MLLTM Chapter 4

“Let’s go down now. Our parents are waiting.”

I was so worried about what would happen after entering the academy that I forgot our families were waiting downstairs. Lariensa and I held hands and went downstairs in good harmony.

My parents... or rather Marilyn’s parents, asked Lariensa to take care of me, and her parents also asked me to take care of Lariensa.

Our parents cried so much that someone might think we were being exiled.

I felt guilty when I saw Marilyn’s parents seriously worried about me.

I’m not the real Marilyn though…

“Marilyn, your hair is so pretty. Let me see… Oh, this style is familiar.”

By the time I was feeling down, Lariensa’s mother, Mrs. Jellinus, spoke to me.

“Lariensa tied me up.” 

“As expected, our princess really is skillful.”

Lariensa blushed at her mother’s praise. Mrs. Jellinus then nudged her son, Lycan.

“Look, Lycan. Marilyn looks like a princess, doesn’t she?” 

Why ask Lycan when your husband’s right by your side? I feel awkward with him! 

Lycan glanced at me momentarily then turned his head away snobbishly.

“... It’s a little pretentious.” 

If it’s pretty, then just say it’s pretty. It doesn’t cost you anything to become honest.

“After you guys enter the Academy, we will not be able to see you for a year except during vacation.”

“You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”

“I’ll have to look at your face a lot today.”

Including the adults, we had a drink and made a toast. Adults could drink alcohol, but they were considerate of us not to drink any alcoholic drinks because this celebration was for Lariensa and I.

“For our princesses–”

“Cheers!” 

“Cheers!” 

“Cheers!” 

...It’s just like I’m at a drinking party in Korea.

Even though there were no alcoholic drinks, the atmosphere was certainly like a drinking party.

Everyone was worried about us entering the academy, but they seemed proud that we passed the exam and got accepted.

A hint of anxiety and anticipation can be seen in Lariensa’s face.

For me, I might look excited on the outside, but in my innermost thoughts, I did not really hold any expectations. It’s all thanks to the fact that I’ve already had indirect experiences with the original novel…

And I already know everything Lariensa will go through when we enter the academy.

Lariensa knows nothing about it, so I must watch this child thoroughly.

I was now a soldier on the verge of war.

＊ ＊ ＊

It was the same morning as usual. But this was also a special day that could not be compared to any other days.

Because today is the day, we would depart for the capital.

The village we live in is in the rural areas, far away from the capital that we have to travel for three days by carriage in order to get in there.

“We’re going to miss you guys.”

“Make sure to write us a letter.”

We were seen off by our parents early in the morning. We then managed to wrap up our goodbyes and got on the carriage. Lycan was already there when we got in.

As Lariensa had said before, It was a carriage provided by the academy only to their top-notch students. It was spacious enough for three people to ride in, so I didn’t think that the ride would be uncomfortable.

What kind of school is spending so much money on one student anyway?

Well, according to the novel, the founder of the academy was the king’s nephew, so it doesn’t cost much for them anyway.

“Dressing up for the capital, aren’t we Marilyn? It takes three days for us to get in there, though?”

Lycan looked up and down and twisted the corners of his mouth. 

...No matter how I see it, he’s sneering at me.

“Brother, isn’t Marin really pretty?”

Lariensa’s naive question came out of nowhere.

“Yes, she’s pretty in her own way.” 

“……” 

“I mean, it depends on the person who sees her.”

Oh, what a compliment! 

“As expected, brother also thinks that Marin is pretty.” 

Yeah, right, that’s not it.

I was speechless when I saw Lariensa smile and even thought that her brother was really complimenting me.

Lara, look at his expression. Can’t you see he’s mocking me…?

Lara’s naivety is lovely, but at times like this, I became quite depressed... Your brother’s sarcasm could already pierce bones, but you still fail to notice it!

As I lifted my head, I could still see that smug on his face.

“Lara, I think my shoulders are a little stiff.”

“What? Turn around so that I can massage you.”

With Lycan coming out like that, I’ll take revenge on him.

“Lycan might think I’m bothering you when he sees you doing it.”

Lariensa shook her head as I looked at Lycan.

“How can that be? I’m sure brother doesn’t think so.”

He already thinks that way though...

Lycan, who was wary of my intentions, raised his eyebrow in suspicion.

“Then I’ll trust your massage skills and leave it up to you.”

I trusted Lariensa with my shoulder. Lariensa’s hand felt like a touch from the heavens. She then showed off her excellent massaging skills and pressed the muscles on my shoulder.

One did say that the more one does something, the better one gets at it. Lariensa’s massage skills have definitely improved day by day. 

I made a face like a pervert and melted as Lariensa massaged me.

“Marin, does it feel good?”

“Totally...”

As I answered ecstatically, I made eye contact with Lycan on the opposite side. His eyes were glaring at me full of anger because I was making his younger sister do a lot of things for me. But I’m not scared of him at all.

“Your massage is thrilling; it’s always like a new experience. Your hands are the best.”

Despite the strange compliment I gave to Lariensa, she was still proud. I hugged Lariensa like that and stared at Lycan as if to show off. He glared at me, but he couldn’t say anything. 

As expected, you don’t have the confidence to blame me in front of your sister, do you?

Before, he was the one who’s making fun of me, but now, the tables have turned.

＊ ＊ ＊

The short three-day journey was never smooth. The lovely naive Lariensa might not have noticed it, but Lycan and I fought a war of nerves without a break. 

It was like this, for example:

“When I look at you two who are always together, I think you guys are like a flower and a bee.”

Lycan used to argue that way first. It was so obvious that he didn't have to interpret it. The flower is Lariensa, and the bee is me. 

Like a bee hanging around a flower, I'm always stuck to the flower-like Lariensa.

Of course, I made sure that I'm not going to suffer from it alone.

“When I look at you, I think of a mantis who’s constantly guarding the flower.”

“……”

“It means that you’re reliable.”

Lycan was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, even though I could see him quivering.

Anyhow, we bickered around and around in front of Lariensa and dissed each other in this way. 

“Brother and Marin are really on good terms!”

It can't be helped, Lariensa is really this tactless.

Even though she's like this, she is good at studying and also has a pretty face…

The main character's buff is really good!

“Marin! Look outside, the Academy!”

Anyways, after three days, we finally arrived at the capital.

“Lara, let's take a deep breath. I think the air here smells different!”

This was a world without smartphones, TVs, and computers. The village I had lived in was a rural area of the country, but the capital city was much more different from that place.

It looks much more lively even though it didn’t have any smartphones, TVs, or computers.

Whenever I made more trouble than Lariensa, Lycan would crease his forehead.

“Can you stop acting so crude, your province-like tendencies are showing.”

Aren’t you also from the same place?

He said that he had already been to the capital many times that he was getting tired of looking at the same sights.

“Brother, brother! Can't we have a little tour in the capital? We still have some time left.”

Lycan might be mean to me, but he was a brother who became indulgent towards his sister. If I were the one who said it, he would tease me for being crude, but when Lariensa asked him to do so, he immediately nodded with a relaxed look.

“Yes, I'm sure you're hungry, so let's eat nearby and go in.”

Gosh… Who can live with a brother like him?

I gnashed my teeth at Lycan, who clearly had a difference in attitude between Lariensa and I. But before long, my sadness was completely dissolved. 

“Lara, look at this. Doesn't it look delicious?”

“Wait, Marin. Brother! Marin says she wants to eat this.”

In this way, I seduced Lariensa and got a snack from Lycan.

Lycan had quite a lot of money because he won several swordsmanship contests on the recommendation of the academy. At first, I was going to exhaust his wallet as a revenge, but when I drank the sweet drink, my heart melted. 

As always, free foods taste great.

“What's your stomach made up of?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how does all of that stuff go in?”

While Lariensa went to the bathroom, Lycan didn’t miss the opportunity to scorn at me.

“You must have forgotten that Lariensa ate with me too.”

“Lariensa is still growing.”

“Then, do you think I'm all grown up?”

As I raised my voice in tears, he glanced at me and soon turned away.

“Don't be angry. I meant that it is good to see you eat well.”

“...I didn't hear it in that way at all?”

If I keep sitting here with this man, I think I'm just going to hurt myself. I stood up in an outburst.

“Hmph.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll also go to the bathroom.”

“That’s because you eat too much that your stomach…”

“It's not getting big!”

“I didn't ask.”

Without Lariensa, I was constantly being bullied by Lycan. At first, he was surprised that I talked back to him, so he couldn’t even properly fight back, but these days Lycan became quite sly.

I loudly stomped my feet and headed towards the bathroom. It was childish, but it was an act that came out of desire to let him know that I was grumpy.

But there was one fact that I had forgotten.

“...Where am I?”

I'm a bit, no… I’m really bad at directions.

“Why can’t… I find the bathroom?”

Even though my village had a simple road structure, I used to get lost in the same place every day. Lariensa and Marilyn's parents were emotional about it, saying that it was an aftereffect of my head injury, but in fact, I was originally bad at directions. 

And now, I am in the capital which is more crowded than the village. 

“Slowly, let's slowly go back to the way we came from...”

It would be nice to have an item like Doraemon’s ‘Anywhere door!’ 

Why can’t someone like Doraemon help a desperate child like me right now? 

I went back to the way that I had recalled, but I still couldn't see Lycan nor Lariensa. Gradually, I became anxious and bit my fingernails as I looked around me frantically.

“Ah!”

But then I bumped into someone. 

My forehead took the brunt of that impact, and now my head hurts like hell. Bastard! You killed my brain cells!

Well, I’m not sure if I was properly looking ahead. I then glared at my opponent.

But when I raised my head!

“……”

I became speechless.

The halo pierced my eyes sharply.

“Are you okay?”

The light became brighter as that man opened his mouth. 

“Oh, wait a minute…”

It's so bright that I feel like I'm tearing up. I'll talk to you after I wipe it off.

After wiping my tears, I calmly looked up again.

There stood an incredibly handsome and beautiful man in front of me.

With a mysterious silver blue hair color, and clear turquoise eyes like the sea…

“Gosh, I’m okay…”

What wasn't okay was his appearance and his aura that made one feel better by just looking at him. The owner of a much more dazzling beauty than Lycan, who was already attractive enough (which I didn’t want to admit) gave off a deadly smile at me.

Ugh, what a heartwarming smile…

But as I kept looking at it, I got used to it, and now I could look straight at the man's face.

Silver blue hair and turquoise eyes...

It was not a common combination. Come to think of it, there was a male character described similarly in the novel...

『Sibel was a boy with a fresh appearance like the sea. Silver blue hair and turquoise eyes really reminded me of the clear sea during summer days.』

“I'm glad you're okay. Then I'll get going...”

Gasp!

I remember it now! 

Silver blue hair, turquoise eyes! 

It was the male lead. Sibel, the male lead of this novel! 

Unlike his refreshing appearance that resembles the sea! He’s wicked! He’s got a lot of secrets! He’s going to roll my Lara in the name of love in the future! You good-for-nothing! You’re despicable! Trash! 

“Oh my gosh, Sibel…”

“...What?”

I immediately stopped talking and cursed inwardly, Sibel then looked at me with a stiff look. 

Realizing that I wasn't looking at Sibel at this time, I quickly hid my bewildered feelings and laughed hard.

“I'm really fine, you can go ahead.”

“Do you know me?” 

“No.”

“I think you just called my name…”

I didn't call your name. I was just cursing. So go away! 

[T/N: Sibel sounds like Ssi-bal (씨발), which is a curse word in Korean.]

“No way. I'm sure you were mistaken.”

Sibel looked up and down at me with a meaningful look. 

This silence is so uncomfortable.

“Marilyn Launer!”

Fortunately, I could see Lycan walking toward me from a distance with an angry look on his face. I was glad to run over there, but subsequently, I had no choice but to falter. 

I could see Lariensa next to him. 

I know that these two were destined to meet one day because they were the male and female lead of the novel, but they should not have met already. I decided I’m going to protect my friend from that handsome male lead. 

“Marin!”

As they came closer, Sibel's head was about to turn around and look at them. I desperately took off my coat without a moment to think.

Whoosh!

Then I threw it towards Sibel's face. Taking advantage of his blind spot, I held Lariensa's hand and quickly ran away.

Lycan was dumbfounded and alternated between Sibel, whose face was covered with my coat, and us, who were currently running. He then chose our side and followed us. 

“What the hell is going on, Marilyn!?”

Even Lariensa, whom I dragged along was reproaching me for what I have done, but I couldn't help it.

Sibel, who finally turned around after we ran, was standing stiff with the coat I threw over him.

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