Chap 68-I Feel… Better…

 

The first day or so was okay.

Waking up early to clean the bathroom, attending classes on an empty stomach, and washing roughly with cold water before sleeping at night.

I was a bit hungry, but skipping a meal or two was nothing.

I could handle this much.

The problem started the next day.

I was slowly reaching my limit.

An emptiness that felt like my stomach was sticking to my back.

My head was spinning, and I had no strength in my limbs.

And…

“Heeuh… haah…”

A strange moan escaped my lips without my knowing.

‘Ugh, this crazy ability, really…!’

The damned ability was turning even the pain of this terrible hunger into pleasure, without exception.

Every time I felt the pain of my stomach twisting, the nerves all over my body tingled.

I barely managed to finish my classes with wobbly legs.

It was dinner time, but of course, I didn’t have any money to go to the cafeteria.

Considering the remaining allowance, I had to save as much as possible to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

I found an empty hallway and headed to the water fountain, secretly looking around to make sure no one would notice my strange state.

Cold water poured out of the old faucet.

I looked around one more time, then put my mouth directly to the faucet and started gulping down the water.

I had no time to think about appearances or anything else.

“Hoo… I almost died of hunger…”

The cold water filled my empty stomach, and I felt somewhat alive again.

Perhaps because of the slight fullness I felt after drinking the water, the pleasurable hunger that had been tormenting me earlier subsided a little.

I sighed in relief and took my mouth away from the faucet.

That was the moment.

“Ah, Miss…?”

A trembling voice, as if in disbelief, came from behind me.

I was startled and turned around.

“P-Professor…?”

There… stood Professor Emilia.

Her face was filled with shock and astonishment as she stared blankly at me, drinking water from the fountain.

In her eyes, along with bewilderment, there was some indescribable emotion.

‘…I’m screwed.’

…

Meow-

H-How much is this?

[System]

Yeon Bennet’s Account

Duke Bennett’s Family – 0 Gold

Academy Allowance – 150 Gold

My Beloved Student – 1,000,000,000 Gold

“O-One… billion Gold!?!?”

I shouted in astonishment.

An enormous amount of money had come in under the item ‘My Beloved Student’.

“I’m sorry, Miss! I’m so stupid… I’m so foolish… Hngh…”

Professor Emilia suddenly tried to slam her head on the floor again.

“No, Professor! Please stop it!”

I hurriedly grabbed her head with both hands and stopped her.

Meow-

I managed to calm Professor Emilia down and asked in a trembling voice.

“Um… Professor. Can I… really accept this? A billion Gold…”

Professor Emilia nodded vigorously and said as if it were obvious.

“Of course, Miss!!! Who in this world would dare inherit Dorothy’s legacy if not you!”

She shouted almost like a fanatic.

“In the first place, the Grand Elder specifically instructed me to give this to her disciple when she came!”

Professor Emilia said with tears in her eyes.

“But I… I foolishly forgot about it… and didn’t even know you were suffering like this… Hngh…”

She tried to slam her head again.

“No, really, please stop it!!! It’s okay! I know now!”

Looking at the enormous amount displayed on the System window, I couldn’t help but sigh.

Of course, it’s good to have a lot of money, but…

“…Still, this amount is too much.”

When I said that honestly, Professor Emilia suddenly raised her voice and retorted.

“Not at all, Miss!”

“B-But…”

I glanced at Professor Emilia and muttered once more.

“It’s too much…”

One billion Gold.

That was no ordinary amount.

It was an absurd amount, equivalent to the average annual income of a ducal family.

I honestly didn’t know if I should take such a huge amount of money that I could live off of for the rest of my life.

Seeing my expression, Professor Emilia spoke again in a soft but firm voice.

“Miss, considering what you have done so far, this amount of compensation is not enough.”

She continued, with a truly pitiful expression.

“Think about it, Miss. You have been protecting the seal of the Evil God all this time, without receiving any compensation. This is just a fair reward that you deserve.”

“Huh? No, I haven’t?”

I asked back without realizing it.

“I’ve been getting what I deserve in my own way, though?”

Only after saying these words did I realize my mistake.

The compensation I receive is, well…

Something I can’t tell others… Ahem… something like that…

“Th-Then… perhaps… what kind of compensation are you talking about…?”

Professor Emilia asked me with a puzzled expression.

‘Ah… how do I explain this?’

My mind went blank.

What should I make up…?

“W-Well… that’s…”

I desperately tried to figure out how to package it, but in the end, I blurted out whatever came to mind.

“W-Well… it just… makes me… feel good…”

‘…What are you doing, you idiot! Why are you saying such perverted things!’

Meow-

I wanted to slap myself in the face.

“Hngh, hngh…”

‘Um…?’

Upon hearing my absurd words, Professor Emilia started crying sadly again.

“I’m sorry, Miss…! I guess someone like me… should just die…!”

She said that and suddenly gathered blue magical power in her hand, trying to bring it to her head!

“No, Professor!!! Wait a minute!!!”

No!!! What’s the problem?

Still, judging from her reaction, it seemed like my true intentions hadn’t been revealed.

…

Meow-

“…Um…”

I barely managed to resolve the situation and asked about something that had been bothering me since earlier.

“I’ve been wondering since earlier… what is that cat?”

Where I pointed, there was a pure white cat sitting very proudly on my bed.

The cat was sitting comfortably as if it were its own bed, staring at me with very intense and intelligent eyes.

Its fur was glossy, and its eyes shone like deep sapphires.

It didn’t seem like an ordinary cat.

“…Th-That’s… um…”

When I asked about the cat, Professor Emilia suddenly started to panic noticeably.

She avoided my gaze while sweating profusely.

Meow-

At that moment, the cat on the bed glared at Professor Emilia with fierce eyes.

Professor Emilia glanced at the cat and began to explain even more stutteringly.

“Um… I went to Salem for a while at your request, didn’t I?.”

I nodded.

Salem.

A secret city where the few remaining Witches in Terra live.

I had asked her to gather reliable and useful forces in preparation for the midterm exams.

“That’s… well…”

Professor Emilia was still glancing at the cat, sweating profusely.

“It’s a cat I met by chance in Salem, but it kept following me when I was about to leave… so I had no choice but to bring it with me. Haha…”

She laughed awkwardly.

“Hmm.”

I approached the cat on the bed and carefully reached out my hand.

“It’s cute.”

The cat didn’t avoid my touch, but rather closed its eyes and started purring, enjoying my touch. The feel of its soft fur was pleasant.

“But it’s strange. How can a stray cat without an owner be so clean?”

I said, stroking the cat’s pure white fur.

There wasn’t a speck of dust on it.

At my words, the cat opened its eyes wide and looked at me with a triumphant expression.

‘…C-Cute!’

I thought without realizing it and carefully picked up the cat, hugging it tightly in my arms.

I felt a small and warm warmth.

But at that moment, the cat suddenly burrowed into my clothes!

“W-Wait! What are you… Haaht!”

Because the cat touched my sensitive area in my clothes with something that I couldn’t tell if it was a claw or a tongue, a strange moan escaped my lips without my knowing.

I hurriedly covered my mouth and glanced at Professor Emilia.

“Ahem! It’s just… a little ticklish…”

I coughed awkwardly and made an excuse.

Lick-

“Ugh!”

This time, the cat poked its head out of my clothes and suddenly started licking my neck!

I got goosebumps from the ticklish and wet feeling.

“Hey! You really!”

I couldn’t stand it anymore and grabbed the cat from my top, lifted it up, and

Squeeeeze-

I grabbed the cat’s soft cheeks and stretched them out.

“Kkiing… kkiing…”

The cat trembled and whined as if it was in pain.

“Hmph. Where did you learn such bad manners.”

I was satisfied only after showing the cat who was boss and then put it down.

And I asked Professor Emilia.

“So, Professor. Does it have a name?”

When I asked, Professor Emilia shook her head with a slightly dazed expression.

“N-No… not really… no name.”

“Hmm.”

I rested my chin on my hand and looked down at the cat. A white and small body, and sapphire-like eyes.

“Then… how about ‘Nabi’? (TN: butterfly in korean) It’s as pretty as a white butterfly.”

It was a name I had come up with after much deliberation.

At my words, Professor Emilia suddenly tried to burst out laughing, but hurriedly covered her mouth.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly.

…Why is she like that? Is my naming sense that funny?

“Nyaaaaang!!!”

At that moment, the cat at my feet suddenly arched its back, struggled, and started to get angry.

It seemed like it didn’t like the name.

“No, I’m not changing it.”

I said firmly.

“How can you, a pet, be dissatisfied with the name your owner gave it?”

I grabbed its cheeks again and stretched them out.

“From now on, your name is Nabi. Got it, Nabi?”

“Kkiiing…”

Nabi only whined softly, as if it was feeling wronged or had given up.

I nodded in satisfaction and asked Professor Emilia.

“I can keep it, right? I’m bored anyway since I’m using this big dormitory all by myself, so this is perfect.”

At my words, Professor Emilia looked relieved, as if she had gotten rid of a big burden.

Then, she smiled brightly and said.

“Yes! Of course, Miss! As much as you want!”