This Time, I Am A Mob's Potions Teacher Who Has Become Engaged To The Mastermind Of The Otome Game - 3
“You there, girl! What are you scheming by getting close to my master?!”
“I’m not scheming anything at all~”
Snorting adorably with flared nostrils, the one interrogating me was Noel’s familiar, Jill.
A male black cat with wings, his amethyst eyes looked just like Noel’s.
He was so incredibly cute that I couldn’t help but fall back into my old habit from my previous life and tried to vacuum-suck the top of his head.
Noel just gave me a wry smile in response.
“Here you go—Jill’s bed is right here.”
“Hmph. For a young girl, you’ve done reasonably well.”
It was just a basket stuffed with cushions, but it seemed the little feline watchman was pleased.
The menacing attitude from before had vanished into thin air as he curled up contentedly inside the basket.
“Good night.”
“Hey! I’m not some pet, so don’t just go kissing me so casually!”
“You’re such a grump.”
There’s no way I could leave such a cute furball alone.
Jill flicked his tail angrily, but the moment I scratched under his chin, instinct won over and his eyes went half-lidded with pleasure.
“…Ha! You presumptuous girl, don’t get too full of yourself or you’ll regret it!”
“Yes, yes, terribly sorry, Your Grumpiness.”
With a snap of my fingers, I turned off the lights.
Apparently, my noisy little watchman had good sleeping habits—he was soon snoozing away peacefully.
I’d been through a lot that day, and the sound of his gentle breathing soon lulled me into sleep as well.
◆
A response came quickly from my father.
He never could have imagined that his daughter would be proposed to by the heir of a marquis household.
The panic was evident even through the words in his letter.
Even more surprising, Noel had apparently asked to meet for a formal discussion this weekend.
Which is why I now found myself riding in a sky-carriage drawn by griffins—with Noel, no less.
“Let’s review. You and I met at the academy. I was drawn to your sincere dedication to the students. That’s what you’ll say.”
“Understood.”
Over the past few days, Noel had prepared a script for us.
I was honestly surprised at how cooperative he was. Maybe, just maybe, I didn’t need to worry so much about his descent into darkness.
He sat across from me in a navy outfit today, his hair neatly slicked back.
Even this refined look gave off an air of sensuality that made it hard to know where to look.
I remembered that Noel had his share of fans in the game too, didn’t he?
As I was thinking that, I suddenly felt his gaze.
“Your father doesn’t know about Professor Roaek, does he?”
“Of course not. I only heard about her from the fairies.”
“Make sure it stays that way. Never speak of it again.”
“Yes.”
I take that back.
The murderous aura he radiated made me instinctively shrink back.
If my father had known, would Noel have killed him on the spot?
It really hit me then—what I was doing was far from normal.
Marrying a man who was plotting to bring ruin and chaos to the kingdom… Even if it’s for the sake of my students, of this country—it’s not something a sane person would do.
While I quietly apologized to my parents in my heart, our carriage finally arrived at the Bellecour family’s manor.
“Welcome. Please, come in.”
My father was at the front of the line, even the servants came out to greet us.
During the formal conversation in the reception room, Father was so nervous he kept stumbling over his words.
If Mother hadn’t said, “Dear? (pressure)” he probably would’ve kept it up the whole time.
Surprisingly, they gave their approval with almost no resistance.
“Leti, we always said we wanted you to marry soon, but now that the time has come, it feels a little sad.
But I’m glad you found someone who will let you continue teaching even after marriage. I truly wish you happiness.”
My father said this with slightly teary eyes, and then pulled me into a tight hug.
I’m sorry, Father. Mother.
This marriage isn’t out of love.
But it’s for something more important—to protect my students, and to save this country.
Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to say any of that.
“Thank you. I feel lucky to have met someone who accepts my selfishness.”
That was all I could manage to say.
◆
“You have wonderful parents. They genuinely care about your happiness.”
In the carriage ride back, Noel murmured this.
When I looked at him, he was staring absentmindedly out the window.
There was no emotion in his expression at all.
“Which is why I still don’t understand—why are you doing this? What is your real goal?”
“To continue being a teacher.”
“…How stubborn.”
Noel gave me a smile tinged with sarcasm—and the faintest trace of hostility.
It seemed he still didn’t trust me completely.
“I promise, I won’t do anything that would bring harm to you.”
“Of course. But remember what will happen if you break that promise.”
Still, the fact that he accepted my proposal at all felt like a major step toward avoiding the bad end.
And I had to believe in that.