Stakeout at the Library
Time flew by until the midterm exams. I checked the exam ranges the professors announced, took a thorough beating from Alissa, woke up in the infirmary and exchanged a few words with the Saintess, then spent the weekend alone desperately training to grow stronger. When I finally returned to the dormitory room, Yas greeted me with a bright smile.
“Friend! Where do you keep disappearing to every weekend? Isn’t it about time you told me?”
“I already did. I went to the mansion.”
“Really? You’re not sneaking off to meet your fiancée or something, are you?”
I flinched. I had no idea what rumors he’d picked up, but this unusually perceptive guy had just made a rare slip.
I glared at him, deliberately thickening the air with menace. “Don’t spout nonsense. That won’t happen.”
“Well, you did say your relationship was bad. Sorry.”
It had been four weeks since enrolling at the academy. That was more than enough time for a foreign student from a desert tribe far across the empire to hear every rumor about the local troublemaker and his fiancée.
Yas scratched his cheek with an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject. “Oh, right—you know Abel, don’t you? The friend who visited last week.”
“……”
“Well, apparently that guy’s going on a date. He has a childhood friend named Yuni, right? She asked him to go to the library with her. The fact that she wants to leave the academy library and head outside instead makes it a hundred percent certain. Man, I’m so jealous. When the hell am I gonna get to have sex with a girl?”
Watching Yas chatter away in excitement, I thought, Is this guy actually insane?
I had no idea why the conversation had suddenly leaped from dating straight to sex. Sure, he was at the age where lust burned hot, but I simply couldn’t follow his train of thought.
Still, thanks to him I’d confirmed the story was flowing exactly like the game, so it wasn’t all bad.
It’s already tomorrow.
My preparations were already flawless. Ignoring the muttering voice, I threw myself onto the bed.
The weather was bright and clear. Warm sunlight poured down, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers, brushing softly against the tip of my nose. The pure-hearted young man, Abel, stood anxiously in front of the academy grounds, waiting for someone.
“Hoo… Okay. Don’t get nervous.”
It was strange. He had known Yuni for well over ten years, yet the thought that today was special kept making his body stiffen. This was all Yas’s fault.
—It’s a sure thing, right? Yuni likes you too! This is your chance—go all in!
His friend was energetic and entertaining, but he had an oddly obsessive side when it came to women. Thanks to that, Abel had recently begun seeing Yuni in a new light. He’d even noticed the scent of her shampoo—something he had never paid attention to before.
Just as Abel was trying to calm his pounding heart, a voice called out.
“Abel!”
He turned to see Yuni wearing a lovely yellow dress.
“Ah…”
Straw-colored hair and orange eyes. The colors should have suited autumn more than summer, yet the moment they paired with the yellow dress, seasons lost all meaning. Her newly evolved charm instantly captured Abel’s heart.
As he let out a small sigh and stared in a daze, Yuni approached with light steps and spoke shyly.
“Sorry. I’m a little late, aren’t I?”
“No, not at all. You’re right on time.”
“Really? That’s a relief. …How do I look?”
She grasped the hem of her dress and slowly spun. The fabric fluttered in the breeze, briefly revealing her thighs. Though she was a mage, years of running along mountain paths as a country girl had given her legs a firm, healthy tone.
“Y-yes, you’re beautiful.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Yeah. The prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m so glad…”
At the unexpectedly high praise, Yuni smiled bashfully and pointed at the clock. “Anyway, let’s hurry! It’s a popular library—if we’re late, there won’t be any seats left!”
“R-right!”
The pair left the academy and headed straight for the library. Their conversation never faltered. Even though they had spent many years together and knew almost everything about each other, Yuni kept firing off questions as if she could never run out of things to ask. Thanks to her effort, Abel soon forgot his nerves and simply enjoyed her company.
Before long they arrived at the library.
“Wow, it’s huge!”
“It really is. It doesn’t lose out to the academy’s library at all.”
The clean, spacious hall maintained a quiet atmosphere despite its openness. The scent of books lining every wall gently calmed the mind. The two wandered around, chatting softly, then quickly moved into the reading room.
At that moment, a man sitting in the lounge corner, pretending to admire a book, spoke up.
“Deborah. Found anyone?”
The woman across from him answered. “No. I haven’t spotted anyone suspicious yet. There are simply too many people.”
“I know that. But this is important, so stay focused. Understood?”
“……”
At the overbearing command, the book hiding the woman’s face lowered slightly, revealing clear purple eyes filled with resentment. The man—Luan—paid it no attention and simply pressed his will.
“Answer.”
“Y-yes…”
Deborah nodded obediently, though her face was clouded with gloom.
Why am I even doing this…
Her earlier vow never to be in this position again felt utterly hollow. She was currently sitting in a library with the man who would one day rape her.
Maybe she should never have accepted the offer.
No. I had no choice.
The conversation they had shared flashed through her mind once more.
“What? S-suddenly… what are you—”
“You tailed me last time, didn’t you? Do me this favor and I’ll forget it ever happened. I also promise not to tell anyone about your Yeojian. How about it?”
“R-really?”
“Why would I lie about something like this? So, deal or no deal?”
“…Fine. What’s the request?”
“Surveillance. Tailing. And identification.”
After that series of events, she had ended up here.
The Yeojian was a cursed power. Its owner saw others’ futures whether they wanted to or not, and others had their most shameful secrets forcibly exposed. Most people didn’t want someone like that nearby. If she had refused, the information about her Yeojian would have spread, and she would have been ostracized by her classmates.
Fresh resentment toward Luan surged inside her.
Bad person.
A scoundrel who resorted to blackmail and would one day become a rapist. When Deborah continued glaring at him, Luan met her gaze. She flinched but refused to look away.
“What are you staring at?”
“N-nothing.”
She only lasted a few seconds. The moment his silver eyes sharpened, Deborah quickly looked down at her book.
Idiot. Moron!
She had trained so hard in magic, wanting to become a confident and impressive woman like her master, yet here she was—unable to talk back and being ordered around. If Luan had been stronger it might have been less humiliating, but knowing he was far weaker than her and still being cowed by nothing but his glare… It was utterly pathetic.
Master. I miss you.
Slurp!
I replenished my sugar intake to keep my brain firing on all cylinders and scanned the area.
Is there a transmigrator among them?
The reason I had come here—even dragging Deborah along—was not only to witness the final episode of Chapter 1 that Abel would experience firsthand, but more importantly to identify any other transmigrators who had come to watch him just like I had.
No matter how different their personalities, they would still be curious about Abel’s movements. Especially since this episode would heavily influence future developments; they probably couldn’t stand missing it in person.
My wandering gaze returned to Deborah sitting across from me.
She really is pretty.
The face that had once been covered in smoky makeup, giving off a decadent vibe, was now clean and pure. Her expression looked far more lively too. I had told her to dress differently since we needed to observe secretly, but I hadn’t expected her to remove her makeup entirely.
Although students could only wear uniforms at the academy, her current outfit was something she would never have chosen while wearing her usual smoky look. The tight short-sleeved top and tennis skirt gave off a girlish vibrancy and freshness while still accentuating the alluring curves of her body, drawing male eyes like magnets.
As expected of one of the game’s main heroines. I think I’d seen similar clothes on the illustration site.
But that part’s different.
The skirt in the picture had been button-up, but the one she wore now had a zipper. I was still noting the differences when—
“S-stop staring at me!”
“Hm?”
I looked up to find Deborah’s face flushed with embarrassment. I objectively analyzed my own behavior from a third-person perspective and understood her reaction.
“It’s not what you think.”
“What isn’t what I think?”
“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s not that. I was just looking at your clothes. Aren’t you being a bit too sensitive?”
“Then you really had zero ulterior motives? Not even a tiny bit?”
“……”
For some reason the words wouldn’t come. Even though I could lie without hesitation, in front of Deborah’s clear purple eyes I found myself unable to speak so casually.
When I stayed silent, her expression darkened further. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively.
“I-if you try anything weird, I’ll attack you with magic immediately.”
“I told you it’s not like that. Honestly, I did think you looked pretty, but I didn’t have any other thoughts.”
Just like with the Saintess, I had no intention of raping Deborah simply to satisfy lust.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Stop worrying over nothing.”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Huh?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, Deborah hesitated before stammering, “The part where you said I was pretty. Did you mean it?”
Her shy, glancing eyes were adorable. As a girl in the flower of her youth, the word “pretty” had apparently been what bothered her most.
I didn’t fully understand, but if this would let the matter slide, I was happy to go along.
“Why would I lie? You should know yourself whether you’re pretty or not.”
“I… don’t know.”
“Oh? Is that a trap? Don’t say that in front of other people. They’ll curse you in their heads.”
“But it’s true…”
Deborah genuinely seemed unaware. Come to think of it, in the game her standard of beauty had been calibrated to her master, Roxana Sprouse. Certainly, compared to Roxana, Deborah fell slightly short in mature allure and decadent charm. That didn’t mean she was inferior—it was purely a matter of taste.
“Anyway, that doesn’t matter. Focus on the task I gave you. From now on, if you see anyone suspicious, tell me right away. Understood?”
“Yes. I understand.”
From here on it was a test of patience. We began our serious stakeout in earnest.