LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 10
Three weeks have passed since the semester began.
The freshers who just arrived have somewhat adapted to the academy and have started forming their own groups, regardless of seniority.
During break time, the academy’s hallway was bustling with chatting students.
“Hey, have you noticed how Daniel’s demeanor has changed lately?”
“Right? At first, he looked more like a soggy puppy rather than a professor, but now he kind of gives off the vibe of a proud, prickly stray cat.”
“That’s a spot-on analogy!”
A girl chimed in, snapping her fingers in agreement.
I lightly tapped her head with a book spine.
“Ouch!”
“Spot-on indeed. Don’t compare me to animals.”
“Hehe! Sorry!”
“If you’re genuinely reflecting on that, you can leave.”
“Okay!”
Even after being scolded, the girls left giggling.
Well, I think it’s better to smile cheerfully than to look gloomy.
“Professor Daniel! I have a question!”
“If it’s not urgent, let’s do it later! There isn’t much time left until the next class, right?”
“Oh, you’re right! Can I stop by your office later?”
“Absolutely. Just a heads up: I have tea but no snacks?”
“I’m the one indebted to you, so of course, I should bring that!”
“Oh, look at you, acing social skills!”
“Haha! See you later!”
After messing with Rynelle, I stopped pretending to be Daniel.
No matter how hard I tried to mimic him, the future that had once diverged wasn’t going to revert to the original story.
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to navigate this tale as ‘me’ rather than Daniel?
Perhaps this world has bestowed upon me trials different from the original story on purpose.
It was urging me to carve a path of my own instead of walking the path Daniel had once walked.
Thus, I decided to shed the existing image entirely and started living according to my original personality.
“Daniel!”
“Masker! Come on in.”
“Pfft! So, the rumors are true! You’ve changed a lot since your personality switched!”
“So, do you dislike it?”
“No way! You’re a lot more relaxed now, just like a buddy I’ve known for ages!”
“Ugh, terrible words…”
Considering this world was shaped as a female-oriented story, I couldn’t afford to pile up too much male favorability.
If I messed up, my behind might end up in jeopardy.
I realized that a considerable number of male readers enjoyed “Asaflower,” and a few tossed aside settings included BL.
Although it wasn’t addressed in the story, it felt plausible in this world, which is just like reality.
“Ah…! Time really flies, doesn’t it? The day for field training is already just around the corner.”
“Field training plus practical evaluation.”
“Right, that’s the day when us professors have to clean up to ensure our students don’t get into trouble!”
“Are you unhappy about it?”
“You know our Class C students are bursting with energy.”
Class C is right in the middle, with students overflowing with spirit.
They strive hard to achieve above average.
With all that effort, the professor in charge of Class C ends up with a sore back, and that person is right next to me, Masker.
“Must be hard work.”
“Well, still, it’s nothing I should say in front of you.”
“It’s okay; the special class kids have calmed down a lot.”
“Really?”
“Of course not, that’s a total lie. Do you really believe that?”
“Hey!”
I stopped pretending to be Daniel, but I maintained my attitude towards the special class.
Ultimately, Nina is the main character in this world, and her growth is more important than anything else.
For the protagonist to grow, trials are necessary, and those trials are created by the villains.
Thus, it’s imperative that I don’t eliminate Nina’s challenges by reforming the villain.
“Ah! By the way, have you heard about that rumor?”
“If it’s about my personality changing, I’ve heard enough to be tired of it.”
“No, not that! I mean the rumor that Crown Prince Kyle will be returning to the academy soon.”
“Oh, right! He’s supposed to arrive exactly during the field training period?”
“Because of that, I’ve paced around the forest multiple times! If an incident occurs, I might have to resign!”
Though it’s unfortunate for Masker, an incident does occur.
Crown Prince Kyle gets wounded and faces death threats from the assassins keeping a close eye on him.
Then, thanks to Nina, he narrowly escapes and ends up falling head over heels for her.
The royal family tries to use the assassination to withdraw the crown prince, but Kyle decides to stay of his own volition.
Naturally, his reason for lingering is to win over Nina’s heart, which means I now have a competitor.
‘If I don’t get my act together, it wouldn’t be strange if Nina’s heart gets stolen at any moment…’
Isn’t it the fate of a heroine?
The race to gather favor has started, and I’m already feeling drained.
It’s only natural to feel tense when your competitor is a handsome, kind, and talented crown prince.
‘Not to mention that a leech has been sticking to me lately…’
Peeking from around a corner, Rynelle was quietly watching me.
Since that incident in the counseling room, she’s been monitoring my every move, day in and day out.
She probably intends to find another weakness to get back at me.
However, aside from the fact that I’m possessed, I didn’t have a single secret to hide.
I plan to keep my possession under wraps until my last breath.
“Hello, Professor Daniel! And um… Professor Masker!”
“Did it take you a while to remember my name?”
Isn’t it already a blessing that she finally remembered the name of a professor who’s often on field assignments?
“Nina? What about your class? What are you doing here?”
“Professor Figaro had personal matters today, so class was canceled!”
“Ah-hah!”
From Professor Figaro’s perspective, this is indeed a hectic period.
He’s the herbalism professor and a spy from another country lurking in Kia del Academy.
With plans to assassinate the crown prince upon his return to the academy, he must be extremely busy.
Especially since this field training requires students to survive for three days in the Witch’s Forest, all professors are hustling about.
Since rookie professors usually don’t have many duties, things are relatively easy for them, but I still have a lot to prepare.
“So, uh, here’s the thing…”
Nina twirled her finger around her hair and was fidgeting.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and it seemed like she was hesitating to say what she wanted.
“Uh, if you’re not too busy, would you like to have lunch with me…?”
“If you’re inviting me to lunch, I’d love to join.”
“Ah!”
Nina’s voice started to shrink, but I sensed her intention and spoke up first.
Nina then beamed and reacted eagerly.
“Wait a minute, Daniel! We promised to have lunch together today!”
“Are you really going to refuse an invitation from your adorable student?”
As a man, wouldn’t I rather have a flower beside me while I eat rather than being alone?
Masker thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
“I would definitely ditch a colleague to have lunch with my student too.”
“Got it! Away with you, go on!”
“What the heck? That’s too much!”
Setting aside my muscular colleague, I followed Nina.
I felt sorry for Masker, but when there was no formidable opponent like the crown prince, I had to create a positive impression on Nina.
It would be foolish to stand by when I could forge ahead and compete fairly.
“You usually buy a ham sandwich from East District 11th Street, right?”
“Hmm? Yeah, but how do you know that…?”
“Today, I made enough food for both of us, so let’s eat together!”
“Well, uh, okay.”
Eating a sandwich for lunch in the great outdoors often caught the eyes of students.
Still, it struck me as odd that she knew where I usually bought sandwiches.
Did she happen to see me on the street when I was out?
I didn’t know the truth, but I decided to be thankful that I could taste Nina’s cooking today.
“Here’s your favorite ham sandwich, Professor!”
“Thanks.”
“Enjoy your meal!”
Nina brought a basket filled with food, almost like a picnic.
Grinning, she handed me a sandwich, and I couldn’t help but admire the quality, which surpassed what was sold at stores.
Taking a bite, the fresh veggies and hearty ham danced in my mouth.
I knew from her setting that she was an excellent cook, but experiencing her cooking in reality overwhelmed me with gratitude.
Among countless readers, I was the only one who could taste this because of my possession.
“How’s it taste?”
“It’s delicious! This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had!”
“Hehe! That’s a bit too much praise!”
As I expressed my genuine enjoyment, Nina blushed and became bashful.
For a moment, Nina suddenly glanced behind me and broke into a confident smile.
“Is there something behind me?”
“N-No! Nothing at all! But would you like to try this apple jam I made? It’s quite special!”
“Oh, sure.”
Just as I was about to turn around, Nina waved her arm to stop me.
Then, in a flurry, she pulled out a jar from the basket and handed it to me with some bread.
I know homemade jam can be surprisingly tricky to make, so I wondered if accepting it was really okay.
“Ah! Since I received such a wonderful meal, I’ll give you this in return!”
“Huh? You don’t have to!”
“Please just take it.”
Earlier, I had asked Masker to gather mandrake for me ahead of the trip to the Witch’s Forest.
I passed the potion made from that herb to Nina.
Though Nina could make the mandrake potion on her own, receiving it ahead of time makes a difference.
If she had to pull out the mandrake in a crisis to save the crown prince, she might end up harming herself.
Nina famously suffered from tinnitus after damaging her eardrum when she hurriedly pulled it out in the original story.
But what if I give her the mandrake potion in advance?
At least this time, she wouldn’t have to endure that agony.
“It’s a potion that heals any injury instantly. Use it during field training if you get hurt.”
“Such a rare item! Can I really take this?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you!”
Seeing Nina’s eyes well up with tears of joy made me feel happy too.
She cherished the potion like it was a treasure while shaking it gently.
Yet, her exaggerated shaking of the potion bottle seemed a bit too much like showing off to someone.
‘What’s that about?’
Out of curiosity, I used space magic to sense all the objects around me.
I realized someone was staring at me from behind a tree not too far away.
That physique I had seen too many times over the past three weeks stood out.
It was Rynelle, and from Nina’s angle, she had a clear line of sight on me.
‘So, all those strange behaviors Nina had were all…’
I felt as if I had entered the eye of the storm without even knowing it.