Chapter 9: Where should I put this? What about this?
Kyrie closes the door after his morning training routine. The laws of isekai do not apply to him, so he has to train hard every day. As for Ian, he has been talented from birth despite not acknowledging it. However, later in the novel, Ian works hard to increase his skills when fighting alongside Imogen. His skills become insurmountable.
Kyrie looks at Ian's sleeping face and smiles. Ian, in the novel, always has insomnia and would rarely sleep, but seeing the Ian before the novel feels better.
[His sleeping face can look so innocent.]
Kyrie goes into the bathroom to take a shower. After the door closes, Ian's eyes open. He has been awake for some time, but he does not make it obvious for Kyrie to notice.
He is an expert at it.
After all the torment that he suffered from his step-mother, he is an expert at faking. Although what he said yesterday is not necessarily false, he feels intense insecurity whenever it comes to Kyrie.
It has been three days after Kyrie randomly appeared out of nowhere in his room, and Kyrie, despite knowing all the rumors, always shows goodwill towards him. Kyrie always makes sure that he is comfortable and dignified. However, the more Kyrie acts like that; the more Ian feels shaken deeply about it.
"Since the chancellor from Aria arrived at the capital city yesterday, Kyrie will need to go for an audience with the king today. Will Kyrie be required to go back to the kingdom of Aria? What if he needs to?" Ian begins his endless contemplation.
Kyrie comes out of the shower with a towel on top of his head and another wrapped around his waist. He looks at Ian awake, tugged in like a caterpillar while thinking deeply.
[He is going into his deep thoughts again... It seems to be occurring more by the day.]
"Good morning, Ian."
Ian looks towards him and blushes. He covers his face with his blanket.
"Good morning..."
[That was cute~ I don't mind mochi Ian!]
This is the fourth day that he is in Ethern. The palace has asked him for an audience. According to rumors, the Chancellor from Aria comes to discuss Kyrie's situation with the king of Ethern. After all, the kingdom of Aria has no intention to hand over Vita's paladin to their neighboring country. It would be a disaster if a holy war begins.
[Formal wear is always so complicated... Where do I put this pin again?]
The vice principal has given him the appropriate formal wear for the occasion but does not bother to tell him about all the random accessories that come with it. Normally, Kyrie prefers more efficient wear and would go for clothing that is not frivolous.
Ian laughs at Kyrie as Kyrie is trying to figure out where to put the accessories. He walks close to Kyrie and takes the pin from him.
"This is a collar pin. It is so that you can hold your collar down," says Ian.
Ian proceeds to help Kyrie to put it on. Kyrie's heart is about to burst, and his ears turn red.
[This is insane!!! My Ian is helping me dress up! Have we already gone to that stage?]
After putting the collar pin, Ian turns to leave, but Kyrie takes his hand, pulling him back.
"What about this?" asks Kyrie with a broad smile plastered on his face while trying to hide his true intentions.
"These are cufflinks," says Ian blushing and avoiding eye contact.
He takes the cufflinks from Kyrie's hand, but Kyrie teases him by taking hold of his hand. Ian feels electricity passing through his body.
Ian thinks, "Did I lose control of my magic?"
Ian gets flustered and takes his hands away gently.
"These fasten the cuffs of your shirt," he says, flustered.
Kyrie extends his arms towards Ian with hopeful eyes. Ian, with a blushed face, quietly puts them on for him.
For the rest of the accessories, Kyrie feigns ignorance and makes Ian put them on for him. If someone were to see this scene, that person would be sure that Kyrie has a pair of horns coming out of his skull while bullying the defenseless and puppy Ian.
Kyrie puts on his coat, hanging off his shoulders. Kyrie feels satisfied with the look.
[I guess being handsome is a bonus to coming to this world. I look like those tyrannical CEOs that my female colleagues used to fangirl about.]
He turns around to see Ian stealing some stares at him. Kyrie smiles at him, making Ian more flustered. Smoke seems to start coming out of Ian's ears.
[Did I go too far? But this is the only era where I can see the cute Ian...]
In the novel, Ian is like Imogen's grim reaper. Despite being soft at heart, Ian carries out Imogen's crazy mandates like absolute orders. However, this mochi would suffer every second from guilt and could not bear anyone's praise despite what he is doing is saving innocent lives.
Kyrie softens his stare and walks towards Ian, placing one hand on Ian's head.
"I will be back."
Ian shyly nods his head. Even after Kyrie has long left the room, Ian keeps staring at the door deep in thought. He holds onto the fabric of his pajamas on his left chest and wonders, "What is this feeling?"
Kyrie walking down the hallways out of the academy turns into an event. The students gather around Kyrie spouting numerous compliments. It is not common to see young nobles going to an audience with the king of Ethern. In addition to that, Kyrie has the appearance that could kill with a single stare. Since Kyrie is in a good mood, his smile is slaying people's hearts as he passes by.
A female student finally cannot hold her tumultuous feelings and falls. Her friend next to her catches her and encourages her while holding her hand, "This is once in a lifetime, you cannot just let this pass by you!!!"
"But he is too bright!!! He looks so far away! I am tired, Sarah. Let me rest... I am so tired... So tired..." She says with a sad smile. Her eyes slowly close, and her hand falls off from Sarah's hand.
"Jenny!!! Jenny!!! JENNY!!!!!!!!!!" Sarah urges. As tears stream down her face, she declares, "We will forever remember your courage!!!"
The female students, who witness Jenny withering away in Sarah's arms, close their eyes to commemorate her. Tears are shed for the poor soul.
A male student who coincidentally witnesses the drama elbows his friend beside him, intending to mock his female classmates' theatrical act, but when he turns around to look at his friend, he freezes. His friend is moved by tears and nods in agreement, "We will remember you..." With his tongue-tied, this male student never felt so sorry for his action.
Meanwhile, in Kyrie's mind: [Should I ask Ian to go out with me at the upcoming festival? Although in the novel, something happens to Ian during the night. I don't remember what or when, though... Argh... Brain... please do me a favor and recall important information for once...]
<Meanwhile in the kingdom of Aria>
Yue stomps on the desk, cursing and yelling, "He totally forgot about me, didn't he?"
"Didn't Sr. Rowan leave to the kingdom of Ethern? Why are there sounds coming from his dorm room? Should we call the dorm master?" asks a female student shaking.
She just puts down her bag of snacks on the knob of Kyrie's dorm room.
The other female student shaking says, "I don't know... What if there are really some ghosts there?"
*clank*
The sound of something dropping in the room causes the female students to run away with tears on their faces. From then on, the rumors of a ghost inhabiting Kyrie's room spread all throughout the academy. This actually helped Kyrie later on to hide Ian, but that would be for another time.