I Became the Obsessed Ex-Husband in a Romance Fantasy Chapter 153 - Read Online

Translated Chapter 153. TS Side Story - Pursuit (2) To be honest, I liked it very much. It was a highly practical gift, far beyond compare to those cliché and annoying bouquets or perfumes. Furthermore, it was astonishing that a circuit capable of recording and tracing back mana wavelengths was engraved inside such a small dagger. “Hmm…” Dayna once again carefully examined the cloth and leather strap that had fallen to the floor. However, there was absolutely no letter or writing that could identify the sender. ‘Who could it be?’ With such delicate craftsmanship, the person surely belonged to the Magic Studies Department. Or perhaps they had made a special request to the department. ‘I should look into it.’ Dayna expertly stored the dagger, tucked it into her waist, closed her locker, and left. A faint smile, one that she herself had not yet perceived, was slowly spreading across her lips. ** Magic Studies Department Student Laboratory. A place where brainy students who preferred using their heads over their bodies gathered, wearing thick glasses to research complex mana circuits and formulas. There was no idle chitchat. *Scritch, scritch.* Carving circuits to the absolute limit, battling oneself, “Urgh…” “Uhh…” A space full of the groans of those who ultimately lost to themselves. Just then. *Knock, knock.* Someone knocked on the laboratory door. “Yes, come in.” A student sitting closest to the door answered nonchalantly without taking his eyes off his blueprints. Whether a professor or a senior arrived, it was of little concern to those obsessed with formulas. *Clatter.* But the moment the heavy door opened. “Gasp!” “…!” The students' heads shot up as if someone had grabbed the backs of their skulls and yanked. Some let their quills clatter weakly from their hands. Because standing there was a woman of such dazzling beauty that she seemed to instantly purify the stuffy air of the laboratory. *Click, click.* Dayna stepped into the Magic Studies Department laboratory and swept her calm gaze around the room. ‘D-D-D-Dayna Schumichel.’ ‘Wow… I feel like my eyes have been opened. She’s fucking pretty.’ ‘A goddess, a goddess!’ ‘But why is the Ice Princess here?’ Everyone froze in place, staring blankly at Dayna. It was only natural, for this was Dayna Schumichel. If asked to name the most famous person among the current Academy students, she would unconditionally be mentioned first. A predator at the top of the Academy ecosystem, excelling in both martial and liberal arts, as well as beauty. By Dayna's side stood the likely Crown Prince and First Prince Alix, Princess Beatrice, and the kingdom's most eminent high nobles, fortified like an iron wall. To the Magic Studies Department students, who were mostly commoners or lesser nobles, Dayna was nothing less than a being reigning from above the clouds. “Gasp!” And among them, one person was buried in the corner. Rojian Vikandar slammed his head onto his desk the moment Dayna entered his field of vision. *Thump, thump.* Rojian’s heart began to pound wildly as if it were going to burst through his solar plexus. ‘W-Why is Dayna here?’ With something weighing on his conscience, it was only natural for the thief to feel guilty. Packing the dagger and placing it in Dayna's locker had required the greatest courage in Rojian’s entire life. He had looked back several times in fear of being seen, and only after confirming the hallway was empty did he shove the gift inside and flee as if chased. ‘Did she… realize I was the one who gave it?’ Rojian was seized by conflicting emotions. Half of him wanted Dayna to know he was the owner of the dagger, while the other half wanted to never be discovered. He wanted to approach Dayna and speak to her at least once, but fearing her cold disdain and rejecting gaze, he couldn't bring himself to step forward. ‘No, no. Who am I kidding.’ Quietly watching Dayna's shining figure as she swung her sword from afar, gifting her a dagger that would suit her—that kind of unrequited love. That was what suited him best. No, actually, there was one inexcusable sin Rojian had committed. *Press.* Rojian put his hand on his uniform's breast pocket. ‘Surely… not?’ The hair ribbon Dayna had discarded after finishing a sparring match not long ago. Picking it up had been a purely impulsive act. He wanted to keep something that held a trace of Dayna. However, knowing how creepy this action would seem to others, Rojian intended to take this secret to his grave. “Um….” Among the entranced Magic Studies Department students, one relatively brave female student stepped forward, stuttering. “Are you looking for someone?” “Mhm.” Dayna tilted her head slightly and scanned the students with indifferent eyes. Whenever her gaze swept past them, the students unconsciously held their breath. “This.” Dayna pulled something from her waist and lifted it in front of the students' eyes. “I'm looking for the person who made this.” What was held in Dayna’s stiff grasp was a crude dagger without a single decoration. The exact dagger Rojian had made and gifted. *‘Gah!’* Rojian squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head completely into the blueprints on his desk. *‘She really came looking for me…!’* His heart was pounding like crazy, but the corners of his mouth kept trying to shoot upward. He was terribly afraid of this situation, but at the same time, it was so ecstatic that he felt like he would go crazy. Dayna was holding the dagger he made. Just that fact alone made him feel like he had gained the entire world. ‘I guess she liked my gift.’ There was no telling how much effort he had put into making that dagger. Watching Dayna from afar, he estimated the thickness of the sword she usually gripped and the size of her hand. Using that data, he custom-tailored a dagger perfectly sized for Dayna’s hand. And on it, he delicately engraved an auto-recovery mana circuit. Saving up even his eating and sleeping time to do so. It was nothing less than the life's work of Rojian Vikandar, a magic studies student, imbued with his very soul. ‘I hope she uses it well.’ This was the only thing he wished for. Leaving his name in Dayna's memory or giving her a cool impression was a luxury he did not deserve. He just wanted Dayna to hold the dagger and be happy, even for a moment. No, to be exact…. ‘I wish she would only use mine.’ That was his persistent and sticky desire. “Phew.” Rojian tried to suppress his chest, which was heating up from the contrasting emotions. It was then. “Why are you looking for that person?” At the female student's question, Dayna's gaze calmly settled. “Because I have something to ask.” It was a voice as cold as a winter wind, flat and hard to easily read into. “I'm curious why someone made something like this.” It was merely a pure question, but it sounded different in Rojian's ears. *‘Is she asking why I threw this kind of trash in her locker?’* Not knowing Dayna's usual way of speaking and tone, Rojian completely misunderstood. *‘Did it not fit her hand? Or was the auto-recovery delay too long?’* Before wrapping the gift, he had tested and checked it dozens of times. Only after confirming there were no errors did he tie it with a leather strap. *‘It couldn't have failed. My calculations were perfect!’* Rojian's pride suddenly reared its head. If it were up to his heart, he would have kicked off his chair right then, marched up to Dayna, and demanded to know what the problem was. But. *Swoosh.* As Dayna looked around the laboratory as if searching for the dagger's owner, he almost made eye contact with her, *Thud!* Rojian's head was buried right back into the floor. ‘How could I ever confront Dayna.’ If Dayna said she didn't like it, she didn't like it; if she said it was trash, it was trash. ‘My work was far too lacking to meet the Schumichel standards….’ Rojian tried his best to hide his devastated expression and began packing his bag with trembling hands. He did not know. What kind of efforts all the other male students in the laboratory were currently making. *Roll.* Rolling their quills toward Dayna on purpose to sneak a peek at her dazzling figure, “Now where did I leave my research materials….” Sneaking closer to Dayna while pretending to look for something, “Oops, oh my.” Pretending to disassemble and reassemble perfectly fine magic tools, stalling to stay in this space for even a second longer. Without even realizing that his solitary action was actually drawing attention. *Swoosh.* Rojian gathered his things and stood up from his seat. “Could you show me the dagger up close? I think I might be able to tell who it is if I see the pattern of the circuit.” “Here.” While the female student and Dayna exchanged the dagger and conversed. *Trudge, trudge.* Rojian, with heavily slumped shoulders, opened the laboratory's back door and slipped out as if fleeing. Not even daring to turn his head to keep Dayna in his sights. *Clatter.* The moment the back door of the Magic Studies Department laboratory closed. ‘It’s that guy.’ Dayna was certain in an instant. Her intuition, and her instincts, were telling her. From birth, she had to be accustomed to receiving people's gazes. Thus, it was not difficult to notice what was contained within those gazes. When everyone was looking at her with admiration and desire, it was only natural that a single person who did not stand out. “The male student who just left through the back door. What is his name?” “Ah?” The female student was flustered for a moment before answering. “Rojian. Rojian Vikandar.” “Rojian.” Dayna rolled the name around in her mouth, “I’ll be going now.” She reached out her hand to ask the female student to return the dagger. “Huh? Who made this…” “That’s enough.” Dayna left a short greeting and exited the laboratory. An intriguing smile hung on her lips, like a beast that had caught the scent of its prey. ** *Knock, knock.* Someone knocked on the door of the Magic Studies Department Professor's office. *Ahem!* Professor Albert, who had arrogantly resting his feet on the desk, hurriedly brought his legs down. “Come in.” He was clumsily straightening his disheveled collar when he abruptly froze in place. The top student of the Swordsmanship Department and the daughter of the Schumichel Ducal Family, one of the kingdom's leading grand nobles. Dayna Schumichel had entered the room. ‘What is such a big shot doing here?’ In his position of receiving magic stones from Kalmar Mountain, Albert always had to beg the Schumichel Family for favors, a situation he was not very pleased with. Thus, this was his first time encountering this figure of interest up close. “It is the Schumichel Lady. What brings someone from the Swordsmanship Department, who knows nothing but swords and muscles, to my office?” “Hello, Professor.” Dayna approached with long strides, her expression unchanging despite his barbed greeting. *Thud.* Then she placed a dagger right in the center of Albert's wide desk. “What is this? Surely it isn't a gift for me.” Albert deliberately inspected the dagger slowly, feigning composure. Judging by the dagger's exterior, it was clearly not an expensive gift. “Have you perhaps come to the wrong office?” Dayna replied in a quiet voice without batting an eye at his cheap provocation. “I simply wish to know the creator of this dagger.” “This is the Magic Studies Department professor's office, not a blacksmith's forge.” Instead of replying, Dayna quietly picked up the dagger from the desk, *Swish—!* Before Albert could even react, she threw the dagger toward him. “Hiiiiek!” Following the vicious trajectory right past his ear, *Crash!* Albert was startled and fell back gracelessly.

I Became the Obsessed Ex-Husband in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 153