The Transmigrator Doesn’t Dream of Being the Protagonist – Chapter 31

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Sepia stormed out of Cassia’s office and into the hallway.

She couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

It was simply absurd.

The measurement hadn’t ended even after 20 minutes.

The average measurement time was 3 minutes.

A simple calculation showed that Ethan’s mana capacity was more than six times the average.

Sepia glared at Ethan.

He yawned nonchalantly, ignoring her piercing gaze.

“Ethan! We need to talk.”

Sepia rushed after him and grabbed his arm.

His response was shocking.

“No.”

“What…?”

“It’s a bother.”

“A bother…? How dare you refuse when your master calls you.”

As the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.

Old habits die hard.

She was no longer his master.

Sepia’s eyes trembled.

‘Ethan and I… we have no relationship now.’

The thought tormented her.

“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving.”

“W-wait.”

“Why?”

She wanted to ask him so many things.

How was his mana capacity so large?

Why was he leaving her?

Why did he leave the Logness family?

What was he dissatisfied with?

Ethan had always worked diligently for the Logness family.

‘But why did he suddenly leave?’

Sepia had thought about it for days, but she couldn’t find an answer.

So, she wanted to ask him directly.

“What is it?”

But his indifferent gaze made her lose her courage.

She was afraid of his answer.

‘What if he says he left because he hates me…?’

The thought made her heart ache.

So, she couldn’t ask him.

She wanted to tell him that he could always come back.

That the Logness family was waiting for him.

“It’s nothing…”

Sepia lowered her head and walked past Ethan.

Ethan watched her go, then turned and left.

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“Welcome back, my lady.”

Vivian’s gentle voice followed Sepia as she returned to her dormitory room and collapsed onto the bed.

Ethan’s indifferent gaze still haunted her. She had never been treated with such indifference before.

It was understandable.

Sepia was a direct descendant of the Logness family and the rightful heir to the Logness territory. No one in the territory would dare look at her with such a detached expression.

Everyone was always trying to please her.

Sepia had grown up surrounded by servants who constantly fawned over her. They had always tried to anticipate her every whim, to cater to her every need.

She had never learned how to properly interact with others.

She didn’t understand her own emotions. She had never expressed her feelings openly, nor had she ever offered a kind word to anyone.

“My lady, is something bothering you?”

Vivian approached Sepia, who was burying her face in her pillow.

Sepia had been sleeping more than usual lately.

She sought solace in sleep, escaping the harsh realities of her waking life.

She woke up and went to class.

After class, she returned to her dormitory room and stared blankly at the wall. She tried to distract herself by reading or completing her assignments.

And when night fell, she asked Vivian to cast a sleep spell on her.

Even Vivian could see that Sepia’s condition was worsening.

If she could, she would beg Ethan to come back, even if it meant kneeling before him.

“Vivian…”

Sepia lifted her head. Her eyes were red and swollen.

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

“Did the interview with Professor Cassia go poorly?”

Vivian asked cautiously.

Sepia shook her head.

Professor Cassia had actually praised her abilities.

“No…”

Sepia mumbled.

How could she explain what had happened today?

Sepia had never been honest with anyone.

If conversation was a form of communication, Sepia had only ever given orders. She had always worn a mask in social gatherings, concealing her true emotions.

She had never needed to be honest.

“Will you… will you also leave me someday?”

Sepia’s voice cracked.

Vivian smiled gently.

“I promise you, my lady. I will never leave you.”

“Vivian…”

“Yes, Sepia. I’m listening.”

Sepia hesitated.

She wanted to ask Vivian so many things.

Was she a terrible person?

Had she wronged Ethan?

Why did he leave?

She couldn’t understand.

She might have been selfish and arrogant, but she was well-regarded in the Logness territory.

She had a sharp tongue, but she cared about her people.

Everyone understood that she was just a young noblewoman.

‘But what if Ethan… what if he truly hates me?’

Sepia hesitated. She couldn’t bring herself to ask.

“Am I a terrible person?”

The villains in the novels she read were always jealous and scheming. They plotted against the heroines and the protagonists, setting traps and inflicting pain on their servants.

“No, my lady. I have never met anyone as noble and kind as you.”

Vivian had never served another young lady.

But she had attended social gatherings with Sepia.

And the Sepia she had observed was intelligent and talented. She was the most gifted mage in the Logness family.

“Have I wronged Ethan?”

“My lady…”

“Answer me. Have I wronged Ethan?”

Vivian couldn’t answer.

The truth was, Ethan had amnesia. But he still loved Sepia. He had hidden his condition and left her side because he wanted to love her as an equal.

That’s why he was pursuing the path of a hero.

She wanted to tell Sepia everything.

‘I want to comfort you…’

But Ethan wanted to keep his condition a secret.

Vivian was torn between revealing the truth and respecting Ethan’s wish.

“Ethan will… he will come back to you, my lady.”

“He’ll come back? How do you know that?”

“I just… I have a feeling.”

That was all she could say. She couldn’t reveal anything about Ethan yet.

“No… he won’t come back.”

Sepia’s voice was filled with certainty.

“What? He won’t come back?”

“Ethan… he had a greater mana capacity than I do.”

“Ethan’s mana capacity was greater than yours?”

Vivian blinked, her confusion evident.

She tried to process Sepia’s words, but she couldn’t make sense of them.

Ethan had no talent for magic.

He could only use basic elemental magic. Vivian had observed him closely and knew that he lacked any exceptional magical abilities.

“How high was his mana capacity?”

“It took Professor Cassia 20 minutes to measure it.”

“20 minutes?”

“And even after 20 minutes, she wasn’t able to complete the measurement.”

Could mana capacity increase so suddenly?

Mana capacity wasn’t something that could be easily increased.

It required consistent training and natural talent, like building muscle. And even then, people often hit a plateau.

“Mana capacity can’t just increase…”

“Ethan wasn’t born with a high mana capacity.”

“I agree.”

“Then there’s only one explanation. He trained tirelessly. Ethan had been working hard for a long time to leave the Logness family.”

Sepia revealed her conclusion.

That’s why the Erze Trading Company wanted to recruit him.

A large mana capacity meant he had immense potential. It was a conclusion she didn’t want to face.

“My lady…”

Sepia lowered her head, her silky pink hair cascading down her shoulders.

‘No, my lady. Ethan trained so hard… for you.’

Vivian couldn’t bring herself to say those words.

Sepia soon fell asleep.

As Vivian was about to leave, she stopped.

Two gift baskets were placed under the table.

They were filled with chocolates.

And there was a note attached to each basket.

One was for Vivian.

The other was for…

Ethan.

―To Ethan, Happy Merry Merry Day.

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‘Ugh… so embarrassing.’

Tia sighed.

She couldn’t forget her blunder at the social gathering last weekend.

‘How dare you ignore meee? Do you know how hard it is to be the daughter of the Erze Trading Companyyy? You’re adding to my stress byyy ignoring meeee!’

‘Heehee! Good morning, Miss Honesty!’

‘Miss Honesty! We’re forming a club! Wanna join us? Heehee. It’s gonna be so much fun! Imagine, club activities with friendsss!’

Members of a trading company had to be rational.

They shouldn’t be swayed by emotions.

They had to make investment decisions based on data and evidence.

That’s what all the business management books she had read said.

But she had gotten carried away that night.

‘I knew how much I could drink… Why did I have to drink so much?’

She had ended up completely drunk and rambling nonsense.

She had never gotten that drunk at a social gathering before.

“Ugh… I even used informal language.”

Tia had always used formal language with everyone.

But that night had been an exception.

She had even rambled on as the maid dragged her away.

‘I’m different! I won’t deceive myself like your master! Heehee.’

Fortunately, the maid seemed like a discreet person.

She probably wouldn’t report her drunken ramblings to Sepia.

Tia had only sobered up the next morning.

She remembered everything.

And she was mortified.

She wanted to die of embarrassment.

She kicked her blankets repeatedly.

“I’m crazy, I’m crazy! I must have been crazy!”

Tia ran her fingers through her red hair, trying to calm down.

She even banged her head against the wall.

“Crazy, crazy!”

Her raven, Crow, mimicked her words.

“Be quiet! I’m not in a good mood right now.”

Crow tilted its head, its beady eyes watching her cautiously.

‘I’ll just pretend to have blacked out.’

But whenever she saw Ethan, the memories came flooding back.

She pretended to have no recollection of the events, her acting skills reaching new heights.

Fortunately, Ethan didn’t press the issue.

‘Maybe this is a good thing?’

Every crisis was an opportunity.

She could use this opportunity to apologize and strengthen their bond.

Tia glanced at her calendar.

Tomorrow was Merry Merry Day.

It was a day for exchanging chocolates with loved ones and friends.

It was a day invented by the Erze Trading Company to boost chocolate sales. And every year, on Merry Merry Day, chocolate sales skyrocketed.

Why encourage friends to exchange chocolates?

Because it meant they could sell more chocolate.

‘I’ll give Ethan a chocolate gift.’

She planned to give chocolates to her classmates during homeroom, and she would give Ethan a special chocolate to express her apology.

The next day, Tia distributed chocolates to her classmates.

“Wow, thanks, Tia!”

“Thanks. As expected of the Erze Trading Company, you guys are generous.”

Tia beamed with pride as she handed out the chocolates.

And now it was Ethan’s turn.

She had given chocolates to everyone else, so there was no chance of him misunderstanding her intentions.

Ethan was staring out the window, lost in thought.

Tia cleared her throat, hoping to get his attention.

But he seemed oblivious to her presence.

“Um… Ethan.”

“Yes?”

“I… I found this on the way here.”

Tia held out a chocolate bar.

She had planned to say something else, but those words tumbled out of her mouth.

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