Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Maids in a Competitive Society
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Sophia's mornings come early.
The reason is nothing special. She doesn't sleep much at night. It's in a vampire's nature.
Nocturnal creatures who roam at night and sleep during the day. But to attend Justitia, Sophia had forcibly flipped her schedule.
The result was waking up early, but there wasn't anything bad about it. She wouldn't die from a little less sleep.
In fact, it was a good thing for Sophia right now.
She got up early in the morning and made breakfast.
Rice in the cooker, water on the stove.
It was fun. How could it not be?
─If you're not there, I can't have a tasty lunch.
"Hee hee."
Thinking of those words brought a smile to her lips unbidden. Her heart felt light as air while she prepped ingredients and cooked.
Even as she worked, her mind didn't stay still. She kept thinking. Normally, cooking required focus, but Sophia didn't need to bother.
When flesh regrew instantly even if cut, why bother?
She thought of the boy who would enjoy her cooking. The black-haired boy who would smile and say it was delicious.
Truth be told, most of what she was making was for that boy. Nothing for herself.
"It'd taste even better if eaten warm."
Freshly made food was always the best. Covering her mouth with the ladle, Sophia glanced back at the dining table.
It was ridiculously large for someone living alone. In the old days, just looking at it made her feel lonely, but now─
"...What am I even thinking."
She had imagined the boy sitting at the table, eating with her.
A scene of him waking up in the morning, pulling pranks as he plopped down at the table.
"Ah. No. No way."
Sophia shook her head to banish the thought. Even with no one watching, her face turned bright red.
With cheeks matching her eye color, she hurriedly finished the food and packed it neatly into a lunchbox.
"Did I overdo it?"
The lunchbox was extravagant. A massive three-tiered one that would make others think, That's lunch?
Sophia pictured the stares when she handed it over. After a pause, she casually removed the first tier.
It hurt to discard the side dishes. Packing them tightly had ruined the shape a bit.
"..."
She pouted at the messed-up lunchbox she'd so carefully arranged. It wasn't to her liking.
But he'll eat it happily anyway, right?
She knew he wasn't the type to care about appearances, but this was about her feelings.
"Maybe tweak it a little here?"
It took Sophia about thirty minutes of fiddling to salvage it before she finally left the dorm.
Bag in hand, Sophia walked slowly. She'd managed to fix it somehow, but she still wasn't satisfied.
Still, it was my best effort.
She walked on, content enough. Looking around as she went.
No one in sight. Even after wasting time fiddling with the lunchbox, it was still early.
She didn't like crowds anyway, so it was a plus.
One step. Another.
With each, Sophia felt it. She was in great shape today.
Slept well.
She barely slept normally. Her flipped schedule meant little rest, and nightmares made it impossible.
But she'd slept soundly all weekend.
The reason's obvious.
No need to say it aloud. A smile spread across her lips. Lately, she'd noticed smiles came easily.
Not the fake ones she'd always plastered on, but genuine ones.
Lee Seong-hoon.
Since Saturday night, Sophia had made two vows.
One: Don't leave Justitia.
She'd been caught by vampires the one time she did. She didn't want that risk again, and soon Rosaline would seal the island completely.
No worries for months.
Two: Don't suspect Lee Seong-hoon.
Thinking of her solo delusions still embarrassed her. Mistaking herself for the pitiful heroine, acting miserable—it haunted her, making her kick the blankets at night.
How could I miss something so simple!
Her cousin's little brother had just come to tour Justitia before it closed.
She'd foolishly fixated on fragments and spun wild suspicions.
Yet when she was in danger, he'd saved her without hesitation. Didn't even ask why she was being chased.
He truly saw her as human, not vampire. It was all her own misunderstanding and despair.
Her face flushed as she walked, and something appeared in the distance.
A silhouette sharpening into view. Three people.
A black-haired guy arguing with something, a blonde chattering nonstop beside him, a blue-haired girl grinning at the black hair like it was the best thing ever.
Sophia's good mood froze in an instant.
Her emerging smile iced over. Eyes smiling, but lips quivering.
She quickened her pace. Catching up to the noisy trio didn't take long.
"See? Who told you to come out at the crack of dawn? 'The early bird gets the worm' is outdated. Worms get eaten by birds that eat worms. Waking early or late doesn't matter!"
"You're dissing the early bird. Catching worms a joke? That's competitive society. If you don't wake early, opportunities won't even knock on this brutal plain."
"Then why drag me out? I didn't even eat breakfast!!"
"Sorry, but you kept sleeping. You're not an early bird—you're a night owl."
"Who's a birdbrain!!"
I didn't say that?! Sophia pondered as she listened. What to do?
Squeezing between Seong-hoon and the blonde was decided. But the blue-hair irked her too.
Kidnap Seong-hoon and run? She considered it, but dreaded the aftermath. Imagining his teasing made her too embarrassed.
No choice. Sophia moved.
"So you gotta wake early sometimes. Sleeping 'cause you're sleepy? That's not human—that's a beast—?!"
"Hi?"
"What? Move!! Sophia!! We were having an important talk!!"
Ignoring the voice behind, she smiled at Seong-hoon, who gaped in shock.
"Hi?"
"Uh... hi...? But... for some reason, it's kinda scary...?"
"Huh? Why? No idea."
"Aaaah!! Why are you doing this? Why block my view?!"
As the blonde tried pushing forward, Sophia shifted too.
"Eh? On purpose!! Seong-hoon, she's weird!!"
Sophia spun with Raphael. No reason.
She just wanted to.
"Sophia."
"Yeah?"
"Aaaah!! Move!!"
"Having fun?"
Yeah. Sophia didn't know, but later they said she wore a childlike grin.
I entered the classroom and sat. The walk had been exhausting.
Shin Ga-yeon crashing my mana training, Sophia popping up out of nowhere.
Ah. Already a headache.
Sophia was especially odd. Hugging me and talking strangely last time was weird enough, but blocking between Raphael and me, spinning in circles?
"Sophia's totally weird!!"
"Her usual behavior."
"You getting revenge now?"
"Not at all?"
Liar. I'd targeted her on purpose. Never thought I'd admit it.
Refreshing! Uplifting! Satisfying!
The damn blonde glared, but nothing changed.
"Whatever. I'm starving. No breakfast!!"
"You didn't make breakfast."
"Even if you did, it'd be instant. Enough three-minute meals. How about challenging thirty-minute cooking?"
"Impossible. My repertoire's fried eggs and ramen. Don't expect more. I'm not the type to meet expectations."
"Wow. Self-awareness already. Got nothing to say."
Thanks.
Watching Raphael flop on her desk whining about hunger, it hit me.
I need midterm notes!
I shot up. Destination: one place.
The smart one.
More precisely: hair color like mine, Magic Association heir, studies well.
I strode over. She peeked, startled when I neared, pretending to read.
"Hey."
"Y-Yes? I wasn't looking! I was reading! Wow, this book's great! The Great Hero from Korea!"
Enter a Korean book reading contest later. I held out my hand to Isia, who recited with trembling eyes.
She stared at my hand, then alternated between it and my face.
Then─
"What're you doing?"
"You wanted my hand?"
She placed hers on mine. What now? I'll take it if offered. You my pet dog?
"Gonna give a treat? Why offer your hand."
"Treat?!"
Quiet. Ignoring Raphael reacting to the wrong word, I told the blushing Isia.
Blush then let go.
"Hand over notes. All of them."
"Huh? What about me then─"
Before Isia finished, a stack of notebooks appeared. Whose hand? Silver hair smiling brightly, handing them over.
"Sophia."
"Yeah?"
"No studying for you?"
"I'm good!!"
Well, Sophia's fine. I took her notebooks. She doesn't know refusal.
"Isia. Yours too."
"No worries for me? What'll I study?"
"Why would I."
"...Tch."
Resigned Isia handed hers over. Best to alternate between two.
"Oh, and Raphael's hungry. Go get some brea─"
"On it!!"
What was that.
I stared at Sophia's empty seat, vanished in a blink. She was quick before, now auto-pilot.
What is this. What happened.
"No.1."
"Don't say it."
"Looks like you can quit being a maid."
"......"
Don't glare. Got a competent maid over there. What to do.
"I'm more competent!!"
"Yeah? Then get bread and milk─"
"Got bread and milk!!"
BAM!!
Sophia burst in, breathless.
"Isia."
"Don't say it."
"Maids live in a competitive society."
I took the bread from Sophia. Why go this far? A strange disconnect as I thanked her.
Well, she looks happy. Should be fine.
Not because it's convenient for me.
Definitely not.
"Tch."
Why're you glaring.