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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Ah…”
She hadn’t been able to control her anger. Her hand had acted on its own. Three seconds later, Erwin realized what she’d done.
She’d slapped the man who held her life in his hands.
“S-Sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
“Erwin.”
“Eek! Yes?”
“Return to the exam hall. Professor Sergei must be wondering where you are.”
“O-Okay…”
Schlus’s calm reaction was unnerving. Erwin forced a casual demeanor as she walked back to the exam hall.
Too many eyes were watching. He probably wouldn’t punish her here.
“…”
But the expected threat never came through her communication spell.
Wasn’t he going to retaliate for the slap? Perhaps he thought he deserved it.
‘No. That’s impossible.’
Surely not. Erwin shook her head and touched her lips, remembering the rough kiss. That kiss had saved her. It had protected her from the cultists who suspected her of betrayal.
Schlus had acted rationally, protecting his spy within the cult. But who would kiss a commoner graduate student in public, in such a situation?
Most would hesitate, prioritizing their reputation and relationships. But Schlus hadn’t hesitated. His decisiveness had frightened her.
He’d looked at her as if she were an object, a tool to be used and discarded. She’d slapped him out of fear. Fear of being used and discarded.
‘But a kiss…?’
The memory of his lips on hers made her blush. He was about to enter noble society, a kiss was a risky move.
It would effectively eliminate any chance of marrying into a noble family. She felt a mixture of fear and fascination.
‘Does that mean I’m important to him?’
Would he value a disposable tool so highly?
Perhaps he wasn’t as rational as she’d thought. Perhaps he simply couldn’t bear to discard anything he’d acquired.
Lost in thought, Erwin arrived back at the exam hall.
“What the…?”
A gaping hole in the wall.
Erwin stared at it, frozen.
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The day after the disastrous combat magic final, I was summoned to Professor Sergei’s office.
“Schlus Hainkel. Come in and have a seat.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“I understand you have some concerns about the final exam.”
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
I couldn’t hide my confusion. I’d challenged Sergei with my full power and lost.
What was there to be concerned about?
“The Headmaster interfered at the last moment. If it weren’t for that, you wouldn’t have scored zero.”
“You could have dodged it.”
“I could have. But I didn’t intend to.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I fought a student seriously, they wouldn’t stand a chance. I needed to hold back to assess your abilities.”
“So… are you offering me a retake?”
“No. That won’t be necessary. You’ve already secured top marks in combat magic for the semester.”
“…”
That was absurd. He couldn’t just award me points when the damage meter read zero. It would be unfair.
“Ha ha ha! You look surprised!”
“I am…”
“The reason is simple. Every student after you also scored zero. They couldn’t even touch me.”
“What? Why would they—”
“Because it would be unfair. If I fought you seriously, I had to do the same for everyone else.”
“…”
I was speechless.
Why even bother with the final exam if everyone was going to get zero?
Trie, who’d gone first and managed to score some damage, was the only one who’d benefited.
“Congratulations on achieving top marks, both for entrance and for the first semester. You’re dismissed.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
I left Sergei’s office.
Erwin, holding the door open, gave me a strange look, which I ignored. She was still angry about the forced kiss. But she was bound to me, her anger didn’t matter.
The stares from other students were more of a concern, but even that wasn’t a big deal. This incident had branded me a reckless deviant in noble society, effectively removing me from the marriage game.
I no longer had to worry about being caught between warring noble families vying for my hand.
‘Well, at least I got top marks in one subject.’
I’d been worried about failing the exam, so this was good news. I’d learned another valuable lesson.
Sergei should never be allowed to create exams. Every exam he’d meticulously prepared had gone completely off the rails.
His exam-making skills were clearly flawed. This time, everyone except one student had received the same score.
Case closed.
“Welcome back, Master Hainkel.”
“Why the sudden formality?”
“Just because. Surprised?”
“A little… Brew me some tea.”
I loosened my tie and headed to the training room.
The exams weren’t over yet. I still had Ludwig’s Elemental Magic exam.
There was no guarantee it would follow the original story. I had to be prepared. Even if it did follow the original story, I was in trouble.
The difficulty level was supposed to be insane.
“Oppa. Here’s your tea.”
“Thanks. Leave it there.”
“Am I interrupting?”
“No. Tell me now if you have something to say.”
I closed my book and looked at Emilia. I was likely to forget anything she said once I started studying.
I took a sip of the hot tea.
“Oppa, do you like Assistant Erwin?”
“Pfft?! What?!”
I choked on my tea.
Emilia calmly produced a handkerchief and wiped my mouth. Her expression remained impassive, unnerving. She looked at me as if I were an animal, not a human.
“I heard the rumors. That you kissed the assistant in the square. And that she slapped you… Did you confess and get rejected?”
“Something like that.”
“…”
Confessed and rejected. A plausible scenario. I’d adopt that as the official story.
“So… what’s your relationship now?”
“What relationship? We’re just a student and a graduate student.”
“Liar. You’re close. You two often go out together without me. What’s really going on? Tell me the truth.”
“…”
Emilia stepped closer, and I leaned back, then fell onto the sofa. She climbed on top of me, her expression still cold. This was a dangerous situation.
My answer would determine the success or failure of her seduction attempt. If I admitted to having feelings for Erwin, the intelligence agency might deem her a threat and have her assassinated.
I needed to choose my words carefully.
“I have no feelings for the assistant.”
“No feelings?”
“No. We just… occasionally sleep together.”
“…”
Perfect. That would be difficult to refute.
“It’s true. Believe me.”
“Hmm…”
Emilia tucked her hair behind her ear and moved off me.
Had I passed? Her expression remained unreadable.
“I understand. Your taste… you prefer short hair.”
“What?”
The moment Emilia turned away, my danger sense tingled. I couldn’t let her leave like this. I had a feeling she’d return with a short haircut.
“You’re not planning on cutting your hair, are you?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I’m asking if you’re thinking about cutting your hair.”
“Why do you care? Why are you concerned about my hair?”
“I prefer your hair long.”
“…”
Emilia stopped.
She lowered her head and slowly walked towards me.
Thud.
Her head rested against my chest. I instinctively reached out to stroke her hair, but she pushed my hand away. We remained like that for five seconds.
Emilia took a deep breath and grabbed my collar, lifting her head.
“I’ll say this once, so listen carefully. I’m too embarrassed to repeat myself, so don’t ask me again like an idiot.”
“Okay…”
“I like you, oppa. Not as a servant respects her master. I love you. Romantically. You don’t need to answer now. I understand your situation. I know you can’t make me your first wife. But if you’re willing… I’d be happy to be your second or third… Just answer me when you can. I’ll always be by your side.”
“…”
I was stunned.
I hadn’t expected a confession.
Did she think the timing was right? The intelligence agency must have deemed today the optimal day to ensnare me. And telling me she’d be happy to be my second or third wife was a masterful touch, easing the pressure.
Who could reject such a heartfelt confession from a cute girl?
“Emilia. I…”
“…”
I leaned closer to her ear. I could accept her confession. I could break my long-standing rule against involvement with minors. But I didn’t want to.
I didn’t want to taint the only genuine aspect of our fabricated relationship with another lie. I wanted to believe there was something real in Emilia’s feelings for me.
I didn’t want to treat her as just another combination of letters on a page. I wanted to treat her as a person, capable of genuine connection. I’d made my decision.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
“I know. I know you’re an intelligence agent.”
It was time to end this charade.
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[Your Text Here]
Fookin FINALLY