Chapter 29

■ Chapter 28. Gathering (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

First impressions tend to last a long time.

If the first impression is good, one is likely to have a favorable view of the person until a specific incident occurs, and if it's bad, one might continue to view the person unfavorably no matter how much good they do.

This is what is known as wearing 'colored glasses,' which can have a significant impact on interpersonal relationships and cannot be easily dismissed.

And Jackson harbors a grudge against me, so he will dislike whatever I do.

"Do you know him?"

In the awkward atmosphere, Nicole asked me. She is quite perceptive, so she must have noticed that Jackson was uncomfortable with me.

The question itself was not about a 'friend' but an 'acquaintance.' Since I am indeed an acquaintance, I nodded.

"Yeah. We're in the same literature class."

"Oh~ I see..."

"Don't think of me as being on the same level as you. It's extremely unpleasant."

Before Nicole could even speak, Jackson's harsh words pierced my ears. Nicole blinked, wondering if she had heard correctly.

All along, Jackson had worn a look of displeasure, as if his words were genuine. I knew he was steeped in a sense of superiority, but I didn't expect him to say such things so openly.

"Well, you've just ruined the mood. Hey, how much are these?"

"Huh? The... total is 27 gold and 59 silver..."

One gold is approximately 100,000 KRW, and 1 gold is 100 silver, so it's roughly 2,760,000 KRW.

Despite the exorbitant price, Jackson showed dissatisfaction but spoke as if the price didn't matter.

"Tsk. The design is terrible, yet it's unnecessarily expensive. Rex, pay the price and follow me."

"Understood."

In the heavy atmosphere, he seemed eager to leave as quickly as possible, so he carelessly threw off his clothes and ordered his servant, Rex. Rex picked up the formal attire Jackson had tossed on the floor.

Following Jackson's order, he took out a pouch from his pocket, counted the coins, and handed the gold to the clerk.

"Here, 28 gold. Keep the change."

"Ah, t-thank you."

"What are you doing?! Hurry up and come here?!"

The servant wasn't slow, but Jackson shouted in frustration. The clerk flinched at the shout, while Rex, used to such behavior, didn't even blink.

"Sorry, young master."

"Hurry up. And..."

After scolding the servant, Jackson looked at me. I met his fierce gaze head-on.

After staring at me for a while, he glanced at Nicole standing next to me. Then, with a sneer, he mocked me.

"Could it be that you're buying formal attire with your sister? Surely you're not planning to attend the freshmen gathering, right?"

"Actually, I am."

"..."

When it comes to sarcasm, the best response is a blunt one. Jackson's eyes twitched when I replied as if it didn't bother me.

Though his expression faltered for a moment, he soon resumed his mocking tone, looking disdainful.

"...Fine. You'll see when you attend. It's not a place for someone like you."

"..."

"Let's go, Rex."

"Understood, young master."

With that, Jackson started to walk away. Before leaving, Rex turned his head to face me. His striking green eyes were memorable.

Afterward, as if feeling guilty, Rex bowed his head in apology. Unlike his master, the servant was more perfect in terms of character.

"...What's with that guy?"

When Jackson and the servant had completely left, Nicole asked in a voice mixed with anger and disbelief. The fact that she used profanity gave me an idea of how angry she was.

I looked at her face. Exaggerating a bit, she looked like she was ready to kill someone.

Honestly, if my siblings were openly insulted by someone, I would be furious too.

I thought about how to explain Jackson to Nicole so she could understand and told her what I knew.

"His name is Jackson. He hates me. I heard he's from a famous wealthy baron's family?"

"A wealthy baron's family... Carisson?"

"Huh? Yes, how do you know?"

"It would be strange if no one knew. The Carisson family is among the top 10 wealthiest in the empire."

The Carisson family is indeed well-known.

"But why is he saying strange things to you? What happened?"

"Well..."

I explained to Nicole in a way she could understand. I started with how Jackson had been pestering Cecil and Lina from the first class and continued with the events that followed.

Instead of mentioning Cecil and Lina by name, I referred to them as 'pretty female students.' Nicole knows who they are, so mentioning them directly might make her think I'm getting involved in something troublesome.

The explanation was a bit long, but Nicole seemed to understand, summarizing it briefly.

"...So he's just being a jerk?"

"Pretty much."

As Nicole said, Jackson is just losing his temper. He's upset because the girls he liked are close to me. Moreover, those girls have no interest in him at all.

Of course, he doesn't give up and tries to talk to them whenever he gets a chance, but both Cecil and Lina treat him formally. Especially after the seating arrangement incident, his popularity with them probably dropped even further.

If he just stayed quiet, he might have a chance, but that's what I'd like to tell Jackson.

"Isaac. If he starts to harass you directly, let me know. I'll do something about it. Got it?"

While thinking for a moment, Nicole placed her hand on my shoulder and warned me. I turned my head to face her.

Her expression was full of concern.

"Um..."

If Jackson starts to harass me, Lina would probably handle it first. Or maybe my friend Marie would take care of it. Unlike Jackson, Marie, the daughter of a duke, can easily reduce a baron to nothing. But Nicole doesn't know this yet.

Seeing me roll my eyes, Nicole misinterpreted it and gently stroked my head. Her angry expression had vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Are you worried about me getting into trouble? Don't worry. I have connections too."

"...Got it."

"Shall we buy some clothes now? Excuse me?"

"Ah, yes! How can I assist you?"

At Nicole's call, a female clerk who had been waiting nearby hurried over. She had clear skin and a youthful appearance.

"We need a suit for him. Do you have a red one? Try to match it with his hair color."

"Hmm... a crimson suit... Let me check. First, I need to take his measurements."

After a minor incident, the schedule to tailor my formal attire remained unchanged. When the clerk brought a measuring tape, I stood in front of a full-length mirror and spread my arms wide.

The clerk hesitated, looking at me, then asked in a timid voice.

"Um... can I touch your body?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Earlier, a customer said not to touch their body..."

"..."

This guy was causing trouble even before he came here. I sighed and quietly replied.

"...It's fine with me, so go ahead."

What a petty class system.

* * *

Weekends are precious to everyone. Some use them to enjoy a sweet rest, while others relieve their mental and physical fatigue by pursuing their hobbies.

Princess Cecil of Helium spends her weekends chatting with Lina. Lina was the first human friend she made after entering Halo Academy, and they share similar hobbies, making Lina the most comfortable person for Cecil.

Although they had a fight when Lina revealed the contents of Xenon's Saga Volume 8, Lina apologized first, and Cecil accepted it. Cecil didn't want to distance herself from Lina.

"Here you go."

In a café with a vintage atmosphere, Lina placed a book on the round table and spoke to Cecil, who was sitting opposite her. The book she placed on the table was the recently published Xenon's Saga Volume 8.

Cecil carefully examined the Xenon's Saga Volume 8 on the table and gently picked it up. She flipped through the pages to check the content briefly.

After a while, Cecil closed the book with a satisfied expression, confirming that the book Lina had given her was genuine. Lina asked in a somewhat exasperated tone.

"Did you check it because you didn't trust me?"

"Yeah. It could just be a cover change. I heard such scams are common these days."

"Does that hurt my feelings? Have you forgotten who I am?"

"Of course, it's a joke, a joke. Lina wouldn't do anything strange to me, right?"

Although it was a bit hurtful, Lina held back. She had committed a grave sin against Cecil.

Most people get angry when someone reveals the ending of an exciting story. Even if it was a mistake, the other person's feelings are still hurt.

Despite this, Lina told Cecil who the person was that had trapped Xenon. She thought Cecil would have read Volume 8 by now, leading to the disaster.

After that, Cecil rarely got angry, and Lina felt bad, leading to an argument. Fortunately, they reconciled, but Cecil no longer sat next to Lina.

"Phew... Got it. And please, don't tell anyone that I bought Volume 8 for you. Got it?"

"Of course. I'll take this secret to my grave."

Lina smiled at Cecil, who was hugging Volume 8 and smiling happily. When she eventually passed away, her descendants would probably join her in the grave.

She had a silly thought but shook it off. What mattered now was not Volume 8 but asking about Cecil's recent life.

"How's life at the academy? Is it manageable?"

"It's fine so far. Thanks to Lina's help?"

"Even I have my limits. Is there anything bothering you or anything you're curious about?"

Cecil has lived for over 100 years but is new to human society. Fortunately, demon culture is similar to human culture, so she has been getting along well so far.

However, she sometimes surprises people. The biggest example is using magic to fly in the sky. Magic is prohibited in Halo Academy except in certain areas, so Lina was shocked.

"I'm not really curious about anything, but what's bothering me... the gathering?"

In response to Lina's question, Cecil tapped her cheek with her index finger and answered.

At her answer, Lina raised one eyebrow. Cecil had decided to attend the freshmen gathering with Lina.

"Gathering? Why the gathering?"

"I'm curious about what people will talk about. The gathering isn't just for literature students; martial arts students will be there too."

"True. But Xenon's Saga will definitely be a topic. I'm sure of it."

"Indeed, Xenon's Saga would be missing if it weren't there."

Xenon's Saga is a central topic, so it won't be missing from the gathering. With the recent release of a new volume, there will be various discussions.

"By the way, what will you wear to the gathering?"

"I have a dress from Helium, so I'll wear that."

"Can you describe it?"

"Sure..."

Cecil put the book down to answer Lina's question. Describing a dress is easy; she could just draw it on the table with her finger.

Lina started to imagine it as Cecil drew on the table with her finger. As Cecil continued drawing, Lina's face went from surprise to bewilderment.

Eventually, her expression became perplexed, and she slowly raised her head, stopping halfway.

Her gaze stopped precisely at Cecil's chest. Even in casual clothes, it was a commanding presence.

Lina raised her gaze a bit more to meet Cecil's face. Cecil, having finished her explanation, remained calm.

"Are you really planning to wear that to the gathering?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

"No, there's no problem, but..."

Lina couldn't find the right words to describe it. The dress Cecil described was indeed simple. That was clear.

But was it too simple? Lina asked with concern.

"Isn't it too revealing?"

Cecil's response was even more shocking.

"Whatever I wear, it will be revealing, won't it?"

"..."

Lina was speechless at the straightforward answer.

As Cecil said, with that figure, any dress would seem revealing. But the dress Cecil planned to wear was shockingly revealing.

"Even so, isn't it... too revealing? The exposure is too much..."

"I know what you're worried about. But don't worry. I can handle it. Besides..."

Cecil paused, then smiled mischievously.

"I'm looking forward to seeing someone's reaction."