If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 102

Chapter 52.1

The locations of the two of them, according to the phone, were so far apart that there wasn’t even an estimated marker.

“Where did they go?”

Although a brief spark of curiosity flickered, Ariel quickly refocused her thoughts. This was a perfect opportunity.

She checked the positions of the remaining two targets.

Racine had been in the same spot since yesterday. It was hard to tell if he was working on research, lost in a book, or simply indulging in a hobby.

‘What could he possibly be doing in the annex?’

Ariel paused for a moment before she stood up and left the room. The building where Lexius was and the annex where Racine was were nearby. If she couldn’t find Racine, she could at least meet Lexius, so she decided to head to the faculty building for now.

She went down to the dorm entrance, and as soon as she mentioned where she was headed, the maid quickly prepared a car for her.

She stepped into the garden and got into the waiting car.

The weather was exceptionally good today. As the car pulled away, she rolled down the window slightly. A soft breeze drifted in, ruffling her hair. Outside, the plane tree leaves swayed gently, looking like pale green waves rolling in. She quietly savored the scenery.

Thursday was a day off with no lectures, so she had more freedom than usual. She might even be able to focus entirely on her goals.

It wasn’t long before the car pulled up in front of the faculty building’s annex.

The central courtyard of the faculty building, near the first building, was crowded with students. Meanwhile, the areas away from the main plaza were much quieter. The annex, tucked away by itself, felt especially peaceful.

Ariel made her way toward the annex, standing solitary among the tall trees.

The annex, made of red brick, looked similar to the other buildings, but it was much smaller. The third building, where she had gone for her magic class on the first day, was about the size of a soccer field with three stories. In comparison, the annex seemed less than a quarter of that size. The nearby first building, as large as a noble’s mansion, made the annex feel even smaller, though its height was impressive.

She walked toward the building’s entrance and gazed up at the tall structure rising above the trees.

While the annex was narrow in size, it soared nearly ten stories high. As a result, it resembled a tower attached to a fortress. To see the top, she had to tilt her head back quite far.

‘What is this place even used for?’

Whether it was used for lectures or something else, the building’s design was far too impractical for large gatherings, making the question inevitable.

Ariel tilted her head as she looked up before stepping toward the door.

The firmly closed wooden door looked as heavy as an iron gate. At its center, a metal-reinforced keyhole sent a wave of unease through her.

‘There’s no way it’s locked… right?’

Unfortunately, her guess turned out to be right. The moment she gave the doorknob a light pull, it made a loud, jarring sound and wouldn’t budge. The door was definitely locked.

Even so, Ariel pulled the doorknob hard. If the lock was loose, maybe she’d get lucky. Hoping for such luck, she tried pushing and pulling it several times, making it rattle, but the door didn’t budge. In the end, all she got was a sore hand from gripping the handle.

She glanced at the red marks on her hand before pulling out the phone she had tucked away in her skirt pocket.

A floor plan of the ten-story building. Racine’s portrait was placed at the very top, almost as if taunting her from the highest floor.

Ariel stared blankly up at the highest point of the annex. Just below the roof, gleaming under the bright sunlight, was the topmost floor.

Was Racine seriously hiding away in there like Rapunzel in a tower? The whole situation was ironic enough to make her think of that silly comparison. With his long blonde hair always in a braid, she almost wanted to call up to him and tell him to let it down. The image in her head made her stifle a laugh.

She found herself smiling without realizing it, but the sight of the firmly closed door quickly brought her back to reality.

‘This isn’t the time to be lost in such silly thoughts.’

She had to figure out a way to get that door open.

Ariel headed to the first building to find the caretaker of the faculty wing and request the key. The annex wasn’t Racine’s private space, but an official part of the academy’s faculty wing. As a student, it wouldn’t be strange for her to say she wanted to enter the annex. If she happened to run into him after that, it would seem completely natural.

But things didn’t go as easily as she had hoped.

The caretaker at the first building’s management office visibly hesitated the moment Ariel mentioned the annex.

“The annex… There aren’t any classes held there, and it’s such a small space that there’s really nothing to see.”

“Even so, I’d like to check it out. I don’t need anyone to show me around; just please lend me the key. I won’t be long.”
 

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