Chap 47-Can We Pretend I Didn’t Hear That?

 

In the empty headmaster’s office, Emilia sat blankly on the sofa.

A little while ago, the words Yeon Bennet had left behind in the headmaster’s office kept echoing in her ears.

“Am I just Master’s disciple, and you’re trying to protect me out of that sense of responsibility?”

“I am the villainess that the professor and the world know me to be. I’m the kind of person who hurts people, brings Contamination, and acts selfishly. I’m not worthy of being called Master’s disciple.”

Those words pierced Emilia’s heart like sharp shards of glass.

When she realized that Yeon was the Grand Elder’s disciple, Emilia thought she should protect her only out of responsibility and duty.

The three sisters of the great Witch Oz.

The Witch race was born from the powerful divine power of these three sisters.

Emilia was one of them.

Therefore, Dorothy was a creator, a Master, and a mother to Emilia.

She had received countless favors from Dorothy.

Knowledge, power, and even a reason to live.

To repay even a fraction of the grace she had received, and to carry out her last command, she had to help her ‘disciple’.

Even if that disciple was Yeon Bennet, a villainess scorned by the world.

It didn’t matter who she was or what secrets she held.

There must be a reason for the Grand Elder’s choice. That was the conclusion Emilia had reached.

But…

As a result, Emilia was neatly rejected by Yeon.

“Instead, use that power to protect this academy and the students while Master is away. That’s what Master would want more.”

Yeon’s resolute eyes as she pushed her away.

Emilia felt a subtle distrust towards her in them.

Perhaps it was a natural result.

There was no way she would willingly accept help from someone who had assaulted and insulted her until recently.

Emilia sighed and slowly raised her hand.

With a faint light, something in the shape of a book slowly appeared on her palm.

The Akashic Records recorded Yeon Bennet’s life, all her actions and emotions, and the ‘Record’ containing hidden truths.

As the recognition magic was activated, Emilia was placed under a powerful restriction that prevented her from revealing anything about Yeon Bennet.

And at the same time, she gained ownership of this Record.

‘Did she foresee that this situation would come?’

This record had tremendous security.

No one except those permitted by the Grand Elder’s powerful divine power could open this book.

“What kind of secret are you hiding so tightly…”

Emilia gave a bitter smile.

“If you’re trying to protect me just because I’m ‘Master’s disciple,’ then it’s not worth it.”

“If that’s not enough, I’ll find a reason to protect you.”

Emilia murmured softly and placed her hand on the cover of the book.

Honestly, she was a little scared.

She didn’t know what consequences opening this book would bring.

Above all, a terrifying warning, engraved with the Great Master’s powerful magical power, was burning in red letters on the front cover of her Record.

[Warning: Unless essential, do not read this. The safety of the reader cannot be guaranteed. If you cannot handle it, it is recommended to close it immediately.]

A warning left by a transcendent should never be taken lightly.

But Emilia didn’t hesitate.

To carry out the Great Master’s last command, she had to find another reason to protect her.

She had to take this risk for that.

Emilia took a deep breath and finally began to open Yeon Bennet’s Record with trembling hands.

The moment the page turned, the air in the room seemed to sink heavily with a faint light.

“Kuh… Aaaagh…!”

Emilia gasped for breath and collapsed to the floor.

Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

Her life, known as Terra’s worst villainess…

From beginning to end…

Was filled with unimaginable pain.

…

The footsteps heading to the dormitory, leaving the two behind, were heavy.

The cold words she had spat out to Bella earlier kept echoing in her ears.

‘I’m sorry, but you’re too weak.’

Her shocked face when she heard those words wouldn’t leave her mind.

Her trembling eyes, her pale cheeks.

It wasn’t meant to hurt her on purpose, but as a result, she had ruthlessly rejected her sincerity and hurt her.

She still felt bad for saying such harsh things to her.

But she couldn’t help it.

Taking her to the Rapelasia territory was too dangerous.

She had no idea what would happen to her there, or what Duke Reizel’s intentions were.

She couldn’t drag Bella into danger for no reason.

And another thing that bothered her was…

Elise, the curse she was under.

That curse she had absorbed last night.

It wasn’t just a curse caused by simple Contamination.

It certainly contained the energy of Contamination, but its nature was different from what she had encountered before.

The curse had burrowed into her head and secretly fueled her desires.

The Masochist ability, which she could normally control well enough, went berserk abnormally under the influence of the curse, and she was only able to return to normal after finally blowing up her own head and ‘resetting’.

Now that she knew the characteristics and countermeasures of the curse to some extent, she was planning to absorb her curse again to weaken it if she had the chance.

But the fact that she didn’t know the exact identity and origin of the curse remained uncomfortably lingering.

She let out a deep sigh and opened the dormitory door.

‘In the end… do I have no choice but to take her?To completely lift the curse, she had to stay by her side, observe her condition, and use the Evil God’s power when she saw an opportunity.

To do that, going to the Rapelasia territory together was the most certain way.

Unlike Bella, at least the Rapelasia territory wouldn’t be such a dangerous place for Elise.

Of course, she couldn’t tell her honestly.

It was when she reached the entrance of the dormitory building with a heavy heart.

“……?”

She saw a familiar white-haired figure in the distance. Crouching down and looking around anxiously.

It was undoubtedly Elise.

‘That’s a relief. I don’t have to bother looking for her.’

Her timing was amazing.

She strode towards her.

“Hey.”

Elise turned around with a start at her voice.

Eyes like a frightened rabbit.

“Let’s go.”

She got straight to the point.

“…What?”

Elise asked back with a look that said she had no idea what she was talking about.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, as if to say, ‘What nonsense is this woman talking about again?’

She sighed and said,

“I’m going to your territory. The Duchy of Rapelasia.”

“…?”

Elise’s face was filled with question marks. She still didn’t seem to understand the situation at all.

She added,

“Just now, your mother, Duke Reizel, came here herself. She said she would take me.”

“…Mother herself?”

Elise’s eyes widened.

She, too, didn’t expect her mother to come to the academy in person.

A look of bewilderment and anxiety crossed her face.

She watched her reaction and delivered the finishing blow.

“And you.”

She looked straight into her purple eyes and said,

“You have to go with me too.”

“…Why me?”

Elise reflexively asked back.

Her eyes were full of wariness and suspicion.

She took another step closer to her,

And whispered with a deliberately meaningful smile.

“Well… are you sure it’s okay?”

“…What?”

“I know your family’s fatal secret, and I’m willingly following your mother’s request to go to the territory like this… Doesn’t that seem strange? Doesn’t it seem like I’m being captured too easily?”

Elise’s face turned pale at her words.

She stepped back and glared at her.

Her eyes were completely full of wariness.

“…What are you up to?”

She smirked and scoffed at her.

Wearing the mask of a villainess on the outside.

‘What am I up to? Who’s going to lift that curse if you don’t have me, you frustrating idiot.’

Elise just glared at her with trembling lips.

Okay, that should be enough.

She would have no choice but to go to the territory with her, either to monitor her or to silence her.

It was going according to plan.

But unlike her true feelings, she just shrugged and replied,

“What am I up to? I’m just going because I thought I could help treat your sister…”

Emphasizing the word treatment and showing the most evil smile she could muster, Elise’s face turned even paler.

She sensed that these words were not pure goodwill, but rather another threat to bind herself and her family.

Elise just glared at her as if she would kill her, her lips trembling with anger and fear.

“There’s no need for that.”

Just then, an unexpected voice came from behind her.

A familiar voice.

When she turned her head, the dormitory supervisor was glaring at her with a look of disdain.

Since when had she been standing there?

“I just received a call from the academy headquarters.”

The supervisor said curtly with her arms crossed.

She looked at the supervisor with a questioning expression.

A call? What call?

The supervisor seemed to read her expression and added an explanation as if she was annoyed.

“A new headmaster has been appointed to the academy. And I heard that they just negotiated directly with the Duke of Rapelasia.”

“Negotiated?”

“Yes.”

The supervisor nodded.

“The conclusion is that student Yeon Bennet will go to the Rapelasia territory after the midterm exams. So there’s no need to go right now.”

“???”

She couldn’t believe her ears.

A new headmaster?

Negotiations with the Duke of Rapelasia?

What was going on?

A new headmaster had already arrived?

Who???

“Uh…”

She broke the silence first.

She smiled awkwardly at Elise and said,

“About what I just said. Um… can you just… pretend you didn’t hear it? Hehe…”

Elise’s expression seemed to freeze coldly at her pathetic(?) excuse, then she completely ignored her and turned her head to the dormitory supervisor standing next to her.

Then she said in a firm and cold voice,

“Dorm supervisor, I absolutely cannot share a room with her. Please change my room immediately.”

No… what did I do…

Author’s Note:

I’m sorry, I’m a little late.

I don’t have enough time to write…

Tomorrow is… a break…