“Are you okay?” Ian asked Lillian.
“I’m fine,” she replied, snapping out of her reverie.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Ian guessed why she was upset.
He picked up one of her pineapple buns and took a bite. A charred, bitter taste exploded in his mouth, making him wince, but he forced himself to finish it.
After swallowing, Ian smiled at Lillian. “It’s delicious. I accidentally ate it all—you don’t mind, do you?”
Lillian stared in disbelief. She’d tasted her buns and knew how awful they were, yet Ian had eaten one and called it good.
“Thank you, Ian,” she said softly.
“I should be thanking you for letting me eat such tasty buns,” Ian said, scratching his head.
Lillian understood his intent: by eating the buns, he ensured Ethelrina wouldn’t have to try them.
“Hey, Ian, you ate all of Lillian’s pineapple buns? I didn’t get to try any,” Ethelrina said, eyeing the empty plate.
“They were so good I couldn’t stop myself,” Ian lied smoothly.
“Oh? Well, next time, save some for me,” Ethelrina said, standing. “Now it’s my turn to cook.”
Soon, Ethelrina prepared a meal and served it.
As Ian ate, the flavors felt oddly familiar, though he couldn’t place why.
After dinner, Lillian didn’t ask anyone to stay, so Ethelrina, Flora, Sophia, and Veronica left.
As Ian prepared to leave, Lillian grabbed his sleeve. “Thank you, Ian.”
He knew she was grateful for his help with the buns. “It’s my job. You hired me, didn’t you?” he said.
With that, Ian left for his single dorm room.
But when he arrived, he found his belongings packed and left outside.
Seriously? I’ve only been here a few days, and they’ve already thrown my stuff out?
He tried his key, but it wouldn’t fit. They changed the lock already?
Looking up, he saw a note on the door:
“Due to your failure to pay for the single room, you’ve been reassigned to Room 131, a four-person dorm.”
Ian sighed, glancing at his packed bags, and headed to Room 131.
After a tiring trek, he finally found it, drenched in sweat. Oddly, Room 131 wasn’t in the main dorm building, which only went up to 130. It was in a separate location.
At the door, Ian used the key he’d gotten from the dorm manager and opened it.
The moment he did, he froze in shock at the familiar face inside.
Hearing the door, Yiserin, sitting on the living room sofa, turned to look. “Ian! What a coincidence!”
Even in the dorm, Yiserin was dressed in male clothing.
“Yeah, didn’t expect this,” Ian said with a wry smile, thinking, Is it okay for a guy like me to live here?
Noticing the poster in Yiserin’s hand, he asked, “Are you signing up for the Sacred Trial?”
“No, it’s just that this competition’s been hyped up. Everyone’s talking about it, so I grabbed a poster to check it out,” Yiserin replied.
Seeing Ian’s bags, she shouted into the dorm, “Sephiroth, come help!”
A bedroom door opened, and Sephiroth stepped out, startled to see Ian. “What are you doing here?”
Ian held up his key. “I got assigned to this dorm.”
Sephiroth nodded, understanding.
“Don’t just stand there—help out!” Yiserin called to her.
Sephiroth’s expression shifted uncomfortably. She stepped close to Yiserin and whispered, “You’re okay with him moving in? We’re all girls here.”
Yiserin grinned, raising her voice. “Ian’s not a guy—he’s a beautiful girl!”
“Right, Ian?” she said, hands on hips, staring at him.
Ian’s head throbbed. Why was Yiserin so convinced he was a girl? “I’m a guy,” he protested.
Yiserin nudged him playfully. “Stop pretending. This dorm’s full of girls dressed as guys. Your secret’s safe with us—we all keep each other’s secrets.”
Sephiroth nodded slightly, trusting Yiserin’s uncanny knack for identifying genders, though she didn’t know her criteria.
“Chiye’s out on student council business, or she could’ve introduced you,” Yiserin said with a hint of regret.
“No need. I already know Chiye,” Ian replied.
As Yiserin and Sephiroth prepared to move Ian’s bags to the empty bedroom, a voice came from the doorway.
“Student council inspection for demon spies,” Chiye announced, standing in her council uniform.
Seeing Chiye, Yiserin teased, “We’re roommates—what’s there to check? Since you’re here, help our new roommate with his bags.”
Chiye shot Yiserin a look, signaling that this inspection wasn’t routine.
Before Yiserin could catch her meaning, a chilling voice sounded behind Chiye. “Trying to pull the roommate card, dear sister?”
“Why not use that card with me? I’m your sister, after all—much closer, don’t you think?”