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Chapter 09
“Ah…… the earring…….”
Only then did Julia realize Jerome’s intention and stopped her restless movements.
Jerome carefully took off the earring with both hands and properly put it back in place.
He was not good with words, so it was faster to show things through actions.
“Thank you…….”
Julia murmured softly with a dazed expression.
Jerome smiled and lightly tapped her cheek instead of answering.
“Done, right? Let’s go now……!”
Julia quickly snapped out of it, grabbed the hand that had tapped her cheek, and started walking briskly.
Jerome followed her willingly, turning his head to look at the closed door of Room 207.
“……”
He had already realized there was someone inside.
He had many things he wanted to ask and say, but she looked very out of it right now, so it would be better to ask later when they had time.
It was not like it was easy to ask everything at once anyway.
Julia, who had been walking ahead in a hurry, turned back at him with a puzzled expression.
“Jerome……?”
Jerome met her eyes and gave his usual innocent smile.
Julia’s worried face turned into a relieved one.
‘If you’re relieved……’
Jerome thought.
He could show this kind of face as many times as needed without asking anything.
After the turbulent graduation ball, Julia spent a busier month than ever.
As soon as the graduation term ended, many letters flooded into the academy dorm mailbox as if they had been waiting.
“Wow…… our Count Grithel is really urgent. He sent ten letters in just one week.”
“My father is asking when I’ll return to the territory. Evan, what about you?”
“I’m just an ordinary check-up letter asking if I’m doing well.”
“That’s not just a check-up letter. It’s obvious they’re worried you might cause trouble.”
“Is that so? By the way, Julia, where did you get so many letters from?”
Everyone had received a lot of letters, but not as many as Julia.
Julia held a pile of envelopes in both hands and muttered in a low voice.
“This is from the Louvel Empire Bank, this one is from the Shifa Company, and this one is from Miss Ellen’s Jewelry Company……”
The papers in her hands were recruitment offers sent directly from famous companies across the empire.
Companies ranked high in the “Top 20 Companies Young People in the Tritan Kingdom Want to Join” survey were lining up to send her letters.
Some even set interview dates without hesitation, and some even sent temporary contracts first, afraid rival companies might steal her away.
“…Yes. This is it, this is it!”
Julia smiled happily as she walked into her room holding the envelopes.
All that remained was to carefully read each offer and choose which company she would start her first job with.
The smile never left her face.
At last, everything was falling into place like gears fitting perfectly together.
Yes.
Soon, the flower road she had wanted as a “rising star from humble beginnings” would unfold before her.
After staying locked in her room for several days writing replies to job offers one by one, a strong hunger suddenly hit her.
Grrr……
She desperately wanted to shove something sweet into her mouth.
Julia turned to Lily, who was lying on the bed reading a book after occupying it.
“Lily, are you hungry?”
“What’s with that sudden question? You’re hungry, right?”
“Hehe, yeah……”
“Alright! I was just getting hungry too! Let’s stop looking at that and go out to town!”
Lily jumped up.
Julia grabbed her wallet from the desk, and they left the room together.
They headed straight toward Willis Grandpa’s dessert shop.
The desserts made by Willis Grandpa, famous as the most delicious in Mondinium, were not only tasty but also very pretty, which made them popular.
“Ughhh, it looks so good……”
“Julia, look at the color of that macaron……”
Julia and Lily drooled while looking at the macarons, eclairs, and chiffon cakes inside the glass display.
They always looked delicious.
Julia picked up a tray and tongs next to the counter and began placing desserts onto it one by one.
There were too many things catching her eye.
‘I want to try all the macaron flavors, and I want to shove both chocolate eclairs and green tea eclairs into my mouth! Why do they all look so good today?’
“Julia, are you going to eat all that?”
At Lily’s voice, Julia looked down at her tray and flinched.
Without realizing it, she had piled up a huge mountain of desserts.
“Huh? When did I take so many?”
Her sudden increase in appetite felt strange.
But she thought it might be because her brain was low on sugar after thinking so much lately.
“…I was planning to eat them slowly!”
“You’re not a squirrel, right? You know these have expiration dates, right?”
Lily took the tongs from Julia and carefully put the desserts back down.
Julia felt irritation rising at Lily’s actions.
Huh? Wait. Irritation? Am I getting annoyed over something like this?
She was surprised at herself for feeling such a negative emotion over something so small.
A sudden surge of appetite was messing with her emotions.
“……”
Julia said nothing and stared sadly at the shrinking dessert pile.
“Geez, when did you even take this many?”
“Lily……”
“Yeah?”
“Leave that éclair alone……”
Seeing Julia’s sad eyes, Lily put the éclair back.
“Alright…… eat a lot, okay……”
She wondered how hungry Julia must have been for someone who normally had almost no appetite to act like this.
They took their reduced tray and sat by a window seat.
Julia sat down in the soft chair and thought back to how she had felt earlier.
Why was I like that?
The uncontrollable appetite had surprised even herself.
It wasn’t just normal hunger from a tiring day.
“Julia, if you’re that hungry, should we just go to a restaurant instead?”
“Huh?”
Julia lifted her head from her thoughts.
Lily pointed toward the plate and said,
“These are just snacks. If you’re really hungry, let’s go to that new restaurant next door! We can bring these back to the room.”
“The new place…… the one across from Dorothy Aunt’s bicycle shop? The one that sells lamb steak?”
“Yeah! You said you wanted to try it!”
“Wow! Should we? I like lamb……!”
At Lily’s suggestion, Julia imagined a juicy lamb steak.
A steaming piece of meat with juices flowing out…… cut into small bites and put into her mouth……
But at that moment, the smell of lamb invaded her imagination and turned it into something disgusting.
A wave of nausea rose instantly.
“Lamb…… ugh!”
“Julia! Are you okay?”
Julia quickly covered her mouth.
Lily grabbed her arm in worry.
Her stomach churned violently, as if she was about to throw up.
“Uhh……?”
Julia really liked lamb.
So why just thinking about it made her feel like vomiting?
Unable to understand it, she rushed into the bathroom.
She grabbed the toilet and started dry heaving.
“Ugh! …Ughk!”
She had not eaten anything since morning.
Only clear liquid came up and fell into the toilet.
“Haa…… haa……”
After the nausea calmed slightly, she stood up weakly and walked to the mirror.
Her face was covered in tears from vomiting.
Something was really strange.
Sudden appetite, sudden nausea……
“Julia! Are you feeling really sick? Should we go to the hospital?”
Lily followed her in, looking worried.
“I’m okay, Lily…… I just think something didn’t sit right with me.”
“You haven’t eaten anything since morning…… maybe you’ve been overworking too much. Let’s just go back and rest……”
“…No, I’m fine.”
Julia sat back at the window seat and looked at the dessert tray on the table.
Round macarons and glossy eclairs sat neatly together.
Just a moment ago she had wanted them badly, but now her appetite was completely gone, as if it had never existed.
“I think I’m fine now! Lily, go ahead and eat. I’ll eat too……”
Julia forced a smile and picked up a macaron.
The moment she did, the same horrible feeling hit her again.
Lily immediately stopped her hand.
“Julia, don’t force yourself. Stop pretending you’re okay. Let’s go back, get up.”
Lily pulled her up with firm hands.
Julia had no choice but to follow weakly.
Back in the dorm room, Lily covered her with a blanket, turned off the lights, and left.
“Rest, Julia. I’ll come back later.”
“Thanks, Lily…… and sorry for worrying you.”
“Hey! Don’t say sorry! Why would you be sorry for being sick? Next time, just treat me to a big lamb meal.”
“Yeah…… I will……”
Julia smiled weakly.
After Lily left and closed the door, Julia lay still, staring at the ceiling with a troubled expression.
Even on the way back, she could not calm her uneasy heart.
A reality she had been trying to avoid was piercing sharply into her chest.
She slowly sat up with her heavy body and walked to the desk, picking up a calendar.
With trembling hands, she turned to the page of last month.
Then she lowered her head.
“……”
Anxiety was growing beyond control.
