Ellaria’s emerald eyes fluttered, her pupils shimmering with nervousness and bashfulness. The words were on the verge of spilling out of her uncontrollably—
Sefina seemed to notice her unusual behavior, tilting her head slightly with a puzzled look, as if asking, “What did you say?”
However, that single glance acted like a bucket of cold water, instantly snapping Ellaria out of the grip of her impulse.
She realized with a jolt what she had been about to say, her cheeks turning bright red, like a ripe strawberry. The vital words were lodged firmly in her throat, unable to escape.
Oh my god! I almost… I really just… This is so humiliating…
How could I ever say something so… so scandalous to Teacher Sefina?
Expressing love sounded simple enough in theory, but when facing Teacher Sefina’s perpetually cold and composed expression, the courage required was far beyond what Ellaria had imagined.
“I…” Ellaria scrambled to correct herself, her voice clearly trembling. “Teacher, I like… eating this pastry. You should try some, too.”
She hurriedly pushed a delicate piece of pastry from her tray toward Sefina, attempting to use the clumsy gesture to cover up her momentary lapse.
Sefina observed Ellaria’s instantly flushed cheeks and shifty eyes, and she understood.
Actually… what Ellaria wanted to say just now was likely “Teacher, I like you,” wasn’t it?
Sefina was not a dull person.
Combining the girl’s intrusive closeness during the last magic tattoo backlash with her current state of extreme nervousness and shyness, it was not difficult to guess the intentions hidden behind the girl’s unfinished words.
That thought, as thin as paper, was ready to break at the slightest touch.
Yet, Sefina chose silence, refusing to poke through that thin window-paper layer.
She simply followed Ellaria’s lead, the corners of her lips curling into a light arc, as if she were truly fooled by the awkward turn of the conversation.
She took the pastry, elegantly placed it in her mouth, and after tasting it carefully, she remarked softly:
“Mhm, the flavor is quite good.”
Sefina pretended not to know what was on Ellaria’s mind. After all, she was equally ill-equipped to deal with such direct and pure emotions.
She recalled her time at the Legdolo magic academy on the western continent, and that “enemy young lady” who specialized in ice magic…
That, too, was a past intertwined with a student’s admiration, though the situation differed from Ellaria’s; it was more complicated, even bearing some unresolved entanglements.
That was something she would eventually have to face and resolve.
At Oselenka, students were at an age where their hearts were beginning to stir, and the academy held an open attitude toward romantic relationships between students, just as relaxed as the university campus in her previous life’s memories.
It was not earth-shattering for young students to develop feelings for their young teachers.
Sefina knew clearly that she could not use high-sounding but unpersuasive excuses, like “students should prioritize their studies,” to rudely deny or evade the situation.
She understood the logic; it should be responded to and guided in a normal, respectful manner.
But… how exactly does one act in a “normal manner”?
Sefina’s thoughts were somewhat chaotic.
She remembered the previous incident when she accidentally turned a small toy to its maximum power, leading to an embarrassing scene.
Ellaria had appeared just in time to cover for her and escort her to the infirmary.
Ellaria had keenly sensed the anomaly, skillfully helped her out, and kept that shameful secret.
This child had always been that considerate and gentle.
Sefina also recalled the many times her magic tattoo had flared up, and it was always Ellaria who silently provided support by her side.
Thinking of this, an indescribable and unfamiliar emotion stirred in the bottom of her heart, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, sending out ripples.
It was more than just a teacher’s care for a student; it seemed to contain something that left her feeling somewhat at a loss.
She did not know what it was.
It was precisely because of this hidden fluttering and hesitation that Sefina chose to remain silent.
She did not know how to respond, and she feared that a rash response might hurt the sensitive and sincere girl before her.
In the end, the day concluded with Ellaria’s unspoken feelings and Sefina’s silent understanding, carrying with it a faint sense of trepidation and quiet.
The words hidden in the depths of their hearts were like flower buds, temporarily restraining their courage to bloom.
However, once some things germinate, they are difficult to suppress. The day they truly opened their hearts and were honest with one another seemed not so far off.
***
Time slipped away, and soon it was the day to depart for the western continent.
At the gates of the Oselenka magic academy, Teacher Sefina and Teacher Shalina stood at the front, with 19 carefully selected senior exchange students behind them.
Of course, Kefi, Mia, and Ellaria were not senior students, so they would likely not see Teacher Sefina for more than a week.
The most, most, most, most terrible part was that the substitute teacher for Sefina’s class would be Teacher Clyde, who tended to discriminate against commoner students, which made people want to cry.
But there was no helping it; he was the only teacher who had time to take over two classes simultaneously.
On this day, Headmaster Rofilia came to send them off in person, briefly going over a few precautions and wishing them a smooth journey and academic success.
The group subsequently arrived at the railway station connecting the eastern and western continents.
Yes, this world possessed trains, though they were not powered by fuel or electricity, but by minerals containing abundant mana—Magic Crystals.
Inside the station, massive train engines pulled carriage after carriage, the tracks like steel veins running through the main regions of the east and west continents.
However, this convenient transportation network was currently limited to between the two continents; the vast northern ice fields and southern dense forests had yet to be reached by rail.
Even taking such a magic-driven train, arriving at the border of the western continent would take 2 full days.
On the platform, the whistle blew, mixed with the humming sound unique to magic energy.
Students boarded one after another with excitement and anticipation, while Teacher Shalina smiled and directed everyone to stow their luggage.
Sefina stood at the door of the carriage, taking one last look in the direction of Oselenka, a complex emotion flickering in her wine-red eyes.
This was, after all, a distant journey, and she did not know if the investigation in the western continent would go smoothly.
Furthermore, she wondered if she would encounter Versie—that “enemy young lady.”
Although she had been secretly praying not to run into her, when the train finally began to move, a thin thread of longing for Versie emerged inexplicably in Sefina’s heart.
Perhaps it was true; humans were complex creatures. Sometimes one says they do not want to see someone, yet it is difficult to stop thinking about taking a look.
After all, that was also a student she had personally taught for many years…
She only worried slightly whether that “little witch” would do something completely out of line.