Chapter 147
Selina missed the timing to respond and ended up closing her mouth. An awkward silence followed.
It was just a dance invitation from a friend, so she could have accepted it easily—but Theodore was there, and Sylvester was…
He seems to see me as more than a friend.
It felt like Sylvester harbored feelings for her that went beyond friendship. Even Theodore seemed particularly wary of him. Just earlier, when they were dancing, Theodore had said he was jealous the moment she mentioned Sylvester’s name.
“Ask Theodore first.”
Sylvester stayed silent for a moment, then nodded belatedly.
As if on cue, Theodore approached. He was carrying two drinks and soon noticed Sylvester.
“Ah… this is awkward. I don’t have one for you.”
“I’m fine without one.”
At Sylvester’s reply, Theodore shrugged and handed one glass to Selina. Then he stood beside her and took a sip.
“But why are you alone? Where’s Becky?”
Instead of answering properly, Sylvester said something else.
“Theodore, can I have one dance with Selina?”
Theodore froze mid-sip and looked at Sylvester. The air instantly grew heavy, and Selina broke into a cold sweat internally.
Sylvester calmly met Theodore’s suddenly sharp gaze.
“I’m asking you.”
Selina hadn’t expected Sylvester to use the word ask. It was just one dance—did he really need to go that far? Flustered, she turned to Theodore.
Theodore stared at Sylvester coldly, then blinked. In that brief moment, the tension in his eyes softened considerably.
“…If Selina’s okay with it.”
When he turned to her, Theodore looked as gentle as if he’d never been angry.
“Selina, what do you want to do?”
Being pushed to decide made it even more burdensome. Selina’s lips twitched as she alternated her gaze between Theodore and Sylvester.
If she went with Sylvester, Theodore might dislike it. If she refused, Sylvester would weigh on her mind.
After endless hesitation, Selina finally spoke.
“I’ll just dance with Sylvester once.”
They had danced together many times during dance class—surely one more time would be fine.
Seeing the firm resolve in her violet eyes, Theodore gave a small chuckle and nodded.
“Alright. If that’s your choice. But just once.”
“Thank you.”
Selina took Sylvester’s carefully offered hand. Feeling uneasy about Theodore, she glanced back—he waved at her as if to say it was fine.
She eventually headed into the dance hall with Sylvester.
The music this time was much calmer than the one she’d danced to with Theodore earlier. There were no dynamic movements; instead, the time spent facing each other felt unusually long.
Even though she had danced with Sylvester dozens of times in class, tonight felt strangely different.
“You’ve improved a lot,” Sylvester said in a playful tone, back to his usual self.
“I guess I’m used to it now. You know this? I’ve never stepped on Theo’s foot even once.”
“What? That’s disappointing. He should’ve tasted your ‘spicy feet’ at least once.”
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
“Haha, not at all. I’m just sad that I’m the only one who knows how dangerous your feet are.”
Laughing loudly, Sylvester narrowed his eyes and looked at Selina. For a moment, his blue eyes felt as gentle as Theodore’s golden ones.
“How are things with Theodore? He’s not making you feel hurt or upset, is he?”
“Of course not. He treats me incredibly well. If anything, Theo probably has more grievances with me.”
As Selina giggled, Sylvester gave a faint, relieved smile.
“…That’s good, then. If he ever makes you upset, tell me. I’ll give him a good scolding.”
“What a reassuring friend. But don’t throw punches at Theo like last time. I’d be really mad.”
Selina responded jokingly, then added seriously. Sylvester only smiled bitterly.
“I know. I won’t do anything like that anymore. I don’t want you to hate me.”
There was a lot hidden in his words. Selina understood what he meant but chose not to show it.
“Selina.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you happy right now?”
“Yes. More than anything.”
Seeing her happy expression, Sylvester fell silent for a moment, then closed his eyes with a satisfied look.
“As long as you’re happy, that’s enough.”
When the music ended, Selina stood opposite him and lifted the hem of her skirt.
The first night of the Academic Festival continued to deepen.
* * *
Day Two of the Academic Festival
Before students could fully bask in the lingering ecstasy of the masquerade ball from the night before, reality returned.
They stood at their assigned posts, all facing the academy’s main gate.
At 10 a.m., the gates opened, and civilians began pouring in as if they’d been waiting.
They were visitors who had come to enjoy the once-a-year Academic Festival.
The real festival was about to begin.
“Selina! People are starting to come in!”
“Then we should get ready to welcome guests.”
At Zenon’s words, Selina stepped out of the tent.
She had fully dressed to match the fortune-teller concept—like a true witch.
She wore a black velvet dress with a faint reddish hue, and a veil much darker than usual covered her face, making it hard to see her features. Her lips were painted purple, making her look even more ominous.
Seeing her fully styled, the club members shivered.
“You were really a witch all along…?”
“S-Selina, you look amazing! Could I become like you someday?”
Unlike the shocked Zenon, Asta was in awe, admiring Selina’s transformation.
To someone who idolized witches, Selina looked cooler than anyone else.
“Everyone, gather up for a moment.”
At Selina’s call, all the members gathered around her. Unfortunately, the Hailers siblings were absent, having joined the festival’s executive committee.
“How about we do a cheer before we start?”
“A cheer? Sounds good!”
“Ahh, it really feels like it’s starting. I’m even more nervous.”
Despite their varied reactions, everyone placed their hands one by one over Selina’s.
When all seven hands overlapped, Selina looked at each member standing in a circle.
When she first entered the academy, she never imagined something like this would happen.
She shouted loudly,
“‘The Witch’s House,’ fighting!”
“Go, go, fighting!”
“Waaaah! First place is ours!”
Their loud voices echoed, drawing glances from nearby students. Ignoring the looks, the members burst into wide smiles, shaking off all remaining tension and fatigue.
“Wow, Mom, look! What’s that?”
“A fortune-telling shop? They have something like this at the academy?”
“My sister said in her letter that there’s a really famous fortune-teller here. This must be it! Let’s go in!”
“Shall we?”
As visitors filled the street lined with tents, attention naturally turned toward The Witch’s House.
Hearing the commotion outside, Selina hummed softly.
Luna, who had been watching her, spoke.
[You look like Stella, nya.]
“Huh? Me?”
[Yes, nya. Didn’t Stella used to tell fortunes in places like this?]
“She did, a long time ago. Come to think of it, you weren’t around back then.”
At that time, Selina hadn’t yet remembered her past life—Luna hadn’t existed yet.
[I didn’t get to see it myself, but…]
Luna trailed off, looking at Selina again. Stella’s silhouette naturally overlapped with her image. Lost in nostalgia, Luna said,
[I feel like you look exactly the same as her now, nya.]
“Looking like my mom… It’s an honor to hear that.”
At her peak, Stella was a fortune-teller far beyond Selina’s current level.
To be seen as equal to the great Stella was the highest praise a fortune-teller could receive.
“Congratulations on being our first guest! As a special event, we’ll give you a coupon for a free fortune reading!”
Judging by Mie’s cheerful voice outside, the first guest would enter soon.
Though she had occasionally returned to Secret Moonlight, it felt oddly unfamiliar to deal with non-student customers again.
Suppressing her excitement, Selina forced the corners of her lips down.
Soon, light filtered into the dark tent.
The guest who entered eagerly shuddered upon seeing the fully decorated interior.
Especially when they saw the ominous woman who commanded attention without even moving their eyes away, they swallowed nervously.
“Welcome to The Witch’s House.”
Borrowing Becky’s magic tool, Selina spoke in a lower-than-usual voice that echoed through the tent. The guest, tense yet entranced, stepped inside and sat before her.
The Academic Festival had truly begun.
* * *
While the academy buzzed with students and visitors, in one place, key figures of the academy waited anxiously for someone.
Soon, spotting a carriage that had arrived before them, they rushed forward.
“It is a great honor for you to visit such a place, Your Eminence.”
The person they greeted was the Cardinal of the Moon Temple—Fryman.
Beside him were Baron, Simon, and Veronica, who were currently serving as temporary professors.
“The prayer ceremony is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but if it’s not rude to ask, may we know what brings you here today?”
Sweat beaded on their foreheads. They hadn’t been prepared for Fryman’s sudden visit.
Seeing their tension, Fryman chuckled.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. I’m well aware that the ceremony is in two days—at 9 a.m., correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Though they nodded, confusion filled their expressions. If not for the ceremony, why had he come?
He was known for rarely responding to invitations, even official letters.
“Today, I’m here for personal reasons.”
“…Personal?”
“Yes. Someone personally sent me an invitation. So today, I’m not here as a cardinal—just an invited ordinary guest.”
“Ah…”
Only then did they realize that Fryman and his companions were dressed in casual clothes, not priestly robes.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. There’s a child waiting for me.”
As Fryman left with Baron, those left behind hesitated, unsure whether to stop him—but in the end, they couldn’t.
Walking quietly beside him, Baron whispered,
“Will this really be alright?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m not lying. I came purely to see Selina today.”
Humming cheerfully, Fryman looked genuinely happy at the thought.
Seeing this unfamiliar side of him, Simon and Veronica whispered behind them. Baron let out a small sigh, leaving the murmuring priests behind.
Selina’s going to be very surprised.
