EULC Chapter 11

Runes belonged to Jaylin alone. They were something only she possessed, something no one could ever take from her.

But still, when the young master said he had lost his rune textbook, she felt a little sad. She knew he hadn’t done it on purpose, so she told herself it was fine.

The contents of the textbook were already in her head anyway.

Jaylin spent her days assembling and disassembling rune formulas in her mind. Hundreds, thousands of different formulas gradually accumulated in her memory.

After falling gravely ill at House Eduarde and finally regaining her strength, Jaylin returned to the orphanage—only to find that the headmistress had changed.

Apparently, the ducal house had conducted a sudden inspection.

The former director, Salinduye, was accused of embezzling funds meant for the children and was forced to give up her title and face legal proceedings.

That fall, when the young master left for the capital, Jaylin gained a new goal: the Pellodian Imperial Academy. It was the place he often spoke of.

Jaylin wanted to enroll there too. The academy, she heard, accepted even commoners as long as they had exceptional skills.

If she could attend, she could be near the young master again. But more than that, Jaylin had an unquenchable thirst for magic design.

No matter how much she studied, it never felt like enough. She wanted to learn more formulas and refine the ones she had already created.

Pellodian Imperial Academy was said to have the largest institution for magic design in the empire and offered the best education on formulas.

A commoner could get in with merit alone—but Jaylin didn’t know exactly what level of skill was needed to qualify.

All she could do was study desperately using the books the young master had given her. It was all she had.

Time passed, and soon her twentieth birthday approached—the age when one must leave the orphanage.

The academy was her only hope.

The entrance exam was held at the academy in the capital. The questions were surprisingly easy.

When Jaylin handed in her completed answer sheet, the proctor looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Are you giving up on the test?”

“Huh? Oh, n-no!”

Startled, Jaylin’s voice came out shrill. A few other students still taking the exam glared at her, clearly annoyed.

“I—I finished the problems.”

“Already?”

“Y-Yes… is something wrong?”

Frightened by the proctor’s surprised face, Jaylin shrank back and fiddled with the end of her sleeve.

“No, there’s nothing wrong… If you’re sure you’re finished, you may leave.”

After Jaylin left the exam room, a bit of a stir broke out among the proctors as her answer sheet was passed around.

It was something Jaylin, having already exited, would never know.

And one month later, Jaylin received her acceptance letter from the academy.

It stated that she had been admitted as a fourth-year transfer student.

It was great news—Jaylin had no money. The shorter her time at school, the less she would need to borrow.

“Now that I think of it… if I go to the academy, I might see the young master. I wonder if he’s forgotten me. I hope he still remembers.”

Jaylin began counting down the days until she could attend.

Then, just one week before the new semester began, as she was walking through the academy halls to register for her classes—

“Jaylin? Wait… are you really Jaylin?”

A low, unfamiliar voice called her name.

A large shadow loomed in front of her, big enough to envelop her whole body.

To look at the man’s face, Jaylin had to crane her neck all the way back.

It was Lionel. The real Lionel.

Jaylin had vaguely hoped she might see him at the academy.

But she had never imagined she’d run into him by pure chance—even before the semester began.

The man standing before her was no longer the boy from her memories.

He was tall—easily over 190 centimeters. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt, and his long legs were well-fitted in tailored pants that highlighted his charm.

The baby fat that once remained on his cheeks had vanished entirely. But even so, he was still unmistakably Lionel.

To Jaylin, he looked like a living statue.

His brows were like a painter’s masterpiece, his finely sculpted nose like a work of a master artisan, his lips tinged a soft red, and his firm jawline—all contrasted with his tall, commanding frame, evoking a strange sort of awe.

His features leaned toward ascetic, but for some reason, anyone who saw him couldn’t help but think he exuded a decadent allure.

Underneath his tousled black hair—dark like a bottomless abyss—his golden eyes, languid like afternoon sunlight, gazed down at Jaylin.

Jaylin couldn’t tear her eyes away from those golden irises. It felt like she’d gone back to that moment ten years ago—when she first fell for him at a single glance.

A deep, low voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“Aren’t you Jaylin?”

Startled, Jaylin replied quickly,

“Y-Yes, yes! Y-Young Master. It’s me.”

She immediately bit her lip. She’d worked so hard to stop stammering.

Though she had improved a lot, when nervous or caught off guard, she still found herself tripping over her words.

“Did she just say ‘Young Master’?”

A few passing students snickered as they looked her up and down.

Lionel turned to them with a faint smile, and the blushing students quickly scattered.

He turned back to Jaylin with an awkward smile.

“I knew it was you. But at the academy, maybe drop the whole ‘Young Master’ thing.”

Jaylin answered slowly, trying not to stammer.

“Ah… sorry. It’s just… old habits.”

“No need to apologize.”

Noticing the Pellodian Academy uniform Jaylin was wearing, Lionel asked,

“Did you enroll here too?”

“Yes. I-I just started this year.”

“That’s great. I mean, you were always good at runes. Then… call me by name. Or you can call me ‘senior’ instead.”

“Um… th-then I’ll call you senior.”

She just couldn’t bring herself to say his name. The thought of uttering the young master’s name out loud embarrassed her terribly.

“Sure. That works.”

Lionel smiled warmly, then glanced over her shoulder.

“I’ve got something scheduled, so I’ll be going. Let’s have tea at the cafeteria sometime, if you’re free.”

“Yes, Young Ma—ah, I mean… senior.”

“Nice seeing you again. Take care.”

He gave her a slight nod before walking off.

From the opposite hallway, Lionel’s friend Nathan approached and slung an arm over his shoulder, glancing back at Jaylin.

Once they had walked far enough that their conversation wouldn’t reach her, Nathan asked,

“Who’s that? Someone you know?”

“Just someone I used to play with when I was little.”

“Your childhood friend? That’s odd—I feel like I’d know. Who is she?”

Nathan was naturally sociable and had a wide circle of friends. He knew just about everyone in their age group.

He and Lionel moved in similar social circles, so it was rare for Lionel to know someone Nathan didn’t.

“There can be people you don’t know. No matter how wide your net is, you can’t know everyone.”

Lionel chuckled.

“I guess. So, who is she? That’s the third time I’ve asked. Don’t tell me—you’re keeping secrets from me?”

Nathan laughed and lightly elbowed Lionel.

“Why would I keep secrets from you? Honestly, I haven’t seen her in so long I barely remember. I guess she enrolled this year.”

“Then she’s a first-year. They should be at orientation right now… What’s she doing wandering around here?”

“Beats me. Maybe she got lost.”

Lionel shrugged, then casually changed the subject.

“Anyway, where are the others?”

Jaylin stood frozen for a long time, even after Lionel had disappeared. It felt like she had returned to the moment she first saw him years ago.

Her mind was blank. She couldn’t think of anything.

Finally pulling herself together, she began walking.

Today, one of the current students was supposed to help her with class registration.

Usually, new students learned the process during orientation, but since Jaylin had transferred in as a fourth-year, the academy had assigned a student from her department to assist her.

It was a thoughtful gesture for someone unfamiliar with the academy’s inner workings.

Jaylin stared intently at her map, searching for the cafeteria where they were supposed to meet.

No matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find it.

She had set out far earlier than the appointed time, anticipating she might get lost—but even so, she only arrived after the scheduled time.

Thankfully, her meeting partner hadn’t arrived yet.

Soon, a flamboyant man with dazzling silver hair entered the cafeteria and called out her name loudly.

“Jaylin Britzen!”

His booming voice filled the cafeteria, turning every head—students and professors alike—toward the entrance.