Ru?mi

Ru?mi

In the novel “Yeoju Gurupnida,” the character Sien appeared as a noble and upright knight, serving as a role model.

However, the Sien cleaning in front of me seemed closer to a devoted housewife who excels at supporting her husband rather than a knight.

Perhaps because the knowledge ingrained in my mind and what I was currently seeing were quite misaligned.

I couldn’t help but close my eyes tightly, feeling a considerable sense of dissonance.

‘It’s not that this is bad… but it still feels strange.’

I stared blankly at Sien, who was tying her hair into a ponytail with a headband in her mouth.

I tried to regain my focus and fixed my gaze on the desk.

‘Get it together. Now is not the time to be distracted by Sien, but to concentrate on creating magic.’

So, I decided to pretend not to notice even if something strange happened and continue with my research as I picked up the quill pen.

Sien, who had been watching nearby, carefully approached and whispered to me.

“If you need any materials, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve memorized roughly what’s available while picking up the documents, so I can find them for you right away.”

“… Is that so?”

“Yes. So please feel free to ask anytime.”

To have memorized the contents of all the documents she picked up in such a short time.

I continued my magic research, thinking that even if Sien had become a magician instead of a knight, she might have achieved greatness.

*

About three hours passed after that.

As I was absorbed in my magic research, I didn’t realize how much time had passed. Slowly turning my gaze,

I noticed Sien dozing off in the corner, trying not to disturb me.

‘She must be very sleepy from dealing with her usual grueling schedule.’

As if enduring the knight’s characteristic brutal training wasn’t enough.

The student council president, who is said to handle most of the affairs at the Academy, is also in charge of this role.

It must be difficult for them to get enough sleep or have personal rest time usually.

‘It’s quite pitiful in many ways.’

Thinking that they are the type to push themselves too hard due to their excessive uprightness.

I slowly approached Sien and carefully covered them with the neatly arranged outer garment, making sure not to wake them up.

‘I’d like to lay them on the bed if I could.’

But that might be going too far, so it’s better to stop at this point.

I watched Sien sleeping for a while, then quietly moved to continue my magic research.

*

As the late evening came, Sien woke up and hurriedly got up, offering me an apology.

“L-Lord Deren. I’m sorry… I never dreamed I would fall asleep.”

I waved my hand to indicate it was fine and said.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“… I’m sorry.”

Why are they apologizing so much when I said it was okay?

I briefly considered trying to calm Sien down.

But realizing that such behavior wouldn’t match Deren’s character at all, I shook my head and tried to endure it.

‘Let’s just focus on the research.’

That would be more like Deren.

As I was thinking this and resuming my research.

Sien, who had gotten up, looked at me hesitantly, then carefully approached me and spoke.

“… I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving for today.”

“Good work.”

“Yes. Lord Deren, you’ve worked hard as well.”

Sien seemed quite reluctant to leave my research lab, looking around with a dejected expression like an abandoned puppy.

Eventually, she gathered herself, bid me farewell, and left.

‘It was quiet to begin with, but with Sien gone, it feels eerily more silent.’

I looked around the research lab where only stillness was spreading.

Forcing myself to focus, I immersed myself in research once again.

* * * * *

As soon as Sien stepped outside, her face turned red, and she rubbed her cheeks hard with the back of her pale hand.

‘I showed an embarrassing side of myself to Lord Deren.’

… If possible, she had wanted to show only her pretty and good side.

Thinking that she had shown such an unsightly appearance, she closed her eyes tightly in embarrassment.

While she was heading back to her home, almost as if running away, thinking it was unbearably embarrassing.

Suddenly, her eyes fell on Deren’s outer garment in her arms.

‘… Huh?’

Because she had just woken up and was still disoriented.

She had thought the clothes she was holding were naturally her own.

But when she came to her senses, she realized it wasn’t her clothes, but Deren’s.

The moment she realized this, she was flustered and wanted to return it immediately.

However, a strange desire arose, making her want to keep it, and she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

Deren’s unique sharp yet dry cypress scent spreads around, carried by his clothes.

I close my eyes for a moment, taking in that fragrance.

Then, slowly burying my face in the clothes, I just stand still for a long time.

‘… I don’t understand myself well either.’

Thinking that I really can’t understand why I’m acting this way.

Rubbing my flushed face with the back of my hand, I head home, clutching Deren’s clothes tightly as if running away.

* * * * *

The next morning.

As if the all-nighter was worth it, I smile contentedly as I look at the new creation magic that has now taken shape.

‘Although there’s still a lot to refine here and there before it’s complete.’

The structure itself is neatly formed, so there shouldn’t be any major issues even if used in actual combat right away.

As I’m smiling while looking at the newly created area-of-effect attack magic.

I hear a maid outside the room gently knocking on the door, informing me that it’s time to go to school.

‘… I’m tired.’

As much as I’d like to just sprawl out and sleep, I’d better not if I want to maintain my top position.

As I’m stretching and about to prepare for school, I suddenly realize that the clothes I covered Sien with have disappeared.

Noticing this, I smirk, feeling that Sien must have been quite flustered.

Suddenly, a cute rabbit-shaped origami neatly folded in one corner catches my eye.

‘Did Sien make this and leave it here?’

Thinking that it’s quite a cute gesture despite her usual behavior.

I carefully pick it up and place it on top of the bookshelf before leaving the room.

*

So, I went to school with somewhat sleepy eyes, and the first one to greet me was Delia.

“You’re here?”

Delia looked at me with a grin.

Then, she took out a magic book and said to me.

“I’ve finished gathering the information about the Heaven God Cult that you asked for.”

Already?

I made a somewhat suspicious expression at the words that the information gathering, which I thought would take at least a week, was completed in just one day.

Contrary to my expectations, I was quite surprised to find that the magic book contained very detailed and accurate information.

‘Unlike her usual behavior, she did a pretty good job.’

As I skimmed through the contents about the Heaven God Cult written in the magic book, I smiled with satisfaction and said.

“Well done.”

Delia, who probably didn’t expect me to praise her so readily, looked at me with a surprised expression.

Then, unable to hide her joy, she replied, ‘R-really?’

While I was focusing on the magic book, ignoring Delia who was smiling slightly beside me, someone approached and spoke to me.

“Um, excuse me.”

Wondering who it was, I looked to the side and saw Rumi looking at me with an uneasy face.

Then she took out my clothes that Sien had taken last night from her arms and said.

“This… someone else had it, so I brought it.”

Why does Rumi have this?

As I couldn’t understand the situation at all, I looked at Rumi.

Rumi carefully arranges my slightly wrinkled clothes and places them on my desk.

Then she gives an unidentifiable smile and sluggishly returns to her seat.

“……?”

Am I the only one who thinks she’s acting strange today?

I examined Rumi’s body to see if anything had happened to her, but I couldn’t see any wounds or injuries.

‘Since I haven’t received any messages from the guards… It doesn’t seem like she’s been subjected to violence, so why is she acting like that?’

I was looking at this, thinking something was off.

Then I shook my head and looked at my clothes in front of me, raising an even bigger question.

‘How on earth did she bring these? No, before that, how did she know these were my clothes and bring them?’

… I couldn’t easily guess any of it.

I wanted to ask Rumi about this while looking at her.

But I deliberately kept my mouth shut, feeling that if I asked, I might end up staring into an abyss.

So I decided to pretend not to notice and tried to continue reading the magic book.

“… Rumi seems particularly off today.”

Delia, who was next to me, brought up the topic I was trying to ignore and continued speaking.

“I wonder if something bad happened?”

“… Something bad?”

“Yeah. The way she’s acting feels like a puppy that’s been hurt by someone.”

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know what kind of feeling that is.

I was trying to move past this, thinking I couldn’t understand it at all.

Suddenly, I could recall one problem.

‘… Come to think of it, have I spoken to Rumi recently?’

The moment I recalled that I hadn’t exchanged a single word with her since rescuing her.

I couldn’t help but stop turning the pages of the magic book.