“Astreia!!!”
Wendy watched Laxana, who was crying tears of joy with her face buried in the Princess’s chest.
Then he looked at Astreia, who was softly comforting her childhood friend while wearing a deeply meaningful smile.
Wendy felt an inexplicable sense of dread.
This development was completely beyond his imagination.
The Prince was certain that the Princess before him was neither the Northern Lioness who would blush and stammer whenever she saw him, nor the Crazy Witch who treated him like a Fluffball to be toyed with.
She was an existence that had fused the traits of both.
She possessed Astreia’s memories, emotions, and her friendship with Laxana, yet she also harbored the Witch’s fallen desires and a nearly cruel cunning that allowed her to play everyone like a fiddle.
Furthermore, those words just now seemed like she was showing weakness to Laxana and seeking an “ally” to fight the “Witch” together.
In reality, she was simply pulling the stray cat out from the shadows to keep an eye on her.
By using a fake authorization to “play with him together,” she had secured Miss Klein’s submission and loyalty.
Simultaneously, she had painted herself as a tolerant, magnanimous person who cherished her friendships.
She had killed three birds with one stone.
Brilliant.
Simply brilliant.
Such tactics, such scheming…
Wendy gazed at that face where sanctity and seduction coexisted, and only one thought remained in his mind.
‘It’s over. Completely and utterly over.’
In the past, he had faced, at most, a life-or-death choice between two options.
One was innocent, and the other was crazy.
Although they were difficult to handle, their patterns were fixed and followed certain rules.
Now, it was different.
She was an ultimate hybrid who could use Astreia’s face to say the most considerate things, then use the Witch’s methods to eat him alive, bone and all.
The survival difficulty had jumped directly from Nightmare mode to Hell Plus.
“Astreia… thank goodness! I’m so glad you’re okay! Sob, sob…”
Laxana wailed, her emotions finally finding an outlet before she slowly calmed down.
Her eyes were red and puffy like a rabbit’s, making her look both pitiful and a little ridiculous.
“Wipe your face. You’re a grown woman, and you’re still crying.”
Astreia pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tear tracks from her childhood friend’s face.
Her posture was exactly like that of a doting Elder Sister caring for her Younger Sister.
Only Wendy knew that this “Elder Sister” had nearly twisted his waist into a pretzel the night before.
“It’s all his fault!”
Having recovered her strength, Laxana immediately found someone to blame.
She glared at Wendy and pointed an accusing finger at the Prince.
“If this bad guy hadn’t seduced me, I never would have—”
“Hmm?”
Astreia’s gaze drifted over toward her.
“Uh…”
Laxana stopped abruptly.
Her strong survival instinct forced her to change her tune instantly.
“I… I wouldn’t have been fooled so easily! Hmph!”
Wendy silently stuffed a large bite of the only edible fried egg into his mouth, using the chewing motion to hide his twitching lips.
‘Alright, fine, it’s all my fault. Everything wrong with the world is the fault of this mascot. Happy now?’
“Alright, let’s not talk about that anymore.”
Astreia moved past the subject for both of them, pulling Laxana down to sit.
“Hurry and eat. It’s getting cold.”
“Oh.”
Laxana nodded obediently, but her violet eyes were already beginning to drift restlessly toward Wendy.
Now that she had “official authorization” from the rightful owner, her petty, indecent thoughts seemed to have been unsealed.
She could no longer suppress them.
“Hey,”
Miss Klein poked the Prince with her elbow, lowering her voice.
Her tone was filled with excitement and gossip she couldn’t hide.
“Last night… what were you wearing when you did it?”
“Pfft—cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”
Wendy sprayed his milk everywhere, coughing violently as his face turned bright red.
‘Can people really ask such shameless things in public?! Did the Thorn Kiss side effects make her this unfiltered?!’
Astreia, on the other hand, remained calm.
She elegantly picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of Wendy’s mouth.
Then she glanced at the curious Laxana and spoke nonchalantly.
“You want to know?”
Laxana nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at grain.
The corners of Astreia’s mouth curled up slightly, revealing a truly kind smile.
“It’s simple. Tonight, just have him purify you once, and you’ll find out, won’t you?”
Wendy: “???”
Laxana’s face instantly turned a deep shade of crimson.
But unlike Wendy’s terror, Miss Klein’s blush carried 70% shyness, 30% anticipation, and even a hint of eagerness.
“Is… is that really okay?”
Despite her words, her eyes betrayed her.
“Astreia, you won’t get angry?”
“Why would I be angry?”
Astreia asked back as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Isn’t it normal for childhood friends to share good things? Besides, it is for the sake of better resisting ‘her.’ It is a perfectly reasonable research activity.”
Wendy watched from the side, absolutely dumbfounded.
‘How can she explain it like that? Calling NTR academic research and a threesome a clinical trial… you really are a freaking genius!’
“Then…”
Laxana was clearly persuaded by this crooked logic.
She looked at Wendy bashfully and asked in a small voice,
“Then should we… tonight… together?”
“We can.”
Astreia nodded before adding,
“However, you have to wait until I fall asleep first.”
After speaking, she glanced at Wendy again, a warning flashing in her emerald eyes.
“After all, my ‘Pet’ is responsible for coaxing me to sleep at night. Only after the Master is asleep can he go out to play, right?”
Wendy: “…”
What else could he say?
He couldn’t utter a single word.
The Prince felt like he hadn’t come here to attend the Academy, but to serve a prison sentence.
And it was a life sentence where two wardens were fighting over who got to perform his “ideological reformation.”
A breakfast that could be described as a perilous feast ended in this bizarre yet harmonious atmosphere.
Because Laxana had resolved the knot in her heart and received “permission,” she was in a state of lightheaded excitement.
The way she looked at Wendy was exactly like someone looking at a pre-ordered, deluxe feast.
Astreia, meanwhile, returned to her cold and composed demeanor, as if those shocking statements from earlier had nothing to do with her.
Only the occasional meaningful smile she directed at Wendy sent a chill down the Prince’s neck.
In an attempt to change the subject and save his own vitality, Wendy proactively asked about the Central Academy.
“Laxana, you mentioned before that all new students have to take a placement test?”
“That’s right.”
At the mention of serious business, Laxana finally restrained herself a little.
“The Academy is divided into three main branches: the Holy Studies Branch, the Magic Division, and the Military Branch. The Holy Studies Branch focuses on holy spells, healing, and Church scriptures.”
“Most who graduate from there become priests or clergymen in various parishes. The Military Branch goes without saying; it’s where commanders, strategists, and secretaries for the various kingdoms are trained…”
As Miss Klein reached the end of her explanation, she paused, a look of pride appearing on her face.
“But the most impressive one is, of course, our Magic Division! We research the truths of all things in the world and explore the mysteries of the elements… Only the smartest and most talented people can get in!”
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