Chapter 26

“That’s… true.”

“But if you remain ‘sick’ with a body that’s learned incomplete pleasure, won’t you have trouble becoming a Priestess in reality?”

Beatrice was momentarily speechless. Julian seemed pleased by her reaction and continued, the corners of his lips lifting.

“So, making an effort to cure it here is something you need to do in order to become a Priestess, Beatrice.”

To Beatrice, Julian’s argument seemed flawless from start to finish. Truly, as he said, what happened in the room had no impact on reality, and remaining in this state after becoming a Priest would surely be a problem.

“Then… how much longer…?”

“Don’t worry too much. The conditions won’t always be like this. If you look at past experiences, the conditions changed every time we were trapped in the room, didn’t they?”

Julian’s words gave Beatrice some relief. He was right; things wouldn’t always happen this way. Seeing her relax, Julian’s face took on a meaningful smile.

***

“Julian!”

“Yes, Beatrice.”

“Why… why do you keep following me?”

After leaving the classroom, Beatrice hurriedly greeted Julian and quickly tried to get away from him. However, her effort was futile—Julian’s long legs easily caught up with her. For every long stride Julian took, Beatrice had to move two or three steps, yet to onlookers, it simply looked as if they were walking side by side, with no increase in distance between them.

Beatrice stopped abruptly and addressed Julian. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at his face, so she gazed off to the side. It was a simple question, but her tone sounded accusatory. Realizing she was being too aggressive, Beatrice shook her head and asked him again.

“No, right? You’re not following me, are you?”

There was no reason for him to follow her. It wasn’t as if they had to do an experiment together, or had any business to attend to.

Beatrice said it, hoping it was just her misunderstanding—no, she wished it was.

“We’re just walking the same way, right? Then please go ahead. I’ll come later.”

Julian’s gentle voice reached her.

“I am following you.”

“What?”

“I said, I’m following you, Beatrice.”

Beatrice forgot all about avoiding Julian’s gaze and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Why?”

“No reason. I just want to walk you to the dormitory, Beatrice.”

“Why, though?”

“No reason.”

Julian smiled softly as he spoke. He was well aware that his appearance was not just ‘not bad,’ but well beyond the realm of ‘handsome.’ He knew exactly how to smile to make women blush and take a liking to him.

Ever since meeting Beatrice, whenever she spoke about her past, Julian had felt complicated emotions about his own history. Regret, remorse—feelings that gnawed at his mind but were of no help in reality.

Compared to Beatrice, who aspired to become a Priestess, Julian felt he had lived a life too dirty and chaotic. From the start, his unrequited love for Beatrice, who showed not the slightest romantic interest in him, was a hopeless situation, converging to zero possibility.

However, after the incident in the classroom, Julian came to think that his past wasn’t entirely a bad thing. At least, he could find one good point. If not for that past, he wouldn’t have been able to satisfy Beatrice.

Wealth. Appearance. Family background.

These three things were enough to attract women. Without even trying, those who approached him knew these three strengths better than anyone.

But to Beatrice, these three things meant nothing. Even if he were poor, even if he were unattractive, even if he didn’t come from a good family, Beatrice would have treated him just as kindly and warmly as she did now.

So, if there was even one thing that could appeal to her, he had no choice but to cling to it.

Yet, even that didn’t put his mind at ease.

After her chest was touched, Beatrice began to experience secretions. She was so innocent that she considered this natural bodily reaction an ‘illness’. This meant that until now, there hadn’t been anyone around her harboring the kind of dark feelings Julian had.

But just because it hadn’t happened before didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen in the future. At the seminary, only innocent people gathered, so perhaps they hadn’t recognized her appeal. But this wasn’t the seminary. Julian couldn’t be certain there wouldn’t be another person with sharp eyes like his.

So, what could he do?

He had to stay close and protect her, preventing any pests from getting near.

“Do you dislike it?”

Julian tilted his head in the most pitiful way, pretending to seek her reaction. As he expected, Beatrice was startled and shook her head quickly.

“N-no, it’s not that.”

Actually, she was uncomfortable. She wanted nothing more than to get away from Julian and have time to herself right now. But how could she say she disliked it when he spoke like that? There was only one answer Beatrice could choose.

***

“What is this?”

“What’s going on?”

After the potion-making class ended, the eyes of the female students watching the two leave the classroom sharpened into triangles. Their gazes landed on Beatrice and Julian.

“Ha, this is just unbelievable.”

Julian Sancio.

What kind of person was he?

As the second son of the Sancio Marquis family, he acted like he lacked nothing, never stopping women from coming to him or holding onto those who left. He was so notorious for his promiscuity that he’d earned the nickname ‘Platinum Rag,’ but at least he was equally shameless to all women.

Even Beatrice, who for months had seemed to spend more time with Julian than Malek Rikiu, was no exception. At some point, Julian lost interest, and even though they were partners in potion-making, he stopped speaking to her and quietly quit the experiments the professor had assigned.

That was only a week ago. But now…

“I can’t believe it.”

One female student took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. The sight of Julian carrying Beatrice’s bag and books gave her the illusion that a puppy’s tail was wagging behind him.

“Beatrice. The weather is nice today. Shall we have some tea and hotcakes in the courtyard?”

“Ah, n-no…”

“Or should we go out today? I’ve already arranged for the family carriage to wait. Didn’t you like that restaurant last time? Shall we have a meal there today?”

“No! No, that’s not it. J-Julian, please give me my books and bag. I can carry them myself.”

“I know, Beatrice. I know you can carry them. I just want to do it for you.”

“No, that’s not…”

Beatrice wanted to cry. No matter how oblivious she could be, she wasn’t so dense as to miss the looks the other female students were giving her.

“Julian, come over here.”

Beatrice pretended not to notice the burning stares at the back of her head and pulled him by the hand. That small touch alone made Julian’s heart race. Allowing himself to be led by Beatrice, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Why are you doing this, Julian?”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep doing things you never did before. Please give me my bag and books.”

“I’ll carry them for you. I’m stronger than you, Beatrice.”

Beatrice let out a long sigh.

“Julian.”

“Yes, Beatrice.”

“You don’t have to do this.”