The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

*swoosh*

The familiar pull of spatial transfer wrapped around Klein as he left the Spirit Realm.

In the next instant, he was back in Eleanor’s room.

Huh? What the hell?

But he was startled to see the ruined state of the room.

The low table had been overturned with one of its legs cracked.

Several decorative ornaments lay shattered across the floor.

The curtains near the window were half-torn from their fittings, and a chair had been knocked onto its side.

Faint scorch marks and residual traces of uncontrolled mana still lingered in the air.

It’s as if someone lashed out and broke the things in anger.

Klein’s eyes flickered toward Eleanor, who was sitting on the couch, clutching both sides of her head with her hands.

She stared blankly at the floor with disheveled clothes, and she didn’t even notice his presence.

Klein remained still for a second, "...Eleanor?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice.

For a brief moment, her eyes went wide with disbelief.

Her hands slowly lowered from her hair, though they still trembled slightly.

"Klein...?"

Klein glanced around the destroyed room once before glancing at her "What happened here?"

Eleanor hurriedly stood up from the couch and walked to him.

She stopped right in front of him, and her eyes examined his face, his chest, and his arms as if checking for any remaining signs of the condition that had overtaken him earlier.

"Klein, how are you feeling now?"

Up close, he could see the faint redness around her eyes and the lingering tension in her shoulders.

"...I am alright. Don’t worry."

Eleanor stared at him for a second longer and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness..." she murmured.

"You have no idea how sudden it was. One moment you were burning up in front of me, and the next you were gone. I couldn’t sense you properly. I thought-"

She stopped herself and shook her head, exhaling once more.

"I’m just glad you’re safe."

Klein glanced again at the destroyed room and uttered "You did all this because I disappeared?"

Hm? Eleanor’s cheeks colored faintly with embarrassment. She looked away for a brief moment before answering.

"...I may have lost control of my emotions for a short while. It was not intentional."

Klein looked at her for a moment in silence.

The last thing she saw was him burning up from the aphrodisiac before he forcibly teleported to the Spirit Realm.

From her perspective, he simply disappeared in the middle of a medical crisis.

’But why is she so worried about me... she even kissed me at that time.’

’...Does she love me that much? But why? We only had short conversations.’

’All her reactions also seemed genuine.’

His gaze condensed slightly ’Wait... Azara said she can see through the future. Does this have something to do with that?’

’...Maybe something like... she saw her future with me, so she is attached to me?’

’That... is kinda crazy to think about. But it’s possible.’

"...As long as you’re alright," she muttered under her breath. "That’s enough for now."

Klein remained silent for a moment before asking "But why?"

Hm? She looked at him in cofnsuion "Klein?"

"Why are you so worried about me, Eleanor? You even kissed me at that time... We barely even know each other."

Eleanor sighed in her heart as she expected this question ’I knew this question would come. It’s my own fault for pushing things that far.’

’I am such an idiot... why did I kiss him on the lips at that time? I wanted to take things slow!’

She hesitated, her fingers lightly curling into the fabric of her shorts.

For a moment it looked as if she might deflect or give a polite excuse.

Instead, she lowered her gaze slightly and answered in a quiet voice.

"...I fell in love with you at first sight."

Klein stared at her.

-_-

HUH?

He considered several possibilities like political interest, divine orders, curiosity because of his unique class, and even the influence of future sight.

What he did not expect was such a direct and unadorned confession.

’I mean... I know I am handsome and stuff, but still...’

Eleanor kept her eyes slightly lowered and a faint flush bloomed on her cheeks, but she did not take the words back.

Klein’s voice came out slower than before "...Love at first sight?"

Eleanor gave a small, almost embarrassed nod.

"I know how it sounds. You don’t have to believe me immediately. But when I first saw you... something in me settled. And after that, the more I learned about you, the harder it became to ignore."

She finally lifted her eyes to look at him, and her voice softened further "I didn’t... plan on kissing you like that. It’s just everything happened so suddenly."

"I... I am so sorry for what happened earlier."

Klein let out a faint sigh ’Should I tell her that it is her goddess who put the aphrodisiac in the cake?’

’Never mind... it will be hard to explain everything if she asks me how I know that.’

With a soft exhale, he replied "It’s alright. I don’t fully understand what happened either. My body started burning up, so I forced a teleport to the Spirit Realm and got treated there."

Eleanor nodded slowly, accepting the explanation.

She didn’t press further, though the worry in her eyes hadn’t completely faded.

A small, awkward silence settled between them.

Then Eleanor spoke again, "...Um. Your reply? I said... I love you..."

Klein looked at her, and he could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I... need time. I mean, I am happy and grateful for your feelings."

Eleanor’s fingers tightened slightly in front of her, but she kept listening.

"I don’t dislike you. And I don’t think you’re lying. But before this goes any further, you need to know something."

"I already have three girlfriends."

For a brief second, Eleanor only blinked, but then without hesitation, she answered,

"That’s alright. I don’t mind that."

Klein was dumbfounded to hear this "...You don’t mind?"

Eleanor gave a small, almost shy nod "I already told you I fell in love with you at first sight. That feeling didn’t come with conditions about how many people are already beside you."

"If they are important to you, then... I can accept that."

She looked down briefly, then back up at him.

"I won’t ask you to abandon anyone. I just... wanted you to know how I feel."

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