Chapter 21 – That’s Not a Delusion
Squeak! Gently pushing through the weakly opened door, Lynn cautiously peeked inside.
“Hellooo…”
“hehehe, no one’s inside. Just come in.”
Freya chuckled leisurely and stepped into the room, taking off her outerwear.
Unlike me, who eats and sleeps in the lab, Freya keeps her residence separate from the research facility. Although the lab space is provided free of charge by the school, applying for staff housing incurs deductions from the salary. Despite that, she seems insistent on her choice of accommodation.
Isn’t it possible for the school to provide accommodation, at least to some extent? As always, being constantly strapped for cash, I can only watch from the sidelines, even if it’s under the guise of management fees. That’s my sister for you. Admirable decisiveness in using what’s essential and closing her wallet where savings are possible.
“Let’s go inside.”
While it might not be unfamiliar in a research lab, it’s my first time setting foot in Freya’s living space. From the entrance, everything was neatly arranged without a speck of dust, giving an exceptionally sophisticated vibe to the décor and ornaments.
Instead, Lynn seemed rather overwhelmed by this ambiance, hesitating at the entrance and tightly gripping her sister’s hand.
“……..”
“……..”
“Aren’t we going in?”
As I was curious and asked, Lynn forced out a faint smile.
“Our bodies… they’re dirty…”
Freya, who had been rustling around inside, stuck her head out from the room.
“Oh! Do you want to wash first? Wait a little. I’ll heat up the water first.”
“Huh? Oh, um…!”
“…Hmm? Should I give you some food first? Or do you want to rest a bit?”
As Freya blinked her eyes and asked, Lynn stammered as if at a loss for words.
It seemed she was concerned about entering casually because it might be dirty. The landlord, however, seemed oblivious. In the end, I had to push the children’s shoulders to get them inside.
“You seem unfazed, let’s just go in for now.”
“T-Thank you…”
Freya, who showed the kids the bathroom, hurriedly turned on the boiler. It was one of the representative items that combined the technology and magic of this world.
About ten or fifteen years ago, a boiler technician from another world came and attempted to design it, but apparently didn’t fully understand the internal design, so they roughly substituted the rest with magic. …It seems a bit rough, but well… it’s still better financially and convenience-wise than boiling water one by one with disposable magic tools, so there’s no complaint.
After finishing the boiler operation, Freya grinned and asked.
“Lynn, should I help you with washing?”
“You’re going to help a young girl with washing? If you want to completely forget your past life and become an aunt, then I won’t stop you.”
“…Noisy. What’s the problem with helping kids?”
Freya rummaged through the refrigerator and selected ingredients one by one.
“Make something for the kids in the kitchen. They only had porridge earlier, so they might still be hungry.”
“…Hmm?”
Carrots, onions, and various other vegetables and fruits.
Setting aside what she was going to make, the most important issue was being overlooked. As I stood there, Freya belatedly clapped her hands.
“Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry. I need to touch a knife to cook.”
“If it was an assassination attempt, it was quite splendid.”
“I was caught off guard. Sorry. … Do you need a scalpel or filler to patch yourself up?”
Freya chuckled with a touch of elegance. If it were someone else, they might have overlooked her beauty, but unfortunately, the one facing her was me.
“Well, Yujin, if you’re not using a knife for cooking…”
“How do you cook without using a knife?”
“With that spatula you use…?”
“Are you kidding me?”
I sighed lightly, turning my head towards the voices of children and the sound of water coming from the bathroom.
“By the way, the kids’ clothes? They need to change.”
“… Clothes?”
“We can’t have them wearing rags. It’s unkind.”
I deliberately used the term ‘aunt’ to tease her, but she reacted to a different part.
“What should I do? I promised to catch up on laundry this morning, so there are no spare clothes!”
“Do you keep your house tidy and do laundry in bulk? … Wait. Before the kids come out, I’ll grab a few sets from my lab. Oh, and I think kids’ underwear is sold at school. Want me to pick some up?”
“Oh, yes. Please. I’ll be preparing food in the meantime.”
Skillfully tying her apron, she neatly arranged her long curls while responding. Her skill in creating a ponytail with the hairband she had in her mouth was quite remarkable.
If she claims to be a man, wouldn’t it be better to have short hair? Maybe she’s not aware of it. Perhaps she didn’t want to waste the hair that might be cut off and thrown away after protruding from her head for half a day. Quietly, I stepped outside.
When I went to a place on campus selling miscellaneous goods, I found that I could quickly obtain underwear in a hurry. Though I was surprised when asked about the size, once I explained my age, gender, and height, the lady didn’t hesitate and handed me the items. Truly professional.
However, the lady later mentioned that she hadn’t prepared any casual clothes or pants for changing after dressing lightly. So, I ended up fetching several short-sleeved tees from my lab.
The clothes I gathered in this way weren’t perfect, to say the least.
My short-sleeved shirt had crumpled up like a loose-fitting dress against Lin’s knees, and the way I had put it on after reaching my younger sister, Lan, was just about the point where the expression “wearing it inside out” would be appropriate. Seeing Freya dragging on the floor, I was fortunate she only chuckled at their adorable appearance without making any criticisms.
“Hey~ It’ll be much better than the porridge we had earlier. I’ve chosen only light dishes so it won’t be too overwhelming.”
“Wow…”
A heartwarming warmth emanated above Lin and Lan as they sat at the dining table.
The appearance of the siblings, washed away from their fussy state, was that of little angels. Even in their innocence, kindness exuded from them, as if they were descendants of the loving and enchanting Banir tribe.
Looking at the food, Lin and Lan blinked playfully with excitement. Lin’s slightly damp hair still clung to her cheek. I hesitated for a moment, but because it was cute, I decided to let it be.
“You had porridge a few hours ago, so don’t overeat this time. Take it slow, both of you.”
Lin fidgeted, fiddling with her hands. “Unnie… ‘Mm…,” her younger sister Lan let out a short sound typical of young children, which startled Lin, causing her to grab the water cup.
Freya chuckled and said, “Let me introduce myself again. My name is Freya.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“I’m! Lin! And my younger sister is Lan! We’re… Banir tribe! And…”
“…Let’s save the detailed stories for later. For now, let’s eat. Oh, and don’t worry about your sister; we’ll take care of her.”
“Ah! Thank… you… thank you….”
Lin replied nervously, her voice trembling.
The child tentatively reached for the spoon and fork, then glanced at Freya.
Over the past few semesters, I had painfully realized that urging someone to relax repeatedly only added to their burden. I might have the audacity, but I was never the type to approach someone warmly.
Right now, the correct answer is to silently wait for Lin to ease her guard.
Lin’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and the spoon, which had been moving along with her shallow breath, trembled delicately.
A spoonful, filled to the brim, was savored slowly. As the well-cooked meat and vegetables spread in her mouth, Lin’s cheeks, which had puffed up from the hearty soup, began to redden.
Chewing and swallowing slowly, the child, who had been hesitating for a while, finally relaxed and took several bites of the food.
Thud… thwack…
Finally, the tears that had been welling up fell onto the table with a plop.
In the breath that was held and then released, there was a mixture of moisture.
“Sniff! … Sniff!”
Even though she quickly lowered her head after the tears burst out, it would have been even more difficult to control herself at the thought of being caught.
“I’m sorry… Excuse me…. Ah…”
“………… Hm?”
“My stomach, my stomach was too empty…. I’m sorry. Earlier, on the street… I knew it was rude to strangers, but I saw the wings of a banyir, and I couldn’t help it…”
Freyja gently stroked Ran’s head, who was waiting for Lyn and the sister with a trembling voice, stumbling through her words.
“It’s okay, you did well! Admirable.”
“Even my younger sibling… has been getting sicker and sicker… if it continues like this, I’m really worried that something terrible might happen…”
“It’s okay now. There’s an amazing teacher at school. Ran might be tired, but let’s eat and go to the hospital.”
Is she talking about Professor Eegis? Well, if it’s them… they might be a little peculiar, but they’re not a bad person. Above all, their skills are undeniable.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the front door at just the right time.
I don’t lack empathy for the children’s crying, but this emotional atmosphere is a completely different matter from a thorny issue.
“I’ll go check it out.”
I stepped out to the front door before Freyja, who was pulling a chair, could stop me, without even hearing the response.
What if it’s religious solicitation…. I’ve heard that such groups are popular in school these days.
But when I actually opened the door, there sparkled fresh silver hair.
“Huh? Oondine? What’s going on here?”
“Oh my… it’s the teacher.”
“Wow, running into you in a place like this.”
I awkwardly waved my hand towards Oondine and responded briefly.
I never expected to meet her in a place like this.
I thought there would be some kind of reaction, but Oondine’s expression as she blankly stared at my face was strangely inscrutable.
…What’s going on here? It doesn’t seem like Oondine was particularly close with Freya….
Finally, Oondine spoke with a brief smile.
“hehehe, Oondine, snap out of it now. Seeing the teacher has made you see hallucinations and hear things, huh?”
I wondered who she was talking to, but it was an implication to herself. What, are you scared?
Whether she knew or not, Oondine continued speaking.
“Oh dear, there’s no way our teacher, Professor Freya, would come out of her room. Oondine, even silly fantasies need the right time and place. Our teacher isn’t someone without discernment or ethical principles. Judgement that lacks reality, a minus one point in judgment~”
Good student points deduct 100 points~
Snap out of it, Oondine student!
Suddenly, as if something changed, she brought both hands to her cheeks and started giggling.
“But… hahahaha ♡ Even if it’s my imagination, it feels too real! Despite secretly browsing through the teacher’s collection every night…♡ Thanks to the recent amazing exhibits, the collection has grown so much, even I do it secretly~♡ hehehehe…!”
Secretly browsing through the collection. The strong scent of crime must be my own delusion. If Cecilia is involved, I feel oddly strange.
…In any case, it was time to slowly wake up, that’s when I decided.
“Eugene, what’s going on?”
Freya peeked her face from behind.
… As if it were sought with perfect timing.
Outburst Teacher Points, plus 100 points.
“…………..”
“…………..”
“…………..”
“…………..”
And lo and behold, unexpectedly, blink, blink, her large pupils began to sway slowly, very slowly, or rather rapidly, trembling as if in an earthquake.
“S… S… S… S… S… Se, se, se, se, serious, g-g-g-gosh, who is th-th-th-this?”
Interpreted as a graduate student of Undine’s caliber, it might mean something like ‘What on earth is going on?’ Yet, Freya, in her usual manner, smoothly brushed past such things, greeting her quite normally.
“Oh, Undine, what’s up?”
Clack, clack, clack…
“… I… I came to deliver the… compiled assignments from the students… since you weren’t in the lab… still, they wanted it submitted today…”
“Oh, thanks. You worked hard compiling these. I’m sorry for inconveniencing you to come all the way here.”
Undine nervously handed the pile of assignments to Freya with trembling hands.
“B-but… why did Teacher Eugene… why… in Professor Freya’s room… the room… why…”
“Huh? Sorry, didn’t catch that.”
And as Undine’s puffed-up cheeks reached their limit, pop! Bursting forth, “Ughhh! I hate ittt!”
Freya could only gaze perplexedly as Undine disappeared into the distance.
“Did I just do something wrong…?”
“Annual Event.”
It took quite a few hours to dispel Vundine’s misunderstanding.