The Unfamiliar Name
"Wow, you're really amazing! And I heard that you're practically an expert when it comes to magic theory too…"
"Oh, come on. It's not that impressive. I'm just mimicking what I've taught myself. If you just remember the principle of overlapping diphthongs that the demon race uses…"
"Even being able to learn something that difficult on your own is incredible…! My goodness…!"
The conversation in the salon revolved around Baek Seoyeon. The blonde, green-eyed girl was especially excitable. Whenever Baek Seoyeon spoke, she would nearly shriek and nod her head furiously.
"Heavens, you're making me blush with all that praise. And doesn't our senior seem a little too cold? You can just call me—"
"Th-then… Seoyeon unni…?"
The blonde girl looked ready to faint on the spot. A muscular boy with short hair sitting beside her frowned in distaste at the sight. For once, our thoughts aligned perfectly.
"Senior…! Could it be—!"
"Senior… I have a question too—!"
"Hm? Of course it's fine. And it's not 'senior,' it's 'unni'…"
Voices overlapped in a noisy clamor, but Baek Seoyeon maintained her gentle smile and calmly steered the conversation. Though several students from renowned families were present, there were also quite a few unfamiliar faces. I could easily guess their identities. Even if they weren't from prestigious lineages, they were likely those who had scored exceptionally well on the entrance exam, earned high placements, and been admitted to the Cradle—individuals recognized for their exceptional talent.
Yesterday, during the entrance ceremony, Yeon Minha had left before Baek Seoyeon's speech even concluded. Recalling her anxious, restless expression, the way she was surrounded only by sycophants and hangers-on rather than true friends, and the fact that the Yeon family's main house had suffered a major blow to its finances after an extremist group's terrorist attack, it was clear her current situation was far from ideal. Given what I'd read in her journal yesterday, she probably lacked the mental clarity to handle delicate social matters with care. Managing these kinds of high-pressure social activities would be difficult for her. Her own worsening personality would only exacerbate the problem.
Of course, I couldn't know the full extent of it, but for Baek Seoyeon, this was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to expand her influence without interference. That was why she had moved so quickly to approach the new students. Unlike Yeon Minha, Baek Seoyeon was genuinely well-liked by her peers. The way she effortlessly commanded the room now made it clear that last year's victory hadn't been a fluke. The timid girl who once struggled to even speak to others had vanished without a trace.
Students who seemed to come from less prominent backgrounds struggled to join the conversation, but Baek Seoyeon treated them kindly as well, quickly drawing them out of their shells. The cozy salon was filled with a warm, friendly atmosphere—save for one person. Me.
***
Every time I heard Baek Seoyeon's voice laughing and chatting with the other girls, I had to fight desperately to calm my wildly pounding heart. It had been a mistake to come here just because I'd heard the word "senior." It had been a mistake to think I could slip away once the mood felt right. I should have left the moment I first heard her voice. But my foolish body refused to obey its master. I sat motionless, praying only that time would pass quickly.
Yet fate, it seemed, had no intention of granting my wish.
"You… you're definitely the junior named Yu Jin-hyeon, right…?"
A familiar voice suddenly pierced my ears. But the mouth that spoke did not call my name—it called the name of a phantom that did not exist in this world. A searing pain, as if my insides were being torn apart, forced me to squeeze my eyes shut.
"Junior…?"
The questioning voice came again. I could feel everyone's gazes converging on me. Only after barely steadying my trembling heart could I manage a reply.
"…Yes. That's correct."
"…?"
I had just managed to meet Baek Seoyeon's eyes after forcing the words out. Upon hearing my voice, she suddenly raised one eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to the left. It lasted only an instant, but I saw it clearly.
"…"
My chest dropped at that peculiar gesture. It was the exact expression Baek Seoyeon made whenever something puzzled her.
…Had she recognized me?
No. That was impossible. My voice was deeper now, my height and build completely different from before. Even my face was hidden behind a mask. I desperately tried to reassure myself. Whether it had been a misunderstanding or not, Baek Seoyeon soon continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
"…Ahem, that's a really nice name…! Why don't you join the conversation too, junior? I know it's a bit much coming from me, but these kinds of gatherings aren't common… It would be nice if you got to know everyone while we're here—"
"…I don't think so. I don't really have anything to say."
"H-huh? But still…"
"Honestly, I don't even know why I'm here in the first place."
The cheerful atmosphere that had filled the salon instantly froze at my blunt words. I could feel cold stares directed at me from all around—some of them influenced by Baek Seoyeon. The most intense hostility came from the direction of the blonde girl who had been fawning over her earlier.
"…Pfft."
A derisive snort echoed through the silent room.
"He's not wrong. I don't understand why someone so strange is here either. Senior, if you don't mind, could you tell us the reason?"
The speaker was a male student sitting on the sofa across from me. If I recalled correctly, he was some scion of the Hwangseong Guk family… Ryong, was it? His mocking tone suited his arrogant face perfectly. A good beating might fix that attitude. For a moment, I felt a powerful urge to test that theory.
But the impulse vanished without a trace the moment Baek Seoyeon spoke.
"Oh my, didn't you know? Junior Yu Jin-hyeon here was admitted on the recommendation of the Black Lotus Sa family. You know, the one everyone's been talking about—the first recommendation in eighteen years…"
Baek Seoyeon covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke. As expected, murmurs of surprise erupted around the room.
"What? That's the person? No way…!"
"I heard the rumors, but I never imagined…"
"How the hell did someone wearing that creepy mask get a recommendation…"
"So that's why he went to the private dorm in the annex yesterday… I thought maybe he'd taken a wrong turn…"
The principal had already told me that while I had been admitted to the Cradle via recommendation, the fact itself wouldn't be publicly announced. Aside from a few benefits like exemption from the entrance exam, I would receive the same education as everyone else, and it would naturally become known once I made friends. But I hadn't anticipated my background being revealed from another source.
How did Baek Seoyeon already know I was the Sa family's recommended student? Perhaps someone from the Baek family had infiltrated the Cradle's administration and leaked the information. But if she knew, why had she invited me to this gathering in the first place? And why was she the one casually revealing my background to the others?
As far as I knew, the Baek family had just as poor a relationship with the Sa family as the Yeon family did. The current head of the Baek family supposedly regarded the clan leader as his mortal enemy. Meanwhile, the Sa and Yeon families maintained a relatively amicable relationship. There was no way Baek Seoyeon didn't know that…
"…You shouldn't judge people by their appearance. He must have received the recommendation because he's an exceptionally talented junior."
When Baek Seoyeon gently chided the students, their discontent quickly subsided. She looked almost benevolent. The fact that we were conversing like strangers was, in a way, utterly absurd.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, junior. I just wanted us all to get along. There's no deeper meaning to it. We're all part of the same Cradle family, after all…"
After calming the others, Baek Seoyeon turned back to me. Her tone seemed almost flustered. But I had no desire to continue this farce any longer.
The noble daughter of the prestigious Paecheon Baek family, who supposedly treated all students equally regardless of background—that had been you. After abandoning me two years ago, you smiled brightly at everyone else as if nothing had ever happened. I couldn't bring myself to speak.
For a brief moment, I wondered if perhaps you'd changed your mind since then. But I immediately realized it was a foolish delusion. The slight furrowing of her brow whenever she spoke kindly to others was a telltale sign that she didn't mean what she was saying. The more I witnessed these little details, the closer my mind came to its breaking point. My attempts to maintain composure had long since become meaningless.
Being expected to have an ordinary conversation with Baek Seoyeon as if we were meeting for the first time… was far too cruel.
Before I knew it, my mouth moved on its own.
"…What kind of idiot would believe that?"