I kicked open the door with determination, but I didn’t have to walk very far.

Like me, Hong Yeon-hwa had also opted not to take up residence in a house, but instead lived in the dormitory.

The best-performing student from each year could choose between a penthouse at the top of the dormitory and a house, and Hong Yeon-hwa had chosen the penthouse.

The dormitory buildings stretched out in a 4×2 formation, so it was only a short walk of a few minutes to reach her place.

Within the range of my spatial perception, I could have easily checked on Hong Yeon-hwa’s well-being, but…

‘That’s a bit…’

It would prick my conscience.

Even now, I sometimes make mistakes in control and pull in information from unexpected places. Despite the ongoing improvement in my spatial perception skills.

It took me roughly five minutes to walk from my dormitory to the main hall of Hong Yeon-hwa’s building.

I entered the interior of the building using my smartwatch for authentication. The exterior and facilities were identical to my dormitory.

While waiting for the elevator, I exchanged greetings with a few cadets.

I reciprocated their advance greetings, and soon the elevator arrived.

The interaction didn’t end there; I chatted with those who rode the elevator with me. Their attitudes were noticeably friendlier than before.

‘Is it the proof that makes the difference?’

The special admission student.

Brought in by the Principal, I had potential, but my unusual appearance had raised many questions.

I’d have had doubts too. After all, being a hero entails pushing one’s body to the limit, and here I was, initially fragile and without sight or voice…

Now, I’ve improved physically. My spatial perception evolved enough to feel guilty for anyone calling me blind…

As for being mute… there were indeed some difficulties. Communicating via hologram in emergencies is inconvenient in many ways.

And though unlikely, if I found myself in a situation without hologram access, my ability to communicate would be effectively blocked…

‘Maybe the “Confession Necklace” would solve this?’

The Confession Necklace.

It’s considered a mid-to-low-grade artifact by the Association’s standards.

If you just look at the ability to blurt out the wearer’s innermost thoughts, it’s excellent for interrogation.

But the more skilled you become, the more you can control what you confess, and the fact that it imprints on the first user makes it a double-edged artifact.

In the original work, I deemed it useless and auctioned it off. There were other, better artifacts to carry around.

There were enough other ways to interrogate enemies, after all.

But in my current situation, nothing is more urgently needed than the Confession Necklace.

The ability to filter inner thoughts and the imprinting effect? That would be perfect.

Healthy body, perception better than sight, and a necklace that speaks for me…

With that necklace in hand, I’d truly transcend the limitations of disability. Then, I could genuinely assert to those around me that I feel no inconvenience whatsoever.

– Ding!

While imagining an easy future, the elevator doors opened, revealing a corridor laid with red carpet.

Decorations on either side of the corridor were so opulent they suggested they shouldn’t be touched carelessly.

I examined the decor with a wry expression and moved forward. Even walking on the luxurious carpet felt somewhat improper.

Of course, the dormitory facilities below were astonishingly excellent by my standards, but this place seemed to be on another level entirely.

It could pass for a magnate’s mansion. Just the pottery alone seemed to scream wealth.

I stood before a door at the end of the corridor.

The penthouse on the top floor. I took a breath, letting go of some tension, and pressed the doorbell beside the door.

Soon someone would…

– Wheeze

“?”

Almost immediately after pressing the doorbell, the door opened.

In the doorway stood a woman dressed inappropriately for the era. They called it a maid’s outfit, right?

“Good day. I am Ariel Tryden, in charge of guarding Miss Hong Yeon-hwa.”

Her half-closed black eyes blinked, and then she bowed politely.

I bowed in return.

[Hello.]

“Miss is inside. If it’s not too much trouble, may I show you in?”

[Yes, please.]

“Very well, I’ll lead the way.”

After a courteous exchange, Ariel turned her back.

Following her inside, I scanned her with my spatial perception.

Black hair and black eyes. Half-closed eyes and a maid outfit that seemed to be a modernized variant.

‘Ariel Tryden.’

This was my first time seeing her in person, but I knew of her from the original story.

She was a woman who served as both Hong Yeon-hwa’s guardian and attendant, invariably entangled in the narrative whenever Hong Yeon-hwa was involved.

As you’d expect from someone tasked with guarding the heir of the Gop-hwa clan, Ariel was no ordinary talent.

She had been a top-tier hunter in her active days.

It was Ariel, not Hong Yeon-hwa, who had incessantly pursued me during the eleventh loop. That time, her persistence had been quite the annoyance.

“Here we are, sir.”

We walked briefly through the spacious interior.

Ariel stopped beside a door and bowed again.

It seemed this was Hong Yeon-hwa’s room. I was about to nod… Huh?

[Did you just say “sir”?]

“Oh, my mistake. Lee Hayul. Here we are.”

She corrected herself with a mechanical tone and opened the door.

‘……’

I was receiving some rather special treatment.

It was apparent from her manner. Something was off about the way she was treating me as just a guest.

With a perplexed expression, I stepped into the room.

The space inside was quite large.

The furniture filling the room was all high-end, and one wall was made entirely of glass, letting in ample sunlight.

Resting against the headboard of a bed bathed in light was Hong Yeon-hwa.

She seemed anxious as she glowered at a hologram, but upon sensing my deliberate arrival, she turned her head.

“Ah! You came?”

Her anxious expression brightened. Relieved by her overt happiness, I closed the distance between us.

Meanwhile, I scrutinized Hong Yeon-hwa’s condition through spatial perception. I skipped over the external physique and went straight to checking her mana state.

‘Hmm…’

Her mana was twisted and entangled in a disorderly fashion. Such a state would indeed be a significant hindrance to utilizing mana.

Physically, she seemed to be fine. Of course, if mana issues worsened, it would affect the body, but it hadn’t reached that level yet.

As Hong Yeon-hwa called me closer, I moved to her side.

I brought over a chair and sat down beside the bed. From what I could see, Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t seem too ill, which eased my mind a bit.

“Are you hurting anywhere? You seemed in pain when we left the tower.”

[Just like the text I sent the other day, there are no major issues. But I’m more worried about you, Hong Yeon-hwa. Are you really okay?]

“Yeah. There’s no need to worry. At most, I’m just feeling a bit weak, nothing else unusual. I’ll naturally recover in a few days.”

I was frankly baffled by Hong Yeon-hwa’s initial response.

She was the one who couldn’t attend the after-party due to illness, the one who had been lying in bed, so why was I the one receiving concern?

“How was the after-party yesterday? Anything special happen?”

‘Ah, that’s where it began.’

Hong Yeon-hwa asked with genuine curiosity, having missed the after-party herself.

I nodded keenly and tapped away on my smartwatch, recounting my experiences at the after-party.

I wanted to alleviate some of Hong Yeon-hwa’s regret for not being able to attend.

The strange looks when I first entered, the variety on the tables, the spacious and well-facilitated banquet hall.

Getting swept up by cadets after standing up from the side table due to unfamiliarity with the etiquette.

Being tossed around in a daze until Baek Ahrin rescued me…

“That darn… Ahem! Baek Ahrin didn’t do anything bad to you, did she?”

[Bad things?]

I asked with a puzzled tilt of the head, and Hong Yeon-hwa briefly examined my expression before turning away as if to say it was nothing.

She peppered me with questions whenever curiosity struck her during the conversation.

There were quite a few questions about Baek Ahrin, suggesting that despite their bickering, they truly were close.

“Oh, right. I’ve been wondering about that since earlier, what’s that?”

The conversation turned to the after-party as it was nearing its end.

Hong Yeon-hwa pointed to the gift envelope placed on a nearby table. Though she pretended otherwise, clear anticipation shone in her eyes.

‘Oh…’

My fingers, which had been busily tapping on the smartwatch, came to an abrupt halt.

I hesitated for a moment, then clutched the gift envelope close to my chest.

To say I had brought it as a sick visit gift seemed… inadequate.

The extravagance of the facilities I had seen on my way here only reinforced that feeling.

The art-filled corridors, the carpet that seemed too luxurious to step on.

The dormitory that seemed more like a plaza than a home and the dazzlingly bright furniture.

Compared to all of Hong Yeon-hwa’s luxurious surroundings, my gift seemed pitifully humble.

“Huh? Huh? What’s that?”

Hong Yeon-hwa’s voice, tinged with excitement, made me gulp. It seemed she had guessed the purpose of my visit.

Should I hand it over? Or should I pretend at this point that I didn’t bring a gift? No, that would disappoint her expectant eyes, and I couldn’t bear that. But handing over something so modest might also lead to disappointment…

In a brief moment, dozens of thoughts and responses raced through my mind. I was surprised at my own speed of thought.

‘……’

Her expectant gaze pierced me. My body moved on its own. With trembling hands, I timidly offered the gift.

The pre-written message appeared in the hologram.

[I brought this as a gift for your sick visit.]

“Wow! Thank you so much…! I’ll treasure this!”

The concealed anticipation burst forth. Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes sparkled as she reached out her hand.

As she attempted to take the gift, I involuntarily gripped it tightly, but the difference in our strength was evident. Hong Yeon-hwa effortlessly snatched the gift from me.

I swallowed the sigh that was about to burst from my empty hand. The habit of preventing the “Curse of Silence” was becoming ingrained.

“Can I open it now?”

[Yes.]

No sooner had I responded than Hong Yeon-hwa’s hands began to work. Although she seemed hasty, she was careful with every fold of the wrapping paper as she dismantled it.

Seeing her treat my gift with such care warmed my heart, yet the thought that her anticipation might turn into disappointment made it thud wildly.

Finally, the gift was unwrapped.

Amidst the pounding of my heart, the contents of the gift slipped from Hong Yeon-hwa’s grasp onto the bedspread.

“A scarf?”

Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes settled on the gift.

The identity of the gift was a scarf. A plain red scarf, devoid of any special adornments.

[I heard that it’s important for Gop-hwa users to regulate their body temperature.]

Those who possess Gop-hwa have bodies adapted to hold fire energy. Their bodies grow to contain fire, and their mana takes on fiery characteristics.

As a result, Gop-hwa users typically have very high body temperatures. But that’s not always the case.

Like Hong Yeon-hwa now, there are times when body temperature can drop rapidly due to various reasons.

It’s like the desert that’s hot during the day but cold at night.

There have been cases where a Gop-hwa user’s body temperature plummets without end once it starts to fall.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes flickered. She was absentmindedly fiddling with the scarf when she turned her gaze towards me.

I swallowed nervously and waited for her answer.

Within the data felt through spatial perception, I focused, anxious about the words to follow.

“Really, really thank you…! I will cherish it!”

The answer, filled with emotion, made my heart race, but this time out of joy, not tension.

While I relaxed, Hong Yeon-hwa joyously examined the scarf from every angle.

I scrutinized her closely, wondering if she was acting for my sake, but there was no sign of pretense.

‘That’s a relief…’

The unease in my chest melted away. I now understood why people give gifts. Seeing the recipient so happy made me genuinely smile.

“It’s really soft… Where did you buy this?”

Hong Yeon-hwa marveled, feeling the texture of the scarf. She seemed to like how it felt in her grip.

I had paid extra attention to the texture. I hadn’t slept all night because of it.

After taking a sip of the beverage Ariel brought me, I tapped on my smartwatch.

[I made it myself.]

“Ah. Hayul made it… What?”

Hong Yeon-hwa stopped mid-sentence and whipped her head around. Her wide eyes made my body twitch.

Wondering if I had said something wrong, I checked the hologram. There was nothing off.

Concerned that it might have appeared differently from Hong Yeon-hwa’s perspective, I tapped the smartwatch again.

[I made it myself.]

“……”

This time, no answer came.

She just stared blankly at me.

…Why is she reacting like this?