Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Let's Break Up
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"Grind...!"
I could hear Rizli grinding her teeth.
In the midst of all the commotion, maybe no one else noticed, but as an expert on her teeth-grinding sounds, I knew better.
She must have lost it seeing Professor Rozali petting me and her lackey feeding me fruit.
Watching her like that put me in a great mood.
Hee hee, you moron~ With Leon here, you can't even show your rage outright or glare at me. Frustrating, huh?
It's hilarious seeing her like this, after blowing off steam with guys behind my back and trying to feed me an aphrodisiac to ruin me.
You really live a tiring life, Rizli...
That's what happens when your personality is rotten—you bring suffering on yourself.
"Did you know Ras too, Sis? He must have wider connections than I thought."
"Don't act friendly..."
"Haha, come on, why don't we chat for a bit? It's been so long—I'm glad to see you..."
As Leon turned his gaze and attention to his sister, Rizli immediately shot me a venomous glare.
What is she, a dog eyeing her master's mood? Already so well-trained.
"Ras, want to step out and talk for a sec?"
I was about to say yes, thinking it might be fun to poke at her a little more.
"Oh my~ Rizli, Ras is in a lot of pain right now, so I don't think that's a good idea. Look, even his forehead is burning up. Poor thing..."
Rozali swooped in swiftly, cutting between us.
Her smile was soft, but her touch on my forehead was three times gentler.
Her words were as sweet and tender as ever, but they carried a thorny edge.
Rizli bit her lip hard, searching for words, but with the teacher saying no, she had no logical comeback.
But I couldn't pass up this golden opportunity.
Rozali had already riled her up perfectly—now was the time to tease a bit more.
"I'm feeling really hot too, and I've been lying down so long I want some fresh air. My body's not hurting anywhere specific, so it'll be fine."
I sat up in bed.
Having lain there with a fever, the bed felt like a furnace.
Rozali looked at me with worried eyes and voice.
"If you feel even a little tired or off, you come right back down, okay? No pushing yourself just because your girlfriend's here, got it, Ras?"
"Yes...!"
I replied a bit more energetically and cutely than usual, just to piss off the watching Rizli.
"Grind...!"
I heard her teeth grinding again...
"Danger...! Professor Rozali... ultimate threat...!!"
For some reason, Irha was fidgeting and flustering beside us.
Rizli stormed toward the rooftop with steps full of irritation and malice.
Jealousy?
No, it was something stickier and more unpleasant creeping up on her.
Normally, she'd thought, 'If it weren't for this money-engaged loser, would you ever mix words with a beauty like me?'
But the moment Ras shook off his tail-wagging puppy stance toward her, he was surrounded by girls.
'Whatever... they're just nobodies anyway. Compared to me, they're way below... settling for trash like that?'
Of course, that's just Rizli's biased opinion.
She glanced sideways at Ras walking beside her—his steps seemed oddly floaty.
His body hadn't fully stabilized yet, so the lingering heat made him walk a bit unsteadily, but to Rizli, it looked like he was giddily smitten with the girls.
Watching him walk dreamily brought back Rozali tenderly stroking him earlier, spiking Rizli's anger meter.
'Ha... this is ridiculous. Health teacher? Doesn't even seem like a proper professor. What, crushing on kids 'cause she's old? Pathetic. And isn't she married?'
Of course, Rizli—who'd cheated plenty yesterday and today—had no idea Rozali was utterly above reproach.
The ring Rozali wore was a secret artifact used for healing, not widely known outside.
"What do you want to talk about? Why bother going all the way to the rooftop?"
Hearing Ras's voice, Rizli sniped back sharper than usual.
"Having fun surrounded by girls? Felt good getting petted by Professor Rozali? So your taste runs to... somewhat older women?"
She outright called Rozali old, but since Rozali was a stunning beauty, there were no real flaws beyond that.
And notably skipping Irha from the mix—that was classic Rizli, looking down on people.
No matter how broke she was, she didn't want to lump in someone from the extreme poor of commoners that she despised.
"This isn't even a fight... you're such a pain."
Ras showed no particular reaction to Rizli's attitude, which he'd fully anticipated.
He also deliberately avoided denying her jab about the girls, letting it rile her more.
From now on, Rizli was in for a verbal beatdown from Ras.
Physical payback later aside, for now, he planned to grind her down with his tongue.
"And girls? Good choice of words. If that bugs you, why'd it take until now? Irha stuck to me all day yesterday—does that make her my girlfriend?"
"Ugh... th-that's..!"
The exam that started Wednesday morning ended before Wednesday night.
Plus, the first-years returned to the academy without cleanup, so by Thursday afternoon, everyone was back.
If Rizli had truly meant to visit the sick, she should've at least pretended by Friday at latest.
Forgetting she'd already broken up in her heart but with no formal agreement, Rizli floundered logically.
"You show up late—and glued to another 'guy'—and now get mad at me while people who nursed and healed me were around?"
Ras caught his breath briefly but pressed on without giving her room to excuse herself.
"Enough already. Treating me carelessly and expecting me to pine only for you? That's shameless. I'm not your slave."
Normally, Ras might've said something like, 'Professor Rozali? Her touch is so soft and nice~ Never felt that from you?'
That would've given Rizli ammo to twist against him somehow.
But now, Ras was in 'head-down man' mode.
Fatal injury nerfs male pride and combat power,
but boosts rationality and wisdom stats exponentially.
East or west, ancient or modern—known as the 'sage'.
Rizli couldn't beat this Ras with logic or circumstance...!
Even her ace weapon—her own looks—fell short against true national beauties like Semele or Rozali.
'Does she not see herself objectively? No, this is my karma. Ras, you wrecked one person from your past life...'
Still, exercising maximum mercy in 'sage' mode, Ras stood up.
"Rizli, honestly, I think we just don't mesh. So if you want to break up, just say the word anytime! If we'd just been dating normally, it'd be a clean split~"
The barb hidden in his words: 'But our engagement's tangled with debts, so a clean break? Tough luck.'
"........You've really changed. Snarky, using my weaknesses against me—you weren't like that. I was even starting to feel a little fond..."
Rizli teared up, reciting like a tragic heroine betrayed by her love.
"I told you last time with 'Leon'? People always change. Not always for the better... but you need to change. Start now~"
With that, Ras stood and left.
Having tossed aside thoughts of Rizli, he decided to indulge the suddenly three times sweeter Professor Rozali a bit more.
The help and grace from his past life.
Ras never forgot favors or grudges, so this life, he'd repay Rozali diligently.
Being close to a beauty was always a good thing, after all.
"Tell me to break up soon~~♪♬ Heh heh heh heut~"
Singing a trendy academy song off-key, Ras descended from the rooftop.
Rizli sat blankly for a long while.
Even without Leon's orders, it was time to scheme her next move.
Back in the ward, the bustling place had gone eerily quiet, like a lie.
Rozali must've gone to talk with Professor Isera, and the top student trio was gone too.
Leon had dragged Skada off for tea or something, and Emma had taken Irha away.
Come to think of it... is Emma going to chew out Irha? That'll be a showdown in its own right.
For reference, I'd had Irha squeeze a hefty 'advance payment' from Emma.
And since I'd bombed the evaluation exam, Emma was cornered into honoring her promise to Irha.
Knowing Emma's personality, she'd dodge or flip out shamelessly.
Whatever tantrum she threw, her time clinging at the academy was short anyway.
Whether left alone or following orders from the pissed-off Rizli after our chat, she'd approach me like in my past life soon enough.
Imagining her shoving her worthless body at me made me deeply annoyed.
She's a total psycho—in the previous timeline, she'd come to me drugged with poison, delirious with fever, and built up a false rape accusation herself.
Throwing her body into danger and filth like a sacrificial saint, a super elite agent on a dirty mission.
A subordinate with Emma's level of madness or loyalty? Only someone like Semele could handle that.
Unlike Semele's soul-bound minions via magic, Emma followed Rizli willingly, wiping her ass like that.
What the hell did Rizli have on her?
I've wondered many times if Emma actually lusts after Rizli for real—and that suspicion's still ongoing.
"Everywhere... so many weirdos."
I shook my head and lay back in bed.
After recuperating this long, tomorrow I'd start building anew.
Having emptied the wild, blazing inferno imagery of my arm, leaving only a small inner flame.
Raw power would suffer for now, but with my insights into the Nine Heavens Extinguishing Fire Art, I could grow fast.
The time ahead would fill the flame world—once empty behind—with other elements.
For now, strong enough to melt Mirha's ice flower would suffice.
"Z...z...z..."
Still exhausted, I fell asleep.
Then.
"Waaah...! Professor..! Professor Rozaliii...!! My shoulder's burning up. It hurts so much, waaah...!"
"Ow, shit, you scared me..!"
I jolted awake to some guy bursting through the ward door, bellowing like a wounded bull.
"Blever?"
Blever de Stifula was bawling his eyes out, searching for Professor Rozali.
His eyes were like a lost calf missing its mother.