NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 82
“….Hello.”
“…Oh, hello.”
“Hey~! Long time no see! How’s everyone doing?!”
Arisha, lounging on the dormitory’s living room sofa, waved her hand and sat up.
Cue awkward silence.
Sowol wore her usual confident expression while Lena was scanning the room as always.
And Arisha, as if she didn’t care about any of that, just kept grinning.
But this awkward atmosphere was unavoidable.
Ripa, sitting in the corner of the sofa reading a book, felt the chilly vibe creeping up her back and forced a smile.
“E-everyone, it’s been a while~.”
“Yes, Ripa. How have you been?”
“Oh, it’s been… a long time…”
“How about you drop your bags first?”
Following Ripa’s suggestion, Sowol and Lena headed for their rooms.
As soon as they entered, Ripa grabbed Arisha.
“What’s with the atmosphere?”
“Huh? I’m not sure?”
“Arisha…”
Is she clueless or just pretending to be?
Ripa sighed at Arisha’s innocent smile.
But of course, the always cheery Arisha just gently hugged her.
“By the way, we haven’t had lunch yet, right? How about we go to the café for something quick?”
“Uh, should we?”
At Arisha’s suggestion, Ripa sprang up from her seat.
When she returned to grab her bag, Sowol and Lena were out in the living room.
Same old tension.
Staying in this atmosphere felt like certain doom.
“Arisha, let’s go quickly.”
“Uh? Where are we going?”
“Umm, to the café with Arisha…”
“What if I come too? I have something to say…”
“I-I do too…”
Not like this.
Definitely not like this.
Ripa’s instincts were screaming at her not to get involved.
“Ah! I suddenly have something to do!”
She blurted, darting back into her room.
Praying they don’t follow…
“Really? Then you should rest well. Right, Arisha?”
“Uh?!”
“How about we go ahead without you?”
As Sowol smiled at Arisha, she nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes!”
“I-I’ll go too!”
Lena carefully spoke up, glancing back and forth before lightly balling her fists.
“I-I have something I want to say…”
“Oh my, what a coincidence! I have something to say too!”
“Wow! How’s this happening? I had something to say too~.”
Hearing their bright and cheerful conversation from the other side of the door, Ripa thought, Please talk about this without me…
Usually, Arisha would chatter excitedly, Sowol would laugh along, and Lena would stutter in her support.
But during their walk to the café, none of them spoke. As if a fierce battle awaited them upon arrival.
That sharp atmosphere…
Even though three breathtakingly beautiful ladies were strolling, no one dared to approach them.
When they finally reached the café…
“Oh? It’s the teacher.”
Arisha was the first to speak up, catching Sowol and Lena’s attention.
And sure enough, Lee Hyun was seen sitting in the café.
The tense atmosphere shattered in an instant.
If she had a tail, it might have been wagging with joy as Arisha headed toward Lee Hyun, with Sowol and Lena following closely behind.
And then…
“By the divine will of the glorious Emperor, I would like to ask if you’d like to go on a blind date?”
Ludwig’s remark made the three freeze.
“…A blind date?”
Shatter!
The ice was broken by words even colder than ice itself.
A blind date? Is that really what was said?
Doubts flooded their ears just as Lee Hyun spoke.
“Of course, I want to go.”
“…Huh?”
Arisha, who had been frozen, finally unthawed.
With a blast of heat.
Just one word, and the warmth radiating from her was anything but ordinary.
Caught between the icy Sowol and the fiery Arisha, Lena bit her lip and grabbed both of them.
The three quickly ducked into a corner, forgetting the previous tense atmosphere and huddling together.
“The Master is asking for a blind date…”
“Th-That can’t be right…”
“…But didn’t he just say? That it must be done, very willingly.”
How could this be happening? Arisha felt a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.
“Wh-We’re not misunderstanding something, are we…?”
Right. It must be a misunderstanding.
Lee Hyun wouldn’t accept such things.
So Lena, with all her sorceress poise, tried to remain calm.
“Wow~. She’s pretty, and she has a nice figure. Plus, she comes from a good family. How grand to go on a date with someone like that.”
“Hahaha. The Emperor has truly found a fine match for you, Lee Hyun. She suits you like a glove.”
What? The only one who suits Lee Hyun is me!
Coincidentally the three shared the same thoughts and exchanged bewildered glances.
Pretty faces, alluring figures, good families, and they believed her personality was the best.
They couldn’t trust Lee Hyun’s reaction.
‘He’s really trying to meet someone else?’
They wanted to dash over to Lee Hyun and ask right now.
But as if on cue, the three stood up at the same time.
“Well then, let’s do it… Uh.”
As Lee Hyun wrapped up his conversation with Ludwig and started to stand, he suddenly froze.
He noticed the three women glaring daggers at him from the corner of the café.
If looks could kill, he’d be a goner multiple times by now.
Sweating profusely, Ludwig quickly made his exit.
As soon as he disappeared, the trio rushed over to Lee Hyun.
Their tense atmosphere made nearby customers swiftly vacate the area.
But Lee Hyun just sipped his coffee and greeted them with his usual peaceful smile.
“Oh? It’s you guys. When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
“Oh, we came today.”
“Teacher! That’s not the point right now.”
Though her smile was bright, Arisha’s eyes were serious as she stared straight into Lee Hyun’s.
“Are you seriously going on a blind date?”
“Of course I am.”
As Lee Hyun nodded and chuckled at Arisha, she felt a chill run down her spine.
*
The woman in the picture Ludwig showed me was someone I recognized.
Angela Yuskinna.
The young lady of the Yuskinna family in the Empire.
Currently, she works at the Academy as a history instructor, a beloved figure among students and faculty alike for her kindness and charm.
But that’s just the surface. In reality, she’s the vanguard of the Magic Empire.
Oh, and she’s also a descendant of the Sword Demon, who is an arch-enemy of the King of Rights.
Plus, in the main storyline, she is the mid-boss of Arisha’s route.
And the reason the Emperor urged me to go on a blind date with her isn’t because he genuinely wants us to hit it off.
The Emperor has often tasked me in this way.
To investigate those who would undermine the peace of the Empire under the guise of making connections or friendships.
The Emperor’s task, and a chance to progress the main story!
I had been pondering how to approach her since we belonged to different departments, but this opportunity had just dropped in my lap.
So there’s no reason to refuse, right?
“Why the long faces?”
The three looked at me as if in disbelief.
With a smile, I gestured for them to take a seat.
But none of them were willing to sit.
“Teacher, how can you do that?”
“Why, of course.”
“…Are you really going to reject me and go on a date with someone else?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Please say it’s a lie…”
“It’s a lie.”
“…I’m not joking…”
“I’m not joking either. Sit down. I’ll explain.”
I forced the three of them into their seats. As they looked at me as if they wanted to hear what I had to say, I smiled.
“What do you think?”
About to roar at me, the three glared at the picture I handed them.
A drawing of Angela, with her beige bob haircut and gentle smile, her beauty shining through.
Sowol, staring intently at the beauty’s picture with a beauty mark under her left eye, snorted.
“She looks like she has a bad personality.”
Correct answer.
She always pretends to be friendly, but in reality, she gets off on cutting people down.
“She looks like she’s hiding something…”
Also correct.
As a descendant of the Magic Empire, she’s actively sabotaging anyone who might hinder its revival within the Academy.
“Guys like us won’t suspect a thing, but women like her are cunning.”
And another correct point.
She may look like she hasn’t held a guy’s hand, but in reality, she’s a well-worn carpet.
She enjoys wild parties with many men.
I was truly amazed that my students understood people this well.
“Master, are you lonely?”
Sowol gently held my hand and gazed at me. Her eyes conveyed a sense of worry.
“There must be someone better suited for you, Master.”
“Yeah! That’s right! Sowol unni knows how to judge people! The teacher would suit someone brighter and livelier who loves to be close!”
“I-I think someone more composed and willing to do anything for the teacher would be more appropriate, don’t you think?”
“If possible, someone overflowing with confidence would be just right, right?”
Each of them chimed in and gazed at one another. I smiled at them.
“Kids, keep the fighting to a reasonable level.”