“Haa—”
When he saw that Kurokami Akane had completely withdrawn that suffocating murderous intent, Aetin’s nerves, which had been stretched to their limits, finally relaxed.
He exhaled a long breath in relief.
As soon as he let out that breath, the strength he had been forcing in his body seemed to drain away instantly, and he nearly collapsed, almost going limp on the spot.
However, Cerese’s condition was even worse.
Cerese, who had been relying solely on willpower to hold herself up until just now, softened the moment the crisis passed and her mind relaxed.
She fainted outright, collapsing weakly onto Aetin’s back.
Aetin hurriedly steadied himself, using his body to support Cerese.
He pressed his ear close and listened carefully.
Though the girl in his arms was breathing weakly, her breath was steady and slow.
It seemed that her collapse was due to excessive mana consumption combined with emotional upheaval—her body wasn’t seriously harmed.
This gave him some measure of relief.
Aetin himself was not in great shape either, his whole body aching and his stamina drained.
He took out the last sip from his elemental bottle and tilted his head back to drink it.
The warm energy flowed through his limbs, restoring some strength.
Although he was still barely able to fight, normal movement was no longer an issue.
He adjusted his posture and carefully cradled Cerese’s soft, light frame in his arms.
This intimate contact made him keenly aware of just how frail she was, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.
It was hard to imagine how much pressure and fear her slender shoulders must have borne all this time.
“Kurokami-senpai, what… should we do next?”
Aetin lifted his head and looked at the still expressionless Kurokami Akane.
His face showed hesitation as he deliberated for a long moment before speaking.
His gaze couldn’t help but flicker toward Rufus’s gruesome corpse lying nearby.
After all… Rufus was dead.
And this guy had quite a background.
He had caused a major uproar during the day and walked away unharmed… but now that he was dead, his family and connections behind him surely wouldn’t let this go easily.
“There’s no need to worry. A scoundrel like Rufus got what he deserved.”
Kurokami Akane followed his gaze to the corpse.
Her eyes showed no flicker of emotion.
Her tone was calm but carried an undeniable force.
“However, you two must keep everything that happened here tonight strictly confidential. Don’t mention it to anyone. I’ll handle the rest.”
“I understand. Thank you, Kurokami-senpai.”
Hearing Kurokami Akane’s straightforward promise, a heavy weight lifted from Aetin’s heart.
He finally relaxed and nodded sincerely.
Though this senpai’s personality was stubborn and cold, and her methods harsh, she was not completely heartless.
Her words had a strange sense of reliability and reassurance.
No wonder she could take on the heavy responsibility of being the Discipline Committee Chairperson, guarding the entire academy’s order and safety.
Aetin, holding Cerese, took a step forward, ready to leave this place of chaos.
But Kurokami Akane called out to him again from behind.
“Wait.”
“Is there something else?”
Aetin stopped and turned around.
“Be at the Discipline Committee office promptly tomorrow morning. We’ll process your membership.”
Kurokami Akane looked at him, concise and to the point.
“Got it.”
Aetin nodded.
After bidding Kurokami Akane farewell once more, he did not linger.
Carefully carrying the unconscious Cerese, he stepped away from the area steeped in blood and cold, his figure gradually vanishing into the academy’s night.
Outside the academy, Aetin stood at the street corner, looking down at Cerese, still unconscious in his arms.
He couldn’t help but feel troubled.
He suddenly realized that although he had sent Cerese home before, his mind had been elsewhere at the time, and he never consciously memorized where she lived.
With no better option for now, he finally decided to take Cerese back to his own place to settle her.
Fortunately, the sky was fully dark now, and there were few pedestrians on the street.
Aetin carefully hoisted Cerese onto his back.
The girl’s light weight and loose strands of hair brushed against his neck from time to time.
He deliberately avoided the main roads with still-active streetlights, winding through quiet alleys instead, attracting little unwanted attention.
In this way, Aetin brought Cerese back to his system-gifted Single Apartment—not spacious, but tidy and decent.
“Haa—”
He gently laid Cerese down on his only bed and covered her with a blanket.
Watching her peaceful but pale sleeping face, he wiped the fine sweat from his brow and sighed deeply.
Aetin went to the bathroom to wring out a wet towel.
Returning to the bedside, he carefully wiped the sweat and tear stains on Cerese’s temple and cheeks.
Perhaps disturbed by the subtle movement, Cerese’s long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes, still a little dazed and weak.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
Aetin paused, then spoke softly with an apologetic tone when he saw her awake.
“Wh…where is this?”
Cerese blinked, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings with a slightly hoarse voice, as if just waking.
“Well… I forgot where your home is… so I brought you back to my place first. It’s safe here, so just rest well.”
Aetin scratched his head awkwardly and hurriedly explained, his tone a bit rushed.
After all, bringing a girl back without her permission was the kind of thing that easily caused misunderstandings.
After speaking, to hide his embarrassment and to avoid Cerese overthinking, he quickly stood up and turned to leave the room so she could rest in peace.
However, after only two steps, he felt warmth behind him—Cerese had somehow already sat up and was holding tightly onto his waist from behind.
“Don’t go… please?”
Cerese pressed her cheek firmly against Aetin’s back.
Her arms wrapped around him tighter and tighter, as if using all her strength, fearing that if she loosened her grip even a little, the person who gave her so much comfort would disappear.
Her voice trembled faintly with a plea, sounding especially clear in the silent room.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m in the living room outside. You need to rest properly now.”
Feeling the warmth and slight trembling from behind, Aetin stiffened briefly, then relaxed.
His voice softened unconsciously.
“Then… can you stay… with me?”
Cerese shook her head, pressing her cheek even harder against his back.
Her voice was muffled, tinged with subtle shyness and determination.
Her cheeks were burning hot, like a ripe apple, and even her ears were flushed red.
Under normal circumstances, given her reserved personality, she would never have spoken such almost coquettish and dependent words so openly.
Even if she had long harbored such thoughts, she would have buried them deep inside.
But after surviving that harrowing, near-death ordeal just now, Cerese felt as if she had gained unprecedented courage—a desperate wish to hold tightly to the warmth before her and never let go—allowing her to finally voice her truest feelings.
She wanted to cling to Aetin.
She wanted to feel his real body heat and heartbeat, to confirm that he was truly still by her side.