A Choice

As Celicia walked into the classroom, the first thing she saw was Ewan, his hands outstretched as if trying to grab something, and in front of him, cowering under the blackboard, was Miss Fran, muttering something about “even though a duchess’s position is tempting, a teacher-student relationship is not allowed.”

This scene…

Celicia’s delicate brows arched slightly. She looked at Ewan and said, her voice laced with an icy amusement, “Am I interrupting something?”

“…”

No, you’ve come at the perfect time…

Although Ewan desperately wanted to say that… how could he? If he said that, Celicia would probably chop him into fine mince without a second thought.

“Th-that…”

Ewan forced a stiff, unnatural smile onto his face and said to Celicia, “If I said this was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?”

“A misunderstanding?”

Celicia looked at the other students in the classroom.

The room was in complete, utter chaos. The male students were gawking, their faces a mixture of shock and profound admiration, as if to say, “This man is a true role model. I must learn from his ways.” And the female students… they had already taken out their recording stones and were magically recording the scene, chattering excitedly about “the fourteenth girl, the fourteenth ship has appeared.”

“I see. It does seem very easy to misunderstand,” Celicia said, her voice turning a few degrees colder. “To be misunderstood by the entire class at once… you truly are something else, Ewan Campbell.”

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s the truth!” Ewan explained, tears of pure desperation welling up in his eyes. “This is just a misunderstanding!”

Who knew this Miss Fran had such a wild, overactive imagination? He just wanted her to teach him the course from the beginning, and she thought he was trying to hit on her? How in the seven hells did she even connect those two things?

“…Forget it, Ewan Campbell,” Celicia said, her gaze dropping. “Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, whether you’ve truly reformed or are confessing to someone else, it has nothing to do with me, does it?”

Celicia ignored Ewan and walked to the podium, her gaze sweeping imperiously across the classroom. “Introduction to the Basics of Magic… one hundred and three students registered, one hundred and three present. Good, everyone is here.”

“Let’s go, Vera. To the next classroom.”

“Wait, Celicia! You’re not angry, are you? Let me explain!” Ewan tried to salvage the rapidly deteriorating situation.

“Why would I be angry?” Celicia suddenly turned back, her expression as cold and unchanging as a thousand-year-old glacier. “What are you to me, Ewan Campbell? Why would I be angry for you?”

“…” Ewan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Her fiancé?

If he said those words, it would probably just make Celicia despise him even more. After what had happened before, she probably already hated him enough to kill him with a single icy glare.

“Let’s go, Vera.”

Celicia turned and left without a backward glance.

But just as she was leaving, the girl with the bun-like hair behind her suddenly turned and spat viciously.

“Heh—tui! Scumbag!”

“…”

Ewan reached out a helpless hand, wanting to stop them, but he couldn’t even find a reason to. He just watched Celicia’s retreating back, a pang of something akin to genuine, physical pain in his chest.

For some reason, this hurts a little.

…

…

“Hmph, I told you! That Ewan Campbell is a total scumbag! He already has a perfect fiancée like the President, and he’s still messing around with other girls!”

Back in the student council room, Vera was still swinging her little fists in righteous indignation. In her eyes, Ewan Campbell was an utterly incomprehensible, morally bankrupt creature. Anyone else with a perfect fiancée like Princess Celicia would be waking up from their dreams laughing. But that Ewan Campbell didn’t cherish the good fortune he had accumulated over several lifetimes and was instead cheating with thirteen other girls, stepping on thirteen ships! Not even an octopus was that promiscuous! He’d better not tear a muscle doing the splits one day!

“President?”

Vera tilted her head in confusion. Celicia was sitting behind her desk, unusually lost in thought.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was thinking about something. What did you say?” Celicia came back to her senses and said apologetically.

“What were you thinking about, President?” Vera asked curiously.

“…I was replaying the scene from earlier.”

“Eh? Earlier? What’s there to think about?” Vera pouted. “You don’t actually think Ewan Campbell was wrongly accused, do you?”

“…”

Celicia was silent.

Indeed, the probability of him being wrongly accused was very low. The scene from earlier looked exactly like a despicable scumbag making a move on the pure, innocent, and pitiful Miss Fran.

But…

Putting aside the atmosphere and her own subjective feelings, Ewan Campbell’s actions had seemed a little… unnatural.

Was that really the posture of someone confessing their love?

And his expression at that moment…

Slap.

Celicia suddenly slapped herself. The force was so great that it left a clear, red handprint on her pale cheek.

Vera was startled.

“Celicia von Leopold, why are you still letting your emotions affect your judgment? How disgraceful.”

Celicia lowered her head, her long, silvery-white eyelashes fluttering like distant, glittering stars.

I’ll go and ask Miss Fran about it again later.

…

…

“Sigh, what a mess.”

After class, Ewan walked alone on the tree-lined path to the cafeteria, feeling a little dejected. Not only because of the misunderstanding with Celicia, but also because his long-awaited first step as the new Ewan Campbell, his very first class, had been so bizarrely twisted and ruined.

After Celicia had left, the class had descended into even greater chaos. The girls were squealing, the boys were jeering, and the only person who could have maintained order, the teacher… was cowering at the podium, trembling like a leaf.

It wasn’t until Professor Planck, having dealt with his other business, returned.

And then, he had exploded.

He had chewed everyone out, ordering every student to submit a ten-thousand-word self-reflection within three days, or have their credits docked.

Except for Ewan.

That’s right, except for Ewan.

Although Professor Planck looked as if he wouldn’t be satisfied unless Ewan wrote a hundred-thousand-word self-reflection, after he had understood the whole story, he had realized…

Ewan was truly innocent.

Although he was the root cause of the problem… he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. He just wanted to seek knowledge, just wanted the teacher to teach him from the beginning of the textbook. What was wrong with that? This kind of thirst for knowledge was, in fact, a quality that Professor Planck had always valued most.

So, the usually strict and old-fashioned professor couldn’t find anything to pick on this time and could only let Ewan go with an expression as if he had just eaten a fly.

As for Miss Fran, after Ewan’s explanation, she also knew that it had all been a misunderstanding. But after that, her face had turned even redder, and she looked as if she couldn’t even face him.

“It seems like it’s impossible for me to learn this subject properly in class. I have to find another way.”

Ewan rubbed his face, trying to rally his spirits. This little setback wasn’t enough to make him give up.

…

After having lunch in the cafeteria, Ewan went straight to the academy library.

The librarian was a beautiful upperclassman with a voluptuous figure and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye that gave her a hint of alluring charm.

Ewan glanced at her as he passed, but didn’t dare to look for too long.

Study! Study! Eliminate all distractions!

He went to the magic books section. The library’s vast collection made him a little dizzy, but with the help of some thoughtful little signs on the shelves, he found the book he was looking for.

“I wonder who wrote these,” Ewan said with a smile, looking at the elegant handwriting on the little icons. “It must be a very gentle person.”

…

He took the book to the reading area.

Detailed Explanation of the Basics of Magic.

This was the book he had found. Since it was a detailed explanation, the content was naturally even more basic and detailed than the textbook, and therefore more suitable for a novice like him.

“If I don’t have a teacher, I’ll teach myself!”

A determined glint appeared in Ewan’s eyes.

Nothing could stop his progress! No one!

…

“Ah, I can’t do this.”

Half an hour later, Ewan gave up.

It wasn’t that self-study was impossible, but he suddenly realized…

This method was simply too slow.

After spending half an hour just to figure out who the great archmage Meradomir from a thousand years ago was and how earth-shattering her achievements were, he realized that he had only learned the preface to the preface. And it was the part of the book that required the least understanding and the most memorization. It was like reading the biography of a mathematician in a calculus textbook. The biography was not important; it was the formulas, theorems, and symbols that he left behind that were. And those were the things that would make you go bald.

It wasn’t that Ewan couldn’t do it, but he was afraid that by the time he had finished this entire book on the basics of magic, he would look up and…

“Congratulations, student. Six years have passed in a flash. You have successfully graduated. Here is your degree. Now get out.”

Professor Planck would definitely say that to him and then mercilessly kick him out of the academy.

What was the point of learning magic then?

“No, I still need to find a teacher.”

But who could he ask?

Miss Fran looked as if she wanted to crawl into a hole every time she saw him. And Professor Planck… his blood pressure probably shot up every time he saw him. And with his temper, if he went to him with his lack of knowledge, either the academy would have a dead body on its hands, or the world of education would lose a great pillar.

But the other magic teachers… he didn’t know them.

Wait a minute.

Why does the person teaching me have to be a teacher?

Ewan suddenly had a revelation.

As long as they could teach him this subject, anyone would do, right?

For example…

Ewan’s sharp gaze swept across the library, finally landing on a female student in a corner on the opposite side.

She was wearing thick, black-framed glasses, her hair was in a braid, and she was engrossed in the book before her.

At a glance, she was a good, obedient student.

“Hehe, students like that are usually more easily tempted,” Ewan said with a wicked grin, the smile of a blond villain unconsciously appearing on his face.

…

“Excuse me, miss.”

Sally Flender was engrossed in her favorite book when she suddenly heard a gentle voice.

Is he talking to me?

She looked up in confusion and met a pair of gentle, sapphire-blue eyes.

Just as she was about to be captivated by those eyes, her vision widened, and she saw the full appearance of the person before her.

Her pupils contracted in shock.

Ewan Campbell!

The son of a duke who was cheating with thirteen other girls, the ultimate scumbag playboy!

Why was he here?

Shari froze for a moment, then immediately stood up.

N-no… I have to get away. Otherwise… otherwise…

“No, no, no, don’t go yet, don’t go yet…”

Ewan said with a helpless, bitter smile, stopping Sally.

“Don’t worry, miss. I’m not trying to hit on you, nor am I trying to ask you out. I just have a favor to ask you.”

“A… a favor?” Sally clutched her book and shrunk back.

“Um, well…”

Ewan thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, “Miss, are you by any chance… short on money?”

“Short… on money?”

Sally was slightly taken aback, and her hand unconsciously tightened on the hem of her clothes.

It was true. She was very short on money.

After all, her family was just a commoner family. If it weren’t for a chance encounter where her talent was discovered by a teacher from Saint Marika, she probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to study here. But Saint Marika was not an ordinary academy. Even with the help of that teacher, her daily life was extremely frugal.

But even if she was short on money, what did that have to do with this duke’s son, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth?

Commoners had their pride too.

Sally’s expression turned cold.

She pushed up her overly large black-framed glasses and said, “Whether I’m short on money or not has nothing to do with you, Young Master Campbell. If you have nothing else, I’ll be leaving now. I have a class soon.”

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean to offend you. I mean, would you be interested in earning some extra money at the academy?” Ewan quickly explained.

“Extra money?”

Sally’s departing footsteps immediately stopped. She turned back to look at Ewan, a clear look of suspicion in her eyes.

As a child from a poor family, who wouldn’t want to earn some extra money to help out at home while studying? But Saint Marika was just an academy. There were very few opportunities to earn money, and even if there were, they were mostly monopolized by the upperclassmen. It was not something a lowerclassman like her could get her hands on.

But the rumors about Ewan Campbell still made her wary.

“Then… tell me about it, Young Master Ewan.”

“It’s not anything difficult, really.”

Seeing that the girl was slightly interested, Ewan couldn’t help but smile. “I was just wondering if you had time after school, or after class, to give me some… private tutoring.”

“Private tutoring?”

Shari’s eyes suddenly widened. “One-on-one? Alone?”

“That’s right, one-on-one.”

Although Ewan didn’t know why the girl was emphasizing these points, he still nodded honestly.

“Then… the subject… is… what?” Sally stammered.

“Um, well, it’s about studying, of course. Although I personally would like to learn a bit of everything, I have to consider you, the top student. I don’t know if you… huh? Miss, are you alright?”

Ewan suddenly noticed that the girl’s cheeks were very red.

What was going on? Was it too hot in the library?

“S-study… top student…”

At that moment, as if the primordial universe had exploded in the girl’s mind, countless thoughts erupted.

Study?

The “study” that Ewan Campbell was talking about… would it be proper study?

And it’s private tutoring, after-school lessons, one-on-one?

In that instant, many “unintentionally,” “forced upon me by a friend,” “not on purpose,” “just took a peek,” and other such unspeakable stories and picture books formed a few words in the pure girl’s mind.

Top Student’s After-School Activities.

Secret ***Lessons***…

The Temptation of the Girl with Glasses.

Student Uniform ****…

As I thought! That Ewan Campbell is up to no good!

“Um… if you’re worried about the payment, money is not a problem.”

Perhaps feeling that his sincerity was not enough, Ewan said with a serious expression, “You can name your price, as long as you agree to tutor me.”

“…”

He even wants to corrupt my soul with money!

“I’m not that kind of girl!” Sally shouted emotionally.

“Eh?”

Ewan was dumbfounded.

That kind of girl?

What kind of girl?

Is tutoring him that kind of thing?

But before he could ask, Sally suddenly lifted her foot and kicked him in the shin.

“Money isn’t everything, you pervert!”

“Huh?”

Before Ewan could react, a sharp pain shot through his brain.

“Owww—it hurts!”

“Pervert! Scumbag! Go to hell!”

After cursing him a few more times, Sally clutched her books and ran away.

Leaving Ewan curled up on the floor like a shrimp, clutching his shin, his face a mixture of pain and utter confusion.

Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?

Why was I called a scumbag again?

Did I do something to that girl? Why does she hate me so much?

Ewan’s face was blank, his eyes full of the existential crisis of a man who had never even had a girlfriend but was constantly being called a scumbag.

Just then, a fragrant breeze blew past.

A figure blocked the light.

Ewan subconsciously looked up and froze.

A mature-looking girl stood before him.

Her hair, casually tied back with a hair tie, was draped over her magnificent bosom. Her eyes, as clear as crystals submerged in water, were slightly upturned at the corners. A perfectly placed beauty mark under her right eye gave her an indescribable charm when her eyes curved into a smile.

Her figure was also excellent, with a slender, snake-like waist. And the curve of her hips, hidden under her form-fitting uniform, seemed to be able to spark countless fantasies.

And on the chest of her uniform, a silver nameplate read:

Anna Kaberlin.

“Anna…”

Looking at the figure before him, Ewan couldn’t help but gulp.

Although he had only glanced at her before, he couldn’t forget such a stunning beauty.

It was the librarian!

“Excuse me, student. Shouting is not allowed in the library,” the girl said, looking at Ewan. Although her lips were curved into a gentle, sister-next-door-like smile, for a moment, Ewan felt a chill run down his spine.

…

…

“Oh, my, my. So that’s what happened.”

After listening to Ewan’s explanation, the gentle librarian rested her cheek in her hand and chuckled. “It seems I misunderstood you, Ewan. I thought you were sexually harassing that little girl just now. I was even hesitating whether I should call a teacher over, or just give you a righteous sneak attack first.”

“Of course not!” Ewan said, rubbing his shin and wincing, on the verge of tears. “I’m the victim here!”

It was always like this. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was always the one who got hit by fate’s iron fist.

This wasn’t right. Weren’t the blond villains in stories supposed to be the ones who preyed on innocent young girls? Why was he always the one being preyed on by innocent young girls?

Thankfully, after being hit by the iron fist so many times, he had become more resistant to it.

It was just a little kick from a little girl. He could just grit his teeth and bear it.

“Eh? Anna?”

Just as he was thinking this, Ewan saw Anna suddenly kneel down. Her slender, soft fingers gently touched his shin, tenderly kneading the muscles. The wonderful sensation made Ewan’s heart tickle, and his cheeks turned slightly red. He subconsciously tried to pull away.

“Don’t move,” Anna said softly.

Her gentle words seemed to have a powerful magic.

Ewan immediately stopped his trembling leg and let Anna touch him.

“Good boy,” Anna said with a smile.

At the same time, a soft light emanated from her palm. A warm sensation flowed from where her soft hand was touching, deep into his muscles, and even his bones.

In just a few breaths, Ewan felt the pain in his shin completely disappear, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of lightness.

“This is…”

“Just a simple healing spell.”

“Thank you, but you really didn’t have to…”

“You should take better care of your body,” Anna interrupted, a hint of mock sternness in her voice. But a moment later, a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. “Otherwise, if you get injured, you won’t be able to be a scumbag playboy.”

“…”

The smile that had just begun to form on Ewan’s lips immediately froze. He touched his nose and said with a sheepish grin, “So you recognized me too, Anna.”

“Well, Ewan, you are kind of a big celebrity.”

“I thought I was only famous among the second-years.”

Ewan scratched his head, then, as if remembering something, he looked at Anna and asked with confusion, “But since you know who I am, why did you still come near me? Don’t all the girls who have heard my name run as far away as possible, like that girl just now?”

“Of course they have to run. Because in their eyes, you, Ewan, are a bona fide scumbag. They’re afraid of being tricked by you, tricked of their bodies, and even their hearts. So of course they have to stay as far away as possible.”

“But—”

Anna sat down on the chair next to Ewan, her body suddenly leaning in close, a warm, feminine scent wafting over him. She leaned in close to his ear and, her breath like an orchid, she whispered in a seductive voice, “Do you think… you can be a scumbag to me, Ewan?”

“Hiss—”

Ewan couldn’t help but lean back, sucking in a sharp breath.

This girl, Anna… she was on a whole other level!

“Pfft.”

Seeing Ewan’s flustered retreat, Anna covered her mouth and giggled. Her eyes, curved into crescents, and the beauty mark under her eye, made her look even more charming. “It’s so strange. You’re supposed to be a legendary scumbag playboy, but I think you’re quite pure, Ewan. You don’t act like a playboy at all.”

“Because I’m not a playboy at all!” Ewan said with a righteous indignation. “Those are all just rumors! I’ve never even had a girlfriend!”

“Is that so? What a pity.”

“A pity?”

“Actually, I was quite looking forward to seeing what a top-tier scumbag, who is the talk of half the academy’s girls, is really like,” Anna said, licking her lips, her eyes full of a captivating charm.

“…To be honest,” Ewan suddenly puffed out his chest, unbuttoned the top button of his uniform, and ran a hand through his short hair, a wicked grin on his face. “Behind this handsome face of mine hides the heart of a beast. Becoming a top-tier playboy is nothing to me. So, Anna, you…”

“In your dreams.”

Anna rolled her eyes at Ewan. “I was just kidding. I’ve never had a boyfriend either~”

“You! Wicked woman!”

Ewan looked heartbroken. “Do you have any conscience, Anna, toying with my pure, innocent heart like this?”

“I’m a wicked woman,” Anna said with a chuckle, resting her cheek in her hand. “Wicked women don’t have hearts, you know.”

“…”

It’s over.

This woman is on a completely different level. I can’t win.

Just as Ewan was about to sound a tactical retreat and wait for another opportunity to fight another day, his eyes happened to fall on the little icons on the bookshelf that had helped him find his target book so quickly.

He suddenly asked, “Those little icons…”

“Hm?”

“Those little icons… did you put them there?”

“I did,” Anna said, glancing over, not seeming to care much. “Just a little something I did when I was bored.”

“You’re so kind,” Ewan said with admiration.

“Hm?”

Anna looked at Ewan with surprise. “You think I’m kind?”

“I do,” Ewan said, blinking. “You healed my injury, even though I have such a bad reputation. You put up these little icons to help students find books. And… you’ve been casting a sound-proofing spell this whole time, haven’t you? Just so we wouldn’t disturb the other people in the library. Can’t all of that be called kindness?”

“K-kind?”

Anna chuckled. “Not many people say that about me.”

“Oh? Then what do most people say about you?” Ewan’s interest was piqued.

“They say…” Anna’s words were drawn out, but just as she was about to reveal the answer, she changed the subject, flicking Ewan on the forehead with her finger and saying with a huff, “You little rascal, trying to get information out of me.”

“Tsk.”

Ewan clicked his tongue in disappointment. “So close.”

“But…” Anna suddenly tilted her head and said, “Since you praised me for being kind, I guess I can tell you.”

“Tch. Do you think I’ll fall for that? I’m telling you, a Saint…”

Ewan froze.

Because Anna had suddenly leaned in close.

Very, very close.

So close that he could feel her breath on his face.

So close that he could see, through her clear, limpid eyes, a glimpse of a deep, dark abyss.

“A snake.”

“They say I’m a snake,” Anna’s red lips moved, and she whispered the word.

“Oh, oh.”

Ewan nodded dumbly. But by the time he had processed what she had said, Anna had already returned to a normal distance from him, as if she had never leaned in at all.

“A snake,” Ewan repeated with a nod. “That’s pretty cool.”

“Cool?”

For the first time, a look of genuine surprise appeared on Anna’s face. “A snake is not a very nice thing to call a woman, you know.”

“Is that so?” Ewan crossed his arms and nodded with a serious expression. “But I think it’s cool. After all… snakes eat rats, and I’m most afraid of rats.”

“…”

Anna stared at Ewan until his serious expression started to crumble. Then, she suddenly burst out laughing.

“Ewan, you’re a very interesting person.”

“Is that so? I’m glad I could make you laugh.” Ewan rubbed his hands together excitedly. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Actually…”

“You want me to tutor you, don’t you?” Anna said, as if she had expected it all along.

“Eh?”

Ewan was stunned, then he scratched his head in embarrassment. “You knew, Anna?”

“I’m not deaf. I heard what you said to that girl. And…” Anna stared at Ewan with a teasing smile. “When a man actively talks to a strange woman for so long, if he’s not horny, he must have some other motive, right?”

“Nonsense!” Ewan said, slamming his hand on the table with a straight face. “Maybe I was just captivated by your charm?”

“…Ewan Campbell.”

“Hm?”

“Perhaps you really do have the potential to be a scumbag playboy,” Anna said, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

…

…

“So, what’s your answer?”

Ewan asked expectantly, as fidgety as a primary school student about to be called on.

“Well…”

Anna tapped her lips with her finger, thinking. “I can, but… I can’t just tutor you for free, Ewan.”

“I have money!” Ewan said with a righteous indignation. “A million!”

Anna was stunned, then she looked at Ewan with a strange expression. “Do you know, Ewan, that even the best private tutors in Belland don’t cost a million?”

“Knowledge is priceless,” Ewan said.

“Hehe… I can’t believe you’d say something so naive, Ewan.” Anna chuckled, resting her cheek in her hand as she carefully observed Ewan. It wasn’t until her gaze started to make him feel a little uncomfortable that she stood up and said, “Forget about the money. Since I’m your  ‘senior,’ it would feel strange to take your money.”

“Then what’s my payment…”

“You can owe me,” she said.

“Owe me?”

“That’s right. Owe me.” Anna stood with her hands behind her back, then suddenly leaned down to look directly into Ewan’s eyes. The charm at the corners of her eyes was captivating. “So, when I want it one day, you can’t refuse, okay?”

Her tone was seductive, like a devil’s contract.

But, for some reason, Ewan nodded.

“Okay.”

…

…

“Alright, we’re here.”

After her shift as the librarian was over, Anna led Ewan to a corner on the edge of the club building.

Ewan looked up at the nameplate above the door.

“Ancient… Potion Club? We have a club like that at our academy?”

“We do. But it’s normal that you haven’t heard of it.”

Anna pushed the door open.

In that instant, a gust of wind blew in his face, and the sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window opposite the door, momentarily blinding him.

In the brief moment it took for his vision to recover, he vaguely saw the usually devilish Anna brush a stray lock of hair from her ear, a hint of melancholy on her face. “After all… I’m the only member of this club.”

“The only member?”

Ewan was stunned. “Is a one-person club even allowed?”

“Of course not. But the club’s probation period is one year. In other words, if I don’t find any new members within this year, this club will be disbanded.”

“I see…”

A one-person club… for some reason, it felt so lonely.

“So…”

Anna turned back, a light smile on her face. “Do you want to join our Ancient Potion Club, Ewan?”

“Me?”

Ewan was stunned, but then, his expression turned serious. “Is this the payment you want me to make?”

“No. This is a choice.”

Anna’s expression was unusually serious as she stared into Ewan’s eyes. “Even if the Ancient Potion Club is on the verge of being disbanded, I won’t force anyone to join. So, Ewan Campbell, experience it for yourself, and then make your own decision. Whether you want to join our Ancient Potion Club or not.”

…

…

“The Ancient Potion Club, huh?”

Walking back to his dorm, Ewan sighed, his hands behind his head.

“I have no idea what they do.”

Due to the lack of time, Anna had only shown him the location of the club. As for what their club activities were… Ewan had no idea. But from the name and the sophisticated equipment in the classroom, he could guess that it was a club for brewing ancient potions.

It seemed legitimate enough.

“But the club is not important for now.”

What was important was…

“I’ve finally found a teacher for Introduction to the Basics of Magic!”

If it weren’t for the other people on the road, Ewan would have been jumping for joy.

Finally!

Finally!

After all this time, he had finally overcome the biggest obstacle on his path to becoming a good student!

From his conversation with Anna, he had learned that she was one of the top students in the fifth year. With her as his tutor, how could his grades not improve?

The only thing he had to worry about was that Anna was so beautiful that he might get distracted from his studies.

“But for me, Ewan Campbell, that’s a small matter.”

Ewan couldn’t help but smile with confidence. “How could a man who truly loves learning be distracted by mere beauty?”

Just watch me. I’ll show you what it means to be a true gentleman.

“Hmph, hmph~”

With that thought, Ewan hummed a little tune as he walked back to his dorm.

…

I’m so happy today.

Nothing can stop this joyful heart of mine.

…

“Could Ewan Campbell please report to the student council office.”

“I repeat, could Ewan Campbell please report to the student council office.”

“Huh?”

Hearing the announcement from the magical broadcast, Ewan froze.

And just like that, his happiness vanished with a pop.

“The student council wants to see me at this hour… I have a bad feeling about this.”

Thinking about what had happened during the day, a sense of foreboding washed over Ewan.

…

…

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

In the student council room, Celicia sat behind her desk, her hands clasped under her chin, and asked the trembling Ewan sitting not far away, “Ewan Campbell, do you have any idea about the recent sexual harassment incident that was reported?”

“No! Absolutely not!” Ewan denied it vehemently. “I’ve been studying hard all afternoon. I had no idea something so terrible had happened.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” Ewan nodded vigorously, then said with a righteous indignation, “To sexually harass a young girl in broad daylight, in front of so many people… if I had seen something like that, I would have personally shown the perpetrator what the iron fist of justice feels like!”

“Is that so?”

Celicia’s tone was suddenly full of a strange meaning. “I’m so glad you feel that way, Ewan Campbell.”

“Haha, of course…”

“But…”

Celicia stared at Ewan, her expression turning cold. “When did I say that the victim was a young girl?”

“…W-wasn’t she?” Ewan’s expression froze.

“Of course not.”

Celicia tossed a file in front of Ewan. He looked at it and saw that it was a report on the recent string of underwear thefts in the boys’ dormitory.

Male?

Underwear theft?

Why do those two words sound so wrong together?

“I thought that since you also live in the boys’ dormitory, you might know something. That’s why I called you here. But now it seems…” Celicia’s eyes narrowed as she sized him up. “It seems you’ve been up to some other mischief as well, Ewan Campbell.”

“…No, of course not.”

Ewan shook his head vigorously, then forced a smile. “How could I possibly be up to no good? I’m a good student now.”

“A good student?”

Celicia’s brow arched. “That’s a rare word to be associated with you.”

“Not at all, not at all, haha…”

Ewan laughed sheepishly, but then he saw Celicia suddenly get up and walk toward him.

His body tensed up.

What’s going on?

Did she see through my lie?

Is she finally going to cut me into a million pieces?

Help! My wife is trying to murder me…

“What would you like to drink?”

“Eh?”

“What’s with the ‘eh’?” Celicia walked past Ewan and shot him a cold glance. “I asked you what you would like to drink. And just so you know, I don’t have any black tea.”

“…That’s good. I don’t drink black tea either,” Ewan said with an awkward laugh. “Coffee. Coffee is fine.”

“Alright.”

Celicia nodded and went to the side to brew the coffee with practiced ease.

A short while later, two steaming cups of coffee were placed in front of Ewan.

He took one and was immediately hit by the rich aroma.

“This smells amazing,” he said in surprise. “I didn’t know you could make coffee.”

“It’s just pouring hot water over ground coffee beans. Anyone can do it.”

Celicia stirred her coffee, adding a truly alarming amount of sugar cubes that made Ewan’s eyelids twitch.

“What, do you want some sugar too?” she asked.

“No, no.” Ewan shook his head vigorously. “I’ll have mine black.”

“I see.”

Celicia continued to add sugar cubes to her coffee. By the time Ewan thought the coffee had become a thick, syrupy sludge, she finally picked up her cup and took a small sip.

“Hah…”

In that moment, for the first time, Ewan saw a look of genuine pleasure on her face.

So you like your coffee this sweet. The novel never mentioned that.

As he thought this, he quietly picked up his own cup. But just as he was about to take a sip, he heard her say, “I’m sorry.”

“Hm?”

Ewan looked up in surprise. “What did you say?”

“I said, I’m sorry.”

Even as she was apologizing to someone she had once despised, Celicia’s expression was unwavering, without a hint of shame. She looked directly into Ewan’s eyes, her gaze serious. “I’m sorry for not listening to your explanation this morning.”

“…”

Ewan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to apologize for that. “I-it’s fine. I didn’t mind at all.”

“Whether you mind or not is irrelevant. I made a mistake, and I have to apologize.”

Celicia sat back down in her chair. “Earlier, I went to see Miss Fran and Professor Planck again. I learned the truth from them. What happened today was not your fault at all. In fact, you were also a victim. The cause of all this was just the prejudice that has always surrounded you.”

“Yeah,” Ewan said with a bitter smile. He didn’t know when he would be able to shake off the “scumbag” label. At the very least, he wished that girls wouldn’t run away from him on sight.

“So, regarding that, I have a proposal.”

“Hm? What kind of proposal?”

“It’s simple.”

Celicia put down her coffee and looked at Ewan, her expression serious. “Ewan Campbell, would you like to join the student council?”

Ewan was stunned: “Is this an order?” 

“No.”

Celicia replied: “This is a choice.”