Chapter 54: The Poisonous Coat

The first light of dawn barely pierced the sky, and fine dust motes danced in the air.

Yalin awoke in his bed, his mind remarkably lucid, clearer than it had ever been.

A peculiar feeling welled up within him, as if an invisible appendage had subtly been added to his body, one he could manipulate at will.

Though he had no idea what had transpired, it seemed the Eldritch Lord, perhaps in a rare moment of benevolence, had bestowed a portion of their divine authority upon Yalin.

Extending his hand, a flicker of intent in his mind, he watched as a wisp of black mist coiled around his fingertips.

Indeed, it appeared he could now wield certain arcane arts exclusive to the Eldritch Lord.

“Yalin, are you not up yet?”

Carol’s voice drifted in from beyond the door, prompting Yalin to hastily retract the black mist.

Having woken quite late, he realized there was no time to prepare breakfast for Wendy.

This was perhaps for the best, as Wendy had been acting rather strangely recently, making Yalin wary of trying to ‘raise her favorability’ any further.

After a quick bite of bread, Yalin hurried off to school.

The previous night, Fulin had insisted on escorting Yalin home, leaving him no chance to return to the laboratory and retrieve his necklace.

Wendy, however, had mentioned having other engagements, so Yalin presumed the laboratory would be empty. He had thus been too lazy to go back for it late at night.

Nevertheless, the necklace was undeniably a dangerous item, and leaving it unattended for too long always left him feeling unsettled.

Upon reaching the laboratory, Yalin pushed open the door, only to find himself face to face with a tall, familiar figure.

‘Why had she arrived so early today?’

Yalin felt a pang of confusion; by his calculations, Wendy shouldn’t have been there for at least another half hour.

Furthermore, her demeanor today struck him as exceptionally odd.

Normally, she would sit silently behind her desk in the corner, almost like a phantom, yet today she was pacing restlessly, seemingly engrossed in some profound thought.

“Professor… Good morning?”

To his surprise, Wendy jolted, startled.

She recoiled several steps in a flurry of panic, her gaze darting to Yalin, who stood framed in the doorway. Her lips parted, yet no words emerged, and she felt a tell-tale blush creeping up her ears.

At that moment, Wendy found herself utterly at a loss as to how she should face Yalin.

That fateful night, she had been utterly disoriented, her reason all but lost, and had simply allowed things to unfold…

When her consciousness finally cleared, however, and she recalled her own bewildered state from that time, Wendy was consumed by profound regret, wishing she could simply vanish into the earth.

‘Why… why did I do something so utterly shameless!’

‘Was it the alcohol… or did my own weakness leave me vulnerable?’

Regardless, the memories of that night were now deeply etched into her mind, refusing to fade.

Yet, Wendy was true to her moniker as the ‘Ice Beauty’; even if she had died a hundred deaths internally, she still managed to maintain a fragile composure on her face.

“Mm, good morning…”

Wendy murmured, striving to keep her true emotions from surfacing.

Yalin was utterly bewildered; the more he observed Wendy, the stranger she appeared.

Still, Professor Wendy’s eccentricities weren’t a recent development, so he decided it was best not to provoke her further for the time being.

“Hm? Is this my coat?”

‘But he distinctly remembered leaving his coat casually draped over a chair, didn’t he?’

A flicker of panic crossed Wendy’s eyes. She turned her head, idly twirling a strand of hair by her ear as she mumbled, “That… um… it accidentally got wet yesterday during an experiment… so I washed it for you…”

‘Why did she sound so lacking in confidence? Was it because she had soiled the coat and felt guilty again?’

‘Still playing this game? Will it ever end?’

Yalin quickly waved his hand. “It’s fine, really. You could have just left it anywhere for me to wash. It’s not worth much anyway; I was planning to get a new one.”

“No, no, how could I let you!? I dirtied it, so I must be the one to deal with it!”

Wendy seemed remarkably insistent on this point, leaving Yalin no choice but to comply, offering a helpless smile.

“I see, then thank you, Professor.”

The coat had been washed to a pristine state; even when fully spread out, not a single speck of dirt or stain was visible.

Not only that, but Wendy had evidently used magic to thoroughly dry it, making it appear as if it were brand new.

Clearly, she had invested a significant amount of thought and effort into this seemingly minor task.

A faint, violet-like floral fragrance emanated from the coat, leaving him curious as to what laundry detergent she had used.

Unable to resist, Yalin leaned closer, taking a curious whiff.

“It smells so good, Professor, what did you use…”

“What—what are you doing!?”

Wendy suddenly shrieked, then, in a flurry of quick strides, rushed forward and snatched the coat from Yalin’s hands.

Her cheeks instantly flushed a burning crimson, a suspicious pink even creeping up her neck. Her silver teeth clenched, and her entire body seemed to tremble slightly.

Yalin froze, utterly stunned; it was the first time he had ever witnessed Wendy in such a state of panic.

‘No, what in the world is wrong?’

‘He hadn’t done anything, had he? He was merely curious about what had been used to wash the coat. Why had she suddenly erupted like this?’

“Um, Professor… what’s wrong?”

“I…”

Wendy’s throat bobbed, too consumed by shame to utter a single word.

Cornered by Yalin’s peculiar gaze, with no escape, she could only grit her teeth and hastily concoct an excuse.

“That… I’ve reconsidered. The, um… reagent… that spilled on the coat… it’s poisonous. Yes, it’s actually poisonous! Even though it’s been washed, there might still be residue, and inhaling it could certainly be harmful to your body! So you mustn’t just casually smell it!”

Wendy’s words tumbled out at an incredibly rapid pace; Yalin had never heard her speak so much in a single breath.

‘What the hell? So you’re not mute after all?’

“Is… is that so…”

“Precisely, that’s how it is.”

Having found a plausible excuse, Wendy’s confidence visibly surged.

“Therefore, I will dispose of this coat. Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you with a new one later.”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’!”

“Alright, I have no objections.”

Yalin swiftly capitulated, knowing that confronting Wendy was always the least wise option.

Wendy crumpled the coat into a ball, then turned and retreated to her desk, leaving only her rigid back to face him.

“Don’t you have class later? Don’t linger here; go prepare in the classroom.”

“I understand. Goodbye, Professor.”

Yalin had no intention of remaining there anyway; Wendy’s strangeness today had thoroughly unnerved him.

Retrieving his necklace from the locker, Yalin fled the laboratory at lightning speed.

Only after he had completely departed did Wendy let out a long, shaky breath.

She felt her legs were about to give out…

Looking down at the coat in her hands, a potent wave of humiliation washed over her once more.

‘No…’

‘Indeed, this thing absolutely cannot be returned to Yalin!’

‘Burn it! I must burn it immediately!’

Wendy was about to act, but after a moment of hesitation, she ultimately put the coat down.

“Forget it. Perhaps I’ll just deal with it after I take it home…”