#52
“Where did he go again?”
Noah, who had just finished washing in the bathroom, looked toward the window when he saw that Aeongi, who had been comfortably lying on his bed until just now, had disappeared. Judging by the wide-open window, it seemed he had vanished again.
At first, when Aeongi disappeared, Noah would stay up all night worrying. But that only lasted a day or two; now that Aeongi frequently disappeared and reappeared, Noah silently closed the window.
After fidgeting with the latch but not locking it in case Aeongi returned at dawn, Noah threw himself onto the bed.
How could each day be like an absurd sitcom while also being so tumultuous? Yesterday, he witnessed what looked like a lovers’ quarrel in the library, and today, he fell into water and even fainted.
“Should I quit the academy?”
Noah, rolling around on the bed, muttered quietly. He had done enough time at the academy, and it seemed that stubborn conservatives wouldn’t change no matter which world he was in. There was endless talk about omega rights, but aside from the academy doors being opened to them, everything else seemed to hit a glass ceiling.
The Emperor and nobles had held meetings about allowing omegas to become family heads, but despite all the rumors, the perception of omegas being treated like possessions of alphas or betas hadn’t changed. Of course, the proposal remained just a proposal.
Four more years until Lucas would pressure him to marry.
Unless something revolutionary happened, Noah had clearly seen with his own eyes that omegas couldn’t become family heads. So then… should he find an alpha or beta he genuinely liked and get married? The person he liked most was Derik, but would living with Derik actually be enjoyable?
From what he’d heard here and there, one should marry someone who makes them feel childish. Conversely, one should avoid someone who makes them feel mature. By that standard, he should definitely avoid Ray, but Derik didn’t necessarily make him feel childish—rather, he was comfortable to be around…
“Ah… my head hurts.”
A sigh escaped Noah’s lips as he lay face down on the bed with his face buried in the pillow. In his childhood, when others were busy doodling and playing, Noah had sorted out several directions for his life.
The most ideal one was to attend the academy, accumulate knowledge, and observe the situation. Although he had come to the academy almost like an exile, learned a lot, and built his own network, the fact that he would have to marry in the near future remained unchanged.
“Ah, these conservatives, really. This is why the reformists can’t gain power.”
Noah’s eyes widened as he suddenly turned over and lay on his back.
“Hello.”
Hello? Why are you here? He hadn’t sensed anyone’s presence. He hadn’t heard the window opening. If the window had opened, cold air would have surely entered, but he hadn’t noticed that either…
They say you can’t do anything when you’re too surprised and confused, and the moment Noah saw Ray sitting in the chair next to his bed with a casual smile, he couldn’t do anything at all.
“The door was open.”
When you say “door,” do you mean the room door or the window? This is the second floor, you know. Besides, your room is right next door. It’s not even late—why didn’t you knock and meet Elisa on your way in? I guess you used flying magic since you’re a magician, but have you forgotten that using magic recklessly within the academy means a meeting with the Dean?
When we were seven or eight and went to the Dean’s office, he would just stroke his long white beard and contemplate without giving any particular punishment, but these days, now that we’ve grown up a bit, he actually disciplines us properly.
He doesn’t make us clean the bathroom or the Dean’s office for a month, pull weeds on the lawn, or walk up the hill to school like ducks, as they might in Korea, but the punishments here are no joke either.
Since you’re in the magic department, your punishment would probably be writing magical formulas over and over. Every time Derik gets called to the Dean’s office, his punishment is to run 50 laps around the training ground. The Dean is impressive for giving such a punishment, but it’s also problematic that Derik completes it so effortlessly without breaking a sweat.
But what business do you have, entering my room through the window?
Countless words to Ray flowed through Noah’s mind, but all he could do was blink his large eyes while staring at Ray, who was grinning back at him.
“I’ve been thinking a lot, you know.”
What have you been thinking about? Don’t. Don’t think anything about me. It’s scary when you open your mouth, Ray.
Noah, still just blinking, shifted his gaze to Ray’s lips.
“You like Derik, don’t you?”
*Hiccup*—
Noah’s response to Ray’s whispered question, asked with a bright smile, was a hiccup.
“It’s obvious. Derik is handsome. He’s cool. Plus, he’s kind, at least to you. You two are always together.”
“*Hiccup*—”
“Given Derik’s personality, he’s not going to confess first, so why don’t you tell him first?”
“*Hiccup*—”
“I’ve known Derik since I was young. He always bullied me and ignored me, and he barely responds when other kids talk to him, but strangely, he initiates conversations with you and is kind to you. Isn’t that right?”
Blinking his large eyes, Noah awkwardly nodded along with Ray’s words.
“He knows what you like and dislike, too. Right?”
Again, Noah’s head moved up and down, albeit stiffly.
“He does almost everything you ask him to. What do I mean by ‘almost’? He just does everything you ask.”
This time, Noah’s large eyes rolled toward the distant sky outside the window. Was that true? It seemed like it might be.
“Ah, that’s not what I should start with. First, just tell me. You like Derik, don’t you? I promise I’m very tight-lipped. I don’t go around telling such things to just anyone.”
Noah’s gaze, which had been looking elsewhere, returned to Ray’s face. Ray had many friends, was kind to everyone, and was popular with professors. But he had never been involved in any scandals or caused problems.
Noah knew Ray wasn’t the type to spread gossip, but should he tell Ray about his feelings for Derik? It’s not like anything would change if he did.
Thoughts raced chaotically through Noah’s mind, as if an earthquake had struck. The king’s ears are donkey’s ears—it wouldn’t be bad to have someone to pour his burning heart out to…
But if Derik found out about his feelings and things became awkward… the intimate relationship between Derik, Ray, and himself could be ruined.
He thought he would be fine without friends, but having them was nice. Doing assignments together, chatting, playing ball games, and so on.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Noah’s lips quivered, wanting to admit to Ray that he liked Derik.
“How did you…”
Noah’s lips, which were about to ask “How did you know?”, suddenly closed firmly.
How many years have I lived, to have wasted my life like this? Why am I having these thoughts at this age?
Let’s not create unnecessary conflict. The moment it became known that he liked Derik, Derik would surely be troubled. Noah wasn’t a fool, and he was well aware of the rumors surrounding him.
If he said he liked Derik, people would identify Derik as a potential Grand Duke of the North, and it was obvious that false rumors would spread—that Derik had been friendly with him for so long because he coveted the position of the Grand Duke of the North, that he had finally achieved his goal, that it was a human victory, and so on.
“Come on. Just tell me.”
Ray was desperate to hear what he wanted from Noah’s mouth. Just thinking about the look in Derik’s eyes after Noah fell into the water earlier today still made all his scales stand on end.
Derik might be distracted now, but given his eccentric personality, Ray couldn’t predict when—before his death—Derik might bring this up to torment him.
For Ray, pushing Derik so hard that he had no time to threaten or torment him was the only way to survive.
Even to Ray, who could claim to know Derik’s entire life, the relationship between Derik and Noah was strange. Noah himself might not realize how strange their relationship was, but it was certain that Derik’s behavior toward Noah was unusual.
Ray also wanted to see with his own eyes how confused Derik would be when this cute and innocent young human blinked his captivating large eyes innocently and carefully said “I like you” in a slightly trembling voice.
Having spent a long time with humans, Ray, with his keen sense and intuition, had long noticed that Noah liked Derik. It was because of the gentle eye smile Noah would give when looking at Derik despite pretending to be nonchalant, and how he had always shown more consideration and care for Derik than for Ray.
So hurry up and say it. If you tell me you like Derik, I’ll be on your side and somehow make you both happy. If Derik refuses, I’ll make him treat you well, even if I have to beat him up. Shouldn’t Derik learn about happiness in life? Of course, you should be happy too, Noah.
“…How did you get in here?”
Ray’s crossed legs unfolded as he focused on Noah’s small, plump lips that were quivering.
“Huh?”
“Did you use flying magic to come in? Wow, does that mean I can fly too?”
Ray let out a deep sigh as he watched Noah clapping his hands and casually asking about magic.
Although Ray had lived for hundreds of years, it was clear that Noah—who had not only regressed but also inexplicably become younger—was no easy opponent.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
