Chapter 275
That way might never be equal, yet it had to be done, as a counterbalance to the cosmic calculations that had suddenly tilted because of a single human touch.
Then, without another word, Aldraya gave a nod that was almost imperceptible.
That nod was a sign of acceptance, an acknowledgment of everything that had been revealed, and at the same time a closing gesture to that deepest moment.
She did not refuse.
She did not question it further.
She assimilated the new information and reality into her ever-updating map of existence.
Then, with a smooth motion, she aligned herself once more beside Theo, ready to continue their postponed journey.
And so, they walked again.
'Her expression remains flat, but her eyes—those are clearly not neutral.
It's ironic.
The unshakable Supreme Angel, yet she can sulk over something that small.
Could it be that she wants me to repeat it?
More slowly.
Longer?'
Their walk continued through corridors that grew increasingly empty, yet the atmosphere between them had subtly shifted.
Although the touch on her cheek had lasted only a moment, its trace lingered far deeper than expected.
Theo, who occasionally glanced at Aldraya from the corner of his eye, caught something peculiar about the figure walking beside him.
Aldraya's face remained a perfect neutral mask, a cold porcelain statue that revealed nothing.
Yet there was something beneath that surface.
Judging from the way she lowered her head slightly more than usual, or from how her ruby gaze—normally fixed straight ahead—now lingered faintly on the tips of her own shoes, there emanated a subtle but unmistakable aura of sulking.
The expression was like the shadow of a thin cloud passing over the surface of a calm lake, barely visible yet altering the entire quality of the reflected light.
An unspoken desire seemed to hang in the air.
A desire for that touch to be repeated, with the same gentle strength, or perhaps with even greater care.
Theo processed this observation in silence, maintaining his steady stride.
A warm, faintly amused sense of wonder tickled his chest.
Aldraya's reaction like this existed nowhere in the behavioral catalog he had imagined.
This was not pain.
Not rejection.
Nor logical analysis.
This was an almost childlike response.
A form of pure nonverbal communication, conveying disappointment that something pleasant had ended too quickly, and a quiet request for it to happen again.
The contrast between Aldraya's usual nature—precise like a finely tuned instrument—and this hidden, sulking expression formed a paradox that was both intriguing and disarming.
Theo realized that beneath the layers of cold awareness and the inherited identity of a stern teacher, there still remained traces of an ordinary human who could feel the loss of warmth, however small its form.
"Is it true that the day after tomorrow I won't be traveling with you, Theo?"
Time leapt forward, leaving the dusk-lit corridor behind and carrying them into a completely different space.
They were now seated across from each other at a sturdy wooden table inside the teachers' cafeteria.
The atmosphere here was far quieter and more dignified than the noisy chaos of the student cafeteria.
There were only low murmurs of professional conversation, the gentle clink of plates and spoons, and the rich aroma of strong coffee drifting from thermoses on other tables.
After a brief but carefully weighed discussion with the cafeteria supervisor about their already fragile reputation should they be seen together in public areas, a special permission was finally granted.
They were allowed to use this facility under one strict condition.
Their time was limited.
No more than twenty minutes.
A concession that also served as a reminder of their position at the edge of academic norms.
On the white ceramic plate before him, Theo had just finished a full serving of meatballs with chicken noodles.
The savory broth still left warmth on his tongue, yet a hollow insistence in his stomach told him it was not enough.
By reflex, his palm rubbed over his flat abdomen, a wordless gesture of hunger yet unsatisfied.
His thoughts, which soon would have to return to the larger plan of safeguarding tomorrow's date, briefly wandered to the idea of getting another portion, before being halted by the looming time limit.
Then, from across the table, the question came.
Aldraya's voice rose, clear and flat as always, cutting through the relatively comfortable silence between them.
She asked, with direct and unadorned phrasing, about the truth of a certain piece of information.
Was it true that she would not be invited to travel with Theo the day after tomorrow?
"This isn't about me wanting to distance myself from you, Aldraya.
But if you come along, Erietta might recognize you.
And if that happens, Ilux and Erietta's date could fall apart."
The dim cafeteria lights highlighted the subtle change in Theo's face.
Any faint smile or relaxed expression that might have lingered after the earlier touch on her cheek evaporated instantly.
His face grew slightly gloomy, replaced by the shadow of worry and a returning burden.
Aldraya's question was not unexpected, yet the truth he had to speak still tasted bitter on his tongue.
He raised a hand, fingers threading into his hair—perhaps already slightly disheveled from the day—and scratched his head slowly, heavily.
The motion was a pause.
An attempt to assemble the right words while delaying the moment he would have to hurt feelings, or at least disappoint the hidden expectations of the figure sitting across from him.
Then, with a voice lower and heavier than before, Theo began to explain.
He firmly denied any intention of abandoning Aldraya.
The very word "abandon" felt harsh and unjust, and he wanted to correct it immediately.
His emphasis lay on Aldraya's importance, not on any desire to cast her aside.
Yet his explanation soon veered into an unavoidable minefield of logic.
The core issue, he said, lay in the risk of recognition.
If Aldraya were to join his scouting expedition the day after tomorrow, there was a very real—perhaps even high—chance that Erietta would recognize her.
That recognition, however small, would be like a pebble dropped into a still pond.
The ripples could trigger questions, suspicion, or attention that was entirely unwanted.
Erietta, with her complicated background and keen perceptual network, might sense something amiss.
And in a crucial moment like a date, where every second of closeness between Ilux and Erietta needed to grow undisturbed, a suspicious presence could become a disaster.
"Is my burden truly that great? That even a human as insignificant as Erietta could recognize me, even if I am disguised and standing close to you?"
'I'm sorry… truly, Aldraya.
I don't even have the right to string words together in my defense. Because in the end, everything I say will only sound like meaningless excuses.'
Hooooh!
'Am I staring at this bowl because I'm hungry?
No. It's because I can't bear my guilt when I look at you. Because the bitter truth remains: I deliberately chose not to invite you to help watch over their date. And there is not a single sentence in this world that can change that fact.'
Aldraya's gaze pierced sharply, not shifting even slightly from Theo's darkening face.
The next question that slipped from her thin lips sounded flat, yet carried within it a profound logical challenge.
To be continued…