The long hour finally drew to a close.
Seraphina alternated between walking around and sitting down, occasionally glancing out the window.
In the distance, beneath the covered walkway, she could see Movira’s figure.
It was as if Movira could sense her gaze every single time.
Whenever Seraphina looked her way, Movira would turn and meet her eyes directly.
Saint Eustacia, meanwhile, kept her attention fixed on her novel the entire time, as if nothing happening in the exam hall had anything to do with her.
“Fifteen minutes remain in the exam. Please keep an eye on the time, everyone.”
Seraphina was still wandering aimlessly below when Saint Eustacia suddenly spoke from her seat above.
Wait… wasn’t she reading a novel?
In any case, the ending bell soon rang.
Seraphina let out a mental sigh of relief.
It was finally over.
Collecting the papers, counting them, and sealing them were not part of her duties.
Seraphina stepped out of the classroom.
The near-noon sunlight bathed the covered walkway.
Movira immediately walked over to meet her.
“Looks like Professor Seraphina not only completed her task flawlessly but also got along perfectly with Saint Eustacia.”
Her tone carried a hint of teasing.
Seraphina muttered under her breath, “I was just too honest. I didn’t bring anything, but she was over there reading a whole novel…”
“Mm, but it really was boring.
Let’s head back.”
Movira suggested.
The professor’s robe did feel rather restrictive to Seraphina; she always felt like her movements were limited.
“These next few days should be pretty quiet, right?”
Movira asked on the way back.
“Mm… I think so.”
Seraphina recalled the tasks she had been assigned and realized this was the only one.
She had to admit, Dekalorin really had gone above and beyond.
“That’s good… How about we head back once the new year is over?”
Seraphina knew exactly what Movira meant by “head back.”
“Alright.
We’ve been here quite a while already.
I wonder how things are going over there…”
In the afternoon, Seraphina finally enjoyed a rare stretch of free time.
Ever since she had been forced to accept the professor title a few days ago, she had barely had a moment to herself.
After all, she was the only new professor appointed in the past three years.
With the semester ending, students were also paying extra attention to their studies in preparation for exams.
“Sister, let’s go for a walk around the academy. It’s so big, and there are still so many places we haven’t visited.”
Seraphina had mostly stayed in the eastern half of the academy.
The western half was largely unfamiliar to her.
“Sure.”
The moment they stepped outside, the cold wind brushed past, making Seraphina shiver slightly.
“Ah… it’s getting colder and colder.”
She pulled her coat tighter around herself.
Her body had always been frail and prone to feeling cold.
Add in the lingering effects from that incident in the snowfields, and even the slightest chill was hard for her to bear.
“Need any help?
Leaning against me would keep you really warm.”
Movira spoke while opening her arms.
Movira’s embrace was indeed very warm.
If they had been inside the room, Seraphina might have leaned in without hesitation.
But they were outside.
She could only shake her head.
“N-No… it’s fine… walking like this is good too.”
She quickened her pace a little, as if trying to escape that brief moment of hesitation.
Movira watched her back, then caught up with quick steps and walked beside her.
They passed through the familiar covered walkways and headed toward the less-visited western district.
Unlike the eastern district, which was dominated by lecture halls and the library and carried a strong academic atmosphere, the western district featured many parks of various sizes and open areas for magic practice.
All the practical combat exams had been held here.
Even in winter, thanks to magic, the plants remained lush and green year-round.
“Look over there.”
Movira pointed to a small hill not far away.
A charming viewing pavilion sat at its summit.
“The view should be pretty nice.”
They climbed the clean stone steps.
Standing inside the pavilion, they could overlook nearly half the academy grounds.
After all, there were no tall buildings in the western district.
Further beyond, outside the academy walls, stretched a continuous range of snow-covered mountains.
Although Seraphina had mostly recovered from that disaster, she still didn’t want to look at the snowy scenery.
“It’s so quiet,” she said softly, turning her gaze back toward the campus.
The academy’s usual bustle had faded.
With students all in various exam halls, the grounds felt especially spacious and peaceful.
“Mm.”
Movira responded, her eyes falling on the faint red tint the cold wind had brought to the tip of Seraphina’s nose and her cheeks.
“Cold?”
“It’s not too bad… just my hands are a little chilly.”
The moment the words left her mouth, a pair of warm hands reached over and gently clasped hers.
The motion was completely natural, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Movira’s palms were wonderfully warm, steadily transferring heat.
“Hey!
We’re… we’re outside right now, this isn’t okay…”
Seraphina instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Movira’s grip tightened just enough that she couldn’t free herself.
“What’s there to be afraid of?
There’s no one around right now.”
At the mention of “around,” Seraphina quickly glanced in every direction.
Only after confirming no one was nearby did she relax a little.
To make the gesture less obvious, she shifted closer toward Movira so her coat could hide what was happening.
What Seraphina didn’t expect was that Movira would take advantage of the movement, giving a gentle tug.
Seraphina lost her balance and fell completely into her arms.
Seraphina let out a soft yelp.
“Y-You… what are you doing!”
Her hand was still being held, and her struggling was so weak it looked more like half-hearted resistance.
“Aren’t your hands cold?”
Movira’s voice came from above her head.
“This way it’ll be warmer and more effective.”
Perhaps because Movira’s strength was something she couldn’t possibly resist, or perhaps because she really was a little cold—either way, Seraphina gave up on struggling.
Still, she felt a bit indignant at how undignified it made her look.
She could only lightly bump her head against Movira to express her dissatisfaction.
Movira chuckled softly but stopped teasing her.
After a while, Seraphina seemed to remember something and looked up.
“By the way, during the new year… does the academy close? Where would we go then?”
“It probably will, but don’t worry.
We’ll go see Dekalorin tonight.
She’ll definitely have everything arranged.
Who knows… she might even invite us to spend the holiday at her place or something.”
Given Dekalorin’s lively and meddlesome personality, along with how much she adored Seraphina, Movira could already predict what the older woman would arrange.
Still, it was a good opportunity to draw Seraphina even closer…
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