Looking up, I let out a quiet breath and cleared my thoughts, my gaze drifting toward the cloudy night sky above.

The cold air nipped at my cheeks, but it felt… grounding.

Calming, even.

All things considered, the main storyline and its key scenarios were still on track.

Despite the small changes and deviations—some purposeful, others incidental—the overall flow remained intact.

As we moved toward the next semester, nothing particularly drastic seemed poised to disrupt Act 4.

Act 4 was always meant to be a breather.

A transitional phase in the grand scheme of things—a buildup arc designed to prepare the main protagonist, Lucas, for the true turning point in Act 5: the epilogue chapters where the real game began.

It was meant to be a slow burn, a time for development. For preparation. A quiet before the inevitable storm.

Sure, the deviation with the demon duke’s rampage being cut short did shift some narrative weight.

In the original, that event caused a massive ripple, bringing chaos to the academy and forcing Lucas and the others to face a moral and emotional reckoning.

Now, that moment was gone—sliced away before it could grow roots.

But even with that key difference, the rest of the story seemed to have stabilized.

The academy remained relatively safe, the staff and upperclassmen handled their roles as expected, and most of the enemies had been defeated without the need for my intervention.

It was… almost eerie how smoothly it had all gone.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly was Lucas’s current strength level?

I didn’t have a clear estimate.

I hadn’t been around to measure it firsthand.

But judging from Evelyn’s reports and how the Holy Sword had begun awakening, I could reasonably assume that he was approaching the threshold.

If everything went well, he would likely unlock the final stage of the Holy Sword by the end of next semester.

That would be ideal.

And if he didn’t?

Well, then I’d simply step in.

Or have Evelyn nudge things along subtly, as she always did.

One way or another, I’d make sure Lucas was ready.

Because no matter how much the story shifts or how many variables change, one truth remained constant:

The real storm hadn’t even begun yet.

And Lucas—our so-called protagonist—needed to be prepared to weather it.

‘In case he doesn’t grow as expected… I’ll need to meet up with those guys asap…’

I let out a soft puff of snowy breath, watching it briefly curled and vanish into the frosty night air.

My thoughts wandered.

I should probably go see Snow, Rose, and Seo now…

I miss them. More than I expected.

For me, it’s only been a few weeks—maybe a month at most since I left—but for them?

They’ve been without me for months. Months of waiting, wondering.

I left behind only a simple letter, saying I’d be back soon.

I truly thought Alice’s scenario would wrap up quickly, that I’d return before anyone could really feel my absence.

But reality had other plans.

I didn’t expect the arc to drag on for so long in real-world time.

Just thinking about it made my chest ache.

I can only imagine what it must’ve felt like for them.

For Snow, who probably kept to herself even more without me around.

For Rose, who already struggles with trust and closeness.

And for Seo, who never shows it but always feels it the deepest.

The first thing I’ll do when I see them is apologize—wholeheartedly.

Especially to Snow and Rose.

I told myself I’d become a proper lover to them, someone reliable and present.

And yet… I ended up vanishing. Leaving them behind without so much as a proper goodbye.

I hope they can forgive me.

Even if they don’t—at least not right away—I’ll make it up to them. Somehow.

But right now, I just want to see them. I want to hear their voices, see their faces.

Maybe get scolded a little…and remind myself of what I’ve been missing all this time.

From what I’ve heard, it was thanks to Snow that my long absence wasn’t met with much backlash.

Apparently, she managed to keep the rumors under control and handled the academy’s reaction—likely leveraging her position and authority behind the scenes.

That alone told me how much she was still looking out for me.

Then again, some of the rumors did spiral out of control—like me being formally betrothed to her by the emperor, and Alice being groomed as a concubine or something.

Ridiculous… though not entirely unexpected or wrong in some way… given the way this world twists speculation into entertainment.

Some of the rumors were a bit much but….

I still appreciated those girls’ quiet support while I was away. Even without me there, they held on. Stayed loyal. Waited.

That thought alone kept me grounded.

Still, I couldn’t help but worry—especially about what Rose and Seo had been up to.

Seo… I could easily imagine her sitting quietly in her room, isolated and melancholy, silently waiting for me.

I probably made her academy life even more difficult without meaning to.

With her meek nature and the social anxiety she struggles with, my sudden absence might’ve thrown her into an uncomfortable spotlight—whispers, judgment, rumors.

I’d done that to her, even if unintentionally.

And Rose… well, she was what worried me the most.

Not because I didn’t trust her.

But because she was unpredictable.

Even though she’d grown—matured in some ways—there was always that faint sense of instability in her, like a storm under calm waves.

I had no idea what she’d done or what incidents she might’ve caused while I was gone.

Evelyn hadn’t shared much, which was oddly both comforting and unsettling. If there were no major incidents, I should’ve felt relieved.

But Evelyn’s focus wasn’t entirely on them. That meant small things could’ve slipped through the cracks.

Just as I found myself falling deeper into speculation, Evelyn’s voice pulled me back.

“Original,”

“Hm?”

“Before you go running off to enjoy your heartfelt reunion with the others,” she began, a teasing lilt in her voice, “you should probably report to the Principal first. She’s been… well, burdened would be putting it lightly.”

That made me pause.

“She’s had to answer—and more often, dodge—countless questions about your sudden disappearance these past couple of months. And with both you and Alice missing at the same time?” Evelyn gave a knowing smile. “I think she’s slowly losing her mind from the stress. There’s been a lot of pressure building quietly within the academy. You can feel it too, can’t you? The tension in the air? Fufu~”

I sighed, dragging a hand down my face.

She wasn’t wrong.

I’d been so caught up in the emotional weight of returning, of seeing the girls again, that I momentarily forgot the administrative chaos I’d left behind.

The Principal had always been firm but fair… and now, she’d been stuck trying to explain the vanishing act of one of the academy’s top students—two, if we included Alice.

Even with Snow’s influence working behind the scenes, there was only so much she could do.

Rumors had probably run rampant. Speculation, too. Faculty and students alike must’ve begun spinning theories of their own.

The kind that didn’t fade away with time—they festered.

And all of that… was on her shoulders.

‘The emperor and the duke probably put some pressure on her as well…’

“…You’re right,” I murmured, exhaling slowly. “I owe her a proper explanation.”

“Good.” Evelyn’s smile softened. “Then after that, you can go running into the arms of your girls.”

I scoffed, but couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at my lips.

Although it was a bit of a shame that I wouldn’t be meeting Snow first, I knew I had to prioritize informing the Principal of my return.

It wasn’t just about protocol—it was about responsibility.

She deserved that much after everything I’d put her through. Letting her know I was back might lift at least some of the weight off her shoulders.

Alice would be returning in a couple of hours as well.

It would probably be better if the two of us reappeared together—let the others know we were both safe.

Rose, Snow, and even Seo were probably worried sick about her too, not just me.

After all, Alice had been missing just as long. Maybe even longer in their eyes.

The main scenario might’ve gone well, but I could already tell there were still a few things I needed to set right before I could truly relax.

Loose ends that needed tying.

Wounds that needed healing.

Questions that needed answers.

First things first: fix the mess I left behind.

Then—finally—I could let myself breathe.

Evelyn stepped forward, brushing invisible dust from her sleeves as if preparing to vanish entirely from the moment.

“Well then, I’ll be going now, Original.”

“Yeah… thanks for everything, Evelyn.” I gave her a small nod of gratitude.

She smiled faintly, almost mechanically, yet there was always that subtle grace in her gestures.

“It’s nothing. Serving you to the utmost of my abilities and benefit… that is the reason for my being.”

With a small, respectful bow, she brought her fingers together and began weaving a set of intricate glowing runes in the air.

Each movement was fluid—precise—as if rehearsed a thousand times over.

“Goodbye then, Original. See you soon.”

Before I could even reply, her presence cracked like delicate glass and crumbled away.

The runes she had drawn pulsed once with blue light before shattering apart, their fragments taking the form of hundreds of fluttering, luminous butterflies.

They shimmered softly in the dim air, drifting upward in silence—like a fleeting farewell carried on a quiet wind.

“…I guess she’s gotten stronger too,”

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I watched the glowing butterflies scatter into the skies, disappearing into the night like scattered stars.

No time to waste.

With a quiet breath, I took a step back—then jumped off from the ground, the cold air brushing past me as I hurried toward the Principal’s office.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep