Chapter 25

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The tears that had been welling up at the corners of my eyes, now pushed by my eyelids, rolled down, feeling scalding hot and wet.

The tears soaked the cheek that had been kissed.

Bastard. Damn brat.

Just die. I wish you would just die, you piece of shit!

The intense emotion of hatred churned inside me like a fierce wave.

After the fiery anger swept through, all that remained was emptiness.

My anger and tears were always powerless.

Knowing this, it took only a moment for my emotions to settle.

I slowly opened my eyes.

The feast that had been laid out on the table had vanished without a trace.

Only the sandwich rolling on the floor remained as evidence of his visit.

'I should clean this up first.'

I picked up the sandwich and put it in an envelope, then wiped the dirty floor with a damp cloth.

Fortunately, it wasn't a sandwich with sauce.

I changed my clothes, rubbed my tired eyes, and grabbed the spellbook that I had carelessly left on the vanity.

"Ah."

Only then did it occur to me that I could have used magic to clean up the mess.

I felt a bit disheartened.

I leaned back against the bed, propping a cushion behind me.

I dimmed the lamp to a level suitable for reading and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"This is the first day."

And what a tumultuous first day it was in Valhalla.

An overwhelming fatigue pressed down on my entire body.

I wanted to lie down and fall asleep, ignoring reality.

And when I opened my eyes, I wished this would all have been a dream.

"There's no way."

My muttering voice was surprisingly cynical, even to myself.

I let out a long breath.

As if spitting out the poison that had filled my insides.

Soon, the rustling of paper filled the silence.

What liberated me from reality on Earth was a game.

Here, magic played that role.

I was almost grateful for the punishment Professor Ilya had given me.

Because right now, I desperately wanted to forget reality.