“Damn you, Sophia…!
“You have absolutely no knightly spirit… just a despicable woman who only knows sweet talk and dirty tricks!”
Floria lay against the edge of the bed, barely supporting her upper body with the strength of her arms, while her lower body and legs sprawled helplessly on the carpet.
From the waist down, the old injury and the withering curse caused a numb ache that rendered her powerless.
“When I taught her the Virtues of Loyalty and Courage… was it all just fed to the dogs?
“She actually tried to lock me up like a toy? Hmph… Not a chance!”
Gritting her teeth, Floria muttered angrily to herself as she hammered the bed twice with her small fists.
What kind of twisted, scheming pervert comes up with the despicable act of draining a witch’s magic source dry!
Even Floria herself, when she was still playing the role of the villainous female knight commander, had never done anything this shameless.
At most, on the night before the Saint Magic Exam, she would sneakily drain about 30 to 60 percent of little Sophia’s magic source while she was asleep.
This would only make Sophia feel like she had a restless night, leading to low spirits and weaker control over her magic in the morning.
Even if Sophia then failed the Qualification Evaluation, she would only blame her own poor condition and never suspect any magic-related issues.
Having failed the Saint Magic Exam repeatedly and thus unable to receive Formal Bestowal, Sophia would have to stay by Floria’s side, undergoing Personal Tutelage until the villain system’s quota was fulfilled.
That was the High-Efficiency Villain Role’s way: principled, recyclable, and artful.
Sophia’s reckless, all-at-once magic drain was simply too much…!
Floria puffed out her cheeks, her frustration growing by the minute.
The secret chamber’s switch was right on the wall behind the wardrobe, a place within arm’s reach—but for her now, it was like an impassable chasm.
“There’s no choice…”
Floria pressed her lips together, bitterly accepting the fact that she couldn’t reach the secret chamber’s switch.
At this point, she had no option but to call for outside help again.
Crawling over the carpet, Floria pulled open the bedroom door and began calling for Sylvie’s assistance.
Soon, Sylvie responded promptly from her own room.
Hearing the footsteps as she opened the door and walked toward her, Floria let out a relieved sigh.
Although Sophia’s scheme had tricked her back here, at least she had her dear little Sylvie by her side—the thoughtful, well-behaved, and adorable girl she had raised with her own hands.
Much better than those fated heroines who were always scheming against her.
“Teacher Floria, you called me just now… huh?”
Sylvie pushed open the master bedroom door and froze at the sight of Floria sitting gracefully on the edge of the bed.
She had never seen her teacher look so charming and elegant.
Although Floria’s beauty as a witch was impeccable, the past few years of their simple life, with Floria mostly confined to her wheelchair, had meant little attention was paid to dress or appearance.
Plus, seeing her every day had made Sylvie used to her delicate features.
But now, Floria had gone to great lengths to dress up.
She wore just the right amount of refined makeup, her usually loose hair was neatly styled with delicate hairpins and ribbons.
And she was dressed in a blue-rose evening gown that exposed her shoulders just perfectly, revealing smooth, tender skin and the soft, pale curves of her décolletage.
The exposed side of her cleavage sparked endless fantasies while accentuating her graceful figure, a perfect blend of sexy and elegant.
Paired with creamy-white stockings that wrapped her slender legs, and a pair of open-toe princess heels, her usual homey barefoot look was transformed into a dazzling display.
The stockings’ texture was smooth and delicate, shining with a buttery glow, while the sheer fabric covering her toes added a tantalizing half-transparent effect.
The stark contrast with the black boots was dazzling enough to make any foot enthusiast swoon.
Compared to Floria’s usual casual attire, now sitting on the bed after her makeover, she had shed the stern aura of a guardian and gained a gentle, captivating youthful charm.
Without making any other movement, simply sitting there caused Sylvie to become lost in a daze, unable to look away.
“Ahem.”
Floria cleared her throat, breaking the strange silence.
Sylvie blinked, snapping out of her trance.
“Teacher Floria… what’s with this look…?”
Sylvie’s eyes widened as she carefully scanned Floria up and down, feeling her mouth go dry and a strange flutter in her chest.
What was going on…? Teacher Floria said she was going to discuss “adult matters” with Aunt Sophia.
Why had the teacher, who usually only cared about mushrooms, suddenly dressed up so carefully and changed into a new outfit?
And this outfit… really… really is… so… something else…
Realizing she had been staring so blatantly, Sylvie felt a twinge of guilt and blushed.
For someone so innocent, this off-shoulder dress and white stockings were a bit too provocative.
Floria naturally noticed Sylvie’s gaze.
Seeing Sylvie’s flushed cheeks, Floria instantly guessed the naughty thoughts running through her head.
Hiss… Damn those corrupting manga books, corrupting pure minors.
How on earth could kids get their hands on such things at school—
Floria pondered for a moment, but at this point, there was no easy fix.
She couldn’t exactly threaten Sylvie with “Don’t look at me” — the more unnatural she acted, the more suspicious it would seem.
After careful consideration, Floria raised her arm and boldly displayed her full upper body and new evening gown, then smiled nonchalantly:
“So, what do you think of the teacher’s new dress today? Pretty, right?”
“Uh… y-yes… Teacher Floria… very pretty!”
Sylvie stammered nervously.
“But, why did you suddenly decide to… wear something so beautiful?”
“It’s simple. After all, we’re in the big city now, living in such a luxurious villa, so it’s only fitting to dress a bit more properly.
“Besides, you’re about to enroll in the kingdom’s top knight academy soon. As your guardian, I can’t just be as casual as before.
“And I’m sure you wouldn’t want me hanging around in rough cloth and messy hair like I used to, would you?”
Floria kept a faint smile, cutting off Sylvie’s hesitation with her calm but authoritative tone, seizing the initiative in the conversation.
After all, her experience in toying with various heroines was no joke.
If it weren’t for Floria’s diminished strength and curses, even without the system’s support, Sophia alone wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
“Uh… yes.”
Sylvie nodded meekly, unsure how to respond.
She wanted to ask about those strange noises between Floria and Sophia earlier, why Floria was changing clothes in this bedroom, and where Aunt Sophia had gone.
But before she could speak, Floria took the lead again:
“Sylvie, I called you over in a hurry because I need you to do me a favor.”
Hearing Floria’s serious tone, Sylvie unconsciously tensed and nervously clutched the hem of her clothes.