I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 56

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Ha… Haha…”

On a night with a crescent moon hanging in the sky.

A pointy-eared elven woman leaned against the terrace and let out a chuckle.

When she moved her palm in front of her face, she had already transformed into a red-haired human woman.

It was her specialty, disguise magic.

If asked if this was her original appearance… it was difficult to answer.

She had changed her appearance so many times that she had long forgotten her original face.

This face was merely an attempt to recreate the image of her younger self from memory as much as possible, so it was hard to say it was her original face.

“Seriously… What kind of guy is he…?”

Schlus Hainkel had seen through her disguise.

She took pride in her magic that could deceive even the eyes of the Emperor and the Imperial Guard.

It was so perfect that it could even deceive herself.

First of all, there was no way he had seen through it with detection magic or something.

She hadn’t felt the activation of the spell at all.

Then did she make a mistake somewhere?

Did she unknowingly leak a clue?

That was impossible.

Thanks to her underground life of over a decade, security was completely ingrained in her body.

Moreover, if she had made such a fatal mistake without knowing, nobles with more solid information power than Schlus should have noticed first.

But looking at those nobles leisurely enjoying the party, the possibility of that was approaching zero.

‘How did he know about Kingheart too…?’

There was one more annoying thing.

Schlus had mentioned the name ‘Kingheart’.

Kingheart.

He was a boy who recently became a member of the Crows and was quite controversial among the Crows for his exceptional skills at a young age.

If it was just that Schlus Hainkel was looking for that Crow, there would be nothing strange.

But the problem was that Kingheart’s name hadn’t been officially registered yet.

When introduced to clients as a Crow, it was only after their official name was registered.

So there was no way for Schlus to know Kingheart’s name.

Except for one possibility…

‘Could it be…?’

What if Schlus Hainkel was a member of the Crows?

Then it wouldn’t be unexplainable.

He could know Kingheart before registration.

This elven appearance was also a disguise she occasionally used, so if he was a regular collaborator, he could have noticed.

Even the fact that he killed Henderson could be explained if Henderson was caught off guard, thinking Schlus was a fellow Crow when he saw his face.

She had wondered how on earth he killed that monster…

Before she knew it, the possibility had turned into suspicion, and the suspicion was gradually turning into certainty.

‘One of the Crows? Who the hell is he?’

The faces of the Crows flashed through Jin’s mind.

Face. Voice. Build.

Not a single one of them matched him.

Then did Schlus also use disguise magic when working as a Crow?

“Ugh. Creepy…”

The thought that one of her colleagues was acting as such a steadfast young man in the light.

It was creepy and a bit annoying.

With that thought, a smile hung on Jin’s lips.

‘A Crow should only live in the shadows.’

She wanted to bring down Schlus Hainkel.

She wanted to drag the guy who mistook himself as a creature of the light back into the shadows.

There was no particular reason.

It wasn’t like she would gain anything by doing this.

But this was an impulse close to instinct.

‘I’ve forgotten even my original appearance and live like this. It’s not fair for you alone to live so radiantly…?’

It was an impulse rooted in jealousy, the very essence of human nature.

Jin was already covering her mouth with her hand, giggling and laughing.

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“Madam. Here’s some water.”

“Thank you.”

Madam Lichtenburg gulped down the cold water.

Still, Madam’s hands were trembling.

It wasn’t just because of the humiliation of being disgraced by a commoner.

It was due to the emotion of fear that she felt for the first time in a long time.

Was there anyone on this continent who would dare mention her daughters and threaten Lichtenburg?

Except for the Majins, no one would have the ability or courage to do so.

But Schlus’ eyes were as quiet as death.

Those eyes were those of a tyrant.

No matter how powerful Lichtenburg’s authority was, there was no way to prevent lightning from suddenly striking one day.

Schlus’ existence was like that.

A natural disaster that couldn’t be stopped by human power.

The fact that he was showing mercy should be enough to be grateful for.

‘Is there really no way?’

Madam walked slowly to the balcony with her arms crossed.

The cool breeze wafting past her seemed like it would help clear her head.

If there was no way to face him with power.

Then what about a public opinion war?

If they plotted to tarnish his reputation…

‘That won’t work…’

Madam Lichtenburg quietly shook her head.

In her eyes, Schlus was bold but not a reckless man.

He was a thorough type who only engaged in fights he could win from the start.

The day Schlus revealed that he had noticed her assassination attempt.

Schlus must have already secured evidence that she had Henderson poison the well.

With that kind of weapon, he had clearly picked a fight with Lichtenburg.

If she engaged in a public opinion war, Schlus would immediately reveal the evidence.

“Tsk…”

She was inferior in both power and information.

In other words, there was no prospect of victory at all.

To think that Lichtenburg, called one of the three great magic families, was being threatened by a mere commoner.

And to think that commoner was practically a walking disaster.

The future looked too bleak.

She could already imagine that arrogant bastard making absurd demands and relishing his victory.

No matter how humiliating the act.

No matter if it brought Lichtenburg’s honor to the ground, she could do it.

But if he crossed the line.

If he tried to touch her daughters.

She definitely wouldn’t tolerate it then.

She would use any means necessary to bring Schlus to ruin.

Risking everything Lichtenburg had.

Madam made that resolution with a venomous heart.

“Hehehe… Hic… Hng…”

“…?”

But at the strange laughter coming from the side, Madam slowly backed away from the balcony.

There was a red-haired woman emitting a somewhat gloomy and unpleasant aura.

“Oh? Come to think of it, where’s Julia?”

Only then did Madam Lichtenburg look around and realize that Julia wasn’t by her side.

“She went out to the garden for a moment. She said she wanted to get some fresh air.”

“W-Wait a minute. Then what about Schlus Hainkel?”

“That man also seems to have gone out a little while ago.”

“…!”

Schlus and Julia were outside at the same time?

Then the possibility of them running into each other was more than enough.

Madam Lichtenburg ran towards the main gate without even looking back, holding her skirt.

“Madam! It will be fine! The head maid is with her!”

She ignored the butler’s hollow shout.

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As soon as I stepped out the door, the noisy commotion suddenly died down as if it were a lie.

The bright hall behind me and this place with a subtle scent of grass seemed like different worlds.

Was the garden not well-maintained?

The sound of crickets and grasshoppers soaked this quiet night.

The nobles would hate it, but it reminded me of my grandmother’s house in the countryside that I visited every holiday, so it was a pleasant white noise to me.

The moment I was enjoying this beautiful pseudo-nature-

“…”

She appeared.

No, a child who looked exactly like her.

From her thinness that seemed like she would break if touched to her powerless smile.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Now I was ready…

“It’s a nice garden. Don’t you think?”

I thought.

Until I heard Julia’s voice.

Come to think of it, I didn’t hear her voice at our first meeting.

That’s why I thought I could fully face Julia.

But that was a misunderstanding.

That grating voice…

With that added, I could no longer see Julia as just a character from the novel.

‘Julia is not her. Julia is not her. Julia is not her…’

Only after mental armament close to self-hypnosis could I calmly open my mouth.

“It’s full of bugs. Isn’t it dirty?”

“Not necessarily. I’ve only seen quiet gardens… I prefer this kind of garden.”

It’s difficult.

My consumption of physical and mental strength was extreme.

Now I want to run away.

“Didn’t you call me out because you had something to say? Please just briefly tell me your business.”

“What’s the rush?”

“I’m always in a hurry.”

“Hmm… Head maid. Give us some space. Let us talk alone.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Soon the maid left, and Julia looked at me with a smile.

Does she want me to push the wheelchair?

I sighed deeply and went behind Julia, grabbing the handles.

Her hair, as fine as hers, caught my eye.

I forcibly raised my head to admire the night sky and slowly pushed the wheelchair.

“I’ve been having strange dreams lately.”

“…”

“In the dream, I become someone other than myself.”

“…”

“People usually say such dreams are scary. But I wasn’t. Even after waking up from the dream, I keep feeling a longing. I might even become someone other than myself in reality at this rate.”

I clearly told her to quickly get to the point.

But she started spouting useless words.

“If the dream is too vivid. Forget about it.”

“But I can’t just do that when I keep having similar dreams repeatedly.”

“Similar dreams… What kind of dreams were they?”

“I’ll show you. The reason I asked to meet alone was for this.”

Julia slightly turned her head back and tugged on my sleeve.

Led by her thin hand, I faced Julia again.

“…?”

Julia grabbed my hand.

Even holding it with both hands, she couldn’t fully cover my palm.

Then she struggled to move my hand upwards.

I let it be pulled up without much resistance.

Thud…

Only when the grip on my hand suddenly loosened did I realize Julia’s intention.

My hand was now placed on top of Julia’s head.

That soft hair.

A head that seemed small enough to be held in one hand was felt on my palm.

This… means to stroke it?

Not knowing why, I slowly stroked Julia’s hair.

I could have refused.

I could have asked why she was doing this.

But as if possessed, I just endlessly stroked her hair without asking anything.

However, the one who made me do this inexplicable act had her head bowed and wasn’t saying a word.

“Miss?”

“That’s enough.”

Julia slapped my hand away.

It wasn’t a strong force.

Yet my hand fell down weakly.

Then Julia grabbed the wheelchair’s wheels herself and turned to face away from me.

“That’s all I had to say.”

“… Pardon?”

“I’m really sorry for such a trivial matter. I just… wanted to recreate the situation from my dream.”

Just for that?

If it was something like that, she could have called Erica or Madam and done it.

I couldn’t understand why she deliberately called me out, even avoiding Madam’s eyes, who probably considered me an enemy.

“Shall I go first?”

“Let’s go together. I’ll push the wheelchair.”

“No. I want to look at the night sky a bit more.”

“Then I’ll wait.”

“Weren’t you always in a hurry?”

“…”

At this point, she was practically urging me to go first.

I wasn’t clueless enough not to notice, so I turned back without any lingering attachment.

I should feel empty for being called out for such a trivial matter.

I should be annoyed.

But strangely, that wasn’t entirely the case.

It was painful.

It was difficult.

But at the same time, the sensation left on my palm…

‘It was soft.’

It remained vague.

It was a feeling hard to describe.

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Schlus came out of the flower bed with a dark expression.

The head maid immediately reacted to this and ran to Julia.

Julia was sitting in a wheelchair placed in the middle of the flower bed with her head bowed.

The head maid became anxious with worry.

“Miss?”

“…”

“Miss, are you alright? Ah…!”

The moment the head maid hurriedly ran over, knelt down, and looked up at Julia’s face, her breath was caught in her throat.

A droplet of water fell on Julia’s knee and burst.

Julia was silently and endlessly shedding tears.

While tightly gripping her innocent skirt.

“D-Did that commoner do something terrible?”

“…”

“Then did you hear some nasty words?”

“…”

Despite the head maid’s continuous questions, Julia shook her head without a word.

Her tears still didn’t stop.

“Head maid…”

“Yes. I’m here.”

“My… chest hurts so much… This is the first time… What should I do…?”

It was the first time she saw Julia, who always acted admirably, crying like a child and seeking an answer.

At that sight, the head maid, who had forgotten what to say, just hugged Julia.

She had a rough idea of why she was doing this.

Even this young lady had finally experienced it.

The bitter pain of heartbreak.

Judging by the fact that she had called Schlus out separately and Schlus had walked out alone with a dark expression, it was obvious.

At times like this, any half-hearted words of comfort would only be poison.

The head maid just quietly patted Julia’s back until she stopped crying.

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