There’s Something Special About Her - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 36.
Flick, flick!
“Wow, wow!”
Every time a test paper turned over, Noah Benton let out an exclamation like he was adding his own chant.
“Not a single mistake! Ruki, you’re really amazing!”
“Thank you for the praise, Benton.”
“Really, really amazing! Taking the test after just one week was incredible enough, but getting every single answer right!”
“I was fortunate — the questions came from the material I studied most intensively.”
I laughed while affecting humility.
With this, I had passed the test that Gisela Rot had set.
It was only natural.
The only new information about Knox I’d needed to memorize this time was details about the collateral branches—barely even worth calling relatives of the main line.
So the only real consideration had been: how much should I get wrong?
For a while I’d even wondered whether I should fail the first attempt.
That would’ve seemed most natural, after all.
But I’d changed my mind.
I’d concluded that I needed to deliver a powerful blow to show Gisela Rot, who hadn’t yet fully acknowledged me.
“Mm-mm, it’s not luck. Look at this!”
Noah Benton pointed to one question where I’d written a particularly lengthy answer.
“Not only did you clearly lay out the complicated succession situation of the Duke of Knox from 160 years ago, but you even caught the error in the question Gisela posed!”
“I thought it was a trap, not an error.”
It was an error.
A Duke of Knox from several generations back, whose private life was nothing short of scandalous, had countless lovers.
Among them was a woman who, unfortunately, was already married—and it was later discovered that the daughter she bore was the Duke’s bloodline, not that of her legal husband, the count.
After thorough investigation, the Duke acknowledged the child as his daughter, but her name was never entered into the Knox Family Registry.
The unfortunate count, knowing nothing, had beaten everyone to it.
So the genealogy of that generation recorded only two daughters, when in fact there were three.
“I especially liked this part. ‘Though Aila was not entered into the Knox lineage, records remain of the Duke referring to her as his daughter in formal settings. Nothing Knox can supersede the Duke himself. Therefore, Michelan Knox’s true number of children is four sons and three daughters.'”
“Ha ha. Hearing someone else read it back makes it sound rather presumptuous. What if Rot took offense?”
“Hmm? Gisela?”
Noah Benton’s eyes widened, then he burst into soft laughter.
“That’s impossible. Gisela’s actually got no hard feelings. She probably found it amusing, really.”
“Found what amusing?”
“Gisela!”
Gisela Rot, who had stepped out briefly after finishing the grading, had returned.
Noah Benton bounded toward her like an obedient puppy.
“I read Ruki’s answer sheet! She got everything right!”
“So she did.”
“I took the retest several times, but Ruki really seems intelligent! This is the first time someone’s scored perfectly on your exam, isn’t it?”
“It’s only been two volumes so far.”
Gisela Rot gave a dismissive snort and glanced at me sideways.
I met her gaze with an unfazed expression, thinking to myself.
‘God, I’d love to hit her just once.’
Why was it that Gisela Rot had to be my instructor?
I should have been her instructor.
Then there would be so many things I could do under the guise of providing guidance.
Making her climb cliffs under the pretense of physical training had been effective, and tossing her a survival manual and a dagger before sending her alone into the deep forest to find her way back to the estate had worked out quite nicely too.
Imagining her sobbing with a filthy face made me feel like my irritation would vanish entirely.
“Oh, right! Since Ruki did so well, I should praise her!”
Noah Benton stomped his feet in exasperation as he shouted, and Gisela Rot reluctantly opened her mouth.
“You’ve got more brains than looks. Well done.”
“…Thank you, Rot.”
Praise or insult—hard to tell.
As I bowed my head, she spoke as if bestowing a favor.
“You passed the test, so go home early today.”
“Thank you!”
Early dismissal!
A blessed early dismissal!
Her manner of speaking irked me a little, but what did that matter?
She was letting me go home early.
As I cheerfully packed my things, Gisela Rot asked.
“What are you doing? Why are you packing?”
“You just told me to go home early, didn’t you?”
One moment she gives, the next she takes away!
My frustration boiled over, and she pointed to the empty room where I’d been confined all week.
“You need to clean out that storage space before you leave. You think I’m going to do it?”
***
“Ugh, my whole body aches.”
Gisela Rot was a truly vicious instructor.
When she’d said to go home early, I’d expected early dismissal—instead she’d put me through a complete deep cleaning.
After the grueling work of scrubbing away dust that had settled for so long and wouldn’t come off easily, then washing the floor, every muscle in my body screamed.
And my dismissal was actually later than usual!
“And it’s not a storage space anyway.”
Every time I called it a storage space, she’d insisted on calling it an empty room.
I finally reached the Action Squad Barracks with sore shoulders.
All I wanted was to shower and merge with my bed.
As I climbed the stairs with exhausted steps, something felt off.
“Ruki’s here!”
“Ooh, you bastard!”
“Young, but still a man, huh?”
The Action Squad members who usually treated me like dirt on their shoes each offered their own commentary, patting my shoulder as they passed.
“Why are you all acting like this suddenly?”
“Playing dumb now!”
“Dating too—living the dream!”
No matter how much I asked what was going on, all I got back were ridiculous answers.
What did we all eat wrong at the Barracks Dining Hall?
Or had the rumor mill started churning again?
Too tired to be curious, I reached my room and finally understood why my seniors had been grinning.
“…What is this?”
A small pouch hung from my door handle.
It was made of pink cloth, no less, with a note dangling that read “For Ruki’s eyes only!”
Just then, a senior who used the room next to mine opened his door, glanced between the pouch and me, and smiled unpleasantly.
“You’re popular, Ruki?”
“Do you know who left this pouch?”
“No? It was there a few hours ago too. Hey, Albert!”
The senior called out to another squad member passing by.
“Did you see who left this pouch?”
“Didn’t see anything, sir. It was already there when I got back from my shift.”
“See?”
“I understand.”
Though I didn’t know who’d left such a cute pouch, I could guess what was inside.
A savory, sweet aroma was already wafting out from within.
“Thank you for your trou—”
“Wait, you mean there’s not just one? Multiple?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
At my bewildered response, the senior’s face suddenly flushed crimson and he even pointed at me.
“You, you, you scoundrel! You don’t even know who left it because there are so many suspects to remember?”
“No, it’s not like that—”
“We didn’t think you were like this, Ruki! This is really despicable, sir!”
As the two seniors shouted and blustered, all eyes snapped toward me in an instant.
“What’s going on?”
“Ruki’s got more than one girlfriend!”
“What?!”
“A player—can’t even remember which one left the pouch!”
“The youngest member dating around alone?!”
“Ruki’s juggling lovers?”
The narrow corridor filled with anger directed at me.
No—this was killing intent.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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