Chapter 24

During their Academy days, Enoch Meyer, who had been cold and drew clear boundaries, and the Enoch who now smiled as if seducing her, were impossible for Hazel Hoover to reconcile as the same person in her mind.  

What on earth had happened to him during those ten years?  

Of course, it wasn’t strange for a person to change over such a long time. She herself had grown to like things she used to hate and hate things she used to love.  

Even her timid and reserved personality had changed completely after becoming a professor.  

Hazel shook her head vigorously, trying not to think too deeply about it.  

Why he had become this kind of person wasn’t important. What mattered more was the fact that she had spent another night with him while sober.  

I must’ve lost my mind…  

Not only had she taken him to her secret place because she wanted to spend more time with him, but she had also drunk alcohol with him.  

No matter how much she thought about what had excited him, she couldn’t figure it out. But it didn’t matter.  

Even if she had been swayed by temptation, she had to set a good example for her students.  

If the first time could be called a mistake, then repeating it two or three times was intentional. In other words, deep down, she must have wanted this to happen with Enoch Meyer.  

‘I don’t want to admit it! Sure, when I first saw him, I thought maybe my first love could come true! That much is true, but this is totally different!’  

Letting out a silent scream, Hazel clutched her head, but she slowly regained her composure.  

Well, what’s done is done. What could I do about it now? I had no choice but to let it go as casually as Enoch did. Right?  

Thinking that way made her feel a little lighter.  

After organizing her thoughts, Hazel slowly got out of bed to wash up. Enoch, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, followed her.  

“W-Why are you following me?”  

“To help you if you need anything. It’s hard for you to walk, isn’t it?”  

At some point, his hand had wrapped around her waist. Feeling the rough, calloused touch of his hand, hardened from years of gripping a sword, Hazel involuntarily clenched her lower body.  

What’s wrong with me?  

Her body, which reacted so easily without regard for time or place, sent a whirlwind of complicated emotions through her.  

Have I been this starved? Was I always this lustful?  

“I can do it myself, so you don’t need to help!”  

Shaking off his hand, which had been lightly resting on her waist, Hazel fled to the bathroom.  

When he told her to call him if it became too difficult, she pressed down on her pounding chest.  

It was natural for him to worry. After all, it was a miracle she could even stand on her two legs right now, given how shaky they were.  

But she couldn’t let him take care of something like this. Even though they had already seen everything there was to see, bathing her was something only married couples did.  

And someone who could care for another person’s bathing needs…  

Hazel shook her head furiously.  

Why would it be strange for Enoch Meyer to be that kind of person?  

Even during their Academy days, there had always been a lot of women around him. Spending a night with someone, if he wanted to, probably wasn’t a big deal for him.  

Thanks to the contraceptive magic sigil, there was no risk of complications like illegitimate children, either.  

‘Don’t overthink it. It’s not something worth worrying about anyway. Enoch Meyer is a weirdo, and I just got caught up with a weirdo.’  

After washing away her tangled thoughts with water and finally cleaning herself up, Hazel wrapped herself in a large towel and stepped out.  

The warm water had loosened her stiff muscles, leaving a pleasant sensation throughout her body.  

While wringing out her hair, which still dripped water despite her efforts, she locked eyes with Enoch, who was sitting on the bed.  

‘Why is he just sitting there again? He’s not thinking of doing something weird, is he?’  

Pretending not to notice his intense gaze, Hazel grabbed the underwear placed on the bedside table.  

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Enoch stood behind her and reached out his hand.  

The firm touch on her back made her flinch.  

Before she could say anything, Enoch untied the towel she had wrapped around herself.  

While he was also half-dressed, the shock of exposing herself in broad daylight was overwhelming.  

“W-Wait! What are you doing?!”  

Startled, Hazel quickly covered herself, but she could only shield her chest and the area between her legs.  

“To help you.”  

“Why would you?!”  

“It’s hard for you to dress yourself, isn’t it?”  

“I can do it myself!”  

Pushing him away, Hazel hastily grabbed her underwear.  

‘What kind of design is this?!’  

Of all things, the underwear was a different type than what she usually wore. She was accustomed to buttoned undergarments, so this one was difficult to put on.  

As Hazel struggled to tie the strings, Enoch watched her with an expression that said he had expected this.  

“I’ll just tie this part for you. Is that okay?”  

Before she could respond, he tightened the loosely tied knot and quickly withdrew his hands.  

His expression seemed to suggest that he meant nothing more by it, leaving Hazel confused.  

Was that really it?  

Was he not planning to use this as an excuse to do something else?  

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she stared at him, but he met her gaze with a look of exasperation.  

“Do you want me to do something else?”  

“No! I can really do the rest myself now, so you don’t need to help!”  

Hazel twisted her body away, firmly expressing her refusal.  

Seeing his openly disappointed face, she let out a hollow laugh.  

I knew it.  

After securing her undergarments tightly, she picked up the dress she had left folded neatly in one place.  

Enoch, as if reluctant to let her go, gently grabbed her wrist.  

“Are you leaving already?”  

“My sister and father are waiting, so I need to hurry back.”  

Whether he understood her feelings or not, Enoch raised an eyebrow and voiced his dissatisfaction.  

“Didn’t the maid say she’d cover for you?”  

“That’s one thing, but this is another. My sister might be fine with it, but my father won’t like it. He’s very particular about these things. He’s the type to say it’s absolutely unacceptable unless it’s with the person you’re going to marry.”  

He’s also the reason I became a professor of general education and literature.  

Hazel added with a faint smile.  

But she quickly turned pale and called out to Enoch.  

“W-Wait, Enoch!”  

Whether he heard her or not, he ran his hand along her waist with a dissatisfied expression.  

Though startled, the soft touch on her side made her lower abdomen tighten. Hazel grabbed his hand in a panic.  

But, as if it wasn’t enough to stop him, Enoch intertwined their fingers and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.  

“Hazel.”  

His gentle voice, as if calling out to a lover, made her shoulders tremble.  

The weight of his gaze, brimming with heat, as he looked up at her with his lips still on her hand, made her cheeks burn as if scorched. Hazel hurriedly averted her eyes.  

“Don’t you think we’re a good match?”  

At his sudden remark, Hazel widened her eyes in shock.  

“Both last time and this time, it seems like neither of us has ever been dissatisfied.”  

She was dumbfounded. What was even more absurd was that she couldn’t deny it.  

‘Could I ever feel something this intense in my life?’  

She had thought such things only existed in cheap romance novels. But experiencing it firsthand, she realized it wasn’t a lie.  

Enoch casually removed the dress she was holding and brought out another dress he had prepared while she was asleep.  

“Wear this. The one you wore yesterday is probably uncomfortable since it’s soaked in sweat.”  

“I can just wear it…”  

“You complained that it was heavy and uncomfortable. Wear something you’re used to.”  

“D-Did I say that?”  

Hazel gaped at him as he nodded matter-of-factly. She must have grumbled about it while drunk.  

The dress Enoch handed her was in the style she usually wore. It had no unnecessary embellishments and was simple yet functional.