Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Butler Who Sniffed the Scent
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"Magic is a special power that ordinary people can't use. By now, you all know that it comes with a great deal of responsibility for the user."
Michelle, standing before the students, advanced the PPT slide on the screen and continued.
"If magic is used to harm society or national security, the Magic Control Bureau can impose official sanctions on the mage. Even if it's not for those reasons, the Bureau has the right to question the mage about their intent and circumstances in using magic."
Michelle's eyes, as she flipped to the next slide again, were tinged with fatigue.
It was because she hadn't slept properly the night before.
"You all are new to magic, but the responsibilities as a mage are demanded of you just the same as from veteran mages."
Still, she led the class without showing any sign of strain.
It was a teacherly demeanor that was hard to see when she was alone with Ian.
Of course, her heart was a tangled mess from yesterday's events.
"I'll give you some time, so read the main text on page 42. In five minutes, I'll ask questions about the content."
The students' gazes shifted to their own books.
With the brief respite, Michelle naturally recalled yesterday's events.
'Is something wrong with Ian?'
He had come to her bedroom for the first time in a while, but after just one round, he went back to the dorms.
'Usually, it was at least three or four times...'
In the past, she would have brushed it off as him having personal matters and thought nothing of it.
However.
'Could his feelings for me have cooled...?'
Her heart was already so tilted toward Ian that she ended up worrying like this.
In a way, it was only natural.
They had shared their bodies so many times that calling them lovers wouldn't be strange.
'Because I kept rejecting Ian's confessions?'
It was due to her responsibilities as a teacher, but it was true that she had rejected his feelings multiple times.
Even if Ian was tired of it, Michelle had no grounds to complain.
Even if he turned his eyes to another woman.
'Today too...'
Michelle glanced sideways at Ian.
Following yesterday's class, Ian and Dania were facing each other, talking quietly.
'They seem to be getting along since yesterday.'
Dania was observing him today as well to find his weakness, just like yesterday, but Michelle, unable to hear their conversation, had no way of knowing that.
'As expected, does he prefer someone his age like Dania over a boring older woman like me?'
Five minutes passed.
"Time's up. Ms. Dania."
Michelle selected Dania as the student to question.
She didn't even know the reason herself. She just felt like it.
"Yes, Teacher."
Dania stood up with perfect posture at the call.
"You've read the text, right? May I ask a question?"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't read it because I was watching Ian Drakhin."
The female students in the classroom began to murmur.
Selena, who knew the circumstances, didn't twitch an eyebrow, and Michelle tried her best to hide her inner turmoil.
"I-is that so... Please focus on class next time."
"Yes. I'm sorry, Teacher."
'Kids these days are so brutally honest. Could it be because I haven't been honest that Ian...'
Michelle had to make an effort to keep her gloom from showing on her face until the class ended.
During class, I stealthily checked Ms. Michelle's complexion.
She seemed fine.
Her disappointed face when I left her place yesterday lingered in my mind, but as expected, adults are resilient.
Seeing her ample breasts jiggle with every movement made me want to embrace her even more today to make up for yesterday.
But it was all part of the process to fully claim her, so I had to hold back.
For now, I'd leave her alone a bit longer.
...Still, maybe I should send her a text every now and then.
I'm not the type to text much usually, but suddenly distancing myself would make her feel bad.
Anyway.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't read it because I was watching Ian Drakhin."
What the hell is this girl saying?
Dania's observation continued from yesterday into today.
It was because of Selena's order to find something that could get me expelled, but her method of following orders was too blatant and rigid.
It felt like looking at a robot.
No matter how much I told her to stop since yesterday, she wouldn't, saying it was the Young Lady's command.
I decided to just give up and ignore her.
She wasn't harming me right now anyway.
It would be tricky if my relationship with the teacher got exposed, but I hadn't left any tails like that.
After Ms. Michelle's Magic Ethics class ended, it was time for PE.
More precisely, Physical Training class.
Surprisingly, stamina and physical ability are quite important for mages, so there's a dedicated regular class for it.
Scarlet Magic University's PE isn't anything special; just think of ordinary high school PE.
I hear it gets tougher as the years go up, but that's for later.
During the break before class started, I went to the bathroom and changed from my uniform to my gym clothes.
Being the only guy in a women's university came with a lot of inconveniences.
The PE class was held on the sports field.
"Alright, let's start with warm-ups."
As the PE teacher blew her whistle, the students spread out to avoid bumping into each other and stood ready.
I was in the front row.
It was because Selena had complained that if I was in the back, I'd be peeking at the girls in front.
Normally, that would annoy me, but during PE, I was actually grateful to Selena.
Thanks to her, I could see the PE teacher up close.
I was the only male at Scarlet Magic University.
So, naturally, the PE teacher was a woman too.
And one with a toned, athletic body sculpted by exercise.
"Now, jumping jacks. One. Two. Three. Four."
In time with the calls, the students hopped in place.
As the PE teacher hopped too, her breasts jiggled under her tank top.
I took in every movement without missing a beat.
"Next, stretch down from the waist. Touch your toes with your fingers."
As I bent at the waist, I lifted my head in anticipation.
...But the teacher was so flexible that her body folded like paper, and I couldn't see the cleavage I'd hoped for.
After following the other stretches, it was time to pair up and loosen each other up.
This was my favorite part of PE.
Usually, the teacher let us pick partners ourselves, but naturally, no one wanted to pair with the only guy.
So, I naturally paired with the teacher and could touch her body here and there under the guise of helping with stretches.
But.
"Ian Drakhin. Pair with me."
The loyal butler was trying to carry out her master's orders even during PE.
At Dania's sudden proposal, the surroundings murmured again.
It would be a delightful scene in an anime, but reality was different.
It was just awkward.
"No, I usually pair with the teacher..."
"What did you just say?"
Wait, what was with that murderous glare?
"You've done it a lot with the teacher, so pairing with me once should be fine, right?"
Swallowing my regret, I sat with my legs spread on the ground and pushed Dania's back from behind.
It was less pushing and more just placing my hands on her?
She was so flexible that her back folded right away, and I didn't need to help much.
But seeing her in gym clothes, Dania had a great figure too.
She must work out separately; it was more toned than her peers, giving off a healthy appeal.
Next, it was my turn to bend at the waist on the ground while Dania pushed my back.
"I'm stiff, so go easy."
"Got it."
As I bent forward, I didn't feel her pushing my back at all.
I told her to go easy, but was she going too easy?
This girl really had no flexibility.
"Hey, what are you..."
"Kgh!"
As I turned around, my shoulder apparently bumped into Dania's face.
Dania rubbed her nose and asked.
"Suddenly turning around like that—what are you doing?"
"You weren't doing anything, so I was just going to ask what was up."
"Not doing anything? I was smelling you."
...What the hell?
"What?"
"Being this close, your body has a nice scent. Not just nice, but one that makes me want to keep sniffing."
Good thing the others couldn't hear.
Dania was quite popular among the other students thanks to her usual commanding speech and suit attire.
Some even admired her sincerely, I heard.
I didn't want to become the target of their jealousy.
There were already subtle rumors going around since yesterday that Dania and I had gotten close.
But did this girl have no shame?
Even if it was true, blurting out that she was smelling me like that.
It only reinforced her robot-like image.
After PE ended, the students headed not to the classroom, but to the showers.
As expected of a wealthy school like Scarlet, they had facilities for students to wash up.
I trudged alone to the shower in the now-unused school building.
This was another inconvenience of being the only guy.
As I entered the shower room and was about to undress, I sensed someone's presence.
Tensing up, what appeared before me was Dania in her gym clothes.
"Huh? Why are you here?"
Dania walked straight over without a word, grabbed the hem of my gym shirt, and pulled it toward her.
"What are you doing!"
Sniff, sniff.
"...Hmm. The scent is stronger after sweating."
A creepy chill ran through my whole body.
So this is how it feels when someone openly sniffs your body odor.
I felt kinda sorry for Ms. Michelle for some reason.
"I wanted to sniff once more, but before PE, the Young Lady warned me not to do anything too conspicuous around others. So I came secretly like this. My business is done, so I should go."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Even after she vanished from sight, half in shock and half in fear, I couldn't tear my eyes from where she had been.
After all classes ended, I came straight back to the dorm, took a light shower, and changed into fresh clothes.
I texted Ms. Michelle that I had to head back to the dorm right away due to work today as well.
I could sense her disappointment in the reply, but for the future, I had to pretend not to notice.
"Phew, shall we try again today?"
Sitting at my desk and opening the Enchantment Magic Basics theory book, I was newly grateful for having no roommate.
If I had someone living with me, I couldn't study Enchantment Magic so freely.
Scarlet Magic University's dorms were on another level from typical college dorms.
They were more like luxury apartments; individual students could use entire family-sized homes with multiple rooms.
For reference, I lived alone on the top floor of the dorm building.
It was a measure to prevent female students from running into me, the male, in the hallways; the other units on the same floor were empty.
"...Hmm."
As I kept at the book, the words weren't sinking in.
It was because of Dania's bizarre behavior today.
She was always a bit stiff and odd.
But today was shockingly beyond words.
Secretly following me to the shower room just to sniff my scent.
Even thinking back, it gave me chills.
It's better than someone pinching their nose because I stink, but...
No matter how much I pondered that girl, I couldn't figure her out.
As I was about to give up and study Enchantment Magic anyway.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Who could it be?
I couldn't think of anyone who would come all the way to my dorm.
Ms. Michelle's disappointed face flashed in my mind.
Maybe I was too harsh back then.
With that thought, I opened the front door—and instantly froze.
Standing there wasn't Ms. Michelle, but Dania.