Chapter 45: A Small Misunderstanding
“I don’t have anything to discuss with you.”
Naturally, I had no intention of going anywhere with Ethan. Why would I follow someone who had been lurking and stalking me this whole time?
Because of him, I had to take convoluted detours just to talk to Dogeon in peace.
And honestly, I didn’t have a good impression of him—not with that smug face of his.
“…It seems you don’t remember. Allow me to remind you. Do you know the extent of the damage your escort caused to my family?”
Ah, so it was that story.
Here I thought he was trying to lure me out to flirt or something, but this turned out to be a matter involving money.
To be honest, I didn’t remember much about those negotiations. Every time I sat at the table, I avoided eye contact and distracted myself with other thoughts. I couldn’t even recall who I spoke to.
All I remembered was whether they were male or female, old or young—that’s about it. My mind went blank the moment I sat down, and I likely repeated the same points over and over.
If he wanted an apology, I was willing to give one. Even I thought my methods of crossing the continent were excessive.
But I had my reasons—if I hadn’t done it that way, I would’ve been a month late to the academy.
I didn’t have time to follow all the procedures and pay the fees properly.
“…If that’s what this is about, fine. Lead the way.”
Still, I owed him an apology. If I was in the wrong, I should at least say sorry. Whether he was a real victim or not, it was better to apologize than to risk creating unnecessary resentment.
“This way, then.”
I felt uneasy leaving Dogeon alone with Anastasia, but surely he wouldn’t mess up again after apologizing and earning forgiveness.
He was my friend, after all.
Trusting Dogeon, I followed Ethan out of the library.
“…Before we begin, could you look at this for a moment?”
“What is it?”
Ethan produced something that looked like a coin attached to a string.
It wasn’t a coin, though—it was too finely crafted, and its shape wasn’t perfectly circular. It seemed more like a symbol of some sort.
It looked vaguely similar to the symbols I’d seen in churches.
He dangled it in front of me.
So what? Was he trying to hypnotize me or something?
As expected, no matter how civilized he acted, a golden sun’s true nature couldn’t be hidden.
Luring me in with fancy talk only to try something shady—it was laughable.
“Do you feel anything from this?”
“Feel? The only thing I feel is annoyance. If you called me out here for some nonsense like this, get lost.”
If he had simply wanted an apology, I would have given it. But calling me out for this ridiculous stunt? No way.
Too bad for him—it didn’t work on me.
At this point, it didn’t matter whether he was a real victim or not.
Having said my piece, I turned back toward the library without so much as a glance. While he might have been decent at absorbing class material, as I initially thought…
Appearance isn’t everything, after all. Wait, no—that’s taking it too far.
Still, appearances could be telling. This was a novel world, after all, where stereotypes held some weight.
Resolving to be more cautious of people based on their appearances, I headed back to the floor where Anastasia and Dogeon were waiting.
“…What do you think of Hoyeon?”
If I hadn’t overheard Anastasia say that, I would’ve walked right to their table without a second thought.
But her words made me stop in my tracks, almost reflexively.
She was probably talking to Dogeon. Considering the content, barging in seemed awkward, and besides, I was curious.
For all I knew, Dogeon might tell others we weren’t close at all, despite calling me a friend.
I didn’t need to dig into old memories to confirm this—it was a common trope in the stories I read to pass time in the past.
So, what would Dogeon say? I was genuinely interested.
More importantly, I needed to address why he’d been chatting with others when I wasn’t around—and why he’d dragged along that walking libido Ethan.
“Hoyeon…? She’s my precious first friend. But why are you asking this so suddenly?”
Hmm. I had worried for a moment that I was the only one considering us friends, but it turned out Dogeon genuinely valued me as a friend.
Maybe I didn’t need to scold him too harshly after all.
After all, his intentions were good. And maybe Anastasia was the one who initiated their conversation.
“…Don’t acknowledge me in the swordsmanship club. I didn’t take you for someone like that.”
“What?”
Hmm. This was taking a strange turn.
I didn’t want Dogeon to be disliked, so this seemed like the perfect moment to step in.
“Ahem, I see. So, you also consider me a friend.”
“Hoyeon…”
“Hoyeon, you’ve returned.”
Anastasia greeted me with a conflicted expression, while Dogeon’s relief was so obvious it was almost comical.
“Anastasia, don’t be too harsh on Dogeon. He’s not the type with ill intentions.”
“…Why does Hoyeon defend him so much?”
Oh dear. It seemed Dogeon had managed to earn Anastasia’s ire somehow. I tried to meditate, but she didn’t look like she’d back down easily.
Why do I defend him?
“Because he’s my friend.”
For some reason, her expression turned to shock as she stared at me.
“…Is being friends… truly enough for you?”
What was with her? She was asking strange questions, but I still answered earnestly.
“Of course.”
What other kind of relationship could I have with him? Beyond friendship, the next step would be…
…Yeah, no. I wasn’t attracted to women, but I wasn’t drawn to men either. If someone asked whether I was interested in dating anyone, my answer would be no—for now.
“…If that’s how you feel, Hoyeon…”
I had no idea why she looked so distraught and pitiful all of a sudden.
Before I could dwell on it, the golden sun himself walked in, as if he owned the place.
“…Looks like everyone’s here. Shall we resume the lesson? Or do you need more time to rest?”
“…No.”
“Feel free to start.”
“No objections.”
Why was it so annoying every time Ethan spoke?
But that was beside the point.
***
‘It didn’t work.’
Ethan fiddled with the relic in his pocket.
The pendant of the goddess.
It was something he had borrowed from Gloria—a necklace said to have belonged to the goddess when she was human.
Only the first Apostles could carry such an artifact, but Ethan had managed to borrow it under the pretense of using it on Hoyeon.
Simply carrying the pendant could repel dark energy, and presenting it to a user of dark magic would cause their body to burn.
Ethan had been observing Hoyeon for over a week. Except for that first incident during gym class, she hadn’t used dark magic since.
Yet Ethan was convinced he had felt dark energy emanating from her.
Though inferior to other Apostles in every way, his one talent—detecting dark magic—was what had made him an Apostle in the first place. He trusted that talent implicitly.
So, risking expulsion, he had presented the goddess’s pendant to Hoyeon—but nothing happened.
Hoyeon had been angry, but that wasn’t Ethan’s concern.
If the pendant had no effect, it meant either she wasn’t a dark magic user… or she was a demon herself.
But demons had either been purified into spirits by the goddess or sealed within the ley lines.
Ethan was left in a state of confusion.
‘If she uses dark energy but isn’t a user of dark magic, then what is she?’
He couldn’t find an answer.
“Ethan, you’re distracted.”
“…Ah, yes.”
His entire reason for approaching Dogeon had been to test the pendant on Hoyeon.
Now that the pendant had failed, he had no further business here. His priority was to inform Gloria that it hadn’t worked.
“…Hoyeon, if it’s not an inconvenience, may I leave now?”
“Leaving is up to you. Do you have a reason?”
“It’s almost time for prayer.”
“Prayer, huh. I didn’t think you were the type to be religious. Fine, go.”
Hearing her disbelief brought Ethan a small sense of satisfaction—it was proof his disguise was flawless.
“Thank you. I’ll take my leave.”
***
Shortly after Hoyeon left the table, I decided to engage Anastasia in conversation.
Though she seemed to dislike me, it wasn’t to the extent of wanting me to never speak to her.
In the original story, our first meeting had been similarly awkward, so nothing felt particularly off.
But once Hoyeon became the topic of conversation, I started to sense that something was amiss.
“…Have you heard the rumor about the foreign princess—Hoyeon—favoring a commoner?”
“No, this is my first time hearing about it.”
I figured such rumors might circulate eventually, given how close we were, but I hadn’t expected them to surface so soon.
Still, why bring it up now? Up until that point, Hoyeon hadn’t been mentioned at all.
“…What do you think of Hoyeon?”
“Hoyeon? She’s my precious first friend. But why do you ask?”
Moments ago, the conversation had been about Anastasia. Now, it has shifted entirely to Hoyeon.
Thinking it was just a passing topic, I shared my thoughts. But Anastasia’s expression turned strange.
She looked… angry.
“…Don’t acknowledge me in the swordsmanship club. I didn’t think you were that kind of person.”
“What?”
What was this about?
I had only said Hoyeon was a friend, but something about that had upset Anastasia. I quickly replayed my words in my head, but there was nothing inherently wrong.
And yet, she suddenly didn’t want me to talk to her.
Just as I began to feel confused, Hoyeon’s voice cut in.
“Ahem. I see. So, you also consider me a friend.”
“Hoyeon…”
“Hoyeon, you’re back.”
Her timing couldn’t have been better.
Just as the conversation started to take a strange turn, Hoyeon brought it to a halt.
“Anastasia, don’t be too harsh on Dogeon. He’s not a bad person.”
Though it stung a little, I was grateful to Hoyeon for defending me.
“…Hoyeon, why do you go so far to defend him?”
Anastasia’s expression was a mixture of confusion and frustration as she questioned Hoyeon. Clearly, my defense didn’t sit well with her.
“Because he’s my friend.”
“…Is being friends really enough for you?”
Though I knew the question wasn’t aimed at me, my answer internally was clear: no.
If I wanted to build a harem or aim for a happy ending, I’d have to start with Hoyeon. Friendship wouldn’t suffice.
Fortunately, she seemed easy to win over, so I didn’t think it would take long.
For now, we were friends—but eventually, she would become my primary companion.
“Of course.”
Hoyeon seemed genuinely happy with the idea of just being friends, though.
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