NOVEL WEB Chapter 44
Yujin, who had vanished right before Reina’s eyes, found himself in the female student dormitory, an area deemed off-limits at the academy.
Not that he had any peculiar hobby of sneaking into female dorms; he was solely focused on one purpose.
That purpose was to treat Princess Elysia von Arsedium, the second princess of the Arsedium Empire.
Though calling it treatment might be a bit of a stretch, it wasn’t entirely wrong since he aimed to resolve the princess’s current situation.
He had already obtained prior permission from the president. Well, it was more like a request than permission, really.
– “Princess Elysia is currently in a situation where she can’t roam around freely. So, it’s a bit audacious, but could you personally go see her, Yujin?”
The flower on Elysia’s right eye was proof of her connection to demons. Even if she could cover her eye with something like an eye patch, rumors about her having a flaw would not benefit her in the slightest.
Royalty was a noble existence. If the royal bloodline, who was supposed to be revered by all, became rumored to have a defect like being one-eyed, it would significantly damage the sanctity of their lineage.
Of course, to Yujin, who had lived in modern times, it all seemed absurd that someone wouldn’t want their flaws exposed due to a class system…
‘Well, I can understand not wanting to reveal disabilities. Besides, this place shouldn’t be thought of like modern society.’
Anyway, Yujin also acknowledged that he was living in this world now, and thus he had to respect its culture and ideas to a certain extent.
While he struggled to fully grasp the issue of royal sanctity, he agreed to discreetly handle this situation.
And so here he stood in front of the princess’s room.
He mused to himself,
‘Honestly, it feels a bit like I’m sneaking off for a secret rendezvous. What kind of professor sneaks into a female dorm to meet a student? I’d definitely lose my head if anyone found out!’
『…You’re not actually here for a secret rendezvous, but to solve that girl’s problem, right?』
At Tiamat’s insistence on emphasizing “problem solution,” Yujin shrugged.
‘It’s just the vibe, you know? I mean, I’ve snuck in here without anyone noticing, right?’
『…Do you actually like her? Why do you keep thinking in that direction?』
‘What?’
Yujin raised an eyebrow at Tiamat’s oddly sulky tone.
‘…Tia, are you jealous?’
『Wh-what?』
At this, Tiamat seemed to flinch, almost like a person struck at a sore spot.
『W-what do you mean I’m jealous? Why would I be jealous of that girl?』
‘Really?’
『Do you even know what I’d be jealous of? I’m better than her, right? Sure, I’m in this state now, but I was once the leader of dragons. I have nothing to be envious of compared to mortals or other transcendents.』
‘Well, that’s technically true, but it seems like you were a bit sensitive when I joked about secret rendezvous or whatever… Sorry if I’m wrong.’
Yujin had never directly experienced a woman’s jealousy, so he brushed it off vaguely. Though he didn’t necessarily believe Tiamat’s words; more like he chose to overlook it since she was so firm in her denial.
『Me, jealous? What nonsense are you talking about…?』
Meanwhile, Tiamat was just as confused. Unbeknownst to her, Yujin’s words had struck a chord.
Tiamat had never experienced romantic feelings with a man, and she had no idea how her emotional connection with Yujin was affecting her.
Always being together with him, laughing and sharing deep conversations… the time she spent as ‘Tiamat’ with Yujin was special and filled with happiness, unlike her time as a leader of transcendents.
Maybe that was why? At a casual mention of secret rendezvous, she reacted sensitively, feeling like someone was trying to steal her precious moments with Yujin.
But she lacked self-awareness of this feeling.
But Yujin didn’t have such feelings either.
‘Tia.’
『Y-yeah?』
‘I’ve said this before, but I really value the time I spend with you. To me, you’re the most important person. If I were to say, I consider you family.’
『!』
‘So don’t worry too much. In my heart, you’ll always be number one.’
『O-okay…』
Startled by Yujin’s unexpected proclamation, Tiamat went momentarily blank, her mind feeling white as if short-circuiting, and she began to stammer in embarrassment. Though she looked ghostly, her face was deeply flushed.
The words “you’re beautiful,” which she usually heard so often, felt incredibly sweet coming from this man right in front of her.
Thump! Thump!
Even though she knew Yujin wasn’t a fairytale prince on a white horse, her heart thumped inexplicably like it was malfunctioning.
“What’s happening to me?”
“Well, shall we get to work? It’s been long enough with this chit-chat.”
After their lengthy banter, Yujin understood it was time to help Elysia.
Knock, knock.
He knocked on Elysia’s door.
A soft voice floated in from beyond the door.
“…Who is it?”
“It’s Professor Han Yujin. I’m here to check on your condition, your Highness. Do you have a moment?”
“…Professor? P-please wait a moment.”
With that, hurried footsteps approached.
Bang!
The door to Elysia’s dorm swung open.
There stood Elysia, showcasing her flawless beauty that didn’t quite match her warrior status.
“Please, come in.”
“Thank you, I’ll be stepping in now.”
Following her invitation, Yujin entered her dorm.
The room presented the same scene as yesterday.
Yujin settled on the sofa in the middle of the living room, and Elysia took a seat opposite him.
Yujin broke the ice.
“It’s been since yesterday morning. Have you been well?”
“…Yes, thanks to you, Professor Yujin… I was able to have a peaceful night for the first time in a while.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Your complexion looks somewhat better as well.”
“Is that so? I actually wasn’t prepared for your visit and haven’t even gotten to wash my face…”
“Haha, you don’t need to worry. Your Highness, you are beautiful enough as you are.”
“!”
At Yujin’s warm compliment, Elysia involuntarily flinched and lowered her head. Her face flushed.
Words that usually bored her felt delightful coming from the man before her.
Thump! Thump!
Despite knowing he wasn’t a magical prince, her heart raced as if it had broken down.
“Then, is there any other issue? Any discomfort in your body, or is the sealed magic acting up…?”
“A-ah, no. No issues at all.”
Elysia hurriedly shook her head at Yujin’s question. He nodded in understanding.
“Alright, then it seems we can start today.”
“…What do you mean by that…?”
“It’s the training to control the magic within you, your Highness. Initially, we need to stabilize you to ensure the magic doesn’t consume you.”
“…Is that so?”
Elysia hesitated, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth. Finally, she asked,
“…So, this training is about becoming a complete demon?”
“It’s something like that.”
Yujin casually confirmed, before looking at Elysia, who appeared conflicted.
“Do you feel hesitant about it?”
“…To be honest… yes, I do.”
Elysia smiled bitterly in response to Yujin’s inquiry.
“As you know, Professor Yujin… demons are vile transcendents filled with deceit and malice. The doctrine of the faith even states that the evils of mortals are birthed from the magic of demons.”
“……”
“I’m afraid… that I might become a hideous being like them. That I might become a monster who loses the love for my family who believe in me.”
“Your Highness.”
At her words, Yujin smiled and gazed at Elysia.
“Do you remember the contract we made?”
“…That was…”
“I promised to resolve your issues. That was a contract to help you remain whole as you are.”
With that, Yujin opened his eyes wide. Elysia accidentally gazed at them and caught her breath.
His gaze was like a black abyss, and the red of his demonic eyes shimmered like rubies.
It was the same look she had seen right after he sealed her magic before.
Elysia was entranced by it.
“Princess Elysia von Arsedium.”
Then, Yujin spoke once more.
“You might not be able to trust me. The only way to survive is to become a demon… Even I would find that hard to believe. You might think I’m plotting to turn you into a demon.”
“I… I don’t think that far…”
“But you must not let yourself fall into despair.”
As Elysia tried to justify herself, Yujin declared firmly.
“You must trust yourself, your Highness. Or you need to hold onto your family who believes in you and endure.”
“……”
“As I said before, your true enemy is the other version of yourself.”
With that, Yujin reached out toward her right eye, touching the flower’s pistil with his finger.
“And if you lose to that version of yourself, you will die.”
“…!”
“Your current self will vanish, and a new self will arise as a demon in its place. Can you bear to let that happen?”
“…I-I…”
“I will not allow that to happen.”
“!”
At Yujin’s declaration, Elysia met his gaze.
With a rare serious expression, Yujin stared straight at her.
Those bright red eyes intertwined like blood.
“Your Highness.”
“……”
“I will do my utmost to help you. I promise to allow you to become a transcendent being more human than anyone else, all while preserving your original self. That’s our contract.”
“Professor…?”
“This is a contract and also a promise. If you were to fail and eventually fall to the bottom of that abyss… I will do everything in my power to pull you back up.”
With that, Yujin, wearing a warm smile, asked,
“Does this make you feel a little more at ease?”