NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32
As soon as the private meeting with the Duke of Agail ended, it had turned into a pitch-black night.
In the end, I had squandered my golden weekend on the affairs of two villainous young ladies.
And one of them was still ongoing, expected to continue until tomorrow.
I might even have to stay here until the day after tomorrow.
Haa…!
My head was spinning.
It was probably because I had heard stories unknown in the original.
I had expected there would be behind-the-scenes details unknown in the world revolving around Nina, but the content was absurd.
It seemed there might be a way to resolve it nicely, but I hesitated to suggest it.
If things went awry, the situation could worsen.
Above all, the best solution was for the parties involved to communicate and resolve it on their own.
However, if that were possible, the original Rynelle wouldn’t have broken, and the Agail family wouldn’t have fallen.
Somehow, it felt like the more new information I received, the more the problems piled up like mountains.
“Professor Daniel.”
“Still awake, huh?”
As I turned the corner while walking down the hallway, Rynelle greeted me, leaning against the wall.
In contrast to her usual form-fitting clothes considering her style, she was in baggy pajamas.
Now she looked like a girl more suitable for her age.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Well, people can smile and walk around, right? And they say that smiling brings good luck, don’t they? Since my luck has already run out just by meeting you, I have to smile.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“It’s supposed to be the time for lights out in the dorm. But here I am, stuck with the responsibility of this problem child wandering outside. Do you think that’s good luck?”
If I were a dorm supervisor, I would have given Rynelle demerits and assigned her internal volunteer work.
But since this wasn’t an academy and I wasn’t a dorm supervisor, I was trying to be as flexible as possible.
If I were a strict professor like Professor Pernelson, I would’ve put her to sleep with sleep magic or a potion.
“You’re always the same, Professor. Shouldn’t you at least offer a word of comfort to someone grieving the loss of her mother?”
“Well, I’m the kind of tough man who believes in raising his students strong.”
“Not ‘tough guy’?”
“Act like a tough guy, will you?”
Ku ku ku!
Rynelle didn’t laugh out loud like usual.
It might have been because it was late at night, but it felt restrained.
Still, it was a relief that she was enjoying our conversation as usual.
I was taken aback when I saw Rynelle’s face turn cold as soon as we entered the mansion.
She looked like someone whose emotions had been carved out and exiled, feeling completely different.
“Just go in and sleep.”
“Are you sure? You don’t even know where your room is, Professor?”
“I can just grab one of the staff and ask.”
“I don’t know… I told everyone to rest for the night. Do you think you can really find your way?”
Somehow, even the butler, who should have been waiting outside to guide us, had vanished unexpectedly.
It must have been Rynelle who told him to step away.
The reason Rynelle did that was probably because she intended to guide me herself.
In a mansion of this size, finding the guest room wouldn’t be easy.
To get to the room before the night ended, I had no choice but to follow Rynelle.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes!”
A lively smile appeared on Rynelle’s lips.
She started to hum a tune as she moved around the mansion.
I guess she intended to show me around as she went on about various places.
“This is my favorite garden full of pansies. I come here whenever I have free time.”
“You like pansies?”
“Most girls like roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers, and so on. But I uniquely like pansies. I don’t know why; they just catch my eye more than other flowers.”
The language of pansies is ‘Please think of me.’
It was a flower that perfectly matched Rynelle’s situation and fate.
Having yearned for attention since childhood, she’d probably wished that anyone would notice her efforts.
Perhaps that longing drew her to pansies.
“I wish I could show you properly, but it’s late.”
“You can show me when the sun rises tomorrow.”
“I might be too busy with the funeral preparations to have the time.”
“Then I’ll just go see it myself.”
“… That would probably be fine.”
Rynelle’s voice slightly dropped.
Could it be that she felt a little sad?
There shouldn’t have been any disappointment for not seeing the garden she frequented, so maybe she wanted to come with me.
Of course, I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t ask directly.
If I did and was rejected, it would be embarrassing for me.
“You saw the lobby the first time you came, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll skip it.”
A grand central staircase with ascending stairs on both sides.
She said there were multifunctional rooms like a library, dining area, lounge, and reception room beneath that staircase.
On the left of the second floor where we came out, there was the space used by the Duke and Duchess of Agail.
On the right side of the second floor was Rynelle’s bedroom, and deepest inside was the guest room.
Considering the number of rooms that weren’t mentioned, it was clear that Rynelle had condensed her explanation.
“Hmm?”
While crossing over to the right corridor on the second floor via the stairs, I discovered scratches on the wall where a huge portrait hung.
Uneven, crooked little scratches, and next to them was Rynelle’s name.
As I stared at the scratches, an ‘Ah…’ escaped Rynelle’s lips, mixed with a sigh.
“Those scratches are from when I was little, checking my height. I put a knife on my head and scratched the wall myself.”
“Don’t parents usually do that?”
“Yeah, right? If they had, how nice would that have been…?”
Rynelle’s nostalgic voice led me to imagine her childhood.
Entering the lobby, the first thing that catches the eye is the portrait. Below it, she etched her height.
She probably wanted to show this to her parents, even knowing she might get scolded.
She wanted them to see just how much she had grown.
But despite that, their reaction had likely been indifferently unchanged.
“Wanna check how tall you are again after a long time?”
“Yeah?”
“Your height. Don’t you want to see how much you’ve grown?”
“No, not really.”
“I’d want to know—how much I’ve grown over the past 10 years. I have no way of knowing since I’ve never recorded it, but you’ve been measuring, right?”
I tapped on the scratches carved into the wall, raising my lips.
Rynelle kept her lips sealed, lowering her head.
After deliberating for a while, she must have made up her mind as she raised her head.
Rynelle’s footsteps didn’t head to the corridor behind her but instead towards the wall.
“Okay! This time I’ll measure for you.”
“Please be careful; every single strand of my hair is precious.”
“I’ll do as you command, my lady.”
Now that Rynelle had grown tall enough to reach the portrait, she slightly slipped past it.
Facing her, I carved scratches at the same height on the wall aligned with her top of head.
“Done. How is it? How does it feel to see the difference from 10 years ago?”
“I don’t feel much. It would’ve been interesting if my height was the same as 10 years ago.”
“That’s no fun.”
“Isn’t a man’s romance contained here rather than in height?”
With a provocative smile, Rynelle licked her lips suggestively.
Grabbing her chest with both hands, she shook it up and down for emphasis.
The contour of her well-defined breasts peeking nicely above her attire.
I intertwined my thumb and index fingers to form a circle.
I placed the circle on her forehead and snapped my fingers against it, hitting firmly.
Aiw!
Thwack!
At the impact against her skull, Rynelle pulled her hands away from her chest and started rubbing her forehead.
She grimaced, her lips twisting into a pout as she complained.
“Why did you hit me?”
“Why can’t you act a bit more matured like the other girls?”
“That’s just all pretenses. Girls have desires too, you know?”
“I know that. But you’re so overtly blatant that I hit you to suggest you be more reserved.”
“You were also grinning back then…”
“Want another hit?”
“I never said anything like that!”
Rynelle squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched her face.
Bending slightly at the waist, she stuck her tongue out and began running away without looking back.
So cute. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Here is the guest room you’ll be using, Professor. Everything you need for your stay is inside; if you need anything, just call for me.”
“… This room is nicer than mine?”
This room was almost equivalent to a five-star hotel’s suite.
I had never been to a five-star hotel, so I couldn’t say for sure, but it certainly didn’t feel any less luxurious.
Wondering if I really could use such a room, Rynelle started giggling joyfully.
“Should I have you camp outside instead?”
“Well, that might be better.”
“Just go in already. It’d be troublesome if rumors spread that a guest from the Agail family slept outside.”
“Okay, okay! I’ll go in myself, so don’t push me!”
It had been impressive from the outside, but entering felt magnificent.
Rynelle informed me that all the furniture was custom-made to fit the Duke’s prestige.
Custom-made furniture in a guest room, not even her own?
Truly the Agail Duchy, even their spending habits were top-tier.
“My mouth won’t close.”
“Are you saying this room is too much for you to handle on your own?”
“Right. What if I accidentally break something out of clumsiness…?”
Could my salary cover it?
While Kia del Academy pays relatively well, compared to the money the Agail Duke makes, it would be a drop in the ocean.
“There’s a way you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“You can share it with me!”
“No way, get out.”
I flatly refused.
What was with this sudden push for sharing a bed?
Assuming she was joking, I shoved Rynelle lightly.
But rather than laughing it off, Rynelle unexpectedly grabbed my arm.
“Can we sleep together just for tonight?”
“Are you seriously asking that?”
“I swear I won’t do anything. Can’t we just make an exception for one night? Please?”
I had intended to stubbornly say no.
But my tongue felt stuck, refusing to comply.
Rynelle, who had been laughing moments before, was biting her bottom lip tightly.
Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she hugged her right arm like it was shivering.
Her gaze was slightly downward, preventing her from looking me in the eye, and her eyes were moistening.
Although she was pretending to be lively, it seemed she found it hard to endure her loneliness by herself.
Sigh…! Just for today.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but you have to promise to lie down in bed as you are! Got it?”
“Yes!”
The Rynelle, who looked like she was about to cry just moments ago, happily skipped onto the bed.
She lifted the blanket with one hand and patted the bed sheets.
“Come on in!”
“Geez…”
It was ridiculous how quickly she could switch from about to cry to radiantly smiling.
What kind of rhythm should I follow?
I turned off the lights and laid down on the bed.
It was a king-size bed, so even with two people, there was more than enough space.
Nevertheless, Rynelle snuggled up tight against me, holding me close.
“I told you to just lie down and sleep!”
“You didn’t say I couldn’t cuddle with you!”
“What if I said it was prohibited right now?”
“Too late for that. If you change the rules now, I’ll just flip it over and pounce on you instead.”
“What a troublesome student.”
“Did you just realize that?”
Rynelle was burying her face into my chest.
Her voice was choked up, revealing she was trying to hold back tears.
If I were her, I would have cried freely to release all my emotions, but it seemed our young lady couldn’t even do that.
“Since I am a troublesome student, can I ask you just one more favor?”
“I’m going to refuse.”
“You can refuse if you want. But if possible, could you pet me until I fall asleep?”
“….”
I didn’t respond with any answer.
I merely took a deep breath and exhaled, gently brushing her hair with my palm.
After doing that dozens of times, Rynelle’s small breaths began to sound.
“You truly are a little nuisance.”
Originally, I had intended to look into the Marchioness’s death late at night.
However, seeing the girl clinging to me, asleep in my arms, I found myself at a loss for how to leave without waking her.
Eventually, I had no choice but to just sleep as well.
Fortunately, Rynelle’s hair felt incredibly soft, making it hard not to drift off.
Though I felt a peculiar gaze from the window in the middle of it all, I forced myself to ignore it and closed my eyes.
If you wanted something, you should’ve been good from the beginning.