No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 8

Even after getting punched in the face by Ryuseong, I didn’t let go of my positive mindset and was moving to participate in the dormitory assignment ceremony with a big smile. 

The entrance ceremony auditorium at Areah Academy was located in an area accessible to outsiders, but access to the school grounds was restricted for outsiders, so I was in a more comfortable and light-hearted mood.

There was no need to bring along the useless guards from the family. It seemed like people around me were causing a scene because of my smiling face, but oh well.

‘It’s not like I can put on a serious face all the time just to not scare people, right?’

In fact, it’s none of my business! Whether someone is afraid of me or not!

“Look over there. What kind of scheme is he thinking of that he’s smiling like that……”

“Shh! Shut up. Don’t joke around carelessly. If you blabber thoughtlessly about ‘that person’, your tongue might get cut off.”

“……!”

…… You know what I mean?

Among the students, I had a hunch that I was like a Voldemort-like figure, not belonging to any family, but I didn’t know such bad rumors were circulating.

No, wait a minute…… Just in case, let’s change our thinking.

‘What if those rumors are true?’

If Cassice really did cut off the tongues of students who gossiped behind his back, then in order to avoid suspicion from the family, I would also need to do something equally crazy.

The three guys next to me would act all friendly in front of me, like the tongue in the mouth, but in reality, they were attached to Cassice because of the prestige of the Demilang family, so there was always a risk of information leaking to the family head at any time.

If even a single word about the young master acting strange lately leaked out, it would be troublesome for me.

But no matter what, isn’t this too much?

‘Cutting off tongues!’

Ah, it’s truly a tragedy.

‘I’m someone who doesn’t even eat ox tongue because it makes me feel sick!’

In order to find out the truth, I suddenly stood still on the spot. Then, the students around me made a “hic” sound and followed suit.

Those who were walking ahead also turned back for a moment when the surroundings suddenly became quiet, turned pale, and then slowly stopped walking while keeping silent among themselves. Even the people at the very back, all of them……

‘No, you guys don’t have to stop too.’

The timing was terrible as the wind blew, unnecessarily making the hem of Ryuseong’s coat draped over one shoulder flutter artistically. I was so embarrassed that I felt like dying, having stopped in a pose that looked like a scene from some melodramatic drama, but I had to quickly take care of the matter.

Smiling brightly, I called out to Esteban’s son.

“Logan, how many times have I cut off someone’s tongue?”

At that moment, the friends who had rashly spoken earlier seemed to have lost strength in their legs and plopped down on the spot.

Oh my, how weak-hearted.

Feeling sorry for them, I walked straight towards them to help them up from the dirt floor. Why did they have to talk about a high-ranking noble?

“As far as I know, you have never cut off anyone’s tongue, young master.”

“You heard him.”

I bent my waist leisurely. They had their heads down and were trembling, so in order to meet their eyes, I had to kneel on one knee and lower my body.

With my other hand, I grabbed their shoulder.

“Has the misunderstanding been cleared?”

Their shoulders were trembling so pathetically that I even patted them a few times to comfort them.

“Y-yes, it’s been c-cleared.”

It seems like your tongue has been loosened.

“Ne-never again, I won’t do this a-again, ugh. Uwaaaaah.”

Oh my, are you crying now?

I raised my eyebrows, feeling a bit perplexed. Then they covered their mouths with their fists and tried to hold back their sobbing.

How should I put it, should I say they’re pathetically pitiful? Or pitifully pathetic?

Anyway, it was a bit uncomfortable to just watch, so I put my hand in the upper pocket of my school uniform jacket. Then, as if they were participating in a chorus competition, the two of them made a sound like pigs being slaughtered and shook their heads vigorously, which allowed me to achieve an effect similar to cleaning their dirty faces without even moving my handkerchief.

“Uuugh…… ugh, huh. Huh?”

“Keep it or throw it away.”

After roughly wiping their dirty faces, I threw the handkerchief soaked with tears and snot onto their kneeling knees as if discarding it.

I straightened my waist and even took off my tuxedo gloves and threw them to Diedrich Vinckel. He caught the gloves with quick reflexes and smiled in confusion.

“Should I throw these away too, kind master?”

Somehow his tone sounded like he was holding back laughter. Of course, I was in a position where I didn’t have to hold back, so I took out a new pair of tuxedo gloves from my pocket, unsealed them, and chuckled.

“Do whatever you want, roast them or boil them.”

“Then I will cherish them in my pocket.”

“I’m changing my order, you arrogant mutt. Throw them away.”

“Yes, I will faithfully follow your command.”

Anyway, the misunderstanding was cleared, so that’s enough.

I walked towards the main building of Areah Academy where the dormitory assignment ceremony would take place with a refreshed mind. At every path I walked, everyone kept their mouths shut, lowered their eyes, and made way for me in silence.

So, is it burdensome, you ask? Not at all.

‘Power is the best!’

Surprisingly, I am someone who enjoys sucking the nectar of power. What burden! Rather, it’s great that I don’t have to walk while being squeezed in a crowd.

Having arrived at the dormitory main building more comfortably than anyone else, I opened the door and as soon as I entered the main building.

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Waaaaaah!”

I heard screams of all kinds.

As expected, but I was so startled for a moment that my smile froze on my face.

The expressionless staff members were all urging us to go down to the basement where the screams were coming from—it was even a structure where we had to go down a slide! The inside was so dark that I couldn’t see it at all.

“You can go this way. Please hurry as you need to go through the assignment ceremony.”

“Aaaaargh! Save me!”

“Nooooo!”

“Let me out, mom! Daaaad!”

“…….”

Is the school crazy or am I crazy?

Which student would go down there after hearing these screams……?

‘That would be me, damn it.’

While all the students who entered the main building hesitated, I stepped forward as if I was not swayed at all, pretending to be imposing.

And after silencing Capone by tapping his shoulder, saying that I would go first because it might be dangerous, I rode the slide, conscious of my back figure for the sake of my pride.

‘Expressing it this way doesn’t make it sound cool at all though.’

Anyway, it’s the perfect moment for me to stand out. Because I am the only one who knows what will happen when we go underground.

Thus, darkness enveloped me.

***

When I opened my eyes, Ryuseong was in front of me. He drew his sword towards me and said,

“From now on, I will eradicate your vile plot to destroy the world.”

Let me briefly summarize the situation now.

The dormitory assignment at Ahaa, which strictly maintains secrecy, is based on each person’s trauma. The assignment ceremony, which is kept secret even with a gag order, originated from a very old magic, but fortunately, the trauma revealed during the ceremony is not made known to anyone.

It’s just that the old magic determines the student’s dormitory based on how it deals with trauma.

So that means,

‘This cheeky guy is my trauma, isn’t it?’

…… I guess I really don’t want to be killed.

‘Well, who would want to die? Even if it’s between the final boss and the protagonist.’

To safely complete the dormitory assignment, I need to show the process of confronting the fake Ryuseong. Because you can only rush to the exit by somehow getting rid of the trauma.

Wait a minute, I don’t know what kind of trauma Cassice faced. The story purely focused on Ryuseong as the protagonist, and the other characters were like satellites revolving around him.

But fortunately, the way I confront my trauma is the same as how Cassice goes to his dormitory.

Because I am someone who will willingly kill my trauma.

But before I could kill the fake Ryuseong, something strange happened.

“Huh?”

I thought there was only one trauma per person, but another trauma was reflected in front of my eyes.

In other words, not Cassice’.

“Great-grandfather?”

It was the trauma of me, ‘Jeong Ian’.