Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Hidden
Matthios opened his eyes in a daze.
His mind felt foggy, as if a thick mist had settled over his brain.
He blinked groggily and looked around, then spotted Tiana and Ophelienne standing by the door.
“…Tiana?”
“Matty! You’re awake.”
Matthios swung his legs off the bed. As he tried to stand, his legs wobbled from lying down too long, and he nearly lost his balance.
“Be careful.”
Ophelienne was suddenly beside him, supporting him. At the same time, Tiana and Taebin stepped into the room and gathered around him.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. What about you and Taebin?”
“I’m not badly hurt.”
“I’m perfectly fine too.”
“That’s such a relief… I really thought something terrible had happened to you.”
Tiana couldn’t hold back her tears anymore and spread her arms, pulling Matthios into a hug.
Just waking from sleep, Matthios had no time to react and was buried in her embrace. Her soft warmth wrapped around him, and a gentle scent filled his senses.
…Matthios thought to himself.
There could be no better moment than this.
“What are you doing?”
A cold voice cut in.
Ophelienne, who had been watching, roughly pulled Tiana away from him.
“He’s not even fully recovered yet. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ah…! I’m sorry.”
“And I hate to say this, but you should be mindful of our positions.”
“Positions…?”
Neither Tiana nor Taebin understood and simply stared blankly.
“Do I really have to spell it out? We are Moretti.”
Ophelienne wrapped her arm around Matthios’s shoulder and openly looked Tiana up and down.
“We are different. You and us. We are not the kind of people you can casually touch.”
“….”
Tiana understood what she meant.
Nobles and commoners.
The line between them was deeper than any boundary in the world.
And between the Filn siblings and the Moretti siblings, that line was even clearer.
She looked down at her clothes.
Dust stains, rough stitching, worn fabric. Clothes she had always worn without thinking twice.
They had never seemed shabby to her before.
But standing next to Ophelienne and Matthios, they suddenly felt pitiful.
…Right. They were different.
Tiana smiled bitterly.
Reality finally came into focus.
Matthios had been the first friend she made since leaving her hometown.
She had been so happy about that, thinking only of friendship.
But the truth was different.
Matthios was a noble.
A great noble beyond someone like her.
They could never truly be friends.
“No. We’re not different.”
“…?”
Matthios grabbed Tiana’s hand.
“I like you, Tiana. And I like Taebin too. Isn’t that enough?”
“Matty…!”
Tiana and Taebin were moved, their green eyes filling with tears.
The Filn siblings were like this.
Pure, like children raised among fields and sheep.
They cried when sad, got angry when upset, laughed when happy.
Matthios liked that about them.
“….”
Ophelienne’s gaze fell on him.
Her gray eyes trembled as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
The Filn siblings hugged him one last time before leaving. Tiana placed a blessing on him to improve his condition, and Taebin gave him some dried meat.
The door closed.
Only the two of them remained.
“…Matty.”
Ophelienne spoke first.
She stood by the window with her arms loosely crossed, looking outside. Light filtered through the curtains, softly illuminating her face.
“You like them that much?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
“They’re just commoners. Worthless, insignificant people. Even so, you intend to be their friend?”
“Mm….”
“I see.”
Her gaze sank deep like the ocean.
She said nothing more.
Her eyes lowered, slowly tracing the wooden floor.
The silence became unbearable.
Without hesitation, Matthios reached out and grabbed her hand.
“O-Of course, I like you too, noona.”
“What?”
Her hand froze. Her fingertips trembled slightly.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him.
“I like the Filn siblings because they’re kind and sincere. But more than that, I like you even more.”
“…You like me?”
She repeated his words blankly.
“It’s natural. We’re family.”
At the word “family,” her unfocused eyes cleared.
“Family…”
After a moment, she added quietly,
“…That’s right. We’re family.”
“How long was I asleep?”
“Two days.”
She held up two fingers.
“Two days? That’s a lot… Did anyone come to visit?”
“Everyone did. The crown prince, your fiancée, the nobles.”
“Juanna came too.”
Despite always saying she disliked him, she still visited.
‘Seriously, she’s so inconsistent.’
Then Ophelienne gently pushed him back onto the bed.
“?”
“We’ll be arriving in Porca soon. Rest.”
“This is your bed though.”
He tried to get up, but she pressed his forehead down.
“Just sleep.”
“…Okay.”
And so, he ended up sleeping in her bed.
It carried a familiar scent.
He liked it, and for the first time in a while, he slept deeply.
The Eternal City, Porca.
A coastal city at the eastern end of the Almans mountain range.
Sea in front, mountains behind.
A natural hub where land and sea routes met, it became the center of trade across the continent.
People gathered, and knowledge flourished.
Porca produced countless scholars throughout history, its accumulated wisdom rivaling even imperial academies.
Its history was older than the empire itself.
Even emperors once studied here.
Porca was not part of the empire.
Though once conquered, it was returned to its people after the emperor was moved by their spirit of freedom.
Since then, Porca remained a neutral city of knowledge and liberty.
“Welcome, all of you.”
A man wearing a silver mask stood on the stage.
He was the academy’s headmaster.
Students murmured among themselves.
“He really wears a mask.”
“How ugly must he be…?”
“Well, he must be capable.”
“Before we begin, there was an unfortunate incident. But thanks to the bravery of outstanding students, it was resolved.”
He summoned medals into the air.
“The following students, please step forward. Ophelienne Vinna Moretti, Juanna de Rosalica Valentia, Yuri Allende, Tiana Filn, Taebin Filn.”
They stepped onto the stage and received medals.
Thunderous applause followed.
Matthios clapped from the front row.
His eyes met Juanna’s.
She grinned and mouthed,
“See that?”
He gave a thumbs-up in response.
“Next, the top and second-ranked students, please step forward. First place, Juanna de Rosalica Valentia. Second place, Yuri Allende.”
They were already on stage.
Juanna showed him again.
“See that?”
He gave another thumbs-up.
Yuri, on the other hand, remained quiet, like a detached chick.
When she met Charlotte’s gaze, she simply made a small V sign.
The ceremony ended.
“I won’t speak long. Don’t give up. Move forward.”
The headmaster left.
Then the vice headmaster gave a long speech.
Matthios ignored it.
‘…I need to get stronger.’
The train attack made it clear.
If he stayed weak, he would die.
His sister saved him this time.
Next time, he might not be so lucky.
‘I need power of my own.’
And he knew how.
As soon as the ceremony ended, Matthios headed straight for the library.
To find the hidden.