Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 328: The Parallel Lines of Friendship (2)

Sedina stood hesitantly in front of Julia.

As Sedina fumbled, unsure of what to say, Julia let out a small sigh.

“Answer me. Why didn’t you keep your promise that day?”

“......”

Sedina pressed her lips together in silence.

Of course she remembered the promise Julia was talking about.

Back when they were children, Sedina and Julia had been close friends.

Julia, who had shown extraordinary talent for magic even at a young age, was one of the students sponsored by the Roschen family.

Because of that, Julia often visited the Roschen estate, and since Sedina was the only one there of her age, it was only natural they grew close.

Even back then, Julia was hailed as a genius without peer.

Adults unanimously praised her and held her abilities in the highest regard.

As a result, Julia found most kids her age dull and uninteresting.

But Sedina was different.

She was... strange in a way.

Always smiling brightly, exuding a gentle atmosphere that drew people in without even trying.

Watching her play among the plants, one couldn’t help but feel like they were glimpsing a fairy from a storybook.

The proud and lofty Julia had been captivated by Sedina without even realizing it.

That’s how the two became close, enjoying each other’s company with genuine joy.

But their friendship didn’t last long.

The turning point came when Sedina’s mother passed away.

That changed everything.

Sedina began to avoid Julia. She chose solitude.

She shut herself in her room and refused to meet with anyone—not even Julia.

Julia was devastated.

She’d heard from the servants that Sedina wasn’t meeting anyone in the household.

But still—she believed that at the very least, she would be allowed in. That their friendship meant something.

But even that was denied.

Julia felt deeply betrayed by Sedina’s rejection.

Anyone else might have given up in frustration.

But not Julia.

—Who gave you permission to stop seeing me?

Julia had always been called a genius, with a will and pride stronger than anyone’s.

Things others could easily let go of, Julia simply couldn’t abandon—her pride wouldn’t allow it.

But Sedina, like a frightened rabbit, kept burrowing deeper, hiding from Julia.

Even when Julia entered the Tower of Illusions at the Mage Tower, Sedina never came to see her.

Julia understood Sedina... intellectually.

She had lost the person she trusted and loved the most—her mother. It must have felt like being left alone in the world.

Even if she had a friend, it couldn’t fill that gaping absence of family.

Julia knew that feeling too.

She too had once felt like she was the only one in the world.

Geniuses were lonely.

Everyone praised them and held them up, but no one could ease the emptiness inside.

That’s why Julia had been drawn to Sedina—someone as special and rare as herself.

At the very least... she had hoped Sedina would be honest with her.

If only she had asked for help, Julia would have done whatever she could.

Sedina was the first—and only—friend Julia had ever made.

And for a genius girl who was made of pride and independence, that first friendship had meant everything.

Which is why the pain of being pushed away had been devastating.

Even now, after all this time, Julia hadn’t let go.

“Answer me.”

“......”

Sedina couldn’t utter a single excuse.

She had felt guilty toward Julia for years.

A beautiful, talented girl who had cared about her deeply.

Someone far too good for someone like Sedina—who had always been timid and afraid.

But the days when they had laughed together were long gone.

Sedina knew she could never return to that time.

She hated her family. That hatred had driven her to join the Black Dawn Society, where she took on countless dirty tasks.

She had seen the darkness of the world—and stepped into it with her own feet.

She was no longer the pure daughter of House Roschen.

And so, she couldn’t face Julia as a friend anymore.

The girl you knew... doesn’t exist anymore.

I’m no longer that innocent Sedina.

But those words never left her lips—they echoed hollowly in her heart.

She didn’t have the courage to say them.

She was still the same coward she had always been.

So she kept ignoring and running away.

Secretly hoping that Julia would eventually give up on her and go away.

She knew. That by fleeing without explanation and yet still hoping things would resolve in her favor—

It was unbearably selfish.

But Julia hadn’t given up.

Even after entering Seorn, she had continued looking for chances to approach Sedina.

And Sedina wasn’t oblivious. She noticed.

But she ignored it anyway. Let it slide.

She told herself this kind of cold relationship was easier.

That all she had to do was keep pretending not to see.

At least, that’s what she thought—

Until now.

“Why?”

The moment Sedina met Julia’s eyes—filled with sorrow—she could no longer avoid the past she had been running from.

After agonizing over what to say, Sedina finally steeled herself and opened her mouth.

“...Why are you saying this now?”

“I’ve been watching you since the beginning of the semester. Of course, I didn’t ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) try to approach you then. You kept avoiding me. And... you looked like you were in a really bad place.”

Sedina couldn’t deny that.

Even after joining the Black Dawn Society, she had been drifting.

Despite her skills, she wasn’t trusted by the other members. She was constantly rejected and kept at arm’s length.

And the more that happened, the more she pushed herself—like someone consumed by obsession.

Because this was all she had left.

Even if the rope was rotten, she couldn’t let go.

“But then, at some point... I saw you brightening up again. Like you used to be. I think... it was when you became Professor Ludger Cherish’s assistant.”

She was right.

That had been the turning point for Sedina.

Her shift had begun the moment she met Ludger Cherish—whom she had initially believed to be a First Order of the Black Dawn.

“So what?”

“I’m sure Professor Ludger was a good influence on you. But Sedina, do you know? Professor Ludger Cherish... he’s dangerous.”

At those words, Sedina flinched.

She couldn’t guess why Julia was suddenly saying something like that.

Could it be... that Ludger’s true identity had been discovered?

But regardless of Sedina’s shock, Julia continued.

“Sedina. As you know, I can use dream magic. I can enter people’s dreams—observe them, even.”

“Wait... you didn’t... you didn’t spy on the professor’s dreams, did you?”

“I couldn’t at first. Professor Ludger didn’t have dreams. A man without dreams. Even within the School of Illusions, that’s an extremely rare condition. But one day... very faintly, I started to see traces of his dreams.”

Julia recalled that moment.

The barely-there thread of a dream she had glimpsed from Ludger.

It had begun after he returned from the Order Synod. A subtle, newfound connection to the dream world.

Even among her peers in the School of Illusions, few could have detected it.

But Julia’s talent had made it possible.

“The dream trace was faint and brief. But I didn’t miss it. I saw it.”

“Th-That’s... That’s wrong. That’s not right.”

Sedina thought it ironic that she was the one saying this.

After all, she had killed people.

And here she was, calling someone out for secretly looking into someone else’s dream.

Still, it was all she could say.

Julia didn’t try to justify herself.

Because she had no other way.

Even if it was wrong, she had to know what kind of person Ludger really was—the one who had changed Sedina so much.

For Sedina’s sake.

“It was only a glimpse. But I definitely saw it. ...Professor Ludger Cherish committing murder.”

Murder.

At that word, Sedina involuntarily swallowed hard.

Strangely enough, hearing that Ludger had killed someone didn’t come as a shock anymore.

As twisted as it was, she’d come to accept it as... natural.

But the important part wasn’t the act itself.

It was the fact that Julia had found out.

A secret no one must ever know.

W-What do I do?

Sedina panicked.

If Julia decided to, spreading this to others would be effortless.

Of course, not everyone would believe it...

Ludger’s reputation was formidable. Solid enough to withstand casual slander.

But Julia was the top first-year student—a rising star from the School of Illusions.

Her words carried weight.

If she started spreading rumors, someone would believe them.

And even if they didn’t, those who hated Ludger would jump at the chance to fan the flames.

Sedina knew that all too well.

There was no real chance that Ludger would be endangered just because of something like this.

But Sedina still couldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

‘I have to stop her. But how?’

Sedina had no valid justification to dissuade Julia.

If she pushed too hard, she would only make Julia more suspicious.

After a moment of deliberation, Sedina finally spoke.

“...What kind of incident was it?”

Her plan was to feign ignorance and gauge the extent of what Julia had discovered.

Julia’s expression brightened.

It was the first time Sedina had responded to her words with anything but silence.

“You know the student in Professor Ludger’s class named Rine, right?”

Sedina nodded.

Of course she remembered Rine.

She was one of the rare first-years with non-attributed mana and stood out even among commoners due to her beauty.

More than anything, Rine was someone Ludger clearly cared for.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she might be the student he cherished the most.

Sedina herself had even felt a twinge of jealousy at times.

But why was Julia suddenly bringing up Rine?

Perhaps reading the confusion in Sedina’s gaze, Julia continued her explanation.

“In the past, Rine met Professor Ludger before.”

“They met before?”

“Yes. A long time ago. When Rine was still a child. And Ludger was even younger than we are now.”

Julia said it was at least ten years ago.

She began recounting the dreamscape she had witnessed.

“Back then... Professor Ludger killed Rine’s mother.”

“......!”

Sedina’s eyes widened at the revelation—something she hadn’t known.

And suddenly, Ludger’s attitude toward Rine made sense.

The pieces clicked together in her mind.

‘The guilt he showed toward her... it was because of this.’

Still, there was one thing that didn’t add up.

“But Rine doesn’t seem to remember anything.”

“That’s natural. Her memories were sealed by someone. And there’s only one person who could do that.”

Ludger Cherish.

He had killed Rine’s mother and then sealed her memories.

“So Sedina. Quit being his assistant. Ludger is dangerous. He’s a murderer who hides his true identity.”

“That’s...”

“It’s fine if you think I’m lying. I understand. But I’m serious. I’m telling you this because I care about you. I don’t know how you feel about me, but I still think of you as a friend.”

“......”

Julia’s sincerity reached Sedina clearly.

And Sedina felt the same. She truly thought of Julia as a good friend.

Even so—

She couldn’t say anything.

She couldn’t tell her what she had gone through, what she had done over the past few years.

It wasn’t because she was afraid of being condemned or rejected.

If Julia were to find out, she would no doubt roll up her sleeves and try to help.

That was what scared Sedina.

She didn’t want to drag her friend into danger.

She was grateful to Julia.

Despite Sedina having broken their promise and pushed her away, Julia still cared for her.

She could have resented her—but she didn’t.

Which is exactly why Sedina knew they couldn’t go back to the way they were.

Not for her own sake—but for Julia’s.

The two of them couldn’t get close again.

“...I’m sorry.”

“Sedina!”

“But to me... Professor Ludger is someone I can’t replace.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?! That’s all a lie!”

“Julia. I understand why you’re saying that. But... there are good sides to Professor Ludger you don’t know about.”

That was all Sedina could say.

With things she had to keep hidden, she couldn’t lay everything bare.

“...So you’re not going to believe me?”

“This is between me and him.”

Sedina bit her lip and forced the next words out. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“...So it doesn’t concern you.”

The cruel meaning behind those words rang clear.

Julia’s wide-open eyes trembled.

Her expression twisted, caught between tears and rage.

Sedina couldn’t bear to look directly at her.

But she still stood firm, not turning away.

She could only hope Julia would finally give up.

Better for her to be hated than for Ludger to be endangered.

“...You...”

Julia opened her mouth to say something but shut it tight.

Her storm of emotions settled behind a perfect mask.

She became once again Julia Plumehart—top first-year at Seorn, the genius of the Mage Tower’s Illusion School.

“...Fine. I understand.”

She said only that—and then, with a cold gust, turned and walked away.

Sedina watched Julia’s retreating back, fists clenched.

Her chest felt like it was being crushed. She wanted to cry out an apology.

She wanted to apologize for ignoring her for years, for everything she had just done.

But she couldn’t.

Julia’s words lingered, gnawing at Sedina—but she had no other way.

‘Besides...’

The part about Ludger killing Rine’s mother—

It likely wasn’t a lie.

Julia had spoken with such genuine urgency; there was no way she was faking it.

And Julia wasn’t the kind of person to lie about something that could be so easily disproven.

If that was true, then Ludger really had...

‘Why... Why would he do something like that?’

There must have been a reason.

Sedina believed that.

Still, she was left torn, uncertain whether to tell Ludger about this or not.

* * *

Ludger stared intently at the silvery liquid before him.

At a glance, it looked like mercury melting at room temperature.

Compared to the other artifacts, which all had clear, solid forms, this one appeared insignificant—if not downright out of place.

But Ludger could tell.

This thing had no given form.

“I’ve been searching for a new weapon that wouldn’t attract attention... and here it is.”

He had found something truly remarkable.