Chapter 58: An Unexpected Day Off and a Shopping Request

Although Totomia had been successfully hypnotized, Yalin quickly realized that he couldn’t undo his own magic anytime soon.

This presented a rather awkward predicament.

Fortunately, the hypnotic effect was not permanent; it would automatically dissipate after a certain period, alleviating any serious concern. It simply meant his good friend would have to endure a little discomfort.

He hoped that in an hour, Totomia wouldn’t detect anything amiss.

After casually settling Totomia onto a bench, Yalin departed from the academy grounds.

Today marked his work day at the young lady’s mansion, and he couldn’t afford to be delayed much longer.

Luluti’s villa remained as magnificent as ever; as the iron gates slowly swung open, a cat-girl in a maid uniform emerged, her steps light and her voice sweet as she spoke.

“Mr. Yalin, thank you for waiting!”

Excellent. It seemed Raymond wasn’t the one greeting him today.

Yalin considered himself quite fortunate not to have to endure that scowling face.

However, upon recognizing the newcomer, he promptly retracted his earlier sentiment.

He didn’t even need to see her face; the two unusually prominent ‘weapons’ on her chest were more than enough to easily discern her identity.

It was Nomnom, Luluti’s personal maid.

“It’s quite warm outside, please come in quickly. The Young Lady is waiting for you in her room.”

Nomnom squinted her eyes charmingly, waving a hand towards Yalin.

“Very well, then I shall trouble Miss Nomnom to lead the way.”

“Ehehe, please rest assured and leave it to me!”

She let out a rather foolish laugh, her hands clasped over her lower abdomen as she walked ahead in a posture that was far from a standard maid’s.

Beneath her skirt, a small, fluffy cat tail peeked out from the hem, twitching restlessly, an endearing sight of clumsy cuteness.

‘Ah, a naturally clumsy, busty cat-girl. How charming.’

‘It would be even better if, upon closer inspection, her heart wasn’t entirely black.’

Unbeknownst to her, the private conversation she had with Raymond that day had been overheard by Yalin with perfect clarity, yet she continued to feign the persona of a bumbling maid.

‘Doesn’t she ever tire of this act, day in and day out?’

Yalin sighed inwardly, a silent lament.

‘Alas, why must the world always be filled with such duplicitous individuals, appearing utterly harmless on the surface yet harboring a thousand hidden schemes?’

‘What is the point?’

‘Where has the most fundamental trust between people gone? Can we still truly open our hearts and be honest with one another?’

‘What? You’re saying *he* is one of those people too?’

‘Oh, never mind then.’

Nomnom led Yalin to the door of the room, then gracefully bowed.

“Please enter. The Young Lady is inside. I shall go prepare your afternoon tea. Mr. Yalin, is there anything specific you would like to drink?”

“A simple black tea will suffice.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

As Nomnom turned to depart, her foot slipped, causing her to nearly stumble and fall.

After finally regaining her balance, she offered Yalin an apologetic smile before scurrying down the stairs in a flurry.

Feigning ignorance, Yalin pushed the door open and stepped into the room, where he found Luluti’s petite figure facing him directly.

She remained as fond of her desk as ever, stubbornly refusing the available chair in favor of perching atop the tabletop, her two slender, pale legs crossed daintily.

He surmised she preferred the elevated position on the desk, allowing her to better look down upon others.

“Hey, what was that commotion outside just now? Why was it so loud?”

Luluti, her arms crossed, questioned him with a haughty air.

“It was nothing significant,” Yalin explained earnestly. “Miss Nomnom merely slipped, but rest assured, she didn’t actually fall.”

“Hmph, that idiotic cat! Utterly useless, she is!”

Luluti scoffed, a cold sound, and then hopped down from the desk.

Such was the young lady’s nature. Yalin offered no further words, merely a slight smile, and settled into a chair beside Luluti.

“Alright, then, shall we commence our lesson?”

To his surprise, Luluti merely turned her head aside, her two cat ears twitching and standing erect.

“No class today!”

“Young Lady… are you jesting?”

“Hah? When have I ever jested? Regardless, I am in a foul mood, so there will be no class today!”

Yalin’s expression shifted to one of utter bewilderment.

This was unexpected. While Luluti’s temper was typically far from pleasant, she usually attended her scheduled lessons without complaint. Why, then, was she suddenly acting so petulantly today?

‘While her attendance was ultimately her prerogative, if he couldn’t demonstrate any teaching progress, Yalin’s salary would undoubtedly be forfeited!’

‘Please, I understand you’re in a bad mood, but those of us at the bottom already endure enough hardship. Couldn’t you show a little consideration?’

There was no recourse but to try and placate her for now.

“This is truly distressing… why is your mood so terribly sour?”

Yalin pondered with a serious expression, then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he spoke.

“Could it be that my oversight in forgetting to help the Young Lady remove her socks upon entering has displeased you? That was indeed my negligence. Please, Young Lady, quickly extend your foot…”

“You, you utterly absurd fellow, what nonsense are you spouting!”

Luluti’s face instantly flushed crimson, and she sprang up like a startled kitten.

“It’s nothing of the sort! I’m telling you, you are to forget everything that happened that day immediately! If you dare to speak a word of it, I’ll make you regret it!”

She bared her mouth, revealing two sharp, pointed canines in a menacing display.

“Alright, I understand… So, what must I do to restore the Young Lady’s good humor?”

Yalin responded, his gaze clear and innocent.

As expected, Luluti found herself utterly helpless against his approach. She clicked her tongue, then sighed, seemingly exasperated by the bother.

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you the truth: I’ve already completed all of today’s material, so there’s no need for a lesson.”

“Is that truly so?”

Yalin’s eyes widened slightly in astonishment.

‘How could that be possible?’

‘Considering Luluti was prone to fainting from sheer revulsion at the mere sight of a grimoire, was he truly to believe she had self-studied?’

‘Was he experiencing a hallucination?’

“What, do you not believe me?”

“Er…”

Yalin remained silent, which only fueled Luluti’s indignation. She snatched a grimoire and a set of notes from the bookshelf, then flung them directly before him.

“See for yourself!”

Yalin opened the textbook. Just as Luluti had stated, the very sections meant for today’s lesson were already meticulously annotated, and all the accompanying practice problems designed for assessment had been completed with an impressively high degree of accuracy.

“Well, what do you say? Is this sufficient proof?”

“Remarkable. It appears the Young Lady has thoroughly mastered today’s material.”

Yalin closed the book, a look of paternal satisfaction gracing his features.

“To think the Young Lady possesses such fervor for magic! Could it be that you have finally begun to grasp its profound mysteries? In that case, without further ado, let us swiftly proceed to the next chapter…”

“Learn your foot!”

Luluti snatched a nearby plush toy and hurled it mercilessly towards Yalin’s head.

“Do you have any idea? To learn this wretched subject, I squandered an entire afternoon yesterday! And now you dare suggest I continue studying?”

“Is that indeed the case?”

Yalin retrieved the fallen plush toy and meticulously placed it upright on the table.

“But, why would the Young Lady go to such lengths?”

“Idiot! It’s precisely so I could free up my time today!”

Luluti stood with her hands on her hips, huffing indignantly.

“Listen closely! There will be no lesson today, but don’t even think about slacking off! For the remainder of the day, you shall accompany me shopping!”

“Shopping?”

Yalin felt a pang of bewilderment. Luluti, who lacked for nothing and wanted for naught, surely had no need to go shopping.

‘Could this merely be a sudden whim?’

“But, isn’t the Young Lady typically forbidden from leaving the mansion freely?”

“Hmph, staying cooped up at home day after day will surely bore me to death! As for how we shall get out, that is none of your concern; I have my own methods!”

Luluti offered a confident smile, and no sooner had her words faded than a gentle knock sounded at the room’s door.

“Young Lady, I’ve brought your afternoon tea!”