Silver University Tower [6]

Upon arriving at the estate, Vanitas headed straight to his office.

He sank into his chair, leaned back, and let out a weary sigh as he glanced at the system interface.

———「Sub–Act」———

◆ Vanitas's University Lecture

「Rewards Obtained:」

◆ Understanding: +5%

————————————

"Haaa….."

It was his first day, but he already felt mentally drained. 

Not from the lectures or the effort of delivering his presentations flawlessly, but from the overwhelming influence of Vanitas Astrea's presence weighing on him.

He had only been in this world for a month, yet some days, it felt as though he was slowly turning into Vanitas Astrea.

At first, the stern demeanor was just an act, rehearsed under Charlotte's guidance to convince the servants.

But with each passing day, it felt less like he was pretending to be Vanitas and more like he was pretending to be Chae Eun–woo.

The cold act felt more natural, somehow.

He even found himself adopting mannerisms he knew weren't his.

For example,

"..."

Propping both his feet on the table.

Realizing he was doing that, Vanitas lowered his feet.

"..."

But it felt uncomfortable.

For that reason.

Tak. Tak—!

He did it again.

"..."

It felt more natural.

In any case, Vanitas pulled the drawer and retrieved a notebook.

Flip— Flip—

On a certain page, it wrote; "Reasons for my Transmigration".

[◆ Perhaps some higher power decided this would be amusing. He might've thought it would be funny to place an office worker inside a cursed body. But why me? Why this world?]

[◆ Did I commit some unforgivable crime in my previous life? This could be karma, a chance to atone for something I can't even remember. But if so, why place me in Vanitas's shoes, where the sins are already piling up?]

[◆ No Idea.]

In the next page, there were magic circles written, formulas to try and recreate the same effect.

However, he knew it was impossible. For what kind of magic was done, it'd be far beyond a Mythic spell.

But the question remained.

"Do I want to go back?"

Without hesitation, Vanitas shook his head.

"No."

Why would he? He practically lived like a Lord here as Vanitas Astrea.

He could eat full meals every day. He had a respectable job. He could do magic.

But most importantly—

"I'm not skinny anymore!"

His body was toned and refined. A complete contrast from his frail, skinny self in his previous life.

And he wasn't about to give that up.

Recently, Vanitas had been focusing a lot on his physique and magic.

With a bit of spare time, he decided to step out of his office for a change.

As he closed the door behind him, Charlotte emerged from the bathroom, drying her hands on a towel.

"Oh, you're home," Charlotte said.

Vanitas nodded. "I am. How was your first day?"

Charlotte shrugged, leaning against the wall. "It was fine."

"Just fine?" he asked, raising a brow.

She hesitated, her gaze dropping briefly before meeting his. "Well, people stared. A lot."

Vanitas frowned slightly. "They didn't say anything, did they?"

"No, but I heard them whispering. About you, mostly."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Oh did they?"

"Do you care?"

"Not really," Vanitas said. "But I care if it makes things harder for you."

Her expression softened for a moment before she straightened up. "It's not. Don't worry about it."

"That so?"

A strange silence lingered. Charlotte seemed like she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

However, as soon as she found her confidence, she spoke.

"I have a request."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to apply for the university dormitories."

"Oh?"

Vanitas was taken aback, raising a brow. Dormitories? Why so?

"Ah."

Then, it clicked.

Of course. The estate.

This house, no matter how grand, was suffocating for her.

For Charlotte, it wasn't just a home. It was a constant reminder of her trauma.

Every corner of this estate held memories of her deceased parents, and of the Brother who had once terrorized her. 

And now, she was forced to live with a stranger wearing the same face, pretending everything was fine.

Vanitas sighed, leaning against the wall.

"You don't need to explain," he said. "I understand."

Charlotte's eyes widened slightly. "You do?"

He nodded. "You need space. A fresh start."

".....Yes."

Vanitas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll put in a good word for you."

Charlotte blinked, as if she was caught off guard by how quickly he agreed. 

"You're… okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked. "If it helps you, then it's the right choice."

Her gaze dropped as her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.

"Thank you."

Vanitas pushed off the wall. "Just don't expect me to visit often. Dorm food is terrible, by the way."

A small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips.

"I'll manage," she said softly before retreating to her room.

Click—

Charlotte shut the door behind her with a soft click, leaning her back against it.

"Haaa..."

She exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from her shoulders.

Sliding to the floor, she hugged her knees.

The conversation with Vanitas had gone as smoothly as she'd hoped.

But still, her chest felt heavy.

It wasn't fear.

It wasn't anger.

It was guilt.

The truth was, she didn't just want to leave the estate because of her past with Vanitas.

No, this time it was different.

While she still felt somewhat uncomfortable living with the impostor, it wasn't so bad.

If she had to be honest, it was way better compared to living with her actual Brother.

It was still hard to adjust, though. Charlotte would flinch unknowingly whenever he starts speaking.

In any case, Charlotte's mind wandered back to the whispers in the hallways.

There weren't many first–years she recognized from her high school days.

Most hadn't even ranked in the top 100 to qualify for the Silver University Tower.

But a few had.

And while most of the new students didn't avoid her, there were familiar faces who did.

But then again, due to the fact that Vanitas was probably their instructor, they weren't outright hostile.

They were polite but distant, as if they were walking on eggshells around her

It wasn't them that truly bothered her, though.

It was the seniors.

The ones who had been taught by Vanitas in the past.

The ones who had experienced the terror Professor firsthand.

When they discovered she was his younger sister, the rumors started.

—Did you hear? Charlotte Astrea is the terror Professor's little sister.

So on and so forth.

The words stung, even if they weren't overtly cruel.

Charlotte didn't blame them entirely.

Vanitas's reputation preceded him, and as his sister, she couldn't escape it.

But she didn't want him to know.

She didn't want Vanitas to think this was his fault.

So, she came up with a plan.

The dormitories were the answer.

Living there would give her the chance to start fresh.

To interact with her peers in a way she couldn't while staying at the estate.

To prove to the seniors that she wasn't like her brother.

She could practically imagine herself meeting her roommate for the first time, exchanging awkward greetings and so on.

She could picture herself laughing with them over late–night snacks, studying together in the common room, and sharing stories about their lives.

She could see herself making friends, joining in their fun, feeling like she belonged.

"Ehe~"

The thought brought a small smile to her face.

For once, she felt a spark of excitement.

It was about finding a place where she could be herself.

A place where she could simply be Charlotte.

She stood, brushing off her skirt and glancing at her half–packed belongings.

Her decision had already been made way before. But, she wanted to test the waters first.

Unfortunately, her conjecture was proven correct as students did in fact avoid her.

With a quiet sigh, Charlotte turned off the lights and laid down on her bed.

That night, for the first time in a while, she slept soundly.

***

During the interval between the break and his first day of lectures, Vanitas had been quietly constructing his own personal training room on the estate grounds.

"223."

Drip.

"224."

Drip…!

Sweat trickled down his forehead, pooling on the marbled floor beneath him.

It was 11:00 PM.

But Vanitas didn't care.

"288."

His breathing was controlled, even as his muscles burned with exertion.

"300—Huup!"

After finishing the push-ups, he switched to planks as he counted in his head.

Minutes passed.

'912.'

After planks, he moved to the pull-up bar next, gripping the metal tightly as he hoisted himself up.

"One."

The bar creaked slightly under his weight.

Once more, time passed.

"146—Huup!"

Vanitas dropped from the bar, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Up next was magic practice.

What set him apart wasn't just his access to advanced spells, but his profound understanding of calculus and science.

"..."

Vanitas closed his eyes at that moment.

Tzz~!

Purple sparks danced across his fingertips as he activated Silent Dominion.

The room was fortified with a magic barrier. It could withstand spells up to Grandmaster rank—as long as he didn't go overboard.

"Beginner level first," Vanitas muttered.

He stretched out his hand, visualizing the mana flow in his mind. 

The circuits were simple, a single loop feeding into itself.

「Wind Blade」

A sharp gust materialized and sliced through the room. It dissipated harmlessly against the barrier.

"Okay."

He transitioned to intermediate Zephyr spells thereafter.

This time, the circuits grew more complex. Each path branched, splitting and converging like the flow of electricity in a circuit.

「Lightning Arc」

Purple lightning crackled in his palm and weaved through the air like a serpent. 

Tzz~!

The energy coiled and struck forward, sizzling against the barrier with a faint zap.

"Good."

He closed his eyes, focusing on the structure. 

Up next were Advanced spells.

Advanced spells required layered circuits. They were equations that intersected, fed back into one another, and looped endlessly. 

Each layer had to be perfectly balanced.

「Thunderstorm Mantle」

A cascade of wind and lightning burst around him. The barrier flickered, absorbing the violent energy.

"Haaa…. Haaa….."

Vanitas exhaled, sweat dripping down his temples.

Next was the Master rank.

The circuits grew exponentially complex, forming three-dimensional grids that spun and pulsed with mana.

Each line was a calculation. Each node was a variable that fed into the next.

「Lightning Cascade.」

A torrent of electrical arcs exploded outward and ricocheted through the air. 

They spiraled before dissipating against the barrier.

Vanitas clenched his fists.

"Now…. Grandmaster."

The final challenge.

The circuits he envisioned became chaotic.

The formula demanded precision he couldn't reach without incantations.

Vanitas inhaled deeply, focusing every ounce of his being.

Closing his eyes, he let the words come naturally, chanting aloud.

"By the tempest's will and the storm's decree, gather winds of fury, unleash lightning's glee—Tempest Rend!"

The circuits aligned. 

A deafening roar filled the room as an immense whirlwind of electricity erupted.

The barrier trembled but held.

Vanitas fell to his knees, exhausted.

"Haaa…. I can't believe it…"

For the first time since his transmigration, after days of deciphering circuits into words, he had successfully cast a Grandmaster spell.

He looked down at his trembling hands, smirking faintly.

"Not bad…. not bad at a—Akh!"

Vanitas staggered, feeling his body growing unbearably heavy. 

One Grandmaster spell had drained nearly all his mana. He felt utterly exhausted.

Additionally,

Drip.

"Ah."

Blood dripped from his nose.

But it didn't matter.

———「Event–Act」———

◆ Cast a Grandmaster Spell.

「Rewards Obtained:」

◆ Understanding: +5%

————————————

"....This cancer won't get the best of me."