Chapter 176: Side Story 13 |
Something was off about Shaik.
He appeared in external classes that were rarely attended, and he even participated in the year-level guidance classes that he had been very reluctant about.
However, it wasn’t like he actively participated in the classes.
He would just find a corner during external classes to observe someone or, when that ‘someone’ was struggling, he would volunteer to be their partner and help them.
Since he didn’t disrupt the classes, the professors pretended not to notice, and the students huddled together and murmured quietly.
“Is he going crazy? Why is the prince acting like that?”
“Oh my god, look at that gaze. Could it be that he’s interested in that girl?”
“He didn’t pay attention to any other girl during the previous classes, right? Wasn’t her name Ena Garcia?”
The gazes of the magic department students, who were watching the swordsmanship department’s outdoor training ground, were focused on the two of them.
Ena had taken up her position, and since it was extremely rare for Shaik to reveal himself outside, the undergraduate students who secretly watched him were excited.
He was like a star that they couldn’t reach.
There weren’t many students who had the courage to approach him and strike up a conversation, but still, there were many who wanted to steal glances at him whenever he appeared.
Shaik Tacskate Terroan!
His appearance, shining as if molded by the hands of a god, went without saying, and his talent that excelled in all fields, even excluding his reserved and gentle personality, made him the one and only son of the beloved Queen of this country, Purito.
The handsome young man had an atmosphere that made it particularly difficult to approach him, so to the young students, he was like a rare existence.
“Ah, whatever happened, it’s so nice to see him this often. Why is he so dazzling?”
“The atmosphere is truly fantastic. You won’t find a man with such an aura even if you search the entire continent. Ah~ whatever happened, my eyes are delighted to see him this frequently.”
Without saying a word, the undergraduate students marveled at Shaik, who was providing close guidance to Ena, as if in a trance.
“But isn’t that a bit dangerous? The prince has a fiance, right? Senior Drea…”
“Oh, I heard it’s not an official relationship. It’s just something vague between their families… or something like that.”
“Really? I thought it was official… Senior Drea is receiving official support from the royal family, isn’t she?”
“Wasn’t it support from the Mage Tower instead of the royal family?”
“But isn’t she receiving support from both the royal family and the Mage Tower?”
Drea with her mysterious white hair.
A genius magician.
A girl who had already ventured into the Mage Tower in her teens.
She was already as famous within the academy as Shaik.
The fact that Drea was a dragon was a top-secret among the higher-ups in the Mage Tower and the royal court.
Because of that, her identity felt even more mysterious to the outside world.
She was the beloved daughter of the royal family, receiving the love of the Queen of Purito.
At the same time, she was an heiress to the Mage Tower.
Because of that, the top student of the Academy’s Magic Department naturally were envious and admired her.
Unlike Shaik, who boasted nobility by birth and excelled in magic through talent, Drea carried rumors mixed with jealousy, saying that she was only good at magic due to luck.
Shaik was untouchable, but Drea could be somewhat more approachable even to undergraduate students.
“Hmph, the love obtained through luck will probably fade away now. His Highness was just accompanying her because he cherishes her… If the prince really finds someone he truly loves, well, he wouldn’t abandon that senior, right?”
“Well, Shaik did seem a bit annoyed with Senior Drea. She was the one following him around.”
“It’s a story that everyone in the school knows. Senior Drea has an unrequited love for Shaik.”
Cruel laughter followed the whispering voices.
And at that moment, Drea, who had been listening to it all from above, lowered her head.
In an eerie manner, hanging upside down, Drea forcefully raised her delicate eyebrows and shouted.
“Who said it’s an unrequited love?”
“Hee-hee!”
“You guys, want me to punish you? Why are you talking about others so recklessly? Huh? Do you want to die?”
As she shouted with a screechy voice while hanging upside down, the undergraduate students who had been looking outside from the window were startled and fled.
‘Hee-hee, let’s run away!’
‘By the way, they said that Senior is crazy, right?’
‘Hey, run, run!’
While running away, they couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
‘Ah, I should just roast those guys thoroughly!’
Drea, with her eyes squinted, felt an itch in her fingertips but resisted the temptation for now.
Partly because the magic prohibition of ‘50 days without magic’ imposed by Dimon, the head of the Magic Department and Derek’s brother, was still in effect, but mainly because if Drea intentionally used magic, things would escalate too much.
‘…I could just burn their hair a little… Ugh! No, Drea. Pull yourself together. Why would you be upset because of those kids’ words?’
Drea swiftly lifted herself up and returned to the rooftop.
Through her clear vision, she could see Shaik in the Swordsmanship Department’s outdoor training ground.
Together with Shaik, there was also a girl clinging to him, whether she was Ena or Anna.
‘But… why is Shaik suddenly acting like that?’
Drea glared at Shaik and Ena with a puzzled expression.
It was the first time Shaik showed interest in something other than training.
Drea’s heart throbbed with unease.
Shaik’s gaze towards the girl seemed strange.
An uncomfortable feeling that made her chest flutter and almost vomit.
‘Could it be that he fell in love at first sight, just like what others say?’
Suddenly, Drea wondered what she should do if that were true.
I can’t give up, no matter what! I will like him until the end! But too much time has passed between the two.
Shaik and Drea were only 16 years old, but Drea had loved Shaik for a long 16 years since the moment she was born.
“…I didn’t think it was just an unrequited love.”
Of course, he found her bothersome, but their relationship was not one-sided like the undergraduate students gossiping.
He always accompanied Drea to official events as a matter of course, and he unintentionally showed her expressions that he didn’t show to others.
When Drea was sick or tired, he would ask the chef to cook meat dishes for breakfast.
Shaik never ate meat dishes in the morning, but he made an exception on those days.
“…Am I overinterpreting? But.”
On her birthday, he wouldn’t complain or say he was too busy and would play with her all day long.
On that day, he would even hold her hand and walk around without saying a word.
At this point, one could think that there was a special emotion between the two.
“…Come to think of it, tomorrow is my birthday.”
Usually, Drea didn’t have to say anything; he would know.
But this time, Drea felt strangely anxious.
“He probably didn’t forget… No, he might have. Yeah. So, I have to tell him!”
Drea got up abruptly and rushed straight to the training ground where the Swordsmanship Department had its classes.
The undergraduate students were grouped and engaged in autonomous training, and their classes were almost over.
After seeing the professor announce the end of the session, Drea ran straight to Shaik.
“Shaik, Shaik! I have something to tell you!”
“Wait, Drea. Look at this first.”
As Drea approached, Shaik blocked her and bent one knee to examine Ena’s ankle.
It seemed slightly swollen, as if it had hit something or been twisted.
“I’m fine, Senior Shaik. I can go to the infirmary.”
“But in this condition, you can’t keep up with the next class, right? Didn’t you say the next class is an evaluation class?”
“If I may explain…”
Shaik, who had been silent, turned to Drea as if he remembered something.
“Drea, please help me with healing magic.”
Drea frowned.
It seemed that Shaik had forgotten that she couldn’t use healing magic because of the seal.
Breaking the seal wasn’t a difficult task, but it meant extending the magic seal by another 70 days.
Above all…
‘Why me?’
Drea said, tilting her head.
“Just go to the infirmary. The infirmary teacher will treat you there.”
“I have to go that far.”
“Why?”
In response to her questioning words, as if he couldn’t believe it, Shaik spoke with disbelief.
“It will hurt if you walk in this condition.”
“Ah, I’m f-fine, Senior Shaik!”
“She says she’s fine.”
“Just help me with healing magic, Drea. Wouldn’t that be more convenient for you?”
“…Shaik.”
Drea called out to Shaik quietly, and he looked at her as if asking why he should do that.
Drea looked at Shaik with a puzzled expression and said.
“I’m under a magic seal… Did you forget?”
“Ah…”
Only then did Shaik seem to remember, and he nodded briefly.
That’s right. And why does that murmuring voice pierce Drea’s heart like that?
Drea bit her lower lip and hurriedly grabbed Shaik’s collar, saying:
“More importantly, tomorrow…”
That’s when it happened.
Ena mumbled awkwardly.
“If I go to the infirmary… I’ll be late for the next class, right? It’s the first evaluation class, and I wanted to do well… There’s nothing I can do.”
Ena smiled slightly sadly and stood up from her seat.
If Drea felt that her limping walk was somewhat exaggerated, was it just Drea’s misconception?
Seeing that sight clearly, Shaik sighed and stood up.
“Then I’ll take you. It’ll be faster that way.”
“Ho, no, it’s okay…”
“It’s settled. You got hurt during our lesson.”
“Ah…”
Blushing, Ena grabbed the hand that Shaik offered and leaned on him slightly.
“…Huh?”
Drea stared at their overlapping hands, which Shaik and Ena were holding, and unintentionally let out a sigh.
That hand… I held it so carefully, but how could that girl, Ena, grab it so easily…
Ba-dump.
Drea looked at the backs of the two who were moving away with a gloomy face.
Yes, she couldn’t help it since the girl got hurt. But Shaik…
“Tomorrow is my birthday… Did you forget?”
Surely, he wouldn’t forget, right?
However, regardless of Drea’s efforts to compose herself, voices that kept stimulating the girl continued to be heard.
In the empty training ground where everyone had left, Rex, the red-haired boy, approached quietly and spoke to her.
“You switched sides.”
What’s going on with him again…?
