Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Fairy Professor #2
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When I thought of "elves," I usually pictured lithe, graceful beings wandering through forests.
The elves in the media I'd consumed loved and protected nature—that sort of stereotype.
But the elves in this world were nomads who herded livestock across vast plains.
They started pulling wagons with their wool and cheese to sell them, and as a result, fairy merchant caravans sprang up like mushrooms across the southern grasslands.
The Bellhock family had united all those caravans into one massive organization. And among them, the one who carried the thickest Bellhock blood was Stella Bellhock.
Stella von Bellhock.
Stella was innately lazy and loved cutting corners, so her position in the family was like a candle in the wind.
Yet she spent extravagantly, building her own lavish hunting grounds and blowing her fortune on hunts there.
In other words, a prodigal son.
A wastrel.
In the end, Bellhock was exiled from the family—that was the story of Stella Bellhock I'd pieced together independently.
And that was truly the end of it. She was so lazy and debauched that there were no other significant records.
The Bellhock family must have deliberately hidden and destroyed records about Stella. An embarrassment, after all.
Then, around the shift to Act 2, Stella suddenly appeared as a headhunter, slaughtering people left and right. Even the original novel didn't fully explain why.
In the Angmar Kingdom, after the queen's execution and the collapse of so much, everyone easily fell into depravity and ruin. Stella Bellhock probably followed the same path post-execution—that was the only speculation.
And now, that Stella Bellhock was yelling at me.
"The shareholders' meeting is right around the corner...! If I stay like this with no results, I might really get kicked out...! The family's support will get cut off...!"
Stella was practically unhinged.
She grabbed my arm and shook it back and forth, her grip so strong it brought tears to my eyes.
"Let go and calm down!"
"How can I calm down?! If the family cuts off support, I'll get kicked out of the Ark too! Then I'll starve to death! Starve, I tell you!"
She was way too worked up.
No choice but to blast her with magic again to subdue her.
I reached for my wand with that in mind, but fortunately, Stella released my shoulder with a slither.
She crouched on the floor, tears streaming down her face.
"What did I do so wrong? I was just born rich. I only spent a little money. It's our family's money."
Her mindset and life were worlds apart from mine, so I had nothing to say.
"If they cut the support, it's like telling me to work. Me, working like commoners, like short-lived races? I'd definitely starve to death...!"
Just moments ago, I'd seen imps rummaging through trash out of poverty and hunger, and now here was an elf who'd lived in luxury her whole life whining before getting booted out. It made me a little angry.
But thinking it over, Stella Bellhock panicking like this was actually good news and an opportunity for me.
She'd vanished for so long I had no way to approach her. Now she was throwing herself at my feet, showing her ugly side.
The Angmar blood in me seemed to whisper to push this woman even harder, torment her more.
Annoying bourgeois brat. What's so special about working? If you don't want to work, starving is only natural—!
But without showing any of that, I placed a hand on Stella Bellhock's shoulder as if to comfort her.
I drew close, and a nauseating booze stench wafted over, nearly knocking me out, but I pretended it was nothing.
"Getting exiled by the family—such a tragedy. Your professorship must be thanks to the Bellhock name's protection. If they kick you out—"
The Ark would surely treat Stella as useless baggage and toss her aside. Then the elegant, refined Stella Bellhock who'd enjoyed high society might truly snap.
Is that why she became a headhunter?
Not an impossible story.
She was already kidnapping nymphs and imps for some paper or whatever...
If I let her get exiled like this, she might rocket straight into full villain mode.
「Calm Situation Assessment!
You gain experience from the talent 《Calm Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
...Not impossible at all.
If Stella turned full villain, it could derail my Angmar revival plans. I needed to calm her down before she became a wild card.
"So, you were trying to collect samples from me for your results?"
"Time's really running out! The meeting's in a month. I need meaningful results. Meaningful—"
Her thumbnail, painted white, crunched between her teeth. She really was cornered.
From her perspective, exile meant losing everything. I got it.
Around me, plenty of people from the orphanage felt that anxiety when aging out. Even I had panicked, wondering if I'd survive on my own.
"Anyway, it's late. Let's talk tomorrow."
Sober up first, then discuss when her head's clear. Nothing stupider than serious talks with a drunk.
Stella plopped onto the bed.
"Can I crash here? The tax collectors are waiting at my lab and room."
"You borrow money?"
"About five hundred million coin—?"
Five hundred million won.
A dizzying sum I couldn't even fathom; my vision flashed.
That explained her recent vanishing act.
"Just sleep."
"Is this ultrasoft blanket? I can't sleep without ultrasoft."
"Just sleep already."
She flopped into bed clothes and all, out like a light.
I considered undressing her but decided against it—might lead to misunderstandings.
The booze smell's gonna soak the bed and blanket.
* * *
I woke in the morning to find Professor Stella gone.
"What the."
A note on the desk: 「Breakfast.」
Under a napkin cover, a plate with eggs and sausages.
She made me breakfast?
The messy room was spotless.
"Funny."
Not a total rude person, then.
I washed up roughly, changed, and headed out. The Angmar robe hugging my body felt pretty good now.
Outside the Love Dorm, a familiar face waited under a parasol, silver hair gleaming in the sun.
"Miss Mirna."
"Heard something happened in the dorm last night? Professor Stella screaming and causing a ruckus in your room."
"......"
Rumors already?
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Everyone's talking. Is it true? Why was Professor Stella in your room, Theo Gospel?"
I figured Mirna suspected an affair.
Guy and girl causing noise at dawn? Rumors would go that way, and people hearing it would think the same.
Who'd guess Professor Stella snuck in for fairy hair samples and got caught?
How to explain, though.
I'd promised secrecy on last night's events with Stella Bellhock. As I pondered, Mirna spoke up.
"Why aren't you saying anything? What did you two do?"
"No, Miss Mirna. Hold on."
"Theo, where's your room?"
Mirna marched straight to my room, flung open the door, and poked around.
She spotted purple hair strands on my bed, held them up accusingly.
"Hair on the bed? Explain."
She slept there; of course some hair on pillow or bed. But would "She just slept over" convince Mirna?
She spotted the note and empty plate on my desk.
"Did Professor Stella make you breakfast too?"
"Uh, well—"
Before I could explain, she brushed past, rummaging, and pulled something from my trash.
A long, snakeskin-like thing: a woman's stocking.
"What's this?"
Mirna pinched the end between thumb and forefinger, frowning like it was filth.
I was stunned too.
"...Why's that there?"
Stella must've ditched her stockings in my trash without me knowing. I hadn't checked the bin this morning.
"Theo Gospel, better choose your words carefully from now on."
She snapped her fan shut, aiming it at my chin.
Just a fan, but as scary as a sword. Mirna could probably behead me with it.
But if I let Mirna steamroll me, I should abandon revival dreams.
I counterattacked first.
"Miss Mirna. I know you're suspicious. Calm down first. I'll explain—"
"Suspicious? With all this evidence? And I'm plenty calm right now. Want to see what happens if I stop?"
Her eyes narrowed to slits, trembling.
Chills ran down my spine. But I couldn't back down to Mirna's intimidation.
As a harem king and patriarchal lord in training, crumbling to a woman's pressure was the ultimate shame.
"Ahem."
Clearing my throat, I raised my voice instead.
"To think Miss Mirna's trust in me is this low. Truly heartbreaking."
"What?"
"If everything you think is a misunderstanding, then what?"
"......"
She didn't reply, but her attitude softened a bit. The fan at my throat eased slightly.
In her head: "Why's he so confident? Really nothing happened?"
"Don't lie!"
Then she decided it was all lies and got angrier.
"Tell the truth now!"
To defuse this, I'd have to spill the facts. I'd meant to keep it secret for Professor Stella Bellhock's honor.
But I was in danger, so truth it was.
I told her everything: drunk Professor Stella snuck in for half-fairy hair samples for her paper, got caught, begged secrecy.
Elga aside, I was innocent with Stella.
Still.
"I broke my oath with Professor Stella to prove my innocence. If you can't believe me, ask her yourself."
Even my earnest explanation left Mirna Draco half-doubting. I had to drag her to Stella's lab for confirmation.
Stella jumped around in fury.
"I said keep it secret! What now?"
"Professor, I'm truly sorry. I'm indebted to the Draco family. Couldn't withstand Miss Mirna's interrogation."
I shook my head slowly. Mirna, who'd heard it all, asked hesitantly.
"...S-So really nothing happened?"
I replied with maximum innocence.
"Didn't I say so repeatedly? More than that, the fact you couldn't trust me—"
I acted like I might say more, then shut up. Pushing further might tip off Stella to our relationship.
But the abrupt pause made Mirna anxious.
"More than that—what?"
Mirna looked terribly uneasy, eyes even glistening with tears.
Suddenly, the necklace in my pocket felt huge and prominent.