I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

“Do you think we were a burden?”

The boy scratched his cheek as he watched the students, starting with Baek Hana, finish their meals and leave one by one.

“It’s not us, it’s you who made it burdensome.”

“Me?”

The boy, about to take a bite of the salmon poke neatly arranged on his plate, widened his eyes and stared at me.

“What?”

“Well, I’m sorry to say this, but wouldn’t they find you more intimidating than me?”

“It’s like the student reflects the teacher.”

“Professor Baek.”

The boy’s face stiffened as soon as he compared me to my teacher.

“If you don’t want to be buried in your plate, shut up.”

“But… I was taught to treat food with respect.”

He was acting like a sulking child just because I said a few words, and he was supposed to be a handsome middle-aged man.

“It’s not our presence or yours that’s burdensome, it’s the barrier you’ve put up.”

“Huh?”

The boy blinked as he looked at the blue barrier surrounding us.

“It’s just a regular barrier spell, isn’t it?”

“That’s the problem. It’s like you’re advertising that you’re having an important conversation.”

“Oh.”

The boy opened his mouth slightly, as if he finally understood what I was trying to say.

“So they left to avoid us.”

I nodded once.

To be honest, they left because of Baek Hana, but I didn’t feel the need to tell him that.

“And it draws the attention of others.”

“Hmm… I’ve made several mistakes due to fatigue.”

The boy sighed as he looked around at the people who were subtly staring at us.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who suggested meeting here.”

Swoosh.

I interfered with the barrier spell created by Jayden and altered its structure.

“Every time I see you, I’m amazed by your abilities.”

The boy watched as the blue barrier turned transparent, and he muttered softly.

“It’s incredible how you can not only interfere with magic but also steal it.”

“I didn’t ask for your thoughts.”

“Haha, you’re right.”

The boy put down the fork he was holding and took out a black envelope from his pocket.

“This is the auction invitation you mentioned.”

A black envelope sealed with white wax.

“It’s for VIPs.”

“How did you know?”

I didn’t feel the need to answer his question.

‘I’ve never seen it in person, but I can’t mistake it.’

The wax seal bore the image of a crowned raven.

It was an invitation to an auction hosted by ‘Raven’, which was only distributed to the British royal family.

Normally, it would be obtained through Arthur and Josh.

“I’ve never seen it in person either… but I guess it makes sense since you know about the raven.”

“It’s not that I’m uninterested, it’s just that you’re overly interested.”

“Haha, it’s from the second prince.”

“Did you get it from Josh Prince as a condition for resolving the airport incident peacefully?”

“Haha, you’re close but not quite… Can you please spare my life?”

The boy raised both hands in surrender as he saw the floating knife in the air.

Tuk.

“Phew…”

The boy sighed and spoke after the knife landed back on the table.

“I got it from Josh Prince while coordinating the incident with Arthur Prince.”

“I don’t care about the source, as long as there’s no trouble.”

“Haha, Josh Prince won’t turn his eyes away from you.”

“I hope so.”

I put the invitation away.

‘According to their memories, no incidents will occur during this auction.’

The festival is the only resting period in which forces are strengthened in preparation for future events.

Of course, there’s a condition that one of the two princes must be won over to obtain the necessary invitation to enter the auction.

Even if they fail, there’s no penalty.

However, an unintended variable has been created.

To be precise, it’s a variable created by a damn freeloader who flies around in the sky, not by our own will.

‘The chances of an incident occurring within the Academy are higher than here.’

Of course, even that possibility is very slim.

The bugs that have infiltrated the Academy as faculty and students are there for information gathering, not for causing trouble. They wouldn’t risk exposing their hidden identities by causing a disturbance.

‘But if an incident does occur, it’s not my problem since I have all the important people with me.’

I was a little concerned about not being able to bring Lee Yesol and Yoon Do-sik, but Lee Yesol is strong in her own right, and the paladins are with her. Yoon Do-sik is also protected by the magicians of the Clock Tower, so the chances of him getting caught up in an incident are very slim.

‘Or maybe they’re targeting Na Joo-hee and me.’

The black sky bugs, unlike the other shadow bugs, might attack us despite knowing that Claire is with me.

And personally, that’s what I’m hoping for.

‘I wish a bishop would show up in person.’

I can endure chewing on their hearts, as it would bring me closer to the black sky’s headquarters.

“Are you going up?”

The boy looked up at me as I stood up from my seat.

“Do you have something to say?”

“You must attend the opening ceremony tomorrow…”

“It’s a hassle.”

“But… isn’t it only fair that you attend since you’ve been pushing us so hard?”

“Of course.”

I looked straight at the boy and spoke.

“An old man’s staff hit and rolled on the floor.”

“Phew…!! Cough, ack?!”

The boy coughed, spitting out what he had in his mouth, as he looked at the knife floating in the air.

“If you take responsibility for your role, you should act properly.”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

The boy coughed and pounded his chest.

“Phew…”

I shook my head at the boy looking up at me and headed towards the room.

**

“You’re here.”

Claire, wearing a white fluffy pajama, approached me.

She came to me as if it was natural and helped me take off my coat and unbutton my jacket.

I took in her dazzling hair as I hung my coat on the hanger and unbuttoned my jacket.

“What about the kids?”

Hmm.

Her soft hands paused for a moment, then continued moving.

“They’re sleeping in Hana’s room.”

Her nape and earlobes were slowly turning crimson.

I understood why she reacted that way earlier.

“Excuse me…”

She turned around and took off my jacket.

I carefully took out the white glasses cloth from my jacket’s front pocket, where I had hung it.

“Hana must have been happy.”

“At first.”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head at Claire, who was puzzled.

I held Claire in my arms and headed towards the sofa.

She waited quietly in my arms until I spoke, even though she was curious about the rest of the story.

I told her about what happened at the restaurant.

“So that happened.”

She slowly blinked her long eyelashes and looked up at me with her blue eyes.

“It might be better if you don’t worry about it.”

“Hmm.”

I didn’t answer her directly, as I was more concerned about the other conversation she had overheard.

I picked up the case on the table.

Inside, the glasses cloth was neatly folded and stored in a luxurious silk-lined case.

“Since she wants to be treated like an adult, it would be disrespectful to her if I worried about such things.”

“I don’t think this has anything to do with being an adult.”

I looked down at Claire, who was in my arms, and stared into her eyes.

“Hmm.”

Her eyes widened, then fluttered, and she slowly lowered her head.

I lifted her chin and made her look into my eyes again.

“W-Woo-jin…?”

“You seem to be paying more attention to Baek Hana than usual.”

“I-It’s because… the festival is about to start, and I’m concerned about her condition…”

Claire tried to defend herself, fumbling with her words and coming up with various reasons, unlike her usual self.

‘I’m glad I brought her.’

“I-I’m not interested in Hana… I just…”

Claire’s eyes widened, then fluttered, and she closed them softly.

As we felt each other’s breath and slowly moved our hands, something happened.

-peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Her eyes, which had been closed, suddenly opened wide, and she quickly pulled away from my embrace.

“The little one seems to have woken up…”

I watched her retreating figure as she hurried towards the bedroom and thought to myself, ‘I should have brought Yesol.’