I Trust Your Self-Control Utterly, but Not That Unprecedented Aura You Unconsciously Give Off

Chapter 71

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

The voice that came from beyond the door sounded faintly irritated.

What was that? Was I imagining things?

'No. That wasn’t the kind of sharp tone they usually used.'

I hesitated with my hand on the doorknob for a moment, then gave a light cough and spoke.

"Professor. It’s Cassian."

"Come in."

Her voice was still somewhat cold.

The chill was like having ice water poured down my back.

Creeeak.

The instant I opened the door, I knew my sixth sense had definitely not been wrong.

Professor Iris, dressed in a suit and wearing sharp silver-rimmed glasses just like the first time we met.

But the mood of the woman seated at the desk and looking at me seemed to be at minus five out of five stars.

'She’s pissed off.'

One hundred percent.

My survival instinct as a Hell Joseon little brother, honed by over twenty years of appeasing my older and younger sisters in my previous life, was blaring a siren.

"What is it?"

"I have something important to discuss. But did I do something wrong?"

"Well? Do you maybe have something to feel guilty about?"

Professor Iris snapped, setting down her quill with a thud.

'She does.'

I hadn’t done anything wrong, but there was plenty that might get me in trouble.

Come to think of it, Professor Iris had always felt a bit of rivalry, maybe even jealousy, whenever I got involved with Viscountess Müller.

"Is this because I keep spending time with Viscountess Müller?"

"Of course not."

Yeah, right.

How can someone say there’s no way while cursing me out with their eyes?

Professor Iris said in a pointed tone.

"To be exact, it seems like you’ve been up to something enormous with her."

"......"

"And because you went ahead and did it without discussing it with me first, I ended up hearing about it from the department head before getting grilled over it."

Ah.

That’s understandable enough to be unfair and annoying.

"Department Head Eric came by my lab just now. He asked what on earth was going on, saying my disciple seemed to be involved with the saintess and Viscountess Müller in some huge affair."

"......Ah."

"But as your advisor in name only, I knew absolutely nothing. What on earth was I supposed to say?"

Damn.

The timing was unbelievably awful.

Just look at her, waking up now of all times.

It reminded me of my older sister when, at family gatherings, everyone talked about something fun without including her and she got all sulky and moody.

Of course, the professor-sister in front of me was insanely pretty, unlike my actual sister, and she wasn’t even family, so it wasn’t disgustingly annoying either.

......Maybe that made it a completely different issue?

Anyway.

If I didn’t apologize profusely and soothe her from the start, I’d be getting chewed out all year long.

I hurriedly started making excuses.

"If I’d known you were back at the academy, I would have naturally rushed over to consult with you first."

"That’s a pretty weak excuse from someone who probably never even cared whether I’d returned to the academy or not."

Hmm. Fair enough.

Still, I couldn’t lose here.

'I have to force it.'

At this point, I had to insist until I convinced her that I hadn’t forgotten about Professor Iris for even a single moment.

She wasn’t really angry for real. She was just pouting because she wanted me to pay attention to her.

I immediately caught on and loaded my voice with all the injustice I could muster.

"I stayed your disciple because I cared, didn’t I?"

"......"

Professor Iris’s eyes behind her glasses wavered just a little.

Knew it would work.

I pressed the advantage and shamelessly kept talking.

"As for talking with Viscountess Müller, you were unavailable, so I simply spoke first with her as the saintess’s guardian."

"......"

"If you keep getting upset without understanding how I feel, honestly, I’m the one who feels hurt."

"When did I ever not understand how you feel......"

"Even so, I’m trying to remain your disciple and no one else’s. Okay?"

I thumped my chest and protested my innocence.

"I even flat-out turned down a blank-check level offer. How can you not understand this earnest feeling of mine?"

"That......"

Professor Iris’s pale cheeks tinted slightly red.

A genius mage who had lived her whole life by magical formulas and logic alone had virtually zero defense against this kind of direct, emotional attack.

"Even when that Lily girl barged uninvited into my private lab, I still put up with it. Why? Because it’s a disciple’s duty to yield to the professor every time."

"When did I ever say I was making things difficult for you, Cassian?"

"You are right now, aren’t you? You don’t trust your disciple even after he turned down easy money."

"......"

Clear embarrassment spread across Professor Iris’s face.

The way she didn’t know where to look and just kept fiddling with the documents on her desk made it obvious she was getting pulled into my pace.

'Good, she’s completely off balance.'

I pulled out the card that would completely flip the mood.

"What else was I supposed to do? Lily came barging into my lab."

"......"

"Besides, I saw with my own eyes how horribly she was abused by the church. I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t see that."

"......Abused?"

Professor Iris’s eyes went wide.

Just as expected.

She really hadn’t known anything about this after all.

'If she had known, she never would’ve thought of pouting so cutely.'

I let out a sigh with a hurt expression.

"Yes. I ran here so fast my feet were practically on fire because I was planning to explain everything in detail and ask for your help, so what am I supposed to do if you’re pouting like this?"

"Pouting? That’s such a rude way to put it."

"Do you know what fact assault is?"

"I don’t, and it sounds like a phrase that would be of absolutely no benefit to me, so I’ll politely decline the explanation."

She sure was quick on the uptake.

'Come to think of it.'

Would it backfire if I told her she looked kind of cute sitting there all sulky like that?

But before I could speak, Professor Iris cleared her throat and changed the subject as if fleeing.

"Ahem. In any case, it seems our little misunderstanding has been cleared up, so please tell me the reason you came."

"I’m very glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up."

* * *

"So. I understand the situation now."

Professor Iris set down her teacup and frowned.

"Yes."

"The part of the saintess that was injured happened to be her thigh, of all places?"

No way.

Even this person?

"I didn’t see it."

I immediately protested my innocence.

"I just told you. Viscountess Müller went into the lab herself and checked."

I did go in afterward, thinking she was fully dressed, and did steal a glimpse of those pure white legs, though.

There was no need to go blurting out that uncomfortable truth and digging my own grave.

"Are you sure you didn’t see it? But if so, how did you figure out the signs of abuse?"

How did I figure it out?

I could tell just by looking.

But I couldn’t say that.

"I’m sure I didn’t see it. Even after saying that so clearly myself, do you still not trust me?"

In response to my protest, Professor Iris pushed up her glasses and shot back coldly.

"I trust your self-control to the utmost. It’s that unprecedented aura you unconsciously give off that I don’t trust."

'What the fuck is this?'

I was so dumbfounded I almost burst out laughing.

Wasn’t this the classic line of someone saying they trusted their lover, but not the foxes around their lover?

"You should’ve kept a tighter rein on yourself. You’re bewitching professors and saintesses."

"What the hell?"

"And then, just the other day...... Haa. I shouldn’t say that out loud myself."

"......Yes?"

Fuck, what? Why stop in the middle of the sentence all of a sudden? You’re making me nervous.

I swallowed hard.

'Just the other day what? Who? Is she talking about the princess?'

"If I must mention names, though it would be rather discourteous."

"Say it."

"You’re not talking about Her Highness the Princess, are you?"

"No. Surely you didn’t go so far as to lay hands on Her Highness the Princess too, did you?"

A flustered look began to appear on her face.

Her eyes seemed to be saying, “What on earth have you been doing?”

"I brought it up to explain that it was a misunderstanding."

But it’s not the princess?

Damn, who is it?

"Anyway. Just look at it now. Even during this recent Legion Tour, Lily was completely head over heels for you."

Well...... that is true.

Even the most oblivious person couldn’t miss that pink golden retriever wagging her tail at me like a propeller.

"Anyway, I swear I didn’t see it. I’m definitely the kind of guy who keeps basic decency in mind."

"Haa. Fine. I believe you. Sorry for doubting you."

If it had just been suspicion, I probably would’ve lost my temper too.

But since it looked like jealousy, I could let it slide.

Professor Iris let out a long sigh and straightened her posture.

"Anyway. So, for the sake of that Lily you cherish so much."

What the hell kind of opening was that?

"You took a reckless gamble to provoke the temple, and used the academy as neutral ground so they couldn’t make a rash move there. Is that it?"

"Exactly."

When I nodded, her eyes flashed sharply.

"And what you want from me is that if they attempt a forcible crackdown, I keep them absolutely in check?"

"That’s right."

I’d summed up the situation perfectly and accurately, so why was she making it look so obvious that she really didn’t want to do this?

It wasn’t like I’d made anything up; I was just faithfully playing the annoying disciple who goes around acting big under the protection of a dependable teacher.

"......I’ll help you."

In the silence that filled the lab, permission finally came from Professor Iris’s lips.

"Thank you, Professor."

"However, there’s a condition."

Here it comes.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"Go ahead."

"From now on, pay a little more attention to news about your teacher."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

"And."

A faint smile spread across Professor Iris’s lips.

"From now on, you will receive regular practical training from me."

"......Huh?"

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

"Especially during the vacation period created by the early end of this Legion Tour, you’ll need to stay close to me and receive intensive training."

Ah, damn it.

My heart sank.

Was my awesome lazy vacation plan really getting wrecked like this?

"......Do I really have to?"

"Do you not want to?"

"......No."

My appetite turned sour.

Because I was the one asking for a favor, refusing was impossible.

Fuck, this is exactly why asking other people for favors gets you by the throat.

"......Understood. Fine, I’ll take the training."