Refrain from Obsession - Chapter 13

“……So that’s why you came together?”

“Yes, Professor.”

The assistant replied with an indifferent expression, then glanced at Aer. He was displeased as if they had deliberately escalated an issue that could have been resolved by staying quiet. With so much work to do…….

The assistant, heaving a deep sigh, asked the professor in a soulless voice.

“How would you like to handle this?”

Even though classes were over, since the professor had witnessed it directly, he could punish them himself. Or report it to the administration office.

Declan, the mathematics professor, looked at the students standing in a row one by one and then asked his assistant.

“James, did that student also participate in the violence?”

James answered the question about Louis.

“He said he wanted to come along, so I brought him as a witness. It seems he observed the entire situation.”

“Hmm, I see.”

As soon as Declan finished speaking, two male students spoke up.

“If anything, we’re the ones who were subjected to violence!”

“That’s right. We’ve been wronged.”

Declan briefly responded to the two students who were still insisting without considering their own behavior.

“Right. So, all three of you will be punished. James, send these two to the administration office. And make sure he testifies about everything they did.”

He lastly pointed at Louis and spoke. James took the three people and left.

Before leaving, Louis glanced at Aer, who was left alone, and then went out.

She couldn’t understand why only she was left here. As she looked at the professor with a puzzled expression, he suggested.

“Sit down for now.”

“……Pardon?”

“I said, sit here.”

“Ah, yes……”

Aer, who sat on the sofa opposite the professor, thought that perhaps he was letting her off because she was a noble.

Even though she was a noble, she was nothing more than a black sheep in her family, but was this professor hard of hearing? Not even able to access outside news…….

“Student Aer.”

“Yes.”

“Your punishment is none other than helping me with my work.”

“……Pardon?”

Her pink eyes widened at the unexpected statement. Declan took out the test papers Aer had submitted so far.

The three-hour class always ended with a quiz.

“These are the answer sheets you’ve submitted so far.”

Aer tilted her head in confusion.

In fact, the problems were too easy for her, but other students always found the quizzes difficult and disliked them.

So she had been worried. Should she adjust to the level of other students? Wouldn’t that make her life easier too?

She thought she shouldn’t stand out. Even now, unpleasant things were happening regardless of her will, so wouldn’t it be better not to rise to a position others might envy?

But knowing that her family would fall into ruin in the future, she couldn’t afford to be lax.

So, contrary to her initial thoughts, all of her quizzes were perfect scores.

While Aer was choosing her words, wondering if he might suspect her of cheating because of that, the professor added.

“It seems you don’t understand what’s different about yourself.”

Though he spoke casually, Declan was actually quite excited. Finally, a genius had appeared among his students.

“Here, let me show you other students’ test papers.”

Aer looked at the test papers he handed over and let out a small sigh. She had no idea that omitting the solution process for such easy problems would be an issue.

“At first, I thought you were cheating. Honestly, knowing the rumors about you, I thought you wanted to change public opinion by showing good performance even through cheating.”

I thought he was hard of hearing…… But he wasn’t.

“……I don’t care about rumors though?”

“Yes, that’s what I thought, but it turned out not to be the case.”

Declan had been keeping an eye on her since receiving her second test paper.

Especially during quizzes, unlike other students, she would silently write down answers without showing any signs of dislike.

She would just scan the problems with her eyes and write the answers, then look at the problems again with just her eyes…….

Only after observing her solve problems like this a few times did Declan become certain. Ah, she’s doing mental calculations!

After realizing this fact, he had been meaning to call Aer all along. But he had forgotten due to being busy.

And after today’s class ended, he naturally left the classroom but then remembered.

Declan, who wanted to recruit Aer as his disciple before other professors, went back to the classroom he had left. After that, he witnessed the scene.

“This punishment might not be much for you.”

While wondering what kind of punishment he was going to give, the professor continued.

“As you can see, James is my only assistant, but he’s busy preparing for the competition in the second half of this year.”

The academy creates competitions and forums for students to compete with each other along with the festival in autumn.

“I’m also busy preparing for classes and whatnot, but I can’t neglect the students, can I? However, grading quiz answer sheets for hundreds of students is not an easy task. Moreover, it’s not something I can entrust carelessly.”

“……Then, perhaps?”

“So, I’m giving student Aer the punishment of grading quizzes for a month.”

“……”

So you’re just passing off your work?

She was dumbfounded but decided to use this incident as an opportunity. Professor Declan was a character who appeared in both the main story and side stories of the original work and had considerable connections.

Especially in the side story, he was also the connecting link that brought together the female protagonist Pamela, and the male protagonist, the Imperial Crown Prince.

Being a character of just the right importance, he was unlikely to disappear due to future mishaps.

“Let me say this in advance, but no matter what the punishment is, weekends are off-limits.”

Aer, who knew well from her past life memories how professors and superiors thoroughly exploit their subordinates, drew a line.

Declan narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue briefly as if he was disappointed.

 ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

After testifying about what happened in the administration office, Louis naturally headed towards the professor’s office where Aer would be.

He hated the corridors the most. Because every time he took a step, unwanted thoughts flowed into his mind.

In that short time, rumors about Aer seemed to have spread, and everyone was noisy with the same thoughts.

The corridor was loud with curses about her, saying she was vulgar for mingling with commoners or that she was doing it to stand out.

As he tried to pass quickly, a voice he had heard once before stopped his steps.

To be precise, it was a thought, but it was distinguishable because they were chattering in their voices.

【She wasn’t that kind of person… She’s definitely changed.】

Louis raised his lowered head and stared at where the voice of thought was coming from.

At the stairs leading down from the corridor, female students were blushing. Ian was passing by with his group beside them.

Neat and noble-looking attire and face.

In Ian’s appearance, receiving admiring gazes from others as if accustomed to it, his father, Duke Nox de Raymond, could be glimpsed.

Perhaps Louis’s gaze lingered too long.

Ian felt the gaze and turned his head. Their eyes met for a moment, but Louis pretended not to notice, turned his head, and continued walking.

Then suddenly, this thought occurred to him.

Is there a need to go where she is?

Sometimes he had unconsciously helped her when she seemed precarious, but in fact, he wondered if he was in a position to help her.

Maybe he was excited by the novelty of meeting the only person who gave him peace.

Louis changed direction and went down the stairs. Moving in the opposite direction of where Aer would be, he arrived at his favorite place, escaping from people’s thoughts that seemed to burst his head.

Sitting on the bench where he first met Aer, he took off his glasses while exhaling deeply to relieve his stuffiness.

As heavy as the thick lenses were, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Although it looked like an ordinary pair of glasses, it was no different from the only heirloom left by his mother.

If you looked closely at the inside of the lens, made by carving a large magic stone whole, something was written in tiny letters.

Without these lenses, he becomes anxious and can’t look into people’s eyes.

Sometimes, depending on his mood, he had unintentionally brainwashed people, causing trouble more than once or twice. It’s not like they were cursed eyes or anything…….

It was comfortable being alone with even his glasses off. Louis gently unbuttoned the first button of his shirt, which was closed up to his neck, and looked at the scenery.

As he closed his eyes slightly and enjoyed the warm yet cool spring breeze, he heard the sound of someone stepping on the grass.

There was only one person who would approach without any distracting thoughts.

Louis remained still without being wary.

“I knew you’d be here!”

At the voice tinged with joy, he slightly opened his eyes and gazed at her.

Aer, with her lips curled up in a wide smile looking happy, naturally sat down beside him.

“Like a fool, I waited thinking Louis would come back.”

Speaking brightly, she met Louis’s gaze and then slightly averted it, muttering.

“Just taking off your glasses……”

Even though Louis didn’t say anything in particular, Aer continued speaking casually.

“Oh right, want to go out this weekend? Let’s go sell healing stones, shall we?”

At her words, Louis slowly opened his mouth.

“Alright, Aer.”

“Wow! Did you call my name again? Hehe, I’m a bit happy. It finally feels like we’ve become friends……”

Louis stared at her as she didn’t hide her joy. Because there was one more thing he wanted to confirm.

With a trembling heart, he slowly called her name to make direct eye contact with Aer.

“Aer.”

She, who had been rolling her eyes here and there awkwardly, met his amethyst-like purple eyes as if she had no choice.

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds…….

Even after dozens of seconds passed, her beautiful pink eyes were still vivid.

Her clear eyes, without the characteristic cloudiness of being brainwashed, gazed steadily and then rolled to the side.

“……Why did you call me and then say nothing?”

Aer pressed the back of her hand against her flushed cheeks. While doing so, she screamed silently.

‘Why is he looking at me like that again! Louis without glasses seems too dangerous after all.’

Louis, unable to know her inner thoughts, answered with his lips curled up high as if pleased.

“I’m glad, truly……”