Camille (13)

That day, in particular, it poured rain.

Raindrops splattering on my arm ran stickily down my forearm.

“Damn it, it’s raining like crazy.”

I was on my way to class, making sure my books wouldn’t get wet.

Lately, Vivian’s progress seems to be slowing down.

Considering her astonishing speed before, it was a bit puzzling.

“Well, Vivian is human after all.”

It’s only slow by my standards as a Dragon; to others, her current speed is still insane.

“Vivian, I’m here.”

“Welcome, Helix-nim.”

Vivian saw me, drenched in rain, and…

“Oh dear, you got caught in the rain? You should have used an umbrella.”

“I was using one, but the wind broke it.”

“Couldn’t you do something with magic?”

“I could, but what comes after would be more troublesome.”

Well, there is a way.

I could just use defensive magic.

However, the bigger problem is that if I carelessly use such magic, the alarm magic installed within this capital city of Alecia might activate.

“At least the books didn’t get wet.”

“Please give them to me. You should dry yourself off first.”

“Sorry, I’ll use the bathroom then.”

“Yes, by all means.”

I felt like I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on class with this musty rain smell.

I took a quick shower and returned.

But for some reason, besides a towel, there were also men’s clothes prepared.

“Oh, there were men’s clothes?”

“Yes, just in case Helix-nim might need them. I prepared them in advance.”

“Well, I don’t think I’ll really need them. If there aren’t any men’s clothes that fit, I can just change into my female form and wear those.”

“Huh? What form…?”

Vivian blinked, as if she didn’t understand.

“Female form.”

“Female form? Helix-nim, you could take on a female form?”

“Of course. Dragons don’t really have a fixed gender. It’s just something I arbitrarily created with Polymorph.”

Vivian’s mouth hung open, as if greatly surprised.

Is it that surprising?

Well, unlike Dragons, humans all have their gender determined from birth.

“Helix-nim, can you show me your female form?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because your gaze, Vivian, looks too dangerous.”

Vivian, whose eyes were full of curiosity and mischief.

If I obediently changed into my female form, I could clearly see what kind of trouble I’d be in without even looking.

“Please, it’s my only wish in life.”

“Even if you say that, I won’t do it.”

“Tsk… Then, did you show the Saint-nim?”

“Yeah, Camille saw it once.”

Camille was the only one who had seen my female form so far.

And after she saw it, it was immediately sealed away.

She said something about being jealous and not to go around in that form again.

Well, she said it half-jokingly.

“But why won’t you show me?”

I picked at my ear as if asking ‘What kind of obvious question is that?’

Maybe it’s because of the rain, but some water got into my ear.

“Because Camille is my wife, and you’re not.”

“Then I want to be your wife too.”

“Haa, stop talking nonsense and let’s study, Vivian.”

“It’s not nonsense.”

Lightly ignoring Vivian’s words, I opened my book.

“What do I have to do for you to show me?”

“Could you please not try to negotiate with your teacher?”

“Tch, that’s unfair.”

Vivian pouted.

She wasn’t even looking at the magic book, just huffing.

I couldn’t help but ask, dumbfounded.

“No, why do you want to see it so badly?”

“It’s pure curiosity.”

“Don’t you dare lie to a Dragon. Your eyes are practically overflowing with desire.”

Today, class wasn’t progressing at all.

I debated whether I should scold her, but then…

‘Nah, let’s just drop it.’

Vivian was acting as usual, but I seemed to be the only one feeling impatient.

In truth, the current Vivian was strong enough.

Now, in terms of mental magic on this continent, she was probably among the top five strongest.

‘Is there any point in continuing to study together like this, with books open?’

Honestly, it was close to a waste of time.

The next stages required not just effort, but a long time and enlightenment.

But wasn’t I just doing this out of my own lingering attachment?

‘Camille also seems to be too concerned about Vivian.’

Honestly, Camille considering Vivian a dangerous seed wasn’t entirely unfounded, as I had been overly protective of her.

Of course, Vivian was not at fault.

But the seeds of conflict had already been sown.

I had to pull them out before they took deeper root.

“Vivian.”

Yes, come to think of it, the day to ‘graduate’ her was slowly approaching.

“Yes? What’s wrong, Helix-nim?”

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, so please don’t misunderstand?”

“…”

“Honestly, I don’t think I have much left to teach you.”

At those words…

Vivian’s playful smile that had been on her lips vanished.

“Helix-nim, why are you doing this? Is it because I was joking just now…?”

“That’s not it, Vivian.”

“I’m sorry. I got carried away by my teacher’s kindness and crossed the line without realizing it. I’m truly sorry. ”

Vivian kept repeating ‘I’m sorry’ like a broken doll.

Feeling that something was wrong, I firmly gripped Vivian’s shoulders.

“It’s really not that, Vivian. I admit it’s an easy time to misunderstand, but I’m not such a petty Dragon.”

“…”

“You feel it too, don’t you? You’re not achieving as much as before. It’s not because you’re not working hard. From now on, it will be difficult to achieve anything unless you realize it yourself.”

Yes, I’ve been thinking about it, and this seems to be the right thing to do.

I couldn’t maintain this ambiguous teacher-student relationship any longer.

“Helix-nim, if I achieve all my accomplishments as a Magician, what happens then?”

“What happens, you ask…? It would be something to celebrate.”

“If that happens, will I no longer be your student?”

“…”

At that moment, my eyes met Vivian’s.

It was a night sky where all the stars had vanished.

A terribly dark night where nothing could be seen.

“Please answer me. If I become a great Magician… will I no longer be your student?”

“That’s not true, Vivian.”

“Then why are you trying to push me away?”

It seemed Vivian was seriously misunderstanding something.

I had to clear up the misunderstanding immediately.

“That’s not it. Vivian, listen to me.”

“Ah, did the Saint-nim say something? To slowly distance yourself from me because I’m a dangerous woman?”

“Camille never said anything like that. Don’t jump to conclusions. Listen to me.”

But Vivian’s eyes still held not a single speck of light.

“How amusing, Saint-nim. To treat my husband like some public commodity, letting him be passed around everywhere.”

“…!!”

“Why does she only feel jealous of me? She’s truly an incomprehensible person.”

I unconsciously gasped.

How did Vivian know that?

“Are you surprised? That I know this.”

“Vivian, how much do you know…?”

“Everything. From why my teacher is being treated that way by the Saint-nim…”

Vivian took a step closer to me and leaned her head in.

“To why that strange relationship is being maintained.”

“…”

“I thought it was strange. Those Dragon’s Priestesses I occasionally saw. Their gazes towards their master were excessively fervent.”

I could no longer look Vivian directly in the face.

It was too embarrassing to have my vulnerability exposed to Vivian.

It felt as if my entire body had been stripped bare and thrown out.

“So… how was it?”

“Huh?”

“Was it disgusting? That I was enjoying myself with various women behind your back, while in front of you, I was a teacher, the Saint’s husband, and so on?”

I unconsciously bit my lip tightly.

This was, at least, not how I wanted it to happen.

I never imagined everything would crumble in an instant like this.

“Ha…”

My vision blurred.

I found myself resentful only of the innocent Camille.

Where should this lost anger be directed?

“Haha, I didn’t think it would end like this.”

“No, nothing has ended.”

But what came out of Vivian’s mouth was neither a reproach…

nor mockery.

“Teacher-nim.”

“…”

“Please answer me, Teacher-nim.”

“…”

“Helix-nim.”

Vivian called my name and hugged me tightly.

For a moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“My teacher-nim, how could I ever feel that way? So please, don’t look so sad.”

“…”

“Why would I find you disgusting? You’re the only one who ever reached out to me.”

“You don’t… find it disgusting?”

“Look into my eyes. See for yourself and judge with your own eyes.”

Vivian looked at me with a sorrowful expression.

Why was that?

Vivian’s red eyes, which I met again…

had regained their light and were shining brilliantly.

“Teacher-nim, no, Helix. Listen to me carefully.”

“Suddenly, informal speech…?”

Vivian naturally started speaking informally to me.

Was it the Dragon’s unique ‘bossy elder’ tendency kicking in?

Thanks to that, my dazed mind snapped back a little.

“Actually, I’m much older than you. You must be tired of playing my teacher, right? So, I’ll use informal speech now.”

“…”

How many personalities did she have, anyway?

Just a moment ago, she was creating some kind of terrifying atmosphere.

Now, she was trying to act like an overbearing older sister.

Well, I couldn’t deny that this was better, though.

“Helix, I’ve been thinking and asking myself a lot of things during this time.”

“What?”

“Whether my feelings for you were real or fake.”

“…”

“But I’ve come to a conclusion. They’re real.”

Vivian took a step back from me and looked at me.

Vivian looked like she had a lot to say, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

But no.

I have Camille.

I tried to quickly utter words of refusal to Vivian, but…

“No, don’t speak.”

“…”

“First, listen to everything I have to say. It won’t be too late to talk afterward. For now, just listen to me.”

Vivian, like a queen, immediately made me shut my mouth.

Helpless, I had no choice but to remain silent.

“First, where should I start?”

“…”

“Right, Helix, you ask me. You must have had some questions for me all this time, right?”

At those words, I fell silent.

Because I had no idea what to ask.

But Vivian seemed to have taken it in a slightly different way…

“Haa? Don’t tell me you’re not curious about me at all?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Because Vivian’s eyes were blazing, I quickly thought of a question.

“First… how did you know I had that kind of relationship with the Dragon’s Priestesses?”

“Because the Dragon’s Priestesses approached my mansion and spied on me.”

“…!!”

“I ever-so-slightly~ used Confession Magic to ask about you. Well, you can rest assured, there were no particular after-effects.”

For a moment, I almost cursed out loud.

Because the Dragon’s Priestesses moving meant Camille was definitely behind it.

“You look quite shocked, why? Did you believe the Saint wouldn’t do such a thing?”

“…”

“Heh, that woman is more insidious than you think. A leader of a nation couldn’t possibly be that pure. Oh, of course, she’d put on an act in front of you, though.”

Vivian’s appearance felt so unfamiliar…

I averted my gaze.

But did Vivian even notice that?

She strode towards me and…

“No, you have to look at me properly.”

She placed both hands on my cheeks, making me turn my gaze back to her.

“Why, is my appearance unfamiliar? But this is actually my true self. I was just acting in front of you all this time.”

“…”

“Still, it’s not like I deliberately tried to deceive you, okay? I can’t just act like this in front of someone I’ve just met. Especially not in front of a Dragon, who is revered as sacred by the Holy Dominion.”

That’s true….

It wasn’t wrong, after all.

It would have been natural for Vivian to live behind a mask to survive in the Empire.

“Alright, what’s your next question?”

“Vivian, because of me…”

“Hm?”

“Are you in a dangerous situation because of me? Because I arbitrarily approached you and declared myself your teacher or whatever…?”

“Pfft.”

At that moment, Vivian burst into laughter.

“Ahaha, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s not because of you!”

“…”

“Seriously, what should I do about this? What if I just said, ‘Yes, it’s because of you’?”

“I’d have to take responsibility…”

“Oh, responsibility?”

At that moment, as if she had found a good opportunity…

Vivian’s eyes curved mischievously.

“Oh really? How do you plan to take responsibility?”

“Well, like guarding you until the Empire stabilizes…”

“And how would you know when it will stabilize? What if other Imperial Nobility send assassins at night? Will you stay in my room with me even then?”

“…”

“Will you be with me when I bathe? Or when I change clothes?”

When she listed everything one by one like that, I had nothing to say.

“Or, will you marry me? If you’re my husband, it wouldn’t matter if you were in the same room as your wife, right?”

“I’m already married, Vivian.”

“Yes, exactly. Listen carefully, Helix.”

“…”

Vivian exhaled a ‘hoo-‘ and gently closed her eyes for a moment….

She opened her eyes brightly, shining more brilliantly than ever before.

“Abandon that damn woman who doesn’t even know how precious her husband is, and live with me.”

“What…?”

“Let’s run away together. From this boring country.”