The dim glow of the academy garden's streetlights cast long, eerie shadows over the scene.
Noah's golden eyes, sharp and unrelenting, locked onto Maya's purple ones.
His gaze was so intense, it seemed to pierce straight through her.
Inside, a storm of curses raged in his mind, vulgar and venomous.
'...She actually tried to kill me...'
'You conniving little bitch—!'
Noah's gloved hand clenched under the table.
Though his expression betrayed nothing.
Cursing himself just as much as her.
'I underestimated her.'
'... This is a level of audacity I didn't think she had.'
'I knew she wanted to kill me...but... I-I didn't think she would reay try to-'
He could feel it now.
The poison coursing through his veins, spreading like wildfire.
A sharp pang in his chest reminded him of the reality of his situation.
And then, the system flickered.
[System Notification]
『Magic Nullification (Curse Stigma) Activated.』
「Magic-based effects from poison detected. Nullification in progress.」
Relief washed over him briefly before the system added.
[System Notification]
「Time required for complete nullification: 24 hours. 」
'Of course, there's always a downside...'
Noah thought bitterly, his teeth gritting behind a calm facade.
「Negative effects of terminal illness detected. Life force decreased by 4 days.」
Noah's stomach churned with fury.
Just because this viper decided to lace her tea with poison?'
The system, as if enjoying his misery, wasn't done.
「Penalty for narrative failure: Consumption of poison laced by a major character.」
「Life force decreased by 3 days.」
'Seven damn days shaved off my already short lifespan because I let my guard down. Goddammit!'
But outwardly, he remained composed.
His fingers relaxed around the porcelain teacup.
And to Maya's utter disbelief, he raised it to his lips and took another sip.
Her wide eyes were locked on him.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her arms beneath the table.
The killing intent radiating from her had been suffocating, enough to make even a seasoned mage collapse.
But now, there was something else in her eyes—
Noah set the teacup down with deliberate care.
The soft clink of porcelain against the saucer breaking the tense silence.
"What's with that expression?"
He asked smoothly, his voice carrying a lilt of mock curiosity.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
Her gaze darted to his cup, then back to his face.
As though trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
Anyone would be shocked, Noah thought dryly.
'Imagine poisoning someone and watching them gulp it down like it's their favorite drink.'
He leaned back slightly, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk.
Under the table, he tapped his shoe against her leg.
Maya flinched, her body jolting ever so slightly.
Slowly, her purple eyes rose to meet his, filled with a mix of disbelief and something that bordered on fear.
It wasn't a warm smile.
It wasn't even mocking.
It was a smile that said, "You will always be incompetent... no matter how hard you try."
Maya's hands clenched tighter under the table.
She finally whispered, her voice strained.
But he raised a gloved hand to stop her, tilting his head slightly as he began to speak.
His tone was casual, almost conversational, but every word was laced with a subtle edge.
"Have you ever heard the story of the lumberjack and the wolf?"
Maya's brow furrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"The lumberjack was a man of determination..."
Noah continued, his voice smooth as silk.
"Every day, he went into the forest with one goal...
To kill the wolf that had been feeding off his sheep.
The wolf, cunning and quick, always managed to escape.
But the lumberjack never gave up.
He sharpened his axe, set traps, and even enlisted the help of hunters to track it down."
He picked up his teacup again, swirling the liquid idly.
"But the wolf was no fool...
It knew the forest better than anyone.
And it knew the lumberjack's movements before he even made them.
One day, the lumberjack became careless, too focused on his prey to notice the trap he'd walked into."
Noah's golden eyes flickered toward Maya, watching her every reaction.
"You see, the wolf had been watching him all along...
...waiting for the perfect moment.
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"The wolf didn't just escape.
It turned the tables, leaving the lumberjack to bleed out in his own trap."
He set the teacup down again, leaning forward ever so slightly.
"The moral of the story?
Don't let your desperation blind you.
Otherwise, you might find yourself in a situation where the hunter becomes the hunted."
Maya's jaw tightened, her purple eyes narrowing as she tried to maintain her composure.
Noah raised his cup to his lips again, ignoring the barrage of system notifications that flashed in his mind.
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
The messages kept coming, each one identical, each one hammering the same point home.
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
Noah's lips curled into a wider smile.
The poison tasted bitter now, its effects growing stronger with each sip.
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
[System Notification]
「 Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear but from the adrenaline coursing through him.
[System Notification]
「 Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
[System Notification]
「Warning: Additional poison intake detected.」
Setting the cup down, he stood, his movements slow and deliberate.
The chair scraped softly against the stone floor as he pushed it back.
He said, his voice calm and polite.
"...thank you for the tea, Maya.
And you, of course, for your hospitality."
He nodded toward her maid, who stood stiffly to the side, her expression unreadable.
Her eyes locked on him as though she couldn't quite believe what had just happened.
Noah turned to leave, his black blazer swaying slightly with each step.
But before he disappeared into the shadows, he glanced back over his shoulder.
The look in her eyes—the mix of shock, frustration, and something dangerously close to fear—was utterly satisfying.