Chapter 105: Like Grass—Naturally, As If It Were Obvious
So… is this how I was supposed to do it?
I wondered if I had soaked it too much, but there was no undoing it now.
I was told I just had to wet it, but since nothing was happening, I started doubting if I had done it correctly.
Still, when something didn’t work, 90% of the time, it was user error rather than a defect.
Since I had brought it directly from my homeland, the chances of it being faulty were close to none.
I stared at the urine-soaked paper absentmindedly, completely unaware of how much time had passed.
Then, at last, a red line began to appear.
It was on the ‘No’ side.
Just in case the results took longer to show, I waited a little longer—but nothing changed.
…Yep, it was working just fine.
I had been worried that even a 1% chance might slip through, but thankfully, it hadn’t.
Mother wouldn’t be becoming a grandmother.
More than that—
If anyone’s heart would’ve been shattered, it would be my father’s…
That was another problem.
Even if I could somehow persuade Mother, my father’s reaction to Dogeon was easy to predict.
He’d probably draw his sword first and ask questions later, demanding, “How dare some mutt that rolled in from who-knows-where lay a hand on my daughter?!”
…Honestly, I had no idea what it was like to have a child, so I couldn’t even begin to understand his feelings.
The closest thing I had ever raised was a dog, and I hadn’t even been that attached to it.
Maybe… it would be like thinking of Dogeon falling for another woman.
That was a thought I never wanted to entertain.
If that ever happened, I would rip them apart and reclaim what was mine—
…No, that would be dangerous.
Still, I could understand my father to some extent.
It wasn’t that he saw me as his possession.
He simply didn’t want to lose someone precious to him.
The feeling of something being taken away—this burning sensation in my chest—was only natural.
Tired of just staring at a piece of paper in the bathroom, I flushed it and threw myself onto the bed, feeling lighter.
I had been spending so much time with Dogeon lately that I hadn’t had a moment to myself.
My body wasn’t tired, but mentally, I felt drained.
Even if it was time spent with someone I loved, socializing still drained an introvert’s energy.
So today, I planned to just laze around or hang out in the library.
It was common sense that Friday afternoons were for spending time alone.
“…Hnnnngh.”
Being alone was peaceful—but at the same time, oddly lonely.
I hadn’t felt this way before.
People really did change quickly.
Though, considering how comfortable I still felt, I supposed my core remained the same.
“…Ugh… Ngh… My bed smells like Dogeon…”
It was probably about time to wash the sheets.
But there was no need to do it today.
I wasn’t going to see him, so I needed a substitute.
Sniiiiiff… Haaa…
The faint scent of blood mixed in, which was enough to bring back memories of that night.
Not that I needed any reminders—I remembered it all perfectly.
But sensory triggers made memories even sharper.
No. No.
Today was supposed to be my time.
Thinking about memories with someone else would only make me lonelier.
So I forcefully cut off my train of thought.
***
Trips and breaks were separate things, which meant I had about three and a half months to be completely free.
Whether in this world or on Earth, it seemed like first years were always given time to slack off.
…So why didn’t I have someone I loved back in my first year?
Thinking about it, it wouldn’t have been strange if I had developed feelings for someone.
But when I tried to recall, I couldn’t think of a single person.
Depressing.
Before my thoughts could spiral further into despair, I shot up from the bed.
If I stayed there any longer, I’d probably lose all will to move and waste away.
Time for the library.
The best way to push out sad thoughts was to fill my mind with other things.
I reached for whatever clothes were closest, but then my gaze landed on my casual outfits.
…No, there was no point in dressing up today.
I wasn’t planning to see anyone.
Shaking off the thought, I headed out.
I stopped by a shop on the way and bought a cream bun to nibble on as I walked into the library.
Surprisingly, it was nearly empty.
Well, exams were over, so no one really needed to be here.
Even those who loved reading wouldn’t be so passionate as to head straight to the library after class.
The librarians spotted me bringing in food and looked like they wanted to scold me—
But the moment they saw who I was, they shut their mouths as if nothing had happened.
Lately, it felt like I could get away with anything.
It was starting to feel like the academy treated me differently from everyone else.
Wasn’t this place supposed to emphasize equality and all that?
Or was it secretly providing special services to people of high status?
Though, considering how they treated Anya, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Well, I wasn’t complaining.
It made things easier.
I had already read most of the novels here, so I started browsing the science section instead.
It wasn’t as advanced as my homeland, but they had come pretty far.
The fact that they had managed this much without a god’s guidance was impressive.
Considering they had no modern research facilities or ways to test theories, I wondered if—given enough time—they could catch up.
But those thoughts quickly became irrelevant the moment I glanced outside.
Dogeon was walking with Iris.
***
I had been thinking about where to take Hoyeon today—
Only for her to suddenly say she was tired and heading back early.
Since we had been practically glued together lately, I had assumed we would spend today together too.
But for some reason, she had distanced herself first.
Not that I minded.
There were a few things I needed to take care of while she wasn’t around.
It sounded like a big deal, but really—
All I had to do was sort out my relationships with the other heroines.
Is It a Big Deal? Probably Not, but I Can't Do It with Hoyeon Around.
Since I couldn’t possibly handle this with Hoyeon by my side, today was the day to settle everything.
I didn’t need to seek out Camilla or Iris.
With them, I had already crossed an irreversible bridge.
It wasn’t exactly fair that simply keeping Hoyeon by my side had cemented that fate, but such was life.
That left Anya as my first priority.
Though, I hesitated.
Would I be interrupting her when she was having fun with Eric?
As for Cecilia, I had no idea where she was.
That naturally left me with Iris.
She was always alone, sipping on a drink at a café.
It wouldn’t be too difficult to approach her.
There wasn’t much of a relationship to begin with, but even so, this was something that needed to be properly settled.
When I arrived at the café, sure enough, Iris was sitting in her usual spot, drinking something.
“It’s good to see you, Lady Iris.”
“Oh, you’re… Dogeon, right? It feels like it’s been a while. So, um… How is Lady Hoyeon doing?”
We had interacted a few times in private, but nothing had ever progressed between us.
We were just… acquaintances.
That was all.
“She’s doing well. And you, Lady Iris?”
“Fortunately, a certain rude individual has disappeared, so I’m quite comfortable. So, what brings you to me today?”
“Well, I…”
I would like for us to remain good friends.
That was the gist of what I wanted to say.
Connections were valuable resources.
Rather than cutting ties completely, it was better to leave room for potential cooperation.
“Friends…? Well, that’s fine. But weren’t we already friends?”
“…Oh. Were we?”
Even though this version of Iris was much more relaxed than in the original story, at her core, she was still an outsider—just like Hoyeon.
Her definition of "friendship" had a very low threshold.
“Yes. Hmm… I’m a little bored. Want to take a walk? I’ve always wanted to make that kind of request now that I have a friend.”
It felt a bit like I was cheating on Hoyeon while she was napping, which made me hesitate.
But it should be fine.
She would understand if I explained it properly.
After all, this was about settling relationships, not starting new ones.
She’d probably even appreciate it.
“Sure.”
To be honest, I was mostly curious.
In the original story, Iris had always been passive—someone who got swept up in things.
I had never seen her take initiative.
What did she like?
What did she dislike?
It wasn’t particularly important.
But humans were naturally curious creatures.
“So, Lady Iris, do you have anything you particularly like or dislike?”
I figured I’d cut off her endless praise for caffeine by asking.
“Of course! Let’s see… Coffee with exactly one spoon of sugar, mixing coffee concentrate with milk for a smoother taste, and… oh, sorry, I’m just talking about coffee again, aren’t I? Umm… aside from coffee, I suppose I enjoy stargazing.”
Stargazing.
It suited her surname, Stargazer.
“When I look at the night sky, there’s always one star that feels like it’s watching over us. Persistently, but without meaning. It’s hard to explain… but that feeling is so fascinating that I can’t stop looking at the sky.”
I had never actually gazed at the night sky, so I couldn’t relate.
But learning something new about her was interesting.
When I asked what she disliked, her answers were exactly what I expected:
Watery coffee, iced coffee, and Stefania.
I figured as much.
I found it refreshing how different conversations with her felt compared to talking with Hoyeon.
But just as I was enjoying our walk, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.
I turned to check my surroundings—
And met a pair of burning golden eyes and twitching fox ears aimed straight at me.
Her tail fur was puffed up.
She was not going to take this lightly.