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Chapter 52: Bullying the Top Student of the Magic Department Too

Sharin Sazaris.

The moment I ran into her in the hallway, I froze in place.

“What are you doing here?”

Sharin narrowed her eyes.

Through the events we’ve shared so far, Sharin and I had built a precarious friendship, though it wasn’t exactly stable.

But even so, seeing a male friend disguised as a girl sneaking into the girls’ dormitory was…

Well, it wasn’t something anyone could easily accept.

That’s why I was at a loss for words.

No matter what I said now, it would sound like an excuse to Sharin.

At this moment, the only person who could save me was Iris.

Since I remained silent, Sharin just stared at me for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

“What’s going on this time?”

She asked in a languid tone.

Hearing that, I blinked.

I had dressed as a girl and sneaked into the girls’ dormitory.

Instead of reprimanding me, she asked about my situation first.

“…Sharin, are you an angel?”

“So you finally noticed?”

Sharin puffed up her chest a little, wearing a smug expression.

She was far more merciful than I expected.

“Even if it’s not like that—”

“You’re hiding something again!”

At that moment, other girls’ voices echoed through the hallway.

Hearing them, Sharin walked toward me.

“Let’s talk inside.”

It wouldn’t do to let others see me talking to her like this.

Sharin entered Hania and Iris’s room, took off her shoes, and casually plopped down on a chair barefoot.

Why does she never wear socks?

Even though this wasn’t her room, she acted so freely.

“So, what’s with the outfit?”

There was no point in hiding it now that I’d been caught.

I sat in the chair across from Sharin and explained the rough situation.

“It’s to protect Lady Iris.”

Of course, I glossed over the matter of Nikita.

Sharin didn’t bother digging deeper, either.

She understood that what I hadn’t said was something I couldn’t share.

From the start, I was someone full of mysteries to her.

Nothing new.

“So that’s why you didn’t put me in your team?”

This summer’s Demon Dungeon Hannon Team.

Because of the incident I caused in the Magic Department last time, the students there refused to join our team as backup.

Sharin had volunteered to join our team then.

But this time, I declined.

Since I wouldn’t be there in person, I didn’t want unnecessary attention drawn to the team because of Sharin’s involvement.

I had hinted to the current team members that the "me" they’d be working with wasn’t the real me.

But I hadn’t gotten around to telling Sharin.

“Did the Hannon team members know?”

“I didn’t explain it clearly, but they understood I wasn’t myself. They’re pretty understanding about these things.”

Seron kept pestering me for answers, which was annoying, but stuffing a few snacks in her mouth resolved that issue.

“So, you told them but kept it from me?”

For some reason, her voice carried a sharp edge.

“…Sharin, are you mad?”

I asked cautiously, and she smiled her usual smile.

“No.”

She’s mad.

“Sorry, I just didn’t want to go around explaining this weird situation to everyone.”

Sharin stared at me silently.

Her gaze felt incredibly heavy.

“I just thought it’d be amusing to see Hannon in a skirt.”

Sharin smirked, her expression playful and teasing.

It seemed like she’d bring this up to tease me for a long time.

What a bad habit.

“But why Hania, of all people?”

Sharin seemed to be dwelling on something.

“Why? Is there something about Hania?”

“Hmm, maybe. Or maybe not.”

I didn’t know what it was, but it gave me an uneasy feeling.

“I have to stay like this until tomorrow anyway. Just tell me clearly.”

Sharin seemed to make up her mind and shared the secret.

“Hania recently got a stalker.”

What?

A Stalker.

A crime where someone follows another person without justification, causing fear and unease.

It’s, of course, a deeply unpleasant experience for the victim.

And now, Hania is being stalked.

“…Who would dare?”

As mentioned earlier, Hania is second in the Martial Arts Department.

On top of that, she’s the daughter of the Knight Commander.

If she wanted, she could destroy someone’s life in an instant.

“Not everything in life can be solved with strength.”

“Even so, Hania doesn’t strike me as the type to just let it happen.”

As I’d seen earlier, Hania isn’t the type to endure stalking quietly.

If she wanted to, she’d have already put an end to it.

“I didn’t hear the details. I only overheard Isabel talking about it.”

Well, Sharin doesn’t have many close friends to begin with.

It wouldn’t have been Hania who told her.

It must’ve been Isabel.

I figured it was something Hania could handle on her own.

“The problem is, right now, I’m Hania.”

For today and tomorrow, I’d be the one being stalked.

“That’s why I told you.”

“Is it really going to be a problem?”

I planned to stay in the dorm today and spend all of tomorrow in the Demon Dungeon.

Once the event ended, I’d return to my original appearance.

There wouldn’t be any time for the stalker to follow me.

“Who knows?”

Sharin seemed to have only told me just in case, not looking too concerned.

After all, I wasn’t the actual target of the stalking.

There was no real reason for me to worry.

“Let’s just hope nothing troublesome happens.”

One thing that bothered me was why Hania hadn’t resolved the stalker issue earlier.

‘Is there some reason behind it?’

I mulled over the Flame Butterfly Arc chapter in my mind.

Hania is a supporting character who follows Iris around.

Her combat skills are undoubtedly strong.

Her overall stats are decent, making her a well-balanced character.

But due to Lucas rising ferociously from below,

She ultimately ends up losing her second-in-command position.

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‘She was quite popular, both for her looks and her devoted affection for Iris.’

However, as with most supporting characters,

Information about Hania was limited.

On top of that, she gets injured while staying by Iris’s side in the later stages of the story,

Becoming an unusable character with little to no contribution.

‘Nothing significant comes to mind.’

I don’t know.

Creak—

At that moment, the door opened.

“Huuuh.”

Iris had returned from her bath.

With her hair still damp, she wiped it with a towel before lifting her gaze.

She sensed not only me but another presence.

Iris locked eyes with Sharin.

Iris tilted her head slowly, then turned to look at me.

“Still, this is a room you share with me. Please refrain from bringing your girlfriend over.”

Girlfriend?

“This is a misunderstanding. I brought her here to explain the situation after her identity was exposed.”

I hurriedly explained to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Hearing this, Sharin covered her mouth, shocked.

“How could you! I thought Hannon and I were truly dating!”

At least change your expression before saying that.

“Take responsibility properly.”

Iris joined in, teasingly playing along.

Caught between the two, I quietly swallowed my frustration.

The top student in martial arts and the top student in magic arts are bullying me.

Someday, I will get my revenge on both of them.

Growl—

At that moment, my stomach let out a loud rumble.

The hunger I had momentarily forgotten while meeting Sharin returned.

“Hania wouldn’t make a noise like that.”

Iris pointed out my growling stomach.

This isn’t something I can control.

＊ ＊ ＊

After enduring the teasing from Sharin and Iris while eating a late dinner, the next day came.

Stretching my arms wide, I got up energetically.

‘Exhausting.’

Was it because I wasn’t sleeping in my usual spot?

I must’ve slept a bit tensely.

‘I wonder if things are okay over there.’

I had informed my roommate Card about Hania.

‘Card isn’t the type to overstep boundaries.’

He wouldn’t mess things up by provoking the knight captain’s daughter.

“Uuung.”

At that moment, I saw Iris stirring in her bed.

She was fully tucked under the blanket, showing no intention of coming out.

Only a few strands of her long black hair peeked out.

Iris hadn’t been able to sleep until late last night.

She sat by the window, lost in thought until the early hours.

As someone who suffers from insomnia, she can’t fall asleep easily.

Because of this, Iris is notoriously bad in the mornings.

Sometimes, she stays awake all night.

Other times, she sleeps so late she can barely get up in the morning.

Hania is usually the one to wake her up.

On Iris’s desk, I spotted the honey tea I had once recommended to her.

Beside it was a scented candle made from water lily, its extinguished wick leaving behind a soothing aroma for sleep.

It seemed she was trying various methods to follow my advice for better sleep.

“Iris, it’s morning.”

Today, I was Hania.

So, I approached Iris’s bed to fulfill the role and called out to her.

But Iris showed no sign of waking up.

Knowing how distressing her insomnia was, I wanted to let her sleep longer.

However, today was the day of the Summer Demon Dungeon event.

If I let her sleep any longer, things would get difficult.

“Iris, it’s time to wake up.”

Left with no choice, I pulled the blanket back, revealing her pale face.

Her long lashes, rosy lips, and the shadows under her eyes gave her an oddly decadent look.

How could her innate charm ability activate even in her sleep?

Her beauty was breathtaking, no matter how many times I saw it.

On top of that, her casual pajamas instead of the usual school uniform left me unsure where to look.

I felt like knights could storm in at any moment to arrest me, and I’d have no defense.

“Iris…”

At that moment, I felt a grip on my wrist.

When I turned, Iris’s hand was firmly holding mine.

Instinctively, I knew.

I should pull my hand away immediately.

Energy coursed through my body.

It was time to show the fruits of my training.

And yet, I was pulled right in.

The wall that was Iris, the strongest of the royal family, was too high.

The strength I had trained for mere months couldn’t match Iris, even half-asleep and brimming with aura.

Before I knew it, I was pulled into her embrace.

Her soft touch enveloped my face and body.

The unique, gentle scent that filled my mind made me dizzy.

Was this a mental magic spell?

There was no escaping.

The difference in strength between us was overwhelming.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t escape unless Iris let me go.

Then, Iris slowly opened her eyes while holding me.

She looked at me with drowsy eyes, smiled faintly, and spoke.

“Good morning…”

Thank goodness I’m in my bandaged form as a girl.

If I were in my male form, things would’ve gone sideways in many ways.

Just as she began closing her eyes to fall asleep again,

I knew I’d reached my limit.

“Iris.”

Raising my hand respectfully, I said,

“Please forgive me just this once.”

And I gave her a light flick on the forehead to wake her up.

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