TFUL Ch 3

Autumn arrived in an instant.

The cicada songs that once shook the skies vanished without a trace, replaced by the nightly chirping of crickets wafting through the dormitory windows.

During the day, students strolled leisurely around campus, enjoying the crisp weather. Everyone seemed to welcome the refreshing season with open arms—except for one person.

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“Achoo!”

Felix, unable to resist the tickle at the tip of his nose, sneezed as he walked.
What a horrible season, he grumbled inwardly, taking a seat on a bench. He reached into his bag to find his allergy medicine. But no matter how much he searched, the pill bottle was nowhere to be found. It seemed he had left it back at the dorm.

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“Damn it.”

Cursing under his breath, Felix rubbed his face with a hand. When he lifted his head, he saw pale green vines sprawling everywhere.

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The Maram vine was a plant native to every corner of the Veros Empire that bloomed each autumn. It was so common that most people didn’t care whether it flowered or not, dismissing it as just another weed.

Unfortunately for Felix, he had been born with a natural allergy to the Maram vine. Every time he saw it, his face twisted in annoyance, and he quickly made his escape.

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The endless sneezing and the all-day itchiness at the tip of his nose were enough to ruin his mood entirely.

Even the allergy medicine prescribed by the family physician at the ducal house didn’t work well—it merely stopped the sneezing.

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But last autumn, Adrian had brought him some medicine from who-knows-where. That remedy had been miraculous.

Not only did it stop the sneezing, but it also completely erased the itchiness from his nose.
I can’t live without that stuff.

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As annoying as it was to retrace his steps, it was better than sneezing through class. Felix reluctantly decided to head back for the medicine.

That’s when he saw a familiar figure approaching.

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It was Lucy Keenan, walking straight toward him.

The unexpected sight made Felix momentarily widen his eyes, but his expression soon turned indifferent.

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It seemed Lucy had mistaken him for Adrian from a distance. When she got closer and realized he was Felix, she would probably run away—just like she always did.

Ignoring her, Felix began gathering his belongings from the bench to head back for his medicine.

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But instead of walking away, the footsteps grew closer.

Finally, the round toes of her shoes stopped within his line of sight.

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Felix slowly lifted his head.

Under the clear autumn sky, Lucy’s emerald-green eyes were staring down at him.

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What is this?

Felix swallowed hard without realizing it.

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What’s going on?

Several seconds passed after their eyes met. By now, Lucy Keenan should have gasped in surprise and fled. But she remained standing before him.

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Felix felt his oddly racing heart and thought, Did she mistake me for Adrian again? This time, for sure?

Just as the silence was about to become awkward, Lucy opened her mouth.

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“Senior Felix, I’m sorry to bother you, but the book you borrowed on September 3rd, The History of Murinen, is two days overdue.”

Her small but clear voice flowed into his ears, cool and fleeting, like autumn wind sneaking under his clothes. Felix shivered slightly.

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Ah. The book.

So she had come to collect an overdue library book.

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“That book has a long waitlist, so I’d appreciate it if you could return it as soon as possible,” Lucy added when Felix remained silent.

“I haven’t finished it yet,” Felix said impulsively.

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The book was in his bag at that very moment. He’d already copied the necessary information into his notebook and had no intention of finishing it.

Returning the book now would even save him a trip to the library later.

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But for some reason, Felix didn’t feel like giving it up so easily.

His impulsive response seemed to fluster Lucy.

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“But… you’ve already passed the return deadline by two days. Many people have come asking for that book…”

Lucy trailed off, her expression troubled.

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Felix pulled The History of Murinen out of his bag. At last, a faint smile of relief appeared on Lucy’s face as she extended her small, pale hands toward him.

But instead of handing over the book she so eagerly awaited, Felix suddenly opened it on his lap.

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“Then wait.”

“Pardon?”

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Felix crossed his legs, his gaze fixed on the book as he said, “I’ve only got a few pages left. Sit down and wait.”

“Um…”

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Lucy started to respond but quickly closed her mouth, daunted by Felix’s determination to sit there and resolutely pretend to read.

Though Felix’s eyes were supposedly on the book, they flicked down every so often to glance at Lucy’s restless shoes. Would she just leave?

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It wouldn’t have been surprising. After all, she always avoided him like the plague.

But just as it seemed she might turn to go, Lucy slowly walked to the far end of the bench. She perched herself at the edge, as far from Felix as possible, looking as though she were sitting in midair rather than on the bench.

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Out of the corner of his eye, Felix watched her awkward posture and smirked.

Lucy Keenan was truly amusing.

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She had avoided him so blatantly in the past, yet here she was, enduring discomfort just to get a book.

Oblivious to Felix’s quiet amusement, Lucy alternated between staring at the ground, tapping her feet, watching passersby, and fiddling with the nearby bushes.

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Felix, meanwhile, continued pretending to read, occasionally flipping a page. For some reason, it lifted his mood—enough to ignore the itch at the tip of his nose and remain seated.

“Adrian!”

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The tranquility was shattered by a booming shout.

A group of third-year boys, led by Alec, spilled out of a nearby building and made their way toward Felix.

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“Hey, Adrian doesn’t glare at me like that,” Alec remarked, catching sight of Felix’s menacing stare.

“Then it must be Felix!” one of the other boys joked, plopping down beside him.

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The bench became noisy with the boisterous group surrounding Felix.

“Get lost!” Felix snapped, scowling.

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But his friends only laughed louder and clung to him more. Even when he shoved at their faces, they didn’t budge, instead leaning in with more playful teasing.

Amid the chaos, Felix turned his head to check the far end of the bench. It was empty.

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He soon spotted Lucy Keenan walking away, her back retreating into the distance.

In the commotion, The History of Murinen slipped off his lap and fell to the ground. Felix let out a deep sigh, clenched his fists, and shouted, “Get off me right now!”

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𓍢ִ໋☕️✧

In the end, the book went back into Felix’s bag, forgotten.

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He rushed back to the dorm for his allergy medicine and spent the rest of the day running from one class to another, trying not to be late.

Wednesdays were packed with classes from morning until late evening, and his stubborn decision to sit on the bench pretending to read had thrown his schedule into further disarray.

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By the time Felix finished his last class, a swordsmanship session, and returned to his dorm, he collapsed onto the bed without even drying off after his shower.

“Hey, that’s my bed,” Adrian said from the sofa. Felix lazily waved his hand in response, too tired to argue.

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Adrian said something more, but the words floated out of Felix’s consciousness and drifted through the open window.

Feeling the cool autumn breeze against his cheek, Felix drifted off to sleep.

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When he woke, sunlight was streaming through the window, and birds chirped loudly outside. Sitting up, Felix saw Adrian sprawled on his bed, having claimed it during the night.

Thankfully, their first class of the day was in the afternoon. Felix stretched, got up, and had breakfast.

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When he returned, Adrian was still buried under the blanket. It was unusual for him to sleep so late, but yesterday must have been exhausting for him too.

Felix pulled the blanket over his twin brother’s shoulder and settled on the sofa to enjoy some leisurely time.

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Knock, knock.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence not long after.

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Felix frowned in curiosity. None of their friends were the type to knock so timidly when visiting the Berke twins’ room.

Rising from the sofa, he walked to the door and opened it.

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There, as always impeccably dressed in her uniform, stood Lucy Keenan.