I'm Not the Mastermind

Chapter 36

"Ah..."

Thump! Thump!

Alicia felt her heart pounding fiercely. Standing before the man she had been searching for, her mind went completely blank, as if she had become a simpleton.

Soon enough, amidst her whitened thoughts, questions began to flit by.

Even if he was a professor, a man shouldn’t be able to enter the women’s dormitories so freely. How did he get here?

No, more importantly, why did he come?

Could it be that he knew she was looking for him and came here on his own...

“Ahem.”

A cough brought her back to her senses. Startled, Alicia turned toward the sound, where...

"Princess Alicia, do you have a moment?"

"...Headmistress?"

A woman with fiery red hair, golden eyes, and an explosively commanding presence that naturally captivated attention stood there—none other than Ines Karrandar, the Headmistress of Labyrinth Academy.

Realizing her presence, Alicia immediately lowered her head in a bow.

Ines, a descendant of the Karrandar family with dragon’s blood, was among the most formidable beings of the mortal realm. Even the Emperor of the Empire dared not treat her lightly.

Moreover, Ines was the one who had allowed Alicia to return to the academy despite her demonic affliction and kept it a secret. To Alicia, she was a benefactor deserving of the utmost respect.

"It is an honor to meet you, Headmistress..."

"There’s no need for such formalities. Lift your head."

Ines helped Alicia straighten her posture before she could finish her bow. Alicia hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"But..."

"More importantly, may I come in? I have something to discuss regarding your situation."

"Ah..."@@@@

At the mention of her "situation," Alicia’s gaze instinctively darted to Yujin, who stood there with a serene smile.

Surely, this had something to do with him as well. After all, ever since he intervened yesterday, her nightmares had ceased, and neither hallucinations nor whispers tormented her.

Unlike the borrowed powers from other transcendents that often caused side effects, his intervention had caused no rejection at all.

Perhaps... he might have a solution. That was why she had sought him out in the first place.

"...Understood. Please, both of you, come in."

Alicia decided to invite them inside. There was no reason to refuse.

"Thank you. I’ll step in, then."

"Excuse us."

The two entered Alicia’s dormitory—a space that, while luxurious and well-furnished, was devoid of unnecessary items beyond what was essential.

Inside the spacious room, a table and sofa were arranged, where the three took their seats.

Yujin and Headmistress Ines sat side by side on the long sofa, while Alicia took the seat across from them.

As they settled in, Alicia glanced at the empty table in front of them and opened her mouth to speak.

"I must apologize. I don’t have any refreshments or tea prepared... I’m afraid I can’t offer you proper hospitality."

"It’s quite all right. It would be unreasonable to expect hospitality when we came unannounced. If anything, I should apologize for intruding."

"No, Headmistress. You’ve come because of my problem. You have no reason to apologize..."

"Enough. Let’s not waste time on such fruitless exchanges, shall we?"

"...Understood."

At the Headmistress’s firm words, Alicia nodded, cutting the polite chatter short. Yet even as the conversation continued, she couldn’t help but steal glances at Yujin, clearly still conscious of his presence.

Alicia hesitated and glanced at Yujin. The Headmistress nodded as if to confirm her suspicions.

"You’re correct. The reason you’re feeling better is due to something Professor Yujin did for you yesterday."

"Something he did..."

At those words, Alicia absentmindedly touched the flower blooming in her right eye and asked cautiously, "What exactly do you mean by 'something'?"

"It’s quite simple. He sealed the demonic energy consuming Your Highness’s body."

"......"

It was Yujin who answered her question. Alicia’s face went blank for a moment before she asked, "Is... is that even possible?"

"Forgive me for saying this, but if it weren’t possible, Your Highness would still be suffering as you were yesterday."

"......"

He wasn’t wrong. She couldn’t argue. If Yujin hadn’t intervened, she would have woken up as usual, plagued by nightmares, hallucinations, and voices.

But even so...

"However... no court mage in the royal palace was able to accomplish such a feat. Not even you, Headmistress..."

"That’s..."

The Headmistress found herself at a loss for words. She knew she wasn’t capable of such a thing. Sealing the power of a transcendent’s seed? That was far beyond the realm of mortals.

Both the Headmistress and Alicia understood this fact. Alicia, as the host of the demonic seed, probably knew it better than anyone else.

"...I remember the magic Professor Yujin used yesterday."

With those words, Alicia fixed her gaze on Yujin.

He sat there, his eyes half-closed, wearing an enigmatic smile that betrayed no hint of his true thoughts.

"I’m no expert in magic, but even I could tell that it was beyond the level of human capability. Its structure was so complex that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend it."

"......"

"I must ask you something. Professor Yujin... are you truly human?"

At her question, Yujin’s smile deepened. He looked at Alicia, who flinched under his gaze, and finally spoke.

"Your Highness, while I am a professor, I am not the type to provide tedious explanations or spoon-feed answers. If anything, I’m more inclined to ask questions myself."

"......"

"I have no obligation to explain myself to you. Frankly, I have no intention of doing so. However, there is one thing I will say."

Still wearing that inscrutable smile, Yujin continued, "Your Highness, do you wish to resolve your problem?"

"...Of course..."

Who would want to live with a demon parasitizing their body? Perhaps a dark mage might see it as a blessing, but not her.

More than anything, she didn’t want to endure a life of pain, only to be consumed and erased by the demon in the end.

"In that case, I will make you an offer you cannot refuse."

Yujin smiled knowingly as he extended his hand toward her.

"I will help you solve your problem. In return, however, you must grant me one thing I desire."

"Ah..."

To Alicia, his outstretched hand seemed like a demonic contract—a sweet, yet perilous trap, like a spider’s web.

As she looked at it, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was imagining things. Perhaps, she thought, she was indulging in a childish fantasy, like the prince from the fairy tales her mother once told her.

Of course, this was no fairy tale.

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.

"...Yes."

And so, she took his hand, sealing the dangerous pact.