Ludger glanced at Hermoa, wondering if it was really all right to leave her be.
Perhaps thanks to Flora’s advice, she seemed to have caught hold of some kind of inspiration and was fully absorbed in it.
Among mages, when someone attained an insight, there were cases where they would concentrate by surrendering themselves to a certain ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) flow. Naturally, it was something that should never be interrupted. Rather, the proper thing to do was to step aside and give them space to digest that realization on their own.
So, just as Flora suggested, Ludger left the classroom together with her.
“It’ll take at least a few hours for her to digest that. Though, given how outstanding her talent is, it might be shortened. Either way, there’s nothing we can do to help her right now even if we stay.”
For all intents and purposes, today’s lesson was over.
Although it hadn’t taken very long, Ludger didn’t feel particularly regretful. He knew that ten minutes filled with genuine enlightenment were far more valuable than a meaningless one-hour class.
“Do you have any plans after this?”
“No. Today’s class was only Hermoa’s, so you could say it’s basically free time.”
“Oh, really? I happen to have time too. Since it turned out like this, why don’t we go to a café or something?”
At her remark about having free time, Ludger looked at Flora with a hint of doubt.
She was the head of the House of Lumos—where could she possibly find spare time?
Still, since she herself said so, it would be strange to openly question it. Ludger simply nodded.
“Ah. It’s been a while since I came here. It hasn’t changed at all, even after all these years.”
As they walked through the campus, a café caught their eye, and the two of them went inside.
It seemed Flora had visited it a few times before; she murmured nostalgically.
Ludger looked around the interior and realized, to his surprise, that it felt familiar.
‘Come to think of it, this is a place I used to come to a few times when I first arrived at Seorn.’
More than four years had already passed since he first came here.
So many things had happened in the world during that time, yet there were things that remained unchanged.
They ordered coffee and took their seats.
Beyond the railing, the view of Seorn’s campus spread out clearly before them.
Early spring had passed, and the campus, now entering a season of full warmth, was filled with fresh flower petals and lush green leaves. Watching students strolling about the grounds in small groups made it sink in all over again that he had truly returned to this place.
“So, Professor. How is life at Seorn? Is it manageable?”
“I’ve done it before, so there’s no difficulty adapting. And since it’s not a regular class but teaching special children, all the more so.”
“Most teachers would find it harder to deal with students that talented.”
“For me, this is more comfortable.”
“Hm.”
Flora made a meaningful sound.
“So, how is the work as the head of the house?”
Flora had become the head of the House of Lumos.
With her outstanding competence, she had quickly erased the traces of her father, the previous head, and succeeded in firmly establishing her own position.
Even so, it was obvious that the road had not been easy for her in many ways.
Though she had now grown into a proper head of the house, the foundation beneath that must have been built upon countless hardships and trials.
“Well, to be honest, it isn’t easy.”
Flora admitted that much without trying to hide it.
If it were anyone else, she would have put on a mask and acted as though everything was fine. But with Ludger, it was different.
After all, he was the one who had made a tremendous contribution to her becoming the head of the house.
In fact, he knew the internal affairs of the Lumos family almost better than its own members.
“Going around everywhere, putting on smiles and saying things I don’t mean—it’s really exhausting.”
Normally, nobles were exposed to such gatherings from a young age by following their parents.
But Flora was an exception.
Because she was a bloodline that had never been acknowledged, the former head of the House of Lumos had never taken her to any external events, not even once.
The only place where Flora had proven her worth was Seorn.
It was there that people recognized her existence and took interest in her.
“Still, after doing this for a few years, I’ve gotten somewhat used to it. I also received advice.”
“Advice?”
“Duke Heibach helped me.”
Heibach Kadatushan. That sly old fox actually helped her?
‘That’s not entirely unexpected.’
Heibach Kadatushan had a mischievous side, but he wasn’t evil by nature.
And since he had already passed on succession to his child and stepped back into retirement, he had few constraints on his movements. That would have made it easy for him to come into contact with Flora.
“Right. Having a senior in life is a good thing.”
“Exactly. A senior as a mage, and a senior as a head of the house. I used to think I was unlucky with people, but looking back now, that wasn’t really true. If anything, I was luckier than most.”
Flora was young for a head of a ducal house.
Because Cayden Lumos, the former head, had committed acts bordering on treason, she had been pushed into the position unexpectedly.
Naturally, there must have been attempts to take advantage of a weakened Lumos.
Yet Flora preserved the dignity of the house and stood tall as its rightful head.
Heibach Kadatushan’s help must have played a role, but that alone couldn’t have been everything.
‘More likely, it was possible because of her own outstanding ability and political acumen. Someone without ability wouldn’t be able to digest help even if it were given.’
Noble society was, in another sense, no different from a jungle in the wild.
On the surface, everyone smiled at each other, but behind the scenes, they sharpened their daggers.
Show even a hint of weakness, and you would be devoured. That was the world of nobles.
Ludger had wondered whether Flora, who lacked experience in that regard, would manage. Judging by the results, it seemed his worry had been unnecessary.
“Now the family’s affairs have stabilized, and we’re expanding our influence again. Of course, I did receive help from His Majesty the Emperor on that front as well.”
The current Emperor, Aileen, had pushed Cayden Lumos aside and placed Flora in the vacant seat.
Originally, the three great ducal houses maintained a state of balance with the imperial family—not openly hostile, but not fully aligned either.
This time, however, by drawing Flora to her side, Aileen had succeeded in politically incorporating the House of Lumos into her own camp.
‘So that’s why Heibach Kadatushan has been especially kind to Flora.’
Ludger smiled faintly to himself.
Heibach didn’t oppose the imperial family outright, but neither was he pro-imperial. Being more calculating than one might think, he would likely be wary of one of the three great ducal houses completely falling under imperial control.
Power, after all, tended to rot quickly the moment it leaned too far to one side.
“Have you decided on your course?”
It was a short question, but one loaded with meaning.
And Flora had grown enough to understand its intent perfectly.
“I did receive help from the imperial family, but I haven’t forgotten the help I received from the House of Kadatushan either. I’m not that heartless.”
Saying that, Flora elegantly took a sip of her coffee.
In other words, Flora intended to walk a tightrope between the imperial family and the other ducal houses, reaping benefits from both sides.
Aileen’s help was help, but that didn’t mean she would pledge absolute loyalty to the throne.
It was a choice made possible by drawing the bigger picture rationally, without being swayed by sentiment.
“Excellent. You might even be more talented in that regard than as a mage.”
“Aren’t you underestimating my talent as a mage too much? As you can see, I’m a mage as well.”
“True. You’ve already reached the Lexuror rank. Achieving that at your age—there are very few cases even if you scour history.”
At that, Flora’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How did you know? I was deliberately keeping it hidden.”
“I can tell just by looking.”
“Ah. I was planning to surprise you, but this ruins it. Yes, I’m a proper Lexuror-ranked mage now.”
It seemed she had only recently crossed the wall of the sixth circle.
“Is there a reason to hide it?”
“If the position of the House of Lumos ever becomes unfavorable later, it’ll be convenient to reveal my level and draw public attention at least once.”
“So you even use your own attainment politically. You’ve truly become the head of a noble house.”
“If anything, it’s closer to not being overly attached to my magical rank.”
Perhaps it was precisely because she hadn’t obsessed over reaching the sixth circle that she had managed to cross that wall.
“Still, I can’t fool the eyes of a greater mage after all. I didn’t realize it before, but now I can see it clearly—just how unfathomable your realm is, Professor.”
When she knew nothing, Ludger had simply seemed impressive.
But after reaching the sixth circle, her perspective had changed.
What she had thought of as merely ‘high’ turned out to be a realm far beyond imagination.
“So, does it feel awkward?”
“No. Quite the opposite.”
Flora grinned, flames burning in her eyes.
“I want to be both the head of the house and a great mage who will be remembered in history. That’s why I’m even more excited now.”
Even though she had become the head of the house, Flora’s essence was still that of a mage.
Seeing that she hadn’t lost that part of herself, Ludger nodded with quiet satisfaction.
“You’re done, so let’s get up.”
“Right. Oh, by the way, have you been assigned an office?”
“Yes. The same place I used before.”
“Can I take a look?”
“There’s no reason you can’t.”
Ludger headed to his office together with Flora.
On the way, a few students they passed stared at the two of them openly.
Anyone would look twice at such a refined man and woman walking together, their noble aura unmistakable. Some of them even recognized Flora and covered their mouths with their hands.
“You’re popular.”
“I usually rank within the top ten of the ‘most influential people of the year’ list. Being too famous is tiring in its own way, though.”
Flora flicked her hair back with a haughty gesture.
To Ludger, seeing his former student grow this much was simply endearing.
When they arrived at the office, Flora naturally sat down on the sofa.
“This brings back memories. I once collapsed here and woke up afterward.”
“Now that you mention it, that did happen. You won’t do that again this time, right?”
“Oh, come on. What do you take me for? Do you still think I’m that clumsy student from before, Professor?”
Ludger shrugged playfully.
“Professor. More importantly, doesn’t this feel a bit strange?”
“What does?”
“I’ve already graduated. I’m not a Seorn student anymore. Isn’t it odd for me to keep calling you Professor?”
So that was what she was getting at.
“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with. I’m not going to force the title of Professor on you. You’re an adult now, and you’re even the head of a ducal house. If anything, it feels like I should be the one using honorifics.”
“Then it creates distance, doesn’t it? I’d rather you treat me the same way you always have. It’s more comfortable that way.”
Sitting on the sofa, Flora propped her chin on her hand and stared straight at Ludger.
Strangely enough, she hadn’t changed at all from before. It was as if she didn’t age.
“So, how do you want to call me?”
“Hm. I did think about just continuing to call you Professor, but that feels a bit stale. I want to call you something different.”
“If you want something different, feel free.”
“Then can I call you ‘Oppa’? Ah, but that might be too similar to Rine... Maybe not. I’d like something a bit more daring.”
Ludger stared at Flora in silence, a question in his gaze as to why the word “daring” had even come up in a discussion about forms of address.
“I just feel like it. Calling you ‘Mr. Ludger’ feels distant in its own way. Hmm. This is really hard to decide.”
“As I said, I don’t particularly mind what you call me.”
“Really? You wouldn’t mind even if I called you ‘you’?”
“.......”
“You.” Unless used as a respectful form toward a superior, it was typically a term used only between lovers or spouses.
He tried not to react, but no matter how composed Ludger was, this wasn’t easy.
Seeing Ludger hesitate, even for a moment, Flora broke into a mischievous grin.
“Oh. So you do react after all. I thought you wouldn’t care at all.”
That expression was exactly the same one she used when she asked questions during his very first lesson—the look of a little devil who had found her prey.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he’d seen her like this. It felt nostalgic.
“That’s a rather cruel joke.”
“And if it’s not a joke?”
Flora stood up and walked over to the bookshelf along one wall.
Her pale, slender fingers lightly brushed over the spines of the books.
Her tone and expression were almost provocatively deliberate.
“If it’s not a joke.”
Ludger approached her and pressed her back against the wall, planting one hand against it beside her.
“Then would it be all right if I were serious too?”
It was the posture commonly known as pinning someone against the wall.