The Villain Wants to Change Genres

Chapter 88

“I think I’m living too comfortably…”

Little Norman muttered with his head bowed low. Ah, so that was the reason? Whether it was rich sensitivity or high empathy, his innocence was cute.

“Come on, don’t worry about that. Everyone has different circumstances. Norman, you’re working hard studying too.”

“Norman… You’re really an angel…”

Nadian interrupted our warm moment.

“You seem to be pushing yourself too hard. Because of last time when Adrian carried you-“

Nadian, who was speaking with a frown, suddenly screamed.

“Ack! Hup! No, nothing!”

It seems Cadin pinched Nadian’s side. With my excellent peripheral vision, I saw Cadin’s hand quickly return to its place.

‘I was about to ask about the new rumors anyway, so this is perfect.’

I should take advantage of the opening created by Nadian’s mistake.

“…There’s a new rumor about me, isn’t there?”

“N-no, there’s nothing like that.”

“Norman, why do you think that? Absolutely not. These days, rumors about you have died down a lot. Really.”

Little Norman and Nadian hurriedly denied it. Cadin looked at the two with exasperation, then when our eyes met, he quickly turned his head away and started biting his lower lip.

“I know you’re hiding something from me. So you don’t have to lie. It seems… the content is too insulting for you to tell me.”

I looked at each of them in turn, then laughed emptily. I filled my tone with nuances that suggested I would misunderstand if they didn’t tell me properly. Wouldn’t it look like I was about to dig a deep hole, pile up the dirt, and close the coffin lid?

“Ah, no. It’s not like that…”

Little Norman fidgeted and spoke with a trembling voice, then glared at Nadian. At the reproachful gaze that said it was all his fault, Nadian let out a long sigh.

“It’s not good to talk about it here, so let’s go to the dormitory first. Once we’re there, I’ll tell you everything. It’s not the insulting story you’re thinking of, but we hid it because we thought you might be shocked.”

“Will you really tell me? You’re not lying, are you?”

I asked while tightly gripping Nadian’s arm. This guy weakens when I grab him, and little Norman weakens when I smile at him. I haven’t found Cadin’s weakness yet, but that guy is so busy avoiding eye contact that I’ve never had a proper conversation with him. Even if I can only handle two out of the three well, that’s enough to sway the majority.

“Yeah. Really. I won’t lie to you. We did hide it, but…”

Having obtained a firm answer, I nodded with a smile that mixed anxiety and relief.

Once we entered the dormitory room, I learned about three rumors.

One was too obvious: that the Vinter young master’s appearance was strikingly similar to mine. They probably kept quiet about it, thinking it might be related to the secret of my birth, and worried that I, who was already feeling unwell, might suffer emotional shock.

The second was also within the expected range. It was about my relationship with Adrian. In the end, there were so many branches of the rumor that it was hard to list them all – like I had seduced the wealthy count’s son, or Adrian had fallen head over heels for me and proposed.

It was natural for such rumors to spread since quite a few people had seen him carrying me in. However, Adrian had denied these rumors, so they had quieted down after circulating for a few days. He seemed to have been busy spreading the fact-based story that we had met by chance and he had brought me back after I collapsed.

He had also been denying the source of my rumors, but that wasn’t enough to cool the heat of the gossip. The rumors were poised to maintain their status until new fuel was added to the embers.

And… lastly, a new rumor that hadn’t yet become mainstream but was slowly changing from the “No way, that can’t be true” stage to the “Could it really be?” stage. The reason I disappeared from the academy every weekend was to receive patronage.

The word was patronage, but what could be hidden behind that?

‘They lack creativity.’

Did they want to paint commoner Norman as having such a rock-bottom life that badly? In the end, the one who would fall later wasn’t me, so I laughed freely on the inside. On the outside, I managed my expression appropriately, and the guys warmly comforted me.

Anyway, since I now had an additional reason to study hard outwardly, I spent most of my time at my desk.

* * *

As the time of tension disguised as peace passed, the first semester written exams finally approached. I was in the midst of dedicating myself to a performance, even giving up time to spend with Luwen.

The content was simple. I just planted myself in the medical department’s library whenever I had time.

In fact, this wasn’t a planned performance from the beginning. Luwen, who was serious about early graduation, stayed up all night studying every Saturday. Worried that he might harm his health, I prevented him from coming to the mansion until the exams were over.

At first, Luwen refused, saying he still wanted to come, but he couldn’t win against me because it was natural for a student to study during exam periods. As a result, since I no longer needed to go out on weekends, I started stamping my face in the library to use this time effectively.

Especially on weekends, I spent at least 20 out of 24 hours in the library, like a ghost inhabiting the place. It wasn’t that difficult since all I had to do was sit steadily and flip through books, but it seemed quite effective as more people began to doubt the rumors.

As if to prove this, while I was briefly away in the bathroom, cookies and a note were placed on my seat. The round handwriting was cute.

[Norman, hang in there! Good luck on your exams!]

I had no intention of eating food received from a stranger, but I packed it into my bag, conscious of the person who gave it. Of course, this was after I held the note and cookies with both hands and looked around with a flushed face.

‘It’s hard living as the innocent young Norman.’

How happy would I be with a message of support for someone who carries all sorts of rumors? I started studying again, but I repeated the action of peeking into my bag several times. Each time, I smiled brightly as a bonus.

In the midst of this, a small commotion suddenly arose in the library. The murmuring that started in the corner grew louder, like a large stone falling into a calm pond.

“…Luwen…”

I couldn’t hear any other words, but I caught Luwen’s name like a ghost. When I pricked up my ears with interest, I could hear the voices of people whispering nearby.

“Isn’t there no space in the swordsmanship department’s library?”

“There’s no space here either.”

“He might come to check if he doesn’t know.”

“From the swordsmanship department to here?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, they say he’s coming, what should we do?”

“I want to be friends, but I’m also scared…”

There was no need to hear more. I hurriedly packed my bag.

Why on earth is Luwen coming here? If there’s no space in the swordsmanship department’s library, shouldn’t he study in his room? No, wasn’t Luwen’s usual seat like a reserved seat that no one else sat in? Isn’t that the case? Is it not like that anymore?

“Huh? Norman? Are you leaving?”

The person sitting next to me suddenly spoke to me. We’re not acquainted, but they’re acting like we had agreed to study together. Ah, geez. This isn’t the time to pick at that.

“Yeah. I’m not feeling well… I think I need to call it a day.”

“Oh… That’s too bad.”

I’m not sure what point they find disappointing when I said I wasn’t feeling well, but I had to leave before Luwen really came to the library, so I just smiled politely and picked up my bag.

Even as I hurriedly left the library, I still couldn’t understand. The reason each department has its own library is because of the different types of books they stock. So usually, there’s no reason to go to another department’s library. Especially Luwen, who uses a private room.

‘I really don’t understand what’s going on.’

I quickly passed through the central staircase and headed west. And just before going down the stairs, I checked the corridor just in case, and it really was Luwen. I saw him just stepping onto the last step coming up. If I had been a little later, I would have run into him.

‘That was a close call.’

Patting my startled chest, I hurriedly ran down the stairs.

* * *

Luwen, having finished his share of studying for the day, visited the medical department building to read a book needed for his graduation thesis, taking advantage of finishing early. It was a rare book that couldn’t be taken out, so he needed time, and fortunately, he had some free time today.

‘Fourth floor, to the left.’

As he was climbing the stairs, confirming the location of the medical department library, it happened. As one’s level of swordsmanship increases, all senses become more acute. He usually consciously blocked his senses in crowded places, but a familiar footstep sound caught his ear.

‘…Young master?’

There was no way he could be here, but the stride and weight of the footsteps were similar. As he hurried up the stairs in confusion, a faint lingering scent tickled his nose.

‘Roses…’

The scent led to the west staircase. As Luwen reflexively turned his head, he saw delicate white fingers gripping the railing disappear along with long black hair in his field of vision.