The Male Lead Suspects Me
Rukna opened the bottle and swallowed the suspicious liquid in one gulp.
It tasted like herbal medicine mixed with vinegar.
On top of that, the slippery texture was truly the worst. But thinking of it as the price of her life, she endured it.
‘Let’s go in first. If school life doesn’t suit me, I can just leave later.’
This wasn’t a prison. It wasn’t like she couldn’t get out.
After finishing the entire bottle, Rukna wiped her mouth and stepped through the school gate, staring at the building ahead.
The moment she drank it, her whole body began to ache. But it wasn’t unbearable.
Meanwhile, Chad, the vice president of the student council, was coming out of a shop with his arms full of snacks. He stared at Rukna’s back as she entered the gate.
“Isn’t that… Rukna?”
“That idiot came back?”
Bolton, the student council secretary, followed Chad’s gaze.
“Wow, that idiot. I thought he’d drop out, but I guess he still wants the diploma.”
“Yeah. Strangely enough, he came back looking fine.”
Chad couldn’t take his eyes off Rukna, looking especially surprised.
“What’s so strange about it? Why are you staring at him like that?”
“Hm… I think Rukna was drinking something interesting just now.”
“Something interesting?”
“Maybe I saw wrong.”
Yaaawn. Stretching lazily, Chad hugged his snacks and headed back to school. Bolton scratched his head and followed.
“By the way, Chad.”
“What?”
“Didn’t Matian go to that idiot’s room earlier? Did he know he was coming back?”
“When the Golden Count’s carriage entered the capital, he probably got a quiet report from the guards. Anyway, it’ll be fun when those two meet.”
Nice. I have to watch. Chad hummed as he hurried his steps.
The Empire’s greatest male educational institution, Saint Military Academy. True to its name, the campus was elegant and massive.
On the wide grounds stood three college buildings and one dormitory facing each other.
Each college offered different courses, and their names came from three heroes who fought in the Demon War 600 years ago.
At the very front was Wigratz College, where physical combat and weapon training were taught. Next to it stood Golden College, where mathematics and magic classes were held.
Behind them was Closet College, where theology and religious studies were taught. Beside it was the dormitory building with a separate bath annex.
In the large field at the center of campus, mounted combat training was in full swing. In the training yards scattered around, cadets practiced with wooden swords.
Some energetic students were busy kicking a ball across the grass.
‘Ugh, I can smell sweat everywhere.’
「Focus, Master. You were supposed to turn right at that intersection.」
‘I was distracted.’
Rukna turned back.
Was that an elf just now? The long pointed ears were distinctive.
She also spotted gnomes and beastfolk with tails. It reminded her again that this was truly a fantasy world.
Though she got lost briefly, Rukna arrived at the dormitory smoothly thanks to the Holy Sword’s guidance.
Inside the square hall, a massive mural of heroes caught her eye.
On both ends of the mural were spiral staircases leading up to the fifth floor.
‘Let’s see. My room is 414…’
After reaching the fourth floor, Rukna walked down the long hallway.
Having a single room was nice, but—
‘Why is room 414’s door wide open?’
When she quickly looked inside, she saw an unbelievably handsome sculpture.
For a moment, she thought he was an elf, but his ears were human.
The man occupying her desk was staring straight at her.
It was a pressure she had never felt even when facing Perta. He was simply sitting with his long legs crossed, yet he seemed to dominate the entire space.
Because of that, Rukna couldn’t even step into her own room. She stood stiffly at the entrance.
‘Did I come to the wrong room?’
She stepped back and checked the nameplate.
Clearly written on it was:
Rukna Golden.
“It’s your room. The door was open from the beginning. Wide open.”
He added that entering an open room wasn’t a violation of school rules and slowly stood up.
Neatly combed black hair. Blue eyes beneath it.
The slightly drooping corners of his eyes gave a gentle impression, but the sharp bridge of his nose was cold like a blade.
And below that, perfectly shaped lips pressed tightly together.
At a glance, he looked exactly like the male lead of this world.
He scanned Rukna expressionlessly, then glanced at the small mirror on the wall.
As if checking his expression, he lifted his stiff lips into a perfect smile.
“Welcome back, Rukna.”
What’s that? Even if you smile now, it’s obvious you’re not happy.
Rukna frowned slightly and glanced at the name tag on his chest.
“Hi… Matian Wigratz.”
She greeted the sculpture-like man who seemed to know this body.
The unfamiliar spelling twisted awkwardly on her tongue.
But she had no time to care about pronunciation.
Her own voice shocked her more.
‘That’s a man’s voice!’
It had changed into a deep, low tone.
She thought nothing had changed after drinking the Gender Juice, but even small things like this had shifted.
‘Wait… then what about here?’
Her gaze dropped to her chest.
She hurriedly touched her upper body.
Without a doubt, she was completely male now.
Matian watched her strange behavior silently, openly frowning before smoothing his expression again.
“I was waiting for you. There’s something I want to ask.”
“W-What do you want to ask?”
A handsome man saying he waited for her should have made her heart flutter.
Instead, her spine felt cold.
The aura he gave off was terrifying.
Matian took long strides toward her. The distance between them closed quickly.
‘I didn’t notice when he was sitting, but he’s huge up close.’
Rukna held her breath.
His heavy presence mixed with a cool scent pressed against her lungs.
“You’ve been absent for quite a while. Did something happen back home?”
His voice sounded kind.
But her tension didn’t ease.
“Personal matters…”
“What kind of matters?”
Still smiling, Matian extended his hand toward her.
Rukna shut her eyes tightly.
He was clearly smiling, yet something about him felt chilling.
‘He looks like the male lead, but his vibe is openly villainous.’
Fortunately, the large hand that seemed about to hit her passed by her ear.
He pulled the door closed.
Thud. Click.
The sharp sound of the lock echoed.
Now the room was a sealed space with only the two of them.
“I asked what kind of matters, Rukna.”
“I-I was just sick.”
Frightened, Rukna instinctively stepped back while making excuses.
Her back hit the door.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
“Really? Are you fine now?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good. But it must have been serious. You’ve changed a lot.”
“C-Changed? I’m the same.”
While answering, she repeatedly called out in her mind.
‘Hi, Bisbi.’
If this continued, she felt like she would either suffocate under his presence or stop breathing entirely.
But no matter how desperately she called, the Holy Sword that had talked on its own earlier gave no response.
“The same?”
Matian slowly lowered his head to meet her eyes.
He looked directly into her green eyes.
“To me, the shell is the same, but what’s inside is different.”
How did he notice?
Did he have some special ability?
Rukna swallowed dryly.
“I… hit my head back home, haha.”
“That’s not funny, Rukna Golden.”
“I-It’s true. I don’t remember anything.”
She awkwardly rubbed her forehead, trying to escape the situation.
“I didn’t even know who you were. I just read your name from the tag.”
“And yet you found your room perfectly.”
“My family told me the basics.”
Just let it go. Please.
She forced a smile.
Matian slowly nodded and straightened up.
“Then you probably don’t know about that either.”
“About what?”
“The Holy Sword that disappeared from the Plaza of Honor. The day you ran out of school, someone took it.”
He smiled even wider.
For a moment, Rukna stared at that gentle smile in a daze—
Then snapped back to her senses.
‘Wait. The Holy Sword… could he mean the one that got delivered to me at dawn?’
A cold feeling ran down her neck.
She knew instinctively she must not act like she knew about it.
Rukna slowly parted her tightly pressed lips.
“I’ve lost my memory. How would I know about something like that?”
“I think so too. But I still feel like I’m missing something.”
As if judging whether she was lying, Matian stared into her eyes for several seconds before sighing.
“Well, maybe I’m worrying for nothing.”
He reached out and unlocked the door.
Embarrassed from being so close to him, Rukna shifted aside to make space.
But Matian did not leave immediately.
He played with the doorknob for a moment—
Then suddenly flung the door wide open.
