Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

Embarrassed, Yeon Minha slightly turned her body. It looked like she would head to the garden alone at any moment, but she stood back in front of me. Then, as if glancing around for no reason, she raised her left arm and extended her hand with the back of her palm facing me.

“…?”

I stared blankly, trying to guess what it meant, and eventually, unable to hold back, she opened her lips first.

“…You need to escort me.”

She added one more thing.

“When a man and a woman go to a place like this together, it’s a matter of courtesy.”

“I’ve never done that before. I have no idea how.”

“R-Really? You’ve never done it even once…?”

Yeon Minha’s haughty expression fell slightly. For some reason, she seemed to be feeling relief.

“I thought so. Where would you have done something like this? But there’s no need to worry too much. I’ll personally show you, so be grateful.”

“I really don’t think you need to…”

“This is the most basic courtesy… If you show that kind of attitude at an event, you might get laughed at behind your back… It would tarnish the patron’s reputation…”

That wasn’t something I wanted. Even though she probably didn’t mean it, her persuasion was definitely working on me.

“If that’s the case…”

As I nodded, Yeon Minha gulped. Then she turned to my side, intertwining her slender fingers with my forearm.

Her heartbeat was so close that I could almost hear it.

The word “escort” reminded me of something.

Back when I was in the northeast, every time I had a break, the older sisters would line up on either side of me, linking arms and dragging me around.

‘Our Hyun is so lucky! Look at these pretty sisters escorting him on both sides.’

‘What nonsense is that for a kid… How embarrassing for grown-ups to be doing that…’

‘Shut up…!’

And the image of getting hit squarely in the forehead by a stone thrown by Sister Chaewon.

At that time, I didn’t know it was something a man did for a woman. I didn’t even realize it was a one-on-one thing, not merely two people doing it.

Besides, the sensation of my arm brushing against others then only brought a jolting discomfort, but now, the part of my arm that touched Yeon Minha felt nothing but warm and comfortable.

Of course, regardless of the touch, the older sisters were precious people too… but that subtle difference still felt incredibly fascinating.

The only perplexing thing was the heavy sensation I felt above the warmth of the finger she was holding.

Should I mention this? But Yeon Minha didn’t seem to care about it at all. Surely she wouldn’t be unaware of it… I wasn’t sure.

“Hmm, hmm. You’re doing well. Just do it like this next time.”

“Is there a next time?”

“Of course! There will be countless chances…”

Then, as if recalling something forgotten, she hurriedly added another statement.

“Ah, but don’t just allow anyone to walk beside you. This is an act that should only be permitted between those who have developed an intimate bond, say, after sharing one or several secrets.”

Of course, there was no one who would do that.

As Yeon Minha rambled on passionately, she suddenly snapped back to reality and urged me.

“Alright, let’s go now. If we don’t hurry, the food we prepared will get cold…”

I matched my steps with hers and headed towards the garden path connected to the annex.

Unlike last night when everything was shrouded in the darkness of the new moon, today, blossoms were blooming everywhere, releasing sweet fragrances all around.

In the center of the garden, a quaint table was set up, steaming with light breakfast for two.

Seated, Yeon Minha pushed most of the food toward me.

The atmosphere was relaxed, unlike yesterday, making the meal quite enjoyable.

However, throughout the meal, I felt a pair of gazes on me, and it was somewhat burdensome…

After finishing my meal, I decided to confess last night’s escapade to Yeon Minha.

“Um, Senior. Actually…”

I told her about going out for a walk and sensing blood, leaving the annex, and witnessing servants moving several blood-stained sacks inside a building that resembled a warehouse.

At first, Yeon Minha had a somewhat disappointed expression, but as the story unfolded, her face grew serious.

“Anyway, that’s what happened. I’m really sorry for wandering off without permission…”

“…It’s fine. It was something I permitted from the start. Besides, you didn’t go snooping around with bad intentions…”

“Is that so? Thank you. So, I’m wondering, is it common to work like that at night?”

“No, absolutely not. At night, monsters and spirits are very active, so you never know what might happen. Therefore, except for security personnel, others are restricted from outdoor activities unless it’s an emergency.”

Yeon Minha shook her head sideways, not up and down.

“Moreover, if there are blood-stained sacks, it indicates there are beasts or monsters inside. For such a large-scale operation, there should have been a report sent to the main house the moment it happened. But I haven’t heard anything…”

As if our thoughts aligned, we both turned our gaze towards the expansive outer side of the garden. Since the place with the annex was somewhat elevated, we could see various buildings and facilities below.

The layout was spread widely around six points centered on the main gate.

We could even see the faint exterior of a facility similar to the warehouse I had seen yesterday.

“…I don’t understand why they rearranged the facilities like that. They didn’t place the servants’ quarters where the sunlight shines, nor did they set the logistics warehouse near the road… There’s no discernible pattern whatsoever. The butler who said he would explain is nowhere to be seen because he’s busy serving my father…”

Yeon Minha furrowed her brow as she gazed at the surroundings. I shared her unease.

While it wasn’t my place to judge whether it was right or wrong, the peculiar arrangement certainly left an unusual impression on anyone who saw it. On some level, it felt oddly familiar.

I felt frustrated that it hovered just out of reach of my thoughts.

Why is that?

“…I think we need to investigate this a bit.”

Glancing around, Yeon Minha waved toward two servants waiting at the edge of the garden. Their eyes, which had been watching Yeon Minha the whole time, quickly dashed over.

“Those kids were brought from the main house by my mother, so they probably still remain here. They’ve watched the situation closely for several years, so they should know what’s going on. I need to ask them.”

Yeon Minha inclined her head to the servants standing before her.

“Tell me everything that happened in the mansion while I was away. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

“Uh, uh…”

The servants stammered, unable to answer her questions, and Yeon Minha’s cold demeanor radiated as if she would devour them whole.

“How dare you act that way in front of the heir of the Jeokhwa Family…”

“…”

I couldn’t adapt to the sudden change in her demeanor. It seemed like her personality had gotten a bit better lately, but perhaps that wasn’t the case?

Well, it’s possible she’s just frustrated about matters in her family.

With their hesitation, it was clear something was happening, but that kind of intimidation is almost the worst method for interrogation. Coercive methods should be a last resort.

At least, that’s what theory says. In truth, I hadn’t really had much experience in delicately persuading someone…

“I’ll keep what you tell me a secret from everyone else. Please speak openly at ease.”

Then Yeon Minha cast an unexpected look at me. For some reason, I momentarily felt wronged.

Nevertheless, it seemed that my strategy not to pressure the servants was slightly working. They finally seemed to relax a bit and began spilling their thoughts to Yeon Minha.

“The newcomers are a bit odd… The old butler was kind…”

“They have scary eyes for no reason… They don’t talk, and they stick to their own groups…”

“Nowadays, the atmosphere around here is tense… I just returned from the lower village and heard that vagabonds have been disappearing from the slums at night…”

“Some people even said they heard something like a beast’s howl… There are claw marks and bloodstains left behind…”

“The Security Bureau came and went… Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to go out after dark…”

“We can hardly talk among ourselves… The main house where the Madam resides has guards always on watch… They’re like pouncing reinforcements…”

“The Madam has been drinking a lot lately, even though she hadn’t touched alcohol in ages…”

Once their mouths opened, they poured out everything like a broken dam. After rambling about irrelevant details concerning Yeon Minha’s inquiry, they fell silent again.

As Yeon Minha synthesized their testimonies, she became lost in thought before finally speaking.

“…It’s possible that the new butler is brewing something nefarious.”

“That guy? But how could he…?”

“That’s what we need to find out. Do you know what’s the most crucial thing in managing large families or businesses? Keeping middle management tightly in the owner’s grasp.”

I recalled the middle-aged man who had given off a strange vibe when Yeon Minha talked about that.

“Nine out of ten of those people are always on the lookout for an opportunity to take advantage of the owner. With father’s health not well, it might lead to trouble… By the way, how is father doing lately?”

Seemingly struck by a thought, Yeon Minha asked the servant beside her.

“We’re taking care of the Madam, so we don’t know for sure, but… recently, he seems to be looking a lot better… His face seems to have filled out, and he’s been out more often…”

“Father…?”

Yeon Minha appeared surprised, her eyes widening. I had heard from her that there were no known treatments for a mental deterioration condition that had been developed so far. They were merely attempts to delay the symptoms, which didn’t work for her at all.

As a direct descendant of the Spirit Master clan, her father would have surely experienced a mental deterioration relative to his brilliance. If he was showing improvements, it was natural for her to be taken aback.

“Yes. And a nun has been frequently visiting the mansion since two years ago… I recall that he seemed quite bright after meeting with her…”

“A nun… a nun… I see. We should go.”

Yeon Minha gestured for the servants to leave and turned her body.

“There’s a facility supported by our family run by a religious organization. Perhaps someone involved has been visiting… Maybe he’s received some counsel…”

“That could be possible.”

“…Anyway, I think we should check it out. I need to go to that warehouse you mentioned. By the way… could you help me?”

“Of course I’m willing to help, but… how about just informing the adults?”

Yeon Minha shook her head sideways at my suggestion.

“I can’t get them worried over something uncertain. And if it’s indeed a pointless act, we need to gather evidence discreetly. If they notice we’re onto something, they might destroy any incriminating evidence…”

“Alright, then… I understand.”

“Thanks. We’ve got a dinner with father planned for tonight, so I guess we’ll head out after that.”

There was no real reason not to help. After all, if Yeon Minha did well, it would benefit me too.

Her speculation seemed plausible as well. If what she said was true, then it would explain why the newcomers had given me wary looks. They were likely anxious about conspiring something while the owners were in a weakened state.

Of course, the identity of the blood-stained sacks and the odd arrangement of buildings still eluded me… but we’d figure it out upon checking, right?

However, the fact that he relied on a nun sounded oddly intriguing. Even a head of such a grand family could find solace in faith.

All I could recall about my own religious encounters was pretending to pray for candy in my childhood.

If there truly is a God… I doubt they’d inflict such misfortunes on anyone.

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