Master, I Swear I Didn’t Mean To! - Chapter 26

“You… what…”

Cassius was the first to react. He reflexively rubbed the spot on his chest that Eki had struck. Specifically, the thick swell of his left pectoral, near his n****e. The nape of his neck gradually flushed red.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“N-No, Master, it’s just…”

“Eki Provanet.”

“It was an accident! I meant to hit your back!”

“What? My back?”

“N-No, uh… there was a fly!”

Cassius’ eyes narrowed into slits. Eki hurriedly bent at the waist, apologized, and darted into the study as if fleeing.

“It was really an accident! I’m sorry!”

“Judging by that look in your eyes, it didn’t seem like a mere accident.”

“Oh, come on, I’m telling the truth. Ah, right, it’s because of that! The luck potion!”

“Don’t give me that nonsense. You hit me on purpose this time.”

“Maaasteer!”

Eki ran in circles around the study to avoid Cassius, but he chased her down, cornering her in an isolated spot.

In the end, she was pinned between Cassius’ towering frame and the wall, facing his interrogation.

‘I shouldn’t have hit him.’

But honestly, hitting Cassius’ chest really was the luck potion’s fault. She’d been aiming for his back! How was she supposed to know he’d turn around at that exact moment?!

‘Wait, was even thinking about hitting him the potion’s influence?’

She couldn’t tell where the luck potion’s meddling started or ended. Eki fiddled with her hands nervously, lost in thought.

‘Still… that feel was incredible. Spanking him would be so satisfying.’

She stared at her own hands, then jolted to her senses.

‘Oh god, I’m insane. How can I even think about slapping Master’s chest?!’

No matter how tempting it was to admire, this was a step beyond harmless appreciation. Actually touching him wasn’t appropriate between teacher and disciple.

Of course, thanks to the potion’s effects, she had already groped his chest and g***n multiple times. She’d even seen him naked. Heck, she’d seen him c*m too.

Wait… is this even a normal master-disciple relationship anymore?

“What are you thinking about.”

Cassius’ low voice made her flinch.

Eki instinctively looked up, only to realize how close he was, and tucked her neck in like a turtle. But no matter how much she pulled away, the distance between them didn’t widen. She realized they were close enough to hear each other’s breaths if they opened their mouths.

Her gold, lantern-like eyes trembled as they locked on Cassius’ face. Having just seen Babel’s pitiful mug, staring at this divine work of art now made his beauty even more striking by comparison. She swallowed dryly and snuck glances at him, mesmerized.

When her gaze fell on his lips, Cassius flinched as if shocked. He quickly stepped back, turning his head away, and the tips of his ears flushed red.

“…We don’t have time to waste bickering over nonsense like this.”

“Right…”

“Let’s just finish the magic circles first.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eki fanned her face as she brushed past Cassius. She was just glad another luck potion incident hadn’t happened this time.

❖ ❖ ❖

Unfortunately, Eki’s relief didn’t last long.

“Master, could you check this magic circle for me?”

“Where?”

“This one… o-oh?!”

She was carrying parchment over to him when she accidentally stepped on a vial on the floor, slamming face-first into his chest.

“Ow! Master, my hair’s caught on your clothes!”

“W-Wait… hold still! You’re pulling on it!”

She struggled to escape his arms despite the embarrassment, only for her hair to snag on one of his shirt buttons, forcing her right back into his chest.

“Eki, don’t move. Hrk?!”

Trying to free her tangled hair, she accidentally groped Cassius’ thigh… and ended up grabbing somewhere far worse in the process.

“Eki! Get off me, now!”

In the end, Cassius used magic to cut her hair and free her, bringing the whole disaster to a close.

“Hhhng…”

It was already 1 a.m.

Thanks to the damn Mage Association pushing up their deadline, Eki had been working nonstop. She pouted at her reflection in a hand mirror.

‘My hair was already short, but now it’s even shorter.’

She tilted her head this way and that, inspecting her hair.

Her face was pale and doughy from exhaustion, her eyes drooping, and she rubbed her tiny chin, the one feature she considered her best.

“Got time to be playing around?”

Cassius glanced at her as he scolded her.

He was on the other side of her desk, flipping through a research paper. He was probably looking for information to help with the next magic circle they had to draw.