Chapter 285
Chapter 285: Students Won't Be Able to Help Themselves
Clatter clatter.....clop clop clop......
After a moment, Leah composed herself.
She elegantly lifted her teacup, her face settling into a smile that was a touch awkward but still politely presentable.
"Aha ha ha……so that's how it is."
"I misunderstood. I'm truly sorry, Duke Livi."
Under Duke Livi's explanation, Leah finally understood.
The truth was, the matter wasn't as straightforward as Leah had assumed.
She had thought Viktor had gotten the Duke's daughter pregnant.
Even thinking about it herself made her feel somewhat embarrassed.
She hoped he hadn't taken offense.
She brought the teacup gently to her lips, unhurriedly savored a sip, then looked up and glanced at Duke Livi's expression.
Livi still wore that gentle smile, as though he hadn't taken Leah's earlier misunderstanding to heart at all.
"Good that it's been cleared up. I should have explained more clearly from the start."
His warm and gracious manner made Leah feel as though she were basking in a spring breeze.
The feeling left her quietly moved.
Look at this man's composure. No wonder he made it to Duke.
"Then, after some time, I'll send someone to sign the Contract. We can discuss the details further then."
Livi rose to his feet, gave Leah a slight nod, and continued:
"The Carriage isn't far. Miss Leah need not see me out."
Leah likewise stood at once and replied with a polite dip of her head.
"Duke, safe travels."
The doorman's Maidservant respectfully opened the front door and bowed to the Duke.
Leah remained where she stood, her gaze trailing after the Duke's retreating figure.
Only once she had fully confirmed that Livi had boarded his Carriage and departed did she turn and make her way back to the sofa.
She dropped into it with the full weight of exhaustion, pressing her palm to her forehead.
Ahh……
She let out a long, deep sigh.
The Duke's words had informed her that Viktor had returned to the Royal Capital, though he had not come home right away.
The Duke had said he first safely escorted Erika home, then brought Erika back to the Academy with him.
As for the business matter, Viktor had been the one to send Duke Livi to discuss it with her directly.
Leah's feelings were complicated.
She wasn't sure whether this counted as Viktor trusting her.
Leah turned the thought over in her mind:
Perhaps Viktor also figured that the moment he returned home, he'd be besieged by a flood of visitors.
Given his aversion to such inconveniences, he'd certainly have avoided coming back right away to sidestep exactly that.
Leah gradually began to feel drowsy, leaning back against the sofa cushions.
As though something had crossed her mind, her gaze grew slightly distant.
"Viktor's……child?"
For just a moment, she had even entertained the thought.
If Viktor truly brought home a child with the surname 'Clavena', what would she do?
After all, it would be Viktor's child—and therefore, equally, a member of the Clavena Family.
Every time she pictured Viktor's tireless, ever-occupied figure, Leah felt a faint ache behind her temples.
What's more, Viktor's cold and detached disposition might easily make people assume any child of his had been picked up off the street.
From somewhere deep within her, a rather peculiar thought surfaced:
Should I……raise Viktor's child for him?
The moment it arose, she snapped to full alertness—sitting bolt upright, eyes wide, her cheeks flushing red as caramel.
"H-h-h-how could that possibly happen! How could he possibly have a child……no, I mean, how could I possibly raise a child for him!"
Leah's emotions began to spiral into an unruly tangle, like a knotted skein of rope that refused to unravel.
She finally shook her head, slapping both hands sharply against her own cheeks in an attempt to bring herself back to earth.
"No, I can't let my mind wander like this."
"Calm down. Calm down."
All at once, the blue crystal orb hanging at her waist gradually began to glow.
It was a magical communication device capable of two-way contact, costly to produce, and something Leah had long relied on for correspondence.
Somewhat puzzled, she unhooked it from her waist and raised it.
From within the azure-blue crystal orb came Gwen's voice:
"Leah."
The voice was familiar—yet compared to before, today it carried a notably more detached quality.
Leah was quiet for a moment. On the other end of the orb, Gwen heard the silence and held her own.
At last, Leah spoke:
"What is it, Gwen?"
Gwen's voice was laden with cool indifference:
"Has he……come back?"
***
Clatter clatter.....clop clop clop......
The rolling wheels of the Carriage ground over the cobblestone road, accompanied by the steady rhythm of hooves striking firm earth, pressing steadily onward.
The Du Chloe Family's Carriage came to a stop before the Academy's front gates. Two figures stepped down from the cabin.
It was midday, and the Academy's surroundings were thick with movement—people flowed in and out, while the roadside pedestrians came and went in a steady stream.
A great number of people turned their gazes toward the Carriage, their eyes fixed with tense and eager anticipation.
Passersby and students alike were hoping to confirm whether the person stepping down from the Carriage would be that brilliant young prodigy, Erika.
Erika stepped out from the Carriage, her golden hair swaying gently in the breeze, like radiant golden waves shimmering in the light.
She still carried herself with that same confidence and composure—back straight, stride graceful.
The crowd at the roadside widened their eyes, staring at Erika in astonished disbelief. Even students passing by were visibly shaken:
"Erika—it's Erika! She's back!"
"It's been so long. I really haven't seen her in ages."
"Last year's Top-ranked Freshman, the youngest prodigy……Compared to the Princess this year, I wonder which of them is more exceptional."
"It should still be Erika, right? She's two years older than the Princess after all."
Passersby and students traded barbs back and forth—until, in the next instant, they fell abruptly silent.
Because in the very next second, a composed and austere man stepped down from the Carriage as well.
He still wore that black Coat, and perched on his shoulder was that distinctive One-eyed Crow.
Pinned to his chest was an emblem bearing 3 shattered human heads, rendered with striking realism.
If the sight of Erika had stirred nostalgia and surprise, then the sight of Viktor left room for nothing but thunderstruck shock.
"It's Professor Viktor!!"
"Professor Viktor is back!"
The moment they caught sight of Viktor's figure, students erupted in cries of delighted excitement. The crowd instantly ignited into a frenzy of onlookers, scattering in every direction like startled birds taking flight, rushing off to spread the news to everyone else.
Some of the newly enrolled students were seeing Viktor in person for the very first time, their faces bright with eager, wide-eyed excitement.
"So this is the legendary Professor Viktor?"
"He's so handsome…."
But even more people had suddenly realized something else entirely.
Wait—
Why was Professor Viktor stepping off the Du Chloe Family's Carriage?
There had been rumors going around that Professor Viktor had a thing for minors—that that was why he'd chosen to become a Professor at the Academy in the first place.
Surely that rumor wasn't actually true……
People murmured among themselves, their minds inevitably drifting back to the rumored incident where Professor Viktor had confessed his feelings to the eldest daughter of the Du Chloe Family.
And to the scene at the Padalenbu Sea battle, where he had embraced a golden-haired girl.
Wasn't that Erika?
Holy—confirmed, then. Who'd have thought those two were actually involved!?
A…a teacher-student relationship!?
Boom!
The moment that particular piece of information circulated, the entire crowd erupted into a frenzy, and the heated debate that followed was immediate and loud.
Viktor surveyed the enormous mass of people crowding in around him, his brow furrowing slightly.
Too many people. The road was completely blocked. He strongly disliked this.
Erika was still standing on the road, facing the gathering crowd. Sensing Professor Viktor's displeasure, she was just about to speak up and disperse the crowd.
But at that very moment, a figure with a head of silver-white hair walked toward them, carrying herself with a composed and elegant bearing that suited the refined Academy uniform she wore.
After countless people recognized who it was, they instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path.
Auréliane walked forward at an unhurried pace, her expression unreadable, as though she hadn't noticed Erika at all.
She came to a stop before Viktor and offered a graceful, deep bow.
"Teacher."
Auréliane had come as well.
At that, a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd, as though they were witnessing something extraordinary unfold.
Viktor looked down briefly at Auréliane, one eyebrow arching slightly upward.
To be candid, he had no fondness for scenes like this, where he found himself the subject of public spectacle.
His original intention had been to return directly to the Academy, handle a few matters, and then leave.
But coming along with Erika and being spotted by others was something he had fully anticipated.
What he hadn't expected was that Auréliane would receive word and rush here so quickly.
Erika looked at the two of them and paused.
Just moments ago, Erika had sensed it.
Auréliane had very clearly glanced at her—only to quickly look away.
And within that glance, she had distinctly felt the inexplicable hostility the other girl was directing at her.
But no matter how many times Auréliane made her hostility apparent, Erika would never bow her head before her simply because she was a Princess.
And so, Erika turned to Auréliane and spoke:
"Your Highness, is there something you need to attend to?"
"If there isn't, then I'll be accompanying the Professor to report back to the Academy."
Erika deliberately placed deliberate emphasis on the word accompanying.
The provocative edge in Erika's tone instantly stirred a fresh wave of commotion through the crowd.
Auréliane and Erika.
One was last year's Top-ranked Freshman. The other was this year's Top-ranked Freshman.
The ongoing rivalry between two exceptionally talented Top-ranked Freshmen was, without question, a focal point of attention for many.
Some believed Erika, being older, had more experience and was therefore the stronger of the two.
Others felt that Auréliane's ability to stand out under increasingly rigorous freshman assessments spoke to a talent that was simply beyond ordinary.
And so, the Academy had gradually divided into 2 factions:
The Gold Faction and the Silver Faction.
In other words, the supporters of Erika and the supporters of Auréliane, respectively.
Sensing that the atmosphere was growing rather tense, Viktor felt he could no longer simply stand back and watch.
He was just about to open his mouth to put a stop to all of this and disperse the crowd—
When, all at once, a wave of pitch-black magic descended from above and settled across the road, stirring up wisps of black mist.
From within the darkness came a familiar, alluring feminine voice:
"Everyone, this is the Academy's entrance. Please do not linger here."
The black mist dissipated, and Heni appeared among the crowd, her graceful and swaying figure radiating an almost irresistible air of allure.
The instant she emerged onto the road, every student in the surrounding area—male and female alike—froze, eyes glazing over in a daze.
Heni was wearing nothing more than the standard teacher's uniform, but her full figure and her effortlessly captivating manner made it impossible for eyes not to linger.
And that ever-present aura she exuded left no small number of young men and women feeling thoroughly overwhelmed.
The moment they caught sight of Heni, many students couldn't even bring themselves to look directly at her.
That's right—beyond the Gold Faction and the Silver Faction, the Academy had in fact given rise to yet another new group.
Alongside the Gold Faction and the Silver Faction, the Academy seemed to have spawned yet another new faction—Heni's followers.
Because of Heni's uniquely youthful, approachable, and almost peer-like qualities, even though she was a Professor, she had become the dream love interest of many young students.
Yet the object of their dreams was looking toward Viktor.
And Viktor's gaze, likewise, had come to rest on Heni.
The moment he noticed that the wide robes Heni habitually wore were nowhere to be seen, Viktor's brow knitted sharply.
He was just about to say something.
But Heni had already closed the distance of her own accord, her intent plainly visible for all to see.
"Professor~"
In front of everyone present, she addressed Viktor with an intimate tone, and then her soft body pressed itself against Viktor's chest.
Her lips came to within a breath of his cheek, and the warm exhalation that carried a sweet fragrance drifted to a stop just beside his neck—leaving him with an involuntary, tingling sensation.
At this sudden and entirely unexpected scene, countless students, male and female alike, stood rooted to the spot like statues.
For a long moment, every jaw had nearly come unhinged and plummeted to the ground.
Erika and Auréliane in particular stared at Heni with expressions of utter disbelief.
Then everyone saw it—one of Heni's hands had wound itself firmly around Viktor's arm.
At precisely the right angle, she had sandwiched his arm between them.
From her lips drifted even the distinctive sweet fragrance particular to a woman, as she gazed at Viktor with deep feeling and said:
"I♡missed you."