Unfamiliar Ceiling

When I first decided to write a novel, there was a rule passed around on the internet like a taboo. Never start a story with something like Imperial Calendar XXX, or after the Demon King died, “Hello, I am God.”

Among them, the most famous was a story that started with the words, ‘An unfamiliar ceiling.’

What I saw when I woke up after finishing my penalty was an unfamiliar ceiling.

Perhaps because I had been picking up beads and talking to myself for so long, the stupid thought that came to mind as soon as I woke up made me chuckle as I raised my upper body.

My clothes, which were almost rags in my last memory, had been changed. A patient gown with the academy emblem on a white background.

I lifted my head and looked around, and only after seeing the bottles full of medicine filling one wall did I realize that this was the academy’s infirmary.

I was the only one occupying a bed. Being left alone in a large infirmary made me feel a little eerie, but the bedside lamp pushed away the darkness, so I wasn’t scared.

I stretched once to relieve my stiff body, then reached out and pulled back the curtain next to me to look outside. Perhaps I had woken up in the late dawn, as the view beyond the window was dark without a single ray of moonlight.

As I stroked my chin, trying to guess how much time had passed, someone’s voice suddenly came from under the bed.

“Hello.”

“Aaaagh!”

Without realizing it, I screamed in surprise. I rolled off the bed, scrambling to get away, and hurriedly looked underneath.

A black object wriggled and crawled out from under the bed.

Could it be Dwinn’s ghost? I swallowed hard and took a step back when what had crawled out from under the bed revealed itself in the light of the bedside lamp.

The ghost’s identity was Estelle, wearing a black cat mask.

“Haa.”

I sighed in relief and relaxed. As I burst into a hollow laugh, Estelle tilted her head and approached me.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“No, why are you coming out from under the bed?”

I was a little annoyed that I had been scared by Estelle, so I questioned her in a dumbfounded voice.

“Every day after the infirmary visiting hours, I’ve been watching over you from under the bed. Someone could hurt you while you’re defenseless. We’re partners now, you idiot!”

At Estelle’s words, I scratched the back of my head, feeling embarrassed for having been annoyed.

Geez, that’s kinda awkward…. You should have said something beforehand.

I hurriedly changed the subject before Estelle could pick on my words.

“Ahem, how much time has passed?”

“Tomorrow is Friday, the academy’s vacation ceremony. You woke up at just the right time? Waking up just in time for the vacation ceremony…. Did you wake up late on purpose~? You trash!”

I shrugged at Estelle’s insults and went back to the bed, sitting on the edge. Tomorrow was the vacation ceremony, so even though a week had disappeared, I couldn’t deny that the timing was good. I had been worried that too much time would have passed when I woke up, and the vacation would have completely disappeared.

I tapped the empty space next to me with my hand, and Estelle sat down next to me. I subtly pulled my shoulder back, pretending not to notice the slight touch of her shoulder.

“Did anything happen while I was out?”

“Nope. The academy was as peaceful as ever. Bella has been sticking with Roel ever since that incident, and your girlfriend and club friends came to the infirmary every day.”

Estelle, who had been fiddling with her mask, added nonchalantly.

“The Order came out to investigate the incident, but I took care of it in advance. They won’t be able to track you.”

At the word Order, I ran a hand over my face. I had been driven to the brink of death by Dwinn, who wasn’t even a high-ranking member of the Order. If I were to meet Conphsion, I might actually die next time.

“Bella and the headmaster talked for several hours, and Dwinn has now been put on leave. I guess they don’t plan to reveal that he was a spy for the Order.”

That’s understandable. If it were revealed that a professor at the Empire’s top academy was actually a spy for the Order, the academy would fall into great chaos.

From the outside, they would try to use this opportunity to drive Nelson out of the academy. Even if that were impossible, the Order could at least use its followers to keep Nelson busy.

I didn’t know what Bella and Nelson had talked about, but I was sure it was related to politics.

“And it looks like we’ll be able to confirm the information you mentioned soon. Ember left for Ludwig yesterday after receiving the information.”

At Estelle’s words, I recalled the information about the undead in my head. If Ember rescues her younger sibling who is living as a slave, Estelle will believe that I am a prophet. Even if she is suspicious, the evidence is clear, so she will follow my words for a while.

Ludwig, the city of pleasure.

The great story that begins there is a major event involving the Emperor, the Undead, and even the Saintess.

A story involving two people whose names are written in the Death List. I was going to eliminate the beginning of that tragic story.

With Estelle’s help, by killing the Undead and the Saintess.

As I was organizing my thoughts, Estelle suddenly leaned her upper body and pressed herself against me. I couldn’t pull away because she had completely relaxed her body, so I was in an awkward position when Estelle said in a small voice.

“You’ve been through a lot. And I’m sorry… I couldn’t be of any help.”

I was silent for a moment as I looked at Estelle, who was clutching the edge of the bed and blaming herself, then opened my mouth.

“If Estelle hadn’t warned me in advance, I wouldn’t have been able to save Bella.”

I don’t know how comforting my words will be, but I added words of comfort, thinking about the sincerity she had shown by going under the bed every day for me.

“Thanks to you, I was able to save Bella, and I was able to fight with peace of mind knowing that reinforcements were coming. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything alone. You were a really big help. Thank you, Estelle.”

Estelle, who had been silent for a while, suddenly pushed me away as if she were having a seizure, and stood up, placing her hand on her hip.

“W-What are you saying! Of course, just my existence alone is a huge help to a scrub like you!”

“Oh, she’s embarrassed.”

“S-Shut up! Scrub, pervert, fiend!”

Estelle, who had turned her back, stomped her feet, then glanced at me over her shoulder and said in a mumbling voice.

“Anyway… we have a lot to do in the future, so don’t make me wait this long next time! I have a lot more to do than you! Why is a man so pathetic!”

I watched Estelle leave the infirmary, leaving behind words full of concern, then chuckled and lay back down on the bed, waiting for morning.

*

Morning dawned in the infirmary, and Professor Joy came to work, but I still couldn’t leave the infirmary.

I don’t know how she knew I had woken up, but Bella came to the infirmary in the morning. And she even brought a get-well gift, which made things even more awkward between us.

As I felt the heavy air of awkwardness, Bella, who was sitting in a chair next to the bed, opened her mouth.

“I don’t know… what to say.”

I deeply sympathized with Bella’s words. Usually, Bella and my conversations were just about confirming our mutual hatred. Suddenly having a serious conversation in such a relationship made my back itch for no reason, as if I had developed hives.

“Are you… okay?”

I nodded at Bella’s cautious voice.

“I’m fine.”

Even I thought my voice was a little stiff. It was a voice that came out because I didn’t know how to treat Bella, as I felt a little awkward treating her like before.

After a moment of silence, Bella stood up from her chair and suddenly knelt on the marble floor. I, who had been leaning against the head of the bed, couldn’t help but be flustered by her sudden action.

“You said that last time, right? To apologize on my knees…. It’s late, but I’m really sorry. I admit all the mistakes I made, and I’ll give you any compensation you want.”

I felt a great burden at the sight of Bella bowing her head and pressing her forehead to the floor.

“You don’t have to apologize to me.”

I did save Bella’s life, but it was out of necessity. The anger and hatred I still had for Bella remained the same.

What I wanted now was to not get involved with Bella anymore. If she apologized to Luna and Ellie, it would be good for both of us to remain awkward acquaintances who didn’t even exchange eye contact if we happened to run into each other.

“…You don’t have to accept my apology. I know well enough what I did. I told Roel about my mistakes too. Except for what I promised you…. I wasn’t trying to hide it. I just thought I should get your permission first.”

I wondered what she was talking about, but she was probably talking about being dragged to the interrogation room. Since I had promised her that I wouldn’t reveal it to Roel, it was reasonable for her to think that my opinion was the priority.

“Please get up first. Honestly, it’s a little burdensome.”

I sighed and scratched my head at the sight of Bella getting up from her seat as if she had received an order. I thought about what to do for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“How is it going with hyung-nim?”

The most important thing is that Bella needs to be by Roel’s side. If the two of them were to completely break up because of this incident, what I had done would be in vain. For the sake of everyone, the two of them had to be together.

“Roel… is thinking of apologizing with me. He thinks it’s his fault for letting things get this way….”

I frowned without realizing it at Bella’s powerless words. He’s such a fool, hyung-nim. Even though he heard me tell him to get out of my life, Roel can’t give up on Bella and me, and he’s apologizing.

That was Roel’s personality. He doesn’t give up easily. He doesn’t try to give up on his younger sibling or his lover. In some ways, he’s greedy. But Roel always acts sincerely. It was clear that he would sincerely try, even if both sides hurt him.

It would be easier and simpler to give up on one side, but Roel wouldn’t make such a choice, even if he was covered in wounds. That’s the protagonist I created, and that’s the ideal hero that Roel dreams of.

If I could see Roel’s status window, he would definitely have indomitable courage in his personality.

“If hyung-nim were to find out about that fact, what do you think he would do?”

I already know the answer. I was the one who knew Roel the best in this world. However, I was curious about what Bella would think.

More than a curiosity from the author’s point of view… I’m still Roel’s younger sibling, after all. I wanted to know what my hyung-nim’s psycho girlfriend was thinking.

Bella’s golden eyes, which were facing me, sank gloomily. After pondering for a moment, Bella answered in a subdued voice.

“He’d forgive me like an idiot. He’d blame himself for my actions and try to take responsibility in any way he can….”

I thought that was the right answer. If it were Roel, he would be shocked by Bella’s confession, but he would eventually forgive her. He would blame himself for not being able to hate Bella, who had committed evil deeds against his younger sibling, and would look at me like a sinner in front of me.

When I think about it, I received a lot from Roel. He was always friendly to me and was a hyung-nim who wanted to do something for me.

I couldn’t hide the fact that he was the kind of person who would come running as soon as he heard that I was hurt, even with my sense of inferiority. Originally, Ross was so envious of his hyung-nim that he fell into inferiority. I could never hate him.

“Would you like me to tell hyung-nim about this fact?”

It was a question I asked to test Bella. At my question, Bella lowered her gaze and kept her mouth shut for a while.

“If you want, do it. However, I won’t let Roel blame himself. It was all my own plan, so I have to bear the responsibility alone.”

As she said that, Bella raised her head and met my gaze, adding in a determined voice.

“I’m going to reveal my sins and be expelled from the academy.”

“…?”

What the hell is she talking about?