Anything But Study - Chapter 76

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The exams were over, and Melia returned to her usual routine.

She also naturally resumed her work as the library clerk.

Melia thanked Rosha, who had covered the librarian duties during the more than two weeks she had been absent from the academy.

“Rosha, thank you so much.”

“I’m just really happy you came back safely and that Ervan is fully recovered. But more importantly, I haven’t seen Hailon either. He must be busy with inheriting the title, right?”

“Huh? Y‑yeah. Probably.”

“I knew it. Everyone was wondering.”

Still, she felt a little troubled about how to answer questions about Hailon.

If she told Rosha that she and Hailon were no longer together, Rosha would probably worry again.

‘I’ll tell you a little later. Sorry, Rosha.’

It felt like the number of things she felt sorry for kept increasing.

Still, today there was plenty of work to do in the library, so she thought she might finally be able to clear her tangled thoughts for a while.

Since she had been away, the book arrangement had become quite a mess, so Melia spent the entire day moving around busily.

‘This goes here. That belongs in the opposite section….’

Rosha didn’t know the exact locations of the books, so it must have been difficult for her to return them to the proper places.

She moved around nonstop without even sitting at the desk once, but Melia didn’t feel tired.

‘Ah, it’s already this late.’

Before she realized it, the sunset was glowing outside the window.

Watching the sunset from the library was a rare thing during her three years at the academy.

Usually, she left at five when the library closed, and the only times she stayed later were….

When she was with Hailon.

Back then, it was actually common to watch the sunset. They always stayed late.

But that would not happen anymore.

It had only been a month or two, but now it was a memory that had to be buried in the past.

Melia often imagined it.

How she should apologize if she met Hailon?

But every time she reached the same conclusion.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t even know how to begin speaking.

When his father died, and even now while he was living busy days as the Duke, she hadn’t done anything at all.

Now that she finally knew Hailon hadn’t started the fire, that it was all a misunderstanding, simply saying she was sorry somehow felt far from enough.

The fire that happened when they were eleven.

And now she was twenty‑two.

Eleven long years.

For all that time, he secretly carried the blame in her place. Melia had no idea how she could possibly express her feelings to him.

There was also a more realistic problem.

Hailon’s face no longer appeared at the academy.

‘Is he not coming anymore?’

He must be busy now that he’s a duke.

Thinking about it, he didn’t actually need to attend the academy anymore.

‘Still… he said he didn’t want to withdraw.’

Wasn’t that the very reason their tutoring began?

She remembered the voice he used when he first proposed the tutoring.

“So you teach me. I don’t want to withdraw. I have to graduate, don’t I?”

Yes, that was what he said.

The situation had changed, but a bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

Thinking about it now, it seemed her tutoring hadn’t helped him in the slightest.

Still unable to erase the bitter expression on her face, she returned to the desk.

“Hmm?”

Something she hadn’t seen before was sitting there.

A small bottled drink and a card written in familiar handwriting.

[You know I’m always cheering for you, right? Stay strong!]

It was impossible not to realize immediately who had left it behind.

‘What is this, Rosha?’

Melia let out a small laugh at the sudden encouragement.

Even though she’d tried not to show anything about what happened with Hailon earlier, Rosha might have noticed everything.

It was even Melia’s favorite drink. They didn’t usually sell it around here, so how did she manage to get it?

Melia mentioned it to Rosha a few times before, but she never expected her to actually remember.

She felt very grateful.

‘My throat was getting dry anyway.’

Click.

The cap of the bottle twisted open easily.

Gulp, gulp.

The drink flowed down Melia’s throat.

‘Hm?’

But maybe because it had been so long since she last tasted it, the flavor felt slightly different from what she remembered.

‘Am I imagining it?’

Then again, it had been such a long time that maybe her memories had made the taste seem better than it really was.

Without thinking much about it, Melia sat back down at the desk.

‘Well, I guess I’ll get started.’

Even though all her work was finished, she showed no sign of going home.

Instead, she opened a book.

Recently, even after finishing her work as the library assistant, Melia didn’t close the library right away.

It was because she stayed to study.

She felt bad leaving Ervan alone, but he likely needed time to concentrate without interruption as he studied for his entrance exam to Erpen.

Melia herself also stayed to study for a while before going home, trying to settle her restless thoughts.

About thirty minutes passed as she read the book with full concentration.

‘Hm? The letters….’

Melia rubbed her eyes.

For some reason, the words were not coming into focus today.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

No, it was worse than that. Her vision was gradually becoming blurry.

She even felt heat rising. Even though it was winter.

Melia touched her face with her hand.

It was hot. Extremely hot.

Now, heat began spreading throughout her entire body.

Even though she’d just drunk something, her throat began to dry out again. A burning thirst rose inside it.

‘No way… this is….’

Melia had felt something like this before.

In autumn, at the camp.

‘Why is the relic’s effect appearing again now….’

That made no sense. Why now?

Melia had run into a completely unexpected obstacle.

It had been a long time since the relic’s effect last appeared.

So why now of all times?

She was confused, but there was no time to question the reason.

Hot breaths were already escaping her lips. At this rate, she might soon lose her senses and seek only pleasure.

‘Wh-what should I do?’

Should she just go home like this?

But Ervan was at home. In this state….

Creak.

Just then.

She heard the sound of the library entrance door opening.

No. Why at this time?

This was a disaster.

If someone saw her like this, she didn’t know what might happen.

And if the other person was a man, it would be far too dangerous.

‘Please… don’t come. Just go back.’

Melia struggled to get up, trying to hide in a corner.

But unlike her desperate wish, her body moved slowly, and the approaching shadow kept getting closer.

Step. Step.

When Melia finally saw who it was, her pupils shook violently.

“You….”

Why did it have to be this person who came at this hour?

Still, perhaps it was fortunate that it wasn’t a stranger.

She had to stay as calm as possible, explain that the library hours were already over, and send him away first….

“Me, Melia. You’re having a hard time, aren’t you?”

What?

But something felt strange.

Watching him approach slowly, Melia felt a sense of foreboding.

A chilling sensation ran down her spine, warning her of danger.

Fear pressed down on her body.

“I’ll, quickly, help you.”

It was as if he knew the condition of Melia’s body.

‘I have to get out.’

Outside the library. She had to leave here immediately.

An alarm rang in her head.

Melia mustered her strength and moved her feet. She’d intended to run straight out to the library door to escape, but….

Grab-

“Ugh!”

Her hair was seized violently. Melia was thrown straight to the floor.

Her body slammed against the hard floor, sending sharp pain through her, but that wasn’t what mattered.

Melia tried to crawl toward the door, but….

Tap-

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

Baron Aisic climbed on top of Melia in an instant, flipping her body over, and demanded angrily.

“You did it just fine with that bastard, didn’t you?”

“M‑move. What are you even… talking about….”

“I saw everything. You screwing around together.”

She couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. Her mind was hazy and strange. Was she hearing things?

“I was originally your partner at the camp too! We’re de‑destined!”

Baron shouted while gripping Melia’s hair again as she struggled in pain.

“Number 59, th‑that was me.”

What?

If it was number 59, that was the number where Melia and Hailon had become partners.

That was Baron Aisic’s number?

Hailon definitely had it.

What exactly happened here?

Because her mind was so dazed, Melia couldn’t properly grasp the situation. Her thoughts could not continue any further.

“But I can forgive you. It’s fine.”

Because the situation right now, where Baron Aisic seemed ready to do something to her at any moment, was far too dangerous.

“You broke up, didn’t you? Because of me. Because you like me. So it’s fine, Melia.”