Chapter 83: You’re different

Just as Rhea continued drying Lathel’s hair, a female Judicator carrying a stack of documents walked past the doorway. She had originally intended to keep walking, but the moment she saw what was happening inside, her steps visibly slowed, and her gaze unconsciously lingered on the towel in Rhea’s hand longer than usual.

Rhea immediately turned her head.

"Something?"

The woman startled, hurriedly raised the documents in her hands, and replied, "A report from the chapel."

"Put it on the desk."

"Yes."

The female Judicator quickly walked inside, placed the documents in the correct position, then turned around to leave. However, just before the door closed, she still could not resist looking back one more time.

Lathel noticed.

Naturally, Rhea noticed too, so she immediately asked, "What is there to look at?"

The woman stiffened and hurriedly shook her head. "Nothing, Judicator."

"Then get back to work."

"Yes."

The door quickly closed.

Only then did Pandora whisper inside Lathel’s head:

"Your subordinate seems to be witnessing something very rare."

Lathel remembered Rhea voluntarily removing her glove to hold his hand in the chapel, then looked at her right hand, which was still bare.

That hand was currently holding the towel beside his head, while Rhea herself seemed to feel that there was nothing unusual about it at all.

Perhaps Pandora was right.

Lathel was still thinking when Rhea shifted the towel, and her fingertips accidentally brushed against the edge of his ear, making him flinch slightly.

She immediately stopped and looked down at his face.

"Does it hurt?"

Lathel shook his head.

Rhea watched him for another moment before continuing, but her movements were clearly gentler than before.

When she pulled the towel from behind his head to the other side, her fingertips accidentally brushed the hair near his temple again.

This time, Lathel did not move away.

He only instinctively tilted his head slightly, causing the distance between them to shorten without either of them realizing it.

Rhea seemed to notice as well, but she said nothing and simply continued drying the remaining damp hair.

Pandora slowly hummed:

"Oh..."

Lathel immediately warned her inwardly:

’Don’t.’

"I haven’t even said anything."

’Then keep it that way.’

Pandora laughed softly but finally fell silent.

Only when Lathel’s hair was almost completely dry did Rhea fold the towel and return to her desk.

A subordinate immediately pulled a chair over for Lathel to sit opposite her.

Then another person brought in tea, placed one cup in front of Rhea, and prepared to put the second one down for him.

The moment the saucer touched the table, Rhea glanced at it.

"Change it."

The subordinate paused.

"Judicator?"

"There’s a water mark."

Lathel followed her gaze.

Only then did he notice a tiny drop of water at the edge of the saucer, so small that almost no one would have noticed unless they deliberately looked for it.

The female Judicator did not ask further.

She immediately replaced the set before leaving.

Only then did Rhea open the report that had just been delivered and continue working as though what had happened was perfectly normal.

Lathel also began paying closer attention.

It was not only the teacup.

Every stack of documents brought inside had to be placed in a fixed position on the desk.

Anyone who had just returned from outside had to use cleaning magic on their shoes before entering the room.

Rhea even had a separate cloth to wipe her hands every time she touched a wax seal.

When a pen accidentally fell onto the floor, she merely stared at it for several seconds before telling a subordinate to bring her another one.

Lathel observed all of this.

Then he remembered everything that had happened since morning.

Rhea had knelt directly on the bloodstained, dusty floor of the chapel to examine him.

After that, she had voluntarily removed her glove to hold his hand.

She had peeled shrimp with her bare fingers, applied medicine to his neck, and personally dried his hair.

It was not that she did not have an obsession with cleanliness.

On the contrary, it was worse than Lathel had imagined.

He lowered his gaze toward his own hand for a while before slowly raising it.

Rhea almost immediately looked away from the report and toward him.

Lathel used sign language very slowly.

You hate touching dirty things?

Rhea observed the movements and nodded.

"Yes."

Lathel looked slightly surprised that she had understood immediately this time.

After a brief hesitation, he continued:

Then why don’t you mind touching me?

Rhea watched his hands for quite a while but did not answer immediately.

Lathel had already prepared himself to hear something like, "You want me to touch you more."

Yet several seconds passed, and the woman in front of him remained silent.

She slowly looked down at her ungloved right hand, then raised her eyes toward him again.

"You’re asking why I don’t think you’re dirty?"

Lathel nodded.

Even Pandora fell silent.

This time, Rhea truly understood.

She leaned slightly against the back of her chair, her gaze still fixed on Lathel.

There was no obvious embarrassment or confusion on her face, but the silence lasted longer than usual, suggesting that perhaps even she had never seriously thought about this before.

Finally, Rhea said:

"I don’t know. I don’t like touching other people, and I don’t like other people casually touching me either. Blood, sweat, dust, or food getting on me all make me uncomfortable. Every time I handle a corpse, I usually need to bathe for a long time before I can sleep."

Lathel listened in silence.

Rhea looked directly at him and continued in the same calm voice as before:

"But you’re different."

Only one simple sentence.

No further explanation.

Nor did she try to turn it into a confession.

Precisely because of that, Lathel found it even harder to know how to react.

Pandora slowly hummed:

"Oh..."

Lathel asked inwardly:

’What?’

"Nothing."

’What were you about to say?’

"I just think this woman seems dangerous in a different way."

Lathel ignored her and looked at Rhea before using sign language.

Thank you.

Rhea watched carefully, and the corners of her usually cold eyes seemed to soften slightly.

"There’s no need to rush."

Lathel froze.

Rhea continued:

"I already said I would give you a chance."

The atmosphere that had softened for a moment immediately disappeared, causing Pandora to burst out laughing inside his head.

"Hahaha! I knew it!"

Lathel immediately signed again, this time even more slowly.

I only said thank you.

Rhea watched very carefully before calmly nodding.

"I understand. You’re thanking me for giving you a chance."

Lathel stared at her for several seconds.

Then both his hands slowly lowered.

No more explaining.

Rhea frowned slightly.

"That’s not right?"

Lathel shook his head.

Not because she was right.

He had simply given up.

...

A while later, there was a knock at the door.

A female Judicator entered carrying a small box and bowed.

"Judicator, the paperwork is complete."

Rhea accepted the box, opened it to check, then pushed it toward Lathel.

Inside was a silver card he had never seen before.

His name had already been engraved on its surface along with the emblem of the Church’s Magic Academy.

"Take it."

Lathel reached out to accept it, but at that exact moment, Rhea had not completely withdrawn her hand yet.

Their fingertips accidentally touched along the edge of the card.

Both of them paused.

Lathel instinctively started to pull his hand back, but Rhea looked down at where their hands had touched before calmly releasing the card as though nothing had happened.

She continued explaining:

"This is the temporary qualification I mentioned earlier. It allows you to remain within the Academy and access certain public areas while waiting for the examination, but it does not permit entry into the Garden of Eden."

Lathel immediately focused again.

Just from his reaction, Rhea knew what he was thinking.

"I can guarantee your participation in the examination, but Soul-Anchoring Grass isn’t something I can casually take out and give to you."

Lathel nodded.

He had never wanted Rhea to take something belonging to the Academy just for him either.

"If you want to enter the Garden of Eden, you first need to prove that you are qualified to remain at the Academy."

Rhea pushed the documents aside and continued:

"I’ll explain the rest after the examination results."

Lathel used sign language.

When?

"Three days from now."

He immediately frowned.

Rhea noticed at once.

"Too long?"

Lathel nodded.

Leviana was not in immediate danger of dying, but the longer her soul remained unstable, the more difficult recovery would become.

Three days might mean nothing to other people, but Lathel did not want to delay any further when he had already found a possible path to obtaining Soul-Anchoring Grass.

Rhea thought for a moment before saying:

"I’ll check whether your evaluation can be moved forward."

Lathel immediately used sign language.

There’s no need to break the rules for me.

Rhea watched his movements carefully, remained silent for several seconds, then nodded.

"I understand."

Lathel immediately became wary.

Sure enough, she continued:

"You don’t want others saying I’m favoring the person pursuing me."

Lathel: "..."

This time, even Pandora could no longer laugh.

She had to remain silent for several seconds before quietly saying:

"I’m sorry."

Lathel asked:

’For what?’

"I used to think I was bad at translating sign language."

Lathel closed his eyes.

He had decided.

Not tomorrow.

Tonight.

He absolutely had to get a notebook and a pen.

Rhea looked at his helpless expression and asked:

"Tired?"

Lathel shook his head, then deliberately used the two simplest signs he could think of.

Notebook.

Rhea watched carefully.

Lathel continued:

Pen.

Only two signs.

So simple that there was almost no possible way to misunderstand them.

Rhea thought for several seconds before nodding.

"I understand."

Lathel almost wanted to stand up and thank her.

But immediately afterward, she turned toward her subordinate.

"Prepare a room beside mine for him. He just said he wants to stay closer so it’ll be easier for us to communicate."

Lathel: "......"

The female Judicator looked at him.

Lathel looked back at her, his expression practically turning into such an obvious plea for help that the woman had to press her lips tightly together.

But in the end, she still lowered her head.

"Yes, Judicator."

Lathel could not believe it.

Pandora slowly said inside his head:

"I don’t think her subordinate intends to save you either."

Lathel immediately shot to his feet.

Rhea turned toward him.

"Where are you going?"

He pointed toward the door, then used sign language extremely slowly, separating every movement almost completely so there would be no possibility of misunderstanding.

Buy. Notebook. Pen.

Rhea watched carefully.

Finally, her eyes widened slightly.

It seemed that this time she truly understood.

"Oh."

Lathel nearly cried from relief.

Rhea turned toward her subordinate.

"Get them for him."

"Yes."

The woman immediately left.

Lathel slowly sat back down, feeling as though after nearly an entire day, he was finally about to regain the right to communicate clearly.

Rhea looked at him and calmly said:

"You should have said so earlier."

Lathel: "..."

Pandora remained silent for exactly two seconds before laughing so hard she nearly screamed.

Lathel lowered his head and covered his face with both hands.

He truly did not want to explain anymore.

...

About ten minutes later, the female Judicator returned carrying a small black-covered notebook and two pens.

Lathel almost immediately stood up to take them.

Perhaps because he moved too quickly, the notebook slipped from his fingertips the moment it left the woman’s hand.

Lathel immediately bent down.

Rhea reached out at the same time.

Both hands landed on the notebook together, causing the back of Lathel’s hand to press directly against Rhea’s bare fingers.

Both of them stopped.

The distance between them was now much closer than usual.

When Lathel raised his head, Rhea’s face was less than an arm’s length away.

Their eyes met.

Rhea did not withdraw her hand immediately.

Lathel also forgot to move away.

The moment only lasted several seconds, but long enough for the female Judicator standing nearby to unconsciously look elsewhere.

Finally, Lathel shifted his hand slightly.

Rhea picked up the notebook and handed it back to him.

"Careful."

Lathel accepted it.

This time, there was finally no misunderstanding.

He immediately opened to the first page, picked up a pen, and wrote quickly:

[I only wanted a notebook and a pen.]

Rhea looked at the sentence, then at him.

"I know."

Lathel: "..."

He immediately continued writing:

[I didn’t say I wanted to move into a room beside yours.]

Rhea remained silent for several seconds.

"Oh."

Finally.

Lathel felt as though he had been cleared of a false accusation.

But immediately afterward, Rhea calmly said:

"The room stays."

The pen in Lathel’s hand stopped.

Rhea explained:

"My area is safer than the dormitories. Aldric and Kiyome’s teleportation route has not been completely identified yet. If you stay nearby, it will be easier to protect you."

This time, the reason was completely normal.

Lathel looked at her for several seconds before writing:

[Only for safety?]

Rhea nodded.

"Only for safety."

Pandora immediately said:

"I don’t believe her."

Lathel was slightly suspicious as well.

But at least he finally had a notebook in his hand.

In the end, he wrote:

[Fine. Temporarily.]

Rhea looked at the final word and nodded.

"I understand."

Lathel immediately looked at her warily.

But Rhea said nothing else.

This time, she seemed to have truly understood.

Probably.

...

Rhea stood up.

"Come."

Lathel immediately opened the notebook.

[Where?]

"The examination administration office."

She looked at the card in his hand and continued:

"I want to ask whether your evaluation can be moved forward. We won’t break any rules. I’ll only check whether there’s an open slot today or tomorrow."

Lathel read the words, then nodded.

At least this time, he had no reason to refuse.

The two left the Judicator district and headed toward the eastern corridor of the Academy.

Since it was already close to evening, fewer students were moving around than during the day.

The last sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, stretching their shadows across the stone floor.

Lathel walked while testing the new pen, writing a few short lines in the notebook.

Rhea walked directly beside him.

When they reached a staircase, Lathel was still looking down as he wrote and failed to notice the next step.

The tip of his shoe slipped.

A hand immediately grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. ℯ

Lathel paused.

Rhea held him steady before saying in a low voice:

"Watch where you’re going."

Lathel looked down at the hand holding his wrist.

Rhea followed his gaze.

This time, she let go first.

He opened the notebook and wrote:

[Thank you.]

Rhea read it and nodded.

"You’re welcome."

No misunderstanding.

Lathel was so surprised that he looked at her longer than usual.

Rhea frowned slightly.

"Is there a problem?"

He immediately shook his head.

Pandora laughed softly inside his mind.

"Finally, some progress."

Before Lathel could respond, Rhea suddenly stopped walking.

He was right beside her and almost walked straight into her, his arm lightly brushing against hers before he managed to stop.

This time, she did not care about the contact.

Rhea’s gaze was fixed on the end of the corridor.

Lathel immediately looked in the same direction.

A figure had just stepped out from around the corner ahead.

Clean robes.

Familiar hair.

And traces of healing magic still lingering around one arm.

The man also raised his head.

Their gazes met.

Lathel immediately stopped.

Beside him, Rhea slowly narrowed her eyes.

The smile that had been appearing on the man’s face across from them also froze.

Aldric.