The corridor was quiet, sunlight spilling across the stone floor. Eran walked slowly, his lips curling faintly as the system's words lingered in his head.
Selene at 63% corruption. Miyu awakening desire. Step by step, they're falling.
He tightened his fist at his side. This world gave me a second chance. And I'll never be powerless again.
BUT THEN...
Click. Click.
The sound of heels echoed from behind.
Eran didn't turn. He already knew who it was.
Professor Selene's presence carried weight, even without words. Her emerald eyes burned into his back as she stopped a few paces away.
"You're… dangerous," she said finally.
Eran let silence linger before glancing over his shoulder. "Dangerous? I only try to learn, Professor."
Her lips pressed together. "You twist words. Yesterday Miyu Valerane, today you dare to speak to me as if—" She cut herself off, voice tightening. "You play a game you don't understand."
Eran smiled faintly, turning to face her fully. His eyes softened.. not defiant, not mocking, but warm. Almost tender.
"Then… teach me," he said quietly.
For a moment, Selene froze. The words weren't just cheeky. They held weight, sincerity, and a hint of longing.
[+12 Charm Points.]
Selene's defenses trembled.
Her fingers twitched at her side, nails biting into her palm.
Why do I feel this way? He's just a student. A commoner. Yet when he speaks
She drew in a sharp breath, masking her thoughts with ice. "Watch yourself. I won't be lenient forever."
She turned, sweeping past him. But as she did, the faint brush of her perfume lingered near his face. A cold, sharp fragrance… but beneath it, something faintly sweet.
Eran's lips curled. You're already cracking, Selene. And cracks always spread.
That Evening in the teacher's quarters, Selene sat at her desk, quill scratching against parchment. But her mind wasn't on her work. It drifted against her will to that boy's eyes. That smile. That insolent, yet gentle tone.
She slammed her quill down, frustrated. "Ridiculous."
But the more she told herself that, the sharper the memory became.
Then...
A knock.
"Professor Selene?"
Her heart skipped. She knew the voice instantly.
Him.
She opened the door sharply, prepared to scold him. But Eran stood there with a book in his hands, head slightly bowed.
"Forgive me for disturbing you," he said softly. "I… I couldn't understand part of today's lesson. Could you explain it again?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You should be studying, not bothering your teacher at this hour."
"I did study," he said quickly, lifting the book. His eyes met hers, steady and almost vulnerable. "But… no matter how much I read, I can't remember it as clearly as when you explain."
[System Trigger: Seduction Trap]
Feigned Helplessness. Selene's pride as a teacher activated.
Her chest tightened. She told herself she should send him away. But his words stroked her pride, disarmed her icy shell.
"…Ten minutes," she said finally, stepping aside.
He entered, hiding his smirk caught.
Selene began explaining, chalk in hand as she drew diagrams on her private slate. Eran sat close, listening intently, his gaze never leaving her.
But it wasn't her diagrams he was watching. It was the way her hair brushed her neck when she leaned forward. The way her gown clung when she bent slightly over the desk. The way her lips pursed when she paused mid-thought.
[+5 Charm Points. Desire Focused.]
At one point, his hand brushed hers as he reached for the book. A spark jolted through her.
She pulled back instantly, cheeks faintly pink. "Careful."
"…Sorry," he murmured, but his eyes lingered just a moment too long on hers.
Selene's throat tightened. She quickly turned back to the board.
What am I doing? He's a student. A boy. Yet why do I feel like I'm the one being tested?
Eran lowered his gaze, lips curving faintly.
Exactly. You're not teaching me, Selene. You're walking into my lesson.
The room was quiet except for the faint scratch of chalk against slate. Selene's handwriting was elegant, sharp lines and curves that matched her stern personality. She leaned slightly forward as she explained, her voice smooth yet firm.
"…and when resonance collapses, the caster experiences recoil along the mana threads. That is why stability matters."
Eran nodded slowly, his eyes on her face instead of the board. He let a silence fall, then asked softly, "Could you… show me again, Professor?"
She turned her head, emerald eyes narrowing. "You weren't listening?"
He lowered his gaze, letting a hint of shame creep into his voice. "I was. But when you say it, it feels clearer. I… don't want to disappoint you."
Her breath caught. Those words— don't want to disappoint you. struck deeper than she expected.
[+10 Charm Points.]
Selene's pride as mentor entangled with desire.
Selene adjusted her stance, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Very well. Watch closely."
She stepped nearer, lifting his hand without asking, guiding it along the diagram. Her skin was warm against his fingers. The contact was brief, professional, but Eran leaned just slightly into it, enough for the tension to thrum between them.
She froze for a fraction of a second.
His hand… warm. Too close. I should pull away. I should
She withdrew abruptly, stepping back. "There. Do you understand now?"
Eran looked up at her, voice soft. "…I do. Thank you."
For just a heartbeat, his gaze lingered — vulnerable, almost reverent.
Selene's chest tightened.
She turned quickly to the desk, gathering her chalk. "That is enough for tonight."
But as she moved, Eran spoke again, voice low, threaded with Whisper of Suggestion.
"Professor… I learn best when I'm near you."
Her body went still.
The words sank deep, bypassing reason, striking straight at pride and hidden loneliness. She clenched her fist.
"…You're insolent."
Eran smiled faintly. "Then punish me. Keep me after class more often."
Her eyes widened.
For a long moment, silence reigned. Only the soft rustle of curtains stirred the air.
Selene's heart pounded but she masked it with a cold glare. "Go. Now. Before I decide scrubbing the entire hall might teach you respect."
Eran stood, bowing slightly. "Of course."
He passed her slowly, the faint brush of his shoulder close enough to stir the fabric of her gown. Then he left, the door shutting softly behind him.
Selene remained still, her hand trembling slightly against the desk.
"…Dangerous," she whispered to herself, though her voice betrayed more than warning.
SYSTEM UPDATE!!
> Quest Progress: Selene the Ice Serpent – 72%.
Condition unlocked: Subtle Desire — target resists but secretly craves more contact.
As Eran walked down the quiet corridor, the corners of his lips lifted.
She thinks she's still in control. But every step, every touch, every word pulls her deeper into my game.
He clenched his fist.
Soon, Professor Selene. Very soon.
LATER~
The corridors of the academy lay in silence, long after the last torch had burned low. Behind a closed door, Selene's chambers glowed faintly with lamplight. The air smelled of parchment and ink, heavy with stillness.
Selene sat at her desk, posture rigid, quill poised above fresh parchment. The first line was already written neat, exact but the next word refused to come. The quill hovered, then lowered, scratching across the surface with sharp precision.
Halfway through the sentence, the nib snapped.
A thin tear ran across the page, ink blotting into the fibers like a wound. She paused, her fingers tightening around the broken quill before she laid it aside with deliberate care. Her face did not move, her emerald eyes calm as glass yet the silence pressed heavier now, like the room itself recognized the fracture.
She poured herself wine next, movements practiced, almost ceremonial. The liquid swirled into crystal, deep crimson catching the lamplight. She lifted it to her lips, but the stem wavered in her grip. A single drop slid free, striking her desk with a dull patter.
Her gaze lingered on the stain. Too long.
The firelight painted her profile as she stood and crossed the room, robes shifting with each controlled step. At the window, she drew the curtains wider, letting moonlight spill across the floor. She remained there, still as a statue, back straight, head high.
To any eye at the window, she was the Ice Serpent untouchable, flawless, carved from discipline and will.
But the desk behind her told the truth: a broken quill, a ruined page, a spreading red stain where her hand had faltered.
Minutes passed. She returned to her seat, replaced the parchment, and began again. Her strokes were steady, precise. No error touched the page this time. But each line carried the weight of correction — not of calm, but of force.
When the lamp at last burned low, Selene extinguished the flame and lay upon her bed. She lay perfectly still, as though carved in marble. Yet her eyes did not close, reflecting the faint light that slipped between the curtains.
And though her lips curves, the silence of the room whispered louder than words: mouthing a single word she would never allow herself to say aloud:
"…dangerous."
SYSTEM NOTICE!! (hidden from Selene)
Target Selene – Repression Detected.
Subconscious Desire Growing.
Quest Progress: 75%...