I'm Not the Mastermind-Chapter 55

"Headmistress, you already understood, didn’t you? You just haven’t fully accepted it yet."

"......"

Ines, still struggling to process the situation, fell silent at his words.

She pressed a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and took a moment of quiet contemplation. After seemingly organizing her thoughts, she finally spoke.

"...Yujin-nim, how in the world did it come to this?"

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"How did it come to this…"

Yujin let out a faint, bitter chuckle and laid Alicia down on the office sofa before answering.

"I thought she had stabilized somewhat after I sealed her Magi, but she still seemed dangerously unstable. It’s only natural that she would latch onto someone offering her help in such a state. This kind of problem is particularly difficult. I can’t just refuse to support someone mentally unstable, but at the same time, I can’t fully accept her dependence either."

"I… I see…"

She could understand why this would be a difficult problem. It was essentially a dilemma.

If Alicia could overcome her hardships on her own, that would be ideal. But since she couldn’t, someone had to help her.

However, making sure she didn’t become overly dependent on her helper was just as challenging. She was already in a fragile state, needing something to lean on. And paradoxically, they needed to prevent her from leaning too much.

"Perhaps I was too eager to handle this as though I were an expert. I did set a boundary, but her emotions seem to have grown too deep. That very same emotion caused her to unleash Magi, something she normally couldn’t even control."

"Is it that severe?"

Ines's expression hardened. If Alicia had lost control to the point that even the Magi Yujin sealed had run wild, she couldn’t begin to imagine how overwhelming her emotions must have been.

"I need to find a way to slowly resolve this... but it's difficult."

"...Then, Yujin-nim, wouldn’t it be better to use magic to interfere with her mind directly?"

"......"

At her cautious suggestion, Yujin remained silent for a moment. Then, he slowly turned to her, partially opening his eyes.

"!"

For Ines, this was only the second time she had directly met his crimson gaze. The first time was when she had mistaken him for a dark mage and attacked him.

That moment had been burned into her memory ever since.

And now, as she once again locked eyes with him, her body froze—as if she were a frog caught in the sight of a snake.

"Headmistress, are you serious about that?"

Yujin's voice was low as he questioned her. She stiffened, then slowly lowered her head.

"...I-I'm sorry."

"There’s nothing for you to apologize to me for. However, that may have been an incredibly disrespectful suggestion toward Her Highness."

"......"

"Of course, it’s not like I haven’t considered that method before. Naturally, directly interfering with her mind would be much easier. It’s not as though I dislike taking the easy way out."

After saying that, Yujin looked down at Alicia.

"If I construct an impenetrable mental barrier to block external influence, manipulate her mind to perceive her emotions and trauma as insignificant, and ultimately alter her sense of self… there would be no difficulty in handling this. After all, regardless of Magi, it’s Her Highness who still holds control over her body. As long as her mind remains unscathed, the demonic self that cannot fight back will ultimately be defeated.

Of course, whether or not the person left standing at the end would still be Princess Alicia is another matter entirely."

"......"

"Headmistress."

Yujin turned back to Ines.

"I promised Her Highness that I would help her survive with her identity intact, and that promise still stands. Therefore, I refuse to use mind manipulation as a means of solving this problem."

"...I apologize. That was thoughtless of me."

As the headmistress, she felt ashamed. She had always believed she was protecting her students, yet upon hearing that Alicia had nearly lost control, she had momentarily considered abandoning ethics in favor of a quick solution.

"It’s fine. The situation isn’t exactly simple, after all."

Yujin reassured her, then turned back to Alicia. Her sleeping face was so peaceful that it was hard to believe she had been grinning with malice just moments ago.

That was because he had woven a spell to ensure she would have pleasant dreams.

What kind of dream was she having right now?

Well, unless he ventured into her mind, Yujin had no way of knowing.

"In any case, it would be best if she doesn’t see me for the time being."

"You think so?"

"Yes. For now, it would be better if she has someone else to rely on—whether that be her family or someone else. There’s no guarantee that she won’t lose control the moment she wakes up and sees me."

"Then, regarding Her Highness’s situation…"

"I’m not saying I won’t see her at all. Once she has had time to stabilize, I plan to help her understand why she developed these emotions in the first place and gradually resolve them. Since the source of her emotions is tied to her suffering, resolving that suffering should naturally dissolve these misguided feelings as well. By the time her treatment is complete, she will hopefully look back on this as nothing more than a slightly embarrassing memory."

"......"

Hearing this, Ines hesitated before asking, her curiosity seemingly genuine.

"Yujin-nim, this may be an incredibly rude question, but…"

"You may ask. As long as it isn’t something too outrageous, I’ll answer."

"What if… Princess Alicia’s feelings don’t fade? What will you do then?"

"......"

Yujin fell silent, as if considering the question.

If her emotions did not disappear… then—

"I will do everything I can to prevent that outcome. However… if it does come to that, I suppose I will have to take responsibility in my own way."

"By responsibility, do you mean…?"

"If it comes down to it, I am prepared to accept her feelings."

"!"

Ines's eyes widened. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked,

"A-Are you saying that you would accept Princess Alicia’s love…?"

"If she ends up harboring unresolved emotions because of my failure, then yes, I would have no choice but to bear that responsibility. Every failure comes with a price. If this is my failure, then I must bear it as well."

"......"

Ines was stunned into silence. She muttered,

"Do you really need to go that far? You are a Transcendent, after all…"

"As I said, failure always has a cost."

Yujin met her gaze and asked,

"Headmistress, do you believe that turning a blind eye to one's failures just to avoid consequences is the right way for a Transcendent to act?"

"....!"

"Was that the kind of dragon you believed me to be?"

At those words, Ines’s face turned pale. She quickly responded,

"N-No! I have never thought that! I just felt that Yujin-nim was… too entangled in the affairs of the lower world…!"

"Is that so? I suppose it might seem that way. However, I believe you may have misunderstood something."

"What…?"

"I was never forced into being involved in the lower world. I chose to involve myself, and I do not consider my choice to be a shackle."

Saying so, Yujin shrugged lightly.

"If it is my choice, then what shackles could there possibly be? I chose this of my own free will, and there is no such thing as freedom without cost. That would simply be indulgence."

"......"

"If this is the consequence of my freedom, then taking responsibility for it is also my duty. There is no reason for me to listen to others say, 'But you’re a Transcendent, so shouldn’t you be exempt from such burdens?'"

"...I apologize."

"There’s no need to apologize. I only wanted to clarify something for you. Your words are not freeing me from shackles—they are restricting my freedom."

Ines lowered her head, her face flushing with embarrassment. It struck her just how narrow-minded she had been. Today seemed to be a day filled with these moments of realization.

Yujin, however, did not linger on her reaction.

"At any rate, it would be best if Her Highness does not see me for the next few days. The Magi has been sealed, so for now, it would be better for her to return to the imperial palace and spend time with her family. There is no longer any need to search for a solution within the Labyrinth."

"Ah, by that, you mean..."

As Ines started to speak, Yujin nodded, cutting her off.

"Yes. Now that Her Highness no longer has a reason to remain at the academy, I ask that you handle the necessary procedures to send her back to the imperial palace. As a mere professor, I do not have the authority to arrange such matters."