I'm Not the Mastermind-Chapter 46
The moment Yujin spoke sharply, all the illusions disappeared.
Her vision began to clear, and everything appeared normal again. However, Alicia couldn’t bring herself to look away from one thing—the half-opened eyes of Yujin. Her entire focus was on them.
No matter how many times she looked, his eyes were mesmerizing. Sparkling like rubies and gleaming with a crimson hue, they were both captivating and unsettling, drawing her in deeper the longer she stared.
After what felt like an eternity, Alicia finally came to her senses when Yujin let go of the blade she had formed.
“Ah, ah!”
Hurriedly, Alicia dropped the blade. The moment she did, it scattered into petals.
“I-I’m so sorry, Professor! Are you hurt anywhere…?”
“Haha, I’m not hurt, Your Highness. So don’t worry too much.”
Yujin casually opened and closed the fingers that had grasped the blade, traces of magi still faintly lingering on them. However, as he lightly shook his hand, the remnants of magi dispersed almost immediately.
“More importantly, are you alright, Your Highness? It seems your demonic self tried to pull a sly trick.”
“Yes, yes… I’m alright. But to think I swung a blade at you…”
“I’ve already told you it’s fine. Nothing serious happened, and if anything, it was mostly my fault for not responding faster. I’m just glad you’re okay, Your Highness.”
Yujin’s calm and composed demeanor seemed to reassure Alicia somewhat. Still, her expression remained dark, as though the guilt of having attacked him was weighing heavily on her mind.
“I’m… sorry…”
“It was just a trick of the demon, so there’s nothing to apologize for. Lift your head. If you keep acting like this, it’ll make me uncomfortable instead.”
“...Yes…”
At his words, Alicia lifted her head. Seeing that, Yujin turned his gaze to survey their surroundings.
“By the way, the aftermath of what just happened seems to have made quite the mess.”
“Ah…”
Alicia’s body carried the nature of a demon’s. Given the collision of her blade and Yujin’s power, it was only natural for the surroundings to have been swept up in the chaos.
“Let’s tidy this up a bit.”
Snap!
Muttering to himself, Yujin snapped his fingers. Immediately, high-dimensional magic began to unfold.
Vrrrmmm...!
In an instant, everything around them began to return to its original state, as if time itself was rewinding. Alicia’s eyes widened in amazement.
“...This is… time magic.”
“You recognize it, Your Highness?”
Yujin responded with a slight smile at her murmured words. Alicia nodded.
“After you visited me yesterday, I… looked into you a little on my own. Oh, um, I mean, if that bothers you…”
“Haha, not at all. It’s natural for a student to be curious about their professor. You don’t need to be so cautious about everything. Besides, you’re royalty, aren’t you?”
If a member of the royal family acted too cautiously around a mere professor, it would create its own set of problems. Of course, in this case, it was just the two of them, and Yujin was someone with a certain level of reputation, but the difference in their statuses made Alicia’s behavior seem overly restrained.
“Yes…”
Alicia was aware that she was being overly careful around Yujin. She also knew she didn’t need to go this far, yet…
‘Why am I acting like this?’
Alicia, renowned within the Empire for her elegant and noble demeanor, had always maintained a composed and graceful image in front of others. Ever since she resolved to grow stronger, she had deliberately hidden any traces of weakness, presenting herself as unshakable.
While she would show deference to figures like Ines Karandar, the academy’s headmistress, she didn’t go out of her way to act this carefully around others.
But whenever she stood before Yujin, something felt off. The words that usually came to her so naturally would stumble, and the poise she typically maintained seemed to falter.
Perhaps it was because she subconsciously recognized the immense power and hidden secrets Yujin possessed.
But deep down, Alicia felt that wasn’t the reason.
This was something… different.
“For now, have a seat, Your Highness. The rampaging magi have been subdued for the moment, so let’s focus on adapting to it.”
“Ah, yes!”
At his suggestion, Alicia took her seat. Yujin also sat across from her.
“Let’s start with something simple—sensing the magi. Of course, feeling its presence is a very basic step, but since the magi you possess is of a transcendent nature, it’s important.”
“Understood.”
Closing her eyes, Alicia focused on the magi within her.
Ssshhhh...
The magi exuded a sweet, almost intoxicating scent, reminiscent of flowers.
“I can feel it…”
“Good. Can you try moving it?”
At Yujin’s prompting, Alicia attempted to control the magi, just as she would with her innate aura.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
But…
‘...It won’t budge.’
The magi, which had raged so wildly when the seal was broken, now cowered like a frightened mouse hiding in its hole.
The sensation of forming a blade with magi and demonic power was still vivid in her memory, yet now the magi wouldn’t respond at all, as if it had never been possible.
“It’s not moving…”
“Is that so? I suspected as much. It seems the demonic self is tightly holding onto the reins of the magi. Losing control over that would leave it powerless.”
“...That might be true, but… it also feels like it’s afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Yes, it’s a vague feeling, but…”
Yujin tilted his head slightly at her words, then inwardly directed his thoughts toward Tiamat.
‘Tia, does transcendent energy have a will of its own?’
『...Hmph, why don’t you figure it out on your own?』
‘...?’
Tiamat’s tone made it clear she knew something but had no intention of sharing it with Yujin.
『You were so devoted to me earlier, calling me your most precious family, and now you’re doting on that girl instead.』
Her irritation stemmed from Yujin’s kind treatment of Alicia, which seemed almost calculated. Before they had entered the room, Yujin had showered Tiamat with affection, only to now focus entirely on Alicia.
‘Well… I’ll make it up to her later.’
Deciding to address Tiamat’s grievances later, Yujin focused his transcendent senses on Alicia, analyzing her condition.
‘The magi is afraid… It does seem like that, but something feels off.’
While it was true that transcendent energy wouldn’t move at the whims of someone without full control, Alicia’s situation seemed slightly different.
‘...Ah, I see.’
Glancing around, Yujin realized what was happening.
Currently, he had intentionally spread his mana throughout Alicia’s dormitory room, effectively establishing it as his domain. The magi had lost in this territorial clash, and the room now operated entirely under Yujin’s influence.
In a sense, the magi had been subdued, its will crushed by the overwhelming presence of his mana. This explained its apparent fear.
‘A straightforward issue, after all. In that case…’
Yujin debated whether to withdraw his mana but ultimately shook his head. Regardless of the magi’s state, Alicia was not yet capable of controlling it herself.
For now, the best course of action was to continue helping her adapt. With that decision, Yujin spoke again.
“We’ll leave things as they are for now. Your Highness, continue focusing on sensing the magi and getting used to its presence.”
“Yes.”
“Then… let’s have a little counseling session, shall we? I’m no professional, but I’ll do my best.”
“...Counseling?” Alicia asked hesitantly, opening her eyes slightly.
“Yes. Ultimately, for you to gain control over the magi, you’ll need to strengthen yourself mentally as well. Oh, and don’t lose focus on the magi as we talk.”
“Yes. But… what will the counseling be about?”
“Well… It might be a sensitive topic, but…”
After a brief pause, Yujin looked at Alicia and asked,
“Why don’t we start by talking about your traumas or any mental scars you may have?”
