Shadow Queen

“You don’t see me.”

“Oh, my. How could I not have seen Your Majesty? I just saw you in my undergraduate lecture, so I just omitted it because I didn’t know how to say hello.”

“Nonsense. It’s a matter for you to judge.”

As usual, he had no expression on his face, but the way Sian was standing felt strange. Ren, who was exchanging a tense look, smiled and gave up.

“You’re particularly rough today. I’ve done enough disrespect. I managed to find the person next to you, and I was so happy that I couldn’t see anything.”

“Do you know each other?”

When Sian turned his head and asked, Elena replied hesitantly.

“We don’t know each other.”

“It sounds like you’re not even close.”

Ren’s eyebrows wiggled. Sian’s arbitrary defining of his relationship with Elena was annoying.

“If you say so with the party present, it’s disappointing.”

“What’s the matter with her?”

“It’s extremely personal. She owes me some money.”

“Debt?”

Sian’s gaze reached Elena again. It was a glance asking what the debt was, but if there was anything to be noted it was the school uniform he lent to her saying that she shouldn’t get wet.

‘Owing you money?’

If that was correct, it would be ridiculous for Elena. What kind of favor was the outer garment that he gave her, saying not to get wet after putting her feet in the rain and making her wet. There was no such force. Sian looked at Elena’s expression and answered instead.

“I don’t think so.”

“…!”

Elena stared at Sian in surprise. The way he treated Ren as if he were defending her was too lowly and quaint.

“Oh, this is the world. There’s someone who owes me, but there’s no one to pay me back.”

Ren made a sarcastic remark without the subject. Even if the authority of the emperor was not the same as before, Sian was the crown prince to succeed the throne. It was possible for Ren to be so sarcastic to such Sian because he was a crazy man who didn’t think about the future.

“Get back.”

“Oh, I don’t want this. Your Highness, I’m telling you, there’s still a settlement between the lady and me.”

“I’m telling you twice. Get back.”

Sian warned Ren with his unique insensitive look. The third one he was not going to stay still.

‘Why are you doing this? What do I say?’

Considering it, this was the relationship between Elena and Ren. Sian, a third party, did not have to intervene. However, even though she was thankful for him, he was hostile to Ren, and she did not understand.

“Yes, yes. Your Highness wants me to step down.”

It was Ren who lowered his tail first in the tense fight. No matter how hard he went out, he wasn’t thoughtless enough to run against the crown prince.

“By the way, Your Highness. That’s not a good choice.”

“Are you trying to lecture me?”

“No way. However, since Your Highness keeps trying to protect her… I’ll want to harass her more.”

Elena thought that was no better than a death sentence. Lucia’s position, which still had a lot to do, was put on hold.

“What if I don’t allow it?”

“As you do your best, I have to do my best.”

Ren grinned at Elena. The smile was ferocious like a beast aiming for prey.

“Freshman, see you again. Not the three, just the two of us.”

Elena’s eyes frowned as she saw Ren moving away. Until before, it was considered the best practice to behave as unobtrusive as possible and to go quietly. If she stepped on the shit and struggled a little, there would be a problem with working as Lucia.

But now they were so estranged that she couldn’t fix it. It was after crossing an irreversible river to turn it around. Elena had no intention of being low-key anymore. As much as he was in the academy, Ren had to follow the rules. She had no choice but to go all the way to what has become like this.

“Are you alright?”

She was now anxious when Sian asked about her safety. What bothered her more than Ren now was Sian. She didn’t know why he was helping her so much.

‘Cause you’re worried about me? But Your Majesty is not that kind of man.’

Sian was not an easy person to express his feelings. As the crown prince succeeded the throne, he had to live with a great sense of duty and responsibility. That’s why he was always forced to kill his emotions and live cold and rational. So she might have been more heartbroken by his contemptuous eyes.

“Thank you for your help.”

What’s clear was that Elena owed him for today.

“You look comfortable now.”

“… Did it show a lot? He’s actually a bit of a senior.”

Elena smiled awkwardly. It was a very strange thing. Earlier, they shared tea in a friendly way, and now they were talking to each other like he was a friend of hers.

“You are very strange.”

“Am I?”

Sian suddenly changed the topic and stared at Elena. It was burdensome for him to look at her, it felt as if she was going to be pierced because it was so blatant.

“Fainting at the first meeting.”

“That’s…”

“You cried in the studio.”

“…”

“You were being bullied today.”

Elena bowed with embarrassment. It wasn’t at a strange level, but when she heard it so clearly, she thought it was nothing but a disgrace.

‘I can’t blame anyone. I would think it’s weird, too.’

As if he knew Elena’s inner thoughts, which she wanted to hide in the hole, Sian kept his eyes on Elena and continued calmly.

“So if I’m worried, am I strange?”

“…!”

Elena’s heart sank.

Sect 8. Less

“Have you never taken any undergraduate classes?”

Ren visited the humanities department building with a lecture on archaeology. As soon as the lecture was over, several archaeological students came out and were questioned.

“I only saw her name on the role book.”

“I’ve never seen her.”

“I haven’t seen her since the start of school, and she isn’t even called for attendance these days.”

The students all said they had never seen Lucia.

“Are you telling me the truth?”

“O-of course. Why would we lie?”

The students, intimidated by Ren’s fierce eyes, protested. No matter how hard he looked at them, he didn’t think they were lying and glanced at them.

“What’s up with her?”

It was not difficult to stop by the academy and find out which department a girl named Lucia was attending. Until then, he thought they would meet soon.

But what’s this? Even though he visited the lecture room of the archaeological department, he could not meet Lucia. No, rather than meeting her, questions had piled up to the point where he wondered if he could meet her.

“C-can we go?”

When Ren, who was lost in thought, was silent, male students from the archaeological department looked at him and asked.

“You have to go. Sure. Go.”

When Ren gave a test to wave his hand, the boys bowed politely and ran away.

“It’d be better to go to the dorm, wouldn’t it?”

All students attending the academy were in the dormitory as a rule. Very, very rarely, because of health or family reasons, sometimes they go outside the school, but it was literally extremely rare.

Ren passed the central plaza and headed to the northeast side of the women’s dormitory. It was a familiar place as it was located near the field where the Swordsman School lecture was held. However, today was the first time he ever entered the place where women’s dormitories were concentrated.

“L-look over there! Isn’t that Ren?”

“Why is he here? I’m nervous. Who else is he trying to pick on?”

“Oh, I’m about to fall in love… With that freedom.”

“You’re really crazy.”

Female students who were traveling to and from the dormitory were surprised and muttered at Ren’s appearance. Ren, who teases both men and women persistently once they get on his nerves, was also shunned by female students. Of course, there were only a few girls who liked Ren because they were attracted to bad men.

“I’m sorry, but access is prohibited from here. Please go back.”

Knights stationed for security blocked Ren’s way. The entrance of male students was strictly controlled as the girls’ dormitory buildings were concentrated based on the gate they guarded. Ren also pointed out a girl who was just entering the dormitory, as if she had no intention of entering.

“Hey, you.”

“M-me?”

“Yeah, you. Come here.”

When Ren gestured, the girl approached with a tearful face.

“Why, why?”

She seemed to be in danger of crying when he touched her, perhaps thinking she had been put on Ren’s list.

“I have something to do in the dormitory. But I can’t go in. I’m angry.”

Ren jabbed at the knights in front of her face. The faces of the knights hardened, but they ignored him as if they didn’t want to be swayed by useless disputes.

“So, you need to find someone for me. Of course, you can’t refuse.”

“W-who?”

“Lucia. She’s a freshman in the archaeology department this year.”

The girl mumbled and remembered the identity of Ren.

“I-I’ll find her and let you know.”

“No, if you do, bring her out. If she doesn’t come out, tell her I’ll go in. I’m not very patient.”

When Ren grinned, the girl shuddered and ran into the dormitory. Soon after, the girl came out with a harsh breath.

“S-she’s not here.”

Ren’s eyebrows wiggled.

“She’s not?”

“Roommate said she’d never seen her. I heard she came here a few days before the eve and unpacked her luggage… That’s all. She hasn’t come in since.”

“Really?”