Rose was momentarily flustered by his question.
Actually, she was by no means a masochist craving punishment. It was just... she believed in justice.
If you're guilty, you must answer for it. It was a simple rule instilled in her since childhood.
And now, realizing what a terrible thing she had done (stolen the only meal from a hungry guy!), her conscience was literally screaming about the need for atonement.
In this situation, it didn't matter to Rose that she was a count's daughter and Dylan was a commoner. Social statuses be damned! In the face of justice, everyone was equal.
So she was ready for any punishment.
But instead of punishing her, Dylan suddenly laughed.
Rose was bewildered.
"Do you seriously think I'm petty enough to punish you over some bun?" he smirked.
Rose opened her mouth to object.
"But... but it was your only meal!" she blurted out.
"It's no big deal," Dylan shrugged with an impassive look. "That day... I wasn't particularly hungry."
"..."
Rose was dumbfounded.
This guy survives on one bun a day. ONE. And he says he wasn't hungry?!
Did he live on magic? Solar energy? The Holy Spirit?
But then she remembered something else.
"That day... I left you money!" she exclaimed. "But you didn't take it! You gave it back! Why?"
Dylan looked at her with slight surprise, as if the question was strange.
"It was pocket change," he replied calmly. "I'm not going to take money for such a trifle."
"But..."
"Besides," he interrupted, "you could consider it a gesture of hospitality. I treated my new roommate. That's all."
Rose was speechless.
"A gesture of hospitality"?
He calls giving his only meal to a complete stranger a "gesture of hospitality"?!
This guy, who has nothing himself, unhesitatingly gave his last to someone who, at that moment, was a nobody to him.
Just like that.
For free.
Rose looked at Dylan and felt warmth spreading inside her.
In her eyes, this guy had suddenly transformed from a cold roommate into... a saint. An angel in the flesh. A paragon of virtue and philanthropy!
Who would have thought that behind that icy mask hid such a kind heart?
Tears even welled up in Rose's eyes from emotion.
Dylan, noticing this, tensed up.
"Hey, what's wrong?" concern sounded in his voice. "Are you about to cry?"
"No, I'm not..." Rose sniffled.
"Seriously, don't. It was nothing. I really don't hold a grudge."
"But I..." Rose sniffled again. "I've just never met such a kind and selfless person as you!"
Dylan froze.
A strange expression appeared on his face — a mix of surprise and bewilderment.
And then he smiled.
A real smile that took Rose's breath away.
Dylan Arkwright was handsome. Rose had known that since their first meeting. But when he smiled... it was something else entirely. Such a face could only belong to an angel or a hero from ancient legends.
Rose froze, unable to look away.
Could a person with such looks really be a commoner? It seemed incredible.
"And I," Dylan said softly, "have never met such a conscientious aristocrat as you."
A pause hung in the air.
Rose pondered his words.
And suddenly it dawned on her.
She looked at this guy, who worked twice as hard as everyone else to remain the best and not lose his scholarship. Who ate once a day because he sent all his money to his sick mother and younger siblings. Who smiled when others in his place would have long ago become bitter at the whole world.
And she felt sorry for him.
Truly sorry.
Mental work was hard work. And magical studies were a whole separate form of exhaustion. Rose had heard that some mages fainted from overexertion during training.
And this guy was doing all of this on practically starvation rations.
Rose didn't think. The words just came out:
"Dylan!"
"What?" he looked up at her.
"How about... I buy you lunch?"
Dylan froze.
One second. Two. Three.
"...What?" he repeated, clearly not believing his ears.
Rose was embarrassed but continued:
"I don't have a lot of money, of course, so I won't be able to buy you any fancy dishes... But it'll definitely be better than one bun and milk!"
Dylan looked at her as if she had just offered him the moon from the sky.
"But... why?" he breathed out. "Why would you do that?"
Rose sighed.
"I just don't want you to keep going to class hungry. It could end badly. One day you'll just faint in the middle of a lesson."
Dylan was silent.
He was clearly stunned. So much so that he couldn't even find words.
Finally, he shook his head.
"No... I can't accept that. I don't have money to pay you..."
"I don't need your money," Rose interrupted.
"What?"
"Instead of money, I want something else."
Dylan tensed.
Wariness flickered in his grey eyes. It seemed a multitude of possibilities ran through his mind about what this strange roommate might want from him. From the quite harmless to the frankly suspicious.
But Rose quickly dispelled his doubts.
"Can you teach me?"
"...What?!"
Yes, this proposal surprised him even more than the previous one.
"You're the best student in the academy, right?" Rose smirked. "I could really use help from such a genius."
Dylan stared at her with wide eyes.
"In exchange for lunches," Rose continued, "you'll be my tutor. An honest exchange, don't you think?"
She held out her open palm to him.
Dylan looked at this hand for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze to Rose's face.
A spark lit up in his grey eyes.
Not just interest. Something more. Something Rose couldn't yet put a name to.
"...Okay," he finally said and slowly extended his hand.
Their palms touched.
"I agree."