I had mixed emotions, but if someone asked if I had grown fond of them, I would say no. The scummy three sisters hadn’t exactly left a good impression on me, but I did grow fond of the hard-working trainees.

‘I haven’t grown that fond of them, though…’

Obviously, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice myself for them, but I could buy them a meal when they were having a rough time, or I could also give them advice. This was the type of relationship a teacher should have with their students.

Even though I had warned them, I wasn’t really worried.

‘I’m sure they’ll all find jobs.’

That was the thought I had. Excluding Han Sora and a few of the other trainees, almost all of the trainees had successfully joined mid to large-sized guilds, and this was the result I had expected, considering my goal when I taught them. My goal from the start was to train alchemists who would become useful, as there wasn’t a reason for guilds and clans not to recruit knowledgeable alchemists. Even if the trainees’ grades were just somewhat decent, they would still receive guild offers, and the ones with high magic or intelligence stats would have offers flooding in, which would certainly make them scream with joy. Of course, they wouldn’t get paid as much as others with combat-type jobs, but they would still start out with decent pay despite it being a production-type job. As such, they would end up receiving better treatment than a mage who couldn’t use their magic properly.

Incidentally, the majority of trainees who ignored our advice on the first day and chose a combat-type job ended up feeling miserable. Not only did they lack mana, but mages without enough understanding of magic had no place to go, and talentless warriors would just end up being monster food or a beggar.

As a result, an alchemy boom happened in Lindel, and despite the current situation, it was obvious why no one was recruiting Han Sora even though her grades were at the top. It was all because of the rumor about her breaking into Jung Ha-Yan’s magic lab and trying to steal Jung Ha-Yan’s research.

“It’s a sensitive topic…”

People like Han Sora would be rejected by groups. Of course, the truth was that she had used a ridiculously dirty trick on me, but it was more helpful for her to describe the incident this way rather than revealing that she had been trying to frame me for sexual assault. If the truth was revealed to the public, I was sure the guilds and clans that didn’t want to be hated by the Blue Guild would try to kick her out.

‘This is better for her.’

Even though Han Sora hadn’t received any offers during the training period, if she applied and managed to score an interview, her chances of getting accepted would be high, as talented people would always be useful.

“Han Sora…”

Smartie screeched when I unknowingly mumbled her name.

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

I scolded her immediately.

“Hey! Quiet!”

“Kyah…”

In situations like this, it was better to control her instantly. I had the same thought while looking at Jung Ha-Yan, but for people with this kind of nature and attitude, it was better to suppress them firmly from the start.

‘I should write a book about this…’

I finally understood the behavioral pattern of these types of people.

When I slightly frowned, I noticed Smartie trying to read my expression. All I did was shout for a moment, but her large eyes were already filled with tears. I obviously felt guilty. However…

‘As a father, you must be resolute.’

This unknown voice started ringing in my head.

“Dialuria.”

“Pant… pant…”

“It’s okay when it’s just us two or when we’re with Mom, but when there are other people, you have to be careful. If you’re not careful, I can’t stay with you, Dialuria,” I explained.

“Kyah!”

“You’re smart, so I’m sure you understand what Daddy is saying, right?” I asked.

“Kyaaaaah!”

I saw Yoo Ah-Young and Kim Ki-Chul walking this way, and I was worried that Kim Ki-Chul was going to foam at the mouth again, but he didn’t show any reaction. The strong stance I was showing was effective. When I nodded after feeling that I had become a good test subject, Yoo Ah-Young spoke after seeing me.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young!”

The man next to her approached me uncomfortably, but he seemed elated.

“Kya… kyaaah!”

“Hey!” I warned.

Smartie became quiet after I warned her again.

“Miss Yoo Ah-Young and… Mr. Kim Ki-Chul,” I greeted.

They seemed like they were getting along.

‘Yoo Ah-Young can be pretty cruel.’

It was only a little bit, but I got goosebumps after thinking that all of this was just an act. I was sure Kim Ki-Chul thought that he had gotten his girlfriend back, but that wasn’t the case.

“Sir, I…”

“Have you thought about it?” I asked.

“No, not yet…” Yoo Ah-Young replied.

“That’s unfortunate,” I commented.

“Could I give you my answer during the completion ceremony?” she asked.

‘You have already signed the contract...’

Her acting was on another level to the point that it was comparable to Ahn Ki-Mo’s acting.

“Of course. By the way… you are…”

“Hello, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. I’m Kim Ki-Chul. I’m Yoo Ah-Young’s boyfriend,” he introduced himself.

“Aaah, I’ve heard a lot about you,” I said.

“So did I… I heard you have been taking care of Ah-Young. Thank you for looking after her,” he thanked me.

“It’s fine since it’s not every day you find a talented player like Miss Yoo Ah-Young. It was only natural for me to do that. Hahaha… you two look good together,” I complimented.

“It’s because we have had a bit of a misunderstanding recently…” he answered.

When I started making provocative remarks, Kim Ki-Chul started looking at me strangely. He was feeling inferior. He was looking at Smartie, who was growling while hanging from my back, and was envious of the vibe I was giving off with the clothes I was wearing.

‘Tsk, tsk.’

After seeing his face, I finally understood why people considered the jealousy of a man to be disgraceful. When I turned to Yoo Ah-Young, she looked like she was in a good mood.

‘She won’t turn weird either, right?’

At this point, I started to get kind of worried, but in Ah-Young’s case, she wasn’t in the danger zone just yet because in my opinion, this was nothing but a cute revenge. However, I was kind of bothered by the fact that I wasn’t the only person looking at her. The danger, Smartie, was pretty close to her as well.

“Kyaaah…”

That was when the slow-witted Yoo Ah-Young started to move a bit more aggressively.

“So this is the Dialuria you mentioned before.”

“That’s right, Miss Yoo Ah-Young,” I replied.

“S-she’s cute. Can I touch her?” she asked.

Not only did Ah-Young push her chest against me, but her voice had also become higher, and she was obviously trying to signal her sexual attraction to me. I was worried that Smartie was going to become violent, but I guess this amount of distance was fine, as she remained calm. She did start shaking not long after, but she wasn’t trying to attack Yoo Ah-Young.

Kim Ki-Chul actually looked more worked up than Smartie because he was sending me hostile vibes as he looked at me while biting his lips.

“She doesn’t really like it when other people touch her. It’ll be better if you spend more time with her later so you can get close to her quickly,” I suggested.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yes. Are you available tomorrow night?” I asked.

Kim Ki-Chul answered in her place.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young, tomorrow, Ah-Young is—”

“Of course, Mr. Lee Ki-Young!” Yoo Ah-Young interrupted.

“Ah-Young…” Kim Ki-Chul muttered.

“I’m available, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” she added.

“Haha. That’s a relief,” I commented.

“Sir! Since we’re meeting anyway… could I… ask you for another favor?” she asked hesitantly.

‘What kind of request is it this time?’

I didn’t really know what she wanted to request, but I had a feeling of what it was as soon as she asked. She was blushing, and she also seemed anxious from the excitement. I was actually the one who got flustered, as she kept sending me strange signals.

‘Genius.’

There was a saying that vengeance knew no bounds, and this acting where it seemed like we were going to do something sexual was more intense than Ahn Ki-Mo’s acting.

‘She’s really worth recruiting.’

Yoo Ah-Young probably had no idea she had this kind of talent, and I guarantee that if she received proper lessons from Ahn Ki-Mo, she would receive Lindel’s Best Actress award.

“I… really liked the thing you told me about last time…” she added.

‘What did you like? We haven’t done anything.’

My embarrassment from the sudden situation only lasted for a moment, as I couldn’t help but play along with the type of acting she was doing—the kind of acting that pulled people in.

“Of course, Miss Ah-Young. I should be the one to make that request because just being with you is enjoyable for me. I’ll be sure to teach you the things I wasn’t able to teach you last time,” I told her.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yes, but Mr. Ki-Chul is here…” I pointed out.

“No, you don’t have to worry about him. He doesn’t seem to know much, anyway… and you’re a better teacher as well. I’ll see you tomorrow, sir. We’ll head back first!” she said excitedly.

“Okay.”

I would probably just have dinner with her tomorrow and then send her home a little later than usual, but Kim Ki-Chul seemed to be thinking otherwise.

“Wh-What is it? Do you have to meet him tomorrow?” Kim Ki-Chul asked.

“Ahhh… it’s none of your business, Oppa,” Yoo Ah-Young replied.

“What? How could you say that to me?” he asked.

“Why are you being so nosy? That’s called obsession. You’re the one who didn’t want to have a serious relationship, so stop butting into my business,” she told him.

“Ah-Young… still…” he muttered.

I heard them arguing as they started walking away.

‘She’s pretty sly.’

I thought she was a slow-witted dummy, but she understood very well about how to screw people over. Obviously, Kim Ki-Chul sounded anxious while Yoo Ah-Young sounded relaxed and I guess he didn’t have the courage to ask her if she was cheating on him. There was a song about how a wife cheated on her husband, and it was the perfect song for him.

Basically, their positions had completely changed. Not only was he worried that we might express our affection for each other a bit strongly, but he was also thinking hard about the kind of relationship we had. He probably didn’t want to acknowledge it, but it was obvious that he had imagined situations he didn’t want to.

The one thing… I couldn’t predict was…

‘Huh?’

There was another person here; I mean, a dragon thinking the same as Kim Ki-Chul.

‘Huuuh?’

“Kyah… kyaaah…”

Smartie obviously sounded sad, and goosebumps started rising on my skin when I thought about how she could understand our conversation. Of course, I thought that maybe she couldn’t understand the strange atmosphere, but she was smarter than most and was quick-witted as well, so I was sure she had found the situation quite strange. Not only were her small tears wetting one side of my shoulder, but she was hugging me tightly as if telling me not to go anywhere as she continued crying. With that, I immediately started talking.

“D-Daddy isn’t cheating. Really…”

I felt like shit.

“You’re the only one for me, and I’m not cheating on your mom,” I added

No, I was a piece of shit.

‘Shit…’