– Into the Manuscript (3) –

The next morning, the dorm supervising teacher, Reuba, came with a doctor and woke up Jungjin. Still foggy, Jungjin stuck to what he had thought of beforehand – that he didn’t remember anything except for his name. The mustached doctor used an antique-looking stethoscope on Jungjin, examining his body here and there. Obviously, there wasn’t anything wrong. He just said that it seemed like this happened because a boy who was already sickly fell into the water and received a shock.

‘I was worried that there would be an off chance something would be discovered that would cause a fuss, but nothing happened. What a relief.’

Reuba kept on speaking to the completely relieved Jungjin, who was holding back a smile. The kind-looking middle-aged woman seemed to pity Kleio. Warmly petting the boy’s thin back, she asked him several times if it was really true that he slipped while taking a walk. Finally, after being asked the same question in a different way for the third time, Jungjin noticed it.

‘Somehow, it feels like she’s looking at me like I’m a soldier who requires concern.’

He had a sudden feeling it seemed like Kleio Asel had tried to commit suicide. His attempt had succeeded since, as a result of that, the person here wasn’t Kleio, but Kim Jungjin.

“We sent word to Baronet Asel, who is in Kolpos right now, but there was no reply.”

“I see.”

“Don’t worry too much. It seems like he is busy with work since it’s the season when the volume of trade increases. Isn’t your father Albion’s best businessman? He likely has many important things to do; it’s not that he is disregarding you at all. You know that, right?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Jungjin, who had still been sleepy, focused. This was incredibly important information. The country’s best businessman, Baronet Asel. It was embedded into his head in 24-point bold font. He had a lot of money and was a noble, not a commoner.

‘This is pretty great.’

It seemed like this kid had enrolled in the school using wealth, among the possible options of talent, family, and wealth. Jungjin’s expression stiffened as he tried to stop the tips of his mouth from sliding up. However she interpreted it, Reuba’s face darkened.

“But your father’s secretary sent word that he transferred your allowance this week as well. You can go to the bank and check.”

‘His kid tried to commit suicide, but he only sent money after hearing the news – I can get a grasp of what the state of his household is like.’

It was a response that would have twisted Jungjin’s heart if he wasn’t a stranger who didn’t even know Baronet Asel’s face.

‘It must’ve been painful for the real Kleio Asel.’

Even a passing character without a name had a life and pain that caused him to find comfort in death.

‘Even if I disappeared in the real world, nobody would know, and nobody would be sad, just like this kid.’

The real-life wasn’t any better than this character in a made-up story. It was a life in the margins, far from the major narrative that led the world. Jungjin shook off those depressing thoughts.

‘Of course, it’s better than not sending money. I pointless got immersed again. I’m Kleio. Kleio Asel. Let’s think positively. It’s every ordinary Korean citizen’s dream to become the tossed-away child of a wealthy family.’

Staring forlornly down at an amazing night view from inside a giant mansion that they own, wondering, ‘Why doesn’t father love me,’ while pouring out expensive wine… Well, something like that. Anyway, it seemed like he needed to check how much was in the account, at least.

“You can go out after you recover a little. I’ll tell your classmate Nebo, so go tomorrow or the day after together. You have sick leave starting from today to Friday, for five days, so rest well. I’ll tell the cafeteria to send meals over to you during that time.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Oh, this is the first time you replied while looking at me in the eyes, Kleio, so I’m quite happy.”

At the words Reuba said while leaving the room, Kleio inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘How dark was his personality that he couldn’t even face the dorm supervisor who treats him this well?’

***

He slept the sleep that he had delayed for ten years in one whole day. Sleep came so well when he was able to let go of the worries that plagued him, like monthly rent and loans.

When he woke up, it was near midday. An attendant brought him a meal, but Kleio kept on sleeping until the bedding was changed. It was truly awkward having somebody else do it for him. He waited for the attendant to finish fixing the beddings and leave, then he ate the late breakfast brought to him.

It was comfortable. It was really great. He had never enjoyed such a luxury before in his life.

‘What kind of school is like this? It’s better than a hotel.’

When he was still in his original world, he had lived constantly with the words, ‘I feel like I’m going to die.’ But it was too often said that a Korean worker’s ‘I want to die’ just meant that they wanted to live without doing work. From what he had seen from the manuscript, there was just one problem about becoming a student of this school. Military service was obligatory after graduation. Of course, the solution to that problem was simple. He just had to not graduate.

‘It’s hard to study well – what would be hard about doing it poorly?’

After plucking and eating the green grapes that came with his meal, Kleio left his bed only to place the empty tray outside his bedroom. The dorm rooms had a hallway in the middle with two bedrooms facing each other. The bedroom window was facing the school campus, where a dense forest spread out, and the living room and bathroom were at the end of the hallway, in the direction of the river. The room that Kleio came out of had a nameplate with ‘Kleio Asel’ on it, and the opposite bedroom had ‘Nebo Yarbi’ on it.

‘Seeing how she told me to go outside with him, this Nebo person must be the one in charge of looking after Kleio Asel.’

He must have gone to class because Kleio hadn’t seen a single hair of him. Since he didn’t need to fear running into his housemate, it was comfortable using the bathroom. Kleio hummed as he filled the tub with water. With things like this, he felt like he should thank the author.

‘This place has water and sewage, too – how great is that? If you went inside a novel and it was the Middle Ages, and there were no beds, but you had to spread straw out to sleep with the pigs and horses even if you were a lord… If it were like that, how wretched would that have been?’

After enjoying the refreshing feeling of soaking in hot water, he shook his hair dry. His rough hair tangled together so that the comb didn’t brush through it well, so he skipped brushing and just smoothed it down until it was good enough.

He stared at his face for a while as he stood before the sink mirror. His cheeks sunk inwards, and his skin was so pale that even after a bath, it was tinted faintly blue. His unevenly cut brown hair wasn’t just rough, but the color had also faded at the ends. The bathrobe was also too big so that just the tips of his fingers came out of it when he put it on.

‘They said his father is super-rich, but was he not fed?’

When he frowned, he noticed his dark brown irises were mixed with grass green. His eyes drooped, and his eyelashes were limp, solidifying a dumb-looking appearance.

‘This is a weakling’s face. Did his peers bully him?’

Aside from looking gloomy, he also looked like someone who can be easily pushed around.

‘Well, let’s think about it when we get there. I’m not going to attend this school for long either.’

Wasn’t he told to rest for a week? A student who listened well should play around and rest. Coming out of the bathroom, the Tempus River stretched out outside of the large window in the dorm living room. Jungjin, who hated water, flinched a little, but his thoughts were soon carried away by the foreign scenery as he walked toward the terrace. The magnificent granite castle and sandstone council across the river looked like a scene from a postcard.

‘I’ve never gone on a trip overseas, but it feels like that here.’

There were eight bridges connecting the banks of the Tempus River, and trolleys and carriages crossed on the wide paths. If you wanted to compare the look of the novel’s world, it was close to the latter half of the 19th century; a period where streetcars and telegraphs existed, but airplanes and hydrogen bombs didn’t. It was a world where kings and prime ministers and science and magic coexisted. While Jungjin was immersed in comparing the manuscript’s contents with the scenery in front of his eyes, something long and wriggling wound around his legs and passed by. Goosebumps swept down his back.

“Ack, what a surprise.”

There was a giant cat as big as a mountain animal lurking around Kleio’s feet. The pitch-black cat, with fur sleek like velvet, kept on meowing like it was complaining at him.

“What sort of cat is this big?”

Only the fur on its mouth, left paw, and belly was white, so it almost looked like it had stolen cream and spilled it. It was cute with glossy black eyes and white whiskers, but the strangely unpleasant expression it was making made him feel bad.

“Meooow–.”

The complaining kept on growing fiercer. It cried so loudly that Kleio decided to bend down and meet eyes with the cat.

“Why are you so mad?”

“Meeooooow!!!”

“Could I understand a cat’s words, really?”

The moment Kleio mumbled those words, the Promise on his left hand shone once more.

[–The basic function of Promise will be exerted.]

At the same time, the cat’s meowing changed to sound like a person’s words.

“Food.”

“?!”

“Give me food!”

“What? Can this world’s cats speak?”

The giant fat cat, hearing Kleio’s mumbling, smacked his cheek hard with its front paw. Kleio’s head swung to the side after receiving a sudden attack.

‘Why is this thing so strong?!’

He wasn’t scratched by the claws, but it was a solid punch that he couldn’t believe came from the soft cream-colored paw.

“Impertinent thing! How dare you compare me, a noble mystical cat, to lowly creatures! Even if there are numerous cats around, only this cat possesses intelligence!”