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Chapter 55: The Incompetent Mentor

Caught off guard, Roy had no choice but to fall back into his seat to avoid body contact.

However, Xue Nuo was so drunk that she just crashed into his arms to stop her descent.

The scent of cold perfume enveloped him as her silver hair brushed against his face.

It suddenly struck Roy how revealing this ice-blue sleeveless dress truly was.

With the girl leaning on his shoulder, her delicate, flawless arms inevitably pressed against him, usually hidden beneath her fitted long skirt.

The face adorned with the name of a rose was too close for comfort, slightly flushed but lacking the usual frostiness, replaced instead by a touch of vibrant charm. Those piercing eyes, which could scare off any would-be aggressor, now carried a glimmer that resembled melted snow.

The servants, all too familiar with such scenes, assumed it was just another lady using her drunken state to cozy up to a favored gentleman, hence they didn’t interfere.

But Roy’s heart was racing like it might explode.

Just three seconds ago, they were in a perfectly normal mentor-student relationship.

How did everything shift so quickly in just three seconds?!

There were no secrets in noble circles, especially not in public like this.

The scariest part was that this was just the beginning.

After all, in the original story, Xue Nuo was known to go wild on drinks and made Alice face some serious consequences right then and there!

What if she lost control and did something weird to him that ended up in Charlotte’s ears…?

Roy shuddered, not daring to imagine further.

Xue Nuo’s gaze was increasingly hazy, yet she still pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, persistently murmuring, “We must… go to the party…”

“Absolutely, we must go to the party…”

What was so special about this party for her?!

“Otherwise… facial cleanser…”

The girl suddenly dropped a horrifying threat, making Roy sweat in cold fear.

She was already slurring and talking nonsense!

Knowing it was futile to reason with someone who was drunk, he could only force a laugh and coax, “Alright, alright, let’s go.”

“Xue Nuo, let’s get going.”

Upon hearing him, the silver-haired girl finally settled down, clutching his clothes as she struggled to stand up.

Her delicate yet curvy figure bumped against him, leaving Roy frozen in place.

After getting dressed, Roy took Xue Nuo’s coat from a servant and wrapped it around her. Under the playful and flirtatious gazes from those around, he helplessly escorted the silver-haired girl out of the dining hall.

“Saint’s Day, the party, fireworks, dancing…”

“Mm, yes, yes.” Roy wrapped her arms around his as he supported her swaying form, “Just hold on a bit more, we’ll be there soon.”

In the carriage, Xue Nuo stubbornly held her head up against the bumps, mumbling incoherently all the way.

Even though helping Xue Nuo was somewhat challenging, Roy couldn’t help but feel fortunate that she was at the perfect level of drunk.

She could still walk but was dizzy and disoriented.

Once they reached the teacher’s residence, he took the keys from her and opened the door. He passed by the silver wolf, Little White, who greeted them, and guided Xue Nuo into her bedroom, helping her onto the bed. That’s when she suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if waking from a dream.

The silver-haired girl looked around in confusion.

What met her eyes was a cold silence, dreary and dull.

Fireworks could be heard celebrating in the distance, yet through the window, the only visible hints of light were a few tiny, blurred spots outside the academy’s barrier.

Xue Nuo stared outside for several seconds before turning back to Roy, her voice soft yet labored, as she trembled out a bitter question that didn’t quite sound like one.

“This… isn’t the party…?”

Her eyelashes glistened with unshed tears, giving her an expression as if she had suffered a devastating betrayal.

Roy felt a tightness in his chest.

In the original story, Xue Nuo wasn’t the type to care about a mere party. Yet even he, slow as he was, could see how significant the Saint’s Day party was to her.

Roy half-squatted in front of Xue Nuo, softly soothing her, “Xue Nuo, you’re a bit drunk.”

“Let’s get some rest. You wouldn’t enjoy the party looking like this, would you? The daughter of a duke and a teacher at the magic academy can’t be seen in a state like this. And it’s my fault for not noticing the food had alcohol in it.”

“So, I’ll definitely make it up to you later.”

“I’m sorry, Xue Nuo, it’s all my fault…”

Xue Nuo’s lashes fluttered as she grew sleepy.

It shouldn’t have been like this.

Roy’s Saint’s Day shouldn’t have ended this way.

Xue Nuo didn’t quite understand what was so great about the party, but she knew well enough that most people loved the jubilation, the laughter, the glorious fireworks, and a lively, wonderful dance.

She didn’t need to participate; just bringing Roy to experience it would have sufficed.

But even such a simple task, she hadn’t accomplished.

She caught his words in the fog of her mind, but her muddled brain couldn’t decipher their meaning or respond properly.

Only one phrase sank deeply into her heart.

“Don’t apologize.”

“So… hmm?”

“Don’t apologize!”

The sudden raise in her voice startled Roy, making him widen his eyes in shock.

Before he could even process what was happening, the silver-haired girl had cupped his face with both hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

In the dark, Xue Nuo strained to maintain her serious expression as she gazed intently at him, struggling to articulate her thoughts.

“You… have nothing to apologize for…”

“You’re great, you’re wonderful.”

“Whether it’s buying clothes or checking out exhibits, even during dinner, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You’ve always been obedient, whether it’s extra lessons or work, you’ve never complained.”

“You’ve done everything an apprentice should do for their mentor, and even exceeded expectations… if anyone should be blamed, it’s me.”

Xue Nuo’s head drooped, her voice barely a whisper.

“I haven’t been a good mentor.”

“I’ve been so tough on you all along. It’s only recently that I thought I should let you relax.”

“Clearly wanting to do something for you, wanting to be kinder to you, clearly wanting to celebrate Saint’s Day with you, yet I couldn’t even manage to take you to a party…”

Xue Nuo understood that Roy’s friends and family had all returned home, leaving him alone at the academy.

Even if he acted indifferent normally, during the holiday season, when everyone else was gathering with their loved ones, a person left behind would feel the pang of loneliness all the more.

Like waking up in the middle of the night, surrounded by nothing but a suffocating silence.

It was precisely because she understood that feeling that Xue Nuo didn’t want Roy to endure such loneliness.

That was her true reason for choosing to accompany him on Saint’s Day.

Yet in the end, it had resulted in denying him even a chance at the party, leaving him to waste his time here in this empty, cold room.

“I’m sorry, I’m just not a qualified mentor…”

The girl’s sigh was like melting snowflakes.

Only in the distance could the faint echoes of the fireworks be dimly heard.

The silver wolf curled up nearby, looking bewildered, pacing back and forth, confused as to why its master was sad and unsure of what to do about it.

Really, it was a shame to have shown him such a vulnerable side.

Now Roy might possibly abandon her as a mentor.

In that muddled state of mind, only feelings of guilt and unease were crystal clear.

Yet just then, a warmth began to radiate from her palm.

 

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