“Oh, don’t be so nervous,” Layana said dismissively, rubbing her hands in excitement.
“The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish. Doesn’t this just prove Prince Wendy’s value?”
“Think about it. Our Magic Association and your Church have studied witches for hundreds of years. When has it not cost us a blood price? Now, a ready-made controller has been delivered to our door. We just need to watch from a distance and record the data. It’s a guaranteed profit!”
Aurelia glanced at her as if she were looking at an incurable gambler.
“Layana, have you ever considered that he isn’t a ‘controller,’ but a ‘switch’? Today, he can argue with others to defend a Witch’s honor. But what about tomorrow — if someone hurts him?”
“That scene…” Aurelia did not continue, but the smile on Layana’s face gradually faded.
The two fell into a long silence.
Only the laughter of young students from outside drifted in.
It was full of hope and vitality, yet it made the small registration office feel even heavier.
“Let’s watch for now,” Aurelia sighed after a long time.
“Send out word to replace the students in the buildings around Suite 301 with our people. Also, tell Adeline to keep a close eye on him, but don’t interfere too much.”
“That is all we can do.”
Layana nodded, her eyes complex as she looked toward the luxurious small villa.
“I hope our gamble this time doesn’t cost us the entire Academy.”
***
Inside Suite 301.
A dangerous sweet fragrance filled the air.
Astreia approached step by step.
In her eyes, which were already glowing with an eerie purple light, was the reflection of Wendy’s pretty face — pretending to be calm while his heart drummed like a wild beat.
The Prince was forced back until his spine hit the cold wall, with nowhere left to retreat.
“Wait… wait a minute!”
Wendy reached out a hand, fruitlessly pushing between them to try and be reasonable.
“Astreia, calm down. We just arrived at the Academy, and there are classmates everywhere!!”
As he spoke, he frantically organized his words in his head, trying to escape ‘this calamity.’
Astreia stopped and tilted her head, seemingly considering the logic of his words seriously.
Wendy felt a surge of joy, thinking there was a chance.
But in the next second, an irresistible force struck.
He lost his balance instantly and was pulled forward, stumbling directly into that familiar yet lethal embrace.
“Well said.”
Warm breath brushed against the Prince’s ear.
Astreia’s slightly hoarse whisper made half of Wendy’s body go numb.
“Now… fulfill your duties as a Personal Guard.”
Before the words fully landed, the world spun.
Wendy felt himself being swept up in a horizontal carry.
Before his cry of surprise could escape, he was thrown heavily onto the sofa in the living room — soft enough to sink into.
Before he could struggle to get up, a tall shadow loomed over him.
Astreia knelt on the sofa with one knee, her hands braced on either side of the Prince’s body, firmly trapping him between her arms and the back of the sofa.
Her dazzling blonde hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and a few strands playfully scratched Wendy’s cheek. It was itchy.
He was trapped.
Trapped in an airtight cage made of the sofa, the wall, and Astreia’s body.
“You —”
Wendy wanted to say something, but found his throat dry.
He could clearly see the whirlpools churning in her deep purple eyes.
That wasn’t the usual cold emerald green, but the Witch’s Pupil completely ignited by desire.
Astreia did not speak.
She just looked down at the Prince quietly, as if admiring a gift about to be unwrapped.
From the slightly messy hair on his forehead to his tightly pursed lips from nervousness, and then down to his rising and falling chest, her gaze swept over every inch without concealment.
Such direct scrutiny made Wendy feel as if he were naked.
Every inch of his skin began to burn.
“Astreia…”
He tried to communicate again, his voice unintentionally trembling.
“The Dormitory Manager said we shouldn’t make too much noise…”
“Mhm,” Astreia murmured in response.
Then, she slowly lowered her head, leaning close to the Prince’s ear until her red lips were almost touching his earlobe.
“So, I will make sure you can’t make a sound.”
Boom!
Wendy’s mind went blank.
The lethality of those words was more violent than any direct action.
The wild throbbing in his heart made him completely give up resistance.
Or rather, even the thought of resisting was crushed into powder by that whisper.
He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly in resignation.
Seeing the Prince’s “neck-offered-for-slaughter” appearance, the purple whirlpools in Astreia’s eyes spun even faster.
A hint of a satisfied smile even flickered within them.
The moment a prey gives up struggling is the most delicious.
She reached out a finger, gently sliding the back of it across Wendy’s cheek, feeling the burning temperature beneath the delicate skin.
“My pet…”
Her voice was low and enchanting, every word like a hook tugging at his heartstrings.
“My… guard…”
Her fingertip slid from his cheek to his jaw, then to his Adam’s apple.
Wendy could feel the slightly cool touch, triggering a series of small shivers.
He could even smell the unique fragrance of the Witch.
At this moment, it felt as though it had been heated, becoming rich and domineering, arrogantly invading his every breath.
It gave him the illusion that he was about to drown.
‘This is bad… This is really bad… I just arrived, and I’m already about to be eaten alive…’
Just as Wendy’s head was filled with fantasies, preparing for the coming storm, he suddenly remembered something.
It was a crucial detail he had ignored for a long time!
“Wait!”
Wendy’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a strange steadiness.
Astreia’s movements stopped. Her purple eyes held a trace of displeasure and inquiry at being interrupted.
The Prince met the Witch’s gaze, trying his best to make his expression look serious and earnest, even carrying a hint of grievance.
“Before you do anything to me, I have a question that must be cleared up.”
Astreia arched an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that he could still ask a question at a time like this.
She did not speak, which served as silent permission.
Wendy cleared his throat, built up his emotions, and then asked in a tone that was almost an accusation:
“Just now… at the Dormitory Manager’s place, you said I was your… pet?”
“Mhm,” Astreia admitted frankly.
“And then, for the sake of registration, you changed it to ‘Personal Guard’?”
“Yes.”
Wendy took a deep breath, finally revealing his true intent.
“So, in your heart, what exactly am I?”
He looked directly into her eyes and asked word by word, “Am I a pet or a guard? You have to give me a clear answer!”