Leon’s POV
Lately, sothing about Isiliraiellyn had been... off.
It wasn’t just a subtle shift either. I an, it was very clear, even if no one else seed to notice it. There was a different glimr in her eyes whenever she looked at . Like a flicker of restrained excitent just beneath her calm surface, almost like she was trying to hide how much her attention had turned toward .
But more than just that, her gaze had changed. It wasn’t casual anymore... it was sharp, focused, almost intense in a way that felt like it could pierce right through .
I could’ve easily written it off as a reaction to the video I sent her. That alone might’ve explained the odd tension in the air between us now.
And yet... she hadn’t said a word about it. Not even a passing ntion.
If anything, I expected her to approach by now—especially with the way her eyes practically lit up every ti they found . That look alone scread anticipation.
But strangely enough, she hadn’t done anything remotely like that. Not even a conversation. No subtle gestures. Nothing.
Still, it didn’t really matter.
She seed like she was on the verge of falling right into my arms anyway. I figured I’d just wait it out. She’d co to eventually—it was only a matter of ti.
While I sat through a lecture, slouched in my chair and yawning as I barely clung to consciousness, I felt a faint but familiar pressure.
Soone’s eyes were on .
I shifted my gaze downward, and there it was—Zeruel.
She was staring at , quiet and unmoving. But the mont I looked back, her eyes flinched, and she instantly turned away—pretending to be focused on scribbling lecture notes.
Like she hadn’t just been watching intently for who-knows-how-long.
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t think too much of it. She’d been doing that more frequently lately. I figured it was just another strange mood swing on her end.
After what felt like forever, the lecture finally drew to a close.
"Rember to pass that before the end of the day today at my office," the instructor announced in his usual dry, lifeless tone.
He was an older man. He was bearded, slow, and dreadfully dull. The kind of person who could make even the most interesting topic sound like watching paint dry.
His words ca in like a slow wave and rolled right back out again, leaving nothing behind in your mind.
If you had the misfortune of sitting through one of his lectures for even just an hour, odds were you’d fall asleep within the first ten minutes.
Five, if you were particularly sleep-deprived.
Dozing off in the academy wasn’t exactly a punishable offense, but the instructors would definitely dock points from your evaluation.
And your rank would drop as a result.
The cadets near the bottom? Yeah, they slept all the ti. They had nothing to lose, after all
But the ones near the top? They kept their eyes wide open no matter how boring things got. Reputation and ranking mattered more than rest.
I barely registered most of the lecture. Just more numbers and nonsense. While the teacher droned on about equations, I half-listened, half-dozed—until he finally ended with a reminder about the assignnt due later.
Basic algebra formulas with added magical theory. Just a mix of spellcasting fundantals and theoretical application.
Nothing groundbreaking, and nothing I hadn’t seen before.
It was one of those hybrid lessons—less about learning magic itself, more about how math and spell chanics intertwined.
Boring stuff, really.
After letting out one final yawn and stepping out of the classroom, I felt soone tug at —gentle, but firm.
"Let’s go and eat together with us, Leon!" Titania chirped, her voice full of warmth.
I glanced at her and smiled. The way she bead up at , eyes shining and cheeks slightly flushed, made it impossible to refuse.
My girlfriend was always full of energy.
"Ah...!"
A soft gasp rang out behind .
I instinctively turned my head—and caught sight of Zeruel.
She had her hand outstretched toward , as if about to grab my sleeve—but froze mid-motion, caught off guard.
The mont our eyes t, she pulled her hand back and abruptly turned on her heel.
She ran.
Like she’d just realized how strange she was acting.
...Did she need sothing from ?
"Can you go ahead without first?" I asked Titania, keeping my tone calm.
I was going to go with her, I really was—but sothing about Zeruel’s reaction intrigued .There was hesitation, panic, sothing more than just awkwardness.
And I didn’t want to miss the chance to see what she was trying to do.
Tracking her down wasn’t exactly easy. The academy was massive, after all. Hallways twisted like mazes, and the buildings weren’t always connected.
But thankfully, there was sothing I could rely on: mana.
Every person had a unique magical signature—a distinct pressure that lingered in the air if you were sensitive enough to feel it.
And Zeruel’s mana was unmistakable. Delicate, light, and tinged with sothing... sharp.
Following that lingering trace through the halls, I eventually found her.
She was sitting alone on one of the staircases leading up to the second floor of the second-years’ building.
She looked... quiet. Almost smaller than usual.
In her hands, she held a sandwich, nibbling on it in tiny, precise bites.
Beside her was a lunchbox, still half-full, the contents neat and untouched.
"So you’re eating here?" I said, my voice breaking the silence.
She flinched so hard I almost heard her bones creak. Her body jolted, and her wide eyes darted straight to mine.
"L-Leon?!" she squeaked—and then imdiately coughed as she swallowed wrong, choking on her bite.
I moved toward her quickly, patting her back gently as she wheezed.
It took a few monts, but she finally coughed it out, gasping for breath.
"Cough... Cough...!" she wheezed, a small tear forming at the corner of her eye from the strain."W-Why are you here?" she asked, still catching her breath.
"I noticed earlier that you looked like you wanted to say sothing," I replied, voice calm and direct. "So I ca here to ask what that was about."
"Ah... T-That’s really nothing, honestly..." she mumbled, face flushing red.
Then, in a quieter tone, she added, "W-Well... not entirely nothing..."
She glanced down shyly, and her hand moved slowly toward the lunchbox sitting beside her.
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