Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

The isolation measures have already been lifted, but I had an instinct that I would have to spend some time in the ward.

“Please, don’t push yourself too hard. If you collapse from attending classes, I don’t think I could keep my sanity…”

The tearful words of the Heukryeon Host who rushed over without a moment’s delay.

“What? Frustrated? Want to go out now? Seriously, you still haven’t gotten your head straight…”

And that cold glare from Yeon Minha.

Even though my body was itching to move already, I couldn’t ignore these genuine worries. On top of that, the cradle side even willingly extended my absence acknowledgment period, so there was no way for me to escape.

“Haah…”

In the quiet garden behind the ward, I continued with low-intensity training in conjunction with my rehabilitation.

First of all, my recovery speed wasn’t too bad. Even the medical staff were surprised. The hole that had been wide open in my abdomen was now healing quite nicely.

I couldn’t avoid having a significant scar, but at least it wasn’t on my face.

However, the problem lay elsewhere.

“Ugh…”

While I was gradually increasing the intensity of the magical formula, an intense pain suddenly struck, twisting my face in agony.

It felt as if my nerves were being burned, tearing through my body along my veins.

I tried to grit my teeth and endure, but in the end, I just soaked my shirt in sweat and failed.

“Haah… Haah…”

I slumped down, having exhausted all my energy.

This had been an unresolved issue since I regained consciousness.

The prediction for the low-level pathways showed no significant issues, but I couldn’t use the top-tier magical formula, the seventh pathway.

To be precise, even if I wrote the magical formula, my body couldn’t accept it. Just like a moment ago.

“Hah…”

A deep sigh escaped me.

Still, I probably didn’t need to rush. I had been pushing myself quite a lot lately.

So, it might be only natural that recovery would take some time.

After all, I wouldn’t be needing to raise my prediction to the seventh pathway anytime soon.

There would be a ranking match schedule, but there wouldn’t be anyone worth raising my full power against.

Unless that nun suddenly comes back to life…

-Absolutely, absolutely not.

-Remember what the sisters said.

-If I hear that you’ve been hurt? I would drop everything and charge in. And then I would really…

The voices of my sisters swirled around in my head. I hadn’t said anything to them yet—nothing about what happened in Jinryeong or this time.

Fortunately, they had gone off to the literally backwoods East, so news traveled slowly, but eventually, they would all find out.

They would probably be furious. But they were things I couldn’t help.

Isn’t it better than just dying outright?

“Speaking of which…”

I had stayed quite a while in City No. 1 and had been unconscious for three days since coming to the cradle.

However, I found it a bit strange that not a single letter from my sisters had arrived during that time. I expected my mailbox to be overflowing.

“…”

But I soon shook off the unsettling feeling. The administrators and sisters were busy. They probably didn’t have time to respond due to their heavy workloads. I couldn’t act like a child just because the letters were a bit delayed.

With that thought, I got up and once again headed towards the ward.

And as soon as I opened the door…

Whoosh-the familiar presence swiftly turned around inside the room.

“Senior.”

“…Hello.”

Yeon Minha greeted me with a cold voice. She had her hands clasped behind her back as if hiding something.

“And classes?”

“…”

Her silence was pretty much an answer. I barely suppressed a sigh. The request week was already over. Unlike me, who had been officially granted rest, Yeon Minha had to attend classes.

I appreciated her concern, but wasting points like this…

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Hmph.”

Yeon Minha pouted.

“Who else would worry about you besides me?”

“Well, there are the medical staff here…”

Her piercing gaze made me close my mouth again.

Yeon Minha then began to sniff and question me.

“Sweaty too… You secretly trained again, didn’t you? I told you not to push yourself.”

“It’s rehabilitation, not training.”

“That’s the same thing. Don’t play with words. Anyway…”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking care not to overstrain my body. Senior. But what are you hiding behind you…”

“Hiding? What? I have nothing…”

Yeon Minha absolutely refused to show me whatever was behind her. She turned around anxiously, trying desperately to hide something.

But given that she was a head shorter than me, it was easy to tell she was holding a piece of newspaper.

And even from a distance, I could clearly see the headline.

-The Heukryeon that saved the Republic, the Paecheon that saved the Heukryeon…

“…”

Just from the title, I could guess what the content was about.

“Ah…”

Yeon Minha’s expression started to droop as soon as she realized that I had seen it.

“I-I rushed over the moment I received the support request…”

Then she started rambling incoherently, refusing to make eye contact.

“I swear I ran really fast.”

Her pupils were unfocused. Her fingers trembled weakly.

“But unfortunately, it was located to the south of the capital…”

“Senior.”

“I really tried my hardest to get there…”

“…”

Yeon Minha clearly wasn’t listening to my words. I sighed inwardly, feeling as if I had poked a beehive.

I reached out to her and gently held her hand.

“I’m sorry… Next time, absolutely, I will…”

“Senior.”

“…Oof.”

That was the first time I saw her calm a bit.

“You said it was okay.”

I would have to tell her not to bring newspapers from tomorrow.

It felt like a bit of an overreaction, but considering that she lost all the spotlight to her rival, it was only natural.

After all, she was already at a disadvantage.

“Are you feeling any better now?”

“…Yeah.”

After a moment, Yeon Minha nodded. Her voice had quieted, but she still held onto my hand tightly.

“Let’s stop talking about that.”

I quickly changed the topic. I was worried that she’d bring up what we were just talking about again.

“By the way, Senior. Have you seen Peanut?”

“Peanut…?”

“Yeah. I haven’t seen him around for days…”

“I saw him in front of the dorm this morning…”

Yeon Minha tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Did he seem okay? Did he look sick or anything…”

“No… He seemed fine. Just normal.”

Yeon Minha shook her head.

Since returning to the cradle, I hadn’t seen a single strand of Peanut’s fur. The last time I had felt his rough tongue and damp slobber was on my lips.

Usually, if I was absent for a few days and returned, he would cling to me as if demanding compensation.

But it seems nothing has happened. I felt a bit relieved.

Still, I couldn’t fathom why he had been acting that way.

It only felt like he was sulking, whining like a child.

*

Nightfall. After Yeon Minha left, I spent some time alone, mostly gazing up at the moon and lost in thought.

This place was directly managed by the Medical Bureau, and just like the last time, Yeon Minha’s attempt to lease the ward had failed. In fact, she had no grounds for it.

At the very least, I was relieved that there were now times when she could manage on her own without me. Well, since we were in the same cradle, I could always rush over if needed.

Wouldn’t she eventually be able to stay completely alone without me?

Knock knock.

While I was in thought, I suddenly heard a sound like something tapping at the window.

Turning my head, I could really see a figure behind the curtains.

As I cautiously opened the window while wearing a mask, someone I never expected appeared.

“Jin Yeseo?”

The female student, with her exotic blonde hair and green eyes, looked at me with a somewhat pouty expression.

“What brings you here at such a late hour?”

“Hah, late hour? What are you talking about?”

Jin Yeseo scoffed as if it was a joke.

“I spent several nights in the same bed, or rather, in the same room. So why the sudden surprise?”

She wore that trademark cheeky expression. But I didn’t feel any particular aversion to it.

Rather, I felt quite happy. It had only been a few days since we last met.

Was it because we were both stuck in that quagmire together?

“So what brings you here?”

After all, I found it far more comfortable to talk to her than with someone with black hair.

“Hey… No, wait. Damn it. This is sticking to my tongue…”

Jin Yeseo hurriedly smacked her lips together. Her face turned red, glaring at me as if frustrated.

Clearing her throat, she finally broached her business.

“Hrum. Hey. How could a person be so indifferent? We’re in the same ward, and you didn’t come visit me once?”

“Uh…”

There was a slight tinge of disappointment in her voice.

An awkwardness washed over me as I glanced at Jin Yeseo. Her flawless, creamy-white face still bore no scars, with only a couple of white band-aids on her hand.

To be honest, I hadn’t thought about it. Did I let my guard down too much after hearing about her condition from Mok Jinwoo?

In the end, I had no choice but to apologize.

“…I’m sorry.”

“You’re well-spoken…”

Her tone still had a hint of grumbling, but the disappointment seemed to have lifted.

“…Well, it’s okay. I just showed up myself. I couldn’t talk during the day. You seem to be very close with Yeon Minha, huh? She was sticking around you a lot.”

“We’re close enough. She’s probably the person I’m closest to in the cradle.”

“…”

That wasn’t technically wrong, so I affirmed it. But Jin Yeseo shot me a scowl, as if she were challenging me. Was she here to pick a fight at this hour?

But suddenly, seeing her face reminded me of something.

“By the way, are you okay?”

“You’re asking early. As you can see, I’m fine. Unlike someone, I’m not hurt.”

While that was certainly a relief, what I was curious about was something else.

“Not that. Y-you know, did you get caught with Baek Seoyeon?”

Before I lost consciousness, my last memory was of Jin Yeseo nearly wrapped around me.

She could not have possibly missed that sight.

The Baekgwang family was aligned with Paecheon. Moreover, Jin Yeseo was a well-known fervent follower of Baek Seoyeon.

She had been caught helping me in secret. I could only imagine the repercussions.

Strangely enough, her serene demeanor was baffling.

“Oh, that?”

Jin Yeseo continued in a decidedly nonchalant tone.

“I wasn’t caught.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I thought I was caught at first, but… my sister didn’t seem particularly interested in me.”

Her voice revealed a strange mix of relief and disappointment.

“Well, from my perspective, that’s probably better…”

But she soon shrugged it off lightly.

“It was a really urgent situation, I guess. Or she might have thought I was just a local since I dyed my hair, wore a mask, and wrapped myself in rags…”

“That’s a relief, but…”

“Right? But later, when Master Mok Jinwoo came to listen in, he found out but cheerfully promised to keep it a secret. His smile felt a bit off, though.”

-You really managed not to get caught by the headmaster and set up a three-household arrangement. You’ve got guts, huh? That brat didn’t just let you into the cradle for no reason…

“…”

Somehow, I felt like I understood the meaning of that smile. Mok Jinwoo’s words echoed in my head. This guy sure has a knack for unnecessary comments…

“You’ll be fine. That pig from the Security Bureau is definitely silenced. But hey, congrats.”

In the midst of this, Jin Yeseo unexpectedly shared some strange words.

“Congrats…? For what?”

“For the recognition you received this time. I’ve heard that the highest council is seriously discussing a commendation for you. It’s almost a sure thing…”

“What? Then what about you?”

“Me? Of course, I can’t receive anything.”

Jin Yeseo spoke in a tone that suggested I shouldn’t even ask such a thing.

“I just told you. The fact that I went there is a secret.”

“But…”

I vividly remembered the hardships we faced together there. Jin Yeseo had gone through quite a lot herself.

At first, I’d thought she was just dead weight, but even I had been saved twice by her life.

Once when I was trapped in my mind by a monster she called Betelgeuse, and again when I was surrounded by tentacles and hooks in exhaustion.

While I didn’t care much for accolades, I’d still have a tough time reconciling that someone who played a role wouldn’t receive proper recognition.

“Forget it.”

But Jin Yeseo shook her head dismissively.

“I didn’t follow along expecting anything in the first place.”

“Still…”

“Ugh, it’s fine. If you really feel bad, just make sure you keep your promises.”

“Promises?”

Jin Yeseo’s gaze turned savage upon hearing my retort.

“You promised to spar with me after the commission ends. You didn’t forget, did you?”

“…Ah.”

I hadn’t forgotten about it. It was more like she stated the obvious.

“Of course. I must fulfill that promise.”

“Then that’s good. That’s enough for me.”

Finally, Jin Yeseo nodded in satisfaction. Looking around, she said,

“I have to go now. I have a servant from my family with me. If I leave for too long, they might catch on that I’ve sneaked out of the ward. It’s just between you and me. I can’t let them figure it out…”

Once again, a strange loneliness lingered in her voice. After hearing that, I suddenly realized the reality of our relationship.

Even sharing light conversations couldn’t be shown to anyone.

“…You have it tough too.”

“It’s nothing. I can handle this easily.”

Jin Yeseo shook her head.

“In comparison to what we went through in City No. 1, this is nothing. Well, I’m off. I’ll come visit again.”

In a display of their own familiarity, Jin Yeseo gave my shoulder a playful pat as she leaned against the window.

“…?”

But then, I found myself consumed by a peculiar sensation. Without realizing it, I looked down at where she had touched.

And without meaning to, I called out to Jin Yeseo again.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

“What is it, babe… Ah! Seriously!”

Jin Yeseo huffed in frustration yet obediently turned back towards me.

“…Do it again.”

“Do what?”

“That thing you just did. On my shoulder…”

“I can do it, but… why?”

Jin Yeseo tilted her head, looking perplexed. However, she eventually raised her long, slender hand again and patted my shoulder.

For some reason, it felt a tad gentler than before.

“…Do you like it?”

“…Yeah.”

The satisfaction seeped into my voice. This made Jin Yeseo shrink a bit and sulk playfully.

“…Ugh. Your taste is really something else. Alright, I’m really leaving now.”

As she turned and took two steps away, she slightly turned her face back towards me. It seemed like she also had something she had forgotten.

“Ah, and…”

In a slightly quieter voice, Jin Yeseo added,

“Make sure to take off that mask. Wearing it at night is overdoing it. You look perfectly fine, so you shouldn’t attract that kind of attention…”

Then she nearly sprinted away, her footsteps rapidly disappearing into the bushes along the path.

I stood there staring at the empty space where Jin Yeseo had just been.

Just when did I last see her face? Did I remove it while she slept or something?

But at this point, that’s not what’s important. What really bothered me was something else entirely.

I glanced at the shoulder where Jin Yeseo’s touch still lingered.

The unpleasant cold tingling I normally felt whenever something crawled on me—

That sensation—it didn’t register at all.

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