Cornelia's Chance Encounter Evening (Two-in-One)

Clay went missing a few days ago.

Ikatinos was already worried about her teacher.

Previously, when Clay was not in sight or when Clay was not in view.

When a teacher encounters the emotionally unstable Ice Princess, the probability of triggering a cataclysmic event is 100%.

Before the appearance of the Ice Princess.

The probability of things not going as planned when a teacher encounters Clay is 100%.

But Ikatinos had no choice.

Because, as her teacher once said, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. Even though she still has room to maneuver, she worries that she might inadvertently send her teacher to his death.

All I can do is pray for my teacher in advance.

May the Goddess bless me.

Considering how devout the teacher was.

"By the way, if the teacher is coming back, is your wedding coming up soon?"

"Ikatinos suddenly asked."

Dekan and Cornelia, who got engaged a year ago, seem to have maintained the same relationship since.

They remained like playmates from beginning to end, not even really like lovers.

Later, due to the threats from the Ninth-Order Shadow World and the Chaos God Realm, their wedding was repeatedly postponed.

Until now.

All obstacles that could threaten their peaceful lives have been removed.

The mission that began with Delois has now come to an end.

There's one last major life event left.

That was his wedding with Cornelia.

"Um..."

Cornelia lowered her head and aimlessly poked at the melting ice cream with her small spoon, then popped it into her mouth along with the strawberry jam. After a while, she tasted the sweet and sour flavor, along with the crunchy texture of the seeds.

Since her engagement, she had been looking forward to her wedding with a mix of joy and a little fear.

She didn't know if she could be a good bride.

I have no idea what will become of my relationship with Dekan.

Whenever she is teased about her wedding, she becomes so shy that she doesn't know what to do.

"Don't worry Cornelia! I've got a lot of business under my belt now, and I'll definitely plan the most amazing wedding for you!"

Ikatinos, who learns everything quickly, has now mastered not only organizing large-scale events such as concerts, but also weddings, which are a breeze for her.

"Then I'll have to leave it to you..."

The girl smiled shyly, her head bowed, seemingly trying to hide her anticipation and unease.

After the wedding, they should leave the Royal Capital together.

Go to the agreed-upon the Vihart Kingdom and begin a brand new life.

She may be ready, or she may not be ready at all, how to be a good wife.

"As my teacher said, the future is always unpredictable, so there's no need to overthink it. Living a more relaxed and enjoyable life in the present is the best choice."

Ikatinos seemed to understand Cornelia, and patted her on the shoulder, saying...

"You're about to go to class, right? Let's talk again tomorrow!"

"Okay, sure."

Cornelia nodded.

After briefly saying goodbye to Ikatinos and Tata, he continued walking towards the Havenlit Academy.

Actually, the timeframe is neither rushed nor slow.

She had walked this road countless times.

I've walked this path with Dekan, and I've walked it alone.

I can almost perfectly predict how many minutes it will take me to walk back to school.

She stopped in a square and looked around.

In the square, people were scattered about, buying and selling, chatting, or resting.

She didn't stop, but kept walking, looking ahead without saying a word.

She walked past the tall church and the library with its carved stone pillars, finally arriving at the main gate located on the north side of the Havenlit Academy. After showing her staff ID, Cornelia entered the campus.

A huge pond, fountain, and flowerbeds extend from the entrance all the way to the school building.

She quickly arrived at her classroom after passing through the school building.

In this 1-A classroom, she used to always sit in the back row with Dekan.

Even though she and Dekan were both listening attentively to the lecture, Professor Arnold would always glance at them from time to time.

Now, the students in the classroom are completely different, and she is standing in the place where Professor Arnold originally stood.

She had worried about her academic subjects when she first enrolled in school, and she never imagined that one day she would become a teacher of academic subjects here.

So Ikatinos is right, there's no need to think too much about the future.

Just start now.

After class, as I walked out of the school building, the sky was still a clear blue, and the bright sunlight was shining through the gaps in the dense leaves, forming beams of light of varying thickness, illuminating the shady grove of trees that swayed like a light veil.

After walking in the familiar direction for a while, we arrived at the back hill of the Havenlit Academy.

Compared to a mountain, this place is more like a rolling hillside.

The vegetation is much denser than in other places, and it gleams with bright colors and has a light, peculiar fragrance under the sunlight.

Because there are relatively few trees, the scenery in this area can be clearly seen from a distance.

Besides a tall, towering tree, a charming little wooden house stands out.

This is Cornelia's home now.

She pushed open the old wooden door and went inside.

A fresh fragrance filled the room, carried by a gentle breeze that caressed her face.

Looking out the window, it seemed as if the entire back hill was her exquisite courtyard. She lay on the table, admiring the beauty of the flowers and trees.

The birds hopped about on the branches, chirping merrily, which brought her peace and tranquility.

Cornelia listened to the sounds of nature and enjoyed the tranquility.

If you kill time like this, the day will pass by quickly.

She thought to herself.

I don't know how much time passed.

Chirp, chirp.

Cornelia opened her eyes from her drowsy sleep, listening to the soft chirping of birds.

"Hmm..."

She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and tilted her head back slightly. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, she saw a crimson sunset.

"He actually fell asleep under the tree."

The touch on my back is that of that all-too-familiar ancient tree.

She thought that if she stayed at home, he might not be able to tell whether she was there or not when he came back.

So she went outside to wait for him.

I don't know why, but I have a feeling he'll come back today.

But judging from the sky, it's highly unlikely we'll see him today.

She took a deep breath, seemingly savoring the fresh air and trying to clear her still slightly drowsy mind.

As the sun was about to set, its afterglow gradually painted the sky red, like a pink ribbon unfurling across the horizon.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the clouds in the sky took on peculiar shapes, some resembling sheep, others boats, and still others people, as if enacting a mysterious celestial theater.

Everything on the ground was bathed in a warm and soft light, and the outlines of the grass and trees were clearly visible. It was as if the colors were affectionate, telling people about nature's beauty on its behalf.

As the sun gradually sets, the colors in the sky deepen, from pale red to orange, then to deep yellow, and finally to dark blue, as night quietly falls.

At this moment, the stars in the sky twinkled, like bright pearls adorning the black sky, dazzling and awe-inspiring.

In the distance came the sounds of the night: the chirping of nightingales, the croaking of frogs, and the chirping of insects, as if offering a beautiful symphony for the coming of night.

Cornelia sat under the big tree, hugging her knees and watching the sky change color.

Although she wouldn't catch a cold from the temperature difference between day and night, she could still feel cold.

She sat there motionless, stunned.

As the lights gradually came on, a long shadow stretched out, casting a solitary and lonely figure.

Like a child who gets so engrossed in playing that they don't realize their friends have all gone home, leaving them all alone.

Until the starlight became a little brighter.

Or perhaps this night sky was originally the clock of the gods.

It never tells people the exact time.

But it will let people know that it's a little too late.

Tomorrow is a little closer now.

The girl felt the coolness brought by the breeze.

Suddenly, as if a scout had detected movement, she heard faint footsteps.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Looking into the distance, she saw a gray kitten slowly walking towards her.

The kitten's light gray fur was soft and smooth. Under the night sky, its lapis lazuli-like eyes were clear and bright, as if they could speak. Bathed in moonlight, it seemed like a fairy woven from starlight, beautiful and mysterious.

"Little Gray..."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise, as if she had never seen such an adorable little animal before, and she stood up in astonishment.

The kitten sensed the girl's gaze, stopped walking, and looked at her.

The girl's heart stirred, and she got up and ran towards the kitten.

Until she came up to the gray cat.

Looking at it, I hesitated to take another step closer.

She seemed afraid that she was still dreaming, and that everything before her was just her imagination.

The evening breeze, accompanied by a rustling sound, blew between her and it.

The first time she saw this gray cat on this hill behind the mountain, under this tree, she still can't forget how she felt that day.

That's indescribable.

Just like...

Happiness doesn't come repeatedly like nights when stars fall and dazzling mornings.

But like then, and now.

I want to express all the feelings I have called happiness.

"Meow..."

The gray cat meowed.

Its voice was filled with helplessness.

It seemed as if it were subject to an irresistible constraint.

But Cornelia quickly understood what it meant.

It seems to be saying: This is the punishment for losing a bet to the Cat Teacher.

The ending of that "Midair Piano Murder Incident".

Dekan, having lost the bet, must follow the Cat Teacher's instructions and "transform into Little Gray and spend a whole day experiencing cat life in the back mountains of the Havenlit Academy, only allowed to meow and not to speak human language!"

Considering Dekan's busy schedule and the threat from the Chaos God Realm.

Out of consideration for the bigger picture, Cat Teacher did not ask Dekan to cash out his bets immediately, thus wasting Dekan's precious day.

But correspondingly.

Before Dekan set off for the Chaos God Realm, Cat Teacher told him that he had to honor his bet on the Royal Capital first day he returned to Norton!

Dekan, who has an absolute sense of contractual obligation, naturally completed the task as requested by Cat Teacher.

If you can afford to play, you can also afford to lose.

"Have you been Gag, Little Gray?"

"Meow..."

Cornelia couldn't help but laugh at the gray cat's comical, speechless expression.

It's just like a house cat.

She quickly pinched her cheeks again, partly to stop herself from laughing in a potentially impolite way, and partly to confirm whether this was a dream.

Even now, it still feels like a dream.

It seems like all my wishes have come true today.

She couldn't help but have doubts.

Could this be a wild Sprite Cat?

It was just a hallucination caused by missing him so much.

After all, a wild Sprite Cat would probably be unable to speak human language.

Cornelia thought for a moment, then pointed to the area above and behind the gray cat's head and said:

"Look, Cat Teacher is in the sky."

The gray cat then tilted its head back and looked up at the night sky.

It tilted its head back and circled around several times, but couldn't see Cat Teacher anywhere.

"Meow?"

Wait a minute, how could Cat Teacher be in the sky?

When it realized it had been tricked, it found itself being picked up by Cornelia.

"Unconditional trust...?"

The girl lowered her head slightly, her eyes half-closed, soft strands of hair brushing against her cheek. She kissed it, then a slight sly smile appeared on her lips.

The cat had barely reacted when it froze again.

"As expected of my Little Gray, she's so easy to fool."

She murmured, a sweet and innocent smile on her face.