Chapter 41
Three days had passed since the election began.
But Liet still hadn’t come up with anything that could be connected to the “Old Sun.”
“I thought I’d figure it out right away.”
Before the election started, she had been full of confidence. She never imagined she would be stuck in the same place three days later.
What about the others?
“I’ve been thinking again, and I don’t think it’s an object. It must be talking about a person.”
“Yeah, I think so too. If it were an object, it’d be too easy to fetch, and way too obvious.”
The situation wasn’t much different for anyone else, but most of them suspected that the “Old Sun” referred to a person, not an item.
“If it’s a person, then who?”
“Isn’t it the headmaster himself? He’s like the sun of the school.”
“Well, he is quite old.”
“Then how do we bring the headmaster? Since it’s first come, first served, whoever escorts him to the answer spot first wins, right?”
Liet, who had been quietly listening, soon shook her head.
‘It’s not the headmaster.’
Anyone who heard the riddle would naturally think of him first. After all, “Old Sun = the one who has been the head of the school for the longest time” was the easiest association.
If the answer really were the headmaster, then, as the students said, it would simply be a matter of who could escort him to the designated place first.
But there was a fatal problem with that.
Since you couldn’t force him to come, you’d have to persuade him nicely. Which meant, in the end, that winning depended on being in the headmaster’s good graces.
‘That would completely defeat the purpose of this election format.’
The whole point was to ensure everyone had an equal chance, solving the riddle fairly to decide the student council president. If it all boiled down to currying favor with the headmaster, then the purpose would be meaningless.
“What do you think?”
Lucas pulled out a chair next to Liet and sat down, asking the question.
Seeing him sit there suddenly made Liet drift into another thought. She realized, somewhat belatedly, that Lucas was just as tall as Evan. Looking around, it was clear he was taller than most of the other boys.
To be honest, she had expected Evan to be tall—that was the male lead buff, plus the novel described him that way.
But Lucas… With his pretty face and kind personality, he often felt more like a female friend. Seeing him grown so tall was strangely unfamiliar and awkward.
“I didn’t think you’d grow taller.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Lucas tilted his head, not understanding her muttered comment. His silky platinum hair slid down the side of his tilted face.
Liet, watching quietly, murmured:
“You’re a good guy.”
A good-looking one, too.
“Thanks for the compliment, but could you answer what I actually asked?”
Lucas smiled faintly, nudging her back on track.
“Oh, right. What was it again?”
“What those kids were saying earlier. What do you think about it?”
“That the headmaster is the Old Sun?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… it’s not wrong in meaning. But it’s not the actual answer.”
“So you think it isn’t the answer too.”
Liet slowly nodded. With Lucas, at least, it was safe to share this much.
“And why do you think so?”
“Because it would defeat the purpose of the election.”
Once she explained, Lucas quickly agreed. Then Liet asked in return:
“You feel the same way, don’t you? Why do you think it isn’t him?”
“Because of the headmaster’s personality. He’d never call himself the ‘Sun.’ He’s modest, down-to-earth.”
It was a sharp observation.
From what Liet had experienced, Lucas was quick at reading people and very considerate. That was why he could be such a universally popular person. By quickly understanding others’ personalities, he easily won their favor. It was one of his greatest strengths.
But today, something about him felt different.
‘For some reason, he looks unusually tense… Or is it just my imagination?’
Even now, though it might not be obvious at a glance, Liet—who had spent plenty of time near him—could see it. His usually soft eyes looked stiff, drawn tight.
“Lucas, is something wrong?”
“Hm?”
“You haven’t looked well lately.”
At that, Lucas let go of the stiff expression.
“No, nothing at all.”
Liet could tell he was forcing it, but she didn’t press further. If he didn’t want to say, there had to be a reason.
“Anyway… have you found a partner, Liet?”
The question reminded her of a problem she’d been agonizing over. Not just her—everyone had the same dilemma. Only one person would become student council president, yet the format required a pair.
The ideal partner would be someone who worked hard with you to solve the riddle, but then gave up the presidency to you in the end. But would anyone really do that?
That’s why finding a partner had become a separate challenge, alongside solving the Old Sun mystery.
“If you haven’t found one, be my partner.”
Déjà vu. Liet suddenly remembered where she had seen this scene before.
“At the dance party you ditched me, so now you can give me a chance.”
Ah, right. The dance party.
“When did I ever ditch you?”
“You did! You swore you wouldn’t partner with either me or Evan, and in the end you went with Evan.”
“Well, that was because—”
Because she lost a bet!
She considered explaining, but didn’t want to admit it, especially since the bet had been with Evan.
“Anyway, so this time, be my partner.”
His golden eyes looked desperate as they fixed on her. Liet hesitated. Samuel flashed across her mind, but he hadn’t even entered the election, so he wasn’t eligible.
In that case…
‘Better someone I know well than a complete stranger.’
Still, one thing held her back.
“If we find the Old Sun together, then what?”
For important matters, it was often said not to team up with family or close friends—you might fail to stay objective, or waver when you should be cold. That was what made her hesitate.
“Then we give the presidency to whoever contributed more to solving it.”
“And if we contributed equally?”
Contribution was hardly an objective measure. Everyone thought they’d done more. They might even truly solve it together, equally.
“In that case, I’ll yield.”
Her eyes widened.
“…Why?”
“Because I’m the one asking. I have to run, but if one of us has to give up, it should be the one who needs it more.”
Lucas smiled as usual, but his smile carried a strange weakness.
“So, what do you think, Liet? You won’t find a partner with better terms than this.”
He was right. Smart, reliable, and even willing to give up in the end. An ideal partner. Yet Liet still couldn’t bring herself to say yes.
Why hesitate at such good terms? She wasn’t sure. Maybe Evan’s words were still stuck in her head.
“Then who’s the culprit?”
“Probably the one who benefits the most if your rank drops.”
‘Lucas Holton, Henry Reris, Samuel Plum. If Henry’s out, that leaves only two.’
Hiding her confusion, Liet finally said:
“I’ll think about it some more.”
“Alright.”
Lucas answered lightly, as if it didn’t matter if she didn’t decide right away.
Even long after school hours, Liet was still in the library, scouring more books for clues.
She searched every book that might mention the sun, but none seemed connected to the “Old Sun.”
“Oh, it’s gotten so late already.”
She glanced at the sky, already dusky. Autumn had made the days noticeably shorter.
Through the window, she saw the clock tower.
‘What? Only six o’clock?’
It felt like well past seven.
But remembering she’d been fooled by the clock tower before, she calmly pulled out her pocket watch.
‘See? It’s half past seven.’
Sure enough, the hands pointed elsewhere. Clicking her tongue at the tower nobody bothered to fix, she muttered:
“Guess I should head back now.”
Stretching, she left the library and climbed into the carriage waiting outside. Hoping to clear her mind, she gazed at the scenery outside the window.
And then—
‘Huh… that person?’
She spotted someone familiar on the street.
A strikingly beautiful woman with long black hair streaming behind her as she walked. Liet was sure she’d seen her before.
Where was it…? Then she remembered.
‘She’s Lucas’s cousin! His dance party partner!’
She had left quite the haughty impression.
Watching the woman’s retreating back, Liet made a quick decision and called to the coachman:
“Please stop here for a moment!”
Something about Lucas’s unease had been bothering her. Maybe his family was having trouble? He had said it was nothing, but what if something really was wrong? If she asked his cousin casually, maybe she could find out what was going on.
Climbing down from the carriage, Liet hurried after the cousin, catching up just enough to gently tap her shoulder.
“Hello, I’m Liet from the Duke of Meren’s household—”
But she didn’t finish her introduction.
Whoosh!
Lucas’s cousin spun around and immediately threw a punch.
