Chapter 119

After the dazzling evening banquet came to an end, she went back to the dormitory room with her roommate and started unpacking.

Maria’s roommate was Princess Albrecht. Of course, it wasn’t intentional. It was simply due to the academy’s long-standing tradition of pairing roommates by dice rolls.

“Uh… Your Highness Albrecht, if I stumble a little, you don’t have to worry about me. I do that often.”

“Pointless?”

“Well, I mean… You don’t need to grab me or anything. I’m fine, really…”

“…Since you say so. Very well.”

Albrecht was a rather taciturn person. The faint dark circles under her eyes only deepened her quiet demeanor.

If an ordinary student were paired with a saintess as a roommate, they’d either be extremely nervous or overly excited, trying to start conversations constantly. Maria had experienced such hospitality many times before.

But Albrecht was different. Her silence made Maria take the initiative in speaking more often. Even then, their conversations weren’t exactly warm or awkward-free.

‘Ugh… She’s difficult.’

Feeling uncomfortable with the awkwardness, Maria turned her attention to unpacking her things. In the middle of it, a certain boy popped into her mind.

‘Evans is surprisingly easy to be around… Completely opposite from her. Ah, right!’

Maria quickly pulled out a notebook from her pocket. Checking the clock, it was 7:50 PM—she had ten minutes left with this personality.

Sitting on the chair, Maria placed a sheet of paper on her desk and began writing. This was her longstanding habit: every night at 8 PM, another personality would awaken, so she wrote notes to inform them about the day’s events and important reminders. It was their efficient way of communicating despite never being able to talk directly.

‘First off, I’ve successfully enrolled in Eden Academy… I’m sharing a room with Princess Albrecht. Got assigned to A Class without any issues. And… now I finally have my first friend. Someone closer to my age, not like the priest grandpas or nun sisters. His name is Evans Grant—he’s really cheerful and has great charisma. Though I don’t know much yet, is it normal for friends to pinch each other’s butts? Especially if they’re the opposite gender?’

Summarizing a whole day within ten minutes isn’t easy. For Maria, who was eighteen years old, it was routine, but today had been particularly eventful, leaving her pressed for time.

Tick-tock.

While furiously scribbling away, the clock struck eight o’clock. For a moment, Maria’s bright white eyes blanked out.

***

As much as I want to barge into Maria’s dorm room right now, the problem is I don’t know where it is. But I still have a trick up my sleeve.

The cool night air brushes against my cheeks as I move silently along the walls, feeling like a thief. Alright, from now on, I’m a thief. The rebellious thief of Eden Academy.

I’m heading to the main building, where the classrooms and principal’s office are located. Why am I going there instead of straight to Maria?

Well, she’ll definitely be “there.” Waiting for me. Of course, I mean the nighttime version of Maria.

“During the day, I’ll be young me, but at night, I’ll be this one.”

Maria switches personalities at 8 PM, according to what she said.

“Please don’t forget, come see me in the year 701 of the Empire Calendar. At Eden Academy’s reading club.”

Additionally, Maria invited me to the reading club. She probably genuinely hoped we’d meet there when she said it… but wise Maria must’ve known Joker doesn’t have much patience.

Like a prowling cat, I wandered through the darkness toward the main building. Guards carrying flashlights patrolled the area, but getting caught by them wouldn’t make me a professional thief.

The hallways of the main building have CCTV cameras like the dorms. But every CCTV system has blind spots.

Blind spots are a thief’s home. They provide precious stepping stones. Carefully placing my feet, I stepped into the shadows and moved forward confidently.

My destination is the library. Of course, since I’m new here, I don’t even know where the library is. Guess I’ll just follow my instincts.

Typically, libraries are placed where students can easily access them. Even in this increasingly industrialized world, where information can be found through rectangular computer screens, the dusty charm of books remains irreplaceable.

The main building has three floors, one for each grade. If the library exists somewhere, it’s most likely on the second floor—the easiest place for all grades to reach.

Making that assumption, I explored the second floor. Luckily, the library was indeed at the far end of the corridor.

Though security guards with flashlights occasionally passed by, forcing me to hide, brighter light means deeper shadows. Using the shadows as cover, I reached the library entrance.

Phew… I let out a sigh involuntarily. I’ve never thought of myself as having a chicken chest, but my heart pounds and my chest feels heavy.

Behind this door is the saintess. The same saintess who spent seven nights with me in the Babel Tower five hundred years ago. She’s waiting for me.

Seven days that changed Oscar Lucifer’s fate. During that time, I learned emotions I couldn’t fully understand but came to admire.

That fascination lasted five centuries. What felt like a fleeting dream became an obsession. Like a junkie chasing an unattainable high, I followed her trail to this point.

Click.

I grabbed the iron door handle. Cold. So unlike my burning head.

Creak.

Pulling the handle, the dark interior of the library revealed a figure sitting on a chair.

“Aaah…”

A grin spread across my face. My ears felt blocked, and no words came out except laughter.

“Hahaha!”

I walked steadily. Right now, I don’t care about CCTV or anything. Overwhelming excitement fills my throat.

As my eyes adjusted to the dark, the figure’s outline became clearer.

Eyes, nose, mouth, ears. Seven facial features came into view. Pure, neat, beautiful, and elegant.

The figure’s lips curved slightly—not too much, just enough.

I’d seen smiles from daytime Maria multiple times; they were endlessly pure, innocent, and adorable. But this serene smile in front of me was qualitatively different.

“Saintess.”

With those short words, I moved closer. The figure remained motionless.

But the tangible tremor in the air, the soft breaths brushing against my skin, confirmed this wasn’t an illusion.

“It’s been a long time.”

And the voice, clear as a mountain stream, piercing my ears.

“Joker.”

Her steady, calm gaze meeting mine.

“Yeah, it’s been a long time. Truly.”

Everything about Maria lifts the corners of my mouth.

“How have you been?”

“No, I haven’t been well without you. No communication.”

“Oh? That’s fortunate.”

“What’s fortunate? I just said I haven’t been doing well.”

“You will from now on.”

A clear statement. I didn’t bother to pry into its obvious meaning.

Instead, I leaned forward, collapsing toward her open arms.

Thud.

The delicate body nestled into my embrace. After five hundred years of indirect contact through a black cross, her body is finally here in my arms.

Her warm body temperature seeped into me. The longer it did, the tighter I held her.

“It hurts, Joker.”

“It’s fine, you won’t die.”

“Hmph… Were you truly that desperate for me?”

“You kept nagging me about delayed communication, yet now you’re teasing me? Shall we revisit some old memories?”

“It’s said there’s nothing more enjoyable than reminiscing about past experiences with your lover.”

“Man, I’m articulate, but I can’t win against you, Saintess.”

From ear to mouth, from mouth to ear.

Words flowed naturally between us. The tingling sensation in my left cheek from touching Maria’s right cheek tickled pleasantly.

“Were you reading?”

“Yes, nothing beats reading to pass the time.”

“What were you reading?”

“A book about love between men and women… I found it in the archives. Would you like to read it together?”

“Mmm, aren’t you familiar with books?”

“Not now. I just want to stay like this a bit longer.”

“You sound like you’re throwing a tantrum. Like a child.”

“Forget it already? I’m technically a kid. An 18-year-old academy student. You’re not a spinster anymore, so act a bit childish, will you?”

I raised my hand and gently pulled Maria’s hair toward me. She didn’t resist.

“Does this scene appear in that novel?”

“Is there a romance novel where lovers don’t hug?”

“No, I mean the part where two people reunite after waiting five hundred years.”

“…”

“Keh keh, guess not. There wouldn’t be.”

Slowly letting go of the hug, I sat beside her. Experience-based action.

Though this is the first time I, as Oscar, have truly loved someone, it’s not like I’ve never dated or used women under various identities.

Holding someone too long can make them feel uncomfortable. Greed is the demon’s basic desire, but I suppress it for now.

Amazing. A jester like me actually suppressing desires out of genuine affection.

“Maria’s a model student, right? Is it okay to wander around a restricted area this late with a male student?”

“If it’s for evangelization as an apostle of caution, wouldn’t it be forgivable?”

“Evangelization? Are you saying this isn’t driven by personal feelings?”

“People call this ‘killing two birds with one stone.’ Doing evangelization and dating at the same time.”

“Killing two birds with one stone by breaking rules too?”

“…It’s because of you, Joker. I used to be a rule-abiding student, but now I’ve become someone who breaks them.”

“HAHAHA! Real sinners would laugh at how ridiculous this situation is!”

Even though I want to keep talking for every minute and second, there’s something I need to do first. I pointed a finger at the library door I’d left open upon entering.

Purple magic power swirled at my fingertips. An invisible hand called telekinesis closed the library door.

Clunk.

The night at Eden Academy is long. Let’s slowly savor it, bite by bite.

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