Chapter 26: An Unwanted Encounter

A sudden realization struck him: Celeste was indeed coming for him.

But why?

Yalin racked his brain, yet no explanation came to mind.

Ever since his transmigration, he had meticulously maintained his distance from Celeste, terrified of inadvertently offending her once more.

Could it be that she, too, had transmigrated, privy to the ending, and had come to nip him in the bud?

‘No, not the new character (TL Note: A gaming term, referring to a newly created character or a fresh start in a game)!’

Yalin initially considered putting up a struggle, but swiftly abandoned that foolish notion.

With this pathetic, weak body, incapable of even running a few hundred meters, how could he possibly escape Celeste’s grasp?

Thus, he could only resign himself to his fate, halting in his tracks.

Whoosh—

A powerful gust of wind rushed past his face.

In the blink of an eye, Celeste stood before him.

A prodigious talent in magic, she wielded not only elemental spells but also white magic with remarkable ease.

Simply by applying a body-enhancing buff (TL Note: A gaming term, referring to a temporary positive status effect), her speed could rival even the most skilled practitioners of the Magic Sword division.

“Why were you trying to escape?”

Celeste quickly advanced, seizing Yalin’s wrist in a tight grip.

The force was so immense, it felt as though she might crush his bones.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…” Yalin cried out involuntarily.

‘Seriously, couldn’t you have dispelled that body-enhancing white magic before grabbing me?’

“Ah, I’m, I’m sorry…”

Only then did Celeste realize she had gotten a little carried away; she quickly released his hand and took a step back.

“Hiss…”

Yalin rubbed his reddened, swollen wrist, his brows knitting together in a frown.

Beyond the throbbing pain in his wrist, a long-suppressed impulse within him began to stir restlessly, poised to erupt at any moment.

Indeed, Celeste’s influence on this body was not something that could be dispelled in a mere moment.

Since matters had come to this, he could only hope this formidable young woman would leave soon and grant him a reprieve.

Yalin lifted his head, a familiar smile gracing his lips.

“Miss Celeste, is there something you needed from me?”

Celeste froze, a strange pang of bitterness inexplicably seizing her heart.

‘Miss?’

‘Why did he add those two words?’

‘Before, they had always addressed each other by their first names.’

‘But this way he addressed her now, how was it any different from the other noble students in the academy?’

‘Had such a vast distance truly grown between them?’

“I… I came to help Liyang,” Celeste began, her voice lacking conviction. “She wanted to find you, so I came ahead to ask where you were…”

“Liyang? Couldn’t you have just told her I was here? Why did you come yourself?”

“I…”

Celeste’s slender fingertips trembled.

‘She couldn’t possibly say that she had gone to such lengths simply to see him, could she?’

Yalin observed her troubled expression, feeling utterly perplexed.

But then, he quickly slapped his forehead.

‘What a fool I am!’

‘Why bother asking so many questions? What Celeste wanted to do was none of his concern.’

So, Yalin quickly interjected, “Oh, right, she does seem to have something she needs me for.”

“Tell her I’m in Professor Wendy Rhine’s lab. If she wants to find me, that’s where she should go.”

“Mm…”

Celeste acknowledged him with a soft sound.

She yearned to ask what their true relationship was, but Liyang had requested that the matter remain a secret for the time being, to be disclosed later if an opportunity arose.

Thus, she could only temporarily abandon the thought.

Seeing her fall silent, Yalin tentatively asked, “So, that’s all?”

“Thank you for going out of your way to tell me.”

If Celeste had only come to convey this message, nothing could have been better.

Yet, she remained standing precisely where she was, showing no intention of leaving.

“Um, is there anything else?”

“I…”

Celeste’s lips parted slightly, but the words she had carefully rehearsed refused to emerge.

She realized she had oversimplified the situation.

She had initially believed that upon seeing Yalin again, he would gravitate back to her just as before.

Then, she would explain that she had gone a bit too far that day, clearing up the misunderstanding.

In doing so, they should be able to reconcile, and everything would be smoothly resolved.

However, reality was entirely different.

Despite Yalin being within arm’s reach, his smile, utterly devoid of emotional nuance, felt like an invisible wall, leaving her utterly disoriented.

She suddenly realized that Yalin no longer cared for her as he once had.

Celeste’s emotions were a tangled mess, a faint ache blooming in her chest.

Lowering her gaze, she inadvertently noticed the intricate lace adorning the hem of her skirt.

She wasn’t wearing her academy uniform today; she had deliberately changed into a different outfit.

The soft fabric and delicate embellishments were chosen purely to make her appear more like an ordinary girl.

Though she had claimed it was to avoid drawing attention in the Alchemy division, she had to admit that, in truth, she wanted to catch Yalin’s eye and hoped he would offer a compliment.

However, he hadn’t even spared her a glance.

It seemed Yalin was afraid of her.

‘Why was this happening?’

‘She had been the one to say those words back then, and at the time, she had indeed found Yalin a bit too annoying.’

‘But why, after Yalin left, did she feel even more agitated than before?’

‘Could it be… because she regretted it?’

“Um… if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going then?”

Yalin forced down the mounting discomfort in his body, speaking through gritted teeth.

“Wait… wait a moment!”

Celeste knew she had to say something, but her mind was a complete muddle, and she had no idea how to begin.

She had never felt so flustered before.

“Also, that day… do you remember what happened that day?”

“What happened that day?”

Yalin’s mind began to spin wildly.

‘He couldn’t recall ever doing anything to offend Celeste, could he?’

‘Or was it the original owner’s fault again?’

‘Seriously, you’re a protagonist, after all; there’s no need to hold such a grudge, is there?’

‘Though he didn’t know what had happened, he might as well apologize, then make a quick escape.’

The situation was far worse than he had imagined; not only was that entity within his consciousness stirring restlessly, but even the Eye of Nihility (TL Note: A mysterious power or item) he carried had begun to resonate once more.

If he stayed with Celeste any longer, he might very well revert to his previous state of despair.

‘If he were getting paid, he might tolerate being a simp (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘tiǎngǒu,’ referring to someone who is overly eager to please or flatter another, often to a pathetic degree).’

‘But to expect him to simp without payment? That would be the death of Yalin!’

“My apologies, then. I must have made you very uncomfortable that day, didn’t I?”

“Ah…?”

Celeste froze, baffled as to why Yalin was apologizing to her in return.

But before she could speak, Yalin quickly interjected.

“But please rest assured, I truly have been reflecting seriously.”

“I swear, I will never bother you or cause you trouble again!”

His unspoken message was clear: ‘I’ve said all this; please, for the love of all that’s holy, just leave!’

Celeste gazed at her former childhood sweetheart, now appearing so humble, and her eyes stung as a powerful wave of self-loathing surged within her.

‘It was her fault.’

‘All because of her, Yalin had become like this.’

“No, that’s not what I meant… I’m sorry…”

A hint of a sob laced Celeste’s voice, but Yalin didn’t notice it at all.

‘He was practically dying of anxiety.’

‘Seriously, what exactly do you want to say? Stop being so cryptic!’

‘Please, anyone, someone save him! He was truly at his breaking point!’

Just then, Yalin suddenly spotted an acquaintance passing by.

That, that was…

The pointy-headed cat-boy—Totomia!