Lucien woke to the sound of knocking at the door. He shuffled around in his bed—a habit from his previous life that he unconsciously repeated—before standing and reaching for the door to see who had dared to disturb his sleep. He had fallen asleep so deeply and for so long that the sun was already setting below the horizon, casting the room in dim, warm shades of red and orange.

  ?

  He opened the door and found Melissa standing before him. She had changed into a fresh set of clothes—a yellow gown that matched her golden hair—and she looked surprisingly beautiful in it. Her hair was neatly combed and fell to her waist in a braid. She wore a touch of makeup on her cheeks, giving them a pinkish hue, and had lightly applied black mascara to her eyelashes, a detail he would have missed if he had not stared at her so intently.

  ?

  Realizing he had been staring at her far longer and more deeply than was appropriate, he gave a cough, faking nonchalance as best as his body would allow.

  ?

  Melissa shifted on her feet, her hands clasped in front of her waist, her fingers anxiously twisting together. "..Umm, I wanted to ask, when can I return home?" she said, dipping her head lower. For a moment, he thought he saw her cheeks turn red as tomatoes. Was she being shy around him? Or was it because he had stared at her for too long?

  ?

  Melissa’s question brought him back to the present, to the worries that she seemed to be struggling with. Now that Lucien thought about it, he realized he had forgotten to tell her his plans. Suddenly, he glanced down and noticed his navy blue shirt was rumpled around his waist, exposing a hint of his abs. He immediately smoothed his shirt, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

  ?

  "You will be attending the Imperial Academy. I will send my men to bring your family to Norwind. I will provide them with a house and enough money to live comfortably for three years, until they find work or start whatever ventures they wish. If they want to open shops or anything at all, I will sponsor the cost," Lucien replied. She lifted her eyes slightly, her cheeks gradually returning to normal from their deep red. He sighed at how shy Melissa was. In the story, she was supposed to never show emotion, like a doll. But it was better this way—better than the lifeless being the story had wanted her to become.

  ?

  Melissa’s eyes widened in shock, as if she had received more than she could have ever imagined. But Lucien thought it was not something so grand; in fact, he felt he had given her far less than she deserved. She had healed his mother, who would have died without her help. He felt almost stingy in comparison.

  ?

  "Also, I will sponsor your tuition for the academy and anything you need during your two years there—potions, dresses, weapons, whatever you require. I will pay for everything," Lucien added. He realized he had not mentioned this explicitly before, and perhaps Melissa had been wondering how she would manage the cost. He thought it important to clarify.

  ?

  Melissa gasped at his words, covering her mouth with her hands. "Are you serious?" she cried, her eyes wide with astonishment.

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  ?

  Lucien nodded, and her face briefly returned to normal.

  ?

  "B-but isn't the academy entrance already over?" she asked with skepticism, struggling to believe his words even after he had confirmed them. Lucien sighed inwardly—how could she doubt the word of the heir of the northern duchy?

  ?

  "I am a professor at the academy. I have ways to make an exception and allow you to be admitted without an entrance exam," Lucien replied. "With your powers, they would not refuse you."

  ?

  Finally, Melissa seemed to realize she was no longer ordinary; she had awakened something new within herself. Though she still seemed unaware of the full extent of her powers, or how she had received them, knowing she possessed something so unique reassured her. His promise that she could gain admission seemed to settle her worries.

  ?

  She clenched her fists, and a small, trembling smile formed on her lips before she bowed her head to him. "Thank you for such a reward. I will never forget your kindness. In the future, I will do my best to help you if you ever need my help again, and I will return the money in the future," she said sincerely.

  ?

  "There is no need to thank me, and you do not have to return anything. I am only returning the favor. You can lift your head," Lucien told her. But Melissa did not move, and he stood there, gazing at her as she remained bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

  ?

  What is going on? Why is she not lifting her head? Did I say something wrong? Lucien wondered, genuinely perplexed at what he might have said to keep her frozen like that.

  ?

  Then, he heard a sound so small that anyone else would have missed it, but his keen perception caught it clearly. He looked down at the crystalline marble floor and saw a tiny drop of water where there had been none before. Soon, more tiny droplets began to fall. Lucien lifted his gaze from the floor to Melissa.

  ?

  She was crying, and her body was slightly trembling. Those were not drops of water, but tears.

  ?

  Lucien immediately reached out and gently lifted her up. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her black mascara, so carefully applied, was now smudged, and the light pink foundation on her cheeks was being washed away by tears that flowed like rivers with no sign of stopping.

  ?

  Lucien felt awkward and uncertain of what to do. He quickly reached for a handkerchief from his dimensional ring and dabbed it gently at her cheeks to wipe away the tears. Melissa froze, her eyes trembling, but Lucien did not stop. His hands, unfamiliar with such delicate tasks, ended up wiping away most of her foundation. The pink makeup streaked across her cheeks, leaving a line toward her nose like the track of a racing car.

  ?

  "Take it. Clean yourself," Lucien said, unable to bear the sight of her messy makeup any longer. He resisted the urge to keep cleaning her face. He knew it was something that he had to restrain from; he had already made a mess out of it. And, if he continued, then it would only become even messier.

  Melissa quivered and stammered before lifting her hand and taking the handkerchief with trembling fingers. "Thank you," she whispered, then dashed into the hallway, leaving Lucien behind.

  ?

  What just happened?

  Lucien stood at his door, watching Melissa hurry away. She almost stumbled, bumping her hand against a table with a vase on it, but thankfully the vase only wobbled and did not fall.

  ?

  Lucien sighed as Melissa turned the corner in the hallway, leaving him with mixed feelings about how he would meet her again. He knew his face was as impassive as ever, but inside his mind, there was a storm. He had never expected a girl who was always so quiet in the story, who only knew how to nod her head, would end up showing such a myriad of emotions and expressions.

  ?

  Lucien glanced at the floor where Melissa’s tears still glistened, then quietly closed the door and returned to his room.