Chapter 121

【 The Fallen Family’s Territory 】

“Ugh…”

“Does it still hurt?”

“I feel better after resting a little.”

After the final exams ended, I immediately went to the infirmary and collapsed.

By the time I arrived there with Lisa supporting me, the muscles in my arms and legs had already gone limp.

Still, after taking some medicine and resting for about an hour, I started to feel my strength returning.

“Is there anything I can do to help? Do you want to drink my blood?”

“It’s fine, Noona. And let’s do that later in the Disciplinary Committee Room. There are too many people here in the infirmary.”

“Alright, got it. Rest well for now, and let’s go back together soon. The final exams are over, so we should celebrate—just the two of us.”

“Yeah, we should.”

I nodded with a smile.

There had been a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, the finals were over.

That meant the first semester in this world—almost half a year—had safely passed.

‘And I gained quite a lot too. Got new abilities, more experience… and built some bonds as well.’

I quietly reached out and held Lisa’s hand.

She gave a faint smile and gripped my hand tightly in return.

“By the way, Noona, since the finals are over…”

“That means vacation’s about to start.”

Lisa nodded.

Her expression remained calm as usual, but her eyes shimmered faintly with excitement.

“Should we start planning our vacation? If you don’t mind, how about coming to my place as soon as break starts? My house has plenty of rooms.”

“Mm… Noona, about that…”

“If you want, I can come to your place instead. No matter what condition your home’s in, I don’t care. As long as you’re there, that’s enough for me. And if you’ve got plans, I’ll help with them too.”

“Noona, what I mean is…”

There was something I needed to tell Lisa regarding the vacation plans.

Just as I was about to speak—

“Vacation plans are important. Yes, for me, this vacation is very important.”

A familiar voice entered the infirmary.

When I turned toward it, Lisa tilted her head slightly.

“Kara… Instructor?”

“It’s been a while, Lady Lisa. Since the end-of-year ceremony last year, I believe?”

“Yes, since the Imperial Palace’s New Year’s event, I think. But what brings you here?”

“I came to talk to my student.”

“Your student…?”

“Gideon.”

Kara looked straight at me.

“You did well during the finals. I’ve never seen Instructor Luke with an injury before, you know.”

“Well, yeah… things happened.”

“Hehe, anyway. Since the exams are over, you know what we need to talk about, right?”

“Yes, but… here, right now…?”

“Well then, my special and precious student—shall we talk about how we’ll spend our vacation together?”

“Uh…”

I glanced toward Lisa.

Her eyes had turned frighteningly cold.

And maybe it was just my imagination, but I could almost see a faint red glint flickering in them.

***

“Noona, are you still mad?”

“…I’m not mad.”

“Really?”

“I wasn’t mad to begin with.”

A few hours after that encounter with Kara in the infirmary,

I was now in the Disciplinary Committee Room with Lisa.

To be exact—I was trying to calm her down.

“I just… feel a little disappointed, that’s all.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better if you just got angry instead?”

“No. I don’t get angry at you.”

Lisa turned her head away from me as she spoke.

Her pout and sharp gaze made it painfully obvious she was sulking.

“I’ll just sit here all alone feeling disappointed, that’s all. I’ll be lonely in my room all vacation…”

“Noona, I told you—I’m going to your mansion during break.”

I sat beside her and wrapped my arms around her.

Lisa rested her head against my chest but kept up her sulky attitude.

“You said you’d come only after a month.”

“…Vacation lasts two months.”

“Which means I won’t see you for half of it.”

“I can’t help it, Noona. It’s something I promised Instructor Kara a long time ago. It’s part of the plans I mentioned before.”

For the first month of the break, I’d be staying with Kara in the Serenus Region.

That’s what I’d agreed to back in the infirmary.

“Can’t I just go with you?”

“That’d be difficult, Noona. I’ll be really busy because of my promise with Instructor Kara. I won’t have much time to spend with you. It’d be better for you to rest comfortably at home.”

“I really don’t mind… Can’t I?”

“Please understand. Besides… I’ve got some things I need to take care of in Serenus.”

The Serenus Region—and the Protected Zone for Other Races.

There were bound to be clues there related to my family.

I’d likely be busy searching for those clues.

‘If I do find something… I’ll have to handle it as quietly as possible.’

I still didn’t know what kind of secret my family was hiding.

If it was something dangerous, the quieter it was handled, the better.

That was why I decided not to bring Lisa along.

‘Kara has to come, so that can’t be helped. But even with her, I’ll hide whatever I can.’

In any case, I planned to scout Serenus first.

If I found no danger related to my family or the area, I’d invite Lisa later.

So…

“Just wait for two weeks, alright? After that, I’ll come running straight to you.”

“Two weeks is too long. I couldn’t even handle it when you were gone in Muktaba for just three days…”

“Because of my blood, right?”

“That too… but mostly because I’ll miss you too much.”

“Hmm, in that case…”

I thought for a moment.

She did need my blood too, after all.

Considering that as well…

“What if I make it three weeks instead of a full month? I’ll leave some blood for you before I go.”

“That’s still too long.”

“Then how long…?”

“Half a month.”

“…Half a month?”

“Half a month.”

Lisa emphasized it firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

After thinking again, I took out a Crystal Sphere from my pocket.

I searched for Kara’s name and wrote her a message—asking if it’d be alright to stay in Serenus for only half a month instead of a full one.

Soon, her reply came.

‘…That’s unexpected. I thought for sure you’d say no.’

She didn’t mind.

Apparently, she hadn’t planned to stay in Serenus the entire month anyway.

She said two weeks would be enough to explore the entire Protected Zone for Other Races.

‘Though she added a condition that I’ll have to accompany her during the winter break too… well, I’ll think about that later.’

Either way, I got her permission surprisingly easily.

Smiling, I turned back to Lisa.

“Noona, I’ll come to your mansion two weeks after the vacation starts.”

“…Really? You talked with Instructor Kara about it?”

“Yeah. She said it’s fine to come back earlier.”

“Really? Then…”

Lisa’s eyes lit up, filled with joy as she looked at me.

However, that didn’t last long—she soon showed that coy look again.

“Now that I think about it, I still have to be apart from you for half a month.”

“Would even fifteen days be that hard? You have blood, don’t you?”

“I’ve been with you every day, and suddenly being apart for so long… It’s not just about drinking blood. I just hate being away from you.”

“Still, please wait a little. I have something I need to do too.”

“…Tch.”

Lisa pulled me into her arms, burying her face against my chest.

“My mother once told me, in a relationship between a man and a woman, the one who loves more loses. I guess I love you too much.”

“I’m always grateful for that, Noona.”

I hugged Lisa tighter and gently kissed her forehead.

“Then I’ll try to love you even more.”

“I’m already satisfied enough.”

Lisa lightly bit my neck, showing her own way of affection.

We stayed that way for a moment, holding each other in silence.

“Phew. Anyway, half a month, huh…? Our vacation starts next week, right?”

“Yeah, starting next week.”

“Then stay by my side as much as possible until vacation begins. I want to spend as much time as I can with you before we have to part.”

“Alright. The exams are over anyway, so the classes will probably end early.”

After the final exams, there was a week left until summer vacation began.

That week was pleasant and relaxing in many ways.

Since it was the end of the semester, there wasn’t much to do, and it seemed like the other students thought the same.

They were all enjoying their week before vacation in a cheerful and leisurely manner.

‘This reminds me of my school days back then.’

That atmosphere where classes stopped near the end of the semester and everyone just took it easy.

Seeing it again—it really made me feel the vibrant energy of young students.

Well, anyway.

As the weather became increasingly hot and summery, the students eagerly prepared for their vacation.

And in the meantime, the final grades for the first semester were released.

“Hmm, I’m in third place? I guess my score dropped quite a bit on the practical exam. Gideon, what about you?”

“I’m eleventh.”

When I answered Jason’s question, he smirked.

“Your practicals must’ve been the highest, as always. Maybe you lost some points on the written tests?”

“Yes, I think I made quite a few mistakes during the finals.”

“Still, eleventh isn’t bad. A bit more and you’ll make it into the top ten next semester.”

“I plan to work harder to make that happen.”

I glanced back at my report card again.

It was satisfying enough.

Considering that it hadn’t even been a year since I was dragged into this world, I thought I’d done quite well.

“Lady Layla, how about you?”

“I’m twentieth. Like you said, the finals were a bit hard.”

“You’ll do better next semester.”

“Yeah. There’ll be more chances ahead, so no need to get depressed over just one.”

Layla smiled brightly, then turned her eyes toward Lisa, who was clinging to me.

“Lisa, I don’t even have to ask, do I…?”

“Yes, first place.”

Lisa said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Layla gave a wry laugh and looked at Jason.

“Jason, do you have to be that good to become the head of a noble house?”

“Yeah, looks like that’s the minimum. Guess I’m not fit to be a head. And besides…”

Jason turned his head toward Sara, who was sitting a distance away by herself.

“There’s another person who’s not fit to be a head, right over there.”

“W-what?! Why are you dragging me into this?!”

“What rank did you get?”

“N-none of your business!”

“Just tell me. You know I can find out anytime I want…”

“If you look that up, I’ll kill you! Seriously, I will!”

Sara’s face turned red as she reached for Jason, but as always, he easily dodged her hand.

“Ha, those two again.”

Layla just watched them with an amused look.

Like that, the students spent the days before vacation happily and leisurely.

Of course, not everyone was so carefree.

“Ughhh… Lisa, do some of this work for me.”

“No.”

“Y-you heartless, bloodless woman!”

Inside the Student Council Room.

Nia, the Student Council President, groaned as she sorted through piles of documents.

“I have to finish the budget report before vacation… prepare transportation for students for the closing ceremony… check the final grades of all students… Ughhh, when will all this end?”

“You say that, but you’ll still finish everything perfectly, won’t you?”

“I mean, I will… but ughhh, I just want to graduate already. I want to graduate and say goodbye to this Academy forever. I don’t want to work anymore.”

“But, unnie, aren’t you going to work in the Imperial Palace after graduation? I heard a high-ranking official even said they wanted to scout you.”

“…Ah.”

The light quickly faded from Nia’s eyes, turning them lifeless like a corpse’s.

“Hmm… Lisa, do you think I could live at your house for a bit? Maybe you have a cute younger brother or older brother I could let bite me, so I could live jobless forever at your place…”

“Does that sound possible to you?”

“Ughhh, you cruel woman. Waaah, I don’t wanna work anymore. I just wanna play and eat forever.”

Nia buried her face in the mountain of papers, groaning pitifully.

I gave a wry smile and spoke.

“Miss Nia, if you wish, I can help you.”

“Huh? Nah, it’s fine. I can handle it myself. It’s actually easier when I do it alone.”

“If that’s what you prefer…”

“Instead, why don’t you come visit my house during vacation?”

“Your mansion, Miss Nia?”

“Yeah. I’ll be bored anyway, and I think Roy will be happy if you come too.”

At her words, I paused for a moment before answering after some thought.

“Alright. If time allows, I’ll—”

“If that’s the case, I’ll go with Gideon too.”

“Hm? Lisa, you’re coming too?”

“That’s fine, right, unnie? You told me to come last time.”

“Well… I did say that, but if you come, the head butler and the chief maid will probably have a hard time… Still, I’ll tell them beforehand.”

Just like that, another plan for vacation was added.

I didn’t mind, though.

As long as everything in Serenus went well, it didn’t matter what I did afterward.

Anyway, time went by, and before I knew it, the closing ceremony arrived.

After quickly finishing the first vacation ceremony in this world—

“Well then, my disciple. Shall we depart?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Together with Kara, I set off for Serenus.

It was the beginning of my first summer vacation.

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