episode_0178

Ding dong.

The bell signaling lunchtime rang.

The moment I threw the placard away faster than a flash of light and tried to leave the entrance, Deborah stopped me.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” “Huh? Uh?”

“You seem very busy. Is something wrong?”

She looked at me worriedly, as if asking me to lean on her if something was wrong. Seeing that, I couldn’t just ignore her and leave.

“Ah, actually, I have an appointment.” “An appointment? With whom?”

“I’m going to see the festival with Noona. Since things turned out this way, we’re planning to have a meal together too.”

“Ah… with the Student Council President-nim…” Deborah frowned.

After a moment of thought, she cautiously made a request to me. “Can I come with you too?”

“Huh? You too?” “Yes. Three is more fun than two, isn’t it? Can’t I?”

Her purple eyes, looking up eagerly, twinkled like stars. That dreamlike yet mysterious light exuded an irresistible magic, but I overcame it with strong mental fortitude.

“Sorry! I don’t think that’s possible.” “…Is that so?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. How about we hang out together tomorrow?”

Her slumped shoulders made me feel sorry for her, but this was something I couldn’t concede. Taking her to buy Felicia’s photobook would be impossible, no matter how thick-skinned I was.

Deborah shook her head at my suggestion. “I’m sorry. My Master-nim is coming tomorrow.”

“She’s not coming today?” “She said she’s busy today. Anyway, I understand. See you in a bit.”

“Alright. I’ll go first.”

Leaving Deborah behind, I quickly headed to Class 1-4 like the wind. I had to hurry to secure Felicia Belmore’s photobook before my appointment with Isis.

Arriving at Class 4, I was slightly surprised. ‘Unexpectedly, there aren’t many people.’

I had heard there were tournament preliminaries in the afternoon, but I didn’t expect it to be this sparse. Of course, the fact that it was lunchtime played a big role, but I never imagined there would be this much free time.

Well, it’s fortunate for me. After waiting in line, I managed to get my hands on the photobook in just 20 minutes.

“Oh…” On the cover, the roll-haired noble lady, Felicia Belmore, was striking a sensual pose in an office outfit, emphasizing her chest.

Her voluminous breasts looked as if they would pop the buttons at any moment.

‘The Saintess was like that, too.’ Her appearance from back then came to mind.

The sight of her pushing out her chest and popping her uniform buttons when I complimented her. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.

Spellbound, I admired the cover before hastily leaving the sales counter. Other men were also clutching their photobooks dearly as they hurried away.

Half of them were heading to the restrooms. It was clear they had gotten an erection from seeing the voluminous breasts, being in the prime of their youthful vigor. I understood.

Stepping out into a deserted corridor, I carefully opened the photobook.

The first page contained a simple table of contents. -Office- -Maid- -Swimsuit- -Bunny Girl-

Just looking at the names, it was a lineup that truly made my chest swell with excitement. I wanted to turn the page immediately, but such things should be savored step by step. I fought off the temptation and placed the photobook into my subspace pouch.

“Shall I go fill my stomach now?” I had planned to skip lunch if the line was long, but there were fewer people than I expected, leaving me with some free time.

As I was looking for a suitable food stall. “Do you have a moment?”

A captivating voice spoke from right behind me. Turning my head, I saw Roxana Sprause, clad in an elegant robe.

“You are…” “I’m Roxana Sprause. We met once before, didn’t we? I have something I’d like to discuss regarding Deborah. What do you say?”

“…” I clearly heard from Deborah that she couldn’t come because she was busy, so what’s going on?

‘Did her schedule change?’ Well, that’s not my concern, but there was something else strange.

I looked around. If someone as famous as Roxana appeared, a commotion should have erupted the moment she showed up, yet people paid no attention to her at all.

It wasn’t that she was completely invisible; it seemed she had disguised herself as someone else using illusion magic.

I swallowed subtly. “Let’s do that. Where shall we go?”

“Hmm… have you eaten yet?” “No, not yet.”

“Then, since we’re here, let’s just eat. How about over there? There aren’t many people, so it seems fine.”

“Yes. That works for me.” We moved to a stall where it was unclear if the chef’s skills weren’t good, or if the turnover rate was so high that all the customers had already left.

After we sat down and placed our simple orders, she opened her mouth. “I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re our Deborah’s boyfriend?”

“…We’re friends.” “So, you’re her boyfriend. Right?”

Her smiling face was strangely frightening. I drank water from a sudden thirst and quickly changed the subject.

“More importantly, what did the Tower Master want to discuss? I have an appointment, so I need to go soon.”

“Oh, just call me comfortably. More importantly, an appointment? Is it with a lover?” Roxana subtly leaned her head forward.

As her decadent yet captivating features came closer, my heart instantly pounded.

I regained my composure and denied it. “No. It’s Noona.”

“Noona, as in the Student Council President?” “Yes. You know her?”

“Of course, she’s famous. She was quite a topic recently due to the scandal in the Coliseum. Heh heh!”

Roxana stared fixedly at me. Her actions felt as if she was implying I was the one involved, making my blood run cold.

‘Surely not.’ Even if she was an Archmage who had stepped into transcendence, she couldn’t possibly discern all of that just from a video.

By the way, she only looked to be in her late twenties, but it seemed she was indeed quite old. Especially given her strong interest in other people’s romantic affairs.

As I was internally estimating her age, Roxana suddenly narrowed her eyes. “What are you thinking? Your expression is strange.”

“Huh? Me?” “Yeah. You seem to be thinking something quite rude.”

Indeed, like master, like disciple; Roxana also uncannily sensed my thoughts, just like Deborah. I blinked my eyes and brazenly lied.

“Not at all? On the contrary, I was thinking you are very beautiful.” “Oh, really? It makes me happy to hear such words from a young man. Are you always like that? You must be popular with women.”

“…I’m not particularly popular.” “Really? The girls at the academy must have no taste. You’re so splendid.”

Roxana, smiling with her eyes, extended her pale white hand towards me. That moment felt as long as eternity.

Staring blankly at the approaching hand, I instinctively pulled my face back and pressed my back against the chair’s rest as a chill ran down my spine.

Roxana’s hand paused awkwardly. “What? Why are you recoiling like that? You’re making it awkward.”

“Ah, well…” “There was some dust on your head, so I was going to brush it off. Look.”

She leaned her body closer. Her robe draped lower, revealing deep cleavage that caught my eye, and her distinct, rich scent filled my nostrils.

Whether she knew it or not, she stretched out her hand, brushed the tip of my hair, and then returned to her original posture. In her hand was a white thread.

I didn’t know when, but it seemed to have gotten on me while I was passing through the crowd. I immediately bowed my head.

“I’m sorry. I was just startled for a moment.” “Heh heh! Oh, really? It’s fine. Lift your head. There’s no need to go that far.”

“Yes. Thank you.” As I expressed my gratitude and lifted my head, Roxana suddenly hardened her expression and spoke.

“Ruan. May I ask you one question?” “Yes. Anything you like.”

“What do you think of our Deborah?” “Deborah?”

“Yes. As a friend, what’s she like? Is she a good kid?”

She, who had been unilaterally teasing me just moments before, now wore a serious expression. But from that, I actually felt more at ease.

Because the sight of a Master-nim dearly cherishing her disciple was more comfortable than her earlier inscrutable demeanor.

With a laugh, I spoke the absolute truth, without a single lie. “She’s the best.”

“The best?” “Yes. She’s the best friend. Sometimes she’s so kind that it can be frustrating, but I still like her.”

“Hmm… really?” “Yes. I can assert that.”

Upon my definitive answer, Roxana’s eyes widened in surprise. That made her look a little cute.

She gazed at me in silence for a moment, then after much thought, brought up an unexpected topic. “Ruan. Does Deborah happen to have a lover?”

“Huh? A lover?” “Yes. She seems to be meeting someone these days, and I’m worried. She shouldn’t be influenced by a bad person, should she? Do you know anything?”

I ended up frowning. ‘Deborah is dating?’

Deborah, who just recently gave me an unlimited reliance pass, telling me to lean on her, dating another man? That’s ridiculous. Roxana must be mistaken.

“Isn’t there some misunderstanding? I’ve never heard anything like that.” “Really? That’s strange. There’s definitely something going on.”

Even with my persuasion, she didn’t drop her suspicions. At this point, she must have some decisive evidence.

“May I ask why you’re so certain? Honestly, I don’t know anything about it.”

“Hmm… first, she’s been going out more often lately. Especially every time she goes out, she’s dressed up beautifully. And then, not long ago, she came wearing a ring on her ring finger, and asked me to create some magic tool for her, even though it wasn’t for her own use. She even asked to borrow money! Isn’t that strange?”

“Ah…” I, who had been worrying about Deborah wholeheartedly until the middle of her explanation, froze at her subsequent words.

‘That’s about me.’ It seems Roxana is attributing the changes in Deborah to her having a lover, due to me.

From her perspective, it was certainly plausible. After all, her disciple, with whom she had spent over ten years, had changed so much in just a few months.

Naturally, she had to find a cause, and it seemed she had decided it was related to romance, specifically because a ring had been placed on her ring finger. What should I do about this?

‘I can’t reveal the truth.’ To persuade her, I would have to reveal all the facts, which is something I absolutely had to avoid from my standpoint. And if I only revealed some, it could backfire, amplifying her suspicions even further.

In the end, all I could do was do my best to feign ignorance.

“Hmm… she asked to borrow money?” “Yes. For some reason, she didn’t end up spending the money, but it’s still strange, isn’t it? She’s a kid who never shopped even when I told her to, but suddenly she asked to borrow about fifty thousand gold!”

“Goodness, that’s an enormous sum. I wonder what she intended to use it for.” “Right? So, if you happen to find out anything, will you let me know? If you do… I’ll grant you one wish per piece of information.”

Roxana said that and winked. When the decadent beauty gave a cute wink, the contrast was so striking that I almost involuntarily nodded.

“Me?” “Yes. You’re Deborah’s closest friend, aren’t you? Kids usually talk about dating advice with friends rather than guardians, right? So if you find out anything, tell me. Understood?”

“…Understood. I’ll tell you if I find anything.” “Alright. Then take this.”

Roxana took out a communicator from her robe and extended it to me. Judging by the unusual density of mana I felt, it was a semi-permanent magic tool embedded with a top-grade magic stone.

“Am I allowed to accept something like this?” “Of course. Consider it payment for fulfilling my request. More importantly, the food is coming. Shall we stop talking here and start eating?”

“Ah, yes. Let’s do that.” Putting the communicator in my pocket, I then began a tense meal with Roxana.