The Nerdy Young Lady’s Rental Boyfriend

3 – Our Beloved Has Changed (2)

The voice of the unfamiliar woman disappeared from my mind as quickly as it had come. With a perplexed mind, I tried to dig through the remnants of her voice, but even the traces were long gone. Left in that space were numerous questions like sprouting seedlings.

Yuna donated 1000 won to me. The meaning was clear, but the intention was unclear, making it sound like a riddle. Amidst all this, the part that caught my attention the most was the unfamiliar unit of 1000 won. I had never heard of such a strange unit, not in the Empire, its subordinate kingdoms, or even in the land of demons. What does this mean? What did she donate to me?

I stood there for a while, contemplating my existence like a philosopher. However, my dull mind couldn’t come up with any conclusions. Despite that, the warmth of Yuna’s hand lingered on the palm that I held. I put my hand into my pocket, filled with cold emptiness, just to touch that lingering warmth.

And at that moment, the mystery of the unfamiliar unit, 1000 won, was unraveled.

Originally, the pocket that should have been as empty as an abyss felt the touch of a cold coin. Without realizing it, like an instinct, I grabbed the coin and pulled it out in front of my eyes. And I met the very unfamiliar 1-shilling coin.

“…Huh?”

As the coin was pulled out, a questioning breath escaped my mouth. My pocket was completely empty a moment ago. Where did this come from? I stared at the small coin for a very long time, unable to discern whether the scene before me was real or not.

Actually, the currency called a shilling didn’t attract much attention like this. Especially in this academy where nobles, and even the crown prince, practically treated it like a rolling stone in terms of value. Well, their purposes were similar. Both were used to throw at beggars on the street.

However, from the perspective of those beggars, the value of a stone and a shilling was like heaven and earth. The former generally promised death, while the latter could guarantee a hopeful future. Especially for me, who was pondering over not having lunch money, its value was exceptionally precious.

Still, instead of being happy, I looked at the coin with eyes full of suspicion. Money picked up from the roadside and a young child always carried countless untold stories. If you didn’t properly understand those stories, they could come back as misfortune someday.

“Hmm…”

“Hey, Ellen. What are you doing?”

While staring at the coin for a long time, suddenly the metallic voice of a mermaid mixed with a sigh reached my ears. When I looked up, Gwero was approaching me with heavy footsteps. Without asking for permission, she plopped down on my desk with a thud.

“What have you been staring at so intently… Oh, what’s this? Did you work hard at your part-time job?”

“…”

“What’s this? Are you ignoring me now? That’s disappointing. Hey, I won’t ask you to buy it, so at least answer. Ellen. Ellen?”

“…”

Ignoring, right.

Anyway, no matter how much I thought about it, the fact remained that this money had entered my possession. So, the voices in my head were probably not just simple hallucinations. It seemed reasonable to believe that Yuna must have sponsored me with this money.

But why, exactly?

“Hey, Ellen. Are you going to keep ignoring me? Hey. Hey!”

As Yeongae continued to ignore me, I couldn’t help but think about why she had shown such kindness to me. I had done nothing more than hold her hand, after all.

…

Hand…

“Miss, you seem angry. Should I give her a punch? Ellen, you… hmm…?”

Contemplating, I lifted my head and met eyes with Gwero. After ignoring me for a while and finally showing a reaction, Gwero seemed a bit flustered as she took a step back. However, without hesitation, I walked towards her.

And without any warning, I grabbed her ample chest.

“…”

“Hmm…”

A remarkably gentle sensation wrapped around the palm. As I firmly pushed away the clenched palm, a warm touch penetrated through the gaps between my fingers. It was an extraordinary feeling, one could even describe it as special, but I focused more on the voices in my head than on that. However, the next moment brought not the cold voice of the woman but a somewhat annoying voice of Gue-ro.

“…You touched it, so it’s 1 shilling. Fork it over.”

“Hmm… as expected, huh?”

I wondered if I had gained some special ability in my hands. Like the ability where touching, akin to the famous King Midas in mythology, turns things into gold. However, my hands seemed to have more of an inclination towards consumption than production. I reluctantly tossed the newly acquired 1 shilling to Gue-ro and raised my head.

“As expected. There’s no way I would have such an ability.”

“What ability? The ability to touch a girl’s chest and not feel anything?”

“Strictly speaking, we can’t consider you a girl since we’re different species.”

“What’s with you now? Are you discriminating? I’ll report you to the Management Bureau.”

“Just know that the reporting fee costs more than 1 shilling.”

In response to my comment, Gue-ro pursed his lips. However, soon he looked at the coin with his small horns and ears perked up, shining eyes fixed on it.

“Ha, anyway, I made some easy money today. Feels good, huh?”

“Because I touched your chest? Or because I earned money?”

“Is it enjoyable to touch? Am I some kind of cat to you?”

“Well…”

That’s true. It wouldn’t feel great just because I touched.

That raised more questions. Why did Lady Yeong-ae give rice money to a poor commoner like me? No matter how much I thought and tilted my head, the answer didn’t easily come to mind.

“Hmm… By the way, where did this money come from? Even if it’s a reward, earning money so easily feels somewhat suspicious.”

“A reward? What’s that?”

“Hmm… Perhaps it was too difficult a word for our little one. Anyway, where did you hear that?”

What should I do? I should probably tell the truth. Though I hesitated for a moment, I thought it was better than silently agonizing, so I slowly opened my mouth.

“It was from Yuna.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well… I don’t know. We happened to hold hands earlier, and suddenly she gave me money.”

“What? You held hands with that precious young lady?”

As expected, Gueiro not only listened with seriousness but also playfully poked my side with a chuckle. His body was almost bull-like, so why did he act so tenderly like a child?

“Oh, you must have been quite shocked. Didn’t scream, did you?”

“Fortunately, no. Instead, she tossed me a coin.”

“That’s quite a mystery. Why did she do that? Just grabbed whatever was at hand and threw it because she had nothing else to toss?”

I wouldn’t have pondered so much if that were the case.

“You know, Gueiro.”

“Hmm?”

“What if she gave me money because she felt good when I held her hand?”

Even as I uttered the words, it sounded foolish. But Gueiro seemed to read the sincerity in my voice and thought about it seriously. True to our long-standing friendship, he responded with genuine consideration.

“Well… it was a bit uncomfortable when you grabbed my chest.”

“I’ll try to make it feel more pleasant next time.”

“But who knows. I don’t know how Lady Yeong-ae took it. Lately, she seemed quite lonely, so maybe a human touch felt more welcoming than expected.”

“Maybe.”

“Yeah. And well… You may be a bit foolish and an inconspicuous, poor commoner, but you’re not such a bad guy. Maybe, secretly, she had some feelings for you.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“Oh, really? Since you mean it. Should I ask? Here!”

Suddenly, Guegeo’s voice shook the classroom with a growl. In response, an elf in the corner looked up, sensing vibrations instead of sound.

” …? “

“He’s not a bad guy, huh?”

“Learn sign language.”

“Iriya understands everything. Right? He’s not a bad guy, right?”

Iriya lightly closed his eyes as if contemplating, not knowing if he really understood. Then, as always, he nodded with a smile in his eyes.

” !! “

“See? I told you, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

I casually nodded and leaned against the wall. Feeling something hard behind my back, my dizzy mind felt a little calmer.

Could it really be possible? Of course, it seemed highly unlikely, but Guegeo’s story was not something I could simply deny. Anyway, you can’t speculate on what’s in a person’s heart.

In the end, I couldn’t know unless I asked Yuna directly.

“Hey, Guegeo.”

“What? What now?”

“Where do nobles usually go during lunchtime?”

After a long contemplation, I made up my mind and stood up again. Guegeo furrowed his brow and shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

“Well, I guess those nobles will go to the cafeteria to eat. And in the remaining time… well, I don’t know. Some people enjoy some kind of sports at the gym, and the girls go to cafes for social gatherings or something like that. Maybe they’ll be there?”

“Hmm… I see…”

If it were the her from the past, she might have been socializing with other nobles as Guelo suggested. However, Yuna now didn’t seem likely to do so. I pondered for a moment before slowly getting up.

“I guess I should look into it. Anyway, thanks Guelo.”

“No problem. We’re chitchat buddies, right? It’s nothing special.”

“Chitchat buddies?”

“Usually called ‘f*ck buddies,’ but unfortunately, I don’t have that.”

“Don’t have one?”

“Hey…”

Ignoring Guelo’s annoyed voice, I quickly left the classroom. I could wait until the end of lunchtime, but waiting was not my preference.

I didn’t know about other places, but lunchtime in this academy was quite long, lasting two hours. Therefore, most students preferred enjoying physical activities on the spacious field or staying at the cafe, claiming camaraderie, to satisfy their remaining appetite.

However, no matter how much I thought about it, she didn’t seem likely to be in such places. Recent Yuna seemed almost disinterested in social activities. She appeared more inclined to be in a quiet place, away from the eyes of people.

And to my knowledge, the only place like that was outside the library.

The library of this academy received rather humble treatment despite its massive size. Partly because students weren’t much interested in academics, but more so because the library’s books boasted a truly poor quality. The title of being the largest library overshadowed the fact that they couldn’t afford to spend on the content, revealing the aristocratic circumstances hidden beneath.

Even I, making such comments, had set foot in this library for the first time. But strangely, it didn’t feel unfamiliar. The carpet covered in dust, the old librarian peacefully dozing at the entrance, the musty smell of old books filling the air – all these scenes, instead of the glamorous charm of nobility, seemed to embrace the simplicity of commoners like me.

But anyway, since it was indeed an enormous library, it seemed to take quite some time to find someone here. I thought about waking up the old librarian to ask, but I didn’t think he would know anything. So, without any specific information, I started walking aimlessly.

Shuffle. Shuffle.

With each step I took, dust rose from the sole of my shoes. Every time, the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the vast library, and in response, the creaking sound of the worn-out wooden floor resonated together. The sounds rising from the lowest point unexpectedly formed a pleasant harmony, soon turning into a subdued melody that soared towards the ceiling. For some reason, I found myself enjoying these sounds and began to listen attentively.

Shuffle. Shuffle.

Creak. Creak.

Shuffle. Shuffle.

Creak. Creak.

Thud. Thud.

Creak…

…

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

At that moment, an eerie dissonance abruptly intruded. It was a faint, elusive sound, resonating as if audible yet vague—a sound distinctly not my own footsteps. I made an effort to minimize my own footfalls as I approached the sound.

Thud. Thud.

…

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

As I closed in, the sound steadfastly receded, heading deeper into the library. It felt like playing a game of tag. However, since the endpoint was clearly defined, I leisurely pursued the sound.

Thud. Thud.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Thud. Thud.

Tap. Tap. Tap… Tap…

After a short while, as we converged towards the end of the library, the faint footsteps gradually diminished. Then, hesitating for a moment, they disappeared, this time not towards the front but towards the side. It seemed like someone had hidden themselves among the shelves.

Though the effort was virtual, given the distance covered, hiding spots were not plentiful, and finding it was not overly challenging. Soon enough, I could sense a presence near a shelf.

However, just as I was about to enter, I had no choice but to halt my steps upon seeing the inscription laid on top of the shelf.

And thus, we could discern how reluctant our beloved Yeong-ae was to meet people.