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Chapter 47: The Winter Break Plans

The moonlight was thin, and the light dim.

Two humans and one wolf walked down the pitch-black forest path in a prolonged silence, the only sound coming from the whispering evening breeze.

Xue Nuo wore a cold expression, her face seeming to frost over.

Unlike a certain blonde maid, while her expression was similarly indifferent, Xue Nuo radiated an aura that discouraged any conversation, causing Roy to hesitate.

Why does it feel like Teacher Xue Nuo’s in a bad mood?

And indeed, she was.

Recalling her earlier actions, Xue Nuo felt a wave of regret.

Saying such things out of frustration was a bit unreasonable, especially since Roy hadn’t even agreed yet.

She needed to clarify things.

Unfortunately, Xue Nuo was never good with words.

It wasn’t until they passed through the forest path and spotted a warm orange glimmer in the distance that she forced herself to speak up when the boy paused.

“Roy, I apologize for what happened earlier.”

“Apologize?” Roy was completely stumped about what she meant.

Fortunately, Xue Nuo continued speaking on her own: “To explain, it was just me being rash. If you have someone else in mind, and don’t want to become my student, that’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Just…”

Xue Nuo hesitated slightly, her eyes trembling as she lowered her voice: “If you don’t mind, I could still be your mentor.”

Roy’s pupils contracted.

He realized that this seemingly casual inquiry was a rare show of initiative from Xue Nuo.

In the original story, Xue Nuo had never shown much interest in taking on disciples.

It was only when Alice was bullied terribly by that ‘bad guy Roy’ that she made an exception and took Alice as her personal apprentice.

Now, to think Xue Nuo was willing to make an exception for him.

Though just a tiny crack in the icy wall, it was a wonderful opportunity.

Unlike Sado, Winter, or even the timid homeroom teacher Barbara, Roy couldn’t entirely trust anyone else.

Only Xue Nuo, who he knew well, was definitely not involved with any cults, making her the best candidate for a personal mentor!

Seeing Roy fall silent for a moment, Xue Nuo assumed he wasn’t willing and felt somewhat disappointed, though not surprised.

She was quite aware of her reputation among students.

Strict and unsympathetic teachers weren’t exactly popular, right?

“Of course, I’m just suggesting, not forcing. If you don’t want to…”

“No, no, no, Teacher Xue Nuo, please definitely take me as your student!”

Roy hurriedly interrupted, to prevent her from misunderstanding.

Her unexpected response left Xue Nuo a bit taken aback, blinking at him in surprise.

“You… don’t dislike me?”

“Actually, I’ve wanted to be Teacher Xue Nuo’s personal apprentice for a long time, but I thought you didn’t take students, so I didn’t dare to ask.” Roy said, a bit amused, unable to comprehend her thought process: “Also, why would I dislike Teacher Xue Nuo? I’d be overjoyed that Teacher Xue Nuo is willing to take me as her student!”

The faint moonlight illuminated the boy’s handsome face, his dark eyes shimmering with life, reflecting in the girl’s icy blue eyes, lingering for a long time.

He doesn’t dislike me.

Even though as a teacher, Xue Nuo only sought to fulfill her duties and didn’t expect to be liked by her students.

But this feeling wasn’t so bad after all.

“Then it’s settled, from now on, you are my personal apprentice.”

The silver-haired girl placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, leaned closer, her tone firm yet laced with a tenderness she was oblivious to: “I swear to share all I know with you and protect you with everything I have.”

“From now on, I look forward to your guidance.”

Roy felt a bit embarrassed under her direct gaze, smiling shyly: “I look forward to it too, Teacher Xue Nuo.”

Being a personal student meant they were no longer in a mere teacher-student relationship, but rather truly understanding and helping each other, watching over one another.

Xue Nuo didn’t linger in her emotions for too long.

Spotting a figure shimmering by a distant cabin, she said to Roy: “Alright, it’s getting late. You should hurry back.”

“Goodbye, Teacher.”

“Goodbye.”

Even though the distance wasn’t too far, Xue Nuo remained still, wanting to watch Roy return home before she left.

For her first and perhaps only personal apprentice, a little extra concern didn’t hurt, right?

Little did she know, after taking a few steps, the boy turned back, smiling warmly.

“Teacher Xue Nuo must be tired too, right? Head back and rest early!”

“…Mm.”

On the way back, it was just the wolf and the boy, the winter night breeze still as cold as ever.

However, thinking about the boy’s smile, Xue Nuo felt waves of warmth sweeping over her heart.

“Woof?”

The silver wolf tilted its head, not knowing why it sensed its master’s unusual happiness.

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Back home, it was already evening.

To Roy’s surprise, the girls hadn’t eaten yet, waiting for him to return before sitting down to dinner.

“Feeling touched? Everyone was waiting for you! If you’re moved, do you want a hug!”

The elven girl rushed towards him with open arms, only to be yanked back by the red-haired princess.

“How can you say that! You were the only one who ate ahead of time!”

“Hey, I did eat, but having to have a second dinner with him was hard work, okay?!”

“I really can’t stand those two girls, they have zero awareness.” Leanna commented while smiling, pulling out a chair: “Freshman, come sit here~”

The two girls exploded with anger: “Why should he sit next to you?! *2”

The usual noisy antics made Roy chuckle despite himself.

It’s a shame these lively days were about to come to a temporary end.

During dinner, Roy discussed the arrangements for the upcoming exams.

Veszyra’s winter break would be lengthy. As the year-end approached, noble offspring needed to return to manage their territories or help with accumulating governmental affairs.

In places like the Lionheart Kingdom where magical beasts were rampant, they had to return to help prevent them from attacking territories during the hunger of winter.

Charlotte and Nia would be heading home.

Leanna also had to take a trip due to the Mage Association’s tasks.

However, Roy had to stay behind.

In order not to miss any news about the Certificate of Kingship, he needed to be at the Academy City at all times, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

The three girls’ faces revealed reluctance, with Nia throwing a fit but just playfully whining.

Everyone had their own responsibilities in their high positions and sometimes needed to set aside personal gains to fulfill those duties.

“That means, the only one left behind is Alice?” The little maid blinked, her tone flat, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased inside.

Unexpectedly, Roy dropped a bombshell: “Alice, how about you go back with Charlotte and the others?”

“You’ve been a bother this whole time, and it’s rare for you to have a break; it’s a good opportunity to go home and rest properly.”

 

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