Andra’s eyes were moist. The eyelids, dampened by tears, felt unbearably heavy. Andra was in agony and was crying incessantly.

Suddenly, there was a hand gently caressing her forehead. It was a hand with heavy and rough fingertips. Radiating a warm heat.

Andra abruptly opened her eyes. As her vision cleared, she saw a man pacing in front of her. Surprised by her waking up, he quickly moved closer to her.

But just as he reached out his hand…

With a sudden reflex, Andra swatted away the man’s hand without even realizing it. Their skin collided. He stumbled back, stopping dead in his tracks.

“Andra…?”

“…Dustin Airak?”

A bewildered but tender voice reached her ears.

Andra looked at Dustin with disbelief. Despite the confusion, tears continued to well up and stream down her face. She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, which quickly became soaked. Her face was full of tears.

“You… No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t careful enough.”

Dustin was briefly flustered and took out a handkerchief and approached Andra again. He carefully extended the folded handkerchief towards her. The soft fabric touched her tear-stained cheeks.

Gently, Dustin wiped away her tears and said.

“I should have been more attentive…”

Andra gazed at Dustin as he gently wiped her tears away. Her face that was marred by tears, was filled with confusion. Then, a sharp voice escaped her lips.

“Why are you here?”

“…What?”

“Why are you here? How are you in front of me…”

Dustin stood still once more. His expression gradually hardened. However, Andra was not concerned with his reaction. Pushing his hand away, she shouted.

“Tell me, why are you here! What about father? Or Ansel?”

Andra looked around. She was in an unfamiliar place, neither the townhouse in the capital nor her room in the eastern Avelin mansion. Where was she then? She scanned around anxiously, searching for familiar faces.

“…Andra.”

“Where is this place? Where are we, and why are you here?”

“What are you talking about…”

“Don’t touch me!”

Dodging Dustin’s attempt to reach for her, Andra bolted from the bed and flung open any balcony door. Then, she gasped at the sight before her. A short sigh escaped her lips.

Ah… It’s Hezel.

As she understood the situation, her legs gave out. Dustin, who had quickly followed her, caught her in his arms. Andra looked up at Dustin weakly.

“Dustin, I …”

The man closed his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again. He let out a small breath and shook his head.

“It’s okay, don’t say it.”

Dustin replied in a voice that seemed to suppress his emotions. His deep green eyes were heavy with sorrow, contrasting with the corners of his mouth that struggled to smile. He gently kissed Andra’s forehead and whispered.

“I was wrong. It’s all my fault. So, there’s no need for you to say anything.”

“…….”

“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you feeling better now?”

His question was tender, but strangely, it didn’t resonate with her. Andra looked down and steadied her ragged breath. She gestured for him to let her go. Dustin complied and released her.

Standing on her own two feet again, Andra subtly avoided Dustin’s gaze.

“……Andra.”

“I’m, I’m fine… Just…”

“Is it just because you were startled? Is there anything I should be…?”

“No. I’m really fine. Can you just… wait outside for a while? I need to change… I’m just too overwhelmed right now…”

Andra said this while looking down at her pajamas. The white garment flutters in the breeze.

Turning her back to Dustin, she looked out towards Hezel, feeling that otherwise she wouldn’t be able to endure this moment. Dustin remained silent for a while but then nodded and stepped back.

“Okay. Come out when you’re ready.”

Only after hearing his footsteps fade away and the door close did Andra let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding back. Her heart had been pounding furiously. She collapsed right there, pulling her legs up to her chest and burying her face in them, trying to sort out her jumbled thoughts.

‘It was too vivid, too…’

The events of the past were as clear as if they happened yesterday. It was unbelievable that the kind Dustin was the same Dustin Airak. Despite knowing he was the same person and that he loved her, the Dustin she despised and loathed from her past overlapped in her mind. Her throat felt parched, and she instinctively felt repulsed by him.

‘It must be because of the well Nera pushed me into?’

Nera had tricked Andra into falling into the well as her ‘final test’. Although she didn’t know exactly what Nera’s test was, it was clear it was meant to distance her from Dustin. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have brought back such vivid memories of the worst day of her coming-of-age ceremony.

Andra’s head throbbed with pain.

‘Don’t think about it anymore. Getting agitated is exactly what Nera wants. But…’

Despite not wanting to, the past refused to leave her mind. Just the thought of Dustin made her body tremble beyond her control. Every fiber of her being screamed rejection of him. Andra swallowed dryly and looked down again.

‘Right, I can’t forget…’

Of course, she couldn’t forget. What Dustin did to Andra at the coming-of-age ceremony was unforgettable. How could she forget the man who deliberately threw away her mother’s only keepsake? The man who had thrown her to the ground and mocked her.

After that day, Andra returned to the townhouse and spent three days bedridden. Fortunately, the continuous rain over those days discouraged people from going out, which somewhat contained the spread of rumors about her.

Soon after, it was revealed that Lady Venetolia was terminally ill, sparing Andra from becoming the subject of gossip for a while. However, this also meant she had to face an audience with the Emperor immediately upon recovery.

During her first audience with the Emperor, Andra was reprimanded and forbidden from setting foot in the capital for a year. She saw this as a blessing in disguise and, upon returning to the townhouse, did not hesitate to pack her things.

Leaving a letter for Jonathan, she returned to the East and stayed away from the capital for two years.

Life back East brought Andra peace. She avoided social events, roamed the wheat fields and forests, spent days locked in the library, and took over some responsibilities as the Madam of the family. Her father, Marquis Avelin, did not reprimand her for this.

Thus, Andra lived freely, immersing herself in finding what she truly wanted to do, just as Stephanie Jewelie had advised. Eventually, she discovered her calling.

Two years flew by quickly. When Ansel was sent back from the capital to the East, Andra prepared to enter the academy and left for the capital again. She thought she could start anew there, amidst the winds of change.

However, this notion shattered at the entrance ceremony, where she encountered Dustin Airak.

Andra neither respected nor showed courtesy towards Dustin upon meeting him again. From then on, their enmity became common knowledge. Their relationship deteriorated to the point they were at now.

‘What brings the noble Lady Avelin to the academy?’

Andra cringed at the memory of Dustin’s voice from the past. Negative memories involving Dustin kept surfacing. She unconsciously touched her chest, then sighed, feeling nothing around her neck.

‘This must be what Nera wanted.’

Her eyes drooped gloomily. Andra sat with her face buried in her knees for a long while.

‘Wait a minute, but how is Dustin here at Hezel?’

Finally, she mustered the strength to get up and opened the door. She couldn’t stay lost in gloom forever. She needed to understand the situation.

Outside her room was what appeared to be a parlor. Dustin was restlessly pacing near the window. Seeing Andra come out, he quickly approached her. What’s wrong? Is there a problem? Does the dress not fit? He extended his hand towards Andra who was still in her pajamas, but slowly retracted it when she flinched.

“I must have…. done something wrong again. I’m sorry.”

The pale-faced man stepped back like a scared child.

“No, it’s not that….”

“It’s okay, tell me. What’s bothering you?”

“…How did you get into Hezel? And what about Dean?”

At Andra’s question, Dustin sighed and nodded. He spoke in a calm tone.

“Right. I wanted to talk to you about that. You should probably get dressed first. I’ll wait for you. Come out after you’ve changed.”

“Is there somewhere I should go…?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’ll get changed and come out.”

Following Dustin’s suggestion, Andra changed her clothes and came outside. Dustin then began to lead her somewhere, thankfully not far away.

He naturally opened a door, and Andra stepped inside. There, a dragon was curled up, groaning in pain.

“Miss Andra!”

A middle-aged man, who was close to the dragon, rushed towards her when he saw her. It was Bon, the geographer. His shout drew the attention of others who were examining the dragon, including Hailey and Rio, who had guided Andra before.

“Professor?”

“You’ve finally woken up! It’s good it didn’t last over a fortnight. That’s rare, you know.”

“A fortnight?”

Andra looked at Bon, needing an explanation. Hailey then appeared and spoke in his place.

“You’ve been asleep for just under a fortnight.”

“…I’ve been asleep that long?”

“People usually sleep like that once they arrive here. It’s the body adapting to this place. Anyway, you should rest more. Why are you here? Did the newbie bring you?”

Hailey pointed at Dustin with her index finger, asking if he brought her. Dustin, familiar with being called a newbie, just nodded nonchalantly.

Andra alternated her gaze between Dustin and Hailey curiously, then finally asked about the groaning dragon.

“What’s wrong with the dragon?”

Dustin replied,

“It ate Dean.”

__