I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 24

“…I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

“……”

“What about you? What will you do after graduation?”

“Me?”

Ruad widened his eyes, surprised at being asked the question. But soon after, he fell into serious thought.

“Well… I haven’t decided exactly what I’ll do, but I think I’ll remain in academia for a while. Both my father and grandfather were educators. The Rochef family has been educators for generations.”

“Carrying on the family tradition, then.”

“You could say that. And the Rochef family doesn’t have much influence outside of academia, so maintaining the position we currently hold in the academic world isn’t easy. That’s why most of us naturally stay in academia.”

“Hmm. I see.”

As I chewed my sandwich and gave a brief reply, Ruad began talking more about himself, even though I hadn’t asked.

From what I heard, there was no need to worry about his future.

His grandfather ran a scholarship foundation. He was clearly from a noble family, which meant he would have plenty of money and prestige.

Ruad’s future was set to be bright.

With the Rochef family’s bloodline and connections, rising to a high position in the academic world seemed like no difficulty at all.

Moreover, many members of the Rochef family held positions on various committees within Calypse Magic Academy, giving them significant influence over the overall academic atmosphere.

“…Since the Rochef family holds influence in academia, it’s more convenient to stay here than to go into another field.”

“Hmm.”

“So even after graduation, I’ll probably remain here. Maybe I’ll continue my research and eventually be appointed as a professor.”

“Good. I hope things go well for you, whatever happens.”

I offered a short word of encouragement along with a smile, then cleared away the empty lunch box and the bottle of orange juice.

After checking my pocket watch, I said, “It’s almost time for my appointment, so I should get going. Thanks for keeping me company while I ate. You must be hungry since you haven’t had lunch yet, so go get something to eat. I’ll be going first.”

“Ah… yeah. Take care, Lucy. See you tomorrow.”

Ruad looked as though he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he gave a slightly awkward smile and waved his hand.

I found his awkward reaction a little puzzling, but I didn’t think much of it and left my seat.

***

Leaving the library behind, my steps led me straight to Bell Restaurant.

It was the first time I had seen Evan Bell since that meeting before the semester began, when I had gone to raise his affection only to end up checking nothing but the size of his manhood before the encounter fizzled out.

‘I thought he wasn’t going to call me again after weeks of silence.’

Fortunately, a letter from Evan Bell had arrived last night. It said to come to his office by one o’clock this afternoon.

‘I wonder what kind of play awaits me today.’

My heart pounded with excitement, but at the same time, a hint of worry crept in.

Thinking of the last time, when Evan Bell had kept himself aroused for so long, only to not even lower his pants and thrust his hips at me, but instead flee his office in haste, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘Surely he won’t run away again in the middle of it today, right?’

I recalled the encounter that had ended in failure.

Personally, I had enjoyed being left alone and trained with a giant dildo, and I had been satisfied with it. But clearly, Evan Bell had not been pleased with my reaction during it.

And after he left, sitting alone in his empty office, I had reached a conclusion: today, I would beg, cry, and cling to him in a way that suited his tastes.

‘It feels… wrong if I’m the only one enjoying it.’

It wasn’t as though I had paid Evan Bell to sleep with me. On the contrary, I was the one receiving money and selling my dignity.

Yet I was the only one enjoying it, while the one who had paid hadn’t particularly enjoyed himself nor satisfied his desire.

I had simply become someone who took a large sum of money and indulged in pleasure alone.

‘It doesn’t feel right to have pocketed the money like that…’

So this time, I resolved to match his tastes as much as possible, to make sure that the 1.5 million gold he had paid wouldn’t feel wasted.

‘And I’ll return the handkerchief I borrowed too.’

Inside my bag was the neatly folded handkerchief Evan Bell had lent me that day, freshly washed and clean.

Though he had said I didn’t need to return it, I couldn’t leave it at that. I had prepared it in advance to give back to him.

‘I mustn’t forget to hand it over today.’

Lost in thought as I walked, before long the building of Bell Restaurant came into view.

I stepped inside at once.

***

With faces weary as though they had fought a battle, the servants silently cleared dishes and wiped tables. Guided by one of them, I entered Evan Bell’s office.

I wondered if, like last time, he would pretend not to see me while keeping someone else in front of him, but the scene before me was completely different from what I expected.

“Welcome.”

Evan Bell sat on the sofa, arrogant yet handsome, greeting me as if he had been waiting right on time for my arrival.

“……?”

Caught off guard by the entirely unexpected situation, I stood frozen, my face full of question marks.

Behind me came the sharp sound of the door closing.

This was my third time visiting his office, but his attitude was so different each time that I could never grow used to it.

On top of that, he wore a calm expression, as though the incident of him fleeing the office and leaving me behind last time had never even happened.

There wasn’t a trace of embarrassment in him, his shamelessness so blatant it made me doubt my own memory for a moment.

But what was even more absurd were Evan Bell’s blue eyes as they gazed at me.

‘Why do they look so gentle?’

That was what struck me as most strange.

Of course, to others, his gaze would still seem cold and distant, but compared to the hostility and anger I had received until now, it was unusually kind.

‘Did I do something wrong…?’

Unknowingly, I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth, falling into anxious thought. My heart pounded madly, and my hands tingled slightly.

I searched my memory, trying to find any reason why Evan Bell’s attitude would have changed so suddenly, but there was nothing.

‘Surely he isn’t still angry that I didn’t see a doctor?’

I told myself no one could be that petty, but at the same time, recalling how easily he became angry over small things, I couldn’t rule it out.

As my thoughts grew more tangled, Evan Bell spoke first.

“What are you doing, standing there?”

“……”

“Do you plan on standing the whole time, Miss Lucia?”

His tone carried a strange hint of reproach, snapping me back to my senses and making me open my mouth.

“No, not at all…”

I trailed off briefly, carefully choosing words that wouldn’t upset the one who had paid me, then continued, “I simply hadn’t expected that you would be waiting for me in person, Boss.”

“You are the one handling my confidential matters. This much treatment is only natural.”

“……”

“Don’t just stand there. Please, have a seat first.”

Evan Bell gestured with his chin to the seat across from him and gave a faint smile.

‘…He just smiled?’

My eyes widened at the unexpected smile. For a moment, I even doubted my own vision.

‘Evan Bell… smiled? At me?’

Though fleeting, it was undeniably a smile.

‘He’s handsome…’

In a swirl of confusion and shock, I replayed his smile in my mind as I cautiously stepped forward and sat on the sofa.

Perhaps because it was the afternoon and the sunlight streamed in warmly, the sofa had been heated by the sun.

Once I removed my bag and sat down, Evan Bell shifted with graceful movements no commoner could mimic, then said, “Before we discuss business in earnest, I’ll serve you some tea. Do you have a preference?”

“No, not particularly… anything is fine, Boss.”

“Is that so? Then, how about some new tea that just arrived at the shop? I selected it carefully, so the quality should be good.”

“Ah, yes. That would be fine…”

Before I had even finished answering, Evan Bell called for a servant and ordered the tea.

The servant departed quickly, promising to return shortly.

An awkward silence settled between us.

I couldn’t adjust to the completely different atmosphere compared to a few weeks ago, while Evan Bell’s intentions remained a mystery.

It was Evan Bell who finally broke the silence.

“How have you been? The semester seems to have started now.”

“…Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well.”

“I wasn’t looking for polite words like that. I simply wondered how you’ve been living.”

‘Then why suddenly wonder now? You stayed silent all this time, and now you’re curious?’

A retort, half indignation and half logical protest, rose to the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it down and instead gave him nothing but an awkward smile.