Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 84- Fake Guppy

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As the early summer approached, the weather quickly became humid and oppressive.

Later, I learned that during this season, the heat in the Kaisar Empire could be so extreme that people sometimes died from it.

Because of this, both the Academy and many shops took temporary breaks or closed for the summer.

I wanted to meet Dylan as soon as possible to tell him that Luna would also be participating in the selection exam, but I found myself in a difficult situation where that wasn’t possible.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t anxious, but there was no point in being impatient.

So, I decided to think of this as a time to rest.

Honestly, even as someone who grew up in Korea, this weather was unbearably hot.

I could understand why the people of the Empire didn’t want to leave their homes.

However, there was another, bigger problem.

My long, flowing hair was already making me hot enough to die, and to make matters worse, the maid in charge of the noble duchess’s household insisted that a lady of my status should never expose her bare skin in public.

She practically flipped out whenever I did.

As a result, I had to sleep every night in long-sleeved shifts.

Born in the cool climate of Sakre, Jeanne couldn’t handle heat well at all.

Every morning, my hair would be stuck to the back of my neck from sweat, and each night, I was plagued by nightmares, as though expecting them.

In those nightmares, I would encounter a huge, pitch-black shadow.

Entering through the wide-open window, the shadow would watch me as I tossed and turned in the heat.

Eventually, it would stagger over to my bed, getting close enough to examine my face.

At that point, I could smell something like burning animal fur right in front of my nose, and wet, black liquid would drip down my cheeks.

But, as with all nightmares, even though my mind was awake, I couldn’t move my body.

It felt like when Jerome had cast his hypnotic spell.

The shadow would lick my cheek, or the inside of my ear with its damp tongue, then move on to other parts of my body, clinging more brazenly.

Normally, I would have immediately opened my eyes and uppercut the thing’s core, but this time, as its tongue pressed against the area below my belly button under my shift, the unfamiliar sensation wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

The shadow didn’t stimulate the most obvious places, like my genitals, but focused instead on strange areas like the folds of my thighs, the space between my toes, and around my anus.

It felt like it wasn’t trying to make me climax but was only seeking to satisfy its own desires.

As my breathing grew more ragged, the thought struck me: this thing reminded me of Jerome.

Finally, after a thin stream of fluid leaked from my member, the shadow’s playful movements ceased.

Lost in the hazy sensation that always follows release, I heard the shadow whisper in a chilling voice.

“Jeanne…”

Under the blazing sun, I suddenly snapped awake.

Sweat had plastered my long hair to my neck and shoulders.

Breathing heavily, I threw off the covers.

My underwear was damp, likely from the mess I had made.

It had been a wet dream—something I hadn’t experienced since I was younger.

A shiver ran down my spine at the creepy feeling.

I recalled an internet horror story I’d read about someone who had wasted away after being preyed on by a spirit for months.

How had that story ended?

Didn’t they go to New Zealand to visit a friend and end up getting eaten by a grizzly bear?

The sudden drop in temperature sent chills through me.

“…I need an exorcism. A proper ritual to banish this thing.”

After swearing to perform an exorcism soon, he changed his clothes.

He wasn’t completely clueless as to why he had such a nightmare.

It was likely due to what had happened with Jerome just a few days ago.

The moment he retraced his memory, his face immediately flushed.

Clenching his fists, he struggled to calm his pounding heart.

‘Even though that happened, I can’t forget that Jerome likes Jeanne, a woman.’

It was a complicated mix of emotions.

Of course, he didn’t want Jerome to find out he was a man and kill him, but more than that, he didn’t want to see the look of disappointment on Jerome’s face when he learned the truth.

However, he couldn’t shake the thought that keeping this secret was deceiving Jerome’s feelings.

‘Should I just be honest and tell him I’m a man? If I do that, Jerome will quickly lose interest in me, and that kind of thing won’t happen again. Maybe we could even become good friends.’

Given Jerome’s dislike of hassle, he likely wouldn’t go to the trouble of spreading the word that Jeanne was actually a man.

Plus, the weight of guilt would be different between confessing first and Jerome finding out on his own.

Staring blankly at the beautiful face in the mirror, he lowered his gaze.

‘Do I really want to become friends? I…’

For some reason, his heart ached.

As he pondered these ambiguous feelings, someone knocked on the door.

As soon as he said they could enter, Twitty came in holding a small box.

“Lady, someone has sent you a package.”

“A package?”

Twitty nodded and handed over the package.

As soon as he checked the sender’s name, a smile naturally formed.

The sender was Layla, who should have just arrived in the South by now.

Opening the box, he found a beautifully wrapped gift and a pale yellow card with pearly accents inside.

[Jeanne, how have you been? I stopped by a magic shop in the South and thought of you, so I bought this. I’m not sure how it works, but it’s supposed to bring good luck. I hope today brings you lots of luck.]

He let out a chuckle at Layla’s round handwriting.

Despite her usual charisma that captured everyone’s attention, Layla had an unmistakable girlish side, especially when it came to love or fate.

Twitty, who had checked the sender’s name on the package, covered her mouth in shock.

“L-Lady Layla… isn’t she the imperial princess, the one deeply favored by His Majesty the Emperor? As expected, you really are amazing, to be exchanging letters with her…”

Twitty’s eyes sparkled as she marveled at the fact that Jeanne and Layla were close.

Inside the box was a purple silk scarf, the exact same color as Jeanne’s eyes.

Though the material was slightly sheer, it was sturdier than expected and seemed perfect for tying up her hair.

“Hm, do you think this scarf could be used to tie up my hair?”

“Of course! Sit still, I’ll braid it up nicely for you.”

Twitty, excited, sat him down and worked diligently on his hair.

After neatly braiding it and tying the scarf into a ribbon, the style was both practical and neat.

Twitty, more satisfied with the result than the actual wearer, nodded approvingly as she inspected the mirror.

“Lady Jeanne, you really do have a beauty worth dressing up.”

“I’d honestly prefer to just chop it all off.”

“W-What are you saying! If the Duke’s precious daughter’s hair were cut, the Duke would surely faint.”

Well, it seemed cutting his hair would be difficult until he retired as the Duke’s daughter.

Letting out a sigh, he stood up.

Today marked the end of the temporary break, and it was time to return to the academy.

The weather was still hot and muggy, but not as humid as before.

After taking a deep breath, he steeled his resolve.

‘For now, I’ll focus on the selection exam. I can confess the secret later.’

With his mind once again calm, he took a step forward, the hesitation gone from his movements.

The servants, noticing his expression, flinched and quickly moved aside.

Clenching his fists, he went over the original plan in his head.

‘I absolutely must defeat the Flare Guild in the selection exam.’

✽ ✽ ✽

After finishing the morning classes, he headed straight to the committee room.

The Guild Committee was an elite group, famous even within the academy, where only the top talents could join.

In modern terms, it was like the student council of a prestigious university.

Since the best of the best passed through it, students from the committee were often recruited into high-ranking positions in the Ministry of Finance or Policy Department after graduation.

“Come in.”

As soon as he knocked, a familiar voice called from inside.

Pushing the door open, he was greeted by a smiling, familiar face.

He had learned after the Guild Assembly that Dylan was the president of the academy’s student council.

He hadn’t expected someone who stuck with Cedrick to be ordinary, but it still caught him off guard to learn how impressive Dylan actually was.

“Beauty score, 95.”

Dylan, who had been staring at his face, nodded as he jotted something down.

His sudden and random comment caused Jeanne to narrow his eyes.

After finishing his note, Dylan added,

“I make it a point to assess the abilities of everyone I meet. That way, I can place the right talent in the right spots when needed.”

Dylan was known as the most outstanding student council president in academy history.

While his natural magical talent contributed to his reputation, it was also because he had a knack for handling people.

In a good way, he had leadership skills, but in a less flattering sense, he was calculating.

‘Assigning scores to people’s abilities out of the blue is a bit rude, don’t you think?’

It seemed like he was some sort of human combat power meter.

But considering that few people in such high positions were completely sane, Jeanne didn’t make a big deal out of it.

Dylan, finding his lack of reaction interesting, said,

“I’ve been thinking for a while, would you like to join the committee? Your looks could be quite useful in unexpected ways. No matter how strong magic is, winning over people’s hearts is never easy.”

“……”

“Plus, I saw how you handled Boomer at the Guild Assembly. You’ve got guts. The committee is more prestigious and offers better perks than the guild.”

Jeanne was caught off guard by Dylan’s sudden proposal.

So that’s why he’d been eyeing Jeanne so keenly during the assembly—he’d wanted to recruit her into the committee.

Of course, joining the committee would offer better treatment, but through life, Jeanne had learned that high positions always come with risks.

As the author, he knew.

The committee Dylan ran wasn’t just a group managing the guilds.

It was an organization full of secrets, and Jeanne had no intention of getting involved.

His answer was swift.

“No.”

“Informal speech?”

“Like you’re using formal speech?”

Exhausted from all the formalities of playing the role of a noble lady, Jeanne no longer had the energy to keep up the act.

Perhaps shocked to see his real self, Dylan fell silent for a moment, then jotted down something expressionlessly.