The class bell rang, and Sefina made no delay.
She closed her lecture notes, stepped lightly in her small leather shoes, and walked straight out of the classroom without even glancing back at Ellaria in the last row.
Ellaria’s heart was uneasy, but she could only quietly stand up and follow Sefina at a distance.
She clutched the hem of her skirt, her mind already rehearsing countless scenarios of harsh criticism or even punishment.
With this teacher’s decisive and unyielding personality, Ellaria’s near disaster today certainly wouldn’t be let off easily.
The two of them walked silently through the corridor, one ahead of the other, until they reached the door of the teachers’ office.
Not a word was exchanged along the way.
Sefina took out her key, unlocked the door, pushed it open sideways, and casually threw out:
“Come in.”
Her tone was flat, revealing no emotion.
“Mm.”
Ellaria answered softly, marking their first—and only—conversation on the entire walk.
Inside the office, Sefina, as usual, went straight to her desk and sat down, casually picking up an unreviewed document.
Ellaria stood awkwardly before the desk, silent, eyes lowered, bracing herself for the storm of criticism that was sure to come.
Every second of silence felt like a slow torment to her nerves.
Yet, the expected scolding never came.
Sefina’s gaze remained on the papers, and as if on a whim, she asked:
“Coffee? Want some?”
“Uh… yes…… eh?!”
Ellaria answered instinctively, then abruptly lifted her head, her emerald eyes wide with disbelief.
What had she just heard? Coffee? Was this a joke? Now was the time for coffee?!
Before she could fully process her shock, Sefina had already stood up and walked over to a small cabinet, taking out Coffee Beans and a Grinder, starting to grind the beans with practiced ease.
Speaking of which, the Coffee Beans in this world were indeed of excellent quality.
With Sefina’s careful roasting and brewing—after all, a “former engineering guy” turned mage—the flavor was even richer than what Ellaria had tasted at cafés in her previous life.
As Sefina worked, her mind wandered aimlessly.
“Sugar Cube?” Sefina asked without turning back, breaking Ellaria’s daze.
“Um… a little, please…” Ellaria was completely baffled by the teacher’s intentions but went along hesitantly.
Right now, her mind was full of questions—what was the teacher up to? A soft approach before the harsh words? A sugar-coated ambush?
Soon, the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee filled the office.
Sefina poured the brewed coffee into two exquisite Porcelain Cups with elegant movements, even pulling off a beautiful Leaf Pattern in the foam of one cup.
This was a skill she had taught herself for fun in her previous life, and she couldn’t help but show off a bit whenever she brewed coffee now.
“Drink up.”
Sefina pushed the cup with the latte art across the desk while picking up the other herself, taking a small sip.
Hmm, rich and slightly bitter, with a sweet aftertaste, dense foam, and perfect latte art.
No loss of skill. She recalled how her old teacher used to put her to work making coffee too…
Ellaria mechanically accepted the coffee, staring at the beautiful latte art, then hesitantly took a small sip.
The warm liquid slid down her throat, tasting wonderfully smooth and fragrant—far better than any coffee she’d had at a Court Banquet.
But… did she have the heart to savor it now? Wasn’t the teacher going to get to the point?
This calm waiting was even more unbearable than direct scolding.
Just as Ellaria’s nerves raced, Sefina finally set down her cup and returned her gaze to the document, speaking as if in casual conversation:
“Ellaria, with your current level, can you proficiently control Dual-Element Fusion Magic—combining two different elemental attributes?”
Ellaria was taken aback, not understanding why the teacher asked suddenly, but answered honestly:
“Y-yes.” She had indeed mastered Wind-Fire Fusion quite well.
“Then, like what happened in class today, was it your first time trying to forcibly incorporate a third elemental attribute into an already-formed Dual-Element Fusion Magic?” Sefina’s tone remained even.
“Um…” Ellaria admitted softly, her fingers tightening unconsciously. She understood she had been too eager to prove herself—her actions reckless and dangerous.
Sefina was probably going to reprimand her for this…
Sefina lifted her eyes, glanced at her, still calm, and then said words that completely stunned Ellaria:
“You’re very talented.”
“?????”
Ellaria’s head shot up, doubting she’d heard correctly.
“Your first attempt at Triple-Element Fusion Magic, without sufficient preparation or practice, yet you still managed to roughly form the structure, and even when it was about to spiral out of control, you could stabilize it again under my guidance…”
Sefina paused, then concluded: “Among peers your age, purely in terms of magical talent and control, few can surpass you.”
Ellaria was utterly stunned, nearly dropping her coffee cup.
She had expected ruthless scolding and harsh punishment, but instead…
Instead, such straightforward and unequivocal praise?
This… this was the first time someone had so clearly recognized her magical talent—not a perfunctory compliment like from a Court teacher, nor a distant nod like her father’s restrained approval, but genuine acknowledgment.
A complicated warmth mixed with bitterness suddenly surged up her nose and eyes.
Sefina seemed unaware of Ellaria’s emotional slip, continuing to review the document while casually adding:
“I know you might be eager to gain recognition, to prove something.”
Ellaria’s heart skipped a beat at these words.
“But from my perspective, it’s not that important.”
Sefina’s voice was calm and steady, yet it struck Ellaria like a shock to the soul.
“Magic is for yourself—to explore the world and protect what matters—not a trick performed for others. For you, understanding this sooner is far more important than simply learning ten advanced spells.”
These words struck Ellaria’s heart like a hammer.
She stared silently at this petite yet commanding teacher before her and suddenly realized that those seemingly cold garnet eyes had long seen through all her pride, insecurity, and longing hidden beneath the surface.
So, Teacher Sefina didn’t look down on her, didn’t despise her…
On the contrary… she was truly thinking about her well-being?
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