Chapter 26: 26

It wasn’t easy for me to secretly prepare for Lariensa’s birthday party since she was practically glued to me every day.

“I have an interview with the Clean Newspaper.”

“……”

“It’s true, professor.”

An interview or two as excuses. The professor looked at me, sighed, and eventually gave me an exit slip.

“Here… but once the festival ends, these privileges are over, okay?”

“Yes, professor.”

As Lariensa and I were the main victims of the incident, the professors weren’t as lenient to Emily, Natalie, and Violet as they were to us, rendering them unable to go outside the academy. So it was naturally up to me to go outside and get some things needed for the party.

After collecting the money given to me by my friends, I gave the guard an exit slip and went out of the academy.

Then, I entered the busy street downtown to buy a list of gifts and some party items. First, I went inside a hat shop to buy a hat that matched Lariensa’s blonde hair.

“As expected, white would suit Lara, but her favorite color is sky blue…”

Now that the bruises on my neck were all better, I remembered the white scarf that Lycan gave me. I tried to shake it off of my mind as I was picking out a suitable color for Lariensa’s gift, but that white scarf kept bothering me.

Lycan’s gift was a bit burdensome, but I couldn’t just throw out other people’s gifts in some corner, so I just tied it around on my wrist like this.

Really… what was Lycan thinking, giving me this white scarf?

Unlike Lariensa’s blonde hair, mine is brilliant red, so the color white wouldn’t suit me…

I fiddled with the scarf tied to my wrist for no reason.

“Ah…!”

Suddenly a long brim hat was placed on my head. My vision was blocked for a moment, but as I lifted the visor and looked at the mirror, I found out who was behind me.

“Why are you here?”

Ash-blue hair and turquoise eyes. With a refreshing smile, he pressed the hat on me even more.

“It’s hard to meet you in the academy.”

“You followed me?”

“Maybe I should also stalk you like what Bentley did.”

“Yah, Ssi-bel!”

“Usually, people call me Sibel Khan without the middle name. But the way you’re calling me… it somehow doesn’t sound nice.”

It’s because I purposely say it as if I’m cursing…

“I’m too busy to play with you.”

“Is it for that gal’s birthday party?”

“…Since when have you been following me?”

As I was preparing to flee from Sibel, he pointed to the note I was holding in my hand.

At the top of the note, it said, ‘List of preparations for Lariensa’s birthday party!’

…Ugh, so embarrassing.

“So are we clear now?”

I had no choice but to nod. I’m the one who suspected someone without proof after all.

Of course, considering what he did in the original story, I can’t help but be suspicious of anything that he says or does.

But somehow, by some strange luck, I was saved by Sibel during those dire situations.

The day he sneaked into Professor Bentley’s room, he helped me out on the rooftop, and I was able to escape from being choked to death because of him.

It was all possible because Sibel was there.

“Well, since you’re here, do you have something you want to buy?”

“Will you buy it for me if I say there is?”

Because of Lara’s gifts, my friends and I have a little money left for saving. Still, I wanted to repay my debt to him.

However, looking at Sibel’s eyes…

It’s obvious that he’s going to pick something expensive on purpose.

“Okay, never mind. Don’t pick.”

“So mean. You haven’t even thanked me once for everything I did.”

Ugh! My conscience!

It’s true that Sibel helped me, but I’m still too stubborn to thank him for that.

Although I’ve always regarded Sibel as an absolute evil while constantly being hostile to him, it hurts my pride seeing him be the complete opposite of that.

Sibel stopped trying to reach out to me as I closed my mouth and made a sour face.

“Don’t you want to pay me back?”

“That’s why I told you to choose what you wanted.”

“Not that… I want you to pay me back in some other way.”

“So, what do you want?”

Sibel lowered his head towards mine. He was careful not to touch a single strand of my hair as he whispered.

“Why don’t you pick a hat first?”

Sibel’s eyes were then directed sideways. I followed his gaze, and I could see that the shopkeeper was staring at us with an annoyed look.

Well.

I’ve already been here for quite some time. I’m sure she’s annoyed by now.

“Personally, I recommend that white hat.”

“I think white suits Lara too.”

“I’m talking about you, though.”

This is why handsome faces are bad for the heart. Even if you know that gentle personality is just a pretense, you’ll be fascinated by their dazzling smile.

“I’m here to buy a present for Lariensa, not mine.”

I went back to choosing Lariensa’s gift while ignoring Sibel as much as I could. In the end, I picked up the sky blue hat and bought it.

After wrapping it up, I headed to the bookstore to choose the second gift, a book.

I was worried that Sibel, who had followed me there, would also bother me like what he did at the hat store, but he was surprisingly quiet.

On the contrary, he isolated himself and read a book quietly.

Him reading a book on fairy tales didn’t sit well with me either.

After choosing the book about another country that Lariensa liked, I felt conflicted as I watched Sibel reading a picture book as if he were being sucked into the story.

‘Should I leave him behind or bring him with me?’

I know that I can just leave him behind since he’s the one who followed me on his own anyways, but I was worried that he might hate me for it.

In the end, I was forced to head towards Sibel.

“I’m going to leave now.”

“I thought you’d leave me for sure.”

“…You knew that I was done picking out a book?”

“I was keeping an eye on you.”

“But weren’t you reading a book?”

“I’m smart; focusing on two things at the same time is no sweat.”

“…Jerk.”

“I’m flattered.”

‘Okay, sure. Why don’t we take a look at what you were reading.’

I read the title on the cover of the book.

“Princess Flora?”

“Would you like to read it?”

The story was short since it was a picture book. It seems that I could finish it in just one sitting.

I quickly opened the book and read it. The story was quite simple.

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It was about a princess as beautiful as Snow White who was offered to a monster because her father was possessed by a witch. In the end, the prince saves her from the monster’s clutches.

Of course, it was a happy ending.

“Your taste is quite unique. Do you like these kinds of books?”

“I don’t particularly like it. I just read these once in a while when I’m bored.”

“You usually read fairy tales like this when you’re young, though.”

“I never read fairy tales when I was young.”

“Eyy, there’s no one who’s never read a fairy tale when they were young.”

However, as soon as I finished that sentence, I got flustered.

At this point in the novel, his past had not been revealed yet, even though he’s the male lead.

What he did to Lariensa in the original story was unforgivable despite his dark past behind it, but now Sibel isn’t interested in Lara.

On another note, it’s also rude to carelessly talk about other people’s past.

“…Sorry.”

I said it in a hurry, but Sibel was unexpectedly not upset about it.

But he’s fake. One shouldn’t be fooled by that face!

“You can say sorry, but you can’t even manage a simple ‘thank you’, huh?”

“……”

“That wasn’t something to be sorry about.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“…But you’re good at putting on an act.”

Sibel laughed.

“I don’t have to do that in front of you, though.”

Come to think of it, Sibel never hid that awful temper of his in front of me anymore.

He didn’t play the perfect student with an infinitely sweet and gentle personality as if someone created him.

When he’s angry, he would just vent his anger out, and when something’s funny, he would just laugh as it is.

“Are you comfortable with me?”

I asked Sibel while choosing gifts and party supplies around the shop.

“Super. You’re fun.”

Sibel answered without hesitation.

But I couldn’t say anything about it, so I just shut my mouth and continued shopping.

Finally, I was able to buy all the things that were on the list. I was about to head back to the academy when…

Sibel threatened me, no not threatened, asked me with a smile to stay with him longer; that’s why I’m currently sitting face to face with him at a cafe.

At least there’s no pushing against the wall this time or any forced contact with him. It was clear that he cared about what I said regarding what counted as harassment.

‘…He’s more human than I thought.’

“I can see you’re thinking about something else.”

As I was drinking with a straw, I broke from my thoughts when he talked to me.

Hmm… what does he think of me now?

Does he think about me in ‘that’ kind of way? If that’s the case, I’m definitely breaking his arms and legs!

…You didn’t go that far, did you? Gosh, goosebumps.

“I can see clearly what you think.”

“Not everyone can put on an act like you.”

“So, are you thinking of Lariensa Jellinus again?”

“No, I was thinking of you.”

Sibel’s eyes grew very briefly, but they immediately returned to their original state. It was a very momentary look, but I saw it clearly.

Sibel, with a relaxed expression on his face, held his chin in his hand and asked.

“So, what were you thinking about me?”

If possible, I hope Sibel’s feelings toward me haven’t reached that stage yet, but if he couldn’t avoid it until the end, it would be better to face him earlier on.

“Do you, by any chance, want to lock me up?”

“……”

“Do you want to take away the sight of everyone who looks at me, and you want to own me even if I was broken?”

“……”

Sibel’s relaxed expression disappeared again. He, who was expressing his bewildered expression, soon burst into laughter.

You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?

“…Marilyn Launer, you’re really unique.”

Sibel, who barely stopped laughing, answered slowly.

“It’s true that you’re greedy, am I wrong?”

Is that so? Was I overthinking this?

“But the idea of wanting to lock you up, or taking away the sight of someone else who sees you…”

Why don’t you continue it? That long pause is ominous.

“…I haven’t thought about it yet.”

But Sibel’s tone seemed to be implying, ‘why didn’t I think about it?’

I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have provoked that crazy guy!

“If you lock me up, I won’t be fun to be with anymore.”

“Why?”

“‘Cuz I’m not going to say a word.”

I added the words in a hurry.

“If you got ahold of my friends, I’d still talk since they’re my weakness. But it won’t be as fun as it is now. I have to be in a pleasant state to make jokes.”

I said it just in case, but my expression became strange as I was thinking about it.

I don’t know if he did that on purpose, but the act he was putting in front of me wasn’t perfect.

Sibel said he could see all my thoughts, but I can also see some of his thoughts.

“And one more.”

“……”

“You can’t force yourself to own the other person. It rather backfires with resistance.”

“Then what can I do to get you?”

The idea of owning the other person is wrong in the first place.

But he wouldn’t understand if I said this.

“Well, I’ll let you know about that later.”

I don’t think he thought of me in that way yet, so I’ll let this go for now, but on the fateful day that he does.

I’ll tell you on that day.

It would be better if such a day didn’t come.

“As expected, you’re fun.”

Listening to that, it certainly seemed far from romantic feelings yet.

Yeah, so far, your obsession won’t be a problem.

“Let’s go back now to the academy.”

Whether or not Sibel was satisfied with spending this much time, he returned to the academy with me obediently.

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