Chapter 3
Leave Me Alone! But No One Listened (3)
I walked down the empty hallway, dragging the sword. I was heading towards the old dormitory where my room was located.
Irritated by the pathetic interference I had encountered, I roughly messed up my hair, but when my fingers caught on the dried blood between my hair strands, I found the space to organize my thoughts.
Perhaps if I used this sword right now to move on to the next life while Ethan Behemoth wasn’t watching, I could confirm many things. That was certainly my intention.
But my thoughts changed.
I lifted my gaze from the sword I had glanced at and looked ahead again.
I won’t die, nor will I avoid the curse by withdrawing from the subjugation exercise.
‘This is an opportunity.’
In hundreds of regressions, I had never once succeeded in approaching the essence of the curse.
If I could at least find out who and for what purpose placed that curse on me, I would make them pay for this pain by any means necessary.
Unfortunately, all I knew about this curse was that ‘it’s a fate that doesn’t end unless you see the end.’
Even that I had discovered by scouring through ancient books in the magic tower.
I had reached my previous life believing only in that one line.
But everything was ruined.
I clearly saw the ‘end,’ yet I regressed, and even the regression point is strange.
So, there’s only one good thing about this regression. It’s the fact that it’s still before I obtained the curse.
‘If I do this right…’
This was an unparalleled opportunity to reach the exact moment when I was cursed again.
If I could just uncover the true nature of the curse, perhaps the dream of completely removing the curse and living my life anew wouldn’t be just a vain hope.
Perhaps because I had been dragging the sword, no one blocked my way as I walked down the corridor.
When I opened the door to the small room at the bottom of the dormitory stairs, an old bed was waiting for me.
“Haa.”
Creak.
As I laid my pathetically weak body on the sunken mattress, I felt a completely different texture from the silk bed I had been wrapped in just moments ago.
My mood became even more miserable.
The fact that I felt no particular regret despite the pain in my cheeks and palms must also be a side effect of the long regressions.
…I know. In fact, thinking of this situation, this life, as an ‘opportunity’ is nothing more than an escape.
But if I didn’t, I felt like I couldn’t bear this situation at all.
I thought I had seen the end.
Why am I… again…
…I forcibly closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead against the old pillowcase.
Hoping that when I woke up, I would be dead.
🥀
Of course, since things didn’t happen as I expected.
The next morning. As soon as the day broke, I got up from bed and tidied up the worn-out bedding.
I couldn’t fall asleep all night.
I had been checking the letters I had exchanged with my family throughout the night.
I had been scared, wondering if anything special had happened to my family during this period. And the result was…
‘I can breathe a sigh of relief.’
Nothing unusual had happened. I just need to focus on the subjugation exercise that’s coming up tomorrow.
I’ll solve the curse and return to my family’s arms.
First, I should start by replenishing my insufficient magical power.
“…Preparations complete.”
I quietly repeated to myself as I examined my face in the mirror, which was covered in thick cracks like a spider web, though I couldn’t remember when it had broken.
Although it was a mirror that couldn’t even properly show one side of my face, it was better than nothing.
After tightening the tie snugly over the cape, my appearance in the properly worn academy uniform somehow felt unfamiliar.
‘Neat.’
It’s been a while since I dressed myself, but isn’t this good enough?
After checking one last time to make sure I hadn’t buttoned the buttons in the wrong holes, I opened the door.
Thud.
As the door opened, Yan’s sword, which had been carelessly leaning against the doorframe, fell. Ah. Right. This was here…
“……”
After staring blankly at the sword, I picked it up and fastened it to my waist.
Just in case. It’s better than being empty-handed.
Since the subjugation exercise was now tomorrow, there were no classes, and the corridors were crowded with students.
The sparring grounds and training rooms were overflowing with students checking their skills for last-minute preparations or watching others do so, to the point where waiting lines had formed.
Of course, among them were some students who, instead of focusing on preparations, liked to add to the rumors about me, the hot topic of the academy.
“It’s Crowell. She dared to come out even after causing that commotion yesterday.”
“I heard she was finally going to withdraw from the subjugation exercise.”
“I really wish she would~ She’s so annoying, causing all this noise.”
When I glanced toward the direction of the voices, the triumphant murmurs quickly fell silent.
“……”
Even though they gossip and chatter like that, they’re just children whose spirits are dampened by a mere glare.
They probably know that with my notorious temper being well-known in the academy, there’s nothing to gain by openly provoking me.
‘I can understand the feelings of those who gossip like that.’
They probably don’t like that a commoner orphan adopted into the unremarkable Crowell family has entered the academy that only nobles can attend.
Moreover, they must hate seeing someone achieving better results than themselves.
‘How pathetic…’
Of course, just because I understand doesn’t mean what they’re muttering is correct. It’s more like they’re asking to be hit by me.
In the first few regressions, I went after those who spread malicious gossip and destroyed them all, but now even that feels like a waste of time.
As soon as I turned my gaze forward again, the murmuring sounds revived like flickering candles.
“Wow. Did you see how she glared? I thought she was going to draw her sword on me! I’m scared to death!”
‘Then die.’
The place I went to with a calm face, looking down, was… the dean’s office.
Knock knock. As I knocked on the door, the dean’s gentle voice was heard.
“You may come in.”
“Dean.”
As I entered, opening the door, I bowed slightly and slowly straightened up.
A thin, young, handsome man with a fragile impression was looking at me from across the desk. It was the dean.
His sharp eyes behind round glasses widened as if seeing an unexpected visitor, then narrowed again.
“Miss Crowell, isn’t it? Please, sit down.”
“Thank you.”
As I sat in the chair the dean offered, he stood up, adjusting his long robe, and began to heat some tea.
The silent dean’s office was instantly filled with a cozy atmosphere. My heart also calmed down.
‘This is why I liked you.’
The dean was one of the people who was unexpectedly favorable towards me, unlike what you’d expect from the head of a power-oriented and class-conscious academy.
‘Though we didn’t have many occasions to meet.’
After the academy was nearly destroyed following the subjugation exercise, the dean was busy running around trying to rebuild it.
So, he’s about to become busy soon.
“I thought Miss Crowell would be busy preparing for the subjugation exercise.”
As if reading my thoughts, the dean casually brought up the topic while pushing a cookie jar in front of me as I sat in the chair.
He skillfully poured freshly heated tea into a mug.
I smiled brightly at him.
“I’ll have to do that soon, Dean.”
“Haha. I was worried you might really be planning to withdraw from the subjugation exercise, as the rumors say.”
So, that rumor has already reached the dean’s ears. I wonder who’s spreading these rumors.
The dean sat down opposite me and personally opened the lid of the cookie jar.
Any student facing the dean would feel obliged to eat one when he offered like this out of courtesy.
And that was exactly what I was hoping for.
I quickly reached out and picked up a butter cookie.
Or rather, I pretended to.
“What brings you to see me, Miss Crowell?”
The dean smiled, resting his chin on his hand. His gaze felt sharp, as if piercing through me.
And there’s one thing to note. The people I liked were generally not in their right mind.
As I bit into the butter cookie while he watched, the crumbly texture of the cookie spread in my mouth.
‘Ugh.’
I couldn’t really taste it. I was too busy suppressing the magic that spread from the cookie in my mouth to notice the taste.
‘The effect is… certainly strong.’
“Trust me and speak honestly.”
The dean smiled a melting smile and rested his chin on his hand. Many students must have fallen for that smile.
‘But it won’t work on me.’
The cookies that the dean feeds to students who visit his office before interviews contain a weak brainwashing spell.
The content of that spell is… ‘Tell only the truth to the other person.’
Most don’t notice because the effect wears off by the time they leave the office, and in the meantime, the dean digs into the student’s innermost thoughts.
I wouldn’t have known either if I hadn’t experienced it before.
It takes considerable skill to suppress the effects of magic once it enters the mouth.
But who am I?
‘This much is nothing.’
I smiled back at him and sat up straight. Then I got to the point.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor from Miss Crowell? I’m delighted. What is it?”
As the dean brightened, I smiled back and answered.
“Please change my subjugation exercise team.”
I will absolutely not be involved with Ethan Behemoth.
🥀
Thank you for reading! ♡
