DUMBW 03

Chapter 3

The next morning.
I sat hunched over my desk, seriously plotting.

“An arranged engagement…? Absolutely not! But what should I do?”
“Right! I’ll be the one to break it off myself!”

Brilliant idea.
People often say, “A woman whose engagement is canceled is pitiful,” but I don’t care.
On the contrary, if I can get Professor Safir to say, “I can’t stand such a headstrong girl,” then I win.

“Alright! Starting today, I’m going to make him hate me completely!”

Clenching my fist with fiery determination, I marched off to the academy.

That day, I caused chaos in Professor Safir’s class from the very start.

“Hey there, little noble boy ♡ Your mana’s flowing backwards, you know. Lower your hips a bit more—”
“I can’t trust that kind of teaching!”

I shot my hand up dramatically and declared,

“Professor, all your instructions are completely whimsical!”

If there was ever a moment to strike, this was it.
And I wasn’t just picking a fight—what I said was true.
His advice was always based on whims.

The classroom buzzed with murmurs.
For a brief moment, Professor Safir looked startled, but then he smiled sweetly.

“Oh my, such a suspicious young lady. Then allow me to prove it to you ♡”

He casually took my arm and traced the flow of magic with his fingertips.

“See here? It’s blocked. Match your breathing—yes, inhale… exhale…”

“W–Wait, don’t touch me!”

My face flushed. I hated this, yet somehow my breathing began to sync with his…!

The next instant, mana flowed smoothly from my palm, forming a perfect glowing orb.

“…!”

It was the first time I’d ever controlled my magic so effortlessly.

The entire class gasped.

“The young lady actually did it!”
“Professor Safir really is the real deal…”

“Heehee ♡ See? I’m not whimsical at all, am I?”

Professor Safir winked at me.
I was furious—but I couldn’t come up with a single comeback.

After class, I stopped him in the hallway.

“Professor Safir!”
“Oh my, you called?”
“I… I absolutely want to break off our engagement! So, so please—”
“My, how straightforward ♡”

He chuckled softly and waved his hand as if to brush away my words.

“But, my dear, your father’s already made the decision, hasn’t he? Do you really think we can go against that?”

“Ugh…!”

I bit my lip hard.
Seeing that, his eyes softened slightly.

“But you know… don’t worry. I have no intention of ‘denying’ who you are.”

“…What?”

“Whether you’re a woman or a man—it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re you, that’s enough for me. After all, nothing’s cuter than a strong-willed young lady ♡”

With a graceful smile, Professor Safir turned and walked away.

Watching his back, I felt my cheeks grow warm.