CH 33

The air was humid because of the rain. Despite the fact that it was still 1 p.m., the sky was dark as if it were night.

After all my lectures, I was staring out the window with a blank look on my face.

My last lecture was one that I took without Melissa. Perhaps that’s why the gloomy sky looked more gloomy.

Man, if I knew this would happen, I would have brought an umbrella! No, I didn’t know so I couldn’t bring it

As I was huffing inside looking at the rainy sky, the classroom door opened with a rattling sound from behind.

“Oh, Rubia. It was such a coincidence that I saw you.”

Professor Bendick, who came out later than the students, pretended to know me. Professor Bendick’s lethargic eyes were filled with joy.

“Hello, Professor Bendick. And I’m Lucy, not Rubia.”

“Oh, that’s right. I apologize in advance because I think I’ll only be able to remember it if I make one or two more mistakes in the future.”

“Yes…”

We’ll see if he’ll really make a mistake only once or twice.

When I was making a meaningless resolution in my mind, Professor Bentick gave me a book with a broad smile.

“Can you return this to the library for me? I have to return it today. And this is the price for your hard work.”

The professor handed me the book and the umbrella he was carrying on his side. He must have noticed that I can’t go back to the dormitory because I don’t have an umbrella.

“Of course! Thank you for the umbrella!”

I quickly took the book and the umbrella just in case he changed his mind.

The professor, who saw his hand that was empty in an instant, smiled and said, “Please take care of me” and left before me.

Looking at his strangely fast pace, it seemed that the remaining time until his next lecture was quite tight.

“Should I borrow a book while I’m there?”

It wasn’t such a bad idea.

It was very difficult to find a book about demons and beasts in the Marquis of Seywint.

Instead, I researched books about reptiles, which were very old, and each book had different claims.

Thanks to this, I was sick and tired of reading about reptiles.

꧁꧂

The library I came to for the first time was much larger than the study in our mansion. The bookshelf was filled with books as if it were a treasure trove of knowledge.

With this amount, I’m sure there are books I’m looking for.

“Professor Bentick asked me to return it for him.”

Since I wanted to find books quickly, I spoke to the male student sitting near the entrance first.

Then, the male student, who appeared to be a member of the library committee, jumped up from his seat and took away the book I presented as if he was snatching it.

Whether he was checking the title, the male student who received the book stood still for a while.

I could see his trembling chin under his silver hair.

“It’s been more than a month since it’s been overdue, and he’s returning it just now?!”

He shouted in an angry voice.

He told me it was due today…….

Due to his silver hair covering his eyes, it was difficult to see his eyes, but he must have outraged eyes.

It seemed that Professor Bendick had done this more than once.

When I widened my eyes due to the awkward situation, the other male student must have noticed it, so he sighed deeply and sat down.

“Oh, my God…. Whoo… I’m sorry I screamed. I was already looking forward to it, but this time, someone else came, not him, so I couldn’t hold back my anger.”

The senior fanned his face and said.

It is said that professors have more power than aristocrats in the academy.…?

“It’s all right.”

I’ve been getting a lot of apologies lately.

I quickly accepted the apology because he seemed to have a temper tantrum.

I’m sure I’ll lose if I fight this guy. That’s what my intuition was saying.

“You’re a freshman, right? Don’t listen to Professor Bendick’s request from now on. Second and third years don’t listen to him because they know the situation roughly.”

That’s how notorious he is.

In a way, he’s an admirable guy.

Was Professor Bendick’s rush to leave earlier, not because of his next lecture, but because I might change my mind?

“He… … gave a bribe…….”

When I clasped the umbrella I received from Professor Bendic with both hands, the senior stiffened his mouth as if he could imagine it and said while gritting his teeth.

“Anyway, that person…”

I could hear the grinding of his teeth all the way to where I stood.

Should I just borrow a book next time…….

꧁꧂

[Duen’s POV]

Duen, who is now in his third year, has been a member of the library committee for over two years.

He watched Lucy’s behavior intently over his covered bangs.

‘That bookshelf over there…….’

It was a bookshelf with books related to demons. Lucy stayed there for a long time.

It seemed that the book Lucy was looking for was near there.

Soon, Lucy looked up at the top of the bookcase. Due to her height, she looked troubled because she couldn’t reach.

Duen, who had been agonizing for a while, was about to get up from his seat to help her as a library committee member.

In the meantime, Lucy brought a wooden simple ladder. Then she climbed the ladder and took out a book without difficulty.

Duen coughed once with an awkward face and slipped back into his seat.

Before he knew it, Lucy was approaching him with a book in her arms.

“Are you going to borrow it?”

Duen asked, pointing to the book she brought.

“Yes, but you don’t have to use honorifics for me. Feel free to speak comfortably to me!”

Lucy, who belatedly recognized Duen’s honorifics, smiled brightly and said. Then Duen shook his head and answered firmly.

“We met each other for the first time today. I don’t like to drop honorifics because you’re younger than I am. And vice versa.”

It was as he said. Usually, Duen used honorifics for people he saw for the first time except for his classmates who were in the same year as him.

[Lucy’s POV]

He sounded cold at first, but Lucy took it differently.

‘He seems very mature when he says that.…. I’m going to learn from him, too.’

While Lucy was so determined to herself, Duen wrote Lucy’s name and the title of the book she brought in on the loan book.

While Lucy checked Duen’s name at the top of the loan book, Duen looked at her and asked.

[Duen’s POV]

“…I assume you know what this book is and borrowed it, right?”

Of course she knows.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have used a ladder to pull out a book that she couldn’t reach.

“What? Of course. ‘Evil seen by humans’—“

Lucy’s head suddenly turned to the window to state the title of the book with confidence.

It was such a sudden move that he wondered if her neck had been twisted.

While talking, he suddenly looked at Lucy, who was looking elsewhere, and Duen looked up with a suspicious face.

It was still raining outside.

At that time, Lucy, who was staring out the window, suddenly left the library with only an umbrella.

“Huh? Excuse me!”

Duen called Lucy urgently, but she had already disappeared.

Instead, only the book she had brought and the book she was going to borrow remained alone in front of Duen.

“What is it?”

What was out of the window that she rushed out like that……?

Duen, who would not normally have shown much interest in others, could not resist his curiosity and tried to determine where Lucy’s eyes were facing.

Raindrops on the window made it difficult to see outside.

Duen squinted to catch the foggy focus.

“What?”

Through the blurred window, a person’s image was seen at first glance. The man who came into Duen’s eyes was walking in the rain without an umbrella.

Until this time, he was not sure if that was the person Lucy was staring at.

However, after a while, a new figure appeared and was seen grabbing the arm of the person in the rain.

It was Lucy who was just in here a while ago.

‘Do they know each other? She ran away because of him? No, more than that.’

Duen’s question was answered.

‘Are there eyes on her back……? How the hell did she know someone she knew was out there?’

꧁꧂

As soon as I ran out of the academy, I headed to where Liel was walking alone.

I don’t know if Liel will still be there or not.

“Liel! Liel!”

I’m not sure if I should say this is a relief.

Liel was not far from where she last saw him.

Seeing his leisurely walk in the rain, I could see why he was still there.

Why is he walking so slowly when he doesn’t even have an umbrella?

“Liel!”

My voice was swallowed by the pouring rain.

When I called Liel out loud again, he stopped and turned to me.

“Lucy?”

Liel’s eyes widened, as if surprised by my sudden appearance.

“You, huck, huck……. Why are you walking so leisurely, without an umbrella!”

I ran quickly and put an umbrella over Liel’s head, and he lowered his waist slightly to match my height.

When I came closer and checked, Liel looked puzzled.

“It’s summer, hoo……. Do you think you won’t catch a cold?”

After barely nagging, I took a quick breath and exhaled repeatedly to breathe in the insufficient oxygen.

Liel looked at me with an inexplicable gaze.

Yeah. He doesn’t understand why I am struggling so much.