Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Elevator Confessions
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Elin scurried toward the Magic Department building.
Thanks to her strikingly distinctive gnarled wooden staff, there wasn’t a single student who didn’t recognize her—but even setting that aside, Elin was famous.
Mostly for something akin to notoriety.
Feeling the unfamiliar sense of distance for the first time in a while, Elin soon shrugged it off.
No matter how much the academy tried to erase class differences, the subtle gap in status was unavoidable.
They might act equal on the surface inside the university, but the moment you stepped outside, the divide became glaringly obvious.
Sure, they called each other friends now, but one day, some of them would end up as servants or staff in noble houses.
It wasn’t any different for the others.
‘Even Senior Isel works as a maid in the Pisvolt Ducal Family.’
She’d heard that even Isel, the second-year runner-up, faced subtle disdain because of her status as a servant.
‘Things changed when Professor Aiden arrived.’
It was a well-known story among those in the know: some fool from a count’s family had lorded his noble status over Senior Isel, only to get caught by Professor Aiden.
After that, no one had seen that count’s fool again.
The fact that his cronies had all clammed up spoke volumes about what the professor had made him pay.
If Senior Isel had endured it patiently… Elin was a bit different.
She was the type to step out from hiding, stop cowering, and say, “Let’s have it out fair and square.”
‘And I beat them.’
That time, she’d gone a little hard, which cemented her bad reputation.
The third-year senior she’d taken down had retaliated with all sorts of bullying afterward, but until Professor Aiden arrived, Professor Prezel had shielded her to a certain extent.
Now, no one touched her, thanks to her known friendship with Professor Aiden.
Instead, what she got was this distance.
A mix of awe or avoidance.
Elin didn’t fully understand the stares, but she accepted them.
Senior Radia from the Drake Ducal Family—the next head and a master with personal audience rights to His Majesty, whom even professors treaded carefully around—what about her?
She wasn’t sure if it was right to say it, but she was under Professor Aiden’s protection.
‘Being under someone’s wing feels strange… but I’ll avoid anything that might upset him even slightly.’
In an era where one hand was worth more than a hundred, a master was someone who might appear once in hundreds of millions.
Monsters who had proudly ascended to superhuman ranks.
Sure, he was treated like a typical layabout in the lab, but anyone who thought about it knew he was extraordinary.
Elin covered her mouth, lost in thought.
‘Extraordinary… right?’
For some reason, seeing him slumped in that leather chair, melting away his fatigue, made the awe fade bit by bit.
Why, just why…
‘Why doesn’t he feel extraordinary?’
Feeling perplexed, Elin blurted out loud.
Was it because he looked so weary of life?
Not sick, but… like even breathing was too much trouble, so he just sprawled out…
Maybe it was those constant blinks, unable to overcome his signature ennui.
‘His looks are something I’ve gotten used to.’
Huh? Thinking about it, weren’t his looks more striking than his master status?
That sickly air from boredom, or how he’d stay silent forever unless spoken to, or the faintly decadent aura from his tedium…
Like he needed tender, loving care…
“The professor could probably get by just on his face…”
“Right?”
Elin jolted in surprise.
Like a cat with hackles raised, she hissed instinctively.
The girl with yellow hair covered her mouth as if she’d made a mistake.
“Oh, uh… sorry, I startled you by speaking up suddenly. It’s just… Professor Aiden came up.”
“Y-Yeah… More importantly, Senior Lianel?”
“Huh? You know me?”
‘Of course I do…’
It’d be weirder if she didn’t.
With her vibrant looks and pure image, she was the academy-wide “flower on a cliffside,” a nickname coined by the boys themselves.
Apparently, the group of guys she’d rejected called themselves that.
Back then, Elin had thought they had nothing better to do, but seeing her now…
“You’re really pretty.”
“Even if it’s flattery, thanks.”
She beamed, clearly pleased.
“So… why me?”
“Uh, w-well.”
Lianel fidgeted with her index finger, mumbling.
“Y-You were talking about… Professor Aiden… right?”
Elin’s mind blanked for a second.
Uh… so.
She’d overheard talk of Professor Aiden and approached a stranger without thinking?
Elin felt her face flush hot.
Lianel noticed and waved her hands frantically.
“W-Wait, it’s not like that! I mean, it is!”
“What’s ‘not like that’?”
As Elin’s eyes narrowed, Lianel averted her gaze, mumbling.
“Well… maybe it is like that.”
Elin had no clue what she meant, but the intent came through.
‘She wants to deny it out of embarrassment, but looking back, there’s nothing to deny.’
Another victim of that professor.
It made her think that, while also wondering what the heck he did to charm women like this.
‘Does he think he’s some flower?’
Wasn’t that supposed to be her role?
“How’d that happen?”
“Uh, anyway. The elevator. You’re taking the elevator, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Heading up?”
“Y-Yeah! Let’s… take the elevator first!”
It didn’t feel like she wanted the elevator to go up.
Maybe she was after a confined space…
Of course, Elin kept that thought to herself.
Following the hurried Lianel inside, Elin boarded the elevator.
She pressed 7 for Professor Prezel’s floor, and Lianel leaned in to whisper.
“So, like, I…”
“Got it. You like the professor?”
“W-Wha—huh!?”
“I heard Senior Lianel confessed and got rejected… It was Professor Aiden, huh.”
“H-How did you…?”
Seeing her panic, Elin rubbed her forehead.
‘From the first impression…’
Elin instinctively sized up Lianel.
She seemed like the pitiful type who thought she hid it well, but everyone already knew.
Or maybe, since people pretended not to know, it actually warmed their hearts.
“…Anyone who needs to know already does, Senior.”
“No way!”
She groaned pitifully, then drooped her head like a dejected puppy.
Then perked up her ears again.
That was her vibe…
“Anyway, Elin, right? I’m your senior, so drop the honorifics.”
“Sure… whatever.”
“He’s in the professor’s lab, right? H-How is he?”
How what?
Seeing Lianel’s excitement, Elin took a step back.
When she didn’t approach, Elin cleared her throat.
“The professor’s… always bored, quiet, lost in thought, I guess.”
“…Ugh, I’m so jealous.”
Jealous… of me?
“I-I wanna… get in there too…”
Lianel trembled with frustration.
She looked just like a drenched stray cat, and Elin stifled a smile.
Unable to keep up with the mood swings, Elin let out an awkward chuckle.
“Y-You’re laughing?”
Lianel glared with wide eyes, and Elin waved her hands.
“N-No! I didn’t laugh! Anyway, maybe I can help you out a bit.”
She said it without thinking, then regretted it—help how?
But Lianel didn’t see it that way.
“R-Really?”
She closed the gap suddenly, grabbing both of Elin’s hands.
With eyes sparkling, Elin couldn’t back out.
Nodding stiffly, she watched Lianel beam.
“Then let me help you with something! No, let me!”
“H-Huh!? Help with what?”
“I know your social life’s tough! I’ll do what I can…!”
The elevator doors opened right then.
Lianel charged out, burning with enthusiasm alone.
Only Elin stared after her in disbelief.
She reached out to grab her, but her hand clenched empty air awkwardly.
“Wait… you don’t have to rub in how much of a loner I am.”
That’ll leave a scar…
She trailed off.
This situation felt oddly familiar.
Like with Senior Isel, who’d wildly misunderstood and comforted her not to pine away.
It was as bewildering as accidentally accepting that cake.
One difference: back then, circumstances kept her from denying it; now, she didn’t even know where Lianel had gone.
Eyes wide open, nose cut off all the same.
“This is ridiculous…”
Elin squeezed her eyes shut.
* * *
Prezel opened the door at the knock.
“Oh? Elin?”
“Ah… Professor Prezel.”
“What’s up? You look exhausted.”
Surprised, Prezel asked, and Elin’s face twisted briefly before she shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Really?”
Her vibe screamed too much to explain, so Prezel shrugged awkwardly.
“Well, cocoa then? Or black tea?”
Unlike Aiden, who asked about tea or coffee, Prezel offered cocoa first.
Not that it mattered, but a taste difference—Aiden didn’t like sweets much.
‘He prefers bitter things.’
Odd palate.
Sweet or salty would make sense, but bitter?
She’d freaked out more than once seeing him down espresso.
Even Isel, who served him, would shake her head sometimes.
Maybe that’s why Aiden’s lab had nothing sweet—not even tea snacks like scones or madeleines, just shortbread cookies.
Probably for guests… but butter cookies without a speck of sugar.
‘Some must have sugar, though.’
Not that she could complain as the one mooching, but comparing to other profs’ labs was inevitable.
“Scone with strawberry jam? I’ve got clotted cream too.”
“Both, please?”
“Sure, good choice.”
As the sweetness hit her tongue, Elin cupped her cheeks with both hands.
“Haaa…”
This sinful, melting sugar bliss.
Addictive.
Prezel covered her mouth, chuckling.
“So, what’s going on?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask about some myths.”
“Myths? You mean…”
“They say there’s a high spirit in the back mountains. I don’t quite buy it, honestly.”
Prezel’s eyes narrowed at the nuance.
But she softened her expression, clapping as if delighted.
“Oh, you mean Elise?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve been here long enough as a prof to hear things. What’re you curious about?”
“That Elise is a high spirit.”
“Yep.”
“So, why’d she settle in the academy’s back mountains or whatever.”
Prezel nodded knowingly, arms crossed.
“You said earlier you didn’t quite believe it, right?”
“Huh?”
Elin tilted her head at the sudden shift, then nodded.
“Yeah, I didn’t believe it, but now…”
“And the training disaster happened at Spirit Mountain, didn’t it?”
Her tone felt off, but Elin agreed anyway.
“Yeah.”
Prezel smiled brightly at her.
“Oh, and… you haven’t touched your cocoa?”
Elin glanced at the steaming mug before her, tilting her head.
‘Why push the cocoa all of a sudden?’
But the subtle pressure in her smile made Elin lift it to her lips.
That’s when Aiden opened the door and snatched the cup from her hand.
“Professor Aiden?”
That’s my cocoa.