A Hopeful Start at the Academy (1)
“Mom! I was so scared. Big brother—”
I dropped the dagger in my hand to the floor and threw myself into the Baroness’s arms.
The Baron seemed to have roughly pieced together what had happened. Cold sweat beading on his brow, he fidgeted for a moment before approaching Ian, who lay collapsed and groaning, and examined the wound.
“It didn’t get cut off, but the injury’s pretty bad.”
“Ian! Tell me straight—what is this? You didn’t—”
The Baroness’s face had gone white as she shouted at him. But the shock of the beating left him only able to mumble; he offered no excuse at all.
I showed her the soiled bedsheet I had hidden under my bed.
“This is really…”
Seeing the yellow semen stains blotching the white sheet, she was left speechless.
“He kept forcing himself on me. I had no choice. I’m sorry.”
Mother held me tight as I cried, murmuring comfort. Truthfully I thought she shared some of the blame, but I let it go for now.
After that, everything moved with startling speed. Ian, who could no longer even meet my eyes after the thrashing he’d taken, was effectively banished to a distant relative’s house under the pretext of training. From what the doctor later told me, there was nothing functionally wrong with his genitals—yet the mental trauma had left him impotent.
The Baron handed me a small pouch of gold coins and apologized for everything that had happened. Looking at his trembling hands, it seemed the revenge methods of the adoptive daughter he’d always regarded as pure and innocent had shaken him to the core. I wanted to unload on him as well, but I held my tongue and let it pass. Even after I left for the Academy, I would still need parents willing to support me.
Any further revenge against Ian, I decided, could wait for a quieter opportunity when the time was right.
One other thing had changed. Pana’s face, which had been so dark for so long, had brightened. She clung to me more devotedly than ever.
Was this the resolution, then? I had half expected that once things were settled I might return to my original world—but that was not the case. A few mysteries still remained.
Who had given me the note with the safe’s combination? And what exactly was that black leather-bound book inside? Just as the book had written, May had swallowed rat poison and I had entered this world. The advice to use the dagger had let me succeed in my revenge; I could not simply ignore it. Yet after that, nothing more had been written.
Carrying those unresolved questions in my chest, I finished preparing to leave for the Academy.
The carriage rattled along the zigzagging cliff road. In front of me was Pana’s face, bobbing as she dozed. The fragrant scent of fruit filling the cabin mixed with her own smell and tickled something in my chest. We were peeling and eating fruit we had bought at the downtown market in front of the Academy.
The world was different, yet the kinds and flavors of fruit were much the same. What I was eating now resembled an orange; I had heard the name and promptly forgotten it.
“Ugh…”
Having bought and eaten my fill of fruits I had never tasted at the Baron’s house, my stomach was uncomfortably full. With the generous allowance I had received, my spending had grown accordingly. That morning in downtown, with Pana’s help, I had ordered various necessities and clothes.
Following the conservative tastes of the professors, the Academy itself thoroughly exuded a medieval atmosphere—but the downtown district in front of it was another matter entirely. Goods from every corner of the kingdom poured in, and the variety of stalls was enough to steal anyone’s attention.
Yet when I bought chicken skewers from a downtown stall and started munching away, Pana’s gaze turned strange—the look of someone watching a curious spectacle. Had chicken skewers been a food May hated? The expression unnerved me enough that I didn’t dare ask. I decided I would have to be more careful in all sorts of ways from now on.
“Young ladies, we have arrived at the Academy. Please disembark.”
The coachman’s words pulled me from my thoughts.
“Wake up. We’re here.”
I shook my little sister, who had been sleeping soundly.
“Huh? Already?”
Pana rubbed her sleepy eyes and stretched. The luggage we had sent ahead would already be waiting at the dormitory. I pulled on the cloak I had been holding. With this over me, no one could see my face or make out my figure.
“Sis, are you really going to wear that around?”
She fixed me with a look full of doubt.
“Yeah. Why?”
“No, even so… that seems a bit much.”
What she was pointing out was the hooded cloak I had bought downtown specifically to avoid men’s stares. It was originally meant as a rain cloak, but what did that matter? In the Joseon era there had been things called jangot and ssugaechima, used by women going out to cover their faces and bodies; I had taken the idea from those and bought this cloak.
May’s body and face were a walking honey pot. Just imagining the harassment I would face if I left them uncovered was terrifying. Having already been assaulted twice so severely, I flinched at the mere sound of a man’s voice. Would the male students at the Academy really leave me alone? The thought alone sent a chill down my spine. At least it was a relief that, by the school’s consideration, the two of us sisters would share a room.
When I tried to pull the cloak over my head and step down from the carriage, she suddenly snatched it away and stuffed it into her bag.
“What are you doing?”
“The Academy rules say you can’t wear cloaks that completely cover your face and body on campus.”
“Why?”
“Apparently because of terrorist threats from separatists.”
Damn it—then you should have told me earlier.
I clicked my tongue and carefully climbed down from the carriage. The campus was already thronged with people. From around this moment I began to feel genuinely troubled—and it was not simply because of the crowds. Including students, faculty, and facility staff, nearly tens of thousands of people lived in this space; morning crowds were nothing unusual. What unsettled me was not the numbers, but the interest they showed in me.
The instant I started walking, countless gazes followed. Soon the whispers reached my ears.
“Oh… who’s that? A new student?”
“Those breasts—are they real?”
“Cute. Should I try talking to her?”
At the continuous murmuring my gaze snapped toward the source. The moment my eyes turned their way, they cleared their throats and hurried their steps. Exactly the reaction I had expected.
I wonder if I’m going to go crazy from this…
The Royal Academy—the undisputed finest educational institution in the kingdom. The greatest scholars and skilled experts dispatched from every nation gathered here to train the finest talents. A place that prided itself on being the best did not make admission easy. Only carefully selected prodigies could enter. Both sisters passing an entrance exam that boasted odds of hundreds to one was something the Blair Baron family could justly take pride in.
There were various departments—swordsmanship, magic, and more—but our bodies were far too frail to pass the practical exams for any track that might actually help protect us. The department Pana and I would enter was literature. The heir had already been decided as big brother—no, that dog of a man, Ian—and what the daughters needed was simply the Academy’s prestige, so the particular department hardly mattered. Still, first- and second-years took most lectures together with every student, and only from third year did one enter a major. Even a literature student like me could learn swordsmanship or magic; the thought made my chest swell with anticipation.
“Is that it over there?”
Following Pana’s pointing finger, I saw a large whitewashed building rising between the dense trees. After a long walk we finally reached the dormitory. Guided by the caretaker into our room, we found a bunk bed and simple furnishings including desks. In one corner the personal luggage we had sent ahead was already waiting.
“Ah… finally free…”
At last we had escaped the Baron’s house and arrived at a new nest. I prayed I could live here without any harassment. After a short rest I began unpacking the luggage that had arrived ahead of us.
“Finally done…”
My arms and legs ached; I was exhausted. The aftereffects of the long journey, no doubt. Sitting on the bed massaging my tingling arms, I suddenly felt Pana’s hand slide across my stomach in a slow caress.
“You like it that much?”
She wore a lovely smile—as if she could finally relax.
“Yeah. I like it. Now I can sleep without worrying…”
“I’m glad you like it, Sis. I thought it was wonderful that we get to share a room too.”
Right? So Pana felt the same way. But the moment those words left her mouth, something clicked in my mind. An “Ah—” escaped me—a twisted little sound full of unease.
“Hehe… with you beside me, I won’t be scared every night…”
And with that warm smile still on her face, Pana began fondling my breasts.
Wait—last time, wasn’t that only because she was frightened of the thunder and lightning?
I think I need to start worrying about this.
A little cold sweat broke out as the thought settled in.