Sefina watched Mia laughing playfully, saying nothing more, though she felt her body growing weak and slumped back into the chair behind her desk.
That girl bit down with so much force, no sense of restraint at all…
Although she had avoided the major blood vessels, the blood loss still made her feel dizzy, and a sharp sting radiated from the wound on her neck.
Seeing this, Mia’s playful smile immediately faded, replaced by concern.
She took a quick step forward and bent down anxiously, asking, “Teacher, are you okay? You look a bit pale…”
Sefina shot her a glare, not in the mood to respond, and covered the wound on her neck with her hand. Her fingertips glowed faintly with Healing Magic as she began treating the injury.
The Simple Healing Spell could stop the bleeding and speed up recovery, but the subtle pain from the fang puncture and the weakness caused by Blood Loss wouldn’t disappear so quickly.
Mia smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands sincerely as she apologized, “Sorry, sorry! Teacher’s scent was just too… too good, a faint sweet fragrance—I just couldn’t help myself…”
She scratched her cheek, trying to change the subject. “Um… Teacher, you must be feeling weak now, right? Do you want to eat something to help you recover? I’ll get something from the fridge!”
Sefina immediately saw through Mia’s little scheme and snorted coldly, “Actually, you just want to eat it yourself, don’t you?”
Mia was caught off guard, exaggeratedly stepping back and scratching her head as she tried to put on a serious face, “How could that be! I’m genuinely worried about you! You just lost a lot of blood, so it’s only common sense to replenish your nutrition and energy! Especially sweets—they quickly restore blood sugar!”
Sefina didn’t want to waste time arguing, waving her hand with a hint of helplessness in her tone, “Fine, if you want dessert, get it yourself. There are some small cakes I made yesterday on the bottom shelf of the fridge.”
“Really? That’s great!” Mia’s smile instantly blossomed and she couldn’t hide her excitement anymore. Like a child given candy, she dashed to the fridge, eagerly opening the door.
While continuing to soothe the wound with Healing Magic, Sefina watched Mia’s cheerful back and silently sighed.
This girl is always like this, like a child who never grows up… But maybe it’s this very innocence and energy that lets her keep such bright eyes even after everything she’s been through.
How wonderful it would be if I could be like her—perhaps then I wouldn’t feel so exhausted.
But unfortunately, I can’t be like her. I can’t be like her.
Mia took out a delicate small cake from the fridge, pierced a large piece with a fork, and eagerly stuffed it into her mouth.
The rich aroma of cream and the soft cake melted on her tongue, making her close her eyes in happiness. She couldn’t help but caress her cheek and sigh in contentment.
However, as the sweet flavor spread in her mouth, her peripheral vision caught sight of Sefina sitting in the chair, her face still a little pale.
A sudden wave of guilt surged up—her teacher had just been bitten and was still weak, yet she was here, focused only on eating, which felt… not quite right.
Well… it really did seem like she shouldn’t.
Thinking this, Mia immediately grabbed a small plate and a new fork, cut another equally delicious-looking piece of cake, and eagerly trotted over to Sefina.
Presenting the fork with the cake like a precious gift, she smiled pleadingly, “Teacher, you have some too! Here, I’ll feed you!”
Sefina, still focused on healing, was momentarily surprised when the cake was offered to her mouth. She glanced at Mia’s sparkling eyes.
Hmph, so this girl still has some conscience after all.
She didn’t refuse, opening her mouth slightly to take a bite.
The sweet yet not cloying cream and the soft cake indeed provided energy, and it tasted quite good.
Watching Sefina accept the feeding, Mia’s small cheeks moved gently as she chewed.
Those usually stern wine-red eyes appeared a little moist from weakness, making Mia feel… that feeding her teacher was actually… quite nice?
A strange sense of satisfaction and closeness welled up inside Mia.
Perhaps it was because, although her teacher was strict, she had always silently tolerated and helped her, making Mia want to return this kindness.
Just as Mia was immersed in the subtle joy of feeding, Sefina swallowed the cake, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, then reached out to open a drawer in the desk.
From it, she took out a slender scroll wrapped in aged special leather and handed it to Mia.
“Teacher, what is this…?” Mia’s attention was drawn, looking curiously at the mysterious scroll in front of her.
Sefina explained in a calm tone, her voice carrying a reassuring strength: “Something to help you get rid of ‘They’.”
Mia’s pupils suddenly contracted, her outstretched hand trembling slightly as she nearly held her breath, shakily taking the scroll.
The cool leather sent a shiver through her fingertips.
The sudden bloodthirsty impulse from earlier had momentarily interrupted Mia’s doubts, but Sefina’s words stirred a fresh wave of astonishment inside her, swelling even stronger.
Clutching the scroll tightly, Mia lifted her head to look straight into Sefina’s eyes and finally voiced the deepest question buried in her heart:
“Teacher, who… who exactly are you? How do you know about ‘They’?”
No matter how she looked at her, Sefina was just a powerful and strict teacher at Oselenka Magic Academy, though admittedly a bit petite to really seem like a teacher… ahem.
But… Sefina knew ‘They’, those terrifying beings hunting her, and now, seeing her so resolute in producing this scroll…
Could she really… have the ability to help her completely escape those ever-present nightmares?
A thread of hope blossomed in Mia’s heart, accompanied by curiosity and a desire to uncover the truth about Sefina’s identity.
Perhaps the real Sefina was far more complicated and mysterious than she let on.
Perhaps… even the white-haired woman who helped Mia that night was arranged by Sefina…