“Karina?”
Vanitas’s cold voice reached her ears, startling her.
She turned to see Professor Vanitas, who was standing at the door.
“….Good morning, Professor.”
“Morning, Karina.”
Vanitas stepped closer, setting down a stack of books on the desk.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment.
“Hmm.”
Soon after, the lecture began, and for the next hour or so, Karina forced herself to focus.
She took notes as usual. Observing key points from Vanitas’s thorough explanations, and taking in his teaching methods.
But her mind kept wandering.
The nurse’s words.
The receptionist’s refusal.
Her father’s frail face.
Each thought disrupted her concentration.
When the lecture finally ended, she exhaled deeply, her shoulders sagging.
“Karina.”
Vanitas’s voice snapped her back to attention.
“Yes, Professor?”
He glanced at her, his expression unreadable.
“Stay behind for a moment.”
Once the room had emptied, Karina stood before the desk, clutching her notebook tightly.
Vanitas leaned back in his chair, observing her with the same piercing gaze that always made her feel like he could see through her.
“You’re distracted.”
Karina froze, her lips parting to protest, but no words came out.
“I don’t care about your personal matters, but I can’t have my assistant unfocused during work.”
Karina swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks flush.
“I… I’m sorry, Professor. It won’t happen again.”
Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “It’s fine.”
Karina blinked, surprised that the scolding ended there.
She thought he might chew her out further, but surprisingly, he didn’t.
“Yes, Professor,” she said quickly, lowering her gaze.
Vanitas’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’re dismissed.”
Karina nodded, gathering her things and exiting the lecture hall.
Once outside, she leaned against the wall, exhaling shakily.
“Haaa…. That was close,” she muttered.
But even as she tried to shake off the encounter, her mind returned to the looming issue.
450,000 Rend.
She needed to find a way. And soon.
By the time she returned to her desk, Karina had resolved to work extra shifts at the restaurant.
It wasn’t ideal, but it was all she could think of.
She opened her notebook, jotting down a rough budget plan.
Her pen hovered over the page as she calculated the hours she’d need to cover the advance.
“….”
Her heart sank.
It would take weeks.
“I can’t wait that long,” she whispered.
But what other option did she have?
She rested her forehead on the desk, her exhaustion finally catching up to her.
“I’ll figure something out,” she murmured.
And the days trudged on.
With the pending deadline looming closer, Karina’s work began to slip.
She fumbled with orders at the restaurant, forgetting to jot down specific requests or delivering dishes to the wrong tables.
The staff noticed her declining focus and clumsiness.
“You okay, Karina?” one of them asked with concern on their face.
“I’m fine,” she replied, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Her coworkers didn’t press further.
One evening, after another exhausting shift, Karina gathered her courage.
“I was wondering…” she began, her voice hesitant. “Could I possibly get an advance on my pay?”
The restaurant owner, Mr Han, who was a distant relative of her friend, furrowed his brows.
“Karina, you’ve been working hard, and we appreciate you,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“R–Really?”
Her heart lifted at his words. Finally, a glimmer of hope.
The next day, the owner handed her an envelope.
“It’s not much, but it’s what we can manage right now.”
Karina accepted it with a grateful bow.
“Thank you, sir. Truly.”
But when she counted the money later that night, her stomach dropped.
It wasn’t enough.
Not even close.
She sat at her small desk, staring at the bills and running the numbers again.
No matter how she rearranged the figures, the gap remained insurmountable.
“What am I supposed to do?” she muttered, gripping her hair in frustration.
Her mind spiraled into darker thoughts.
“Sell my body? Sell my soul!?”
The laughter quickly turned into tears as she slumped onto the desk, her shoulders shaking.
She hated feeling this powerless.
“Damn it, damn it!”
She recalled when Professor Vanitas sponsored Ezra Kaelus an absurd amount, feeling envious.
“Gosh…. What am I going to do….?”
***
The following morning, Karina dragged herself to the university.
Her exhaustion was evident to anyone who cared to look—dark circles under her eyes, a slump in her posture.
“M–Morning, Miss Maeril,” one of the other staff greeted.
“….Good morning,” she replied, forcing yet another smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Her steps felt heavier as she approached the lecture hall.
Inside, Vanitas was already at the podium, preparing his materials.
“Karina,” he called, not looking up.
“Yes, Professor?”
“Set up the diagrams for today’s lecture,” he said, gesturing toward the board.
“Yes, Sir.”
She moved autonomously, but her thoughts were elsewhere as she worked.
The deadline for her father’s treatment loomed in her mind, distracting her from the task at hand.
Midway through the lecture, Karina found herself zoning out.
Professor Vanitas’s voice echoed in the background as she stared blankly at her notes.
“Karina.”
Her head snapped up, startled.
“….!”
“Are you with us?” Vanitas asked.
“Y–Yes, Professor,” she stammered, her face flushing.
“Good. Stay focused,” he said before continuing the lecture.
Karina’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.
The students’ eyes felt like they were boring into her, though most quickly returned their attention to Vanitas.
When the lecture ended, Karina stayed behind to clean up the materials.
She moved silently, avoiding Vanitas’s gaze.
“Karina,” he said suddenly, breaking the quiet.
“Yes, Professor?”
“Meet me in my office after you’re done here.”
“….”
Her stomach dropped.
“Understood.”
Vanitas’s office was as intimidating as ever.
Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes and notes meticulously organized.
Vanitas sat at his desk, boring his gaze onto her as she entered.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.
Karina obeyed, folding her hands nervously in her lap.
“What’s going on with you?” he asked, his tone direct.
“Nothing that concerns the university,” she replied automatically.
“That’s not what I asked.”
Karina hesitated as her hands twisted together.
“It’s personal,” she said.
Vanitas leaned back in his chair.”
“You’re distracted. That affects your work, and by extension, my lectures,” he said bluntly. “If there’s a problem, deal with it.”
“I’m trying, Professor,” she said, her voice breaking slightly.
Vanitas didn’t respond immediately, as if pondering on something.
She braced herself for the scolding she expected. Especially knowing her stern superior, and the stories regarding him in the past.
But it never came.
Instead, he spoke again, his tone softer but no less serious. “Now, I’m going to ask you again, not as your boss, but as Vanitas Astrea, what’s the matter?”
“….”
Karina’s lips parted, but no words came out.
Her hands trembled in her lap as she tried to summon the courage to speak.
“I…. It’s my father.”
Vanitas tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to continue.
“He’s in the hospital,” she said, her voice trembling. “He’s been there for two years. He has a condition that requires constant treatment.”
She hesitated, glancing at Vanitas’s expressionless face.
“I’ve been working multiple jobs to cover the bills,” she continued. “But recently, the hospital told me I need to pay an advance for his next round of treatment.”
Her voice cracked as she added, “And I don’t have enough.”
Vanitas leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “How much do you need?”
Karina hesitated, feeling her throat tightening.
“….450,000 Rend,” she whispered, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “That’s the advance?”
She nodded. “The total cost is much higher, but that’s what I need immediately.”
“And your savings?”
“Gone. I’ve been paying for his treatment, medicine, and my own living expenses. My first paycheck here won’t even come until next month.”
Vanitas’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes sharpened, as if pondering something.
Karina fidgeted nervously under his gaze. “I’m sorry, Professor. I shouldn’t have brought this up. It’s not your problem.”
Vanitas sighed, leaning back in his chair again.
“Karina,” he said, his voice calm. “You’ve been doing an admirable job despite your circumstances.”
“….”
She blinked, caught off guard by his words.
Vanitas opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cheque.
Without hesitation, he began writing on it.
Karina’s eyes widened as she watched the amount being written.
“Professor, I can’t—”
He raised a hand, immediately silencing her.
“This is 1,000,000 Rend,” he said, sliding the cheque across the desk. “It’s enough to cover the advance and give you some breathing room.”
Karina stared at the cheque, her hands trembling. “I… I can’t accept this. It’s too much….”
“You can and you will. There’s no interest, nor is there a deadline. Use it as you see fit.”
“….”
Without realizing it, her eyes began to moisten, her vision blurring as she clutched the cheque.
“….Why?” she asked, choking on her own words. “Why would you do this for me?”
Vanitas leaned forward.
“Because I know what it’s like to feel trapped,” he said simply. “And because you’ve earned my respect.”
Karina couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.
She sobbed quietly, clutching the cheque as if it were her lifeline.
“….T–Thank you,” she managed to say between sobs. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me….”
Vanitas leaned back in his chair, already pulling out the book he was always reading.
“Take care of your father,” he said. “And take care of yourself. That’s all I ask. I can’t have my assistant falling apart during lectures.”
Karina let out a wet laugh through her tears, wiping her face with trembling hands.
“I…. I’ll make sure I don’t.”
Vanitas’s eyes flicked toward her briefly, then returned to his book. “Good. And remember, this is a loan with no strings attached. Don’t make it more than it is.”
“Understood, Professor,” Karina said as she rose from her chair, clutching the cheque to her chest.
Before leaving, she hesitated at the door. “If… If there’s anything I can do to repay this kindness, just let me know.”
Vanitas didn’t look up as he turned another page. “Don’t waste your energy on repayment. Your performance in your role is enough.”
“Un!” Karina nodded, bowing deeply before stepping out of the office.
As the door closed behind her, Vanitas sighed, setting his book down.
“Kindness….”
Vanitas Astrea in the past likely never heard that word attributed to him after his Mother’s death.
“….”
He leaned back in his chair, letting his gaze wander to the ceiling.
“Money.”
It was powerful. Powerful enough to change someone’s life. He had used it for Ezra, and now for Karina.
“Hah.”
But as the thought lingered, his lips curled into a bitter smile.
No one had ever done it for Chae Eun-woo.
His so-called friends, his colleagues—they had all abandoned him when he needed them most.
“….”
A low rumble interrupted his thoughts.
“Hmm…”
His stomach grumbled again, louder this time.
It had been a while since he craved Korean food, and the thought alone was enough to stir something nostalgic in him.
Thankfully, due to the game’s developers being Korean, references to South Korea were scattered throughout the world.
“….Guess I’ll have samgyeopsal today.”