My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 38 - Gossip

“Are you really sure you want to submit this, Professor Blackwood?” the chief administrator asked. Before Eric sat the man he respected the most in the academy.

The blond man was still going through the exam paper Eric had arranged and submitted early that morning. He was still struggling to understand what he had just read.

“Is there something wrong with the draft, Chief Lanestor?” Eric asked, his voice as calm as ever.

Lanestor, the chief administrator, shook his head. Rubbing his neck in slight confusion, he muttered, “In the past, most questions were taken from the basic books students study during their early years. But this…”

Eric answered quickly without hesitation. “I was told to keep the questions challenging. It’s not like I need to follow the previous format.”

Lanestor sighed. “You are right about that, and truth be told, seeing so many students from small families get rejected because they lack basic knowledge always breaks my heart.”

With a subtle smile, Lanestor added, “However, you have carefully crafted each question to test whether a student truly deserves to enroll here and is devoted to becoming a warrior. A student’s foundation is—”

“Professor Lanestor, if you believe the question paper is good enough to be passed to the headmaster, may I take my leave?”

Lanestor’s face heated up as he lowered his head. “I apologize for taking your time. I will relay the draft to the headmaster.”

Eric heard the older man sigh, which only deepened Lanestor’s embarrassment, before the violet-haired man left the room.

Once Eric was gone, Lanestor slumped back into his chair and let out a long breath.

After a brief pause, he glanced once more at the parchment in his hand.

With a bright smile, he muttered, “Your place in my respect only seems to grow each day.”

Leaving the administrator’s office, Eric decided to visit the staff room.

He did not have any classes today since the semester break was still ongoing.

Only after the enrollment process began would he need to stay at the academy more often and for longer hours.

‘How unfortunate,’ Eric sighed inwardly.

Charlotte was still recovering, and instead of staying by her side, he had to report to the academy since today was the final day for submission.

Still, after spending some time in the staff room, he planned to head home right away.

…

[Inside the staff room]

“Did you hear?” one of the female teachers whispered to the woman beside her. “People are saying Professor Blackwood, the golden bachelor of the campus, suddenly has a wife and a child.”

Another woman snickered. “That’s a false rumor. I heard Professor Blackwood is already engaged to a marquis’s daughter.”

The third woman, the oldest among them and someone who had attended the visiting day, spoke up. “You gals are truly misinformed.”

Her words drew the others’ attention as she continued. “As far as I remember, Professor Eric came with a young girl on visiting day. She had eyes just like his.”

The second teacher scoffed. “So what? Just because their eyes are the same color, does that mean they are related?”

The older woman shrugged. “Then why would an emotionless man like Eric go as far as expelling three students just because they hurt that little girl?”

Her words made the other two exchange glances, doubt clear in their eyes.

The fourth person in the room, a male professor, finally spoke. “If that’s true, then Professor Eric is going to break several hearts this year.”

The two women who had started the gossip looked slightly embarrassed, while the older woman only huffed.

Just then, someone entered the staff room, drawing everyone’s attention.

They froze in their seats when they realized the person they were talking about was standing right in front of them.

Eric glanced at the four colleagues, gave a brief nod, and took his seat.

The only other man in the room broke the silence. “How was your vacation, Professor Eric?”

Eric set the materials he had brought onto the table before replying. “Productive and memorable, Professor Clarke.”

Clarke Anvil grinned. “I heard you returned early. Was there some kind of emergency?”

Eric wanted to shut him down, as he still had work to do, but the others were clearly eager for gossip.

In the end, he simply said, “I wanted to spend time with my family.”

Those words were enough to confirm the doubts they all had, and two of the women felt their hearts grow heavy.

Eric ignored their reactions and returned to his work.

He had little time these days to focus on research, yet his mind always drifted back to it.

Even while working or talking, he constantly searched for a path toward his next breakthrough.

Just then, the oldest woman in the room, wearing thin-framed glasses, spoke. “Professor Eric, I heard you will be part of the physical assessment this year?”

Eric paused briefly before nodding. “Yes, that is correct.” His quill continued to move as he added, “The headmaster has assigned me the task of enlisting students this year.”

A simple question paper had turned into a heavy responsibility.

Now, he would be overseeing the entire enrollment process.

In less than two weeks, he would need to display his sorcery before the world to test the new students.

Was two weeks enough time to prepare himself to face those eager youths aiming to enter the Obsidian Spire?

The answer was no.

As such, he thought, ‘I must find a few relics to save myself from embarrassment.’

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