Felix frowned at the unexpected question. “No, not at all.” He answered truthfully. “My father’s visit to the academy has nothing to do with you.”
However, despite Felix’s reply, the worried expression on Lucy’s face remained. She hesitated for a brief moment before averting his gaze and said, “If you are concerned about the duke or the people around you, you can be honest with me. I fully understand sunbae’s position-.”
“I will continue to study with you.” This time, Felix spoke firmly and cut off Lucy’s words. “If there’s anyone who thinks it’s weird for you to be with me while mentioning your background…”
Felix bit his lips; he didn’t want to speak such harsh words in front of Lucy. “Anyway, you don’t have to think about it,” he said, resolute.
Even though Felix had reassured her, the anxiety he had been trying to suppress began to creep back in. Even if his father didn’t know about Lucy right now, he couldn’t be completely relieved.
He was in a position that caught people’s attention even if he didn’t do anything special. Even if he stayed still, people would still talk about him. The more he hid, the more interest people had in him. Prince Felix Berg’s unusually cautious behavior would be enough to pique their curiosity.
It would be even more so if the person he was trying to hide was a commoner.
He was the successor of the Duchy. He had gone his entire life without giving much thought to other people. No one dared to laugh at him. But it was different for Lucy. People would continue talking about her, and she would never be free.
Lucy would be the one who suffered the most if there were rumors about her relationship with Felix. And if that rumor reached his father’s ears? Could he still be with Lucy in an open place like a library?
Felix was anxious.
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Maybe I’m putting Lucy in trouble because of my greed?
“Lucy, I was thinking,” Felix began, “I don’t think I can study well in the library. It’s too stuffy. Why don’t we change the place we study?” He offered a suggestion. “What about an empty classroom instead of the library?”
“An empty classroom?”
“Yes. After all, most of the classes are finished after 5 pm, so there are many empty classrooms. I think it’ll be good to go there and study. It’s a little less frustrating.”
And there will be no tiresome gazes wondering about you and me.
“What do you think?”
He waited anxiously for Lucy’s answer.
It wasn’t until he asked the question that he thought his suggestion was excessive. Obviously, Lucy could have felt burdened. However, it was also inevitable that expectations for her to say yes rose at the same time.
Moments later, Lucy finally opened her lips.
“Ugh…”
But then, they heard someone groan at the back of the classroom. Felix and Lucy, who were facing each other, turned their heads toward the sound in surprise.
Someone emerged from behind the empty desk. He then yawned loudly and stretched his body. The person who suddenly appeared was a male student with brown curly hair.
Judging by the fact that he got up from the chairs next to each other, it seemed apparent that he had been taking a nap long before they arrived. The sloppy-haired student blinked his sleepy eyes and looked at Felix and Lucy.
“…Noel?” Lucy recognized the boy and called his name.
“Ah, it was Lucy-sunbae after all,” the boy said in a low voice, his eyes blinking. “No wonder I heard a familiar voice even in my sleep.” He smiled at Lucy like an innocent child. His pretty eyes softy curved upward.
At the same time, a grim expression immediately appeared on Felix’s face.
What is this?
Regardless of his grim expression, the male student appeared to recognize Felix.
“Adrian sunbae-nim is also with you.”
“I’m not Adrian,” Felix responded bluntly.
“Ah, then you are Felix Berg-sunbaenim.”
Felix gave the boy a wary look. He already didn’t like the way he smiled and replied kindly no matter what he said.
“Sunbae, this is Noel Roman, a freshman from the book club.” Lucy introduced him to the boy.
The boy also got up and nodded his head toward Felix. “Hello, Felix-sunbae.”
“What were you doing here?” Felix asked Noel at once, ignoring his greetings. His gaze was filled with suspicion as if something was not right. It was completely different from his gentle gaze when he looked at Lucy.
“What? Oh… I was taking a nap because I was sleepy.”
“Were you listening to us?”
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Noel hurriedly waved his hand, puzzled at Felix’s interrogation. “No, I wasn’t.”
However, Felix still had doubt in his eyes as he stared at Noel. Noel could only smile awkwardly, completely confused with Felix’s behavior.
“Sunbae,” Lucy called Felix, who looked uncomfortable. “Is something wrong?”
Felix couldn’t honestly answer that he didn’t like how the boy smiled at her. “It’s nothing,” he said.
Silence enveloped the classroom. Felix kept his eyes on the freshman who suddenly appeared, and Noel stood still with an awkward smile.
A voice from the hallway broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Lucy! Are you there?”
It was the voice of a female student looking for Lucy.
“I’ll be there soon, Jemima!” Lucy answered, looking out the door. She turned to Felix and said hastily, “I’m sorry, sunbae. I have to go to my next class. Let’s talk about this later.” She then rushed to the door.
However, Felix didn’t receive a response to his question, so he hurried after her. “Lucy, wait!”
He tried to catch her before she disappeared over the door, but she turned back first. “Today at 5. The last classroom on the third floor,” Lucy whispered in a small voice enough that only Felix could hear.
She left the classroom soon after.
For a moment, he stared blankly at the door where Lucy disappeared like the wind. Not long after, Felix had a slight grin on his face. He realized Lucy had accepted his suggestion.
He was able to continue studying with Lucy. Just the two of them.
“Are you two dating?”
Felix’s smile quickly disappeared as he heard the voice behind him. He looked back at Noel, his face cold. “Why do you want to know?”
“No, just…” Noel, embarrassed by Felix’s cold response, slurred his word. A helpless expression etched on his face.
Felix ignored him and tried to leave the classroom. But Noel called him up as if he had something to say. “S- sunbae!”
When Felix looked back, Noel hesitated a little and asked, “When your uniform was stolen. Did you see the face of the person who stole it?”
At that, Felix frowned and strode menacingly toward Noel. “As expected, you were eavesdropping on us.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping! I just heard it in my sleep!” Noel said, feeling wronged.
“But why did you ask?”
“I wanted to help catch the person who stole it….”
“It’s okay. Don’t do anything. I don’t need your help.”
Just don’t smile in front of Lucy.
Felix gave him one last fierce glance and left the classroom.
* * *
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Adrian looked up when Felix sat next to him. His older twin had stopped by the dormitory and changed into his school uniform.
“It’s Monday. I’ve been busy since morning,” Adrian said, and it was indeed a hectic Monday.
Do you have ominous dreams from dawn or have your allergy medicines stolen?
Luckily, Felix had met and talked with Lucy. That was the most enjoyable time he had had since he woke up this morning.
Now he only had one problem left.
“Are you really going to write my name on your test paper?”
Adrian frowned at Felix’s abrupt question. He looked around the classroom carefully. Alec and Jarvis were chatting far away.
He whispered back only after confirming that other students were not eavesdropping on their conversations. “Be quiet; we’re in the classroom. I thought we were done talking about this?”
“No matter how much I think about it, I think it’s stupid. Does it make sense that our grades change overnight? You’re not an idiot.”
“I’m not, but I’ll pretend to be one,” Adrian replied sarcastically. As he said, no one would dare to question the achievements of the Princes of Berg unless there was clear evidence.
Felix leaned against the chair, sullen. “And I’m going to be the pathetic person who takes away his brother’s grades.”
Adrian was displeased to hear Felix’s words. He looked like he had something to say.
