Epherene stared blankly at the paper inside the drawer. Memories of the letters she had sent to her sponsor suddenly flooded her mind as she absentmindedly fiddled with the handkerchief she always carried.1

“... How can this be?” Epherene murmured.0

Brrrrr…0

In that instant, a chill crawled up her spine, causing the muscles in her neck to tighten. Epherene's eyes widened as she directed all her focus behind her. The unsettling presence of ghostly aura was eerily familiar, but this time, she refused to be caught off guard.0

Whirrrr—0

She gathered mana into her palm, readying a destructive spell, and swiftly turned around.0

“Miss Epherene, are you all right?”0

“Ah!”0

It was Allen. Epherene quickly dispersed the magic.0

“A-assistant Professor, I just saw a ghost—”0

“Yes, I saw it too.”0

“You did?!”0

Allen nodded seriously, but then his eyes shifted to the letter in Epherene’s hand.0

"Oh," Allen muttered, catching on to the situation.0

Epherene noticed Allen’s expression and realized he had known about this all along.0

"... Miss Epherene," Allen said, his tone firm, with a hint of frustration. "Entering the professor's office without permission and going through his belongings is grounds for disciplinary action."0

“Yes... I’m sorry...”0

“You’re quite the troublemaker.”0

Epherene felt a wave of confusion wash over her. She knew she had done something wrong, but the sight of her letter in Deculein’s possession was baffling. The realization that he might be her sponsor sent her mind spinning.1

Allen sighed softly before continuing, “In any case, you understand now, don’t you, Miss Epherene? The professor isn’t just a bad person.”4

His words held a deeper significance.0

Epherene bit her lip and muttered, “But why did he do it anonymously...?”0

“He said you would have refused if you knew it was him.”0

Epherene remained silent,...0