I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 151

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Yo, Teacher.”

I was greeted by none other than Trie as I exited the Imperial Palace. She had changed out of her armor into casual attire, seemingly after stopping by my residence.

“What is it?”

“Nothing much. But we didn’t spar yesterday or today, right? So I was thinking we could do it now, since we just arrived. Heh heh.”

Was there no rest for the weary?

I wanted to tell her that the war was over, and that maybe we could take a day off, but I knew it was pointless.

Trie would scoff at the suggestion, calling anyone who slacked off a third-rate knight.

“When exactly are you going to stop teaching me swordsmanship?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Trie tilted her head.

I was certain I had agreed to teach her until the midterms, after which I would teach her magic. That was part of our agreement.

“Until you surpass me, of course.”

“So… you intend to teach me forever?”

“Are you underestimating yourself? My growth has stalled. But your skills are improving exponentially. I think you’ll catch up soon.”

Trie was the one underestimating herself.

She had faced and defeated some of the strongest warriors in the South. If I had been in her place, I would have been dismembered before I could even blink.

Trie didn’t seem to realize how powerful her opponents had been.

“I don’t think I can spar right now.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, I still have to unpack… and recover from my travels.”

“Psh. All that can be solved with a good sword fight.”

I wasn’t as passionate about swordsmanship as she was… And there was another problem.

I had realized on the way back that I hadn’t sent a single letter to Emilia in the past week.

I hadn’t promised to do so, but considering how she had seen me off with tears in her eyes, she must have been worried. Or at least, feigning worry.

I suspected she would unleash her pent-up frustration on me.

“We’re here.”

“Hmm…”

We arrived at the dorm for the school’s top student. But the residence looked different from my memory. All the windows were covered with curtains, blocking out any trace of light.

The lack of shadows suggested the lights weren’t on inside.

It seemed Emilia was out.

I opened the door without hesitation.

“Ugh…”

“Hmm?”

I found Emilia on the stairs, shielding her eyes from the light. She looked paler than before, like she hadn’t been sleeping well. It had an almost captivating effect on her beauty.

I stared at her for a moment, before finally speaking.

“I’m home.”

Emilia’s eyes widened at the sound of my voice.

She stared at me, as if seeing a ghost.

Then, a smile slowly spread across her face. I had expected her to be angry, but she was surprisingly calm.

“Oppa!”

“Oof!”

Emilia’s small frame collided with me.

She moved so quickly that I barely registered her approach. She wrapped her arms around my waist.

I stroked her hair.

It was a familiar gesture.

So far, everything seemed like a reunion between a master and their servant. If only it had ended there.

“Why are you so late?! You promised to be back in a week! Before the handkerchief faded! It’s been seven days and an hour!”

“Emilia.”

“Liar! You broke your promise! I was so worried! I missed you so much! I was terrified just now, wondering if this was a dream, a hallucination…”

“Emilia, could you please let go for a moment?”

“Hmm?”

Emilia began hitting my chest with her fists, her words filled with anger.

I froze.

She clearly hadn’t noticed Trie behind me.

The usually meticulous spy had made a fatal mistake, failing to survey her surroundings.

“M-Ms. Maid? Hello…?”

“…”

Trie smiled awkwardly.

Emilia froze.

After a moment of stunned silence, her expression changed.

“I was practicing my acting. How was it?”

“It was… wonderful. Like lovers reunited after years of separation…”

“Really? My practice is paying off!”

“Emilia.”

“I’ll go make some tea!”

Emilia delivered a stilted excuse and hurried into the house. She had run away.

“She’s gone…”

I couldn’t bring myself to move. I was stunned. Then Trie placed a hand on my shoulder.

Her expression was infuriating.

“You have to make her happy, Teacher.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh. Was I mistaken? Is it only one-sided? Even so, you have to make sure. Imagine how painful it is to hold onto a hopeless love.”

“What does that even mean—”

“Never mind. You’re such a hopeless teacher.”

“Trie…”

I knew what she meant, but I couldn’t say that she was a spy pretending to like me.

Damn it.

I had become a stereotypical, dense male protagonist from a light novel.

I decided to embrace it.

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An awkward silence filled the room.

While unpacking, Emilia busied herself in the kitchen, making tea. Then she started hovering near my room while Trie was using the living room.

She created a silencing barrier at the top of the stairs and stepped inside my room.

“Is there… anything you need?”

“Why are you using formal speech? You were using casual speech earlier. Why revert to formal speech when it’s just the two of us?”

“Ugh… forget about what happened earlier…”

Emilia covered her face with her hands. Her ears, red with embarrassment, were still visible.

I smiled.

“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. I was busy.”

I approached Emilia, telling her a half-truth.

I had been busy, but I could have found time to send a letter. But Emilia seemed unable to discern my lies. I took her hands and pulled them away from her face.

“You promised…”

Her face was a mess, her cheeks glistening with tears. It was hard to watch her.

I felt a strange urge to comfort her.

“You promised to return before the handkerchief faded…”

“Ah.”

I realized I had lost the handkerchief. Or rather, it had dissipated.

“I was going to be angry… going to blame you…”

“Yes.”

“But… seeing your face… I’m just so happy you’re back safely… I don’t care about anything else…”

Emilia leaned against my chest, her tears soaking my shirt. Her tears were warm.

“Why are you so calm? Was it just me who was worried? Just me who missed you?”

That wasn’t true.

I had tried so hard to memorize the lingering scent of her mana. In fact, I was still trying to suppress the urge to taste her tears.

“I missed you too.”

“Liar. You’re so calm. You probably forgot about me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Ugh…”

I pulled her closer, and she wrapped her arms around me, burying her face into my chest.

I stroked her hair, sharing my warmth.

Her performance was a bit too intense. If Emilia was trying to use a honey trap, she wouldn’t be so clingy and emotional.

This was her true self. And I knew why.

In the original story, Emilia became Hertlocker’s attendant.

She would serve him, providing an opportunity for them to reconnect and reconcile. But in this world, I had taken Hertlocker’s place.

Emilia had chosen me as her brother, someone to rely on.

“I missed you too. I thought of you often. I wished to be back by your side every single day.”

“…”

Even the seemingly invincible Emilia carried hidden wounds.

Emilia, who had lost her parents in the war and been forced into espionage at a young age, was about to experience a late, yet intense, adolescence.

It was my responsibility to support her.

I had inadvertently ruined the original story’s plot, and this was my burden to bear.

I would always offer my chest for her tears. I would always lend her my large, comforting hands. I would be the brother she needed.

Because, to her, I was just a replacement for Hertlocker.

“Liar… it wasn’t that bad.”

“It’s true. I even took out your handkerchief to look at it, to smell it.”

“Really…?”

Yes, really.

I had even tasted it, but I decided not to tell her that.

“Oppa, I—”

“Ah! I wonder when Teacher will come down?”

Trie’s booming voice made Emilia quickly pull away.

She had wiped her tears away, her face now expressionless. She looked like a perfect, emotionless maid.

Her eyes, however, were swollen.

It seemed Trie’s voice had become a trigger for her.

“Shall we go down?”

“Yes…”

I patted Emilia on the head and turned to leave.

I was hiding my own embarrassment. Her cute behavior was making my heart flutter.

Damn it.

I was starting to sound like a pervert.

I shook my head and followed Emilia down the stairs.

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