Chapter 1026 – #245_시범학기(5)
#1020
1.
Despite the penalty of a lower rank, Siwoo treated Aria like a training dummy, engaging in the battle casually.
Aria, on the other hand, resisted desperately, gritting her teeth.
The outcome was clear.
However, the witches were still in a daze because they couldn’t believe the scene unfolding before their eyes.
“Duel, the winner is Baron Shin Siwoo!”
After a half-beat delay, applause and exclamations of admiration erupted.
“Wow, what was that? Even with the rank difference, there was a penalty…”
“It’s just on a different level…?”
“So, it’s true that he defeated the Witch of Inversion.”
“Would he be a disciple of Duke Tiferet for no reason?”
They had heard rumors.
That Baron Shin Siwoo of the Hessed Academy had defeated a public enemy.
From rumors that he had shown remarkable achievements against the Homunculus Legion during the last flood,
to nonsense that he was a secret weapon cultivated by the Geminai Baron family.
But seeing it in person, they didn’t expect it to be this much.
Weren’t they all expecting a close match, or a disadvantage due to the penalty?
“Is that… Baron Shin Siwoo?”
“He’s crazy sexy…. Academy President, take me….”
“He was holding back the whole time, right? If he had used that last attack from the start, she wouldn’t have been able to block it, would she?”
Even the way Siwoo casually brushed the dust off his clothes looked too cool.
“Um….”
“……”
Stigma was watching the Baron’s reaction, while Aria Sparrow swallowed her frustration.
While everyone else was distracted, Stigma, who was acting as the referee, noticed something.
It was because he was a sensory-type witch that he was assigned the role of referee in the first place.
During the final exchange, Aria had broken the rules.
Whether it was because she was excited or because her competitive spirit was ignited, she launched an illegal attack against Siwoo, who had been adhering to the rules throughout the duel.
Naturally, this was a mistake that couldn’t be compared to simply losing a duel.
The reason why Aria’s face was turning black was probably the same.
Should he say something or not?
After hesitating, Stigma decided to fulfill his duty as a referee.
After all, the Baron would have noticed it.
“Baron, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Siwoo’s reaction was simple.
He smiled slightly and shook his head.
Feeling a flutter of excitement that made his heart drop, Stigma understood his intention and nodded vigorously.
There was no need to say it.
Wasn’t he too cool?
Not only did he prove that his reputation was not in vain with his perfect skills, but he also boldly applied for a duel after being unable to tolerate the insult of his lover.
Despite fighting with a penalty, he won fairly and showed a spirit of tolerance to his opponent who had committed a foul.
Stigma, who had witnessed both a gentleman and a knight, unconsciously came up with a new title.
The Gentle Witch Knight.
That was the name of Baron Shin Siwoo.
“Ugh….”
While everyone else was excited, the murmuring of the others didn’t reach Aria’s ears, whose face had turned pale.
She was just facing the harsh reality.
Why did she do such a stupid thing?
Thinking calmly, there was no way Shin Siwoo would have broken the rules first with so many witches watching, right?
She had provoked him first and then lost miserably, so he would thoroughly ridicule her and use her as nourishment to enhance his prestige.
“Aria.”
When Siwoo spoke to Aria, everyone’s attention focused on them, and the surroundings became quiet.
Even without saying it, everyone was anticipating it.
Since Aria, who had been arrogant and disrupted the class atmosphere, had been defeated miserably, there were many who were gloating.
“I didn’t take the duel lightly. Thanks to you, I had a good time reviewing the content of tomorrow’s class in advance.”
“What… did you say?”
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Siwoo readily offered a handshake.
The most dumbfounded was Aria.
The mistake she had made was by no means small.
Provocation, defeat in a duel that started with an advantage, and a foul during the duel.
If he wanted to find fault, he could find plenty, and if Siwoo wanted to, he could have thoroughly humiliated her on the spot.
But he didn’t.
“You have excellent skills. However, since I have more practical experience, I was just lucky.”
Instead, he humbled himself and showed respect to his opponent, packaging the duel that had arisen from conflict as a ‘class preview.’
Aria shook his hand, bewildered.
After lightly shaking hands, Siwoo also asked the surrounding witches.
“Also, I ask those who observed the duel to refrain from disclosing the contents of today’s duel to the outside. It was just part of the class, and I don’t want Aria to be harmed because of it.”
His purpose was vaguely guessed.
Instead of covering up Aria’s flaws, he covered up the ‘duel application’ that could lead to gossip with a tale of virtue and the winner’s tolerance.
However, if you were to weigh the pros and cons, it was clearly a measure that benefited Aria.
“Ooh.”
“That guy is really cool.”
The surrounding witches were sending envious glances at the heartwarming development that seemed to come straight out of a children’s cartoon.
Some were even clapping.
“Then, we should continue with the next class. I apologize for the delay. Aria, could we have a private meeting after class?”
Could she refuse?
Aria nodded, suspicious.
2.
Aria, who had some sense of shame, remained quiet without disrupting the class.
She was fidgeting, wondering what his real intentions were and what his purpose was.
She waited for a while, as Shin Siwoo had asked her to come about 30 minutes after the end of class.
“I’m coming in.”
Aria entered the Academy President’s office, feeling a strange stirring in her heart.
The office was neatly organized and clean, reminiscent of a young scholar’s study.
The slightly musty scent of Cuban tobacco leaves mixed with the lingering scent of bourbon whiskey, creating a masculine fragrance.
Macho yet intellectual.
Classic yet sophisticated.
“I made you wait a bit. I had some work to do.”
“It’s okay.”
He greeted Aria, sitting on the table in a loose shirt, drinking.
What was more noticeable when they were alone was his relaxed atmosphere.
A flexible atmosphere that didn’t allow for carelessness, with a sharpness that made it seem like they had never been in conflict.
The weakness of not having lived for many years was just a small penalty in front of his nature.
There were many things she wanted to ask.
Why did he cover up her mistake?
Why did he call her for a private meeting?
But she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Aria was inwardly intimidated by the atmosphere he subtly exuded.
“You don’t have to be nervous. Would you like a drink?”
“Sure.”
Siwoo skillfully poured a drink and handed her an on-the-rocks glass.
Since she didn’t feel any particular hostility, Aria vaguely remembered.
According to rumors, he was a huge womanizer.
Could this be him hitting on her?
“It’s good liquor.”
“It’s a brandy that I only serve to special guests.”
Aria relaxed a bit in front of Siwoo, who was smiling gently.
Again, witches generally have the appearance of a national beauty due to the nature of their spirits.
The confidence of witches in their charm generally pierced the sky.
“Hmm~”
Well, that’s right.
There was no way a man wouldn’t fall for this beauty.
The contradiction that had been bothering Aria throughout the afternoon class was clearly resolved.
Why did he cover up the mistake in the duel?
Because Baron Shin Siwoo was smitten with Aria’s appearance.
Why did he request a private meeting?
Because Baron Shin Siwoo was completely captivated by Aria’s body.
The answer wasn’t far away.
“A special guest….”
Once she thought that way, Aria was able to smile a little more comfortably.
Now that it had come to this, she would seduce him.
After all, men were just stupid beasts in front of a witch’s beauty.
It seemed like he had created a private meeting to try something, but if she could train and tame him well, the amount of crumbs that would fall would be enough to rival the production of a decent mill.
And to be honest….
The way he had looked in the duel was so cool that it made her wonder what he would be like in bed.
She felt a little sorry for her client, but the world was about pursuing profit.
A choice that would kill two birds with one stone was very welcome.
“In what sense am I special?”
“Enough to clear your schedule and meet me alone?”
Aria walked towards Siwoo, deliberately revealing her cleavage with a seductive smile.
Her sensual eyes and moist, pink lips moved softly.
Aria threw a provocative gaze at him, right under his chin.
Shin Siwoo, who had shown a slightly surprised look, wore an even more radiant smile.
“I’ve felt it since class, but you’re quite proactive.”
“I can become even more proactive in front of an attractive professor….”
“Oh, how are you proactive?”
Aria had slept with noble witches before.
There was nothing special about how to make a man yearn.
Aria flirted with a soft voice.
“Well? It wouldn’t be bad for you to guess….”
Aria, who was playfully pulling his tie and playing with her hands, was about to have her lips touch his.
At that moment.
“Huh?”
Aria’s eyes widened.
Instead of the soft sensation of lips, hard, cold glass touched her lips.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Shin Siwoo, who had somehow created distance and was smiling mischievously.
“Could it be that your proactive attitude is… secretly filming the class?”
“Huh?”
Aria, with her eyes gathered like a goldfish, looked at the object that had touched her lips with trembling eyes.
It was a recording crystal.
More precisely, it was the crystal that the accomplice, who had been filming while Aria was acting as a decoy, had been carrying.
Why was it in his hand?
“While Aria was waiting, I called them in for a meeting. They had filmed everything, even the duel scene. So… even the scene where Aria violated the rules during the duel.”
So, did that mean he had a meeting with the accomplice during the 30-minute wait?
He had identified the accomplice and made contact in the meantime?
The romance she had been dreaming of was shattered, and in front of Aria, who was a mess, he calmly continued.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve also recorded Aria’s attempt to seduce me to cover up her mistake, so there won’t be any misunderstandings. That’s a relief.”
She had fallen into a trap.
Too simple a trap, and too stupidly.
“Now, shall we have a sincere conversation? Oh, this time, without anyone’s instigation.”
Siwoo, who was sitting with his legs crossed, with his fingers intertwined, in front of the trembling Aria, put a cigarette in his mouth without asking for permission and took a calm puff.
====
