Correcting the Villainess of the Academy – Chapter 224

Chapter 224

“…”

By the time I opened my eyes, it was around dusk, with the sunset settling over the horizon.

I stared blankly at the ceiling for a while. It took a significant amount of time for me to recognize the familiar scenery of the Cradle Infirmary, likely due to the painkillers circulating through my body.

I then began to reflect on past memories.

As if pulling up something from the bottom of a pond.

Searching through the Cradle for the missing Professor Shin Jaeyu, encountering someone who had borrowed Yena’s body at the end, barely defeating them, heading toward the Core, and then, and then…

“…”

Somehow, the last part feels extremely blurry. My memory is hazy, as if wandering through a dream.

Still, one thing was certain—I managed to prevent the Core’s rampage.

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d be lying here so comfortably in the infirmary.

“Ugh…”

And then, what followed was a severe pain enveloping my whole body.

Despite being heavily drugged, there wasn’t a single area that didn’t feel pain.

Even twitching a single finger was difficult.

Forcing myself to turn my head, I checked the condition of my body.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like I had any fatal injuries…

-You, your body is collapsing.

Suddenly, a mocking voice from the sinister being I had encountered on the rooftop of the Main Building echoed in my mind.

Was my condition really that bad? So bad that it was obvious at a glance?

I couldn’t even estimate how much life I had left.

Perhaps I was already nothing more than the remaining embers after a fire had burned out…

-Is this the price for daring to seek power beyond your means…? Of course, it has to be.

“…Ha.”

Hearing the low, resonating voice, I let out a dry laugh.

The price for seeking power beyond my means, they say.

I never particularly craved such things, though.

I was merely trying to protect what was mine.

Was even that too much of a desire for someone like me?

-Thud! Boom!!

Just as I was about to immerse myself in contemplation.

The intermittent noise coming from beyond the window brought me back to reality.

It sounded exactly like something exploding. Perhaps the sound of magic colliding with magic.

Judging by the location, it didn’t seem to be within the Cradle. It was much farther than that. Likely originating near the Capital.

…Could something else have happened? And here I am, stuck lying on a sickbed. It’s frustrating, to say the least.

Well, at least it means the Cradle itself is still intact…

“…”

Waves of questions continued to churn in my mind.

There was so much I wanted to know.

How many days had passed since that incident?

What had happened to those who were recruited by the witch?

What was the true identity of those explosive sounds? What had become of Yena’s whereabouts?

…Were the people I was trying to protect all safe?

With the surroundings utterly quiet and devoid of any sign of life, there was no one nearby to ask.

However, judging by the presence of water bowls and towels for wiping the body, at least someone had been coming and going from here.

Just as I was deliberating whether I should press the call bell, I heard the sound of someone approaching from outside the hospital room.

The footsteps, though lacking strength, carried an air of dignity. Was it a nurse coming to check on my condition?

-Creak!

“Excuse me…”

The door soon opened, and I was about to turn my head and speak to ask about the situation.

-Crash!!

The sound of a water bottle shattering into fragments reverberated loudly through the once-quiet hospital room. I sat there momentarily stunned, meeting the eyes of the person who had just entered.

And seeing that familiar face frozen stiff, I cautiously greeted them.

“…Hello, Senior.”

***

Despite the addition of one more person, the hospital room remained silent.

Yeon Minha sat demurely with her hands clasped, glaring at me without uttering a word. She had been in the same posture for tens of minutes.

“…”

Heh. Somehow, the piercing stare felt so sharp it could make my heart ache. The awkwardness made it difficult to open my mouth.

That said, I wasn’t particularly upset or anything. If anything, the thought that I had protected that vindictiveness brought me a sense of comfort.

If it were the me from when I first met her, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine thinking this way. At that time, I might have immediately thought about punching her in the face or stomach.

But seeing how utterly haggard her face looked now, I couldn’t help but feel concerned.

No… not just a little, but quite a lot.

-Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!

Taking the opportunity presented by the intermittent, mysterious explosions, I carefully opened my mouth.

“Um, Senior.”

“…”

“Are you alright? You don’t look well. Do you feel unwell anywhere…?”

“…”

Yeon Minha still didn’t say a word.

Instead, she stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

Then, slowly, she lowered her head.

Soon, her hands, folded neatly in her lap, and her arms began trembling violently.

A slight shiver ran down my spine. For some reason, it felt like looking at a kettle placed over a fire.

“…How dare you say something like that?”

And then, like a kettle that had finally reached boiling point, she spoke up.

“Are you alright…? You don’t look well…?”

Now, not just her arms but her whole body was trembling violently. I could clearly sense the anger spreading through her like ink in water.

“Whose fault do you think this is…? Who do you think I’m like this because of…!!”

Did I just stir up a hornet’s nest…?

“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been… I haven’t slept for days now…!”

“Senior…?”

“Chasing away those trashy women who came with excuses like hospital visits… Do you have any idea how much…”

Yeon Minha was pouring out her sorrow without a pause. But just now, something strange seemed to have slipped by, or was it just my imagination?

“Senior. Calm down for a moment…”

As I tried to soothe Yeon Minha, I ended up closing my mouth again.

Before I knew it, she had raised her head and was staring straight at me.

Her eyes, bloodshot and brimming with teardrops, were on the verge of overflowing.

“…Who told you to do something like that on your own? Who pushed you to protect me, even forcing you?”

“…”

“And if you ended up dying because of it… I, I…”

Yeon Minha, choking back sobs, barely swallowed the end of her words.

Thud. Thick teardrops gathered at the corners of her eyes and fell to the floor.

This was a sight rarely seen from someone as proud and headstrong as her.

Even so, I could fully understand her perspective.

The concern she had for me felt oddly embarrassing, and at the same time, a wave of belated guilt washed over me.

However, nothing would change.

Even if I went back to that moment, I would make the same decision.

It was the only, and also the best, method.

“…It couldn’t be helped.”

I opened my mouth calmly.

“If it weren’t for me, no one else would have been able to stop this situation.”

“But…!”

“And didn’t I actually handle it splendidly?”

I looked at Yeon Minha, who was overcome with grief, and shrugged nonchalantly.

I tried not to dwell on dark thoughts, like my dwindling lifespan, as much as possible.

I simply tried to brush this off as a light-hearted joke.

“I repelled the invaders, stopped the explosion at the Cradle… Isn’t this a significant contribution that will be remembered in the history of the Republic?”

“…”

“And didn’t I also protect you safely like this? Shouldn’t I get an award for this?”

At that, Yeon Minha flinched for a moment.

The strength drained from her eyes, which had been glaring intensely at me, and she lowered her head deeply again.

Her uncharacteristically deflated demeanor was utterly perplexing. I couldn’t tell whether my joke had worked or not…

While I was pondering over this.

After a long silence, Yeon Minha raised her head again.

Then, hesitating, she opened her trembling lips to speak in a shaky voice.

“…I’m not someone worth protecting.”

“…?”

Yeon Minha still couldn’t meet my eyes.

“I’m not worth risking your life for… not anymore…”

As if she were someone who had committed a grave sin.

“…Senior?”

Her words didn’t make sense to me.

If there was someone worth risking my life to protect, it was none other than the person standing right in front of me.

“…I’m sorry.”

I could feel Yeon Minha’s breathing gradually growing rougher, as if emotions were surging within her. Not knowing what was going on left me feeling frustrated.

“I… I’ve been deceiving you.”

“What do you mean…?”

“…”

For a moment, she looked like she was meeting my eyes, but soon, Yeon Minha firmly closed her eyes again.

Then, as if she had made a significant decision, she slowly opened her lips.

“Two years ago… the tragedy you went through…”

Amid the surging waves of thoughts, I could only listen to Yeon Minha’s words.

And at the end of it, I could only let out a dumbfounded sound.

“…What?”

***

“…That’s all I have to say.”

After quite a long time, Yeon Minha finished her explanation. Her face was deeply marked by an indescribable weariness. It was clear how much she had endured emotionally because of this.

My mind went blank. I never imagined I would hear the truth about that incident from Yeon Minha herself.

Even amidst all this, I tried to gather my thoughts.

The incident at the time was caused by a power struggle within Paechun.

Their target was someone who had been in our village.

Meanwhile, Jeokhwa, who had been losing ground to Paechun, intervened in the conflict to recruit Paechun’s successor.

The attack on our village was the price they paid for that involvement.

To leave no trace of themselves, Jeokhwa used demons, whom they had been colluding with for a long time, to carry out the attack.

Knowing full well that the demons would mercilessly massacre innocent residents.

In other words, the people there, including my family, had simply been caught in the crossfire.

In a senseless scramble for power.

“…The one who supported the demons was my father. And that wasn’t enough—he even sent guides halfway to assist them…”

Yeon Minha’s voice, now devoid of tears, carried a sense of emptiness.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner… but I couldn’t…”