Chapter 534

Chapter 541: Riviria, Tsundere? (Please Subscribe!)

“Ugh… Izay, would you stop staring at me already!? What are you looking at!?”

Just as Izay was beginning to understand the situation, Riviria suddenly burrowed deeper into her blankets, a slightly irritated expression on her face as she loosely covered her chest.

For some reason, she felt that her student’s gaze had an indescribably strange quality.

If she had to describe it… it was quite rude!

And overly blatant…

Surely, she was failing as Izay’s teacher?

This wasn’t the first time she’d revealed such an unbecoming side in front of him…!

At this moment, the little person inside Riviria’s heart fittingly took out a small round pillow, kneading and squishing it to vent her frustration.

On the other hand, after hearing her words, Izay gave two fake coughs.

“…It’s just that Teacher looks so good, I couldn’t help but take a few extra glances～. Also, I was thinking about how I accidentally disturbed your nap, and what I should do to apologize.”

Regarding his teacher’s current display of cute hostility, while he found it somewhat novel, he also chose to speak frankly.

When dealing with Riviria, it was best to say what you thought directly without beating around the bush.

Perhaps because she had accumulated too much pressure from being flattered when she was still Princess Riviria before meeting Loki, now as an adventurer, she preferred straightforward communication.

Thus, based on the current situation, Izay believed that speaking honestly was the most likely way to quickly move past this incident.

Then… after his words faded, Riviria’s expression carried a hint of disdain.

Hoh?

This kid knows how to apologize?

You’ve already taken advantage of the situation, and now you remember to apologize!?

Never!

Riviria pulled her legs back further under the covers, straightening her upper body, her elegant neck exposed in the lamplight.

She didn’t seem to notice that this small movement accentuated the graceful contours of her slender figure even more.

Riviria, who was momentarily ignoring these details while pondering how to respond to Izay, opened her cherry lips.

“Don’t think that by complimenting me, I’ll accept your apology so easily. Haven’t you always said? If apologies were useful, why have military police!?”

“Eh—”

Izay was momentarily speechless.

He hadn’t expected that something he’d casually said in the past would come in handy now.

Truly, it was a stab in the back of justice for him.

Seeing Izay’s dumbfounded expression, the corner of the elven princess’s mouth curved up slightly.

She actually didn’t intend to really make things difficult for Izay; she just wanted to regain a bit of face after being taken advantage of by this guy.

After all, she herself was partly responsible for the earlier situation.

This was Izay’s Magic Workshop after all…

So after playfully retorting harmlessly, Riviria decided to let it go and began thinking about how to smoothly transition past this event.

But she didn’t expect that the next moment, Izay would open his mouth without warning, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry: “Then… I won’t apologize?”

Riviria’s eyes twitched: “I never said I wouldn’t forgive you…”

“Ah, but Teacher, your expression just now looked pretty scary?”

“Could you possibly expect me to smile kindly after you’ve taken advantage of me!?”

“Not really… I didn’t have that thought～”

Izay shook his head decisively.

In a situation like that, dreaming about it was enough; it almost never happened in reality.

With a silent sigh in his heart, Riviria slightly relaxed her stern demeanor. Her bare feet crossed beneath the covers, her hands resting on her ample thighs.

“I wasn’t entirely angry at you; there was my own part in it too.”

“In that case, Teacher should try not to get angry too often, right? Getting angry too much causes wrinkles～”

A faint smile appeared, Izay tried to steer the conversation towards a lighter tone.

“…Wh-What!? ”

As expected, topics involving female appearances were unavoidable even for Riviria, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“It’s said to be medically proven, Amide can vouch for it.”

Yeah, sorry Amide, borrowing your name for a bit.

Given our relationship, you wouldn’t mind, right?

Izay apologized inwardly to his healer friend.

Actually, he and Amide had never discussed such topics.

Moreover, for adventurers, the best way to maintain their appearance was already etched in their backs. These kinds of urban legends circulating among the townsfolk were always matters of belief or disbelief.

“Amide thinks so too…”

However, when the judgment fell into Riviria’s hands, this elven princess didn’t doubt much.

Because Amide’s reputation worked better than Izay anticipated.

When Izay brought her up, Riviria instinctively believed it.

(Amide: No, I didn’t! I never said that!!)

Unfortunately, the Holy Maiden of the battlefield couldn’t jump out to hit Izay on the head and correct his false claims.

“That’s right, so Teacher should smile more often～” Izay joked.

“Daydreaming… Occasionally smiling is enough.”

“Eh…?”

Is this tsundere behavior?

Seems like I’ve discovered a new attribute in Teacher…

“Since it’s just a measure to prevent more wrinkles, isn’t it fine as long as you’re not angry?”

Ah, that makes sense.

The idea of making his teacher smile more often has fallen through…

But… Izay suddenly felt a sense that both he and his teacher were acting rather foolishly.

They seemed to be overly fixated on discussing wrinkles…

Especially Teacher, you’re an extremely long-lived elven royal family member. Wrinkles are hundreds of years away from meeting you.

There’s absolutely no need to worry about it～

But by skipping over the discussion about wrinkles, they successfully managed to shift the topic.

For a moment, the atmosphere around them softened considerably.

At this point, Izay remembered the mail box he had placed in his personal space.

“Oh, Teacher, I received a letter for you earlier. It was sent from the Royal Forest of Alph.”

“Royal Forest?”

Instantly, Riviria’s attention was drawn to the luxurious box that Izay conjured out of nowhere.

Such extravagant brocade boxes, familiar packaging techniques!

No mistake…

“It must be a gift from my father…”

Riviria’s tone was complex.

Back when she stubbornly left the Royal Forest with Loki, she had argued fiercely with her father, even resorting to force (magic).

But the moment she left the Royal Forest, the Elven King immediately issued a royal decree in his capacity as ‘royalty’, announcing to all elves worldwide — Princess Riviria had set out on a journey from the Royal Forest, hoping her fellow elves would welcome her.

And every few years thereafter, she would receive gifts sent by her parents from her homeland.

The “Great Sage Tree Branches” that Riviria once gifted Izay came from those.

And those branches were only a part of it; most of the gifts were clothes.

As if worried that their daughter might not find suitable attire in the outside world.

Most of the gifts were clothes, filling two of Riviria’s wardrobes.

In this regard, it was unclear whether it was better to call it meddling or excessive spoiling…..