Chapter 236
"Really... I'll do really well..."
"Senior...!"
"From now on, I won't speak carelessly... I'll just stay quietly by your side..."
"Senior, what are you doing? Get a grip on yourself!"
Yeon Minha ignored my attempts to stop her.
"If you tell me to laugh, I'll laugh. If you tell me to cry, I'll cry... You can even hit me out of anger, it's fine..."
She continued her desperate pleas, still kneeling and slumping on the ground.
"Even if you force yourself on me, I won't resist... Whether it's the lecture hall... or the garden... anywhere you want, I can..."
"Yeon Minha!"
I couldn't listen to such appalling words any longer. I immediately approached her and forced her to stand up.
Then, I faced her two pupils, empty and void of focus, as tears fell thickly.
I could immediately recognize her condition. Everything, even the ominous aura surrounding us, I had experienced it once before.
It was a symptom of mental corruption.
"Senior..."
She bit her lips weakly.
Why? Yeon Minha's mental corruption had been improving rapidly. Recently, even without the manifestation of authority, she had been completely fine for about two weeks.
While a part of me felt a bit lonely that she was needing my ability less and less, another part of me thought it was immensely fortunate.
Because no matter when it would be, it was an undeniable fact that my life would wither away before hers.
But it had only been two days since we were apart... Why on earth?
Could it be... was her mind shaken by the possibility that I might choose Yeon instead?
"..."
Being consumed by such thoughts could wait. I immediately spread my authority in all directions to sever the connection between Yeon Minha and the spirit.
And gradually, Yeon Minha's focus began to return to her pupils as she looked at me.
I urgently shook her.
"Senior! Are you regaining..."
Poof.
Without saying anything, Yeon Minha buried her face in my chest.
Her shoulders trembled violently. I could feel her agitated breathing as if she had clenched her teeth.
The mental corruption had already been blocked. All I could do was silently embrace her.
"..."
The silence spread along with the darkness of the night. As I comforted the small bird in my arms, I reflected on my situation.
In just a few weeks, the life of an orphan had dramatically changed. But even so, who could I blame?
Should I criticize the principal who made such an unreasonable request in the first place?
No, this burden was entirely mine.
A burden that no one forced upon or passed to me, but one I chose to carry willingly.
Before I knew it, the intensity within my arms had subsided, and I quietly looked down at Yeon Minha.
She had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion and fatigue, still holding large teardrops around her eyes.
I gently stroked her hair.
As expected, she's a woman I just can't leave alone.
***
With the official end of the leave of absence, a new week began.
The academy also resumed its suspended official educational schedule.
"Alright, that's it for today's sparring!"
At the signal of the short-haired female professor, the standing students collapsed one by one. She scratched out lines on the evaluation sheet, seemingly displeased with how sluggish the students had become over the past few days.
As for me, I had already completed the assignments and was leisurely relaxing with the leading group of students. This much was still manageable.
Though I didn't know how much it had cracked, at least outwardly, it resembled an unbroken porcelain.
Honestly, unless it was about applying high-level magic formulas to my entire body, I didn't feel much of a difference from before.
Then, I accidentally locked eyes with Professor Shin Jaeyu, who was glaring at the collapsed students.
The female professor momentarily curved her eyes into crescents and gave me an ambiguous signal with a wink.
"..."
I was flustered and pondered how to respond. Then, she smirked mischievously, wiggled her fingers, and swiftly turned her body.
Shouldn't a professor carry a dignified sense of weight? Of course, I appreciated her constant kindness, but still...
On the other hand, a slight sense of unease still lingered in a corner of my chest.
That day.
To prevent a massive explosion that would blow away half the capital, I had no choice but to reveal my ability to the professors who had gathered to stop the core's rampage.
And any sorcerer with common sense wouldn't help but harbor suspicion about such an inexplicable sight.
Especially now, when the existence of witches had been disclosed to the world.
"But is it really true...? A witch..."
"Wasn't it...? Surely the criminals who appeared years ago..."
"You fools, that's not it..."
Soon, the chatter of other students resting nearby tickled my ears.
Someone like me who used powers unexplainable by modern magic. And the powerful enemy that had reappeared after years.
It wasn't difficult to connect the two.
Meaning, it wouldn't be strange for me to be accused of being part of an enemy faction at any moment.
However, none of the professors mentioned that day in front of me. Instead, like just now with Professor Shin Jaeyu, they showed peculiar gestures closer to encouragement or favor.
Perhaps someone exerted influence. Could it be the principal?
Come to think of it, I wonder what the principal thinks of me. She must have heard about that day long ago.
I was curious about her intentions, but there was no way to dig deeper. She was so swamped with overdue work that I couldn't bring myself to visit her.
On top of that, I had countless other worries. My relationship with Yeon, my connection with Polaris, the witch, finding Yena, the eerie warning left by Regulus, who had possessed Yena's body, and... my remaining lifespan.
Each one was a source of intense headaches.
"So, at that time, Senior Baek Seoyeon personally blocked the path...!"
The air of the cradle was filled with all sorts of rumors. No matter where I went, I kept hearing Yeon's name.
She hadn't shown up at the cradle yet, citing recovery as the reason. For me, it was probably for the best.
I no longer harbored the same resentment as before, but I had no idea how to act if I suddenly ran into Yeon at the cradle.
Anyway, the voices I heard about Yeon were mostly favorable.
She had reported her family's rebellion and personally stepped forward to stop her father's revolt, even getting injured in the process.
Moreover, Paechun had as many friends as enemies. The number of students in the cradle who practically worshipped her was still significant.
Compared to Yeon Minha during the Jeokhwa Incident, Yeon's circumstances were much better in various ways. Thinking that Yeon wouldn't face any hardships upon her return put me at ease to some extent.
Though that's only if she returns.
"Oh...?"
Just as I was leaving the arena to move to the next lecture hall.
I heard some commotion coming from the exit. At the same time, I felt several gazes glancing my way.
I quickly realized the cause.
Under the arch decoration at the arena's entrance, I found Yeon Minha waiting for me, her hands neatly clasped.
***
"You didn't have to come all the way here."
"Sometimes, I think this is necessary."
Yeon Minha, who was walking beside me in step, replied briskly.
"That... I saw it somewhere... A way to boost your boyfriend's morale..."
"Morale...?"
I stifled a small laugh. Where had she read such a bizarre book?
Well, having a senior from Jeokhwa personally greet you would indeed boost anyone's morale.
"...You didn't dislike it, did you?"
Yeon Minha asked in a slightly deflated voice, glancing at me sideways. A strange sensation enveloped me for a moment.
The usual Yeon Minha would have glared at me with sharp eyes and grilled me with questions.
Thinking about it now, seeing that version of Yeon Minha seems preferable. Far better than seeing her look so listless.
"Of course not."
I quickly shook my head in denial.
"I loved it."
"...Then that's good."
A hint of relief crossed Yeon Minha's face as she turned her head. During the break, we strolled down the corridor and wandered near the Central Fountain.
"Hey, you know."
After hesitating for a while, as if she still had something to say, Yeon Minha finally spoke up again.
"That day... the things I said..."
"It's fine."
And, once again, I immediately shook my head.
Neither of us had mentioned what happened that day. As if we had made an unspoken agreement.
Experiencing Mental Corruption doesn't mean losing your Memory, but there's no need to stir up something humiliating.
Besides, the fact that I'm here now is proof enough of everything.
"I already told you, didn't I? I was so exhausted that day, I can't even remember."
"Ah, no... that's not what I meant..."
"Not what you meant...?"
"Not what I meant... um, I mean... there was a bit of Sincerity in it too...!"
But before she could finish her words, which she uttered with her eyes tightly shut, they were interrupted by a Commotion coming from the direction of the Main Gate.
The gazes of the students walking in the Plaza were fixated on a single point. Their voices, which reached my ears, grabbed my attention too.
"Baek Seoyeon Senior...!!"
"It's the Senior!"
Without realizing it, I stopped in my tracks. My eyes turned reflexively, soon capturing the sight of someone.
After a few days, seeing Yeon again, she looked quite healthy. Watching her greeting and smiling brightly at those who welcomed her eased my mind a little.
And then, feeling the sensation of someone holding my arm tightly, I turned my head back.
Though Yeon Minha tried to act calm, she couldn't hide her agitation. Standing frozen, her trembling pupils betrayed her emotions.
Half of it was fear, and the other half... anger.
"..."
Moreover, for some reason, Yeon's beaming smile felt resolute, which made an ominous premonition seep into my skin.
Anyhow, us being here right now isn't good. I spoke to Yeon Minha while wrapping her shoulder.
"Senior, let's... leave this place for now."
But at that moment.
I spotted something next to Yeon, tilting my head in confusion.
"...?"
I wasn't the only one who noticed it. Among the students gathered in the Plaza, whispers began to spread.
"A girl...?"
"Oh my... she's so cute... is she a niece...?"
Something like a small animal clung to one of Yeon's hands, toddling along. It was a little girl.
No matter how you looked at her, she seemed to be no older than three or four, wearing a White Dress.
Her long hair, trailing so much that it almost brushed the ground, made her look even cuter. Just looking at her exuded an overwhelming sense of loveliness.
Perhaps because she looked so much like Yeon, that feeling was even stronger. Was she a relative of Yeon's family being cared for temporarily?
Strangely, though, the atmosphere felt so familiar and not at all unfamiliar. Especially her pupils, which were a murky gray that seemed oddly familiar...
"Oh...?"
And at that moment. I was overwhelmed by an indescribable, strange feeling.
The child, her face filled with excitement, kept turning her head left and right. She seemed both amazed by her surroundings and as if she were searching for someone.
And when I realized that she was getting closer and closer.
I found myself locking eyes with the little girl all of a sudden.
"...!"
A Radiant Beaming Smile immediately spread across her face. Then, letting go of Yeon's hand, her dress fluttering, she dashed toward us with tiny steps.
Her direction was clearly toward us. The girl, who had run up to us in no time, didn't even think about stopping and leaped straight into my legs.
Then, hugging them as if they were a big teddy bear, she looked up at me and shouted loudly.
With an utterly pure, radiant smile.
"Daddy!"