During the six months she had spent by his side, she had never seen him distracted in class. Even when she arrived, he would ignore her as long as he was doing homework or in the midst of lessons.
Sigrun approached him in delight.
“Ian, here, I bought you a drink.” She took out a bottle of mineral water from one of his favorite brands.
“Mmm-hmm, just leave it there.”
Before she knew it, Ian retracted his gaze as the distant look he usually had returned. It felt as if the gaze he threw Sigrun earlier was nothing but an illusion, causing her to feel disappointed.
Nonetheless, she quickly regained her composure as if nothing had happened. Taking out her notebook, she planned to do her homework while keeping him company.
“Ian?”
Suddenly, someone shouted outside the classroom.
Startled by the voice, Sigrun looked up and noticed that Ian had gotten to his feet and hurried outside.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ian, t-the teacher wants to evaluate me, saying that I’m a transfer student. Only with the evaluation test results can they decide which grade to place me in. After taking a look, I realize it’s mostly in… French.”
Filled with dismay, Susan had arrived with her backpack while clutching the test paper. She hung her head so low in embarrassment that it seemed to be buried in her chest.
She had started out confident due to her being a top student at the University of Pollerton.
Unfortunately, her ignorance of many French professional terms disheartened her, let alone the accounting knowledge required of her.
After skimming through it, Ian led her into the classroom.
“Sit here.”
“Oh, okay.”
As she took her seat, Susan gave Sigrun an apologetic look.
A few minutes later, both of them went through the test paper together. Observing them by the side, Sigrun suddenly realized the usually aloof Ian was especially gentle and patient when it came to explaining Susan’s test to her.
“Do you understand now?”
“Mmm-hmm, I got it. What about this?”
“Let me take a look.”
They spent half an hour of recess working on the paper.
By the time Susan left, her mood had brightened up. As she put her test paper away and put on her backpack, she smiled vibrantly at Ian.
“Ian, thank you so much. Let me buy you lunch.”
“Hmm?”
“To thank you, of course. Also, Sigrun, do join US. Both of you can decide where to eat. Once I’m done, I’ll come and see you. Anyway, I’m going back to class now.”
With that, she ran off with her backpack bouncing on her back.
Sigrun sat and watched Susan’s silhouette disappear before returning her attention to Ian.
“Ian, are you going?”
“I’m fine either way,” Ian casually remarked. Sigrun was stumped.
Either way?
During the past half year, she had never seen him eat outside. He would either eat the food Vivian had sent over or head back to their apartment. There was not a single Instance of him eating at a place outside the school.
Suddenly, Sigrun was unsettled by a thought.
Meanwhile, after Susan slipped back into her classroom, she held onto her furiously beating heart, as if she was filled with excitement over doing something amazing.
Luckily, Ian didn’t reject me and even explained the test to me.
As she carefully unrolled the test paper he had gone through with her, she felt as if she could catch his scent on it.
It was a faint mint smell that was especially pleasing to her.
When the school bell rang at noon, she dashed out of class excitedly to have lunch with Ian and Sigrun.
However, she arrived at the Faculty of Finance to find that both of them were not there. After checking with the other students, she learned that Ian had left a while ago.
“Ian? He has already left. Every noon, his girlfriend will meet him for lunch. She treats him very well and is particularly attentive,” one of the students informed her.
The instant she heard those words, she felt as if someone had poured cold water on her brimming passion. Frozen in place, whatever enthusiasm she had earlier had now vanished.
Girlfriend? Is it Sigrun? That’s right. I forgot to ask Kurt the other day about who she was. She introduced herself as the granddaughter of the Chief of Staff of the Army, but I forgot to ask her what she was doing there. With both siblings and Kurt together, they would have enough company. Thus, what’s the point of her presence?
After receiving a call from her daughter, Sigrith replied, “Her? She’s the fiancee that Jonathan has found for Ian. I heard that she is the best candidate they have after a long search and is probably related to one of his old comrades.”
Fiancee?
Susan felt a buzzing in her head.
She couldn’t believe her ears. In just half a year, the Jadesons have already decided on his engagement? In that case, does it mean that we no longer have a chance to be together?
Holding her phone, Susan felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
