Mia was scared—truly terrified.
She immediately set down the tray with utmost respect, dropped to her knees, and with a loud thud, knocked her head on the floor, clutching the white knee-high socks of Sefina’s leg as she begged for mercy.
“Please! Don’t make me eat it! I’ll do anything! Teacher, please! Let me copy Introduction to Elements ten times… no! Twenty times, I don’t mind!”
Sefina looked down at Mia’s tearful, pleading face, initially surprised, then a trace of disgust flickered across her expression.
Hey, hey! Those tears and the little bit of sniffles are about to stain my brand-new socks!
But more than anything, Sefina was puzzled. She’d been living in this world for over a decade since transmigrating and had cooked for that picky magic teacher for nearly ten years.
She wouldn’t claim her cooking was divine, but it was definitely at a professional chef’s level!
Surely she didn’t think it tasted bad just from one glance? That reaction was way too harsh.
“It’s really delicious. Try it.”
Sefina spoke calmly and, with some effort, pulled her calf out of Mia’s death grip, feeling a faint mark left on her socks—making her scalp tingle slightly.
Seeing Mia still curled up like a frightened kitten, looking at the muffin as if it were poison, Sefina sighed helplessly, picked up the tray on the floor, and used a clean fork nearby to spear a small piece of muffin and ate it right in front of Mia.
Mmm, soft and fluffy texture, just the right sweetness, with the aroma of butter and the rich flavor of maple syrup—it was clearly delicious and perfectly fine.
“It’s really tasty.”
Sefina repeated, even patiently picking up another small piece and holding it up to Mia’s lips.
Snack.
Mia was momentarily stunned.
She… she actually ate it? And it seemed… fine?
Could it really be just an ordinary snack? Not some weird magical potion or mind control food?
Realizing she might have completely misunderstood her teacher, an overwhelming wave of shame washed over Mia, her cheeks flushing a faint pink.
After a moment of hesitation, Mia timidly leaned forward and cautiously took a small bite of the extraordinarily soft-looking muffin from Sefina’s hand.
The taste was incredible!
The muffin melted instantly in her mouth, filling it with a rich, creamy egg and milk fragrance. The warmth was just right.
The surface maple syrup had a unique caramelized flavor—sweet but not cloying—creating a perfect balance with the muffin’s subtle saltiness. The texture layers were wonderfully complex.
“Wow! This is so good!”
Mia’s eyes lit up like she’d discovered a miraculous treasure.
Instinctively, she cupped her cheeks, feeling as if her soul had been struck by this deliciousness.
She had never tasted such a delightful snack! It was absolutely divine!
For a moment, all her fear, shame, and the teacher-student hierarchy vanished into thin air.
Mia forgot about keeping up appearances and instinctively grabbed the fork from Sefina’s hand, greedily devouring the remaining muffins on the plate, stuffing her cheeks full and unable to stop.
***
In the end, she even meticulously licked the leftover crystal jam off the plate, leaving no trace of the nervous and scared expression she had before.
Only when the plate was spotless did Mia suddenly realize how undignified she had looked, eating like a starving ghost.
Embarrassed, she set the plate down, fidgeting with her clothes, cheeks slightly flushed, and her voice barely above a whisper:
“I-I’m sorry, teacher… I…”
Sefina was already seated elegantly behind her desk, crossing one leg over the other, watching the dramatic scene unfold before her without much expression, only saying lightly:
“As long as you like it.”
Hearing this, Mia’s guilt deepened, but at the same time, a huge question popped into her mind.
She mustered her courage and quietly asked:
“Teacher… you called me here because… is there something you wanted to say?”
Sefina guessed that Mia’s mind had definitely been replaying multiple absurd dramas just now, but she was too lazy to dwell on it.
With her usual calm tone, Sefina said:
“I thought it over carefully. Introduction to Elements is long and complicated, so making you copy it ten times was indeed too harsh a punishment. Therefore, I’ve decided to let you off.”
“Really?!” Mia was both surprised and delighted, her eyes wide open.
Sefina nodded and continued explaining:
“In class earlier, I had to establish authority as a warning to others, so I couldn’t make an exception for you. That’s why I asked you to come to the office afterward to tell you.”
“Thank you, teacher! You’re so kind!” Mia was instantly overjoyed, her heart warming. Suddenly, this cold, formidable loli teacher seemed really nice after all!
Huh?
“Remember, don’t tell anyone about this, and one more thing—” Sefina glanced at her, her tone carrying a hint of admonition.
She paused, narrowing her deep wine-red eyes, and added meaningfully:
“Don’t spread baseless rumors anymore, understood?”
Oh snap!
So the teacher was settling personal scores before!
Mia instantly got the picture, but at this moment, she only thought Sefina’s grudging yet secretly forgiving attitude was kind of adorable.
“Y-yes! I understand, teacher! I definitely won’t say anything!”
Mia nodded enthusiastically, her smile genuine and filled with relief.
Having her punishment lifted and unexpectedly tasting such an amazing treat, Mia’s mood turned bright in an instant, and her natural sociability and chatterbox tendencies quietly surfaced.
She looked at Sefina, eyes sparkling with curiosity:
“Teacher, teacher, what was that snack you gave me just now? It was really, really delicious! I’ve never had anything like it!”
Sefina was busy reviewing a student file on her desk and didn’t look up, replying flatly:
“Muffin. It’s a specialty from my hometown.”
“Muffin… oh!” Mia tried hard to remember the name, nodding eagerly.
But what she was really thinking was: Will I ever get to eat such delicious food again? Only once is too little!
But asking for food right after being spared a punishment felt a little too pushy, didn’t it?
She licked her lips, still savoring the sweet taste, her face full of “I want more” but too shy to say it aloud.
Though Sefina didn’t look up, she seemed to sense the burning desire in Mia’s gaze.
Still focusing on the paper in her hand, making notes with her pen, she casually said:
“There’s yogurt in the refrigerator. You can take a bottle and try it—it’s pretty good too.”
“Yogurt?”
Mia’s attention was caught by the new word, but even greater confusion followed. She blinked blankly and blurted out:
“Teacher, what’s a refrigerator? And what’s yogurt?”
Sefina’s hand holding the pen paused, then she rubbed her temple with a hint of helplessness.
She’d forgotten—there was no such thing as a “refrigerator” in this world.
The one in her office wasn’t a conventional electrically powered fridge.
It was a Magic Refrigeration Box powered by a Magic Stone that imprinted a simple ice-element Magic Rune Array.
But it required regular Mana infusion to keep running, making it expensive to build and operate.
Only someone like her—a Transmigrator obsessed with “modern life” and capable of tinkering with magic arrays—would have one.
The yogurt, muffins, and other foods were all made because Sefina missed the flavors of her homeland.