The Atelier of the Magic Pen: A Secret Contract with My Teacher
Coco, who just turned 18, has a talent for the 'Magic Pen' that can draw spells. She's now living alone with the great mage, Teacher Kieffrey. He's so kind, and he teaches her so many things. But when night falls, his demeanor changes completely.
'Coco, let's have a special lesson tonight.'
Whenever Teacher touches her, her body gets incredibly hot and her mind goes blank. It's so embarrassing, but she can't help wanting more. As their secret, lewd lessons continue, Coco finds herself falling
The Atelier of the Magic Pen: A Secret Contract with My Teacher - A Cold Visitor — Elise's Smile
How long had she been practicing magic circles?
The sweet scent of ink drifted through the first-floor workshop, same as always. Coco sat facing her parchment, gripping the silver-star pen she'd only just received the night before. Its deep blue shaft, like the night sky, fit perfectly in her fingers.
"Okay, so here I make three concentric circles..."
When she concentrated too hard, her tongue poked out unconsciously.
Each time the pen tip glided across the parchment, the silver lines glowed faintly. She still couldn't infuse them with enough magical power, but the beauty of her lines was second to none. It was the one treasure she had—the thing her teacher always praised her for.
(*I want to get better. Like Teacher.*)
It was the first quiet morning in three days.
Something had changed since that night's lesson. The memory of her teacher's fingers touching her skin resurfaced at unexpected moments. Her chest would tighten with heat, but at the same time, she felt just a little bit afraid.
(*Is this what it means to become an adult?*)
She shook her head. She had to focus now.
Coco took out a fresh sheet of parchment. Next, she would attempt a more complex geometric pattern. She drew an isosceles triangle, then three circles inside it. Carefully, she arranged the ancient characters. She channeled magical power into her fingertips—
—*Clang, clang.*
The front door bell rang.
"Huh?"
Her pen stopped. It was rare for anyone to visit. This atelier stood on a hill overlooking the frontier town of Hasenval, and the entire building was protected by powerful defensive magic. Only familiar faces from town could approach without permission.
"Maybe it's Martha... but today isn't an order day."
Tilting her head, Coco rose from her workbench. The silver ring on her right ring finger glinted in the morning light streaming through the window.
Her footsteps echoed through the stone corridor as she headed for the entrance.
She opened the door.
Standing there was a woman she had never seen before.
Straight black hair that reached her waist. It caught the light, glossy like a waterfall. Her narrow eyes were an amethyst purple, and she looked down at Coco as if appraising her. On her left hand, several rings—clearly expensive—were stacked on her fingers.
The scent of high-end perfume tickled Coco's nose.
"U-um..."
"Oh my. Am I intruding?"
The woman twisted her lips in a provocative smile. Her voice was beautiful, yet somehow cold as ice.
"N-no! Who might you be...?"
"I am Elise. A magic pen artisan dispatched from the Pen Rest Chamber in the royal capital of Aurelia."
The Pen Rest Chamber—the main headquarters of the Magic Pen Artisan Guild. Three years ago, Coco wouldn't have even known the name. But she had heard from her teacher what a fearsome organization the guild was. It managed magic pen artisans and cracked down on violators.
The woman who called herself Elise strode boldly into the entrance without waiting for Coco's reply.
"Kiefer is here, I assume? It's been since the academy, but I never imagined he'd be holed up in a backwater like this."
"The academy... you mean the Royal Magic Academy?"
"That's right. I was his *kouhai*. We were very... close."
At those words, a sharp pang struck Coco's chest.
(*Close... what does she mean by that?*)
Elise glanced at Coco. A cold gaze that sized her up from head to toe.
"Oh my, you're Kiefer's disciple? You're rather... childish, aren't you?"
"I-I'm already eighteen!"
"Oh, are you? But both your appearance and your substance still feel very much like a child."
Elise's laughter echoed through the corridor. Coco's face flushed bright red. She wanted to talk back, but the words wouldn't come.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the second floor.
"Elise... so it was you."
Kiefer's face as he descended the stairs was harder than Coco had ever seen. This wasn't her usual gentle teacher. His eyes were narrowed with wariness, fixed intently on Elise.
"It's been a long time, Kiefer. Ten years, perhaps? Your hair is as lovely as ever."
Elise glided up to Kiefer and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her fingers gently traced a single strand of his silver hair.
Coco's chest tightened painfully.
(*Stop it... don't touch Teacher.*)
"What do you want? Orders from the guild?"
"Well, something like that. But more importantly—shall we talk about old times? Do you remember staying up late together in the academy library, doing research?"
Elise brought her face close to Kiefer's ear and spoke in a whisper, as if putting on a show for Coco.
(*The academy... research? I don't know anything about it. I don't know anything about Teacher's past.*)
The depths of her chest slowly stained black. Coco realized for the first time that this was jealousy.
Kiefer quietly removed Elise's hand.
"The past doesn't matter. State your business."
"So cold. Well, fine. There's still time, after all."
With that, Elise walked off toward the workshop on her own. Coco could only stare at her retreating figure in a daze.
(*What does this woman know about Teacher?*)
---
When she returned to the workshop, Elise was already holding Coco's parchment.
"Oh my. Did you draw this?"
"Y-yes. I drew it this morning..."
"Hmm. First-day level of the academy's basic curriculum. The balance of the geometric patterns is sloppy, and the brush pressure on the ancient characters is all over the place. And you call yourself Kiefer's disciple with this?"
Coco hung her head. She couldn't argue back. She knew herself that she was still unskilled.
Elise's fingers traced over the parchment. Her magically charged fingertips made the silver lines glow for just an instant.
"Eighteen years old and this is your level? No talent, perhaps? Kiefer certainly has strange tastes, wasting his time teaching a child like you."
Heat welled up behind Coco's eyes.
(*That's not true... I'm really trying my best.*)
But her voice wouldn't come out. As if her throat was blocked, the words wouldn't form.
That's when—
"Elise, that's enough."
Kiefer stepped in front of Coco.
"Her lines are more beautiful than anyone's. More than any student at the academy, they live on the paper even without infused magic. They're not something for you to criticize."
Coco looked up. Her teacher was staring straight at Elise.
The smile vanished from Elise's face. Her amethyst eyes blazed with light.
"...I see. So you're that invested in this child."
"Coco is my disciple. It's not your place to comment."
For an instant, Elise bit her lip. But she quickly plastered on her cold smile again.
"Fine. But my mission isn't finished yet. I'll be staying here for a while."
Coco's heart lurched.
(*Staying...? This woman is staying here?*)
Kiefer nodded silently. Even Coco understood that he couldn't refuse. A dispatch from the guild carried that much weight.
Elise turned toward Coco. Her eyes narrowed as if in triumph.
"I look forward to your cooperation, little girl. I'd appreciate it if you didn't get in my way."
Coco couldn't say a word.
---
Evening came.
Elise was shown to the guest room on the second floor and disappeared, saying she would rest until dinner. Coco remained alone in the workshop, clutching her silver-star pen.
(*I'm useless. I couldn't say anything back.*)
The magic circle on the parchment was blurred with tears.
---
Night fell.
In her room, Coco lay in bed, pulled the blanket over her head, and trembled.
From beyond the wall—her teacher's bedroom—she could hear two voices.
"Those days were truly so much fun, weren't they? Staying up all night researching magic circles, then sneaking out together in the morning to buy bread—do you remember?"
"...I remember."
"You used to laugh so much back then. Now you don't laugh at all. Did something change after you came to this frontier?"
(*Stop it... please stop...*)
Coco pressed her face into her pillow. She wanted to block her ears, but she couldn't help hearing.
Her teacher's past—memories shared only between the two of them, stretching back before she was even born. She couldn't enter that space.
"Hey, do you remember? That night we drew a forbidden magic circle together in the basement—"
"Elise, that's not something to discuss now."
"Oh my, would it be a problem if that child overheard? Because she's your precious disciple?"
Elise's laughter rang out again. A woman's voice, like the chiming of bells.
Coco curled up on the bed.
(*Those special lessons with Teacher... does he do those with her too?*)
The moment she thought that, her chest burned as if on fire.
The night lessons on the magic circle, where magical power was poured directly into the skin—that was supposed to be a secret just between the two of them. But Teacher had once done forbidden research with Elise too.
(*Maybe they have a much deeper relationship than I do...*)
Tears overflowed, soaking her pillow.
This was jealousy. A pitch-black feeling of hating someone.
Coco couldn't sleep a wink.
From beyond the wall, the woman's voice went on and on.
---
The next morning.
As the sky began to lighten, Coco stumbled out into the corridor. She was desperately thirsty.
Just as she was about to head to the kitchen—she heard voices in front of the study.
"Listen, Kiefer. You need me."
Coco's feet stopped.
"I can't stand to watch your talent rot away, spending years in this frontier with a child like that. Come back to the royal capital. Let's start our research together again."
"...I'm satisfied with my life here."
"You're lying. There's no way you're satisfied. You're someone capable of achieving far greater things. That girl only holds you back."
"Don't speak ill of Coco."
"Please, choose me. That girl isn't worthy of you—"
Coco saw it.
Through the gap in the study door. Elise placing her hand on Kiefer's chest.
Her teacher, expressionless, restrained that hand.
But—his eyes wavered, just a little, as if nostalgic for the past.
Coco ran.
She dashed barefoot through the corridor. Her heart pounded, and she couldn't breathe properly.
(*Maybe I'm not good enough.*)
(*Maybe Teacher needs that woman.*)
She burst out the back door of the atelier. The cold morning air stung her tear-soaked cheeks.
Sitting down on the slope of the hill, Coco hugged her knees.
"Am I... in the way? Should I not be here?"
Ever since that snowy day six years ago, when she was picked up at the market, Kiefer had been her entire world.
But—maybe she was just a child, only holding her teacher back.
"...But I don't want that."
Coco bit her lip.
"I don't want to hand Teacher over to that woman. He's my teacher... he's *my* teacher alone."
A fierce possessiveness she had never felt before in her life.
But at the same time, self-loathing—the feeling that she wasn't worthy of her teacher—swirled around and around in her chest.
(*I have to become more of an adult.*)
(*I have to become stronger.*)
She gripped the silver ring tightly. The precious ring her teacher had given her.
When she looked up at the atelier's roof, a thin wisp of smoke rose from the chimney. Proof that Elise was still inside.
This small conflict would only grow fiercer from here.
A much bigger battle was just around the corner—Coco sensed it intuitively.
But for now, she could do nothing.
She could only clench her teeth and endure, holding the flames of jealousy in her heart.
The cold morning wind stirred Coco's hair. The gray sky reflected in her amber eyes, swollen from crying. The frontier town of Hasenval still lay in quiet slumber.
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