The cold morning air could be felt.
At least, it was only natural since even the tattered clothes I had on were taken away.
…
Stretching my arms to loosen up my body that had stiffened overnight.
Unblemished, snow-white skin was revealed.
It was surprisingly clean for someone who’d spent a long time in the wild.
But it was also leather that had been soiled by that bastard’s stench all night—leather I wanted to tear off immediately.
To an ordinary person, it would’ve been a faint smell almost impossible to detect, but I could sense it clearly.
Never before had I resented the heightened senses of being a beastperson that had helped me survive countless dangers.
“…That damn bastard…”
The boiling anger dissipated into thin air.
Because there was no sign of that black magician anywhere.
All that remained was a magic puppet resembling him.
“…Wait, a magic puppet?”
As soon as I began questioning its existence, an odd object in the corner started moving.
“Hwanyang, are you awake?”
Realizing I was awake now, it approached me and spoke in an artificial yet disturbingly similar voice to the bastard.
“You should’ve just monitored me yourself instead of using such a shoddy puppet… Ah.”
Only then did it occur to me that the bastard had infiltrated here under the guise of a professor.
Even if his true nature was a black magician, he was currently a professor.
He still had to fulfill some basic duties as one.
Otherwise, preparations for his rituals would become difficult.
‘This… might actually be useful.’
No matter how skilled in magic, everyone has limits.
Simultaneously teaching students while controlling this puppet wouldn’t be easy.
“Hungry… Professor?”
Proof of this—his speech pattern was already awkward.
With the connection barely functioning, keeping tabs on me must’ve been tough.
Could there be a bigger blessing for someone planning an escape?
‘And…’
A black magician having any social skills is unheard of.
They spend their lives in filthy basements conducting rituals. It’s only natural.
Thinking about him standing in front of many students giving a lecture made me chuckle softly.
“Want to eat?”
His question instantly deflated my slightly elevated mood.
Maybe some basic actions were pre-programmed, as the puppet raised its creaky arm to point at a bowl.
Inside was the meat I’d been forced to eat yesterday.
“Would you eat something like this?”
Did he think I’d devour this without orders?
If he believed ‘the first time is hard but the second is easy,’ I’d tell him not to make me laugh.
I had no intention of touching this unless forced.
Kicking the plate on the floor with my foot.
-Clang!
The plate hit the puppet’s head dead-on and shattered into pieces.
The scattered food dirtied the room, fulfilling its final purpose.
“This feels more like a proper black magician’s lair now. You should thank me. I’ve brought you closer to your filthy god, haven’t I?”
I sneered at the puppet covered in broken plate shards and grease.
There’s no way he can harm me.
I’m the cursed child, crucial to his ritual. He wouldn’t want to damage me unnecessarily.
…
As expected, the puppet just stared at me silently.
“What are you looking at? You’re just a puppet controlled remotely. What can you possibly do as long as I don’t try to escape?”
“Problem detected. Hwanyang didn’t eat. Solution found…”
What the hell is he saying right now?
“First, make him hungry.”
“Make me hungry? Are you thinking of making me throw up everything I ate yesterday?”
Pretending to stick my hand into my mouth, I mocked him.
Though I know it’s a puppet, its appearance resembling that bastard gives me a strange thrill.
Somehow relieving the stress from yesterday.
Just as I decided to destroy this puppet completely—
“Playtime!”
“What the—”
In an instant, the distance between us closed.
Before I could react, I was thrown onto the bed…
-Squish Squish
-Pat Pat
A scene similar to yesterday unfolded.
*
*
*
How much time passed?
The mana stored in the puppet ran out, and it disappeared.
“Huh… Damn brat…”
Every part of my body felt sore after all that touching.
Getting up from the bed and looking around, the room that had been trashed was immaculate again.
The meat chunks that had splattered everywhere were used as energy sources when I refused to eat them all.
Right before stopping movement, the last bit of mana was used to repair the broken plate.
Everything looked exactly the same as when I woke up, except for the absence of the puppet.
Of course, knowing what just happened doesn’t make the shame disappear.
“That bastard… I’ll definitely…”
I ignited my rage against the professor responsible for this.
But only for a moment.
“…Calm down. It’s not the right time yet.”
There’s no way I can confront him now when biting with all my strength would only leave a mark.
Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I focus on what I can do right now.
Escape.
The monitoring puppet is gone, and I’ve received no orders not to escape—this is the perfect opportunity.
Walking to the door, grabbing the handle, and pulling it open.
“…”
As expected, the seal showed no reaction.
Relaxing my tensed muscles prepared for any shock, I stepped out of the room.
Judging from the large desk in the center and scattered papers, this seems to be an office.
“To place the offering here… Was he confident or simply ignorant…”
Black magicians value their offerings more than their own lives, don’t they?
Yet there’s not a single device here to prevent the offering from escaping or outsiders from intruding.
Though I should be grateful considering my situation…
Just as I was about to move toward the office door.
“Hwanyang, I’m here!”
“!”
He entered.
“Not the same puppet as earlier…”
This isn’t the same as before.
There’s a definite vitality here that couldn’t be replicated by a puppet.
My body instinctively tried to take a step back.
Forcing strength into my legs to stay put.
Showing weakness to the enemy won’t do any good.
Trying to hide my trembling body, I greeted him calmly.
“Oh, caught me?”
I’m aware that if he uses the brand, he can easily inflict pain on me.
I know that much.
Even without arms or legs, if ordered to die right here, I’d have to obey quietly.
But I also know one important fact.
“So… What do you plan to do now?”
I’m an extremely valuable item for their ritual, and they wouldn’t damage such an item easily.
Believing this, I took the action.
“Ah, I missed you too, right? I did too.”
The gamble paid off.
-Squish Squish
The relief was short-lived as an unpleasant sensation came from my head.
Tickling my ears and stroking my neck before patting my back.
Having my body violated and having to accept it silently—no matter how many times I experience it, it never gets easier.
Trying to contain the rising anger as best as I could.
“You ate everything cleanly, didn’t you? Good job, Hwanyang!”
Something strange was said.
It sounded like he had no idea what happened earlier in the room.
The tone seemed genuine, not like he was testing me.
He should’ve been monitoring everything through the puppet.
This reaction was clearly abnormal.
‘Wait a minute…’
Then an idea struck me.
“Can’t he operate the puppet and teach simultaneously?”
It made sense.
Whatever subject this bastard teaches, professors aren’t just people who talk in front of a blackboard.
Constant interaction with students and demonstrating various kinds of magic during lectures would require full attention.
He probably can’t spare attention for other things.
‘This… might be usable.’
If he wasn’t aware of what happened here while teaching, my range of possible actions expands significantly.
Enough to outweigh any restrictions resulting from today’s escape attempt.
“So, Hwanyang. Are you hungry? Shall we have lunch?”
Believing I really ate the meat in the bowl, he asked with a smile.
The look in his eyes suggested he thought I had completely submitted.
Common sense dictates that the mind of a cursed child who’s endured the world’s hatred until now wouldn’t break in just one day, but maybe it’s because he’s a black magician lacking social skills.
“…Do as you wish.”
If it’s a misunderstanding that works in my favor, I’ll use it until the end.
Therefore, right now,
I need to act according to his wishes.
*
*
*
Perhaps even black magicians find it difficult to capture people where there are many witnesses.
After steeling myself for the performance, what was placed in front of me was regular pork.
Both the smell and taste were normal.
Though feeling strange about it, I emptied the plate obediently.
“!”
Then he literally rolled around hugging me like an animal.
Well, animals probably have more intelligence than this guy.
By now, I suspect this might be part of the ritual.
Each time his hands, which have surely taken countless lives, swept across my body, I felt nauseous but held it in.
Since I’ve decided to play along, I need to commit fully.
If the valuable item that seemed to comply with everything suddenly showed aversion upon physical contact, wouldn’t that raise suspicion?
Smiling, I moved my body forcibly to rub my head against his hand.
I spent quite some time in his embrace.
-Knock Knock
Until someone knocked on the door.
———
‘Crazy bastard.’
Thinking while chewing on the unidentifiable potion in the bowl.
Until just now, I thought their plans had gone awry.
Since it was a conversation that shouldn’t involve others, I was put back in the room, and unable to eavesdrop like yesterday due to the risk of being discovered.
However, judging from his expression after the other black magician left, their conversation didn’t end well.
‘Surely, I thought so…’
-Ahgh!
‘Damn, tastes terrible.’
While forcing down the urge to spit it out immediately, I continued my thoughts.
The brief conversation, the suspicious burlap sack in the corner, the professor who appeared dejected but quickly acted as if nothing happened…
What kind of relationship could they possibly have—
“Ai, eating well.”
-Squish Squish
The thought was interrupted by the hand stroking my back.
Deciding to focus on eating whatever’s in front of me for now, I moved my jaw.
-Ahgh!
Better not think about the raw materials of these things.
If I do, all my hard work pretending might go to waste.
*****
While Hwanyang was eating the mysterious potion (dog food), Eisha entered Rianis’ room.
“Huu… Huu…”
Eisha’s crying showed no signs of stopping.
If anything, it seemed louder inside the room.
“Here.”
“Th, thank you, Rianis…”
Smiling faintly while taking the warm teacup.
Did she interpret this as a positive sign?
“Okay, now tell me. Why were you crying so much? Did you confess to the professor and get rejected?”
Despite her cold appearance, she’s quite straightforward.
She threw a direct question at her friend who’d just entered the room less than a minute ago.
Before Eisha could take a sip from the teacup.
Of course, she probably intended it as a light joke to ease the atmosphere, but the timing was off.
“The professor… seems to have a lover…”
“Eh?”
Rianis Evrelin.
Questioning her hearing for the first time in her life.
