Ellaria finally finished her long-winded explanation of the treatment method.
She looked at the “bundle of bedding” on the bed that remained utterly motionless, let out a soft sigh, her tone laced with a hint of concern:
“Teacher, please rest well. I won’t disturb you anymore. If you need anything, just call me anytime.”
Having said that, she stood up, tidied her skirt, and prepared to leave the infirmary filled with an awkward atmosphere.
However, just as she turned and took her first step—
A small, cool yet surprisingly strong hand suddenly shot out from under the bedding, gripping her wrist with precision!
Caught completely off guard, Ellaria stumbled back, about to cry out in surprise when an even greater force slammed into her.
“Thud—”
“Ah—!”
Ellaria felt the world spin wildly as her back slammed hard against the cold wall. A sharp pain escaped as a muffled groan, and she collapsed onto the floor.
She looked up dazedly, her unfocused gaze suddenly meeting a pair of wine-red eyes mere inches away.
At this moment, Sefina had somehow slipped out from under the blanket and stood before her.
The delicate little face no longer bore the previous shyness or helplessness; instead, it was the cold, imposing expression Ellaria knew well.
Sefina felt she couldn’t just let Ellaria leave like this. If she told the other students about this…
No, no! Absolutely not!
If it were an ordinary student, no one might believe her. But Ellaria had immense credibility in front of many students. If she slipped up and said something…
The consequences would be unimaginable!
She had to find a way to shut her up—at least… at least scare her into silence!
“Teacher, you…” Ellaria said weakly, pain tinged with confusion in her voice.
But Sefina didn’t give her a chance to finish.
“Clack—!”
A light sound, and Sefina’s small foot, clad in a pristine white sock, suddenly kicked up, planting itself against the wall beside Ellaria’s ear!
Her foot rested above Ellaria’s shoulder in a stance both intimidating and humiliating.
Sefina’s thoughts: This pose should be intimidating enough, right?! It’s always like this in the movies!
She leaned forward slightly, her icy gaze sharp as a blade, locking onto the princess sitting on the floor.
Her voice was low, but carried an unmistakable threat, each word striking Ellaria like a hammer:
“Everything that happened here today, everything you saw, heard, or felt…”
She deliberately paused, emphasizing her words: “Keep it buried deep inside your stomach! Absolutely, absolutely do NOT tell anyone! Do you hear me?!”
Ellaria was completely stunned.
From her upward angle, she could fully take in Sefina’s cold, dominant expression.
The teacher was so petite, yet the aura she emitted was as heavy as a mountain. Those wine-red eyes held no trace of playfulness, only a naked warning.
Ellaria’s heart began to pound uncontrollably, an unprecedented chill crawling up her spine.
Strangely, within that sensation… there was something else, a flutter she couldn’t understand.
Seeing Ellaria just staring wide-eyed, seemingly stunned into silence, Sefina doubted her threat was enough.
She bit her lip and decided to up the ante.
She reached out with her other hand, slender but strong fingers brushing coolly as they roughly gripped Ellaria’s chin, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze.
“If I hear even the slightest whisper…”
Sefina’s voice grew colder, more menacing, and at the same time, her other empty palm suddenly flared with a burst of scorching Fire Magic!
The flames danced wildly, illuminating her icy face and Ellaria’s shocked emerald eyes, the burning heat washing over them.
“The consequences… you know what they’ll be!” Sefina spat the last words with venom, the flames surging higher for a moment.
No one had ever dared treat Ellaria like this before.
She was a princess of the Empire, and despite her awkward status, she had never been so brutally cornered, her cheek pinched, and threatened with Fire Magic!
Ellaria should have felt anger, fear, humiliation at being offended.
But…
Why… was her heart beating even faster?
That trembling didn’t fade; instead, it sharpened, bringing with it a strange kind of thrill…
Sefina, seeing Ellaria still silently staring with a complicated look, felt uncertain.
She pushed herself to maintain her intimidating stance and pressed again, her voice rising slightly:
“Do you understand?!”
It was as if Ellaria was finally awakened, her long golden hair swaying, partially covering her face.
She nodded ever so slightly, her voice barely a whisper:
“Ba…”
Sefina finally relaxed, the weight on her chest lifting somewhat.
She immediately withdrew the Fire Magic, released her grip on Ellaria’s chin, and removed her foot from the wall.
She didn’t dare look at Ellaria again, afraid of seeing disgust or fear in her expression.
Instead, she quickly slipped on the small leather shoes by the bedside, smoothed her slightly rumpled skirt, and briskly left the infirmary without looking back, leaving behind a facade of calm but a truly flustered figure.
Sefina’s thoughts:
Ahhh!
I’m terrible! I actually threatened a student who was trying to help me!
This is awful!
But I had no choice… if she spilled the secret, my teaching career would be over.
Later… I’ll have to invite her to the office more often and treat her to some good food as compensation…
Sigh!
The infirmary returned to silence.
Ellaria remained sitting on the floor, leaning against the cold wall, motionless for a long time.
Only after Sefina’s footsteps completely faded down the corridor did she slowly raise her hand to gently touch the spot on her chin where Sefina had pinched her—there still seemed to be a faint coolness lingering.
Then, her hand instinctively moved to her chest.
There, her heart was pounding wildly, beating faster and harder than ever before.
Her cheeks flushed with a delayed rush of heat.
Threatened by her teacher…
Should she be scared? Should she feel angry or disgusted?
Why… didn’t she feel any of that?
Instead… there was a sensation she had never experienced before… a thrill.
This illegitimate princess, raised in coldness, disdain, and neglect, was being confronted for the first time so forcefully, even brutally…
Yet strangely, she didn’t feel insulted, but rather…
A strange feeling of being desperately needed, forcibly claimed as part of someone else’s territory.
This experience was unprecedented for her…