The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 212

A victory earned by killing someone is neither sweet nor joyful.

All that remains is a lingering discomfort.

Even in the absence of emotion, the sticky sensation of blood clinging to my fingertips left only a repulsive feeling.

After struggling to shake off that unpleasant sensation for a while, I realized my eyes had opened at some point.

Crackle—

The sound of a campfire burning echoed.

The distinct, charred scent of the campfire reached my nose.

As I turned my gaze to the side, I felt something soft.

Soon after, I noticed I was resting my head on something pure white.

To identify it, I turned my gaze further.

Then, silver hair brushed against my face.

A warm, comforting fragrance tickled my senses from the soft strands.

“You’re awake?”

A tender voice reached my ears.

Nikita, standing a short distance away, was smiling brightly.

Though she appeared cold on the outside, the smile she gave me was filled with nothing but warmth.

For some reason, that fact made me feel good.

“Nikita.”

As I called her name, Nikita gently stroked my head.

Thanks to that, I realized where I was lying.

Nikita’s lap.

I was currently using Nikita’s lap as a pillow.

What kind of unprecedented situation was this?

I never thought the day would come when I’d receive a lap pillow from Nikita.

Even Nikita seemed slightly embarrassed now, as she shifted her knee a little.

“If you move too much, it tickles.”

It made me want to move even more on purpose.

“Nikita, what about Card?”

“Over there.”

A card lay alone where Nikita pointed with her finger.

The difference in treatment between me, who received a gentle lap pillow, and Card was stark.

But that was just how Card was.

Seeing him snoring evenly, it seemed he was fine now.

“You pushed yourself again.”

Nikita’s touch grew slightly rougher.

When I stayed still, her touch softened again.

“Nikita, how did you get here?”

Nikita had briefly appeared at the academy following the First Prince’s announcement.

After that, I thought I’d only see her again during this year’s entrance exams, along with Nia.

I never expected her to return so soon.

“I was waiting near the Magic Palace too. Then, I heard about you from one of my juniors.”

“A junior?”

“Hania Lepidodia.”

Hania.

The moment her name was mentioned, I let out a hollow laugh.

It was Hania who had called for help, leading to Nikita’s appearance.

As expected, my ex-girlfriend always shines brilliantly.

“Prince Maron has safely joined Jerion Academy. So, you don’t need to worry.”

“That’s a relief.”

High Sirion would handle Prince Maron’s affairs appropriately.

One thing that still weighed on my mind was Cheonhye Gong.

He was undoubtedly the one who orchestrated the Phanisis civil war from behind the scenes.

There was no physical evidence, but my intuition was certain.

‘He must have started this civil war in Phanisis to achieve something.’

I still couldn’t grasp what that something was.

“Thinking about work again.”

Nikita poked my forehead repeatedly.

It seemed my worries were written all over my face.

“Thank you. I survived because of you, Nikita.”

“Is that all?”

“Nikita is the best.”

A smug smile formed on her lips.

Perhaps because I had showered her with praise in the past, she now seemed to expect it from me.

“You used to save people, but now you’ve even saved a kingdom. You’re the best too, Professor.”

Nikita patted my head.

Hearing her words, I fell silent for a moment.

“Was it really the right thing to do?”

The noble faction wanted to overthrow the incompetent king and implement new policies.

Most of them were undoubtedly driven by greed.

Their extreme measures during the civil war were proof of that.

But on the other hand, some might have truly risen for Phanisis’s sake.

Prince Maron was indeed an incompetent figure.

If such a person remained at the nation’s helm, Phanisis would meet a grim fate.

Was my choice to save Prince Maron the right one?

Wouldn’t Phanisis have grown into a stronger nation without him?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell what was truly right.

The civil war in the Kingdom of Phanisis wasn’t even recorded in official history.

I didn’t know what fate awaited them.

Yet, I intervened and ultimately pushed Phanisis toward another unknown outcome.

This wasn’t for some grand cause but purely based on my personal judgment.

“Professor.”

Before I knew it, Nikita covered my eyes with her hand.

“No matter what you did, I’ll always praise you for doing your best.”

Nikita’s gentle voice continued.

“That’s what I want to say to you, who’s returned after so much hardship. And it’s what I’ll keep saying in the future.”

Absolute support for me.

Even in my emotionally numb state, I could feel the sincerity in her heart.

“So, trust my judgment in trusting you.”

Her warm words cleared my mind.

The dice had already been cast.

No matter what number it landed on, the choice had been mine.

All I could do was accept the outcome calmly.

“I feel reassured. Thanks to you, Nikita, I’ve sorted out my thoughts.”

Nikita fell silent for a moment after hearing me.

Then, she suddenly leaned her face close to mine.

Nikita’s lips met mine in an instant.

A stolen kiss, leaving no room for resistance.

After successfully stealing my lips, she stared at me intently before stealing another kiss.

As I stared at her in disbelief, she wore an utterly shameless expression.

“It’s your fault, Professor. You keep saying such pretty things.”

“I only spoke the truth.”

“That’s what I love about you.”

A world where Nikita loves me even when I speak the truth.

What a wonderful world.

“You’re really becoming more and more my type. It’s all your fault, Professor.”

“I apologize.”

“No wonder all the other girls fall for you too.”

I had no rebuttal for that.

Even I could see that I was living the life of a playboy.

“If you keep this up, it’ll be trouble.”

“Do I look that unappealing to you, Nikita?”

“You’re the most lovable person in the world.”

This was serious.

Nikita was completely smitten.

Nikita laughed behind her hand before standing up.

“It’s fine. I’m confident that no one loves you as much as I do.”

I stood up as well.

“But I also know that the more people love you, the more worries I’ll have.”

“True. Let’s head back.”

My body had mostly recovered by now.

I’d be fine for the journey back.

When Nikita offered her hand, I took it and stood up.

She interlaced her fingers with mine as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

“These are the hands of the Professor who saved me back then.”

“Though they looked different back then.”

“But the warmth I felt was the same.”

Saying this, Nikita looked up at me.

The height difference, much more pronounced than before, made her stare intently before resting her head against my arm.

“I guess I really do like tall men.”

It was a bold declaration of affection.

“Nikita, you’re small and cute.”

“Are you teasing me for being short?”

“I’m doing my best to adore you.”

“Fine, I’ll let it slide.”

Perhaps because we hadn’t seen each other for so long, Nikita’s affection was relentless.

“Must be tough for those without a girlfriend.”

Then, a familiar voice chimed in.

Card had sat up at some point.

His face was full of displeasure.

“So, you’re not dead after all.”

“Like you, I’ve got too many women waiting for me.”

A truly playboy-like remark.

Card was up now.

It was time to return to the surface.

And there was one more thing I had to do.

“Nikita, Card.”

I told them my plan.

“Let’s pretend I died as of today.”

I’d erase Vikamun’s identity once and for all.

Seron Parmia.

A girl who fell for a certain boy and ended up adopting a personality like his.

Born unlucky, she finally opened her eyes.

Blink—

A familiar ceiling came into view.

The ceiling of Jerion Academy’s infirmary.

She remembered saving Sharin and shouting at Vikamun before her eyes closed.

For a moment, she felt confused.

Then, she realized she must have been asleep for quite a while.

Seron hurriedly got up.

There was someone she wanted to see right away.

Her body ached a little, but it was fine.

She quickly opened the infirmary door and stepped out.

‘Prince Sweet Potato, that idiot must’ve fallen for me after this!’

Her fighting spirit, throwing herself into danger, was undeniable.

Of course, she hadn’t calculated any of that at the time, but now she saw the advantage.

Seron shrewdly decided to exploit it immediately.

She scurried down the hallway on her short legs.

At some point, rain began to patter outside.

The hallway felt eerily quiet.

As she ran alone through the corridor—

“Really?”

“Professor Vikamun… What do we do?”

The voices of students passing by under umbrellas reached her ears.

Seron tilted her head but kept running.

Soon, she saw a crowd of students gathered in hushed whispers.

A large group had formed around the indoor bulletin board.

An uneasy feeling settled in her chest.

Every time she felt this way, something unfortunate happened.

For some reason, her legs refused to move.

The unease had paralyzed her.

A moment later, her eyes landed on the bulletin.

[Winter Magic Palace Casualty List]

Professor Vikamun Niflheim

Something inside Seron shattered.

The Apostle who had leaped forth was strong.

He was undoubtedly powerful enough to threaten everyone’s lives.

But the idea of Vikamun dying was unimaginable.

“Professor Vikamun didn’t die because of the Apostle.”

“What? Then, what happened?”

“He got caught up in the Phanisis civil war. They say he died protecting Prince Maron.”

The Phanisis civil war.

Prince Maron.

Amid the chaos, those words pierced her ears clearly.

The world spun.

Her vision blurred.

Nausea rose, and her legs gave out.

Seron staggered past the students and collapsed at the first-floor entrance.

Raindrops soaked her knees, the warmth leaching away.

But she couldn’t stand up.

Her vision grew hazy.

What was the point of boasting to him now?

What was the point of throwing herself into danger for praise?

Her heart ached as if it would break.

A searing pain tore through her chest.

It hurt.

It hurt so much she thought she’d die.

“P-Prin… ce… Sweet… Potato…”

Seron began to cry like a child.

“Sweet Potato… Where are you…?”

Unable to bear the pain, she sobbed uncontrollably.

She missed him so much she couldn’t stand it.

She didn’t know how to live in a world without him.

Every moment she’d shared with Vikamun flashed before her eyes like a panorama.

Those memories were precious, but the ache in her chest was unbearable.

“Seron?”

Then, a voice reached her ears.

Seron turned her tear-filled eyes.

A man, having dropped his umbrella, rushed over and embraced her tightly.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?”

His face was full of concern.

Black hair, red eyes.

As she looked at him, Seron’s eyes widened slowly.

Vikamun.

Vikamun was there.

“P-Prince Sweet Potato?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ll take you to the hospital right now, so hang in there.”

He scooped her up and hurried down the hallway.

The affection in his urgency wrapped around her shattered heart.

She didn’t understand what was happening.

But as long as he was safe, she could keep living.

So, she clung to him tightly.