.｡.:✧ Chapter 21 ✧:.｡.

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
In the Dean’s office,

“What did you say…?”

I sat in her chair, opposite to where the Dean was standing, absentmindedly twirling my pen and organizing my thoughts. Suddenly, the Dean addressed me.

“Hmm? I didn’t say anything just now.”

“Didn’t you mention a moment ago that I need to monitor someone?”

“I must’ve blurted it out without even realizing.”

“You’re think about that, huh?”

I rose from my seat, feeling somewhat awkward under the Dean’s bewildered expression. Well, if my thoughts had inadvertently slipped out as words, he must have roughly understood what I was going to ask from now on.

“Keep an eye on Rin from Class 3A.”

“…..”

“I don’t need the trivial details, but after school, find out where she goes. I don’t need her grades, but I want to know her proficiency in combat and magic.”

The Dean, who seemed puzzled about why he had to do this, received the paper with the instructions from me.

“Now that you have this, please do me this favor.”

Of course, I had recorded it separately, but it was my way of expressing it, and the Dean hesitated, then finally accepted the paper I offered.

Because of me, he had to strain his relationship with the Laeros family, and my unease about pushing things too far became evident.

“I understand for now. Within the academy, I can monitor her privately, and as for going outside, I may not know the specifics, but I’ll be aware if she leaves. I can naturally inquire about her combat and magic proficiency from the respective instructors.”

Good.

Going outside the academy couldn’t be helped, but Rin didn’t frequently leave the academy, and even when she did, she always went with her friends.

“Well, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

After all, Rin had ten years left before she could become the Commander of the Undead and bring about the world’s destruction.

“I need to confirm whether it’s really Rin changing or if she’s being influenced by something.”

To find out, I needed to observe Rin closely.

Once I put my plan into action, self-disgust washed over me.

“What am I doing?”

I sighed as I found myself looking pathetic. I justified this action by saying that it was necessary to introduce different variables into Rin’s academy life, apart from my interference, but the truth was, I just didn’t want to be around Rin.

The area where my heart was pierced began to throb painfully.

I could endure the lingering unease and nausea to some extent, but it seemed a new ailment had taken hold. Especially when she stared at me with those emotionless eyes that felt like they were piercing my skin, I involuntarily shrank back.

‘Getting nervous about a kid at 28.’

I was annoyed, but there was nothing I could do.

The trauma of death was applying more strongly to me than I had thought.

“…Unrequited love is strangely peculiar.”

“What?”

Seeing the Dean chuckling, I involuntarily frowned. I wondered if this man had lost his mind to say something like that, but when I asked him, he suddenly shook his head, as if it was nothing.

“It might seem that way.”

Well, anyway, no one besides the Dean and I would know, so what did it matter?

***

Recently, Rin had been getting paler and paler as the days went by.

Her once flawless white skin, free of blemishes even without special care, was becoming increasingly rough, and her hair, which used to glisten even after washing with soap, was losing its luster.

‘Why…’

Her close friends, classmates, and even male students secretly harboring feelings for her were all suffering along with her because of this transformation, but there was only one boy in the girl’s mind.

‘Why me…’

Although she had suggested sorting out theirl relationships, it wasn’t that easy, was it? However, she could understand having such feelings.”

After all, even she hadn’t been able to spend time with Daniel as she used to after coming to the academy, and even Ares had largely ignored Daniel in the academy.

‘Stupid Ares.’

she scolded him for no reason, but anyway.

So, Rin wanted to start again.

The reason she tried to select Daniel during the second round of the exams was not because she thought it would benefit her team. Rather, it was because she had been surprised to see Daniel move with such confidence.

In the village sparring sessions, Daniel had a good physique, but due to his timid nature, he couldn’t wield the sword properly, often losing to Ares.

‘I tried to help, but…’

In the second round of exams, Rin wanted to choose Daniel not just because it would benefit their team, but also because she wanted to help boost Daniel’s confidence, knowing that he was feeling insecure about his grades and had the potential to excel if given the opportunity.

But more than that, it was about starting again.

‘I want to get close to Daniel one more time.’

Reorganizing their relationship as they had agreed upon, she had wanted to say, but…

‘He ran away.’

Daniel fled without showing his face, not saying anything.

Who knows how traumatizing that was for the young girl.

Three days later.

Rin, unable to eat properly and with her studies in disarray, was suffering from heartache.

‘I confessed to him, though.’

[Why did he give up so easily and start dating another girl? Why? We’ve been through so much together! We’ve always been together! That shouldn’t change!]

The words she had said to Daniel when she visited his room late one night before were not exactly a declaration of love, but they were close enough.

Yet he was avoiding her?

The pain in her chest was so intense that she felt like she might just keel over.

Unpleasant emotions continued to surge within her.

Then, Hare, her closest friend in the class, approached awkwardly, smiling.

“Rin, we’re going to a café in town today. They have a wide variety of pastries there!”

Hare spoke cheerfully. Rin was about to decline, but suddenly, she remembered something and agreed.

And so, after school.

Rin, thinking she was going with just Hare, was taken aback by the size of the group.

A total of ten people.

It was a perfect 5-to-5 ratio, not for a blind date, but just five girls and five boys hanging out. Rin glanced at Hare, wondering if she had brought them along for this purpose, but even Hare seemed puzzled.

“No, as soon as they heard you were going, the others wanted to come too.”

She whispered as she came closer.

“They want to cheer you up. Don’t make a fuss; let’s all go together.”

“…Alright.”

She didn’t feel like playing along with this kind of joke right now.

Still, as Rin walked out into town, she couldn’t help but glance towards the academy.

‘As expected.’

She had felt a strange presence trailing her lately, but when she left the academy, it disappeared completely.

It seemed like there was someone keeping an eye on her from a distance, but they weren’t taking any direct action.

She came along with the group today to see if they would follow her outside, but it seemed like the surveillance was limited to within the academy.

‘ should start tracing them back soon.’

She wasn’t sure what they were up to, but she decided she needed to gather evidence and confront them as soon as possible. With that thought in mind, she and her friends entered the café.

As they stood in front of the menu, the boys eagerly rushed to order for Rin.

“I’ll buy. What do you want to eat?”

“This one! This one is really delicious. We had it last time, and it was amazing.”

“Don’t just eat desserts; it’ll make you feel bloated and gain weight. Of course, not that you’ve gained any! In fact, you…”

‘What are they saying?’

They were talking about something, but Rin couldn’t hear it clearly.

“Today, I’ll treat Rin!”

Hare, her friend, said, pulling Rin close and covering for her. The other girls behind them were giggling, and among them were Elise, who had a crush on Ares, and Adriana.

“It’s a new experience for me to have someone else steal the spotlight from me. Not bad at all.”

“Elise always stands out wherever she goes.”

Elise, with her dazzling golden hair and haughty demeanor, exuded a more superior aura than the other nobles. She found the situation amusing as it was her first time experiencing it, and Adriana, pushing up her glasses, added.

They all sat down at a table and began chatting.

The boys tried their best to create a lively atmosphere by sharing interesting stories and making jokes, but…

“…..”

“Hah.”

“It’s fun, don’t be so down.”

Rin remained silent, and Elise yawned out of boredom, while Adriana tried to comfort her with an awkward smile, but it only made things worse.

“You guys aren’t actually targeting them, are you?”

Hare finally interjected.

In reality, the boys were only interested in Rin.

Elise?

Beautiful.
Of course, Elise, with her beauty and grace, is truly a paragon in every aspect.

Adriana?

A girl with big glasses and braided hair. She might resemble Eve in some ways, but their personalities and academic talents were polar opposites. She was a genius in magic.

Certainly, it would be great to get along with them even if it weren’t Rin.

However, those two were already captivated by the monster known as Ares, and other guys didn’t even register on their radar.

How could anyone compete with the impenetrable fortress that those two had entered? That’s why Rin, despite her commoner status, was in a more favorable position. Her charming beauty was enough to hide her flaws, making her a promising choice.

“They don’t even see us as women.”

May, a girl with wavy chestnut hair who sat beside Hare, sipped her coffee irritably.

She used to project an image of a model student and kindness on the outside, but now, she openly embraced her role as the leader of a delinquent gang.

‘Why am I…’

May was indeed in class A, but she had no intention of being part of this group. But that damned recording!

She found herself unavoidably caught in this situation because she was in the same class as A as Rin and her uncle, who happened to be the Dean, had issued a particular directive that if Rin were to go outside, she should accompany her whenever possible.

Perhaps it was because of May’s grumbling, but one of the male students changed the topic.

“May did really well in the second round of exams this time! I never knew you two would win!”

“Wow, I was cheering for you when I saw it.”

“Did I do it? Daniel pretty much did it. But well, it’s teamwork.”

Rin, turning her head away, subtly glanced at May. The boys seemed to take her glance as a signal and started chatting excitedly.

“But what’s up with Daniel these days?”

“He’s just an ordinary guy, but he’s amazing?”

Although Rin didn’t particularly like it, everyone already knew that Daniel was her childhood friend. So, they subtly pushed him forward, and Rin’s expression began to relax.

Hare secretly nudged her with her thumb, encouraging her to go along.

“But lately, he’s been wandering around the Dean’s office. Did he get into trouble again?”

One clueless male student sneered and asked.

In the midst of their intense gazes, May casually replied.

“He’s going to confirm something with the Dean. Nothing special.”

With May’s statement, which had the weight of credibility given that the dean of the school was at her back, the atmosphere began to calm down somewhat. Just as things were settling, Elise turned to Rin and spoke.

“By the way, do you like that guy?”

“Pfft! Cough! Wh-What…!”

Rin’s face, which had lost its color, suddenly turned red as she looked at Elise. Elise continued to speak as if it was something she needed to address.

“I came here today with Adriana to talk about that. Do your best. That’s the only way to make Ares give up.”

“You’re being too straightforward.”

Adriana scolded, but Elise crossed her legs and continued.

“I’m willing to help, so do well.”

“Alright.”

Rin, who was clueless about why Ares was brought up in the conversation, didn’t refuse the offer for assistance.

“You’re ruining the atmosphere.”

May grumbled irritably.

In the past, she couldn’t even utter a word to women like Elise, who were close to Ares. But now, it was different.

Her personality had become brash, and it was partly due to Daniel, who had brought about a shocking terror beyond imagination.

In simpler terms, she had toughened up.

Elise frowned briefly, then glanced at the surrounding students before sighing and nodding her head.

“Well, then, let me share an interesting story.”

Elise’s interesting story.

It was completely out of place with the current atmosphere, so everyone listened with anticipation.

“That’s how it ends – with me arresting him.”

“…Interesting story.”

The atmosphere became even more tense.
The story Elise shared was none other than when she was young, she set a trap and captured a stalker who had been stalking and following her.

The stalker had monitored and observed every aspect of Elise’s daily life, taking notes and keeping a close eye. However, when they finally met in person, the stalker turned out to be timid and ended up fleeing, making for a rather bizarre tale.

“Ew! Disgusting.”

“There’s someone like that?”

“Is he insane?”

“They call it Sexual Arousal Syndrome or something like that, I heard.”

As they continued to express their disgust and shock, a strange feeling began to sprout in Rin’s mind. Suddenly, problems that had been completely incomprehensible to her started to make sense. It was like a light bulb moment, a personal revelation.

[Daniel has started avoiding me.]

[Someone has been monitoring me recently.]

[It’s probably the dean.]

These were the pieces of information Rin had gathered so far. Today’s revelation in the café, combined with what she had known before, started to fit together.

[The dean almost expelled Daniel due to false accusations.]

[Daniel frequently visits the dean’s office. reportedly asking for something.]

[There are people with a condition called Sexual Arousal Syndrome.]

[Some individuals, although timid, stalk the person they like.]

Thump.

“It’s… surprising.”

“What’s going on?”

Rin’s sudden movement startled Hare, who was sitting next to her, and Elise in front of her. Rin didn’t have the chance to apologize before she hurriedly ran out of the café.

‘Could it be…?’

Her heart started racing.

She needed to confirm it.

Her evidence was still somewhat weak, but she felt like she had found a key to the puzzle. She just needed to turn it now.

So, Rin rushed back to the academy and made her way straight to the dean’s office.

***

The next day.

“Hey, everyone!”

Rin’s cheerful voice echoed in the corridor. She was full of life, a complete contrast to her demeanor just yesterday when it felt like she was at death’s door.

“Sorry about yesterday. Instead, I’m treating you all today!”

“Wow!”

“Rin, you’re the best!”

The male students were excited at the thought of another outing that felt like a date with Rin. Hare, her best friend, smiled as she saw Rin returning to her usual self.

As they all chatted happily in the corridor, they passed by Daniel and his group.

In the midst of the group, Hare beamed with pride.

‘You got it all out, huh.’

Seeing this, Daniel muttered, and Tana and Eve replied.

“Why are they so excited?”

“I guess something good happened.”

“Congratulations! I guess.”

And Rin silently thought to herself.

‘If I pretend to know, he might feel uncomfortable and run away again. It’s okay; let’s take it slow. Hm, is he spying on me from the window? If I pose like this, will I look more attractive?’

Unfortunately, the country girl was slowly losing her innocence.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇