“Don’t come in!” Sefina’s voice suddenly rang out, like an invisible barrier blocking the doorway and halting the footsteps about to enter.
She recognized the voice outside as Ellaria’s, and felt a bit relieved it was her. In Oselenka, only Ellaria knew the secret of her magic pattern.
And Sefina also knew that Ellaria would help keep her secret, and even cover for her if necessary.
“Miss Sefina?!”
Outside the door, Ellaria heard Sefina’s muffled, choked cry and instantly withdrew her hand from the doorknob as if it had been burned.
“Se… Sefina, Miss Sefina?! What’s…”
Ellaria blurted out, but suddenly seemed to recall something.
She remembered her teacher’s previous confession about the magic pattern, and connected it with the panting and sobbing coming from within the room.
A sudden realization struck her—
“Miss Sefina, could it be that you…”
Ellaria covered her mouth, letting out a short, startled gasp.
Her cheeks were instantly tinged with crimson.
Inside, Sefina had almost lost all ability to think, but the last shred of reason allowed her to pick up on Ellaria’s understanding tone.
Shame nearly drowned her, but her actions were almost impossible to suppress.
She felt as if her consciousness was floating away, and could only weakly, intermittently add,
“Ellaria… stay, stay away from me…”
“Oh, o-okay!” Ellaria instinctively responded, her heart thundering in her chest.
She carefully shifted her steps, trying to obey her teacher’s command and leave this place that left her flustered and uneasy.
However, before she’d even managed two steps—
“Uhn—”
A much clearer whimper suddenly came from inside the door.
Ellaria’s feet were instantly rooted to the spot.
She didn’t know why, but after hearing that sound, her heart pounded even harder, as though a feather were gently tickling her insides—itchy, with a strange, inexplicable thrill.
Inside, Miss Sefina’s ragged “breathing” still faintly echoed.
Perhaps it was just adolescence at work, or perhaps it was that special feeling for her teacher that had long since taken root deep inside her heart.
Listening to those sounds, Ellaria felt her cheeks burning, and it seemed as if a faint
Excitement?
was rising from deep within her.
Leaning against the cool wall, her body went a little limp, and she slowly slid down to sit. Moonlight spilled through the corridor windows, outlining her curled-up figure.
A bold thought took root and began to spread like wild vines—
She wanted… she really wanted to open that door and see what her teacher looked like right now… and then…
No! Absolutely not!
Ellaria jerked up her hands, slapping both her burning cheeks hard in an attempt to chase away these dirty thoughts with pain.
You can’t do this! Ellaria, you can’t!
Teacher is in a painful struggle right now, how could you possibly…
Argh! Quickly throw all those thoughts away!
Ellaria’s rational mind was screaming at her, telling her she had to stand up and get away from here immediately, Or at least—
At the very least, she should stand guard at the door and make sure no one else approached.
Yes! That’s what she should do, she couldn’t let anyone discover her teacher’s secret!
That was what Ellaria told herself, but her body just wouldn’t cooperate; her legs felt like they were filled with lead, refusing to move.
Deep inside, the urge to peek at her teacher’s vulnerable side clashed violently with her sense of morality. She didn’t have the courage to push the door open, nor the strength to walk away.
All she could do was curl up like a little eavesdropper at the base of the wall, cheek pressed against the cold surface, ears straining to catch every subtle sound from within the door.
Her heart pounded like a drum, and her breathing unconsciously grew rapid as well.
***
Time passed slowly in agonizing silence.
She had no idea how long it had been before the noises inside gradually faded.
The previously “strange” sounds faded into heavy, exhausted breaths, and finally, only the faintest trace of breathing remained.
All was still, with only the night breeze occasionally brushing through the corridor.
This excessive silence finally jolted Ellaria out of her strange reverie, and worry quickly replaced her earlier fluttering thoughts.
Teacher… is she alright? She sounds so weak…
She struggled to prop up her slightly limp body, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door, her voice trembling just barely:
“Miss Sefina? Are… are you alright?”
There was a few seconds of silence inside, before Sefina’s extremely weak voice replied:
“Come… come in.”
Ellaria hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed open the classroom door.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the scene in the corner by the lectern.
At this moment, Sefina had already turned off the effect of the Magic Ring of Transformation, reverting from her tall “Holmes” form back to her original petite blue-haired self.
Miss Sefina was curled up there, powerless, no longer wearing her usual exquisite dress, over-knee socks, and little leather shoes.
Instead, she was dressed in a set of loose, easy-to-move-in dark clothes and trousers, with soft-soled ankle boots on her feet.
This outfit was made of a material with strong elasticity. It fit “Holmes” rather tightly, but was much looser on Sefina.
But whether worn by either form, it never looked out of place; it was convenient for movement and shifting between forms.
The baggy clothes, however, made Sefina look even more fragile at this moment.
Her pale face was flushed from exertion and fatigue, her wine-red eyes half-closed and slightly unfocused, and the hair at her forehead and temples was damp with sweat, sticking to her skin.
Seeing her teacher in this unprecedentedly weak state, Ellaria’s heart tightened. She quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and gently asked, “Teacher, are you alright?”
Sefina’s lips moved slightly, her voice as thin as a thread:
“Barely…”
Sefina’s condition was truly at its limit. The side effects of the Perception Dulling Pill hadn’t fully worn off, her vision was still a bit blurry, and a faint ringing persisted in her ears.
On top of that, the violent backlash from forcibly delaying her magic pattern eruption, along with the desperate “self-rescue” she had just performed, left her feeling like her whole body had been taken apart and put back together. Her mind was a fog.
Ellaria looked at her teacher’s state, both worried and confused.
She glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window and asked softly, “Teacher, why… why are you here so late at night? And… in this condition?”
Sefina wearily closed her eyes, struggling to organize her words through the chaos in her mind.
Of course she couldn’t say she’d snuck in to investigate the magic artifact storage room, nor mention being forced to take medicine and the embarrassment of an accidental magic pattern flare-up.
Ah, she really shouldn’t have taken that magic potion so recklessly. If only there were more medicines capable of delaying a magic pattern outbreak.
The Perception Dulling Potion was one of the very few successful experimental options.
Next time, she’d have to search for another substitute.
After a moment of silence, Sefina finally came up with an excuse. Still wearing her mask of calm, she began to explain to Ellaria in her usual poker-faced manner.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.