The Author's POV

The air around the room was tense. It felt suffocating. Almost as if I was stuck inside of a cramped room with no room to breathe.

The reason for such atmosphere?

Quietly sitting on my chair, a stunningly beautiful young girl with glossy black hair and porcelain white skin devoid of any imperfections, was curiously looking around my room.

Amanda stern.

Someone who I had never thought of interacting with privately.

Seeing her sit on my seat as if it was the most natural thing to do, my eyebrows twitched.

Just what did I do to deserve this?

...no, I knew why, I just wanted to deny reality.

Sighing, I spoke up to try to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Would you like green tea or water?"

Hearing my voice, Amanda's eyes paused on my face for a couple of seconds and after a short pause she said

"...green tea"

"Alright"

Heading to where my teapot was stashed, I took it out and poured steaming hot water into the pot.

After a couple of seconds, I took a bag filled with tea leaves and gently threw them into the pot.

While waiting for the tea to be ready, I turned around and noticed Amanda's obsidian black eyes staring at me.

Taken aback by her odd behavior, I asked

"...Need something?"

Hearing my voice and seeing that I had caught her red-handed, Amanda looked to the side and acted as if nothing happened as she lightly murmured.

"...Nothing"

Smiling, I looked back at the teapot.

What do you mean nothing? You were obviously staring at me!

Even a blind person could tell you were looking at me.

Pinching my brows, I decided to think about this in a positive way.

From the looks of things, it at least seemed that she had no hard feelings against me. Since I knew her personality well, I knew that if she were to have had a grudge against me, she would've avoided me at all costs.

Treating me as if I was nonexistent.

Seeing how she had actively come looking for me, I knew that she didn't hold what happened against me.

...so what did she come here for?

There was definitely a reason for her visit. I sort of had a hunch on what it was, but I wasn't too sure.

Most likely, she came to express her gratitude for saving her.

If so, I better get this over with fast. If someone found out 'the Amanda Stern' who was the talk of the academy was having a private meeting with a boy in his own room, I wouldn't even know how I died.

The fact that she was in my room meant that my life was in danger.

Sigh.

Just when I thought things weren't going to become more troublesome suddenly a new troublesome situation arose.

Looking at the water in the teapot that had started turning murky brown, I carefully removed the teapot from the heater and poured the tea into two porcelain teacups.

Walking back to where Amanda was seated, I handed the steaming hot teacup to her and sat in front of her.

"Thank you"

Taking the teacup with both hands, Amanda gently blew on the cup and took a sip.

Closing her eyes and savoring the taste of the tea, Amanda nodded slightly said

"...it's good"

"Thank you"

front of her, I also took a sip of the tea. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste that even after a couple of seconds

you want to

we couldn't just spend all the time drinking tea, I

down, Amanda's indifferent face stared at me. After a while,

"...Thank you"

Frowning slightly, I said

"For what?"

"For saving me"

back

don't ever recall

"Yo-.."

about to

seems like you forgot what

'..forget what you saw'

quiet for a little bit. Her brows continuously knit and relaxed, and after a while, she shook her

"I can't do that..."

placed my teacup down. Her response was within my

that were looking back at me, I thought for a moment before

if you're really sorry then give

Amanda

relieved

"Okay"

she quickly went

this, I couldn't help but bitterly shake

was just like

disliked owing

indebted to anyone other than herself. No, it was more like she only trusted herself

she owed so that she wouldn't build any unrealistic expectations of

5 million U

million U? I

processed

what did you

and was looking at

5 million,

you mean that's not

hand, I immediately shut

kids treating money as if it

"...so 5 million okay?"

"Sigh, hold on"

on my

million U would definitely help me. With that much money, I could pretty much solve the

Amanda, an idea

ask for something

the room temperature dropped and

something, I

any dates or anything that is remotely

my next part, Amanda's brows relaxed.

"...Okay"

in relief, I

me a sword

"A sword art?"

by my request, Amanda

remembering what had

am looking for something to disguise my

"oh"

if she understood

she still had a misconception about my strength. In the end, I said nothing. I was honestly too tired to solve

try to solve the misunderstanding, chances were that she wouldn't

It didn't really matter if she misunderstood or not. At the end of the day, she wasn't the type of person to treat

blabbermouth. Meaning that my secret was

of sword art would you

a bit,

would like a sword art

for a second, Amanda pondered

"How many stars?"

5 million U, I guess something that went along

bit, Amanda scrolled through her phone

let me have

a long list of sword

I got from the criteria that you had given

long list of manuals, my mouth twitched. If I said I wasn't jealous right now, that would be

the daughter of the guild master of the number one guild in the human domain

resources and manuals that would cause anyone to