As Fannie poured out her story, she became more and more upset until tears started flowing. She looked so vulnerable and broken that Zack couldn't help but feel a pang of distress, pulling her into a comforting hug.
Holding Fannie close, Zack couldn't shake off the thought of her encounters with level 2 powerhouses. It was uncanny how she always seemed to run into them whenever she stepped out. Maybe it started with her distinct black hair and mask, but Fannie had even changed her mask's design and concealed her hair to throw off any suspicion.
The meetings themselves felt like pure chance. Zack was convinced of it because each time Fannie crossed paths with a level 2 powerhouse, they were busy with something else—exploring a city or battling a group of wizards. Yet, they always seemed to spot her and attack without hesitation.
He was certain they couldn't track Fannie's mana signature anymore. Ever since she hit peak level 1, her ability to conceal it was next level. The Holy Empire shouldn't be able to trace her through her mana signature.
So, what was left? It felt like fate was pushing her to confront the Holy Empire. The confrontations escalated over time. It started with one level 2 powerhouse, then two, and by the end of those ten years, she was facing three of them regularly. It was like, seriously, what the heck?
Zack feared that if Fannie kept pushing, she'd eventually run into a level 3 powerhouse. Heck, he even believed that even if Fannie went into hiding, she'd somehow end up facing the Holy Empire forces.
And it struck Zack that the timing of his departure from the tower lined up perfectly with Fannie's urgent need to advance to level 2. That raised some serious concerns. He had been holding back on giving her the method to advance because he feared it might put her in even greater danger. But then again, he couldn't shake the feeling that even if he didn't help, Fannie would inevitably stumble into trouble.
It was like Fate had brought her to him before, for him to teach. Maybe she'd end up under the wing of some other faction that could offer her the advancement method. The dilemma was, he didn't know if refusing to help would lead her into even worse circumstances.
See, the only entities capable of granting Fannie the method to level up were the big shots like magic towers or the empire. But the conditions they'd slap on it could be brutal, like signing a soul contract and indentured servitude for centuries.
So, he decided to give her the advancement methods. Plus, he had a brilliant plan. If Fannie ran into trouble with the Holy Empire, he could blast their party into oblivion. Heck, he even felt confident he could take on a level 3 powerhouse now. After wiping out all those high-level parties, they could finally live in peace.
In fact, he was thinking of bringing Fannie into the lightning magic tower. Now that he was a level 2 wizard, he had the authority to bring anyone in and give them the tower's badge without the whole soul-contract nonsense.
The tower trusted Zack not to bring anyone who could pose a threat, thanks to the stronger contract on level 2 powerhouses. But that contract stuff didn't apply to him.
Of course, if Fannie planned to formally advance through the tower, she'd need to sign a contract with the tower. But she didn't have to do that since he could give her the method himself. Zack is unique in that he could bypass the contract. Other wizards, even level 1 ones, couldn't share the advancement method from the tower with others.
Anyway, shifting gears back to Fannie, she had calmed down a lot by now, but from her breathing and heartbeat, it was clear she hadn't drifted off to sleep. So why was she still clinging to him? When he tried to gently pry her hands from his neck and pull away, she just held on tighter. Then, in a soft, muffled voice, she asked, "Can you let me stay like this until we fall asleep?"
Zack's heart skipped a beat at Fannie's request. Why did she sound a bit flirtatious? Was she trying to act all cute with him? And did her question mean she wanted to sleep with him? Not like, you know, adult stuff, just normal sleeping together, but still... His face felt like it was on fire, and he mentally scolded himself to snap out of it.
'Wake up, Zack. You'll obviously just take advantage of her. Not to mention that she's in a fragile state; if you agree to her, then you'll just be taking advantage of her without her consent,'
He lectured himself silently.
Zack had to admit, if you asked him ten years ago, he'd have said his love for Fannie was like family. But now, seeing her after all this time and how she had blossomed into this stunning beauty with the most enchanting face he'd ever seen, he couldn't help but waver. Yet, he still didn't know if the love Fannie felt for him was romantic, familial, or just gratitude.
So, he couldn't let himself take advantage of her feelings to pressure her into a relationship she might not even want. With a heavy heart, he steeled himself and said, "Sorry, Fannie. We're not kids anymore. It's not really appropriate for a guy and a girl to sleep together," as he gently tried to pry her hand away again.
But her grip tightened once more. And then, out of nowhere, her heart started pounding like crazy. She looked up at him, her face flushed crimson, but her eyes were determined as she said, "But I love you, teacher. Not like a student to her teacher or as family, but like a woman to a man."
Zack was utterly floored. His brain felt like it had short-circuited, and he couldn't even begin to form a response. Confessions were totally uncharted territory for him. He was what you might call an eternal bachelor, never dated anyone, and romance was just not part of his life plan.
Like most kids in his community, he was just waiting for his parents to arrange a marriage for him. He didn't expect much, just hoped the girl wouldn't be too bad. But before he could even meet anyone, he ended up kicking the bucket. In a pretty pathetic way too—midway through a gaming session. Whether he actually died or got forcefully transported to this world, one thing remained true: he hadn't managed to tie the knot.
In this life, Zack poured everything into magic, holding onto the hope of one day returning to his world. The deepest connection he had here was with Fannie, and maybe it was the best decision he ever made. Just when he was about to bury his newly sprouted feelings for Fannie to keep their relationship smooth like family, she dropped this bombshell.
He couldn't shake the feeling of being unworthy of Fannie. I mean, just look at how he described her—like an angel fallen from the heavens, with eyes that held the entire universe, hair shining like obsidian strands, and skin as fair as the purest snow on the northern peaks.
He mentally slapped himself again. Even though he was overjoyed, he couldn't help but wonder if Fannie's feelings were genuine or just gratitude for him saving her at her lowest point.
Without realizing it, Fannie was looking up at him again, her face still flushed. Watching her, he began slowly, "Fannie, I'm really happy, but..."
Before he could finish, Fannie interrupted, "Teacher, are you single?"
"Yeah, but—" he started to say, but before he could finish, Fannie leaned in and kissed him unexpectedly.
His brain short-circuited once more. He was totally blank. 'Who am I? Where am I? Is this a dream?'
When Fannie pulled back, their faces were so close their noses almost touched, and he could feel her breath on his skin as she spoke, "Teacher, do you think I didn't think this through before confessing? Do you know how much I've thought about you over the past ten years, how much I regret not saying this sooner? I know exactly what I'm doing and what I'm feeling. My feelings are definitely those of a woman for a man. This time, I'm not letting you go!"
She said all of that in a slow and determined manner, though her embarrassment was clear from her red face, all the way down to her neck and ears.
His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't deny it—half of his heart wasn't his from the moment he first laid eyes on her after ten years. And after her passionate confession, all of his doubts vanished into thin air, consumed by the flames of her fervor.
Facing this shy yet resolute girl, he found himself unable to utter a word of rejection. I mean, who could? He resolved to follow and protect her, even if it meant traversing hell itself.
But there was something he needed to do first.
"Cough, okay, I understand. But first, I have something to tell you," his face slowly shifted from his Lucius persona to his true self. His body followed suit, transforming from a normal 1.8-meter man to a towering 2-meter bodybuilder.
"Cough, sorry for hiding this from you, but this is what I actually look like, and my real name is Zack."
He was somewhat afraid to see Fannie's reaction. He couldn't imagine how she felt after he had lied to her for so long.
But Fannie, who had let go of his arms due to his sudden increase in height and muscle, first had a shocked expression with her jaw practically hitting the floor. Then, she snapped out of it and started pounding his chest. "Do you think you can make me take back what I said just by changing your appearance? You're wrong! I'll never let you go! As long as you're single, I'll do everything I can to make you see me, even if you don't love me. Sob, sob... who would even like an annoying woman like me? I even have black hair! Sob, sob... no one will like me."
Zack was initially elated when he realized that Fannie didn't react with disgust or hatred upon learning about his hidden face, but as she started doubting herself, he felt a pang of distress and sadness.
Pulling her into a tight embrace, he mustered the courage to say, "I didn't mean that... I was just scared you'd hate me or take back what you said once you found out I hid my real face from you. I-I love you too." His face burned with embarrassment and cringe, but he couldn't shy away, not when Fannie had bravely confessed her feelings to him.
He knew he had to respond honestly; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to match the depth of Fannie's feelings for him.
Suddenly, Fannie stopped crying and looked up at him in shock, her expression shifting to happiness before she hugged his neck tightly, laughing through her tears. Zack returned the embrace just as tightly. After a while, they both calmed down from the intensity of their emotions and began to feel embarrassed.
With her face buried in his shoulder, Fannie finally broke the silence. "Is this your true appearance, teacher?"
"Yes, I'm sorry for lying to you. I just needed to hide my appearance whenever I left the tower to protect my identity."
"Hmm… I forgive you. But promise me you won't lie to me again."
"I promise."
"Hmmm… now that I forgive you, shouldn't you give me compensation?"
"Sure, what do you want? As long as it's within my abilities, I'll give it to you."
Fannie tightened her hold on his neck and said, "T-then, you have to spend the night with me! We're already l-lovers anyways!" Her voice grew louder towards the end as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
Zack chuckled, scratching his cheek. "It's not that I don't want to sleep together with you. It's just that it might be hard for me to get any sleep with you nearby," he lowered his voice suggestively, teasing her.
"What? What do you mean by..." she began, then abruptly stopped, seemingly understanding something. "You pervy teacher!" she exclaimed, pounding his chest.
If his body hadn't been as strong as that of a level 8 knight, his ribs might've been crushed by the sheer force of her fist.
Then she stopped, bowing her head, before turning her eyes to the side as if she'd glimpsed something she shouldn't have. With a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "You know, I don't mind if it's you, teacher."
He closed his eyes. In that moment, he was grateful to be a wizard, possessing extreme control over mana and body. Otherwise, he might have pounced on Fannie right then and there. This was not good for his heart. Cleansing his mind, he chanted, 'I am Buddha, I am free of worldly desires,' over and over again. After calming down, he opened his eyes.
He now understood what it meant to be innocently seductive, something he'd read about in novels countless times. 'It's fatal, let me tell you.'
Exhaling deeply, purging all evil desires, he said, "I'm just teasing you. It's too early for you to be thinking that. Don't worry, I'll agree to sleep together, but just for tonight."
That night was the most enjoyable yet most torturous sleep he'd ever had. He tried to distance himself from Fannie when she fell asleep, but she always woke up groggily and snuggled back into his chest every time. In the end, he gave up, not wanting Fannie to suffer from sleep deprivation.
He focused on meditation, shutting down all his senses. Otherwise, her sweet scent and soft touch would have driven him crazy and might have led him to do something he'd regret.
The next day, he woke up with bloodshot eyes.