Chapter 99

An early morning with falling snow.

In preparation for the upcoming vacation, Professor Karel was in his office early in the morning, organizing his belongings.

Since he would be away for quite a while—attending academic conferences throughout the winter—there were many materials he needed to prepare immediately.

Knock, knock.

While engrossed in tidying up, an unexpected knock echoed through the office.

‘Who could it be?’

Visiting the office without an appointment was exactly the type of behavior he disliked.

Letting out a disgruntled groan, Professor Karel flung the door open.

“Hello, Professor.”

But the visitor turned out to be someone Professor Karel had not expected at all.

“…Judith? What brings you here at this hour?”

The annoyance on Professor Karel’s face quickly softened.

He stepped aside to let Judith, who was standing in the chilly hallway, into the office.

“I came to submit the documents for the assistant professor position.”

Judith smiled as she spoke, and Professor Karel’s face brightened immediately.

After all, he had heard not long ago that she was planning to seek permission from the Cardandy estate for this position.

But since he hadn’t heard any updates since then, he had been curious…

“Did the elders give their consent?”

“Yes, they were a bit hesitant at first, but in the end, they gave their permission.”

Hearing that things had worked out, Professor Karel looked as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“That’s wonderful. Really, that’s great.”

Oh, but this wasn’t the time for this.

Professor Karel bustled about and quickly began boiling water to serve tea to his guest.

“What would you like to drink? I recently received some excellent tea leaves as a gift from another professor. I believe they’re from the Salame region.”

“Yes, I’ll have that. Professor, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”

Judith smiled and pulled out a large, paper-wrapped item from her bag.

“It’s a sandwich from a nearby café. They’re famous for being delicious, so I picked one up on my way here.”

“Well, thank you for being so considerate.”

Professor Karel, who had been planning to hastily put together a quick lunch, scratched his head awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Judith’s gaze drifted toward the music box sitting on the desk in the office.

“Oh, that’s the gift I gave you.”

“The music box? Yes, thanks to you, I often listen to it when I’m feeling bored.”

“I thought it looked nice since it plays several different tunes.”

As Professor Karel looked at Judith’s satisfied smile, he recalled the time she had visited him not long ago.

Back then, she had handed him a neatly wrapped gift box and said:

“It’s not even my birthday. Why are you giving me a gift?”

“I’ve been indebted to you for so much, Professor. You also helped Chase get accepted into the Imperial Knight Order. I wanted to repay you, even if it’s just a small token.”

Professor Karel, who had been so absorbed in his research that he missed the opportunity to marry and have children, felt something stir in his heart at that moment.

For the first time, he thought he might understand what it felt like to be a father with a daughter.

Up until then, he had always been indifferent when other professors bragged about their children. But now, he finally understood why they were so eager to do so.

Hiding his emotions as best as he could, Professor Karel brought the carefully brewed tea to the table and sat down across from her.

“Well then, let’s see if you’ve brought all the necessary documents.”

He looked over the papers in the brown envelope with a satisfied expression and nodded.

“Alright, everything seems to be in order. You can start working from the first semester next year. By the way… are you not applying for the staff dormitory?”

“Oh… about that, Professor.”

Judith hesitated, her expression uncertain.

“I’ve been thinking about it lately. Fortunately, the academy has allowed me to stay in the dormitory until the end of winter break…”

In fact, Judith had recently received another letter addressed to her.

This time, it was from Madame Fedelian, who, upon hearing about Judith’s plans to work at the academy, offered to rent her a small house nearby.

However, Judith didn’t want to impose on her any further.

So, she had politely declined, replying that she would find a place to stay on her own.

Then, not long ago, Earl Cardandy had also made a generous offer to buy her and Chase a newlywed home near the academy.

For the first time, this made Judith seriously consider preparations for her marriage to Chase.

If Chase agreed to find a place to live together, they might be able to secure a decent apartment with their combined earnings, even without relying on help from others.

And in that case, there would be no need for her to stay in the staff dormitory.

“Chase and I decided to wait a bit on the marriage since we’ll both be busy for a while… But after graduating from the academy, we’ll both need a new place to stay.”

Since Chase would be working for the Imperial Knight Order and Judith would be at the academy, finding a place to live in the capital seemed ideal.

Rather than struggling in a cramped dormitory, it might be better to take this opportunity to secure a proper home.

“So, I plan to discuss it with Chase and make a decision.”

“I see. Well, there’s still time, so take your time to think it over.”

Professor Karel agreed that the staff dormitory might be a bit too small, so finding a more comfortable arrangement seemed like a better idea.

As they discussed their future plans, the two of them quickly finished the sandwiches.

While cleaning up the table, Professor Karel spoke again.

“Anyway, I’ll submit these documents to the academy on your behalf. Once they’re approved, there won’t be any additional procedures. I’ll take care of any other bothersome tasks, so don’t worry.”

Reassured by his confident words, Judith smiled.

“Thank you, Professor. I know I still have a lot to learn, but… I’ll do my best starting next year.”

“Alright, I look forward to working with you.”

Professor Karel smiled back and extended his hand for a handshake with Judith.

This marked the first time during his tenure that he had taken on an assistant professor.

***

“A letter has arrived.”

Despite being away for only about two weeks, Chase had sent a letter every single day since the first day of his group training.

Meanwhile, Judith, who had been busy preparing documents for the academy and visiting the Cardandy estate, hadn’t even had the time to send a reply.

Today, however, she was determined to write back.

First, she opened the envelope to check the contents of the letter.

Inside, Chase had written short sentences about what he ate that day and what kind of training he had undergone.

As Judith read through the letter, she realized how excited Chase was about his new lifestyle, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

Soon, she picked up a pen and began writing her reply.

[To Chase,  

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to reply because I’ve been so busy with various things.  

I have some news that will surprise you when you return. I think you’ll be happy to hear it.  

By the time you receive this letter, your training will likely be nearing its end. So, please wait until you’re back to hear the details.]

Time flew by amidst her worries and longing, and before she knew it, Chase had finished his training and returned to the academy.

Judith stood by the school gate, watching as a carriage pulled in. As soon as she saw Chase step out, she ran toward him.

“Chase!”

The moment Chase spotted her waiting for him, his face lit up with joy.

“Judith, have you been waiting long? Your nose is red.”

“It’s just because it’s cold.”

“I told you, you didn’t have to come out here. Let’s go inside.”

Chase wrapped his arms around her from behind and guided her indoors.

As soon as they entered the academy building, the warm air enveloped them.

Both of them brushed the snow off their shoes at the entrance, and when their eyes met, they burst into laughter.

“Haha, this is kind of funny.”

“Yeah, it is.”

With a deep smile on his lips, Chase looked at Judith and suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right. What’s the good news you mentioned in your letter? I was dying of curiosity.”

“Oh, that…”

Judith scratched her cheek awkwardly and glanced around at the students passing by.

“Let’s sit down somewhere and talk.”

The two of them headed to a small café inside the academy.

Judith ordered two steaming cups of cocoa, and as she sipped hers, she began to speak.

“First, promise me you won’t get mad.”

“You said it was good news, didn’t you?”

“Yes, it is. But… I actually went to your house once while you were away. The Earl summoned me.”

At her words, Chase’s face immediately contorted.

“To my house? What did my father say this time… No, never mind. Go on.”

While Chase pressed his temples to suppress his irritation, Judith cautiously continued.

“It’s fine, Chase. The Earl treated me very politely. In fact, he said he’s fine with me taking the assistant professor position and even asked me to look after you.”

“…? Are you joking?”

Chase slowly lowered the hand propping up his chin, his mouth slightly agape in disbelief.