Chapter 13.
Part 4. Sharon Is Hopeless
Since that day, Allen entered the magic academy just as I had advised. His skills were excellent, so although it was a bit late, getting admitted wasn’t difficult.
Students at the magic academy were allowed to go out freely, but they were all required to stay in the dormitory. Without a word, Allen packed up and left for the dorms.
It had been ten days since he left. During that time, I hadn’t seen him even once. I had just been accepted into the art school and spent my days commuting to and from the castle.
It wasn’t the art school I had hoped for, but drawing absentmindedly was less painful than anything else.
Five years of doing whatever I wanted—those years had impacted Allen and the people I met in this world far too much. It was hard to shake off the gloom that thought brought.
Everyone here lived in their own world, fully alive, while I was nothing more than a stranger. A being who would disappear in a year.
“Let’s spend this year as quietly as possible, without influencing anyone.”
In that sense, the art school was a perfect place to kill time. It was run mainly by nobles, so the academic schedule was pretty relaxed.
Classes were about the equivalent of 9 credits in college, so I could attend them at a leisurely pace. The remaining time was perfect for drawing alone.
A space where I could focus purely on art without being touched or disturbed was ideal for me. Even back when I was Kim Sohee, I loved drawing.
I decided to think of this as a vacation—one year where I didn’t have to worry about money and could draw as much as I wanted.
Of course, despite my determination, the students here were quite interested in my family and often tried to strike up conversations. Each time, I responded politely like Roni would—but kept a firm boundary.
Eventually, people lost interest in me and formed their own groups.
Honestly, I too wanted to enjoy my time at school like a college student again. But the thought of whether I even deserved that made me stiff and distant.
After that day, Guinness never came back. He had said we’d meet again as characters, but he made no effort to come see me.
He was an irresponsible wizard. I didn’t like his attitude of not valuing other people’s lives much.
And yet, I couldn’t help but be bothered by the loneliness he seemed to carry. His detached, outsider existence felt similar to my own.
“What could have led him to do something like that?”
I leaned against the big tree in the courtyard and quietly closed my eyes. Sunlight filtered through the branches, dancing over my face.
“Is the portrait you submitted in class today… perhaps of your fiancé?”
It was her again. I opened my eyes to see the young lady who had once again approached me with friendly chatter.
Lately, Sharon from the Bernique family kept approaching me. Her unprovoked kindness made me uncomfortable—I didn’t know how to handle it.
To make matters worse, she was the younger sister of Iyan Bernique and heir to the other dukedom alongside the Sharligan family.
Of all people, she had to be the female lead’s brother’s sister. I wanted nothing to do with the main characters.
Of course, Sharon herself was a genuinely good person. Even though I barely reacted, she always came over to talk.
But that aside, she was someone I shouldn’t get involved with, so I tried to maintain a proper distance. Other noble girls took the hint and backed off, but Sharon was painfully oblivious.
“He was quite handsome—silver hair and violet eyes. He seems to match you well. Hehe.”
When I didn’t react, she beamed and continued talking. She must have been referring to the portrait I recently submitted.
I didn’t mean to draw Allen, but whenever I let my mind wander, I found myself sketching him again.
There was no reason to see him anymore, so why did he keep coming to mind?
Lately, I wasn’t even sure if my feelings for Allen were just those of a fan. Perhaps I had grown attached somehow.
How should I even behave now?
“You really don’t talk much, do you? Is it because I’m from the Bernique family that you’re avoiding me?”
Seeing that I was just staring without replying, Sharon put a little more force into her voice.
From her point of view, she probably thought I was avoiding her because she was from a ducal house.
Sharligan and Bernique were the only two duchies in the Ron Empire. While Sharligan represented magic, Bernique stood for swordsmanship.
The two families had long served the empire with their distinct powers. They had neither close ties nor particular disputes.
Well, a long time ago, Sharligan and Bernique had once clashed over differing opinions, causing major unrest in the empire. Thankfully, with the imperial palace’s mediation, they swore never to fight again—and that vow still held.
In truth, regardless of any promises, neither family had the luxury to keep fighting over ancestral grudges.
Among nobles, there were always rumors because our families had no interaction and lived completely separate lives. But honestly, we just never had an opportunity to become close.
To be exact, what made me uncomfortable wasn’t that Sharon was from Bernique—it was that she was Iyan’s sister.
Feeling it was rude to remain silent in front of her, I gave a slightly awkward smile and replied.
“I was just thinking about how to respond. It’s not because you’re from a ducal family, my lady.”
Sharon nodded as if she understood. But what she said next wasn’t quite what I meant.
“Oh my. I thought you just loved painting, but it seems you needed someone to talk to too.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Well, when you’re not used to talking, it’s hard to know how to respond to others, isn’t it? Hehe.”
“That’s not really what I meant…”
I was about to say I just preferred being alone, but I had to swallow my words when Sharon suddenly handed me an envelope and beamed.
“I thought so, so I prepared an invitation. You might come off as cold if you don’t talk—people might misunderstand and think you dislike them.”
That misunderstanding probably came from Sharon herself. But this unexpected invitation was even more puzzling.
“An invitation?”
“Yes! It’s my birthday soon, and I’ve invited my friends and my brother’s friends. I hope you’ll come too. And of course, rejection is not an option. If you don’t come, I’ll take it as an insult to House Bernique.”
Sharon winked playfully as she pressed the invitation into my hand. She had clearly misunderstood me on many levels.
“Excuse me, but you’ve got the wrong idea.”
Maybe she knew I would say no—because she bolted before I could answer. She looked almost desperate as she ran off.
“Lady… Why are you so interested in me? You’re starting to scare me a little.”
I stared after her for a long while, then opened the envelope in my hand and took out the invitation.
The party was tonight.
I stared at it blankly for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped my lips. So this was why she’d been hovering around me lately.
She must have been desperate to hand me the invitation before it was too late.
How adorable.
I couldn’t help but surrender to her cuteness. In the end, I got up to prepare for the party.
