#35
And that incident brought another side effect.
“Here.”
On days when Noah’s favorite steak was on the menu, James would personally cut the meat for him, and Matthew always insisted on sitting next to Noah. Most significantly, in the crowded lunch hall, several tables around them were always empty. The students deliberately avoided those spots to prevent getting caught in any potential disaster.
Noah stared blankly at the tray in front of him, his plan to escape James and Matthew’s attention while voluntarily giving up the path to popularity had completely fallen apart.
“What’s wrong? Is the meat too big? Want me to cut it smaller?”
Today was a day when he was dining alone with James. They hadn’t specifically planned it that way, but that’s how it turned out.
“Hmm. But hyung.”
After giving a response that was neither a confirmation nor denial, Noah pierced a piece of meat with his fork and put it in his mouth. Then, perfectly grilled asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces was placed next to his steak.
“What is it?”
“What kind of person do you dislike?”
“What do you mean?”
“There must be people you don’t like.”
Understanding James and Matthew’s preferences came first. It wouldn’t work to simply declare that he disliked Matthew and James. The Prince who ignored others’ opinions and James who laughed everything off would just consider his behavior as childish tantrums.
Subtly and quietly, without drawing attention—Noah, who wanted to avoid getting involved in noisy affairs, found the two of them to be quite problematic.
While searching for a way to maintain an appropriate distance from them, Noah decided to figure out what type of person they disliked and then deliberately act that way.
“People who inconvenience others.”
“Huh?”
“Let me explain simply. At the academy, there are things you need to do alone, but there are also many tasks you do with friends as a team. It could be sports competitions or assignments. In those situations, I dislike people who act selfishly or don’t properly fulfill their responsibilities, ultimately causing trouble for their teammates.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then… what kind of person do you like?”
“Our Noah. Noah, have some juice too.”
“Why do you like me?”
“Because you’re cute.”
Ah, if cuteness is all it takes… this is quite troublesome.
Having learned about James’s preferences before Matthew’s, Noah decided to tackle James first. Finally, an opportunity presented itself.
After Thursday morning classes ended, Noah raced back to the dormitory. Though his classes for the week were over, there was one class he absolutely had to attend now.
“Elisa! Hurry, hurry.”
As soon as he entered his dorm room, Noah stomped his feet impatiently and called for Elisa first.
“What’s the matter? Here, have a snack and wait a bit. I’ll finish packing quickly.”
“Huh? Why are you packing?”
Noah grabbed a piece of apple pie from the table and shoved it into his mouth without even washing his hands.
“The Duchess is coming here this evening. The Grand Duke hasn’t completely changed his mind, but since the Duchess was feeling depressed, he’s allowing her to spend this weekend with you, young master.”
“Oh, really? Do I have to leave right away?”
Noah hastily chewed and swallowed the apple pie, but when it got stuck in his dry mouth, he pounded his chest with his fist. When the lump of pie finally went down, he quickly grabbed a glass of milk and gulped it down.
“No. I just received the message that she’ll arrive in the evening, so there’s no need to rush.”
As Elisa’s hand reached toward him while she answered, Noah quickly stepped back.
Though not as strict as Loren, Elisa also disciplined Noah when he behaved improperly or inappropriately. She had answered his question, but the moment she caught him, the scolding would begin.
It was because he had rushed in without washing his hands, and instead of cutting a proper portion, he had stuffed an entire piece of apple pie into his mouth. Plus, he had pounded his chest when he couldn’t swallow properly. One way or another, he had done things worthy of a scolding.
But before Elisa could start her lecture, Noah began hastily removing his school uniform.
“Young master?”
“Then I’m going to attend a class today. Knight training.”
After observing for several weeks, Noah had learned that every Thursday at 3 PM, all students in the Knight Department gathered for training. Usually, classes were conducted with peers of similar ages, but this day was different. Until now, Noah had been taking courses completely unrelated to the Knight Department, but since he was officially a Knight Department student, he knew he could participate in this class.
Of course, since James also attended this class, Noah had decided to deliberately exhibit behaviors that James disliked. He planned to show how terrible he was at physical activities, how much trouble he caused his team, and, though he felt a bit sorry toward Lucas, how utterly average the son was compared to his father, who remained a legend in the Knight Department.
Being the son of the Grand Duke of the North was another reason Noah attracted so much attention.
Austen, the fantasy city covered in permanent snow that few could reach. Lucas, who protected his territory by continually fighting off beasts pouring from the treacherous mountains, had created an unprecedented legacy at the academy. Many of the records he had established in the Knight Department remained unbroken despite the passage of time.
And Noah, Lucas’s son, had applied to the Knight Department. There were rumors that the reason he hadn’t yet participated in Knight classes was because he was still too young. Others said that although he appeared smaller and weaker than his peers, blood doesn’t lie—everyone watched Noah with curious eyes.
To secure his future quiet life as a loner, he needed to firmly crush their excessive curiosity and attention.
“What? Professor Raymond said you don’t have to take that class.”
“I don’t care. Dad put me in the Knight Department because he wants me to become a knight. I shouldn’t skip because I’m young. I need to work hard from an early age to become a better knight.”
Having stripped off his clothes, Noah began urging Elisa. He didn’t have fancy armor like James or proper workout clothes, but he changed into the most comfortable and practical outfit he owned.
“Young master, but that outfit is… If you want to participate in the class, let me prepare suitable clothes for you. How about starting next week?”
“No.”
“But that outfit…”
Noah looked down at his clothes. Since the original work was a romantic fantasy and the author had created a European-style setting, the clothing here was quite extravagant by Noah’s standards. Regardless of gender, everyone wore elaborate lace, and buttons for the wealthy were often made of jewels.
In a place where such flamboyance and detail were normal ways to display wealth, what Noah was wearing now was more like loungewear he’d wear while lazing around at home.
“It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.”
Waving off Elisa’s concerns, Noah approached Aeongi, who was comfortably sprawled on the sofa. After petting Aeongi, who had been confined to Noah’s dormitory room for a month since the last incident, and even kissing him on the forehead, Noah slipped his feet into comfortable shoes meant for running around, rather than the soft velvet shoes.
“Wait, young master. At least take this hat…”
“I know where the training ground is. I can go alone.”
Before Elisa could follow him out, Noah dashed out of the dormitory room, checked the time, and started running earnestly toward the training ground.
Honestly, they should give us a 30-minute break. Giving only 20 minutes to travel across this huge academy seems too harsh.
Noah’s breath became ragged as he made his way to the distant training ground after returning to his dormitory to change clothes. As he heard the sound of students playing in the distance, Noah gradually slowed his pace.
His hair, which had been bouncing as he ran, stood up high, and his chubby cheeks were flushed red. With each rough breath passing between his small, red lips, Noah’s chest rose and fell dramatically.
“Please let today’s class be related to ball games.”
As his footsteps slowed to a stop, Noah wiped the sweat that had already formed on his brow with his sleeve and carefully surveyed the wide training ground.
Since break time hadn’t ended, students were gathered in groups—some playing with balls in one area, others warming up elsewhere. Some sat on benches, while others stood talking on the field. Noah’s eyes caught sight of balls piled up on one side.
Is it really ball-related? If so, I hope they divide us into teams for a match. No matter which team I’m on, I can properly show my incompetence by scoring own goals and kicking the ball in completely wrong directions.
To assess the atmosphere first, Noah headed toward the students playing with balls. They seemed relatively younger than the other groups and had a more carefree vibe.
“Hey.”
With a sudden commanding voice, someone grabbed Noah from behind. As his collar was pulled back, Noah’s feet kicked at the air, and a choking sound escaped his lips as the clothing tightened around his neck.
“You should come running when you’re called. Don’t pretend you didn’t hear. Go fetch some water.”
The man, so tall that Noah had to tilt his head back to see him, was wearing armor similar to James’s. Noah had been focusing elsewhere and hadn’t heard anyone calling him.
But anyway, speaking informally out of nowhere and ordering him to fetch water? What’s going on?
Judging by his attire and demeanor, he was definitely a Knight Department student, but the way he looked down at Noah was extremely rough.
Rather than roughness, it felt more like contempt, which made Noah straighten his posture and first extract his clothing from the man’s grip.
“Why are you just standing there staring? Go get it now.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
