He stared at the still-glowing seal and his blackened fingertips before letting out a soft chuckle.

His hand fell away from Rael’s upturned collar. Then he lay down beside her, his gaze still fixed on her. He positioned himself so their eyes would meet directly if she turned her head. The stuffy heat entering through the window enveloped them both.

* * *

“When are we going to do it?”

Rael had resigned herself to her fate. She was telling Rubellan they should quickly get the assignment over with.

“This is my first time taking this class. I’ll work around your schedule, senior.”

“Let’s just get it done quickly. Meet me in the laboratory after class today.”

Though still unable to properly meet Rubellan’s eyes, Rael spoke more confidently than before. She felt that if she acted nervous, it would seem like she was overly conscious of him. She hated that thought. She wanted to finish everything quickly and avoid any further entanglement with Rubellan.

“Sounds good.”

Why did her heart race so much when he simply spoke quietly? This wasn’t a pleasant flutter—it was closer to anxiety and fear. Though perhaps, just perhaps, there might be some other impurity mixed in.

“Let’s meet at seven.”

“Alright.”

She couldn’t get used to his docile compliance, so different from his usual behavior that always caught her off guard.

* * *

“Huh? The laboratory?”

Vivien, who was having dinner with Rael, spoke while munching on cooked carrots. She found Rael’s evening plans curious.

“Magical Pharmaceutics giving you trouble again?”

“It’s not that…”

There was something else troubling her.

“Aren’t you rushing? The deadline is pretty flexible.”

“I just want to get it over with.”

Rael poked at her salad plate as she spoke. Her mouth felt dry, making it difficult to swallow her food.

“By the way… Vivien.”

“Yes?”

She carefully called out to Vivien, who was busy eating.

“Do you ever have… strange dreams?”

She had nowhere else to discuss this matter. Vivien was the only person she could talk to about it.

“Strange dreams? What? Nightmares?”

“No… not that kind, but… um, hmm.”

When Rael cleared her throat and blushed, Vivien’s fork dropped onto her plate with a clatter. The sharp noise drew glances from others in the dining hall, causing Rael to look away.

“Don’t tell me… by strange dreams you mean…”

This was the first time Rael had asked such a question. For Rael, who showed absolutely no interest in romance or the opposite s*x, what she was asking now was clearly…

“You had a sexy dre—!”

Rael jumped up and covered Vivien’s mouth with both hands before she could shout.

“Could you lower your voice?”

“…Oh my goodness.”

Vivien was thoroughly shocked. Romance and love were common occurrences at the Magic Academy, where young adults with raging hormones gathered. But not for Rael.

Vivien never imagined the day would come when the prudish Rael would seek her advice on such matters. The corner of her mouth curled upward.

“So how was it?”

“Huh? Well… just, you know…”

Rael scratched behind her ear, her cheeks flushed.

“Who was in it? Could you see their face? Someone from our academy?”

Vivien was particularly excited.

“It’s not like that.”

“Don’t tell me it was your priest friend?”

“Why would he come up in this conversation?”

Rael frowned in disgust.

“Hmm…”

Vivien’s eyes narrowed.

“This is quite something. Our Rael having such dreams.”

Vivien picked up her fork again. She speared a slice of meat and watched Rael’s reaction as she brought it to her mouth. Rael looked embarrassed but strangely anxious.

“Is there something unusual about the person?”

“Huh?”

Rael’s eyes widened at the direct hit.

“Don’t tell me it was a teacher or… ugh, what teacher at our academy would even…”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Anyway, it’s perfectly normal, so don’t be embarrassed. I’ve had such dreams dozens of times.”

“Really? It’s normal?”

“Well, depending on who it’s about?”

Vivien smiled mischievously.

“Can it be someone you really dislike?”

“Hmm, are you sure you dislike them? Usually when you’re sexually frustrated, the person you admire appears, doesn’t it?”

“I guess so…”

Rael’s shoulders slumped.

“What about suddenly feeling your body get hot for no reason?”

“Huh? What are you talking about now?”

Seeing Vivien’s surprise, Rael hastily concluded the conversation.

“Never mind. I was just wondering if that could happen.”

“Rael…”

She worried about seeming strange if she told everything that had happened.

“You really are sexually frustrated, aren’t you? This settles it. You need to start dating someone.”

Vivien declared firmly. She was popular at the academy—pretty with a good personality. Few men would turn her down.

“Not everyone dates like you do. Let’s just eat.”

“Come on. Why look far away? How about Edwin?”

“Pfft—”

When Rael spat out the water she was drinking, Vivien quickly dodged the spray.

“What a reaction…”

“How can you suggest something so absurd…”

“With that reaction, you’ll hurt Edwin’s feelings since he’s right behind you.”

Vivien’s gaze lingered behind Rael. When Rael turned around, she met eyes with Edwin, who had come late for dinner.

“Oh.”

She was a bit startled.

“Hello, Edwin.”

“Hi, Rael.”

It was an awkward greeting.

* * *

Rael wondered what state of mind she was living in lately. Her head throbbed. Between the Rubellan situation and the embarrassing memory of facing Edwin in the dining hall, she felt her daily life was a complete mess.

Nothing has gone right since meeting that guy. Really.

Though she wanted to see no one, she had already promised to meet at the laboratory. Cursing her past self from hours ago, she headed to the lab.

The door slid open with a creak. Entering the laboratory, she found Rubellan looking out the window in the setting sun.

‘Hasn’t he eaten?’

His posture suggested he had been there for quite some time.

“Rubellan.”

Only when Rael’s voice echoed through the quiet laboratory did he turn around.

“Senior.”

For some reason, the hair on her body stood on end as his gaze slowly turned toward her.

‘Are you sure you dislike them? Usually when you’re sexually frustrated, the person you admire appears, doesn’t it?’

Why was Vivien’s comment surfacing in her mind at this moment? Rael shook her head vigorously and walked to the seat opposite Rubellan.

“What should we make?”

Rael decided to stick to necessary conversation only. She jumped straight to the point, asking Rubellan what they should create.

“Whatever you prefer, senior.”

“The only things I’m decent at are sleeping potions or temperature regulation potions. I don’t have much talent for natural magic.”

“That’s fine. Let’s go with that.”

She wondered if he was genuinely interested in making a proper potion. Rubellan maintained an agreeable attitude throughout.

“We can do something you’re good at if you prefer.”

“I’m good at everything.”

At that response, Rael looked at Rubellan with a jaded expression, only to meet his confident eyes. She couldn’t argue because he probably was good at everything.

“Let’s go with the sleeping potion. It’s relatively safe and easy.”

“I like that.”

She decided to ignore his unconditional agreement to everything.

“Here’s the list of potion combinations we need. I’ll go find them.”

Rael headed to the cabinet filled with potions. She carefully examined each bottle’s label and began placing the necessary potions in a basket one by one.

Rubellan watched her. His mind had absolutely no interest in potion making.

He slowly stood up and approached Rael.

“Raphiel extract…”

Rael was concentrating on finding an elusive potion. Rubellan reached over her toward the high shelf, and only then did Rael realize she was effectively trapped in his embrace.

He’s too close.

Her heart pounded loudly. She noticed his fingers scanning the labels on the bottles.

Those long, soft hands…

Rael’s face quickly heated up. She shook her head rapidly and focused on finding the last bottle.

‘Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.’

Repeating this mantra to herself, she found the final potion. Rubellan’s gaze, while retrieving a potion from the high cabinet, fell on the crown of Rael’s head.

‘If it’s the back, just slash! Right?’

Joseph’s words came to mind. Below her head, he could see her slender neck that looked like it wouldn’t even fill his hand. It seemed like it would break easily if he squeezed it.

Rubellan’s red eyes settled coldly. An empty space, silence, and floating dust.

If he killed this human here, she would simply disappear quietly.

For Rubellan, it would be too easy—as trivial as blowing away dust floating in the air before him.

While he was lost in thought, Rael quickly returned to her seat and gathered Erlenmeyer flasks, beakers, and test tubes. Her hands trembled slightly, so she desperately tried to calm her heart to avoid showing it.

Rubellan picked up the potion he had found but suddenly put it down. His eyes moved to the bottle next to it. He took that bottle instead and ran his finger over the label, changing it to “Raphiel extract.” As he turned around, he concealed his slightly upturned lips.

“I’ve got them.”

It wasn’t time yet.

When Rubellan returned with the potions, Rael was studying the textbook intently. Though she had some confidence in Magical Pharmaceutics, she always needed to stay alert when making potions. Even minor mistakes could create significant variables.

“It’s fortunate that all the ingredients are here in the lab. Otherwise, we’d have to go gather them ourselves.”

Rael thought her choice had been excellent.

“Indeed.”

Rubellan pushed the potions he had brought toward Rael. After checking the labels, Rael was about to mix them with the potions she had gathered earlier but hesitated.

“Do you want to do it?”

“You do it, senior.”

Thinking he was trying to get credit without effort, Rael frowned, but finishing quickly was the priority. If she succeeded on the first try, they wouldn’t need to meet again, so she had to do her best.

“Can you turn up the flame?”

“Sure.”

While Rael mixed the potions, Rubellan lit the alcohol lamp.

“Hmm…”

Rael rolled her eyes as she carefully examined the measurements, trying to be as precise as possible.

“I think I got it exactly right… Ah, the Raphiel extract.”

Rael added a single drop of the final potion Rubellan had brought. Then she gently rolled the flask over the flame. Before long, the transparent color changed to red.

‘Was it supposed to be this color?’

Looking back at the book, there was no mention of the color.

‘It must be right.’

Fortunately, since this was one of the easier potions, there were no explosions or strange things emerging.

“I think it’s done.”

Things were going too smoothly.

“Aren’t we going to test its effectiveness?”

Rubellan asked Rael.

“We should.”

If made correctly, one should feel drowsy and sleepy after drinking it. But she was reluctant to try it, worried something might have gone wrong.

Most potions used for assignments were designed to be harmless even if mixed incorrectly, but there was always an unsettling feeling. That’s why students tended to avoid this class.

“Do you want to try it?”

“You made it all, senior. Not confident?”

A small provocation.

“Of course I’m confident.”

And with that, she took the bait.