I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

“Excuse me.”

“Hello.”

“Good morning.”

“H-hello.”

Yesol and her three companions entered the room.

I put down the teacup in my hand and snapped my fingers lightly.

“Huff, thank you.”

As Yesol held the box with both hands, it floated in the air, and she bowed deeply to me again.

The boxes had a golden crow emblem on a black background, and although they looked like luxurious boxes, they were actually magical items with a protective spell that only someone as powerful as Jaeden could scratch.

“Claire.”
“Yes.”

As soon as I released my grip on her waist, she quickly got up and placed the boxes on the table.

“You two, go to his room.”
“Yes, Professor.”

Maria, as quick-witted as Yesol, took the other two, Edyn and Na Na Yeon-ju, who were staring at the boxes, and left the kitchen.

“The painting.”
“This is the one.”

Yesol helped me take the paintings out of the box, and as she approached the last box, she brought it to me.

Click.

The box made an unusual sound for a box as it opened.

Inside was a crystal case containing three paintings.

A quadruple-layered shrinking seal.

As I reached into the crystal case and took out one of the paintings, which had looked slightly larger than my palm, it expanded beyond the table as soon as it left the box.

I brought the painting, which was getting in the way of my work, to the study.

Plop.

The painting, which had been sealed in the crystal case, was now free.

“Is this your ability?”

Until it was released from the crystal case, it had just been a well-drawn painting, but as soon as it left the case, it seemed to come to life, the figures in the frame almost moving.

I looked at the painting of Claire smiling shyly and Baek Hana with a silly grin, and then carefully hung it on the wall of the study.

Then, sitting at the desk, I began reviewing the year-end evaluation reports.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The familiar knock called me.

“Come in.”

As soon as I gave permission, the study door opened, and Claire and Yesol entered with a box.

Claire stopped in front of the desk and handed me the box, saying,

“Where should I put these paintings?”

Two paintings.

One was of Claire and me, and the other was of us with the children.

I took the painting of us with the children and handed it to Claire.

“Decorate her room with this.”
“Hana will be happy.”

Claire took the painting as if she had received a gift, and with a faint smile, she left the study.

Yesol, who had been watching with wide eyes, blinked and opened her mouth.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you smile so brightly, Executor.”
“Is that so?”

When I’m with him, my smile seems ordinary.

“Love changes people, they say…”

I shook my head at Yesol’s childlike expression, as if she had discovered something fascinating and amusing.

“Ah, the Fantasia Guild information you asked for.”

Yesol, who had been daydreaming for a moment, quickly snapped out of it and took out a thin file from her wide sleeve and handed it to me respectfully.

She had asked for two days.

‘It seems they were already investigating.’

Since they had recently made it onto the list of teenage guilds, they were probably updating their information and collecting data at the same time.

“I looked at the growth rate from the guild’s founding until now, but I couldn’t find any suspicious points.”

The graph, which was easy to see at a glance, showed a steady, consistent growth, like a constant drizzle soaking into a garment.

“There were no changes in the guild leaders or officers from the time of the guild’s founding, and the new guild members were also a small, elite group. I looked into their pasts, but I couldn’t find anything suspicious.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It’s nothing.”

Yesol asked me carefully with her usual mischievous smile.

“Can I see the fairy?”
“She’s sleeping in the bedroom. Do as you wish.”

I turned away from Yesol, who was blushing, and took the remaining paintings to the bedroom.

-Beep… Beep… Beep…

No matter how many times I heard it, it sounded like a chick.

I looked down at the increasingly lazy fairy for a moment and then hung the painting where the sunlight shone.

“Haa, you’re so cute today~”

After hanging the painting, I turned around and saw Yesol, who had been sitting on the bed, now staring at the basket with wide eyes and a look of awe on her face.

I watched her for a moment and then opened Claire’s wardrobe.

“Yesol.”
“Yes, Professor.”

I took out a dress with minimal exposure and a simple design.

“Can you make something like this?”
“…”

Yesol blinked as she looked at the dress in my hand, a white dress with a light blue tint.

“Is this for Hana?”
“No.”

I pointed to the basket with my chin.

Yesol’s face brightened.

“Oh, if that’s what the little fairy wants to wear, it’s possible.”
“Will it take a long time?”
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Not really.”

I put the dress back in the wardrobe and closed it.

“You should ask.”

“Uh-oh… Boo, please….”
Yesol feigned a flustered expression and then said, “I’ll take care of it.”

She replied with a solemn expression, as if she were an Awakened One about to enter an unknown rift.

“Okay.”

Since she was willing to work hard, I saw no reason to dissuade her. I left Yesol behind and made my way past the bedroom and study to reach Baek Hana’s room.

-Is this painting real?

-Yeah, it looks like a hologram.

-It’s amazing…

Through the slightly open door, the voices of the children could be heard.

I widened the narrow gap and stepped inside.

The children gathered around Baek Hana, who was sleeping so soundly that she wouldn’t notice if someone tried to carry her away.

The frame was displayed on the wall adjacent to Hana’s bed.

The room wasn’t particularly spacious, so there wasn’t much space left to display the frame elsewhere.

“Na Yeon-ju.”

“H-Huh?!”

Na Yeon-ju, who had been admiring the painting, flinched.

At the same time, Claire and the other children turned towards me.

“I’ll be back soon.”
“What about lunch…?”
“I’ll be back before then.”
“Yes, my lord.”

I nodded at the brightened Claire and then gestured to Na Yeon-ju, who was frozen in place, before leaving Hana’s room.

“Professor…?”

Na Yeon-ju, who had been following closely behind me, called out in a trembling voice.

“I have to go out.”
“Oh… R-right…”

The usually lively Na Yeon-ju suddenly became deflated.

It was better than having a noisy companion, but strangely, this didn’t sit well with me either.

“Go.”
“Ah, yes, yes…”

I left the mansion with Na Yeon-ju, who was still frozen in place.

.

.

.

“…”
“…”

An oppressive silence filled the air.

Na Yeon-ju, gripping the steering wheel, glanced at Baek Woo-jin sitting in the passenger seat.

Ever since they left the mansion and the Academy, Woo-jin had remained silent, causing Na Yeon-ju to feel a sense of unease.

He wasn’t usually this quiet.

It must be because he was disappointed in me after yesterday’s incident.

‘Even the Great One said so…’

After leaving the main building and returning to the Temple due to Yesol’s call, Na Yeon-ju received punishment from none other than the master of the Temple herself.

It wasn’t a horrifying divine punishment or a physical chastisement, but for four hours, she had to kneel with her hands raised high in front of the divine statue, while Bwiar relentlessly pointed out her mistakes through her divine flames.

-That person is someone even we cannot treat lightly.

-Anyone can make mistakes, but if the same mistake is repeated, it can no longer be called a mistake.

-Our little one needs to be more careful with her words and actions.

-Unless absolutely necessary, refrain from speaking to that person first.

After the endless repetition of her mistakes, just before the punishment ended, the divine voice spoke.

This was why Na Yeon-ju couldn’t bring herself to speak.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

“Oh…”

Na Yeon-ju slowly pressed the brake, reducing her speed at the sound of the navigation system.

They had arrived in front of a tall building.

‘Fantasia…?’

Golden letters shone above the revolving door, where people were coming and going.

“Na Yeon-ju.”
“Yes, yes…?”

At the sudden call, Na Yeon-ju tensed up and straightened her posture.

‘Is he angry because I stopped too late…?’

She knew very well that he wasn’t the type to get angry over such a thing, but her judgment was clouded by the events of yesterday.

‘Apologize, apologize—‘

Thump.

“Hmm…?”

Na Yeon-ju couldn’t help but make a strange sound as something large and warm covered her head.

“How long do you plan to stay dejected like a sick chicken?”

‘Ew, ah, ew……?’

A little rough, but strangely, his touch exuded a sense of warmth. Na Yeon-ju, her hair disheveled, stared at Baek Woo-jin with a dazed expression.

“I don’t think I scolded you that harshly yesterday.”
“Ah… Ah…!!”

She tried to say no, but strangely, the words wouldn’t come out.

“Yesol wouldn’t have done that.”
“…”

Na Yeon-ju closed her mouth and nodded.

“I have no intention of interfering with the Temple’s affairs.”

As the warmth faded, Na Yeon-ju cautiously lifted her head.

“You’re my hired driver, so you must follow my orders until I release you.”
“…Yes, sir.”

Saaaaaah──

‘…?!’

Na Yeon-ju shivered, forgetting her emotions due to the sudden chill. She checked if the air conditioning was malfunctioning, but it wasn’t the case.

“Let’s go back.”
“Yes? Ah, yes, sir…!!”

The reason for their visit and the previous chill quickly vanished from Na Yeon-ju’s mind.

Sniffling, Na Yeon-ju gripped the steering wheel again and drove the car.

“If you want to listen to a song, it’s fine.”
“Hehe, it’s fine.”

The heavy weight pressing down on her seemed to disappear, and Na Yeon-ju smiled brightly as usual.