Chapter 31:
I Can’t Speak
“Are they all gone?”
Ian Dwayne asked as he looked at the empty hallway where the students had left.
With the ringleaders fleeing, the onlookers who sympathized scattered one by one, cautiously looking around.
Philip expressed his gratitude to Ian.
“Thank you for your help. You’re from the Gerwer family, right?”
“Yes, I’m Ian Dwayne Gerwer.”
“You don’t have to address me so formally, though…?”
Why is someone so important speaking to me with such respect?
Seeing Philip’s puzzled expression, Ian lowered his head slightly.
“In the academy, regardless of family or status, we’re all equal. Plus, you’re older than me, aren’t you?”
In the face of learning, there is equality regardless of family status. That was the rule set by the founding emperor when he established the Royal Academy.
Even calling students by their names rather than their family names inside the academy was because of that rule.
Although nowadays, there were occasional abuses of this principle.
“Oh, it’s not that much. I’m just twenty this year. Please feel free to speak comfortably, much younger than you think.”
Philip was pleased with Ian’s words and spoke casually.
Questions and answers continued. Ian occasionally addressed Leiche, who was hiding behind Philip, but it was Philip who answered.
‘Why is our lady acting like this?’
While answering, Philip speculated about the reasons for Leiche’s behavior.
Is she embarrassed to talk to a member of the Gerwer family?
Well, he’s as handsome as our young master Deon. Besides, the feeling with him and other boys of the same age is different.
‘I should boast to Jed that I saw Miss Leiche being shy. He’d be jealous for sure. She’s silly.’
Thinking of Jed’s jealous look made him feel good. Feeling good makes the words flow.
Philip asked Ian a question.
“It’s said that the Gerwer family’s insight sees through essence. Can you see everything when you use your abilities? What were those students doing earlier?”
It was an unbelievable ability.
With such eyes, you could perform any mission flawlessly.
“Oh, I can’t use my abilities right now.”
“You can’t?”
When Philip asked in surprise, Ian reached into the collar of his uniform shirt.
Rustle. With a clear sound, a necklace came out.
“My body is weak, so my father told me to wear an artifact that seals my abilities. That’s why my eyes are black right now.”
“Oh… I asked for no reason. I’m sorry. I thought the Gerwer family’s ability users turned gold only when using their abilities.”
“Everyone thinks that way.”
Ian laughed thankfully, saying that thanks to that, the students were fooled.
Ian said the artifact story was a secret, so Philip apologized again, saying it slipped out of his mouth.
“I won’t tell anyone. That necklace story.”
‘Necklace?’
From their conversation, it seemed to be a story about a necklace given by the Gerwer family.
Leiche peeked out with curiosity at the reality of the necklace she had only heard about through rumors.
“Hello.”
When Ian waved his hand, Leiche nodded in greeting.
Philip was convinced that Leiche was embarrassed by her unusual greeting.
But there was another reason for Leiche.
‘Ian Dwayne knows my voice.’
Even though her face was covered with a veil, there was no way to conceal her voice.
Just as she could understand Ian’s voice, Ian must surely understand her voice.
‘Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve seen his face properly.’
The first time Leiche saw Ian Dwayne in the mirror was when she spoke to the mirror after Pythons was hurt by Hikanka.
She had to confirm that the child behind the mirror was a ability user, namely Ian Dwayne Gerwer, as Pythons had said.
So she confirmed the child’s energy in the mirror from a distance, where she wouldn’t be reflected in the mirror. It was a bit difficult since she had to touch it to activate the mirror, but she managed.
The only time Riche had seen Ian Dwayne was then. Even in her previous life living in the Gerwer Duchy, she never had the chance to encounter Ian Dwayne due to the Gerwer Duke, who restrained his son.
“So this is his face.”
Riche stared intently at Ian’s face.
More precisely, she examined his complexion. Whether he had been eating well and receiving enough nutrition, whether he had any injuries or illnesses.
His golden hair was neatly combed without a single strand out of place.
His eyes, now turned black due to the influence of the artifact, seemed like a serene night sky full of twinkling stars, perhaps because of his golden eyelashes.
There were no shadows under his eyes, and his lips, of a pleasing thickness, were smooth without any cracks.
His slightly flushed cheeks were the most reassuring part for Riche.
“I’m glad. He looks healthy.”
Although there was a dark energy swirling around his chest, it seemed manageable.
Seeing Ian Dwayne, who had become healthier despite Hikanka’s conditions, made Riche proud, and she chuckled softly.
“Oh, I should go now.”
Anyway, there’s no point in staying here since I can’t talk to Ian.
Riche gestured for Philip to lend her his ear.
When Philip lowered his head to her level, Riche covered her mouth with her hand and whispered.
“What… is she doing?”
Ian observed the two.
In fact, a while ago, Ian had planned to just pass by the gathering crowd. He didn’t particularly enjoy noisy situations.
“Oh, I know who she is. She’s a first-year.”
“Who?”
“Twariche Rodwick.”
“Really?”
But Ian overheard the conversation of nearby students by chance, and he became concerned.
The child who had been the subject of his father’s angry shouts towards the communication device when Ian was eight years old.
“It must be Rodwick. Rodwick took my Lythium…”
Ian still remembered the voice of the Gerwer Duke, which had seeped through the cracks in the door.
Rodwick, his adoptive daughter, and Lythium.
And that adoptive daughter wasn’t the Lythium the Gerwer Duke was looking for.
“The child my father obsessed over…”
So, Ian discreetly observed the situation among the students.
A child who seemed flustered behind the knight confronting the students. Then suddenly, the child’s expression changed, as if determined to sacrifice themselves.
“That’s a lie.”
So, Ian stepped forward. If he didn’t step forward, the child might do it instead.
That’s how he ended up talking to Twariche and her attendant, even discussing the artifact.
He hadn’t expected to talk about the artifact with Twariche and her attendant, separate from Hikanka’s conditions.
For some reason, he felt comfortable, so he inadvertently spoke.
Since they were from the same family of ability users, he thought they would understand.
Or maybe Twariche already knew because Lord Rodwick, whom he had met before, recognized the artifact.
“Black eyes.”
A few days ago, Lord Rodwick, who had sent an attendant to express his desire to meet him, had asked a few words of greeting and also inquired about his eyes.
“An artifact that suppresses abilities?”
“Yes. It won’t come off.”
It was a story only for Lord Rodwick. It was about how his father had put a spell on the artifact he gave him so that it wouldn’t come off.
After hearing that, Lord Rodwick, with a final word to come find him if he ever needed help, left.
“Oh, um… what about me?”
Ian quietly watched as Riche whispered to the attendant in front of him.
“It’s like a fairy turned into a human and is moving.”
The child with an unreal appearance was fascinating just to see them move.
Meanwhile, as Philip finished speaking, Riche turned and walked away. Ian, who had been watching her retreating figure for a moment, also started walking his own path.
Sure, here’s the revised passage with “Leiche” replaced with “Riche”:
At the Hwangrip Academy, each student was assigned their own room.
Despite the expensive tuition and the academy being attended only by nobles, the dormitory facilities were quite decent.
Riche’s accommodation allocated by the academy dormitory.
“Mi-la-dy. What is it? What is it?”
It was a spacious place with one living room, one student bedroom, and one servant’s bedroom.
Seated on a wooden chair in the living room, Philip, asked Riche, who was organizing the textbooks needed for tomorrow, from the sofa.
“Why did our perfect lady not greet Lord Gerwer properly? Could it be that she has fallen for him?”
Chuckle, chuckle.
Philip’s mouth curled up. When he entered the Rodwick Mansion, he learned not only swordsmanship from Zed but certainly other things too.
Riche raised her head slightly to Philip, teasing him.
“No.”
“Then why did you do that?”
“It’s… a secret.”
No suitable lie came to mind.
And she couldn’t tell the truth either.
“That’s odd… why did she do that?”
Philip, taking the word “secret” seriously, stroked his chin with a serious expression.
“Our lady’s first love, huh? I’ll report this to Lord Jajun this week…”
“Philip, don’t tell my father about what happened today.”
Riche firmly blocked Philip’s teasing.
Philip asked Riche again, this time not joking but sincere.
“Well, shouldn’t we tell him? To show those nobles an example of messing with the Rodwicks…”
“If I speak up, I’ll ask to be sent as a servant.”
“I absolutely won’t. I didn’t hear or see anything.”
Philip pretended to button his lips seriously.
“Remember, Philip. Miss Anna is like a hyena. Don’t let your guard down.”
He couldn’t let Miss Anna take the servant’s position.
Above all, isn’t he a knight who pledged loyalty to Miss Riche?
“Thank you, Philip.”
“You’re welcome.”
Seeing Philip shrug, Riche finally relaxed and began flipping through the pages of her textbooks.
“I don’t want to give my father anything to worry about.”
She didn’t want to tell Blake that there had been friction at the academy. It was only the first day. He would surely worry.
She didn’t know if Deon and Robenhaf would hear about it from within the school and whether Blake would catch wind of it.
“At least for now, he doesn’t know… so…”
Yawn. Riche shook her head to shake off the drowsiness that was creeping in.
“Lady, if you’re sleepy, please go to bed.”
Philip bowed his head deeply as if diving into the book repeatedly while watching Riche, who kept shaking her head and getting up.
You must be tired.
From leaving the mansion in the morning to attending the entrance ceremony, going to the classrooms, visiting the principal’s office, and dealing with noble disputes.
In the evening, playing with Lord Deon and then unpacking in the dormitory.
It had been a long day.
“Yeah…”
Riche obediently got up and went to her room at Philip’s words.
As soon as she lay down on the bed and rested her head on the pillow, she fell asleep instantly.
* * *
[Tiom.]
“…”
[What?]
“…”
[Hey! Contractor!]
Riche woke up with a start at the familiar voice.
