The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 125

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 125

“Haha, my home is a bit disorganized, I’m afraid.”
Leoryna emerged with tea and dessert, her expression somewhat stiff.
As she set them down on the side table, Khalid spoke.
“For a woman’s place, it’s rather sparse, I’d say.”
“I don’t have much time to spend at home with my Graduate School responsibilities, so it couldn’t be helped.”
“…Have I really worked you that hard?”
“You could say that.”
When Leoryna answered with a mischievous tone, Khalid’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t tell me you cried because of that?”
“Haha, you got me.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Who knows?”
Leoryna shrugged nonchalantly, then scooped a generous forkful of chocolate mousse cake into her mouth. Khalid watched her intently as he spoke.
“The fact that you can joke around like that suggests your melancholy has lifted somewhat.”
“I suppose so.”
“Your eyes tell a different story.”
“Ugh.”
Leoryna flinched and touched the corners of her eyes as she asked.
“Is it that bad?”
“Hideous.”
Leoryna cast a reluctant glance at the full-length mirror. Inside it sat a figure with a red nose, swollen eyes, chapped lips, and a thoroughly ruined complexion, contentedly munching on cake.
Belated embarrassment washed over her.
‘I really do look terrible!’
She quietly rose from her seat and made her way to the bathroom. After washing her face with cold water, her complexion improved somewhat, but she still didn’t feel presentable standing before someone who had just confessed to liking her.
‘It would be ridiculous to suddenly start doing makeup now as damage control…’
As Leoryna emerged from the bathroom, still touching her eyes, Khalid tapped the sofa beside him.
“Stop rubbing your eyes and come sit here.”
Khalid had Leoryna sit beside him, a cold, damp handkerchief in his hand—though when he’d prepared it was unclear. He tilted her face back and placed it over her eyes.
“Thank you, Professor.”
“Now, open your mouth.”
When Leoryna opened her mouth, Khalid popped a piece of chocolate directly inside. She savored it thoughtfully and decided this wasn’t so bad.
‘But what now?’
Though she still didn’t understand exactly what about that bastard had caused this, Leoryna had admitted to herself that she liked Khalid. Now that it had come to this, she had no intention of denying those feelings going forward.
The problem was, she had no idea how to treat him from here on out.
‘How am I supposed to act around someone I like?’
Since developing feelings for someone was entirely new to Leoryna, she’d never once considered how to spend time with someone she cared for.
As she ate the cookie Khalid placed in her mouth, she rapidly recalled the romance novel plots she’d encountered over the years.
In novels, a happy ending is when both parties confirm they share the same feelings, pledge eternal love, and begin dating.
So what would my happy ending be?
‘Khalid and I… dating…?’
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I felt heat rush to my face without warning, and I choked badly.
“Cough! Hack!”
I hunched forward, coughing violently. The handkerchief that had been resting on my eyes tumbled to the floor.
“Are you alright?”
Khalid, who had been diligently feeding me pastries, startled and began patting my back.
“I’m fine, I’m fine…!”
I coughed a few more times before taking a sip of tea.
Khalid examined me carefully before speaking.
“Your eyes look better too.”
“Yes, they seem much improved.”
I nodded, noticing that the stinging sensation around my eyes had subsided. Khalid let out a small sigh, brushed himself off, and stood.
“Since you seem to be recovering well, I should probably get going.”
“You could stay a bit longer if you’d like…”
I spoke with obvious reluctance, but Khalid shook his head.
“I have a mountain of things waiting for me. If your condition hasn’t fully returned, rest again tomorrow.”
“No, I’m fine now. I’ll come in tomorrow.”
“Really?”
Since I was someone who rarely refused offers to rest, Khalid regarded me oddly for a moment before giving a slight nod.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Khalid left my home as I saw him off.
“See you tomorrow, Professor!”
I called out to his retreating back, and he raised his hand in a wave without turning around. I watched his figure grow smaller until he disappeared, then stepped back inside.
“Uuuuuaaaaahhhhh!”
I suddenly threw myself onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. Pongko stared at me with a bewildered expression.
“I’m so embarrassed! Crying in front of Khalid like that, stuffing my face with snacks looking like a mess!”
“Now you’re suddenly self-conscious? But more importantly, what exactly are you thinking?”
“What do you mean?”
“I understand that you want to find a way to make Khalid into the Demon King without killing him. But what happens after that? What do you want to do with Khalid?”
Pongko spoke while recalling how I had been grinning widely as I accepted snacks from Khalid.
I had just declared that I liked him. There was no way someone like that had no ulterior motives toward Khalid.
“I don’t know. What do people usually do when they develop feelings for someone?”
“Well, they confess, don’t they?”
At those words, I muttered with a stiff expression.
“I understand there’s an order—confessing, dating… But the idea of Khalid and me, d-d-dating… Since I only just realized my feelings, I can’t even imagine that yet. Besides, if the Grand Temple finds out that I like Khalid, I might actually die!”
“Come on, would they really kill someone of your caliber so easily? More than that, if you’re honest about it, you might even be excluded from this mission as you wish.”
“That won’t work! Think about it. If I withdraw from this mission, someone else will be sent in my place. And that person will genuinely try to kill Khalid, and he might actually die! Especially if my mentor Roabel is deployed—Khalid’s death would be virtually certain.”
I clenched both my fists tightly.
“I’ve made my decision. I’m going to protect Khalid!”
“Protect him…?”
“If another assassin comes in my place, I’ll be the one protecting Khalid. I won’t let him die. So I need to stop whining about being removed from this mission. Instead, I’ll pretend to attempt his assassination while holding onto this task no matter what happens. I won’t hand it over to anyone.”
Leoryna’s eyes burned with fierce determination.
“I’ll protect Khalid in secret from the Grand Temple, and I’ll find a way to keep him from becoming the Demon King! This is what I’m going to do from now on.”
Pongko gazed at Leoryna with an unsettled expression.
“Well, I’ll always support you, Leoryna… but will it really be that easy?”
“I don’t know. I’ll find out by trying. But! I, Leoryna Yuren of Petila’s Poison Spider, always see my decisions through to the end!”
“I really wonder if that’s going to work out….”
Pongko watched Leoryna nodding her head with enthusiasm, his expression troubled.
“And about confessing my feelings—what if he rejects me?! If that happens, my relationship with Khalid will be completely over. I’ll become less than a graduate student and her advisor.”
Leoryna continued, her voice wavering with doubt.
“If that happens, I won’t even be able to stay by his side or protect him. So how can I confess?”
“But unlike what you think, Khalid might have feelings for you too.”
“Him? For me? Why?”
Pongko was left speechless seeing Leoryna’s genuine bewilderment.
“Khalid treats me like a slave and actually makes me work like one. Do people normally treat someone they like that way? Of course not, right? He doesn’t treat me well—he treats me poorly. There’s no way he could like me.”
“Leoryna, I’m starting to get worried. If you like Khalid even knowing he treats you this way, isn’t there something fundamentally wrong? You should like someone who treats you with respect.”
“I don’t know. My heart doesn’t listen to me. Am I really okay…?”
As Leoryna muttered to herself, overcome by self-doubt, Pongko clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Another peaceful day at Halderion Academy.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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