Academy’s Undercover Professor-Chapter 235: A Chance Encounter (2)

Merilda leaned against a streetlamp, sneaking glances into the restaurant.

She’d even donned a wide-brimmed hat to avoid being recognized.

It was too clumsy to even be called a disguise, but Merilda believed with full conviction that she was perfectly incognito as she observed Ludger and Selina’s “date(?)”.

‘Nice going, Selina. You made it into the restaurant without a hitch.’

She had seen a minor commotion at the entrance and feared something had gone wrong, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Still, she couldn’t relax just yet.

The real challenge would begin after the meal.

All Merilda could do was pray that Selina would take the time during lunch to carefully plan her next move.

And Hans, a short distance away, was watching Merilda.

Leaning casually against a wall, pretending to read a newspaper, he kept his eyes on her.

‘That woman... she’s in disguise, and spying on the boss!’

He didn’t know what she was up to, but he had no intention of letting her carry out whatever plan she had.

* * *

Ludger and Selina had placed their orders based on the chef’s recommendation and were now waiting for the food to arrive.

They sat across from one another.

Selina just kept smiling dreamily, as if the situation itself made her happy.

Sitting there silently was growing a little awkward, so Ludger carefully broke the ice.

“You seem very happy.”

“Do I? Really?”

“Yes. It’s only natural on a day off, of course, but I was worried I might be taking up too much of your time. I’m relieved to see that’s not the case.”

“No! You don’t have to worry about that at all! I’m actually glad I got to spend time with you, Professor Ludger!”

“Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.”

Right on cue, the dishes they ordered began to arrive.

As the food was laid out on the table, Selina gasped in admiration—then blinked in confusion.

“Huh? We didn’t order this.”

Several extra dishes had been brought out—ones they hadn’t asked for.

The waiter glanced at Ludger, hesitating.

That’s when the sharp-eyed manager stepped in and smoothed things over.

“A special service, miss. The head chef was inspired today after seeing such a beautiful lady visit our restaurant.”

It was obviously a line, but Selina giggled bashfully.

Ludger gave the manager a subtle approving nod.

The manager bowed slightly in response.

‘Well-trained, that one.’

Ludger picked up his utensils, satisfied.

The food was excellent. The head chef had pulled out all the stops, likely under the impression that he was serving someone of high status.

“By the way, Professor Selina, what brought you to Royal Street today?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? This area’s really popular now.”

“Popular?”

“Yes! It’s being called the new ‘youth district’. Even Seorn students visit often. I came because I heard so much about it and finally had the time.”

Selina seemed thrilled to have a topic to talk about—she even answered things Ludger hadn’t asked.

“They say the clothes sold here are much more comfortable than traditional garments and way more stylish. I even heard a famous designer in the capital praised a dress from House of Verdi.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“Oh! Speaking of, isn’t the outfit you’re wearing brand new?”

“This?”

Ludger looked down at his attire and nodded.

It had been personally tailored by Violetta, the manager of House of Verdi, so it wasn’t just new—it was custom-made.

But there was no need to mention that.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. I heard even men’s clothing here is so competitive you can only get it by reservation.”

“I was lucky.”

“Seeing your outfit, I get why the brand’s so famous. It’s really stylish. Ah—but not that I’m saying you needed the clothes to look good! I mean, I’m only complimenting the clothes!”

“I understand. Have you heard anything else about Royal Street?”

Since it had come up, Ludger figured it was a good chance to hear what outsiders thought of the district he secretly managed.

“Well, it’s obviously famous as a fashion hub, but the other attractions aren’t to be overlooked either. The most famous one would be the musical, I guess?”

The musical, huh.

Ludger thought of the short, stocky Finion.

He knew Finion was giving it his all—but in life, effort didn’t always equate to success.

Still, rumor had it the musical was receiving rave reviews and had become a major attraction on its own.

Every ticket was sold out as soon as it was released.

“I even heard that among the other professors, those who manage to get tickets are envied.”

“Popular even among instructors... that’s unexpected.”

“Oh, and they say the art district’s worth seeing too! Apparently, the entire street is painted like a mural or something? Students often visit just to walk around.”

Ludger nodded—then suddenly had a thought.

Students come here often?

Surely none of them had recognized him... right?

* * *

Sheryl Wagner walked down the sunlit street with light steps.

It was the perfect time of year to be outside—right before summer truly arrived—and if she didn’t seize this chance, she’d regret it later.

She had come to [Royal Street], the place currently trending among students.

Normally, she would’ve liked to come with Flora—but that wasn’t possible.

—I’m not going to a place like that.

Flora, who disliked going outside, had flatly rejected Sheryl’s suggestion.

Sheryl was a little disappointed but didn’t push it and decided to come alone.

‘Well, fine. I’ll enjoy it myself while I can.’

Even so, she couldn’t help but worry about leaving Flora behind.

Despite her cold front, Flora was a soft-hearted girl. She might secretly be hurt about being left out.

‘I should at least buy her a souvenir before I head back.’

Just as she was thinking that, Sheryl came to a sudden stop.

In the crowded street, she spotted someone familiar.

‘Professor Merilda?’

She recognized Merilda instantly.

Even though Sheryl was a second-year student and Merilda taught first-years, she made it a point to keep up with every bit of gossip and chatter within Seorn.

Merilda, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, was half-hidden behind a lamppost and staring intently at something.

It was an incredibly conspicuous posture, no matter how she framed it.

‘What’s she looking at so intently?’

Sheryl quietly circled around to get a glimpse of whatever Merilda was spying on.

Following her gaze, Sheryl looked into the bustling restaurant.

And there—she spotted two very familiar faces.

Her eyes went wide.

Gasp! ‘Professor Ludger and Professor Selina?!’

There were a lot of teachers at Seorn, and when it came to who was most well-known, it was always up for debate.

There were plenty of big names among the faculty.

But among the newer instructors—those who had recently gained attention—there was no argument.

For male instructors, Ludger Cherish.

For female instructors, Selina.

Both were attractive, competent, and hugely popular with the students.

And now, the two of them were having a meal together in a restaurant.

‘Wait, what? What is this?! A date? This is totally a date, isn’t it?!’

Selina, always smiling warmly at everyone, and Ludger, usually expressionless or cold—they were complete opposites.

But seeing them sitting there, facing each other like that, it looked like a painting come to life.

Selina, with her bright, spring-like smile, chatting away, and Ludger, silent yet listening attentively and nodding along—

She didn’t want to admit it, but somehow, they worked.

‘I can’t believe this. What a scoop!’

As someone plugged into every rumor and whisper in Seorn, Sheryl couldn’t possibly let a moment like this go undocumented.

‘Don’t tell me the two of them are together?’

Then suddenly, a new thought hit her—and it made her freeze.

‘Wait... then what about Flora?’

Flora would never admit it, but Sheryl knew.

She knew how much Flora cared about Ludger.

But if Selina and Ludger were in that kind of relationship... then what about Flora? What about her childhood friend’s first love?

Sheryl shook her head, trying to push the thought away.

‘No, no way. No. They’re probably just coworkers having lunch together. That’s all it is. It has to be.’

And yet, her “romance radar” had been going off wildly since a few moments ago.

Maybe Ludger was unreadable, but Selina?

That was practically a confirmed crush.

Those eyes! That smile!

No one could mistake it—those were the signs of someone smitten with the person sitting across from them.

‘This is bad!’

A rival had appeared for Flora.

And not just any rival—a massive obstacle.

Selina was beautiful, had a kind personality, and held a respectable position as a teacher at Seorn Academy.

She was technically a commoner, but in this day and age, that didn’t mean much anymore.

‘Just seeing such a good-looking pair walking together warms the heart, but still... Flora’s more important to me...!’

Sheryl made up her mind.

Nothing was set in stone yet.

‘Sorry, Professor Selina, but we don’t know how Professor Ludger feels yet. That means there's still a chance.’

The key issue was that if this date went well, things might become harder for Flora.

After mulling it over, Sheryl reached a conclusion.

‘I’ll just keep watching for now. And if things start to look dangerous, I’ll interfere!’

Though she claimed it was for Flora’s sake, the honest truth was... it sounded like a lot of fun.

Sheryl immediately entered a nearby shop and bought a change of clothes.

She changed outfits to hide her identity and even put on sunglasses.

Her disguise was flawless.

Now she just had to observe how things played out.

...Or so she thought, until someone nearby stared at her with an utterly dumbfounded expression.

‘What the hell is that now?’

Hans, who was watching everything from behind his newspaper, struggled to suppress his growing disbelief.

‘She’s a student... so why did she start changing her outfit the moment she saw the boss?’

It didn’t feel like simple curiosity. There was something else going on.

‘No way... is she after the boss too?’

Seorn was the top academy on the continent.

The students who attended it couldn’t be treated like ordinary kids.

Maybe this student also knew something... and was targeting Ludger.

‘Damn it. This is getting out of hand. One person was already enough to monitor—now there’s another?’

And if that had been the end of it, Hans might’ve managed.

But when he shifted his gaze back to the restaurant, his eyes widened in shock.

‘W-Wait...?!’

Someone had just entered the restaurant.

Hans couldn’t always recognize people from the back—but that vivid, cool-toned blue hair was seared into his memory.

It was impossible to forget.

Like water and clear sky—the unmistakable hair color of...

‘The detective who’s been tailing the boss for the past three years!’

Casey Selmore.

She had just entered the restaurant where Ludger was eating, with her assistant Betty in tow.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’

Hans felt like his head was spinning.

* * *

Ludger sipped the coffee that came with his meal as he organized his thoughts.

He’d been quietly listening to all the information Selina offered.

Turns out, the report on Royal Street hadn’t been exaggerated.

Actually...

In some ways, the report had understated how positively people viewed it.

‘I didn’t think even the teachers, let alone the students, would take such an interest.’

Ludger had lent his ideas and invested in the business because he knew it would succeed.

But the results had far surpassed even his expectations, leaving him momentarily stunned.

‘I mean, I did base it on memories from Earth, but this is more than I anticipated.’

He had never been one for cultural experiences. His life—both in his previous and current world—was focused almost entirely on study and research.

So while he had knowledge of cultural trends, he hadn’t calculated just how much of a social ripple effect they would cause.

‘Should I be glad, or worried?’

Now that the operation had grown to this scale, it was inevitable that the city of Rederbelk would take an interest.

And not just them.

Noble families would begin to notice the industries forming on Royal Street. Some would try to imitate it. Others might try to seize control outright.

‘And I haven’t even started on the real purpose yet.’

This was still just the foundation.

Royal Street would expand to cover all of Rederbelk.

Shops would be run by women, children, and the elderly—forming the basis of an expansive and fast-moving information network.

A giant intelligence web composed entirely of ordinary citizens.

And Royal Street would become its heart.

Once complete, they would know who entered and left the city, what was being plotted, and by whom.

It would all be within their grasp.

‘If it leads to that, then I suppose it’s something to be happy about.’

As Ludger took another sip of coffee, someone sat down at the previously empty table beside theirs.

“Seriously, Casey. Why’d you drag me here all of a sudden?”

“It’s a popular spot lately. Figured I’d try it.”

“Then you should’ve come alone. Why bring me? You know I can’t eat!”

“What, gonna die from pretending? And who eats alone, anyway?”

“You always do when I’m not around. You’ve got no friends.”

“Do you want to shut up?”

The bickering between the two women sounded oddly familiar.

Ludger turned his head instinctively—and at the same moment, the other party looked his way.

“Huh?”

“...Oh?”

“...Eh?”

They recognized each other instantly.

Casey Selmore.

She stared at Ludger with an expression of pure disbelief.