NOVPUBThe greeting Freuden Ulburk gave to Ludger.
Just that one word—"it's been a while"—was enough to make everyone’s eyes go wide as they looked back and forth between Ludger and Freuden.
They were clearly asking with their eyes: Do those two know each other?
Rine, who had brought Freuden along, had the same question.
‘Huh? Did my upperclassman and the professor already know each other?’
Originally, Rine had planned to visit the infirmary alone.
But Erendir said she’d come along, turning it into a pair.
And then, for some reason, Freuden—who usually avoided interacting with anyone—insisted on coming as well.
That’s how they all ended up here.
And judging by Freuden’s attitude as he spoke to Ludger, it was clear this wasn’t their first meeting.
In fact, it felt like they’d known each other for a long time...
That’s when Ludger spoke with a tone that suggested he had no idea what was going on.
“I don’t know what you mean. This should be the first time we’ve met.”
“I see. It seems I must have been mistaken.”
Freuden accepted Ludger’s clear rejection with a smooth reply.
To an outsider, it would have looked like a simple case of mistaken identity.
Then Erendir stepped forward and said,
“We came to visit you and Professor Selina, since we heard you were injured. Here, we brought something.”
With that, Erendir gave Rine a gentle push forward.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Rine’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
“P-Professor Ludger, here you go.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Ludger took the basket, slightly bewildered, and placed it gently beside the fruit basket Flora had given him earlier.
Watching that, Flora inexplicably felt irritated.
‘What the heck? He just said he’d “gladly receive” mine and didn’t even say thank you.’
Was he discriminating between people?
But more than that, the presence of Freuden and Erendir was what really threw her off.
Erendir, the Third Princess, had a meddlesome personality, so it wasn’t that strange for her to show up here.
‘But Freuden... What the hell is that guy thinking, coming here?’
By nature, Freuden never moved unless he had a clear purpose.
He always said the steps of a high noble must carry the weight of their title.
Flora agreed with that sentiment. Which is why this room, of all places, didn’t make any sense for someone like Freuden to show up.
‘There’s definitely something going on. Something I don’t know about.’
Most likely, it had to do with that girl, Rine.
Just as Flora reached that conclusion, the students in the infirmary casually exchanged greetings.
“Oh my. Nice to meet you. We’ve seen each other in class, but I think this is the first time we’re formally introducing ourselves? I’m Erendir.”
“Yes! I’m Aidan! It’s an honor to meet you, upperclassman!”
“U-Upperclassman?”
Erendir’s expression softened in surprise—clearly she hadn’t expected to be called “upperclassman” by anyone other than Rine.
Erendir and Aidan’s group hit it off immediately.
To be precise, it was because the word “upperclassman” tore down all her defenses, and she approached them with a friendly ease that could only be described as disarming.
‘What is this? Is she really a princess? I don’t feel any nobility or dignity from her. Is she just pretending to be close?’
Leo, who was part of the Liberation Army, had been on guard around Erendir at first, but seeing her easygoing demeanor made him realize there was no need.
In truth, the Third Princess was a royal in name only—her older sister, the First Princess, held all the power.
Still, as someone of royal blood, Leo had thought Erendir would carry some kind of hidden authority.
‘She’s acting like someone desperate to make friends.’
It was a surprisingly accurate observation, but Leo dismissed his own thoughts, thinking no way that’s true.
‘...Still, this is kind of wild. In this one infirmary room, we’ve got a princess of the Empire and heirs from two of the Three Great Ducal Houses.’
Leo’s gaze naturally drifted to Aidan.
‘And he’s a user of that unusual anti-magic ability.’
Then to Iona.
‘And she’s a daughter of the great bloodline of the beastkin.’
As for Taishy—well, she was just a talented kid, probably.
If Taishy had heard Leo’s brutally concise assessment, she would’ve been furious.
‘And I’m an undercover agent of the Liberation Army.’
It was a bizarre combination, Leo thought.
Even so, in terms of rank, the Third Princess was still technically the highest...
“Oh my! You speak so nicely, dear. But instead of calling me something stiff like ‘upperclassman,’ just call me big sis! Come on, say it with me—Big. Sis. Got it? Wanna try?”
“P-Please wait a moment! Upperclassman! Don’t get too close to Aidan!”
Erendir was acting far too clingy around the pure-hearted Aidan, and Taishy was desperately trying to pry her away.
Watching it all, Leo chuckled despite himself, thinking how foolish he must have looked earlier for being tense.
* * *
The visit, though short, had been rather noisy—but it finally came to an end.
Seeing the students off, Selina smiled like she’d truly enjoyed it.
“Hehe. It was a pretty loud day, wasn’t it?”
“I feel more tired now, thanks to it.”
“Oh, come on. You didn’t even try to chase them out, Professor Ludger. And besides, this time, they all came specifically to see you.”
“Well...”
“Professor Ludger, you’re really popular with the students.”
Popular?
Ludger didn’t think of himself that way.
If anything, judging by the number of flower bouquets and gift baskets, Selina was the one who fit that description far more than he did.
“Well, at least it’s all over n—”
“We’ve come to visit~.”
The door creaked open, and in walked Professor Merilda.
Ludger, who had been about to say something, could only sigh when he saw her.
“What’s that sigh for? You saw me and sighed?”
“No. I just felt a wave of exhaustion all of a sudden.”
“You sure you’ve gotten enough rest? You can rest more if you need to.”
“I’m fine. I’ll just go get some fresh air.”
Ludger left the infirmary, leaving Selina alone with Merilda.
Merilda’s eyes sparkled as she turned to Selina.
“So, Selina.”
“Y-Yes?”
“How was it? Hm? Come on, tell me. You two were alone together.”
“Um, well, it’s kind of...”
Selina broke into a cold sweat under Merilda’s predatory stare, like a hunter cornering her prey.
* * *
Ludger stepped outside the building and wandered the area at a relaxed pace.
Staying inside would only mean being caught in Merilda’s chatter, which was guaranteed to get loud.
Besides, he figured Merilda and Selina probably had things they wanted to talk about.
And Ludger also had someone he was supposed to meet.
That was what he was thinking as he walked—until he noticed someone standing in his path.
He came to a halt.
“...You.”
Ludger’s eyes narrowed sharply when he recognized the person.
“Freuden Ulburk.”
Freuden gave no reply.
He simply stared at Ludger with a blank expression.
“Were you waiting for me to come out? I thought you’d finished your business.”
“I had personal matters left to attend.”
“I’m sorry, but I have nothing to say to you. Leave.”
Despite the dismissal, Freuden didn’t budge an inch.
Ludger frowned.
“What are you trying to pull?”
“Do you really not remember me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re going to spout nonsense, at least pick your audience better.”
Ludger brushed past Freuden, clearly done with the conversation.
If words wouldn’t work, he’d just move on.
That would’ve been the end of it—
—if Freuden hadn’t spoken up.
“You’ve got some nerve. As if sneaking in here under a false identity wasn’t enough, now you’re appearing in front of her again?”
“...”
Ludger came to a stop.
Freuden turned to him, glaring like he wanted to kill him on the spot.
“What exactly are you thinking, showing up here? You.”
“Hah.”
A blatant sigh escaped Ludger’s lips.
Freuden’s brow twitched at the sound.
Ludger turned his head and looked at him with a half-lidded, almost bored gaze.
“I thought you were just a clueless brat, but I see you remembered.”
Then he smirked and mocked him with a twisted grin.
“Ulburk’s lapdog.”
* * *
“So? What happened, huh?”
Under Merilda’s relentless questioning, Selina couldn’t hold out anymore and ended up telling her everything.
That she’d lost consciousness in the fire—and that Ludger had charged into the flames himself to save her.
“Oh my god, oh my god. That’s so romantic!”
Merilda didn’t even try to hide how thrilled she was by the story.
“...You don’t even care that I got hurt, do you?”
“Hey, come on. Of course I care. I was worried! But seeing how fine you are now, I didn’t feel the need to ask.”
“...Really?”
“Sure. I was curious though.”
“Curious about what, exactly?”
“Did something happen between you and Professor Ludger?”
The question came out of nowhere, and Selina was so flustered she couldn’t even form words.
Merilda just laughed mischievously at the sight.
“See? There is something. There is. You’re too flustered to even speak.”
“I-It’s not like that!”
“Oh please. Of course there’s something. You can be honest with me.”
“N-No, there’s nothing yet! ...Ah!”
Snapping back, Selina suddenly realized what she’d just said—and clapped both hands over her mouth.
But it was already too late.
“Ohhh? So you're saying yet, huh?”
“...Professor Merilda, you’re way too cunning.”
“No, you’re just too naïve, Selina.”
“That’s not true! I’m not naïve!”
“Real non-naïve people don’t say stuff like that.”
“...”
Selina had no comeback for that and could only thump the edge of the bed with her fists.
“So? How far did you get?”
“...I don’t know.”
“Don’t get pouty now. Of course I meant with Professor Ludger. How far have you gone?”
“I-I told you, there’s nothing like that!”
“Oh, please. It’s all over your face. I saw that look you gave him when he left—so full of longing.”
At Merilda’s sharp observation, Selina’s face turned as red as a maple leaf in autumn.
This was exactly why she was so naïve.
Merilda chuckled inwardly at the thought.
Of course, she didn’t say it out loud—if she did, Selina would genuinely sulk and refuse to speak to her for days.
“Selina. It’s rare to get a moment alone like this—use it.”
“To be honest... I don’t know. I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”
Like the warm breeze of early spring, Selina’s cheeks flushed as she spoke hesitantly.
“Professor Ludger is truly amazing. He’s smart, cool, strong. The students all like him. But I’m not like that. The only thing I’m good at is dealing with spirits, and I just keep acting like an idiot...”
That was the anxiety Selina kept buried in her heart.
That someone like her wasn’t suited for a person like Ludger.
More than anything, she looked up to him.
He was too impressive—so far above her that she didn’t even think she’d catch his attention.
“I... don’t have the right.”
“What do you mean, the right.”
Merilda brushed off Selina’s concern with ease.
“Selina, you’ve got no confidence. Someone like you? Guys would line up for a chance.”
“W-What? That’s not true at all!”
“Oh wow. I’ve never seen such a pure-hearted girl. This must be what it feels like to leave a child by the water’s edge.”
“I-I’m not a child, okay?!”
“And what does being ‘worthy’ have to do with anything when it comes to being with someone? Worrying about that is what’s really strange.”
“T-That’s...”
“Anyway. The only advice I can give is this: Just act like you always do. Be yourself. That’s enough, isn’t it?”
“Be myself...”
Selina couldn’t quite grasp Merilda’s advice.
What did that even mean—being herself?
The real Esmeralda she used to be no longer existed.
“And if it gets too hard, can’t you just ask for advice?”
“Advice... Ah!”
As if a lightbulb went off in her head, Selina grabbed Merilda’s hands.
“In that case, Professor Merilda! Please help me!”
“Wh-What?”
Merilda was completely taken aback by the sudden burst of enthusiasm.
“Professor Merilda, you definitely know how to win a man’s heart!”
“M-Me? Wait, why would you think that?”
“You’re a love expert, aren’t you?!”
“H-Huh? Love expert? Me?!”
“Rumor has it you were the queen of high society!”
At that, Merilda was truly lost for words.
Queen of high society, seriously?
‘Wait a second. I did kind of brag about that... didn’t I?’
Back then, she’d tried to sound impressive so people wouldn’t look down on her.
Was that what came back to bite her now?
‘The truth is, I don’t know anything about men!’
Sure, she now flaunted a glamorous and mature appearance...
...but in her past? Merilda had been the walking stereotype of a social outcast—huge glasses that covered her whole face, bangs that hid her eyes, the textbook “nerd” loner.
She’d never even held a guy’s hand properly, and to this day, her relationship count stood at zero.
Her affinity for curse magic? It started with her cursing out the couples that giggled together while she sat alone.
How many all-nighters had she pulled trying to invent a nonexistent love potion for her one-sided crush?
Just thinking about those memories made her want to crawl into a hole and die.
And now I’m supposed to give love advice?
Utter nonsense.
She still hadn’t even held a man’s hand, and she was expected to give advice?
She should say no to Selina’s request.
‘But... how am I supposed to say no when she’s looking at me like that?’
Selina’s sparkling eyes gazed up at her with desperate hope—making refusal almost impossible.
In the end, Merilda could only raise the white flag.
“A-Hem. Fine. Okay. I’ll help you.”
“Wow! Really?! Thank you so much, Professor Merilda!”
“W-Well, it’s not a big deal or anything...”
As she watched Selina’s beaming smile, Merilda broke out in a nervous sweat.
This was bad.
There was no turning back now.
* * *
Tension crackled in the air between Ludger and Freuden.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? What, ten years?”
“Almost twelve, if we’re counting by the calendar.”
“Twelve, huh. You were a total brat back then.”
“And you were a lot ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) younger than you are now.”
“Well, at least now you look the part of a noble. Grew up pretty decently.”
“Save the sweet talk.”
Freuden growled, snapping at Ludger.
“More importantly, you never answered my question. Why are you here?” n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
“Is there some rule saying I can’t be?”
“A man like you... What reason would you possibly have to come to Seorn? And don’t tell me your real name is ‘Ludger Cherish.’”
“You talk like you know a lot about me.”
A gust of wind swept between them.
Freuden clenched his fists tightly.
“What right did you have to approach Rine?”
“...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You think I wouldn’t notice that you gave her a magic book and helped her out? What, are you trying to atone for something now?”
“...”
Atonement.
That word pressed heavily on Ludger’s chest.
Freuden spoke like delivering a verdict.
“You, the very man who killed her mother with your own hands.”
