Upon hearing Yilu’s words, Lyr was taken aback.
“So soon?”
“I’ve been imposing on you for too long. I feel a bit guilty.” Yilu bit her lip and looked down.
‘Someone like me, receiving help from others and staying in their home, is pushing my luck.’
“But what about you being alone? Will you be okay?”
Lyr was worried that if Yilu was alone, what would happen if that situation occurred again.
“It’s fine. I’ll get used to it slowly.”
This was the only solution Yilu could think of after several days of consideration. Besides this, there really seemed to be no other way.
“It’s not a matter of getting used to it.” Lyr couldn’t understand why Yilu was so stubborn.
He was worried that if she kept on like that, Yilu would become very dangerous, both to herself and to others.
“It’s always been like this anyway.” Yilu’s tone was very calm, so calm that it was almost depressing.
Lyr was at a loss for words. He understood what Yilu meant.
At least before he came to the Academy, Yilu had always handled everything on her own, not even needing help from her family.
In Yilu’s view, it was just returning to how things were.
Lyr frowned and said, “You really don’t have to do this. Even staying here isn’t a bother. At least wait until we find a way to counter the curse before leaving.”
“I don’t think so.” Yilu looked at Lyr.
She didn’t know what the method to counter the curse was, but given the situation, Lyr seemed able to do it, just like he had helped her before.
‘If I just rely on Lyr, I’ll become nothing more than someone who only reaches out to him for help.’
‘After all, in Lyr’s heart, I might not even be a friend.’
‘Asking for help without reason is just being unreasonable.’
‘To put it bluntly, we are just teacher and student. If Lyr hadn’t returned to the Royal Capital, we might not even know each other.’
Lyr shook his head. Ever since that day, he felt Yilu was inexplicably avoiding him.
“Did Tif say something to you that day?” Lyr finally asked the question that had been bothering him.
Tif definitely didn’t have the bad taste to hurt others, but this still had something to do with her.
Like an arrow hitting the bullseye, the thing she had been worried about for days was brought up. Yilu’s body trembled, but she denied it. “We just had a normal chat. Tif is a very nice person.”
Lyr didn’t fully believe those words. Yilu actively complimenting someone was too unusual.
Just as he wanted to press further, Yilu’s voice came again.
“Also, I’ve been troubling you too much these past few days. You don’t need to return those Magic Cores to me. What I said before… just treat it as a joke. We’re even.”
“No, I really don’t understand what you mean.”
Lyr could feel that her words were not as simple as they seemed; there was something else behind them.
“Let’s leave it at that. From now on, I’ll try to cause you as little trouble as possible.”
Yilu bowed to Lyr to express her gratitude. Before Lyr could react, she closed the door again, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.
Looking at the items in his hand, Lyr couldn’t snap out of his stupor.
Yilu had shown signs of disliking him before, but nothing compared to just now.
If it were dislike, there would at least be verbal exchange and allowing the other to be in her line of sight. But the situation just now was completely like she didn’t want to see him again. It felt more like a farewell.
“What’s going on?” Lyr muttered to himself.
He had been considering whether to tell Yilu about the Witch Ruins, but now it seemed she didn’t want to have much to do with him.
Putting down the things in his hand, Lyr stared at the closed door for a while before slowly leaving.
On the other side of the door, Yilu leaned her back against it, quietly listening to Lyr’s footsteps fading away.
When the footsteps completely disappeared, Yilu paused deliberately before opening the door again.
She glanced in the direction Lyr had left. The corridor was already empty. The plate of food and the stack of documents were neatly placed at the doorway.
Yilu brought everything inside. After placing them on the table, she sat there blankly. Her eyes were fixed on the items on the table, but they were hollow, her mind somewhere else.
“This is fine.” After who knows how long, she said this to herself.
Those words felt like she was comforting herself, trying to fill the inexplicable emptiness in her heart.
She had said what needed to be said, and she had cut ties with Lyr. They had nothing to do with each other.
‘After all, I’m not even his friend.’
Yilu felt powerless. She didn’t even have the interest to flip through the stack of documents.
These were brought by Lyr. Logically, should she be happy? At least that guy had thought of her.
Then she would have, like before, said some indifferent words to retort, and half-heartedly snatched them away. If it were before, she definitely would have.
Because this way of interacting with Lyr made her feel relaxed.
She didn’t have to pretend to be strong in front of others, like a hedgehog showing its spikes.
And she didn’t have to be as reserved and at a loss as she was in front of Tif.
‘But what form should I exist in front of Lyr? Should I just treat his help as something I deserve?’
‘Tif was right. That kind of behavior only causes Lyr more trouble.’
‘I always feel it’s better to stay away from Lyr from now on.’
But just thinking about it made Yilu feel listless and very irritated.
‘If Lyr had been like everyone else and ignored me from the start, and not helped me, I wouldn’t be so anxious and unsettled now.’
Yilu casually covered the documents, having no intention to look at them, and not even wanting to eat. ‘What a annoying guy.’
Meanwhile, Lyr had returned to his room after eating something. He lay on the bed, carefully recalling the recent events.
Yilu’s behavior of avoiding him like this really made him uncomfortable.
His gaze fell on the key on the table and the Thunder Spirit Sword leaning against it. His mind was also deliberating.
The night passed without incident. The next day, when Lyr got up to head to the Academy, aside from Tif who had left early, everything was the same as the past few days — he didn’t see Yilu anywhere.