Chapter 27
Even after Adrian left, Jaelin lay blankly for a long while.
She truly hadn’t known he had a peanut allergy. At the orphanage, she hadn’t had much chance to encounter a wide variety of foods.
All they had was dry bread, watery soup, and a few vegetables.
“That peanut bread was really delicious though.”
It had been her first time trying it today, and the thought that she might never eat it again made her feel regretful.
As she was lost in thought, lying idly, Jaelin’s bracelet blinked.
“Stefan?”
He must have been very worried when she suddenly collapsed.
Jaelin opened the community window.
But the name flashing in her private chat alert wasn’t Stefan’s. It was a name she had never expected to see there.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. Pressing her trembling hand down, she opened the private chat window.
[Lionel] Hi.
[Lionel] Are you still at the Academy? If you have time, could you come to the spot where we met in the library before?
[Lionel] I want to return your jacket.
As soon as Jaelin saw the messages, she jumped to her feet, completely forgetting Adrian’s advice, and ran out of the infirmary.
“Hey! You shouldn’t move like that all of a sudden!”
The nurse on duty shouted when she saw Jaelin leaving her bed, but Jaelin didn’t hear a thing.
The place was deep within the Academy library.
Even after Jaelin had caught him resting there once, Lionel continued to visit. He still hadn’t found another proper spot where he could be alone.
And since Jaelin had apparently kept her promise, no other students ever came. There was no need to search elsewhere.
For some reason, the place had grown even more comfortable for Lionel. Sinking into the sofa, the sharp edges of his mind dulled, and he could relax more than usual.
As a result, Lionel visited the spot even more often than before.
Eventually, he even brought his assignments there, working on them while enjoying the sense of calm the space gave him.
He had thought Jaelin might drop by from time to time since she already knew about the place, but she never did.
That day, it really had seemed like she’d come only to search for old reference texts.
“I should return the jacket.”
Lionel looked at the garment draped over the sofa’s armrest. Since he had brought it with him today, he wanted to deal with it now.
After a moment of hesitation, he sent Jaelin a private community message.
There were too many eyes elsewhere. He didn’t want to risk being seen handing her the jacket and having people gossip.
Before long, Jaelin appeared. She looked different than usual, her face flushed red, almost as if she had a fever.
Lionel set down the pen in his hand and asked,
“What’s with your face?”
“Huh? M-my face? What about it?”
“It’s red. Are you sick?”
“Uh, um. Sorry.”
Jaelin touched her face. There was still heat in her skin—the hives hadn’t fully gone down yet.
“I should’ve looked in a mirror before coming out.”
She regretted it, but what was done was done.
“You don’t need to apologize to me. Why is it like that?”
“It’s because of… a peanut allergy.”
Lionel tilted his head slightly.
“Peanut allergy?”
“Yes.”
“I see. If you weren’t feeling well, we could’ve just met another time.”
He gave her a worried look.
“N-no, it’s okay. I’m not sick.”
“Alright, then that’s good. Here’s your jacket.”
He handed her the garment that had been resting on the sofa’s arm.
“Th-thank you.”
At her words of gratitude, Lionel’s lips curved into a gentle smile.
Though he had already returned the jacket, Jaelin lingered, fidgeting awkwardly in front of him.
It wasn’t often she got to be alone with Lionel, so the thought of just turning around and leaving felt unbearably disappointing.
Gathering her courage, she spoke.
“D-do you… study here too?”
She glanced at the books and stationery spread out in front of him.
“Yeah. Sometimes. It’s easier to focus here since no one bothers me.”
“I-I see.”
“And lately, whenever I come here, I feel at ease. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but even staying here for a short while refreshes me.”
At his words, Jaelin’s expression lit up like a sprout soaking up fresh water.
The change was so vivid that Lionel, who had been watching her closely, immediately realized it.
She looked like she couldn’t contain her joy. Suddenly, a memory came to him—he could almost recall her confessing that she liked him.
Rubbing his lips slowly, Lionel gave a languid smile.
“Is your studying going well? Midterms are coming up soon.”
“Y-yes. My major classes are okay, but the general ones are a bit…”
“Really? Then how about you come here sometimes to study with me? If there’s something I can help with, I’ll help.”
It was just idle curiosity. He wondered if those childhood feelings still lingered within her.
It didn’t matter either way. It was something so trivial that even if he ignored it, he wouldn’t look back.
But Lionel had no way of knowing then what kind of consequences this suggestion would bring.
What if he hadn’t said it?
Would they have remained on parallel lines, never touching?
Or was destiny something decreed from above, bound to come true no matter what?
No one could know.
You could never tell what awaited on the road not taken—not until you reached its end.
“Puppy, where are you going?”
Stefan asked when Jaelin hurriedly packed her things the moment class ended.
Lately, Jaelin had been acting very suspicious. As soon as lectures ended, she would vanish somewhere, her face glowing with excitement.
What on earth was going on? Stefan was dying of curiosity. She must have been hiding some kind of honey pot. Otherwise, why would she rush off so quickly?
Folding his arms, Stefan stared at her intently.
Sensing the meaning behind his gaze, Jaelin fidgeted nervously and blurted out excuses he hadn’t asked for.
“M-midterms are coming soon, so I was going to s-study in the library.”
“Is that so?”
“Y-yes.”
“I see. Well then.”
Stefan quietly released the corner of her sleeve he had been holding. He had no desire whatsoever to go to the library with her.
Since when had studying at the library been something to look forward to so eagerly? He couldn’t understand at all. Still, he decided to cheer her on generously.
“Do your best. Fighting!”
He pumped his fist, and Jaelin nodded.
“Y-yeah. Thanks.”
“Go on then. I’ve got lots to do, so I’ll be off.”
With that, Stefan leapt to his feet and bolted out of the lecture hall—worried she might drag him along to study.
The moment he disappeared through the door, Jaelin let out a short sigh of relief.
She too had been on edge, afraid Stefan might insist on coming to the library with her.
It was a selfish thought, she knew, but she was glad he was busy.
The only time she got to be with Lionel was in the library, and she didn’t want to bring anyone else into it.
When Jaelin arrived, she peeked around the bookshelves. Luckily, Lionel wasn’t there yet.
She placed her coat and bag on the sofa and crawled under the table. She needed to recharge the magic circle before Lionel arrived.
The design she had drawn on the floor earlier had effects that lifted the spirit and promoted recovery from fatigue.
The circle’s effects only lasted if it was regularly supplied with mana. So whenever Lionel wasn’t around, she secretly replenished it.
She didn’t want him to discover the magic circle under the sofa.
It was too trivial, too shabby to reveal. She was just happy she had at least this small way to do something for him.
“What are you doing down there?”
The sudden voice above the table made her heart drop. Calm and low—it was undeniably Lionel.
Panicking, Jaelin scrambled up in a hurry, desperate not to be caught.
Thud!
Her head smacked against the underside of the table, the sound echoing loudly in the quiet library.
“You okay?”
Her eyes watered. The pain was sharp enough to leave her speechless, and she could only groan while clutching her head. Then, hearing Lionel approach, she hurriedly pulled herself out from under the table.
“I-I’m fine.”
But his glance toward the space beneath the table made her heart race faster.
Fearing he might see the magic circle, Jaelin quickly stood and blurted,
“L-let’s hurry and s-study!”
Her unusually urgent tone made Lionel tilt his head, puzzled, as he slowly took a seat on the sofa.
“Are you really okay? You hit it pretty hard. Maybe you should go to the infirmary.”
“It just sounded loud. I’m fine.”
Jaelin waved her hands and pulled out books and stationery from her bag. She didn’t want to worry him.
Lionel followed suit, though his expression remained doubtful.
Today, Jaelin was different—restless, hurried, unlike her usual careful and quiet self.
“What on earth was she doing under the table?”
Her flustered movements seemed to hide something. Lionel studied her face carefully, but he couldn’t figure it out.
