers could be confident that no one in his life, no, in history, would be as smart as Gerald. He was really smart.

He was a man filled with effort and enthusiasm. It was inevitable for him to develop to be a good man when all the problems he faced were solved by himself.

Gerald had never missed the top post since he entered school.

The Academy wanted Gerald to stay, but he didn’t accept.

Gerald would soon return to his family after graduating.

“I’ll have to go now. See you next time.” Billiers said.

“You don’t have to see me anymore.” Gerald left without saying a word.

Billiers called Gerald out of frustration, but he didn’t look back.