I'm Not the Mastermind-Chapter 57

For now, there was nothing she could do. She could only hope things worked out.

『So you’ve gone and done it again.』

Meanwhile, as Yujin walked down the hallway, he heard Tiamat’s voice.

Yujin simply shrugged.

“Well, there wasn’t much choice. If I hadn’t done anything, the Headmaster would’ve been the one forced into an uncomfortable position. I couldn’t let her get dragged into trouble just because of my antics.”

『But it’s fine to do that to Professor Reina?』

“To be honest, even I think I went too far this time.”

He did feel a bit guilty toward Reina. He hadn’t originally planned to scare her this much. It was just…

“Well, it’s still better than her feeling betrayed, isn’t it? According to the Headmaster, she’s been a loyal aide for a long time. If someone she deeply trusted suddenly started treating me, of all people, like a superior, what do you think that would do to her?”

『So why not just come clean now?』

“I doubt a few words would be enough to clear up the misunderstanding—unless I reveal that I’m a dragon.”

Perhaps it would have been easier to explain the truth to Reina, just as he had done with Ines.

Maybe he could use Dragon Speech to bind her to secrecy. But Yujin didn’t trust the idea of an all-powerful ability—he believed that no power was truly infallible.

Even if he sealed her lips, could he really be certain that no information would leak?

It was best to keep the number of people who knew about his true nature to an absolute minimum.

So far, only two people had been let in on the secret.

With Ines, there had been no choice—she was too powerful and influential to be left in the dark. If she had misunderstood him as a dark mage, it would have caused endless problems.

As for Mirien, he had left his identity ambiguous enough that she could only speculate.

Reina, however, was different. If he wanted to dispel her misunderstanding, revealing the truth would be the most straightforward method.

But Yujin had decided that his dragon identity should only be exposed in dire situations.

The fewer people who knew, the better.

Even Ines had become a problem.

Because she knew, she had instinctively treated him with reverence in front of Reina. And if even someone as composed as Ines had done that, what guarantee was there that Reina wouldn’t react the same way?

He had no intention of increasing the number of uncontrollable variables.

After all, he had just seen firsthand how his attempt to silence Ines had actually backfired, creating an even greater misunderstanding.

Still, he was aware that this situation needed to be handled soon.

What had started as a harmless prank was now spiraling into something far more insidious.

The problem was that, at this point, even if he tried to explain, Reina wouldn’t believe him.

She didn’t just think he was a dark mage—she now saw him as some grand puppeteer, manipulating even the Headmaster behind the scenes.

Of course, that was his own fault. He had no right to complain about how things had turned out.

But he also knew that simple excuses or clarifications wouldn’t be enough to fix this anymore.

Even demonstrating his use of mana instead of dark magic wouldn’t help.

Back when he had spoken in front of the professors, they had all seen him manipulate mana openly.

And yet, despite witnessing that, Reina had still concluded that he was merely an exceptionally well-disguised dark mage.

So at this point, even if he displayed the mana within his body, it wouldn’t change anything.

‘Well, it can’t be helped.’

This time, he had deliberately painted himself as a villain to divert attention away from the Headmaster.

But if he kept this up, he might actually become irredeemable.

『So what do you plan to do?』

“I’ll have to shift the narrative. The villainous image is already set in stone—if I can’t erase it, I might as well use it.”

『And how exactly do you plan to do that?』

Yujin thought for a moment before answering.

“If I had to put it into words… I’ll act like a necessary evil.”

『A necessary evil?』

“Yes. Not just some villain who enjoys watching the world burn, but someone with a cause—a reactionary figure with a purpose.”

『Hmm…』

“That way, I can slowly dismantle the villain frame over time. If I manage the situation carefully, I can resolve this without much issue.”

Tiamat studied him with an unreadable expression before asking,

『A necessary evil… Do you really think that’s the best option?』

“I don’t know if it’s the best, but if I want to clear Professor Reina’s misunderstanding, I’ll need time. And in the meantime… this role is the most efficient.”

『Efficiency isn’t always the right answer. Perhaps sincerity would be a better approach? Like how you were with me, or that princess.』

“Haha, I don’t know about that. I don’t think I have that kind of relationship with Professor Reina.”

Besides, if he suddenly turned around and said, “Oh, that was all a joke. Let’s be honest with each other now,” wouldn’t that just make him look like a hypocrite?

Smirking wryly, Yujin shrugged.

“In that case, maybe it’s better for me to just remain the bad guy in her eyes. Like I said, I brought this on myself—I have no intention of complaining about it.”

『……』

Tiamat fell silent for a moment, gazing at him thoughtfully.

Then, she finally spoke.

『Yujin, I’ve thought this for a long time, but… I feel like I need to say it now.』

“Go ahead, Tia.”

『The way you interact with people… it’s surprisingly childish.』

“……”

『You’re honest with those you consider close, or those you deem worth helping. But with everyone else, you either hide your true thoughts or deflect with jokes.

To me, your ‘pranks’ seem like a way to control distance in your relationships.』

Yujin remained silent, simply listening to her words.

『To be honest, right now, you seem… very young.』

“……”

Yujin didn’t respond immediately.

Then, after a brief pause, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

“I suppose that just proves I still have a lot of growing up to do.”

『…Yujin, do you remember what you once told me about your parents’ last words?』

“……”

『"Always hide your true feelings. Be an adult." …That was what they said, wasn’t it? But to me, it feels more like a shackle around your neck. Unless it’s someone like me or that princess, you never truly let anyone in. Do you remember what happened with Professor Reina?"』

Yujin did remember.

Reina had sincerely apologized for suspecting him of being a dark mage and investigating him behind his back.

And how had he responded?

『You brushed it off with a cruel joke. Thinking about it now, that didn’t seem like simple amusement.』

As Tiamat spoke, Yujin suddenly recalled Reina’s expression at that moment.

The way she had earnestly lowered her head, offering a heartfelt apology.

And the way he had casually dismissed it, making light of the whole situation.

‘…Why did I react like that back then?’

A quiet sigh escaped him.

Had it really just been a joke?

Now that he looked back on it, he wasn’t so sure.

At the time, he had convinced himself it was just part of his usual mischievous nature.

Like the harmless pranks he used to play on the kids who bullied him in middle school.

Like the tricks he used to keep people at a distance in the guild.

But now that he was hearing it from someone else, a different thought took root.

"Be an adult."

His parents’ last words.

He had carried the weight of those words for a long time.

To be an adult meant suppressing emotions, meeting expectations, and never revealing too much of himself.

His parents had lived by that principle—and died by it, too.

So he had done the same.

But now, listening to Tiamat, he couldn’t help but question whether that truly made him an adult.

Or had he simply been behaving like a selfish child all along?

He only showed his emotions when he wanted to.

And when he didn’t, he hid behind humor and deception.

Thinking about it now, it was nothing more than childish behavior.

Completely self-indulgent.

“…You’re right, Tia.”

Yujin let out a bitter chuckle. For the first time, he found himself thinking that she might be more mature than he was.

“Looking back, I never even understood what it meant to be an adult. I’ve always acted like a selfish child… It’s embarrassing.”

『I’m not trying to scold you. I just want you to understand—being an adult means accepting yourself as you are.』

“Accept myself…?”

Yujin scoffed lightly.

“That’s not easy.”

『……』

“I know what kind of person I am. But accepting it? That’s something else entirely. To be honest, I don’t even feel like I’m myself most of the time.”

He let out a soft, almost amused breath.

“I mean, I talk to myself like I’m a stranger. Even my internal monologues are in formal speech. How am I supposed to accept myself when I don’t even feel like I am myself?”

Tiamat silently watched him for a moment before offering a gentle smile.

『Even if you feel like a stranger to yourself… you are still the one who has watched over yourself the longest.

That sense of unfamiliarity—it’s part of you, too. Maybe the reason you feel like a stranger is because you’ve been observing yourself all this time.』

Yujin fell into a momentary silence, his gaze drifting toward the window.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.

“…Maybe. But it’s not a comforting thought. It just feels like I’m stuck living with someone I don’t recognize.”

Tiamat nodded as if she understood.

『I see. It’s like when pain lasts so long that it stops feeling like pain anymore.

At some point, you start questioning whether that suffering is even part of you.』

She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice gentle.

『But Yujin, even in that pain—you survived.

No matter how much of a stranger you feel like, you were still the one who endured it. You were the one who kept yourself alive.』

“…So you’re saying the me that survived… is me?”

He let out a small laugh but shook his head.

“That doesn’t mean I like myself any better.

Surviving doesn’t mean I feel like I’m living.”

Tiamat’s translucent form shifted as she stepped in front of him.

She reached out, her fingertips grazing his cheek.

Even though she had no physical body, as always, her touch was warm.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

『Yujin, you don’t have to love yourself in order to keep living.

Sometimes, just surviving is enough.

Being an adult isn’t about forcing yourself to love who you are—it’s about acknowledging yourself as you are, even with all your imperfections.』

“…Is that so.”

Yujin let out a bitter chuckle.

“It still sounds difficult.

For someone as immature as me, it’s not something I can accept just yet.

Maybe I just don’t want to accept it.”

He exhaled slowly, as if admitting something he hadn’t before.

“But… that doesn’t mean I want to lose myself, either.

I’m not ready for this journey to end.”

『That’s enough.』

Tiamat smiled, nodding at him.

There was no judgment in her gaze. No impatience.

Only quiet understanding.

『Whether you’re lost, or whether you find your way—you are still you.

And I will always be by your side.』

Yujin remained silent for a long moment, warmth spreading in his chest at her words.

Slowly, he nodded and offered a small, quiet smile.

“…Thank you, Tia.”

A comfortable silence followed, the weight of their conversation settling around them.

But then—

『…By the way, Yujin.』

Tiamat’s voice was still soft, but now there was a faint sharpness beneath it.

『Since you’re feeling so grateful right now… don’t you think you owe me an explanation about that princess?』

“…Huh?”

Yujin blinked.

For a brief moment, he swore he could hear the temperature in the air drop.

『I normally don’t interfere in your personal relationships. But you and I, Yujin, are bound by soul, aren’t we?』

“…That’s… true.”

Back when they formed their contract, she had explicitly clarified that it was metaphorical, not an actual marriage.

But even Yujin—no matter how dense he could be—wasn’t foolish enough to mention that right now.

So he simply nodded.

『And yet, you’re just going to accept her emotional dependency?』

“…Well, the situation was kind of unavoidable…”

Yujin trailed off, forcing a laugh.

It sounded very, very unconvincing.

『So your solution is to just accept her attachment?』

“……”

Yujin opened his mouth but failed to find a response.

In the end, he just smiled awkwardly.

“…Tia, it was just a misunderstanding. I was only trying to help her find some stability—”

『A misunderstanding, was it?』

Tiamat’s lips curled up slightly.

It was the kind of smile that said, Go on. Keep talking. I’m curious to see how far you’ll dig yourself into this hole.

“…Yes! A complete misunderstanding. Emotionally, I was… um… neutral. Completely neutral.”

『Neutral?』

Tiamat let out a quiet chuckle.

『Then why did a neutral person promise to take responsibility? That’s quite interesting.』

“…That’s because…”

Yujin scrambled to find an excuse.

“…When I said responsibility, I meant purely in a psychological sense. A very platonic responsibility!”

『Yujin.』

Tiamat’s voice was gentle—but unmistakably cold.

『Do you really think I’m buying that?』

“…Ha, haha… No, of course not…”

Yujin’s smile twitched as he realized—

There was no escaping this conversation.