This Time, I Am A Mob's Potions Teacher Who Has Become Engaged To The Mastermind Of The Otome Game - 8

“Is it true that you tackled a dragon to the ground, patched it up, and even slept with it afterward?”

Noel listed off the charges like reading from a criminal indictment, but I hadn’t done anything wrong—at least, I didn’t think so.
Still, the intensity in his gaze left me retreating a step, despite knowing I had nowhere to run.

“Uh… well, yes, I suppose that’s all true.”

“Honestly, you have no idea how I felt…”

Noel let out a long, heavy sigh.

I do realize how reckless it all was, so I can’t blame him for being exasperated.

But why am I being hugged again?

And now he’s resting his head on my shoulder—so heavily, too—and that gesture, for some reason, reminds me of Natalis.
Almost unconsciously, I found myself patting his head.

“Noel, um, we were in the middle of talking about the dragon, right?
So… could you let go of me now?”

With the way everyone was staring—teachers, students, even the Ministry officials—I honestly just wanted to disappear.
But Noel still wouldn’t let go.

“I won’t calm down unless I stay like this.”

Come to think of it, this happened before—when we went looking for Moryu in the Underside of Finis.
After being apart for about a week, he’d gotten just like this.

Maybe his clinginess was flaring up again after being separated.

It’s a little embarrassing, but knowing he missed me…
It made my heart flutter a bit.

Could I take this as a sign that his affection level has gone up?
I think I will.

“Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous again.”

“Then you have to promise me, too—not to go anywhere dangerous. I worried about you every single day, you know.”

“L–Leticia, you were that worried about me…?”

Ahem.

Noel’s words were cut off by a deliberate cough.

“As heartwarming as this is, it’s getting kind of embarrassing, so could you two cool it down a little?”

The man who coughed had striking, fiery auburn hair and wore the same deep violet robes of the Ministry of Magic as Noel.
Apparently, he had accompanied Noel on his recent assignment and returned with him.

Something about him felt familiar… but maybe I was just imagining it.

“Nice to meet you, fiancée of legend. I’m Laurent D’Arciac, Noel’s colleague.”

“Nice to meet you too. I’m Leticia Bellecour. Thank you for always looking after Noel.”

“Haha, if anyone needs thanks, it’s me. Taking care of this guy on the trip was a full-time job.
Every single day, it was ‘I miss Leticia’ this and ‘Leticia withdrawal’ that—I thought I’d start spitting sugar.”

“Wh–What?! Noel, you actually said that?”

I could hardly believe it—but when I looked at Noel, he didn’t deny it.
He just averted his eyes, blushing in silence.

So… he really said that?

Noel, have you been working too hard? Are you glitched again?

“Aww, poor thing. You’re just completely exhausted, aren’t you? Mama’s worried about your health.”

“You’re still doing that?”

As I gently patted his head with the affection of a second mother, Noel sighed again.

If you sigh that much, your happiness will float away, you know.

Laurent glanced at Noel with a complicated look—a mixture of sympathy and disbelief.

Actually, now that I noticed, the Ministry officials, Professor Ledoux, and even the students were giving Noel the exact same look.

“Y’know… up until a minute ago, I was like, ‘Ugh, Noel, stop being so lovey-dovey, just explode already.’
But now? I kinda feel sorry for you. Hang in there, man.”

“Please stop. You’re just making me feel worse.”

Laurent gave Noel a solid pat on the shoulder.

◇

After D’Arciac and the others left, I walked to the prep room with Noel.
When we reached the corridor, Noel came to a stop.

“You gave that dragon a name, didn’t you? What did you call it?”

“…Natalis.”

A deep crease formed between Noel’s brows.

“You know what that means, right?”

“Yes. It’s ‘Noel’ in the ancient tongue, right?”

“So you’re saying I’m that ferocious? Huh?”

“No, that’s not what I meant! Its sleek black scales reminded me of your hair, and its eyes—those amethyst-like purple eyes—looked just like yours. It just… reminded me of you.
I missed you so much, I guess I just wanted to call your name somehow.”

“…”

Noel suddenly fell silent.

“Noel?”

He reached out and touched my cheek—still wearing his gloves.
His face drew closer, and—despite myself—my heart skipped a beat and began pounding loudly in my chest.

“Noel, what’s wrong?”

“Leticia… you’re not, like…”

“Not like what?”

I was dying to hear the rest, but Noel closed his mouth and just stared at me.

Is it just me, or is his face even closer now than before?

While I waited for him to finish his thought, a familiar sound broke the silence.

“Kweeeh!”

A gust of wind brushed between us.
Noel swiftly dodged, and in that moment, his hand slipped from my cheek.

“Natalis?! You came back!”

But the dragon was already gone—no trace of him remained.
Instead, a single red flower had fallen at my feet.

“Looks like the little dragon came to deliver this to you,” said Jill, handing me the flower.

“The brat said ‘thank you.'”

“…I see. That makes me really happy.”

If I could be greedy, I’d wish to see Natalis’s face just one more time.
But no matter how I looked around, there was no sign of him.

I hope we meet again someday.

As I stared down at the flower, Noel’s hand reached toward me again.

“Leticia, give me that flower. I’m going to burn it.”

“Burn it?! Why?!”

“Just give it to me. Quickly.”

“No way!”

There’s no way I’d hand over a gift just to see it burned.
Noel gave me a terrifying look, but I stood my ground and protected the flower with all my might.