Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Exposure (5)

A blanket as comforting as a swamp, a pillow that softly cradles my head, and the gentle warmth of sunlight warming my body.

“Huff…!”

My consciousness emerged from sleep along with my senses, and I instinctively sat up.

I whipped my head around to survey my surroundings.

What came into view was a scene resembling a high-end hotel room.

I had been lying on a wide bed, and around me, antique furniture and decorations were placed here and there.

No matter how much I thought, I couldn’t recall a place like this. It meant this was somewhere I had never been before.

Where on earth am I?

Then, feeling a gentle breeze tickling the fine hairs on my face, I reflexively raised my hand to touch my face.

The touch of soft skin, and the feel of the rough scar extending horizontally under my left eye.

The sensation was so vivid it felt almost unpleasant, making me break out in a cold sweat.
T hi s w a s c o p ie d fr o m k i ng m t l . o r g

“My mask… where’s my mask…”

I frantically turned my head, searching for my belongings.

Soon, I found it placed on the bedside table next to me, but for some reason, the right eye area was shattered into pieces.

Next to it was a new mask, identical to the one I had worn before.

There was no time to ponder why. I grabbed it and hastily fastened the lock.

Feeling somewhat at ease, memories from the past slowly began to surface in my mind.

Yeon Minha’s invitation under the guise of a mentoring experience, the bizarre events that occurred at the Jeokhwa estate, the insane head of the Jeokhwa family who not only colluded with dark mages but also intended to use his daughter as a magic formula ingredient, the sudden invasion by the forces of Paechun and Sungshan, and Choi Ireh of Sungshan, who had blocked my path when I tried to escape with Yeon Minha. After defeating her… what happened next…

“…”

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything beyond that point. It was as if my mind had gone completely blank.

Had I overused the predictive ability and momentarily lost consciousness?

I looked down to examine my body.

Medicinal bandages were wrapped around various parts of my arms and legs.

Although I still felt a throbbing pain, it didn’t seem like anything was seriously wrong. The fever that had been clouding my mind was almost gone, probably thanks to some antidote.

Could this be the address the commander had given me? Where is Yeon Minha? And why was a new mask prepared for me?

My thoughts were tangled like a ball of yarn. Just as one question led to another.

Without warning, the doorknob turned, and with a creak, someone entered the room.

I instinctively sent a wary glance towards the door, but it was just a woman dressed as a maid.

She widened her eyes upon seeing me.

“Oh my…”

“Excuse me…”

“Madam! The young master is awake!”

Before I could even speak, she spun around and shouted something down the corridor.

Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k in gmt l . o rg
Soon, I could hear a commotion approaching from afar.

After a moment, the maid who had left returned and opened the door again.

Following her modest posture, two people entered the room.

One was a man with a sharp resemblance to someone I knew, seemingly between middle-aged and elderly.

The other was a woman with a dignified and graceful appearance, looking either of the same age or a bit younger than the commander.

Even with the slightest gesture, they exuded natural dignity and manners.

Moreover, they shared one common trait.

There was no hint of hostility or contempt in their eyes as they looked at me.

Instead, they sent only warm and compassionate glances, quickly melting away my wariness.

“Excuse me…”

As I reflexively tried to get up, the dignified-looking woman hurriedly stepped forward to stop me.

T h is w as c opi e d fr o m k i n gm t l .or g
“Dear, it’s okay. Just stay as you are. Your body must still be recovering; there’s no need for that…”

This w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in g mt l .or g
“Yes? Yes…”

“That’s right…”

Her tone was oddly childlike, but somehow, I couldn’t refuse.

T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m kin g m t l . o r g
As I awkwardly settled back into place, the woman nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied.

Curious about the most pressing question, I cautiously asked them.

“Excuse me, did a girl come here with me? She’s about a head shorter than me, with a sharp impression…”

Feeling anxious again at the thought, I saw the woman shake her head gently with a reassuring smile.

“Rest assured. If it’s the child from Jeokhwa, she’s resting in another room in this annex. It might take some time for her to regain consciousness, but her life is not in any danger.”

“Really…”

“Yes, really. So there’s no need to worry.”

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f rom kin g m tl . org
Hearing the woman’s words finally put my mind at ease. At least we had managed to escape together.

I didn’t know what would happen next, but surviving that chaos was already a significant achievement.

“We’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Although I didn’t expect us to meet like this…”

The man with the sharp impression standing behind her spoke up.
Th is w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g mt l . o rg

T hi s wa s c o pi ed f r o m k i n g m t l . o rg
Despite his appearance, his friendly tone was not much different from the woman’s.

“You’ve been waiting for me…?”

“Indeed. Why, this lady was so eager to visit the Cradle herself to meet you. I had quite the time trying to convince her otherwise…”

The woman sighed deeply in lament. The man looked somewhat embarrassed, an expression that didn’t suit his sharp features.

“Hmm, hmm. Dear, maintaining dignity…”

“Hmph. What’s the use of dignity? It’s the most useless thing in the world…”

“…”

Their casual conversation felt oddly comfortable, as if I could naturally blend into their scene.

Who are these people to treat me so kindly?

Moreover, their manner exuded a natural elegance, and their casual reference to Yeon Minha as the child from Jeokhwa.

They didn’t seem like ordinary people at all.

Even the man’s appearance closely resembled someone I knew.

It felt like he was thirty years older.

Moreover, the color of the woman’s eyes was identical to his.

Although they seemed to be of the same age as the commander, I had heard that some accomplished magicians could inhibit aging and maintain their youthful appearance.

Hae Wolhwa, who had been around since the commander’s time at the Cradle, certainly didn’t look her age.

Putting these facts together, my conclusion seemed to converge into one.

Surely not…

“Excuse me, by any chance, are you…?”

“Ah… hmm, hmm.”

The two, who had been lightly bantering, turned their attention to me.

The man, slightly embarrassed, cleared his throat and spoke first.

“I’m sorry for the late introduction. My name is Sa Daeryong.”

The moment I heard the man’s name, my guess turned into certainty and firmly lodged in my mind.

“And this is my wife.”

The woman smiled warmly at me with the man’s introduction.

Her smile evoked a nostalgic ticklish feeling in me.

“Hoo-hoo, my name is Ye Jieun.”

“Then, are you related to the commander…?”

But the moment they heard my question.

Their faces showed a fleeting sadness and regret.

Though the woman still smiled, a peculiar sorrow now tinged her expression.

“He’s our son.”

***

Through their words, I learned what had happened.

I had arrived at the Heukryeon estate at dawn two days ago. The ones who found me were the Heukryeon soldiers.

Due to the incident at Jeokhwa, a state of alert had been declared throughout the capital by the Supreme Council, and they were patrolling the area in a state of vigilance.

They said I had stumbled down a mountain ridge and stood on shaky legs in front of the Heukryeon mansion.

I was holding Yeon Minha in my arms, and the moment they saw me, I collapsed to the ground.

“We almost mistook you for a monster and shot you. It was truly fortunate…”

“This child constantly circled you, keeping watch, which made it a bit challenging to handle. Fortunately, it seems to be fine now…”

-Flap!

The familiar crow of Yeon Minha, which now perched on the mistress’s hand, had a stubby beak and looked like a sparrow.

I thought perhaps this bird might have saved us.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i ngm t l . o rg
If it was a messenger crow, it would know the geography of the capital far better than I did.

It seemed a pretty good choice to have recited the address to it in advance.
Thi s was c o pi e d fr o m ki n g m tl . o r g

The crow cawed twice at me before flapping away out the open window.

It was probably going to check on its master.

The commander’s father then asked me about the events in the mansion.

The mistress tried to dissuade him a bit, but I saw no reason not to tell them.

Besides, other than the commander’s parents, no one else could help us now.

I told them everything I saw and heard.

Except for the story about Yeon Minha’s birth.

That was something I could never tell anyone.

“So, that resolution wasn’t Paechun’s scheme but actually true…”

Hearing my story, the man muttered with a hardened expression.

End of Chapter