Chapter 84: Choice

Celicia walked into the classroom and was immediately greeted by the sight of Muen Campbell standing with both arms stretched out as if trying to grab something, and in front of him, crouched beneath the blackboard, was Professor Fulan muttering, “Even if the Duchess is really beautiful, student-teacher romance is still wrong.”

...This scene...

Celicia’s elegant brows arched slightly as she looked at Muen and said, “Did I come at a bad time?”

“......”

No, you came at the perfect time...

Although Muen wanted to say that... how could he? Saying that would probably get him chopped into fine meat paste by Celicia.

“Um... uh...”

Muen forcibly squeezed out a smile on his stiff face and said to Celicia, “If I say this is a misunderstanding, would you believe me?”

“Misunderstanding?”

Celicia glanced at the rest of the classroom.

At this moment, the class had already descended into utter chaos.

The male students stared wide-eyed in shock, their expressions full of awe as if to say this guy is a role model we must all learn from.

The female students, on the other hand... had already taken out memory stones and were recording the scene with excited chatter, saying things like “The fourteenth one, it’s the fourteenth ship!”

“I see, it really is easy to misunderstand.”

Celicia’s voice turned cold.

“To be misunderstood by the entire class at once—you really are something, Muen Campbell.”

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s the truth!”

Muen explained with tears in his eyes, “It’s really just a misunderstanding!”

How could he have known that Professor Fulan’s imagination was so wild? He merely asked her to start the lecture from the beginning—and she thought he was trying to flirt with her?

How do those two ideas even connect?

“...Forget it, Muen Campbell.”

Celicia lowered her gaze slightly and said, “Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, whether you’ve gone back to your old ways or confessed to someone again, none of that has anything to do with me, does it?”

Celicia no longer spared him a glance. She stepped up to the podium and swept her gaze across the classroom.

“Introduction to Magic Fundamentals... one hundred and three students should be present, one hundred and three students are present. Good, everyone’s here.”

“Let’s go, Veil. On to the next classroom.”

“Wait, Celicia, you’re not seriously angry, right? Listen to my explanation!” Muen tried to salvage the situation.

“Why would I be angry?”

Celicia suddenly turned back, her expression cold as a thousand-year iceberg, utterly unchanged.

“Are you even someone important to me, Muen Campbell? Why would I be angry for your sake?”

“......” Muen opened his mouth but couldn’t get any words out.

Fiancé?

Just saying those three words would probably make Celicia even more disgusted with him.

She already hated him enough because of that incident before, didn’t she?

“Let’s go, Veil.”

Celicia turned around.

She didn’t look back.

But just as she stepped out the door, the bun-haired girl behind her suddenly turned her head and spat viciously.

“He—tui! Scumbag!”

“......”

Muen weakly reached out a hand, wanting to hold them back—but couldn’t even find a reason to.

He could only stare at Celicia’s retreating back, something in his chest giving a painful tug.

It just... hurt a little.

......

......

“Hmph, what did I tell you? That Muen Campbell is totally a scumbag. He already has a perfect fiancée like the Student Council President, and he’s still out there playing around.”

Back in the Student Council room, Veil was still angrily waving her little fists.

From her perspective, Muen Campbell was completely beyond understanding.

If anyone else had a fiancée as perfect as Her Highness Celicia, they’d probably wake up laughing from their dreams.

But Muen Campbell? He didn’t know how to cherish the luck he’d built up over ten lifetimes. Dating thirteen girls at once—no octopus is as ruthless as him!

He wasn’t even afraid of tearing something doing the splits!

“President?”

Veil tilted her head in confusion, because at that moment Celicia was sitting behind the desk, unusually dazed.

“Ah, sorry, I was lost in thought. Did you say something?” Celicia came back to her senses and spoke with an apologetic tone.

“What were you thinking about, President?” Veil asked curiously.

“...I was replaying what just happened in my mind.”

“Eh? That? What’s there to replay?” Veil pouted, baffled. “You don’t actually think Muen Campbell was wrongfully accused, do you?”

“......”

Celicia stayed silent.

The odds of a misunderstanding were low. That scene just now, no matter how you looked at it, was the image of a detestable scumbag extending his claws toward the poor, naive, and helpless Professor Fulan.

But...

If you removed the atmosphere of the moment, and stripped away subjective emotions—Muen Campbell’s posture had looked a little strange.

Was that really the posture of someone confessing?

And his expression at that moment...

Smack.

Celicia suddenly slapped her own cheek—hard enough to leave a distinct red mark on her pale skin.

The sound made Veil jump.

“Celicia Leopold, why are you still letting emotions cloud your thinking? How disgraceful,” Celicia muttered, lowering her head. Her long silver lashes flickered like starlight.

She’d have to go back and question Professor Fulan properly.

......

......

“Sigh, what even was that...”

After class, Muen walked alone along the shaded path toward the cafeteria.

He felt... kind of mournful.

Not just because he’d been misunderstood by Celicia—but because this had been supposed to be the first proper step for Muen Campbell as a new student. His first class. And it had been so abruptly derailed and twisted beyond recognition.

After Celicia left, the class descended even further into chaos. The girls screamed, the boys cheered, and the only person who could have maintained order—the teacher—was trembling behind the podium.

Until Professor Prang finally returned after handling matters.

Then he exploded with fury.

He scolded everyone like a thunderstorm, cursing them out so thoroughly it was almost impressive.

He ordered that every student must submit a 10,000-character written reflection within three days—or face academic penalties.

Everyone except Muen.

That’s right. Everyone except Muen.

Even though Professor Prang looked like he wouldn’t be satisfied unless Muen wrote a hundred thousand characters, once he understood what had happened—

He realized Muen was actually innocent.

Even if he’d been the catalyst for the chaos... he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

He had just wanted to seek knowledge. Just wanted the teacher to start the lesson from the beginning. What crime was that?

That thirst for knowledge was, in fact, one of the very qualities Professor Prang valued most.

So the usually harsh and stiff Professor Prang couldn’t find any fault this time. He could only let Muen go with a face that looked like he’d swallowed a live fly.

As for Professor Fulan, after Muen’s explanation, she too understood it had all been a misunderstanding.

But after that, her face turned even redder—and she acted like she couldn’t even bear to look at Muen anymore.

“Looks like there’s no way I’ll be able ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to learn this subject properly in class. I’ll have to find another way.”

Muen rubbed his face and pulled himself together.

This kind of setback wasn’t enough to make him retreat.

......

After lunch at the cafeteria, Muen headed straight for the Academy library.

The librarian was an upperclassman with a stunning figure, a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, and an alluring aura.

Muen only dared to steal a glance in passing—he didn’t dare look twice.

Study! Study! Eliminate all distracting thoughts!

Muen entered the magic section.

The library’s massive collection made his head spin a bit, but by following some very helpfully placed little signs on the shelves—written in gentle, neat handwriting—he managed to find exactly what he was looking for.

“I wonder who wrote these...”

Muen looked at the delicate script on the labels and couldn’t help but smile.

“They must be a really kind person.”

...

He carried the book to the reading area.

Detailed Explanation of Magic Fundamentals.

That was the title of the book Muen had found.

Since it was a “detailed explanation,” its content was naturally even more accessible and thorough than the standard textbooks, making it much more suitable for a total beginner like Muen.

“If I don’t have a teacher, I’ll just teach myself!”

A determined glint sparked in Muen’s eyes.

Nothing could stop him from learning—not anyone!

...

“Ugh, I can’t do this.”

Half an hour later, Muen gave up.

It wasn’t that self-study didn’t work—it was just that he suddenly realized...

This method was way too slow.

After spending thirty whole minutes just to figure out who Meladomir the Origin-Rank Grand Archmage from a thousand years ago actually was—and what her earth-shattering achievements had been—he abruptly realized he had only made it through the preface to the preface.

And it was one of the rare sections of the book that didn’t require understanding—just memorization.

It was like reading the biography of some famous mathematician at the beginning of an advanced calculus textbook.

But the biography isn’t what’s important. It’s never even on the test.

What matters are the formulas, the theorems, the symbols.

Those are the things that make your hair fall out while studying.

It wasn’t that Muen couldn’t do it. But if he really tried to chew through this entire book on Magic Fundamentals all on his own, by the time he looked up...

“Congratulations, student. Just like that, six years have passed. You’ve officially graduated~ Here’s your diploma. Now get out.”

Professor Prang would absolutely say that—and then unceremoniously kick him out of the academy.

So what was the point of learning magic like this?

“No, I have to find someone to teach me.”

But who?

Professor Fulan already wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor every time she saw him. And Professor Prang... just seeing Muen probably made his blood pressure spike. With that temper of his, if Muen went to him completely clueless, either someone would end up dead, or the entire academic world would lose a pillar of society.

And the other magic professors... Muen didn’t know any of them.

Wait, hold on.

Why did his teacher have to be a professor?

Suddenly, Muen noticed something.

As long as the person could teach him the subject, it didn’t matter who they were, right?

For example...

Muen’s sharp eyes swept across the library—then locked onto a female student sitting in a corner diagonally across from him.

She wore thick black-rimmed glasses. Her hair was braided into a neat plait. She was deeply absorbed in the book in front of her.

Just looking at her, you could tell—model student. Teacher’s pet.

“Heh... Students like that are easier to tempt, aren’t they?” Without realizing it, Muen’s lips curled into a wicked villain’s smirk—the kind only a yellow-haired bastard could wear.

...

“Excuse me, miss?”

Shally Fland was engrossed in her reading when she suddenly heard a gentle voice.

Was that directed at her?

She looked up in confusion—and instantly locked eyes with a pair of sapphire-blue irises, so tender they made her heart skip.

Just as she was about to be drawn in by those eyes, her gaze widened, and she saw who it was.

Her pupils shrank in shock.

Muen Campbell!

The son of the Duke! The one rumored to have thirteen girlfriends at once! The ultimate scumbag!

What was he doing here?

Shally froze for a second—then immediately stood up.

No... no good! She had to get out of here, now! Otherwise... otherwise...!

“Wait, wait, don’t go yet, don’t go yet...”

Muen gave a helpless, bitter smile and blocked her way.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to seduce you, and I’m definitely not here to hit on you. I just have something I want to ask you for help with.”

“Wh-what kind of thing...?” Shally clutched her book tightly, shrinking back.

“Well, it’s...”

Muen paused for a second, then carefully asked, “Hey... do you happen to need money?”

“M-money?”

Shally blinked, clearly caught off guard. Her fingers instinctively clutched the hem of her uniform.

Yes, she did need money.

Her family was just an ordinary commoner household. If it hadn’t been for a lucky encounter where one of the professors at Saint Maria discovered her talent, she might never have gotten the chance to study here.

But even with that professor’s sponsorship, life at Saint Maria wasn’t easy. The academy wasn’t a place for the poor. Her daily expenses were tight—extremely tight.

But just because she was poor—what did that have to do with him, a duke’s son born with a silver spoon in his mouth?

Even commoners had their pride.

Shally’s expression turned cold.

She pushed her overly large black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and said, “Whether I need money or not has nothing to do with you, Lord Campbell. If you don’t have anything else, I’ll be going—I have class soon.”

“No, no, I didn’t mean to offend you. What I meant was—would you be interested in earning a little extra money here at the academy?” Muen hurriedly explained.

“Extra money?”

Shally’s foot, which had been mid-step, stopped cold. She turned back to Muen, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

What student from a poor family didn’t dream of earning some extra cash while studying, just to help make ends meet?

But Saint Maria was still just a school. Opportunities to earn money were rare—and most of them were monopolized by the older students. First-years like her didn’t usually get a shot.

Still... the rumors about Muen Campbell made her wary.

“Well then, Lord Muen... Let’s hear it.”

“It’s not anything difficult,” Muen said, smiling a little when he saw she was considering it. “I just wanted to know if you’d have time—after class, or in the evenings—to give me a bit of private tutoring.”

“P-private tutoring?”

Shally’s eyes widened.

“One-on-one? Alone?”

“Yup, one-on-one.”

Muen had no idea why she was emphasizing that part, but he nodded earnestly anyway.

“Th-the subject... what subject would you need tutoring in...?” Shally asked, her voice trembling.

“Well, learning stuff, of course. I mean, I’d like to cover things as thoroughly as possible, but I’ll let you—the top student—decide how to pace it. So, I don’t know, what do you—hey? Are you okay?”

Muen suddenly noticed the girl’s face had turned bright red.

What was going on? Was the library too warm?

“L-learning... top student...”

And at that very moment—it was like the Big Bang went off in the pure girl’s brain. Countless thoughts exploded all at once.

Learning?

The “learning” that Muen Campbell was talking about—was that real learning?

And it was private tutoring. After-school sessions. One-on-one?

In that instant, a flurry of totally innocent, accidentally glimpsed, recommended by a friend, I only saw the cover, I swear kinds of forbidden books and doujin stories flashed through her mind—assembling into a very specific set of words.

Honor Student's After School.

Secret Tutoring**.

Temptation of the Glasses Girl.

Student Uniform*.

Of course! That Muen Campbell wasn’t up to anything good!

“If you’re worried about payment, actually, money’s not an issue,” Muen added.

Perhaps thinking he hadn’t shown enough sincerity, Muen looked utterly serious as he said,

“You can name any price. As long as you agree to tutor me.”

“......”

He even wants to corrupt my soul with money!

“I’m not that kind of girl!!” Lisha shouted, flustered and furious.

“Eh?”

Muen blinked, stunned.

That kind?

What kind?

Getting a little tutoring... was that that kind of thing?

But before he could ask, Lisha suddenly raised her foot and kicked Muen in the shin.

“Money can’t buy everything, you pervert!”

“Ah?”

Before Muen even processed what was happening, a jolt of pain shot straight into his skull.

“Ghh—! That hurts!!”

“Pervert! Scumbag! Go die!”

After shouting a few angry insults, Lisha hugged the book to her chest and ran off at top speed.

Leaving Muen curled up on the ground like a shrimp, clutching his shin in pain, question marks practically orbiting his head.

Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?

Why am I being called a scumbag again?

What did I even do to that girl? Why does she hate me so much?

Muen sat there in a daze, full of existential doubt—I don’t even have a girlfriend, so why does everyone keep calling me trash?

Just then, the scent of perfume brushed past him.

A figure blocked the light.

Muen instinctively looked up—and froze.

A mature-looking girl stood before him.

Her hair was tied up casually with a ribbon, a few strands falling diagonally across her ample chest. Her eyes were as clear as crystal submerged in water, the corners gently upturned. Beneath her right eye was a perfectly placed beauty mark—when she smiled faintly, it made her look indescribably alluring.

Her figure was exceptional, her waist slender like a serpent’s, and the curves under her tight uniform hinted at dangerous possibilities.

On the chest of that uniform, pinned in silver, was a nameplate.

Anna Kaplin.

“Senior Anna...”

Muen swallowed hard.

Even though he’d only glanced at her earlier, there was no way he could forget a beauty like her.

It was the librarian!

“This is a library, you know. No shouting allowed.”

Anna looked down at Muen, her lips curved in a warm, big-sisterly smile.

But Muen felt a chill down his spine.

...

...

“Oh my, oh my. So that’s what was going on.”

After hearing Muen’s explanation, the gentle librarian rested a hand on her cheek and giggled.

“Looks like I misunderstood you, junior. I actually thought you were harassing that poor girl. I was debating whether to call a professor or just deliver a sneak attack of justice myself.”

“I wasn’t doing anything like that!”

Muen rubbed his shin, gritting his teeth in pain, on the verge of tears.

Why does this keep happening?

Every time—every single time—he hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he still got smacked around by the iron fist of fate.

It wasn’t right. Wasn’t the yellow-haired villain in stories supposed to be the one punishing naive little girls?

Why was he the one always getting punished by them?

Well, at least after getting hit so many times, he’d developed some resistance.

It was just a kick from a girl. Bite down and get over it.

“Huh? Senior Anna?”

Just as he was thinking that, he saw Anna suddenly crouch down in front of him.

Her soft, slender fingers gently pressed against his shin, kneading his sore muscles.

The sensation made Muen’s heart tickle. His face flushed a little, and he instinctively tried to pull away.

“Don’t move.”

Anna’s voice was light and gentle—but it carried a strangely compelling force.

Muen’s trembling leg froze. He let her continue.

“Good boy.”

Anna smiled faintly.

At the same time, a warm light glowed from her palm. A comforting heat seeped deep into Muen’s flesh, his muscles, even his bones.

Within a few breaths, the pain in his shin was completely gone. In fact, it felt lighter than ever.

“This is...”

“Just a simple healing spell.”

“Thank you, senior, but really, it wasn’t necessary—”

“You need to take better care of your body.”

Anna cut him off, a touch of scolding in her tone.

Then her lips curled in a sly smile.

“Otherwise, how will you keep being a scumbag if you get injured?”

“......”

The smile that had just started to form on Muen’s face instantly froze. He rubbed his nose awkwardly.

“So... senior recognized me too, huh.”

“Of course. Muen Campbell is quite the celebrity.”

“I thought I was only infamous among second-years...”

Muen scratched his head. Then, as if something occurred to him, he looked at Anna and asked,

“But if senior already knew who I was, why’d you even come over? Most girls who hear my name run in the other direction.”

“Of course they run. To them, you’re the embodiment of scum. They’re afraid you’ll trick them into giving up their bodies—or worse, their hearts. So naturally, the farther they stay from you, the better.”

“But—”

Anna sat down in the chair beside him, her body leaning in with casual intimacy. Her warm breath brushed against his skin.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered, her voice sultry and low,

“Junior, do you really think... you could handle corrupting me?”

“Ghh—”

Muen couldn’t help but lean back, sucking in a sharp breath.

This senior... her level is way too high!

“Pfft.”

Watching Muen flinch so dramatically, Anna covered her mouth and laughed. Her eyes curved gently, that single beauty mark adding to her sultry charm.

“How strange... You’re supposed to be the infamous womanizer. But somehow, you come across pretty innocent. You really don’t seem like a scumbag at all.”

“Because I’m not a scumbag!”

Muen snapped, genuinely indignant.

“Those are just rumors! I’ve never even had a girlfriend!”

“Oh? That’s a real shame.”

“A shame?”

“I mean, I was kind of curious what it would be like... To get a taste of the legendary top-tier scumbag who’s got half the academy’s girls shaking in fear.”

She licked her lips slowly, her eyes gleaming.

“...To be honest, senior...”

Muen puffed out his chest, popped open one button of his uniform, and ran a hand through his bangs, flashing a roguish grin.

“Beneath this handsome face is the heart of a beast. Becoming the ultimate scumbag is well within my reach. So, senior, if you—”

“In your dreams.”

Anna rolled her eyes at him.

“Kidding. I’ve never had a boyfriend either~”

“You! Evil woman!”

Muen clutched his chest with a betrayed look.

“Senior, how could you toy with my pure and innocent heart like that?! Don’t you feel even a shred of guilt?”

“I am an evil woman,” Anna said, resting her chin on her palm with a smile.

“Evil women don’t have hearts, you know.”

“......”

Game over.

This woman’s level is way too high—I can’t win.

Muen was just about to tactically retreat and save the next battle for another day when he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye—the little icon labels on the bookshelves that had helped him find his target book earlier.

He suddenly asked,

“Those little signs...”

“Hm?”

“Those icons on the shelves—did you put them there, senior?”

“Yup.”

Anna glanced toward them and replied casually,

“Just a little thing I made when I was bored.”

“You’re really gentle, senior,” Muen said with genuine admiration.

“Hm?”

Anna blinked in surprise, turning to look at him. “Did you just call me gentle?”

“Yeah.”

Muen blinked innocently. “You helped patch up some scumbag like me, you put up those markers to help other students find their books, and even now—you’ve been maintaining a soundproofing spell this whole time so the rest of the library won’t be disturbed. Isn’t that what you’d call being gentle?”

“Gentle, huh...”

Anna chuckled softly. “Not many people have called me that before.”

“Oh? Then how do people usually describe you?” Muen asked, intrigued.

“They say...”

Anna spoke one word at a time, deliberately drawing it out, but just as she was about to finish, she flicked her finger against Muen’s forehead and laughed,

“You little devil, trying to coax information out of me.”

“Click.”

Muen smacked his lips in disappointment.

“So close.”

“Buuut...” Anna tilted her head thoughtfully. “Since you praised me for being gentle, I guess I can tell you.”

“Tch, you think I’ll fall for that again? I’m telling you, the Saints—”

Muen froze mid-sentence.

Because Anna suddenly leaned in.

Very close.

Close enough to feel her breath.

Close enough to see deep, very deep into the darkness behind her crystal-clear eyes.

“Snake.”

“They call me a snake,” Anna whispered, her crimson lips moving slowly.

“Oh.”

Muen nodded numbly, then snapped back to awareness—only to find that Anna had already pulled away, as if she’d never moved at all.

“A snake, huh.”

Muen nodded again.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Good?”

For the first time, Anna looked genuinely surprised. “For a woman, being called a snake isn’t exactly flattering.”

“Really?”

Muen crossed his arms, nodded seriously.

“But I think it’s fine. After all... snakes eat rats. And I—am terrified of rats.”

“......”

Anna stared at him closely. So closely, Muen’s poker face began to crack. Then she suddenly let out a laugh.

“Muen Campbell, you really are an interesting one.”

“Am I? I’m glad I could make you laugh.”

Muen eagerly rubbed his hands together. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask—”

“You want me to teach you, right?” Anna cut him off, already anticipating it.

“Eh?”

Muen blinked, then scratched his head awkwardly.

“You knew?”

“I’m not deaf. I heard your conversation with that junior earlier. Besides...”

Anna narrowed her eyes with playful mischief.

“A guy talking to a strange girl for this long—if it’s not because he’s in heat, it’s gotta be because he wants something, right?”

“Rude.”

Muen smacked the table, putting on a serious face.

“Maybe I’m just attracted to senior’s charm?”

“...Muen Campbell.”

“Mm?”

“Maybe you really do have the potential to become a top-tier scumbag,” Anna said with a sly smile.

...

...

“So, what’s your answer, senior?”

Muen asked, fidgeting like an elementary schooler waiting for test results.

“Well...”

Anna tapped her finger on her lips, thinking.

“I could. But I’m not about to tutor you for free.”

“I have money!”

Muen said firmly.

“One million!”

Anna blinked. Then looked at him with a slightly weird expression.

“Muen, you do realize even the best private tutors in Belrand don’t charge a million, right?”

“Knowledge is priceless,” Muen said solemnly.

“Fufu... How innocent of you to say something like that.”

Anna chuckled, resting her chin in her palm, examining Muen carefully.

She stared for so long Muen started to feel a little itchy under the gaze. Finally, she stood and said,

“Forget the money. You already called me senior. Taking your money would feel... weird.”

“Then what do I pay you with...?”

“You can owe me.”

“Owe you?”

“Yup. Owe me.”

Anna clasped her hands behind her back, then leaned down and looked straight into Muen’s eyes.

The flirtatious glint at the corner of her eye was impossible to ignore.

“So whenever I decide to collect... you’re not allowed to refuse. Got it?”

Her voice was temptingly sweet—like a devil whispering terms of a contract.

But somehow, Muen nodded without thinking.

“...Yes, senior.”

...

...

“All right. We’re here.”

After finishing her duties, Anna led Muen to a far corner of the club building.

Muen looked up at the sign above the door.

“Ancient... Potion Club? We have a club like that at our school?”

“We do. But it’s not surprising you haven’t heard of it.”

Anna opened the classroom door.

A strong gust of wind blew through, and sunlight poured in from the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, making Muen squint.

As his eyes adjusted, he vaguely caught sight of Anna’s silhouette, a little devilish as always, brushing her hair behind her ear. But in that moment, her expression carried an unexpected trace of loneliness.

“After all—this club only has one member.”

“One person?”

Muen was shocked.

“Is that even allowed?”

“Of course not. But the grace period for disbandment is one year. If I can’t find a new member by then, the club will be shut down.”

“I see...”

A club with just one person... It sounded awfully lonely.

“So,”

Anna turned and smiled.

“Junior, would you like to join our Ancient Potion Club?”

“Me?”

Muen was momentarily stunned—but then his face turned serious.

“Is this the price you want as compensation?”

“No. This is a choice.”

Anna, for once, looked truly serious as she stared into Muen’s eyes.

“Even if the Ancient Potion Club is on the verge of disbanding, I won’t force anyone to join. That’s why, Muen Campbell—you experience it yourself, and then decide.”

“Whether you want to join the Ancient Potion Club.”

...

...

“Ancient Potion Club, huh...”

Walking back to the dorms, Muen rubbed his head and sighed.

“I have no idea what it actually does.”

Since time had been short, Anna had only brought him to see where the club was located. As for what the club actually did... Muen hadn’t experienced it at all.

From the name and the specialized equipment in the room, he could guess it had something to do with brewing ancient potions.

Seemed legit.

“But club stuff isn’t the priority right now.”

What mattered was...

“I finally found someone who can teach me Magic Fundamentals!”

If it weren’t for the fact that other students were still passing by, Muen would’ve been skipping and cheering down the road.

Finally!

Finally!

After all that hard work, he’d overcome the biggest obstacle on his path to becoming a model student!

From his later conversations with Senior Anna, Muen had learned that even among the fifth-years, she ranked near the top. With someone like her teaching him, how could his grades not improve?

The only thing he might need to worry about... was that Senior Anna was way too pretty. She could easily distract him during lessons.

“But for me, Muen Campbell, that’s nothing.”

Muen let out a confident smirk.

“A man truly in love with learning would never be swayed by mere beauty.”

Watch me sit next to her and not even flinch. Model of academic focus.

“Hmph-hmph~”

With that in mind, Muen hummed happily as he made his way to the dormitory.

...

Today, I’m feeling real good.

Nothing can stop this happy little heart of mine.

...

“Student Muen Campbell, please report to the Student Council office.”

“Repeating: Student Muen Campbell, please report to the Student Council office.”

“...Huh?”

Muen froze as the magical broadcast echoed through the air.

Just like that, poof, the joy was gone.

“Being summoned by the Student Council at a time like this... I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Thinking about everything that had happened earlier that day, a sense of foreboding crept into Muen’s heart.

...

...

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

In the Student Council room, Celicia sat behind her desk with her hands folded beneath her chin. Her gaze was fixed coldly on Muen, who sat trembling in a chair across from her.

“Muen Campbell. Do you have any idea about the recent report involving sexual harassment?”

“None! Absolutely none!”

Muen rejected it outright, shaking his head.

“I’ve been focused on studying all afternoon! I had no idea something that awful even happened!”

“Really?”

“Of course!” Muen nodded vigorously, then spoke up, voice full of righteous indignation.

“To harass a young girl in broad daylight under the public eye—if I ever saw something like that, I’d make sure the scumbag responsible got personally acquainted with the iron fist of justice!”

“Is that so.”

Celicia’s tone turned strangely meaningful.

“It’s heartwarming to hear such righteousness from you, Muen Campbell.”

“Haha, just doing my duty...”

“But...”

Celicia’s expression cooled as she stared at him.

“When did I ever say the victim was a girl?”

“...Wasn’t it?” Muen’s expression stiffened.

“Of course not.”

Celicia tossed a folder in front of him. Muen glanced over—and saw that it detailed the recent string of incidents involving stolen underwear from the boys’ dormitory.

A male victim?

Stolen underwear?

Why did those two words feel so wrong together?

“I figured since you live in the male dorms, you might’ve heard something. But now...” Celicia narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Muen suspiciously.

“...It seems like you might have committed other sins as well, Muen Campbell.”

“...I haven’t! Of course I haven’t!”

Muen shook his head frantically, forcing out a laugh.

“How could I do something bad? I’m a model student now.”

“Model student?” Celicia raised a brow.

“Now there’s a word you don’t often hear used on you.”

“It’s not that strange, haha...”

Muen gave a sheepish grin—but then noticed Celicia getting up and walking toward him.

His entire body tensed.

What’s going on?

Did she see through my lie?

Was she finally going to dismember me on the spot?

Help! Attempted husband murder!

“What do you want to drink?”

“...Huh?”

“Huh what?” Celicia shot him a cold glance as she passed by.

“I asked you what you want to drink. And before you get any ideas, I don’t have black tea.”

“...Good. I don’t like black tea anyway.”

Muen gave a stiff smile. “Coffee. Coffee’s fine.”

“Very well.”

Celicia nodded lightly, then turned to make it. Her movements were crisp and practiced.

Before long, she returned with two steaming cups and placed one in front of Muen.

The rich aroma hit his nose.

“Wow, smells amazing.”

Muen looked genuinely surprised.

“I didn’t expect you to know how to make coffee.”

“It’s just pouring hot water over ground beans. Anyone can do it,” Celicia replied flatly.

As she stirred her cup, Muen’s eyelid twitched watching her dump in an alarming number of sugar cubes.

“...Want sugar in yours?” Celicia asked.

“No, no, no.”

Muen shook his head quickly.

“Black coffee is fine.”

“I see.”

Celicia kept adding sugar cubes.

By the time Muen thought the coffee was on the verge of becoming syrup, she finally raised the cup and took a small sip.

“...Haah.”

And in that moment—for the first time—Muen saw genuine contentment in her usually stoic expression.

So you like your coffee sweet, huh. The original novel never mentioned that.

As Muen lifted his cup, he heard Celicia speak.

“Sorry.”

“...Hm?”

Muen looked up, surprised. “What did you just say?”

“I said, sorry.”

Even though she was apologizing to someone she had once treated with disdain, Celicia’s face showed no embarrassment or hesitation. She looked straight into Muen’s eyes, voice firm.

“This morning, I didn’t give you a chance to explain. I apologize.”

“......”

Muen was stunned. He hadn’t expected Celicia to apologize—especially not over something like this.

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t really take it to heart...”

“That’s not the point. Whether or not you took it personally, I made a mistake—and I apologize for it.”

Celicia sat back down.

“Earlier, I went and spoke with Professor Fulan and Professor Prang. They told me the whole truth. You really didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you were a victim. The only reason it became such a mess... is because of the bias that constantly surrounds you.”

“Yeah...”

Muen gave a bitter smile.

He had no idea when he’d finally be free from this “scumbag” aura.

He just wanted to stop scaring every girl he met into running for the hills.

“So, in light of all that... I have a suggestion.”

“Huh? What kind of suggestion?”

“It’s simple.”

Celicia set down her coffee, eyes steady.

“Muen Campbell—why don’t you join the Student Council?”

Muen blinked. “Is that an order?”

“No.”

Celicia shook her head.

“It’s a choice.”