Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 18

To Teacher, From Vanessa (18)

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Vanessa was running with Evan, braving the cold wind. It had been quite a while since the new semester started, so exercising felt natural. They could even hold a conversation while running.

“Time really flies.”

Of course, she was still short of breath, so her words came out in bursts, but it was a significant improvement.

“Running around the castle walls is just part of our daily routine now. Thanks to me, right, Vanessa? You should be grateful.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. She wanted to argue, but she had no comeback.

“Okay, I agree. I really do feel less tired these days, no matter what I do. Is this the basic fitness the professor was talking about?”

“You were just rolling around, complaining about how hard it was, not too long ago. It’s ridiculous.”

“I’ve even been getting compliments lately!”

Evan scoffed, and Vanessa pretended to kick him in the shin. Evan yelped and ran away.

Vanessa and Evan continued to run. They had just started, so they had a long way to go.

It was common for students taking to run around the castle, so students taking a dawn stroll by the lake waved at them.

Vanessa and Evan waved back. Just then, someone caught up from behind.

“Let’s-run-together!”

Panting as he ran, it was Moshwi, a friend who took Professor Conrad’s class with them. Vanessa burst out laughing at the sight of his large body lumbering along.

“Weren’t you supposed to run in the afternoon?”

Evan asked, sounding a bit disgruntled, and Moshwi said, gasping for air.

“I run in the morning and afternoon! Trying to lose some weight. But somehow, I think I’m getting bigger.”

“It’s probably just your imagination.”

“No, my clothes don’t fit!”

*That’s all muscle,* Vanessa barely managed to swallow the words. Moshwi would probably never get smaller than a certain size.

The three of them quickly rounded the corner of the castle and entered the dirt path.

“But why bother losing weight? I’m struggling to gain it,” Vanessa asked, and Moshwi’s face, already red, turned almost crimson.

“T-the girl I like… she likes the pure and innocent type.”

Moshwi stammered. Pure, innocent… it was the complete opposite of Moshwi.

He was noticeably large in the class, and his face was tanned from the sun.

Vanessa barely stopped Evan from making a sarcastic remark.

“It’s not bad to try.”

“She mentions it all the time. She likes pure, boyish beauty. Honestly, I don’t think I can pull it off.”

Moshwi mumbled. Vanessa smiled encouragingly.

“You have plenty of charm. You were so cool when you blocked that flying rock in class. You’re the strongest and most athletic of us all. And you’re fast.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Evan shot ahead, but Vanessa was too engrossed in Moshwi’s story to even notice.

Other people’s love stories were always the most interesting.

“That girl is the smartest and kindest person I’ve ever met… I fell for her at first sight. She also likes intellectual and delicate guys, but I’m not very intellectual. So, I’m trying to at least fulfill the delicate charm…”

Moshwi muttered shyly. His appearance was as clumsy as a bear who had found honey.

“Girls probably like handsome guys more, right?”

At Moshwi’s question, Evan quickly slowed down and started running beside him.

Vanessa thought for a moment. Handsome guys, huh?

“I haven’t really thought about it… I guess I’d like someone tall, and it would be nice if they were in good shape. I think I prefer a masculine look over a beautiful one. But that’s just my ideal.”

Vanessa said, jumping over a puddle. Vanessa and Evan landed lightly, while Moshwi landed with a thud.

The scent of wet grass filled the path from the rain that had fallen heavily yesterday.

“Moshwi, is that girl your ideal type then?”

“Yeah. It’s a secret who it is! Absolutely.”

“Okay. What about you, Evan?”

Vanessa asked with a mischievous smile, and Evan avoided her gaze. But Moshwi chimed in.

“You’re popular, aren’t you? Don’t you have someone you like?”

“N-nope!”

Evan suddenly shouted, and Vanessa gave him a questioning look. Moshwi grinned and poked Evan’s waist with his elbow.

“Then tell us your ideal type. What kind of girls do popular guys like?”

“Ideal type?”

Evan suddenly turned red at the tips of his ears and stammered. He started running faster for no reason, and everyone was busy trying to keep up.

“I, I, I don’t like blondes.”

“Ooh.”

“P-pretty and assertive, but kind… and good at studying… with long eyelashes…”

“You’re being very specific.”

Vanessa chuckled, and Evan started running faster, looking only at his feet. Moshwi gestured behind Evan’s back – *He definitely likes someone* – then suddenly tilted his head.

Vanessa smiled and changed the subject.

“Moshwi, what do you want to do in the future?”

They had been running for quite a while, and everyone was starting to pant. Besides, the wet path made their feet heavy. But they couldn’t rest, or they wouldn’t have enough time to do their homework.

“In the future? I don’t know if I’ll be able to, but my dream is to be in the Special Forces. I can travel to many places and protect the weak.”

“Most people aiming for the Special Forces take this class. What’s so great about the Special Forces?”

“They’re amazing people. Magicians recognized by the King! People who defeat the Abyss!”

Moshwi’s eyes sparkled. Evan nodded. But Vanessa tilted her head.

“But it’s dangerous.”

“That’s why only the best go! It might be dangerous for us, but it might not be a big deal for them. Besides, they get plenty of rewards later. Whether it’s money or land.”

Moshwi gave a thumbs up.

“Hmm, I can see why they’re popular.”

“Right? And everyone’s in such good shape! They look so cool in their uniforms. You can’t ignore the visual aspect!”

“I heard the current Special Forces Commander is so handsome. There’s even a rumor that people in the Danan region thought a god had descended when the Special Forces were dispatched.”

“The monsters in the Danan region have been completely wiped out, right? Now, regular soldiers are enough to handle the rest.”

“But I heard other places are in chaos? The Special Forces don’t have time to set foot in Püdom.”

Moshwi and Evan chattered excitedly. The run was almost over. Evan gradually increased his speed, but Vanessa was keeping up admirably.

Vanessa, who had been listening to the conversation about the Special Forces, blurted out.

“What am I going to do in the future?”

“You’ll be good at anything you do, so what are you worried about! I heard Professor Guido praised you a lot last time. You were the only one who succeeded in manipulating the magic circuit!”

“I know, right? Who are you kidding!”

Vanessa grumbled at their teasing. The gate of Bamberg Academy was almost in sight. The three of them sped up as much as possible without saying a word.

In the end, Evan’s hand touched the tree right in front of the gate first, followed by Vanessa and then Moshwi.

“Hah… hah… hah.”

Vanessa immediately rolled onto the grass. The scent of the dawn on the dewy grass was wonderful.

Moshwi jogged in place, and Evan stretched his long body, lengthening his muscles, then glanced at Vanessa, who was lying down with her eyes closed.

“Hey, get up! You’ll catch a cold.”

Evan couldn’t even touch Vanessa and just hovered around her. Seeing this, Moshwi made a sly expression from behind. *Pretty, assertive, but kind?*

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When Vanessa returned to the dormitory, Lina was not there.

Vanessa tidied herself up and put on her uniform. It was already getting cold near Bamberg Academy in Seogoth, so she had to make sure to wear a coat.

Looking in the mirror, Vanessa decided to let her hair down and put on a hairpin. There was a meeting with Senior Eugenia after class today, so it would be nice to dress up a bit.

The hairpin was a gift from her teacher, and it looked neat, but upon closer inspection, the delicate craftsmanship was overwhelming.

A blue gem was embedded on the silver body, and it matched Vanessa’s eye color perfectly, making it look great when worn in her brown hair. Lina had praised it so much.

The first day she saw the hairpin, Lina examined it carefully and said.

‘The craftsmanship is amazing, isn’t it? It must be very expensive.’

Vanessa realized that the hairpin was very expensive and returned the package three times, but the fourth time, a note from her teacher saying, “I chose it myself; I’m disappointed,” was attached, so she finally decided to accept it gratefully.

Vanessa quietly organized her tasks for the day in her head and sighed.

Today’s classes were not easy. Professor Bombalow and Professor Prudence, who were notorious for their ruthless amount of homework, were scheduled for the same day.

*I’ll definitely have to live in the library all day tomorrow. Nothing in the world is easy, but isn’t this too much?*

Slightly gloomy, Vanessa stood still and pondered how to save as much time as possible.

Thump.

“Oh!”

But Vanessa’s face quickly brightened. Seeing the letter that had fallen at the entrance of Honir would make her feel energized enough to do her homework.

Vanessa picked up the letter.

As always, neat black letters on a high-quality, tan envelope. “To Miss Vanessa Rose.”

Seeing her name written by her teacher always made her feel a lump in her throat.

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To Miss Vanessa Rose.

Thank you for your warm affection. Thanks to you, I am not afraid of the increasingly cold weather.

I am puzzled that you say your story is nothing special. I am sorry if my reply is short and makes you feel that way.

But I only enjoy seeing things through Vanessa’s eyes. Even boring things seem to take on new colors and come to me.

I am happy to hear that you are exercising diligently.

However, Seogoth, where Bamberg Academy is located, is already getting cold. Be careful not to catch a cold.

I have ordered a short cloak, as I think it would be useful.

I hope you have a good day today.

From your teacher.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Vanessa bit her plump lips with joy when she saw the first part of the letter.

After sending the letter last time, she had worried about whether asking for affection was too much. Some people just use those words as a greeting, but Vanessa had written them with genuine sincerity.

She was worried that it would be ridiculous for an orphan to consider her teacher, who was obviously from a good family, as family.

But thanks to his kind affection, she wasn’t even afraid of the cold!

Vanessa stroked that part of the letter several times with her finger.

But in the last paragraph, her well-defined eyebrows rose.

“A cloak?”

Again! He sent another gift. A cloak—she wondered if he remembered that he had already sent a long cloak that came down to her knees.

The price of thick, high-quality cloaks varied greatly depending on the length and material. But there was no way her teacher, who chose even a small pin for his protégé with the highest quality, would have chosen a low-quality one.

*It’s going to be super expensive again.* Vanessa sighed deeply.

*I want to give him something too, but what should I do? It would be even better if I could earn money myself and buy it. The Saint Barando birthday is coming up soon too.*

She felt like she had become too lazy lately.

Vanessa Rose, who lived in an orphanage, found a job while taking care of ten young children. There were times when she was grateful for even one meal.

*Is this okay?*