Betrayed, I Knocked Demon Lord's Door - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

"Mr. Radford, I—I owe you an apology for doubting you earlier," Bob said.
"Relax, kid. Water off a duck's back." Leon waved dismissively, his laid-back grin unchanged.
No one would peg his slacker demeanor as belonging to a big shot.
Leon reckoned he wasn't petty enough to hold a grudge over harmless doubt, especially when Bob was so polite.
Plus, Leon was in too good a mood. Finally, enough cash for that e-scooter he'd been looking forward to.
Then his smile faltered.
'Wait. If I got the e-scooter… I'd lose the excuse to ride the crowded bus with Caitlyn. No more "accidental" physical contact in the packed aisles,' Leon thought.
"Ah, screw it. I have the cash, so might as well buy it," Leon sighed dramatically. "At least I won't choke on Omnibus fumes anymore."
"Life was all about trade-offs. No man walks both the Moonlit Path and the Bloodroad," he murmured.
"Mr. Radford? Did you say something?" Bob tilted his head.
Leon shook his head. "Nothing. Just philosophizing."
Saria gaped at Leon's freshly minted S-Rank Hunters' Mark, then at the man himself laughing with Fletcher.
Her expression turned complicated. 'Wait, is this really the big shot Leon?' Saria thought.
Saria abruptly yanked Bob into a headlock, ignoring his yelp. "Bob," she hissed, jerking her chin at Leon. "Is Leon really that badass?!"
"He solo'd a dozen A-Rank hunters like they were cardboard cutouts! Also—Saria, let go—" Bob's face burned crimson, his entire body radiating enough heat to fry an egg.
Saria cackled, tightening her grip and ruffling his hair into a bird's nest. "Look at you, blushing like a virgin at a succubus party!"
Leon strode out of the Guild of Hunters, ignoring the stares prickling his back.
'Fletcher's overly friendly demeanor confirmed his suspicions—Kathleen's puppet, no doubt.' Leon thought.
One headache remained: to enter the Abyssal Rift for beast hunting, he needed a registered squad. Some bureaucratic nonsense about "mutual accountability" and "bereavement benefits."
"Wonder if Caitlyn ever bothered registering," Leon murmured.
Leon paused, tilting his head to study the sliver of sky between skyscrapers. The crisp air tasted like freedom—and impending poor decisions.
"Time to buy that e-scooter." Leon said.
At Ekavine Academy, Caitlyn's first lecture for the new class was drawing to a close. She paused to sip from her water bottle.
The classroom was so silent it might have been empty—save for the frantic scratching of pens as students scribbled notes with near-religious fervor.
Turning toward the window, Caitlyn watched the sunset filter in, its light mellowing from midday's blaze to a warm, drowsy glow.
A faint sense of melancholy lingered in the air, and she furrowed her brow unconsciously.
Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. Caitlyn turned sharply toward the door. It remained shut, motionless.
The students froze when their ice-queen professor smiled. Not the sharp, dangerous smile they'd come to fear, but something fragile and luminous, like a night-blooming cereus unfurling under sudden moonlight.
Even her crimson eyes, usually as cold as glass, shimmered with unexpected warmth.
'Gods, she's beautiful,' thought a dozen minds in unison. 'But why she smile?'
'Could a mere door elicit such a reaction from our intimidating—respected professor?' they wondered.
The bell rang.
The dismissal bell shattered the spell. Caitlyn blinked, her expression smoothing back into its usual frost. "Class dismissed."
Caitlyn moved toward the exit with measured strides, unaware of how her fingers trembled against the doorframe or how the fading light gentled the edges of her silhouette.
Leon leaned against the hallway railing, idly watching students swarm the courtyard below like ants at a picnic.
The door's creak snapped his attention backward—and there Caitlyn stood, silver hair haloed in sunset gold, her usual frosty demeanor softened by the dying light.
"Hey there, Professor Morrow." Leon pushed off the wall, his grin widening. "Rough day molding young minds?"
Caitlyn fixed him with a stare colder than a wintergrave crypt. For three agonizing seconds. Then—
A laugh escaped her, bright and sudden as a struck match. "Must you always lounge like a stray tomcat?"
Caitlyn spun toward the stairs, the tips of her ears burning pink. "I'll revoke your teaching assistant title if you keep this up."
Leon fell into step behind her, smirk audible. "You smiled. Admit it."
"I did no such thing."
"Adorable."
"Shut up!"
Caitlyn's voice was a mix of irritation and embarrassment, but Leon followed cheerfully, his gaze lingering on her pink ears.
'Yep, absolutely adorable.' Leon mused. He'd never hesitate to praise beauty
Inside the classroom, students exchanged glances.
'So that's why,' they thought. 'Our ice-cold professor suddenly looks like a lovesick girl!
'Turns out it's really her husband coming to pick her up...Wait, no—according to Professor Morrow, they're just friends.
'Come on! He's thoughtfully waiting at the door to walk her home after work, and they're still calling it friendship?
'Do they really think everyone's an idiot? Who'd believe that?'
At No. 3 Canteen, Caitlyn and Leon sat in silence for a moment.
As Caitlyn dabbed her lips with a napkin, fixing Leon with that unreadable crimson stare. "How long did you wait?"
"Outside your class?" Leon leaned back, feigning nonchalance. "Couple minutes. Maybe three."
"I never asked you to stay." Caitlyn's voice softened almost imperceptibly. "You could've gone home."
Leon's nose scrunched in mock outrage. "I'll loiter wherever I damn please! By the way, campus food's cheaper than your fancy canteens anyway."
A beat. "And I wasn't waiting for you. Don't flatter yourself, Miss Morrow."
Caitlyn's lips quirked. 'So cute when flustered,' she thought.
"Done eating?" Leon stood abruptly, ears pink. "Let's go."
"Okay." Caitlyn chirped, visibly pleased.
Then Caitlyn stood up—and froze.
Leon subtly slipped his hand into hers and strode toward the exit, parting the crowd like a warm knife through butter.
'Let you laugh at me earlier! You didn't give me a chance to hold your hand when we came in...Still think you can dodge this?' Leon thought.
Caitlyn stiffened, trying to pull her hand back—but Leon held firm, and the flush on his face seemed to leap to her own cheeks.
'Cheeky bastard.' Caitlyn tugged halfheartedly, her own face now matching her scarlet eyes. 'Always finding excuses for flirting.'
"Got a surprise for you," Leon said as they exited the canteen, still not releasing her hand. He quickened his pace toward the parking area.
Caitlyn stumbled slightly, her heart fluttering with shyness. "What surprise? Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Leon said mysteriously.