Chapter 31: Fantasy in the middle of the night

“Wow—then Izana, where in Germany are you from?”

“I came from Berlin, the capital.”

Her short bob, trimmed at the nape of her neck, swayed slightly as if she wanted to appear younger.

To the question asked by the East Asian girl wearing the same school uniform as her, Izana responded with a faint smile lingering at the corners of her lips.

Her plump lips curved gently, forming a graceful arc.

That expression, combined with the innate delicateness Izana possessed, made her look almost saintly, as if glowing with divine light.

The boys who had been secretly watching her from afar, too shy to join the girls’ conversation, blushed red like radishes.

“By the way, your Korean is really good. Where did you learn it?”

“Eh? That’s…”

‘…Has the homeroom teacher even left the room for five seconds? How is she still going on and on without tiring?’

Normally, people didn’t show this much enthusiasm just because a transfer student arrived.

But perhaps it was due to Izana’s exotic appearance and background.

As soon as one question was answered, a new one would follow.

It was a little exhausting, but still, Izana maintained her friendly smile while voicing her complaints only in her mind.

Despite her saint-like exterior, Izana wasn’t particularly kind by nature.

She had simply grown used to pretending to be nice since childhood.

Their excessive interest was nothing more than a nuisance to her.

She’d vaguely heard before that Koreans were nosy by nature, but she didn’t expect it to be to this extent.

Izana, who had assumed this small country in the Far East would be more subdued, found herself utterly unprepared for this.

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t even a gathering among fellow aristocrats.

There was no need to keep up the act in front of such ordinary East Asians.

But Izana decided to continue projecting the image of being diligent and kind.

It felt more natural to maintain a slight tension through acting rather than letting herself go completely.

Forcing a smile she had worn a thousand times before wasn’t much of a hassle either.

They continued their pointless chatter like an interrogation, only dispersing back to their seats when a man who appeared to be the teacher entered the classroom.

Only then could she let out a long sigh, a breath drawn from fatigue.

Her voice, thin and languid, stretched like silk.

“Ahem, today we’ll be covering the reigns of King Yeongjo to King Jeongjo. Everyone, turn to page 120 of your textbook.”

‘Already bored…’

At the history teacher’s first words, Izana made a disinterested face.

What did it matter to her, the history of this country?

She rested her chin on her hand, listening to the teacher with only one ear.

It may not have been a dignified posture, but since no one was looking, it should be fine.

Izana made the decision on her own.

In truth, everything about this place—from this humble class to the country itself—felt so tedious that she was barely holding it together.

She was almost proud of herself for simply staying in her seat.

Regardless of her interest, the pot-bellied teacher standing at the podium continued the lesson unfazed.

The chalk clicked rhythmically on the green chalkboard.

Izana suddenly thought it resembled an assembly machine on an automated line in a car factory.

Like two gears naturally locking into place.

A scene so ordinary, it was inevitable.

‘This place is just the same, after all.’

She had originally come here on a short trip, hoping to build rapport with her fiancé.

Life in her home country was luxurious but suffocatingly rigid.

She had harbored a faint hope that things might be different here.

But in reality, it was only the surface that had changed.

Life, wherever she went, was ultimately the same.

Izana laughed at her own foolishness.

No matter how much her surroundings or the people she interacted with changed, she couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

The girls eagerly approaching her with interest.

The jealousy hiding subtly among their smiles.

The boys glancing her way with eyes filled with admiration.

It was all the same as back home.

So familiar it was almost nauseating.

She even began to miss her supposedly charming fiancé.

That pathetic man who couldn’t keep it in his pants and ogled any woman that crossed his path.

At the very least, he had a face Izana’s picky taste could appreciate.

With sharp yet dreamy features like a fairy-tale prince, he was just her type.

To the extent that when she stood next to him, she could almost believe she was a princess herself.

But because of a traffic accident right before their trip, he hadn’t been able to come.

And the result was Izana, left alone in the middle of a crowd of strangers.

‘He always disappears when I need him most.’

She thought bitterly.

This trip, which she had pushed for almost out of spite despite her parents’ disapproval, now only filled her with regret.

‘No… Isn’t it too soon to say that?’

Her gaze, which had been drifting around the classroom, stopped at a certain spot.

Where her eyes landed was a girl wearing the same navy uniform, resting her chin in her hand just like Izana.

Sitting on the opposite side, staring blankly out the window.

Izana’s gaze naturally locked onto her.

Like a painting brushed in acrylic, the girl’s face was softly illuminated by the sunlight filtering through the window.

She was so beautiful that even Izana, known for her unmatched beauty, couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

Even the sickly complexion and somber expression couldn’t diminish her charm.

If she just took a little more care of herself and smiled, her beauty would probably shine even more.

Instead of listening to the dull, meaningless lecture, Izana began focusing on observing the girl.

Her radiant blue eyes quietly watched the girl—and the red-haired student sleeping beside her.

It wasn’t just the girl’s beauty that drew her in.

When she had first stepped into the classroom, she’d caught a glimpse of that same face.

At that time, what she saw had stirred up a strange blend of shock and horror.

As if she had witnessed something she shouldn’t have.

Had they met before?

She tilted her head at the thought.

There was no way she would forget such a striking face.

But the girl seemed to recognize Izana.

Even though this was definitely their first meeting.

“Maybe… this might turn out to be a little interesting.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“A-Ah, it’s nothing.”

It must have slipped out without her realizing.

Smiling softly at her curious seatmate, Izana continued to watch the girl intently for the rest of class.