Ch.327Chapter 327 – Please Allow Me Some Space Too

The restoration work on the ancient documents found at the ruins proceeded smoothly, and Professor Müller offered to give me an honorary archaeology association membership, but I politely declined.

After all, what I had done wasn’t so much “restoration” of the ancient documents as “fixing” the “damaged” documents back to their original state.

Professor Müller looked somewhat disappointed, but I’m not exactly the type who lives and dies for honors.

Anyway, after returning to Aurelius, I bid farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince with a promise to see him at the wedding, then used the teleport station to return to Glesius Academy.

Coming back to the academy after two months, I found it filled with students enjoying a brief respite after their midterm exams.

Of course, among them, the third and fourth-year students were having particularly busy days.

“Another day of training…”

“Focus. We’re graduating next year…”

“I should have just completed the basic requirements. Why did I choose to graduate fully when I’m not even going to enjoy wealth and glory…”

“You chose graduation yourself. Just endure it with grit.”

From their conversations, it seems they regret choosing the full graduation path, but one must bear the consequences of their own choices.

Shannon was the one who welcomed me when I returned to my mansion within the academy.

“Shannon? What is it?”

“Viscount Severio. Someone has requested a meeting with you.”

“Who wants to see me?”

Someone wants to meet me? Here in the academy? I’m not exactly so busy that people need to formally request meetings.

“Professor Emelda Carmen, who teaches alchemy, has requested a meeting. The reason stated was ‘personal business.'”

I wondered why Professor Carmen would be looking for me, and why the meeting reason would be “personal business.”

But thinking about it briefly, there was indeed a reason why Professor Carmen might seek me out.

She was the one who suddenly kissed me at the victory celebration banquet at the Imperial Palace.

Perhaps she had heard about my engagement to Karen and came because of that.

“Tell her I’ll meet with her.”

“Understood. Please follow me. She’s waiting in the reception room.”

After I expressed my willingness to meet, Shannon guided me to the reception room.

As I entered, I could see Professor Carmen’s face turn toward me as she sat on the guest sofa.

“Then I’ll take my leave…”

Shannon left the reception room after seeing me enter.

In the quiet space where no sound could be heard, only Professor Carmen and I remained.

As someone who is now the future husband of the Imperial Princess, I should be careful about my every action, but I felt that with Professor Carmen, such caution might not be necessary.

“It’s been a while, Professor Carmen.”

“Yes… it has been a while, Pathos. Or should I call you Viscount Severio now?”

Professor Carmen wore a somewhat awkward smile.

She seemed uncomfortable with our current conversation.

Her pupils trembled slightly, and I could see her gaze shifting bit by bit.

Something was clearly making Professor Carmen uncomfortable.

“Is something bothering you?”

“…Is it that obvious?”

Yes, indeed. Your eyes are trembling like aspen leaves—how could I not notice your discomfort?

“Whatever the reason may be, I hope you won’t feel uncomfortable here.”

Though I’m not the owner of this mansion, I am close to the owner.

“Thank you. I’m glad it’s you, Viscount Severio.”

“What do you mean?”

What is she glad about? Perhaps nobles are supposed to pretend not to notice when someone shows signs of discomfort?

“If the person sitting across from me were another noble, they would try to exploit my current feelings to extract as much as possible. But seeing that you don’t, I can tell that Viscount Severio truly has a different character.”

Wouldn’t any modern person act the same way? Using someone for immediate gain might work in the short term, but it inevitably leads to difficulties in the long run.

“So, are you feeling calmer now?”

“Somewhat, yes.”

Since she’s somewhat calmed down, I’m relieved.

“Then I think we can resume our conversation now.”

Now, Professor Emelda Carmen.

“I’d like to know why you sought me out and requested this meeting.”

“…Yes. I knew this time would come eventually.”

Professor Carmen took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

A story she had never told anyone, one she had intended to bury forever in her heart.

“You probably don’t know this, but the village where I was born was a rather small rural village.”

Professor Carmen began her story with a face immersed in memories.

“In that village, I played everywhere with my friends. The nearest village was a three or four-day walk away, so the children in my village were my only friends.”

At this point, Professor Carmen’s face suddenly became serious.

“But one day, outsiders came to the village. They used all sorts of flattery and gave gifts to families with young children to gain their favor. At first, the villagers were wary, but as the gifts continued, they eventually opened their hearts. That was a mistake.”

I wondered who these outsiders Professor Carmen was talking about could be.

“The outsiders who came to the village were followers of the Demon Cult. I didn’t know anything at the time, but my parents seemed to have noticed something and refused their gifts. While I was away with my parents visiting another village on business, the Demon Cult followers took all my friends away, promising them good things… and not long after, they were all found as corpses, drained of all vitality and blood.”

Hmm, so the Demon Cult had been active since then.

“My parents had been mercenaries in the past and had encountered the Demon Cult before, which is why they didn’t accept the gifts. The reason they took me to another village was to report the Demon Cult’s appearance to the Solar Temple.”

I see, so that’s what happened. Indeed, it’s difficult to identify the Demon Cult unless you’ve experienced them firsthand.

“The Solar Temple, which arrived due to my parents’ report, revealed that they were followers of the Demon Cult and that my friends had been used as sacrifices to resurrect a demon god… Some of my friends’ parents went insane from the news. From that day on, I vowed to take revenge on the Demon Cult. That’s why I entered Glesius Academy, which is the easiest place to track the Demon Cult and where they are most likely to target.”

But from here, Professor Carmen’s face suddenly showed resignation.

“But you know what? Viscount Severio fulfilled my revenge for me.”

“Me? When?”

I fulfilled her revenge?

“I found out later that one of the Demon Cult followers who visited my village was running a fairly large trading company within the Empire. But because of his entanglement with you, a major investigation was launched, and as a result, the Demon Cult followers within the Empire were completely wiped out, and that person died too.”

Professor Carmen looked at me.

“And the root of all evil, the demon god, fell by your hand.”

Professor Carmen stood up, knelt down, and bowed to me.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, the revenge for my friends who died unjustly has been fulfilled. Thank you, truly, truly thank you… *sob*…”

As she bowed in gratitude, Professor Carmen began to sob.

Was it relief that her friends’ revenge had been fulfilled, and that by expressing gratitude to the person who accomplished it, her wish had come true?

As someone not directly involved, I couldn’t know for sure, but it was clear that Professor Carmen harbored feelings of gratitude toward me.

After rising from her position, Professor Carmen carefully wiped her face with a handkerchief and looked at me.

“Is that why? At some point, Viscount Severio entered my heart. At first, I thought of you as just a student with unusual abilities… but when did I start seeing you as a man?”

Finally, here it comes. By this point, I can predict what’s coming next. I’ve experienced this situation a few times now.

“I don’t want to monopolize you like others might. But if there’s even a small space left in a corner of Viscount Severio’s heart, could you allow me that space?”

Professor Emelda Carmen’s confession was sudden, but not entirely unexpected.

It came out of nowhere, but honestly, I liked women of Professor Carmen’s type.

Since becoming a member of the imperial family, the restriction on having multiple legal wives had been removed, and above all, there was no reason to reject a beautiful woman’s confession, was there?

“The space may not be very large. And above all, there are many who have already entered that place. Would that be acceptable?”

“Yes. I won’t regret it.”

“Then, I look forward to our relationship.”

Upon hearing my answer, Professor Carmen smiled brightly, and at that moment, the most beautiful person in the world was standing before me.