The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy – Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Club Activities (1)

I’d never fully understood the saying “feeling a chill on your side.”

In my previous life, I’d never had anyone sleep beside me, and in this life as Hoyeon, I’d never spent a moment without someone nearby.

If you’re thinking, What about during the army or school trips? Didn’t you sleep alongside others then?—no, that didn’t count.

Actually, those were worse than sleeping alone.

The light snorers were manageable, but then there were the blanket thieves, the restless mutterers, and the self-proclaimed storytellers who couldn’t shut up, no matter how absurd their tales. 

Worst of all were the ones who ate noisily at night without any regard for others trying to sleep.

…But I digress. Let’s get back to the point.

Now, I think I understood the saying.

The early morning air, which should have felt crisp and refreshing, carried a damp, unpleasant chill. The warmth of my blanket, once comforting, felt stifling and oppressive. My side wasn’t physically cold, but there was a lingering sense of emptiness that refused to go away.

My tail, too thin to embrace properly, only emphasized the loneliness of having no one beside me. Not to mention the fur sticking uncomfortably to my skin.

Looking out the window, the sky was the pale blue of dawn. It was too late to go back to sleep but too early to start the day.

What should I do? My gaze fell on the open journal on my desk. It felt foolish, almost pathetic, to cling to hope, but I flipped on the light anyway, wondering if anything had changed.

And there, in my mother’s unmistakable handwriting, were new words.

I was stunned that it worked even here. A wave of emotion hit me, my nose tingling slightly.

It shouldn’t have been this moving—this was a routine thing. Yet the sense of relief it brought was overwhelming.

***

“I was late responding because I’ve been managing state affairs in your father’s stead while he’s on the battlefield. I’m sorry if you were waiting.”

No, Mother, there’s nothing for you to apologize for. I’m just grateful you even responded.

“I saw everything you wrote. For now, I’ll keep this from your father. You know how he is about anything involving you—if I told him, he’d march the entire army straight to where you are.”

As guilty as I felt about keeping this from Father, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. That was exactly the kind of thing he would do.

The worried expression he’d worn when I told him I wanted to attend the academy flashed in my mind, making me chuckle.

If he ever met Dogeon, he’d probably demand to know why some “mangy stray bone” was daring to lay a hand on his daughter, all while unsheathing his sword.

“That aside, I’m reassured. I still vividly remember you proclaiming that no man would ever be allowed near you except for your father and the head of the guards. It seems you’re not as disinterested as you claimed. This Dogeon boy… I’ll respect your choice, but do not cross the line. I’m not ready to be a grandmother just yet.”

That… I can’t exactly say it’s because Dogeon’s the protagonist. And despite writing in my journal that there was nothing between us, Mother clearly thought otherwise.

Already imagining grandchildren? I felt dizzy at the thought, unsure of where to even start explaining. Truly, there was nothing between us.

I mean, sharing bread with a hungry person or asking for directions when you’re lost doesn’t mean anything!

…Okay, going into his room to wake him and then sharing a meal might seem questionable. But friends do that, don’t they?

Wait, are we even friends?

“…Ugh.”

I scribbled down that there was nothing between us. At least I could be certain about that. 

I didn’t even think of him as a man; I just wanted to maintain a cordial relationship with him and observe from nearby.

After all, my reason for coming to the academy was to see what he would do and how he’d interact with the heroines.

Dogeon and I are just friends.

Even though I knew Mother wouldn’t change her mind, writing it felt like reassuring myself.

We’re just friends.

…Whatever he thought was a different story.

“As for your social life, take your time. As a transfer student on your first day, it’s natural for others to feel awkward around you. Trying too hard to get close to them might only push them away. Focus on blending in naturally.”

Taking my time? If I did that, I’d end up with no friends by the end of the term. How was I supposed to “take it slow”?

This advice from Mother made no sense to me.

And besides, most of these kids had probably been close-knit since they were little. How was I supposed to naturally fit into such tightly bonded groups?

Should I invite them for tea like Stefania did? But that didn’t seem like the right approach.

Maybe Mother wanted me to figure it out on my own.

I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed, but I reminded myself to be grateful she’d responded at all.

“As for Magi, I can’t offer you a direct solution right now. However, if you’re feeling particularly stifled, take a little from the locker of the boy in the room next to yours. It won’t be a permanent fix, but it should help ease the discomfort.”

How did she even know about that? And isn’t that… stealing? Plus, don’t lockers usually have locks or something?

Still, if Mother said so, I decided not to doubt her. Questioning the words of a goddess would be blasphemous, after all.

After closing the journal, I resolved to do as Mother suggested. I felt a bit guilty about rummaging through Dogeon’s locker, but I rationalized it as payment for the bread I gave him.

Of course, trading bread for his belongings seemed like a shamelessly one-sided deal.

If the item looked too valuable, I’d leave it alone. But since Mother mentioned taking just a small amount, it was probably something insignificant, like bread or clay.

I threw on some pajamas—it was too chilly to go out in just my underwear, and I didn’t have the taste for that anyway—and made my way to the lockers.

Worry crept in about alarms or magical safeguards, but it turned out to be needless. The locker opened silently, revealing a soft glow of pure Magi.

The air immediately felt clearer, making it easier to breathe. Still, this was theft, so I resolved to take only a small amount.

But how was I supposed to “take” something like this? The Magi resembled a green bowling ball, smooth and unyielding.

“…Have faith and do not doubt,” I muttered to myself.

Closing my eyes, I reached out to the green sphere. I didn’t overthink it, trusting in Mother’s words.

Surprisingly, my hand sank into the ball as if it were soft clay. When I opened my eyes, a small green marble sat in my palm. The bowling ball seemed slightly smaller now.

While its energy was a fraction of the original, it was enough to make breathing significantly easier.

I had no idea how Dogeon had acquired such a thing—or how Mother knew about it—but it seemed best not to dwell on it.

Hurrying back to my room, I closed the locker and returned to my bed, hoping I hadn’t been seen. If there were magical surveillance or something, wouldn’t this be grounds for punishment?

Even though I trusted Mother, stealing still left a sour taste in my mouth. What’s done is done, though, and dwelling on it wouldn’t help.

The Magi marble felt strange. It wasn’t nauseating like before, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable either. It was like enduring a humid summer with a single old fan. Better than nothing, but it made you yearn for air conditioning.

I decided to sleep.

Though I hadn’t planned on it, raiding Dogeon’s locker had left me drained.

I was confident nothing would go wrong, but I couldn’t shake the lingering fear: what if Dogeon noticed? What if I ruined something important to him?

Burying myself under the covers, I felt the difference immediately. Breathing was much easier now.

I’d sleep—just a little.

***

The next day, just before class began, Hoyeon walked into the classroom.

She seemed to be in a much better mood than yesterday. Though she still looked slightly annoyed, her demeanor had shifted from “talk to me and I’ll kill you” to “don’t talk to me.”

When I tried to greet her, she blatantly ignored me.

I racked my brain for a reason but couldn’t come up with anything, so I decided to leave her alone.

After all, today was more important than her mood.

Today, we’d be deciding on something central to academy life.

Clubs.

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