"So, did you also apply to the Imperial Mage Academy?"
Lyra asked Ian, who was sitting opposite her in a nicely decorated, quiet restaurant. Her curious yet nervous gaze landed on the youth whose attention seemed elsewhere.
Ian sipped his tea, seemingly lost in his thoughts, but replied regardless.
"Yeah! I want to experience what academy life is like."
Hearing his nonchalant answer that seemed half-hearted, Lyra was annoyed-her patience was running thin.
"Ian! You don't need to follow me everywhere, you know. The Veilstrider family doesn't need the quota from the Imperial Academy. What is the use of studying there? And don't tell me it is for experience."
Lyra chided in a low voice. Her aristocratic roots didn't allow her to scold loudly or use impure words; otherwise, she would have cursed him outright.
After hearing her seemingly angry rebuke, Ian came out of his reverie.
He placed the teacup in his hands on the table and looked at the girl opposite him, who was upset by his actions.
Lyra Storme, eldest daughter of the head of the Storme family, was his childhood sweetheart.
Ian hated to admit it, but those flowing blonde hair that caught the light, large bright blue eyes framed by soft lashes, and a slight blush on her cheeks due to her anger made her look otherworldly and gorgeously beautiful.
'No wonder I was enamored.'
Ian thought as he looked at her perfect figure sipping tea gracefully. It seemed her throat was parched from scolding him.
"Don't worry, I am not following you. I have my own plans in this matter."
Ian said after understanding her point of view. However, his reassurance didn't calm down Lyra.
With a frustrated look, she leaned back in her chair, gazed at his handsome figure, and said in a slightly cold tone.
"Ian! Can you please respect my privacy? Why do you have to do this?" She asked, her tone tinged with a quiet desperation.
"Unlike you, I have to get this quota from the Academy to enter the Tower; otherwise, I have no chance. I just want to focus this year—no distractions."
In the end, her voice became a little louder as she tried to make him understand the severity of this situation.
Unlike Ian, who was the sole heir of the prestigious Veilstrider family, Lyra didn't have such advantages.
To get into the Ignisia Tower, she had to fight and secure a quota one year later.
'Sigh!'
Ian couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He was also slightly angry at getting scolded for nothing.
But, he had to admit that even though Lyra seemed overboard, he couldn't point it out to her.
After all, it was his past actions that led to this. Or, it was his predecessor's overly obsessed behavior that led to this.
Yes, he had transmigrated into the novel, Arcane Passage, which he read three days ago as Ian Veilstrider. He didn't know how he died, as he was already in this world when he woke up.
He was the son of Duke Eldric and the only heir of the Veilstrider family of the Ashford Empire.
He and Lyra were childhood sweethearts who grew up together.
However, as time went on, Ian became obsessed with Lyra and began to follow her everywhere.
Although it was romantic at first, it quickly became a headache for Lyra due to his dog-licking behavior.
So, after multiple bad encounters like this, their relationship became estranged as Lyra began to dislike him.
Furthermore, due to the turmoil within the family and the protagonist's counter-attack, Ian lost his childhood sweetheart.
Of course, even though he knew what happened in the novel, he couldn't bring himself to hate the girl in front of him, as she hadn't actually left him for the protagonist.
Their relationship had simply grown estranged due to his own obsession.
In fact, he realized that this strong obsession still lingered within him, even after transmigrating into this body.
As for why he was so absent-minded at first, it was because he was thinking of the solution to the turmoil within his family.
Fortunately, he arrived in this world before the plot started, and it wasn't a dead end yet.
So, he wasn't lying when he said he had plans to go to the Imperial Academy. There was something he must get from the Academy for his plan.
'But how should I explain? Or should I even do that?'
He wished he could just scold her as a bitch and end this relationship, like in those clichéd novels.
But his situation was different, and if there was any bitch, it was most likely him—or a dog, at that.
Ian thought while looking at Lyra's pouting face, which was on the verge of exploding.
She was definitely enraged, yet there was something weirdly intriguing about her look that made his thoughts crumble a little making his obsession haywire.
He fought to keep his thoughts under control, but the phrase spilled out with a grin tugging on his lips before he could stop himself.
"Cute!"
'What the heck?'
Lyra, who was expecting something more mature or at least some consolation, heard his words, causing her to lose her defense in a second.
Suddenly, her face turned scarlet, her ears turned bright red, and she cursed him, clearly flustered.
"Ian, you bad guy, can't stop for a second."
Lyra, who didn't know other foul words, could only curse him with her limited vocabulary.
She stood up from her seat and tried to slap him on his face in shame—though not hard enough to actually strike.
"Okay, okay! I am sorry." Ian quickly dodged her slap, laughing a little.
"Don't be mad."
He never knew this girl to be so thin-skinned.
'I need rest.'
Ian thought, clearly aware that his mind was jumping everywhere.
After Lyra calmed down, she sat in her seat and sipped the tea from her cup without giving him any attention. However, the slightly red ear gave her emotions away that his remarks still flustered her.
Once Ian saw her calm down, he hurriedly organized his words and talked to her seriously.
After all, when he transmigrated, he also inherited this body's relationship. So, he couldn't lose this silly girl even more.
He definitely wasn't coveting her beauty.
"Look! You don't have to worry about me joining the Academy. I really have something to do there." Ian first earnestly confessed and continued.
"I know how important this quota is to you, so I won't get in your way. You can focus on your practice without any distractions.
I'll keep myself busy with my own things, and you can concentrate on yours—there won't be any issues. You can ask me for help if needed, just like you did now."
He didn't forget to remind her that it was she who had invited him just moments ago.
Although it seemed contrary to his previous behavior, he didn't want to pamper her without dignity.
Lyra heard his promise but rolled her eyes.
"Who needs your help?" She pouted in dissatisfaction.
How could she foolishly believe his words? However, she didn't quarrel this time seeing his serious look.
Moreover, he indeed hadn't pestered her recently, and she was the one who had invited him now.
"Okay. You can go to the Academy but don't disturb me like before. If you follow me everywhere again, I will ask my aunt to break your leg."
She broke the wooden spoon beside her teacup as if it were his leg.
Ian was amused.
"Haha. Don't worry. I have more things to care about than to follow you, silly girl, everywhere." Ian laughed at her antics.
He would definitely not follow her everywhere like his predecessor.
In fact, for three days, he didn't even meet her as he was busy organizing his memory at home. This time, he met her only because she invited him.
Of course, if he had known he would be this obsessed, he would have postponed this meeting.
"Who is a silly girl? Ian, don't act cocky. Don't I know what virtue you have? If I am silly, you are a fool."
Lyra was triggered by his remarks as if she wanted to punch his smug face.
"Heh, a foolish boy and a silly girl. Don't you think we are a perfect match?"
Ian couldn't help but joke to liven up the atmosphere.
"You...You..." Lyra pointed at his nose, clearly flustered.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Who is your perfect match? Don't daydream."
She was so ashamed that her entire face was red. If it was a cartoon, he was sure there would be smoke coming out of her ears.
Ian also reacted after seeing extreme reactions from Lyra.
Basically, although they both knew about his feelings, he had never expressed them like this before. They were still novices about relationships.
No wonder Lyra was flustered all over. She might be thinking of him as a hooligan.
"I warned you. Don't appear in front of me again. Goodbye."
After scolding him, Lyra hurriedly left the restaurant as she didn't want to see this person's face even for a second. He was too shameless.
Just when Ian was confused about what to do, he suddenly heard a sound in his mind, halting his thought.
[Ding!]
[Lyra's favorability increased by 5.]
[You have slightly changed the plot.]
[A new quest has been activated.]