The next day, Koul woke up earlier than he used to, still excited and stressed free after his time with Hera.

He washed up in the wooden bath placed in the smaller room within his room known to be his bathroom.

"Everything better go well today 'cause I plan on focusing on Hera's smile to keep me going hehehe."

He spiffed himself up in the mirror, combed his hair and put on his clothes. Then he headed out to the dining hall for breakfast

Mindless of the judging eyes that always trailed him, Koul went to the counter to get his meal. As he carried his meal back in a tray, he swept his gaze toward the far end of the dining hall.

There, several professors, both male and female, gathered around a table. Koul's eyes zeroed on Hera.

She seemed to be conversing amicably with the other professors as she was smiling brightly.

I'm glad she's getting along so well with them, Koul smiled, feeling proud.

His eyes remained locked on her, his face brimming with pride. But after a moment, he regained himself.

What am I even saying? It's Hera, of course she will get along well with them.

In an instant, Koul's eyes slowly narrowed. They turned cold as they remained gazing forward. He'd been feeling a gaze on him ever since he entered the dining hall.

At first, he thought it was among the judging eyes so he really didn't care. But the gaze had remained piercing his back for a long time now.

He turned slowly and carefully, and scrutinized the area behind him. His eyes met Marie's who immediately turned away after being caught staring.

She was sitting with two other girls. She covered her face with her palm to hide away.

Hmm? It's just her, Koul eyes lingered on her.

Why does she keep staring though? Has she never witnessed a sex scene before?

With a soft sigh, he went to an empty table to eat his meal.

Even when Marie kept making glances at him, he ignored it.

After breakfast, everyone went to class to start the day's lecture.

The professor teaching that day was professor Panen. Before he started, he told Koul he was free to leave as he wasn't a talented so it wouldn't matter whether he stayed to learn or not.

But Koul didn't want to give in to what the professor wanted. He decided to stay back just to make the professor keep seeing his face even if he didn't want to.

After a few hours of teaching and practicing their magic and abilities, Koul started feeling drowsy.

He was the only one excluded from the magic practices and theories. But he knew he needed to remain in class so Kanstiv could carry out the plan.

After professor Panen left, professor Hera came in. Her job was to counsel the students who had grown tired from the complicated theories and practices of magic.

She was to have a chat with them and lift their spirits.

As soon as she entered, the indecent comments started. The male students leered lustfully at her and gossiped about her body.

But Hera, as always, remained smiling and chatting properly with them.

Marie, on the other hand, kept stealing glances at Koul and Hera at intervals. She was questioning what relationship could be between them.

Did they know each other initially? She wondered.

Before long, a male student raised his hand to ask a question. Hera, of course, allowed him.

"Professor Hera, if it's not too much, would you mind telling us your age?" He asked.

The other male students erupted in a gasp. Most of them had been curious but didn't have the courage to stand up and ask.

The girls in the class were shocked and clearly irritated by this.

Although awkward, Hera maintained her forced smile. She tilted her head slightly and smiled at the boy with her eyes squinted.

"Of course," she said.

"Right now, I'm 34."

Another round of gasp rippled through the classroom. Both the girls and boys were stunned.

"S-she's that old?!"

"She looks so good I thought she'd be younger."

"Isn't she literally a granny already?"

"I thought we could have a chance at her, tsk!"

Hearing these callous things about Hera, Marie was struck with worry. She wondered what Koul would think about such comments and immediately darted her gaze to him.

As expected, Koul's face was tight with rage. Pulsing veins lined his forehead and the air about him was dark.

He was clearly enraged.

Waah! He's getting angry on her behalf! Was it not just a fling? Is there something more important between them?

Marie was like a gossip bystander recording the drama with her eyes. While everyone was busy solely with Hera, she busied herself with catching every expression between Hera and Koul.

Hera's mouth began to twitch from the tense smile she struggled to maintain, a bit of sweat beaded her face.

"O-ok now students, let's be organized now. Please sit, hahaha," she chuckled forcefully.

"Professor, we really thought you were some ageless beauty haha," a student laughed.

"We didn't know you were this old. You're still beautiful though."

"It's okay, professor. Don't be disheartened that you're already old, you still look young on the outside."

HAHAHAAHAH!!

The laughter was loud and grating.

Since they're mere kids ranging from 14-19, it's no surprise they'll consider me old, Hera thought inwardly with a quiet smile.

Although it still deeply unsettled her that she was the talk of the class. Their insensitive comments made her feel quite ashamed of her age.

Since her husband didn't really care for her age, she hadn't really thought about it or cared about it herself.

But now that she was being faced with it, she was starting to worry.

A part of her wondered if Koul would prefer a younger woman like the students. This made pain tug mildly at her heart.

"But professor, since you're this old, you should be married, shouldn't you?"

This question returned everyone's attention. Their ears were wide open to listen. Including Marie's.

"So? Are you married?"

Before Hera could speak, another male student cut in.

"I doubt that, ahaha. Beauties like her don't like being trapped by one man. I'm sure she has more than one man in her grasp."

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Another round of laughter erupted.

From where he sat, Koul's eyes were wide and bulging out in anger. His fist was clenched white, his jaw clenched as tight as could.

He'd been trying to contain it but didn't seem he could any longer.

If the rude and shaming comments were about him, he'd have not cared as always, but this was about his wife.

Anything that would hurt his wives, he will not tolerate.

He moved to rise, but just then, Hera's voice pierced the classroom.

"That is wrong," she said.

She was calm. The forced smile on her face was no longer there, just seriousness like an adult handling a matter.

"I am married," she said.

The swelling anger in Koul's chest shifted a little and joy overtook a tiny space.

He was happy that Hera could publicly admit she was married. He was proud and his admiration for her ignited.

But the students weren't about to stop there.

"Oh? That's surprising."

"Married? I'm sure she's just saying that to calm the situation."

"Or she might indeed be. But I doubt she's committed to him. Probably has many other men in hiding, hahaha."

Koul's ears twitched with irritation. His rage, once again, swallowed the tiny happiness that had mounted his chest.

The students continued.

"Then, professor, did you marry a commoner?"

Hera and the other students were shocked at this question.

"Don't get me wrong, professor. We all know you're a commoner, so isn't it likely that you also married a commoner?"

"Yeah, I think so. The ants don't go out of their nest to marry other insects, anyway."

Hera could say nothing to this. She was utterly humiliated. Not because she was a commoner, that indeed, she was, after all.

It was being compared to mere insects. Right from the beginning, she knew the students didn't respect her as they did the other professors.

And now, she was finally understanding it was due to her background.

As the most mature adult there, she wanted to handle things as calmly as she possibly could. She didn't want to risk losing her job after securing a place for herself.

In the capital, it had always been hard for commoners to get jobs as easily as the nobles. So, to her, this job was like a blessing.

A stroke of luck.

Still, she was deeply hurt from their insensitivity.

"Common professor, why aren't you answering the question? Are you ashamed?"

The harassment continued, everyone shamelessly laughing except for the few who were not comfortable and simply watched in awkward silence.

"Professor, you don't—"

The student's words were cut short the moment a figure appeared before him and shadowed him.

He was the student that had been instigating the rude remarks, the very one with the most comments.

Everyone went silent and focused on the boy.

The boy raised his gaze to meet Koul's cold ones.

He wanted to question why Koul was in front of him, but he hadn't even opened his mouth when a bone jarring punch rammed into the side of his face.

The impact was so forceful it rippled a gust of wind and sent the boy crashing into the nearby seats.

Koul titled his head backward and brushed a handful of his hair back to clear his view.

"I was going to try and handle things amicably to not incur any consequences, but mehn, fuck it. Stand up," he commanded in a tone heavy with authority.

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