#24.
Things were finally starting to go smoothly. Roni strolled through the campus with a light heart after class.
The whole world looked beautiful. Was this how it felt when luck just fell into your lap? She did feel a little bad about blackmailing Ian, but hey—it’s not like he didn’t offer the idea first.
Humming a cheerful tune, Roni made her way toward the secret lake. She came here whenever she had the chance, hoping to bump into Khan again. But he wasn’t easy to find.
Today, she headed there with the feeling it might be the last time. And sure enough—Khan was there.
At the lake, Khan sat playing by himself, tossing stones, his soft pink hair neatly pulled up in a style that didn’t suit his age. What a relief.
“We meet again, Khan?”
Roni greeted him brightly. Khan turned, startled by her voice, and upon realizing it was her, quickly turned back toward the lake and continued skipping stones. A perfect snub.
“What’s this? Are you ignoring me after seeing your noona?”
“Who are you calling noona?!”
At the word noona, Khan flinched as if recalling a past humiliation. He reflexively cupped his cheeks, as if to shield himself from another attack.
Kids will be kids, after all. Roni noticed the illustrated case next to Khan and smiled. He didn’t break it, huh?
“You treasured it well, didn’t you? I see you’ve kept it safe. Good boy.”
“I-I just liked the picture on it, that’s all!”
“Well, that’s a nice thing to hear too.”
Roni sat next to him. Khan didn’t seem to mind her presence. Why does this kid always wander around alone? she wondered. Roni found herself worrying about him.
After that, the two didn’t exchange many words. Roni sketched in her notebook while Khan continued playing with the stones.
It was Khan who broke the silence first.
“That time, I didn’t skip the recital because I didn’t want to go.”
“Mmm~ I see. I was a little hurt, to be honest. I even offered to be your one-day noona, and then I got stood up.”
“…My mother suddenly fell seriously ill.”
“!!!”
Roni looked at him, startled. Khan’s expression didn’t look good. No way… did she… pass away? She held her breath, waiting anxiously for his next words.
“What’s with that face? My mother’s still alive.”
“Oh, geez—you scared me!”
Khan frowned as if annoyed by her reaction. Embarrassed, Roni turned back to her sketch.
“The truth is, I had a fight with my mother that day and used the recital as an excuse to run away.”
“Hmmm…”
Roni listened closely as Khan began to speak like he was confessing. Maybe the incident had created a bond between them, and now he was opening up.
“My mom has a chronic illness. The doctors say there’s no hope. She’s just waiting for the end now.”
“I see…”
“She used to love my violin playing. That’s why I started in the first place. But these days, I hardly get to spend time with her because of it. My dad sent me to this school.”
“Oh dear…”
“My father says I’m a genius. I was happy to be acknowledged by him. Before I knew it, I was playing the violin just to earn his approval.”
He smiled faintly, recalling the praise, then continued in a somber tone.
“My mother, though, looked sad when she saw me like that. I thought she felt lonely because of my violin. I got so absorbed in it, I started neglecting her. I blamed myself for not visiting her often—always using practice as an excuse…”
Khan paused, seeming lost in the memory. Roni waited quietly for him to continue.
“After I met you, I got word that my mother’s condition had worsened. When I went to see her, she smiled and said… when she hears my violin, it feels like the pain disappears.”
Roni’s eyes welled up. He was so young, yet his love for his mother was deeply touching.
She began to understand why he tried to act like a grown-up. As a son caring for a sick mother, it must’ve been hard to show any weakness.
He was only pretending to be strong—deep down, he was struggling. Khan looked her in the eyes.
“That’s why I wanted to say thank you. If you—no, if you, noona—hadn’t stopped me that day, I might have done something I’d really regret. That violin was a gift from my mom.”
He was genuinely grateful. His overly formal speech felt strange for his age, but it was sincere.
Roni wiped her tears and smiled brightly.
“No need to thank me. Anyone would’ve done the same.”
Khan simply replied, “Maybe,” and turned back to the lake. They didn’t say much more, but it was enough.
Roni didn’t ask for Khan’s real name. She liked keeping that kind of distance. Maybe it was because they were practically strangers that he could open up to her like this.
But Khan seemed to think differently. His face flushed with emotion, he looked determined as he spoke.
“Ron Cancio.”
“Huh?”
“My name. It’s Ron Cancio.”
Ron?!
Roni stared at him in shock. Khan grinned like he’d been waiting for this reaction.
“Ron” was a royal surname. His fancy clothes and hair accessories that didn’t match his age—it all made sense now.
Roni thought of Vianna. Khan’s eye color was a bit more muted, but still similar to hers.
In the comic, the only royal family member who appeared was Vianna. After all, the main setting was the magic school.
It seemed she’d unintentionally made an extraordinary connection. But she’d also been incredibly rude to him all this time… Would he hold that against her?
Khan chuckled as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“You can still call me Khan. It means you can keep being rude to me—just like before.”
“Haha… I guess I should be honored?”
“I have many older sisters, but the only one I acknowledge is you, Roni noona.”
…A prince?! I’ve really dug myself into a hole here.
As Khan smiled, Roni felt her face burn with embarrassment. If he’s a prince, of course his parents wouldn’t show up to a student recital.
She’d thought he was just a rich kid—but his dad was the king, and his mom the queen. She’d practically written a whole novel about him in her head.
Maybe she’d been too caught up in her own emotions. Khan, on the other hand, looked satisfied—probably because he’d finally revealed his identity.
With a serious expression, he extended his hand.
“As the 7th Prince Ron Cancio, I hereby declare myself indebted to Roni Sharligan. As your loyal friend and younger brother, I pledge in Ron’s name to help you in any way, no matter the circumstance.”
It was an extremely polite vow. Roni looked back and forth between his face and his hand. To invoke the name “Ron” was the highest form of trust a royal could show.
Guess I gained another little brother.
With mixed feelings, Roni took his hand.
“…I am most honored.”
And so, Roni unintentionally earned the favor of a prince.
Despite his young age, Khan was mature for his years. They continued meeting at the lake now and then and became quite close.
Though they knew each other’s positions, they shared their worries freely—beyond power or status.
He became the second connection she, as Sohee, had made in this world. And it felt like a truly special one.
Roni firmly rejected Allen’s repeated partner requests. She could’ve just told him she already agreed to partner with Sir Ian, but Ian’s pleading face when he asked her to keep it a secret kept her silent.
Allen stared at her with visible dissatisfaction. He clearly didn’t understand why his fiancée was refusing him.
They were technically engaged, so everyone naturally assumed they’d be partners. Yet Roni played dumb.
The festival was heating up. For this event, the magic school opened its doors. Each club showcased magical talents through games and attractions.
“Come try this fun illusion magic! It’s an immersive experience!”
A student in uniform handed Roni a flyer with the programs listed. Illusion magic, huh? It offered a range of experiences—from horror to moon landings to underwater adventures.
As Roni studied the flyer, Allen asked,
“Do you want to try one?”
“Hm, it just seems interesting. They say it feels super real.”
“Shall we do it?”
She still had time before her scheduled meeting with Vianna, so she figured one activity wouldn’t hurt. With a light heart, Roni nodded.
At that moment, Allen wore a curious expression—but caught up in the festive atmosphere, she didn’t notice.
Unfortunately, the page she happened to be looking at… was the horror-themed one.
