Chapter 239: Teacher, Are You Scared?
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy after Flamme's hasty departure.
After slowly finishing the last bite of her steak, Serie looked up at Kurtz across from her, who looked somewhat helpless.
"What's wrong with her?" Serie asked, her tone flat, as if she was genuinely just puzzled by Flamme's sudden departure.
In her opinion, Flamme's emotional fluctuations were somewhat inexplicable, but for some reason she always felt they were related to herself and the man in front of her; she just didn't know exactly where the connection lay.
Flamme had concealed it cleverly; at least in Serie's eyes at the moment, she hadn't noticed anything amiss.
Kurtz rubbed his temples and sighed. "She probably has something on her mind."
He didn't elaborate. After all, it wasn't appropriate for him to reveal Flamme's secret feelings to Serie.
Serie frowned slightly, as if she wanted to ask something, but in the end she simply said, "It's up to you."
She stood up. "I'll head back now."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left the restaurant, leaving Kurtz alone at the table.
Kurtz sat alone in his seat, the image of Flamme's flustered departure lingering in his mind.
He was not oblivious; he had already noticed Flamme's unusual enthusiasm and almost undisguised admiration today, but he had not wanted to think about it in that way.
However, because of Serie's arrival, the thing he least wanted to see had still come true.
'Where did it all begin?'
'What did I do wrong?'
'But ultimately... I can't just leave it unattended.'
After paying the bill, he walked toward the lord's mansion.
However, she was not in her room. Left with no other choice, Kurtz could only take the same approach as Serie. With his wide-range detection magic, he easily located Flamme's magical fluctuations.
Standing in front of a restaurant, Kurtz hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to push the door open and go inside.
Inside, Flamme, who was having a meal with Frieren, heard the doorbell ring and instinctively looked toward the entrance, where she met Kurtz's gaze as he entered.
"It looks like she is indeed feeding Frieren," Kurtz said softly as he walked toward the two of them.
Flamme's heart tightened instantly, and she subconsciously turned her head to look at Frieren.
But her attempt to escape was futile. Kurtz stopped in front of her and then sat down with practiced ease.
"Teacher, what brings you here?" Flamme took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound normal.
"Just checking on you," Kurtz replied frankly.
"I'm fine! Teacher, have you misunderstood something?" She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
Kurtz understood as he looked at her deliberately evasive behavior.
He paused for a moment, then decided it was better to be clear about things. Even though it might make her more upset, a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one.
"Flamme," his voice was much more serious than usual, "shall we go for a walk? There are some things I'd like to talk to you about."
Flamme's heart sank.
She could almost guess what Kurtz was going to say; after all, she hadn't been able to hide it from him.
Her actions just now had been too obvious, and her teacher, not being an elf, would naturally notice that something was wrong.
A feeling of panic welled up inside her, but she nodded and followed Kurtz out.
The two found a quiet corner, away from the noisy crowd.
Kurtz stopped and turned to look at his disciple, who had been keeping her head down.
He organized his thoughts, trying to speak in a way that wouldn't hurt her: "Flamme, your magical talent is exceptional, and you will surely achieve extraordinary things in the future. As your teacher, I look forward to that day."
In a timeline without his own involvement, Flamme was the oldest human mage. Although he had taken that title from her, Kurtz believed that, with her abilities, Flamme could still leave behind a name that was hers.
However, upon hearing this opening remark, Flamme unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, her unease growing ever stronger.
Kurtz paused for a moment, then continued: "Therefore, you have a long road ahead of you and will encounter more exciting things, so you shouldn't waste too much of your thoughts and feelings on someone who may not be able to reciprocate."
His words were as tactful as possible, but their meaning was cruelly clear.
Flamme suddenly raised her head, her eyes instantly reddening again, but this time, no tears fell. Her eyes turned red with stubbornness and resentment.
"Waste?" she repeated the word, her voice trembling slightly. "Does Teacher think that my feelings for you are a waste?"
Since he had already noticed her feelings, Flamme decided to make them clear.
"That's not what I meant..." Kurtz tried to explain.
But Flamme interrupted him, taking a step forward and staring at him boldly, as if trying to see through his true thoughts: "Is Teacher telling me all this because he is afraid?"
Kurtz was slightly taken aback.
Flamme's tone became agitated, carrying an indescribable resolve: "Are you afraid of my feelings? Afraid that I will interfere between you and Lady Serie? Are you worried that my insignificant affection will shake the thousand-year-old relationship and tacit understanding between you?!"
Her question was like a sharp arrow, precisely piercing the most subtle concern deep within Kurtz's heart.
He did consider how a more direct and intense expression of her feelings might affect the budding relationship between him and Serie.
It might solidify the relationship, or it might make it worse.
Therefore, he hesitated.
In Flamme's eyes, this hesitation and silence were tantamount to acquiescence.
A surge of emotion, a mixture of resentment and fierce fighting spirit, instantly overwhelmed her, burning away all her sorrow in that moment.
She looked at the silent Kurtz and suddenly laughed, a hint of tears glistening in her eyes.
"I understand," she said softly, but her tone was unusually firm. "It seems you're not entirely unmoved, Teacher. That means I still have a chance, since you can feel fear too..."
She took a deep breath, and then, word by word, spoke with perfect clarity:
"Then I, Flamme, swear here and now! I will make you fall for me! Not as a disciple, but as a woman!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Kurtz's eyes.
He never expected that his advice would have the exact opposite effect.
"Flamme, you..." he frowned, "even if I may never be able to respond to you..."
"It's alright!" Flamme interrupted him decisively. "I don't care! As long as I can convey this feeling to the Teacher's heart without reservation, that's enough!"
"As for the outcome..." she paused, a radiant smile spreading across her face, "that's not something I need to think about right now. All I know right now is that I like you, and that's enough."
After saying that, she gave Kurtz no chance to refute or persuade her. She gave him a deep look, as if to show him her determination, then turned around resolutely and left quickly.
Kurtz stood alone, gazing in the direction she had disappeared, speechless for a long time.
He raised his hand and pressed his temples with a hint of helplessness.
Things seemed to be heading in an increasingly troublesome direction, rushing headlong into the future.
For the first time, he felt somewhat helpless.
[End of Chapter]
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