“Miss Su Nian, I apologize for their offense…”
Third Prince Elvin wore a magnanimous smile.
It was as if the words of those men had nothing to do with him.
He took a step forward, the gold thread on his luxurious robes shimmering under the magic lamps.
He radiated a carefully cultivated sense of superiority.
However, his tone shifted, carrying a pressure that brooked no argument.
“But they were only acting out of a desire to protect the royal dignity.”
When he said the words “royal dignity,” he deliberately emphasized his tone.
His gaze swept across the room, as if silently reminding everyone of his status.
That gaze passed over the faces of the young students and, finally, stuck back onto Su Nian.
“It’s just one dinner. I don’t think Miss Su Nian would refuse a formal invitation from the Third Prince of the Red Maple Kingdom, right?”
At the end of his speech, his voice even took on a slight, frivolous lilt.
The possessiveness in his eyes was almost overflowing.
“This, after all, concerns the face of the Royal Family.”
A threat.
A blatant threat.
The air in the entire lecture hall completely solidified.
Among the 1,000 students, some were dumbfounded, never expecting this legendary Third Prince to behave in such a manner.
Others held their breath, their eyes flashing with irrepressible excitement and curiosity.
They wanted to see how this city hero, who had appeared out of nowhere and been hailed as the “Star-Moon Saintess,” would respond to a threat from the crown.
In the corner, the color drained from Amy’s and Lise’s faces.
They clenched their fists in worry.
A few students who still possessed a sense of justice looked indignant.
They leaned forward, their lips twitching as if they were about to stand up and speak out for Su Nian at any moment.
She slowly raised her eyes.
Those sky-blue pupils looked calmly at the prince in the first row.
“Student Elvin!” she spoke.
Her voice wasn’t loud.
It was cold and clear, instantly cutting through the stagnant air in the classroom and reaching every corner.
She didn’t call him “Your Highness,” and she even omitted the title of “Third Prince.”
Student.
It was a term used for an equal, even carrying a hint of a Mentor’s condescension toward a student.
The smile on Elvin’s face froze.
He almost thought he had heard wrong.
In this country, aside from his father and his older brothers, no one had ever dared to call him by his name like that.
Inside the lecture hall, after a deathly silence, the sound of people gasping for air rose one after another.
However, it wasn’t over yet.
Su Nian’s gaze remained locked on Elvin’s stunned face.
“Elvin, please watch your words and actions.” She didn’t give him any time to react as her voice continued to echo in the silent classroom.
“According to the Red Maple Magic Academy Student Handbook, Chapter 7, Article 3…”
“Students are strictly prohibited from harassing or pursuing Mentors in any form. Offenders will receive a major demerit and a public criticism.”
Her voice had no fluctuations, sounding like she was reading out a cold judgment.
A brief pause caused the pressure in the air to suddenly increase.
“Chapter 3, Article 1: Every student who enters the Magic Academy to study, regardless of their status or background, is treated equally and must respect their teachers.”
The moment her voice fell, an invisible pressure erupted from her slender body!
The pressure was like a transparent ripple, sweeping out in all directions with the podium as the center!
The temperature of the air seemed to drop by over 10 degrees.
In the classroom, the 1,000 students felt as if an irresistible force had descended from the sky…
Elvin, who bore the brunt of it, felt several times more pressure than everyone else.
The arrogance and composure on his face collapsed instantly, replaced by shock and fear.
He felt as if he weren’t standing in a classroom, but rather on the edge of a bottomless abyss.
‘So… scary. Such a terrifying aura.’
These words were like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding in the deathly silent classroom.
The students gasped, their young faces filled with shock and disbelief.
They had thought Mentor Su Nian might refuse, perhaps tactfully or politely.
But none of them expected her to be so merciless.
In front of 1,000 people, she had directly brought up the school rules, ruthlessly trampling on a prince’s dignity.
This wasn’t just a simple refusal.
This was a slap to the face of the Royal Family…
The smile on Elvin’s face was completely frozen.
His handsome face, which had always been pampered, twisted briefly before the color drained from it, only to then turn a dark, blotchy purple.
His arm, holding the ‘Tears of the Dawn,’ hung in mid-air.
He couldn’t pull it back, nor could he hand it over.
The posture was awkward to the extreme.
The flames of shame and anger exploded in his chest, burning away all his reason.
From childhood until now, when had he ever been treated like this! In this country, everything he wanted — whether it was wealth, power, or women — was within his reach.
This woman, how did she dare!
How did she dare to trample on his face in this way!
However, Elvin’s thought process was clearly different from that of a normal person.
The rage only burned for a few seconds in his mind, which was wrapped in extreme narcissism, before it was overwritten by a more powerful self-perception rooted in his very marrow.
A look of realization actually appeared on his stiff face.
He understood.
In his twisted and conceited world, Su Nian’s current behavior wasn’t a rejection at all.
This was playing hard to get.
It was a higher level of flirting.
He instantly found a perfect explanation for her seemingly cold and heartless behavior — one that could soothe his wounded ego.
Yes, how could she easily accept his pursuit in front of so many people?
She was the high-and-mighty Star-Moon Saintess, a Magic Tutor admired by tens of thousands.
She had to maintain her image, that sense of holiness that was untainted by the mortal world, and that sense of distance that drove countless men crazy.
Therefore, her refusal in such a violent and cold manner only proved the panic in her heart!
Yes, that had to be it.
This woman was too interesting.
She wasn’t like those vulgar women who only knew how to pose and preen in front of him, wishing they could strip naked and climb into his bed immediately.
She was an iceberg, a beautiful iceberg waiting for him to melt her with his power and passion.
Conquering such a woman would bring true, ultimate pleasure!
He made up his mind.
He would increase his offensive.
He would use his power, his wealth, and every means possible to completely conquer this ice beauty and make her melt beneath him…
Third Prince Elvin not only stopped feeling embarrassed but even straightened his back, a charming smile appearing on his face as if he had seen through everything.
However, on the podium, Su Nian simply watched the disgusting, ever-changing expression on the Third Prince’s face.
She sighed in her heart, too lazy to pay any more attention to this brain-damaged fellow.
So what if she offended the Third Prince or the Royal Family? With her current strength, she was capable of walking across this Continent without fear.
Aside from that Horned Demon Bastard, she didn’t seem to fear anyone now.
In Su Nian’s mind, another hateful yet incredibly clear face unavoidably surfaced.
That overbearing Horned Demon… never played word games with her.
He only dealt with her through practical actions.
And this… Third Prince in front of her.
He had no strength of his own; his confidence came from the Redmaple Royal Family.
And right now, the Royal Family wouldn’t dare to have a falling out with her.
After all, the agreement to exchange the levitation magic circles for the formation of the Allied Forces was still in place.
If they dared to break ties, the other kingdoms would just be waiting to watch the show.
Su Nian couldn’t even find a suitable word to describe him.
‘A clown? He wasn’t even worth being called a clown.’
This ridiculous comparison startled Su Nian, followed by a deeper surge of annoyance.
‘What’s wrong with me? Why am I subconsciously comparing others to that bastard?’
She forcibly cut off those dangerous thoughts.
It didn’t matter.
Anyway, as long as she collected 100 million Humiliation Value, everything would end.
Su Nian looked at Elvin.
Seeing the disgusting, self-righteous smile on his face made her stomach churn.
If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from actually throwing him out of the classroom.
She withdrew her gaze and didn’t look at him again, walking toward the classroom door.
‘Work was over. Time to go home!’
***
At night in the Shadowmoon Manor.
Su Nian sat quietly on the velvet armchair in the master bedroom.
Waiting.
She had already changed out of her Mentor’s robes, which symbolized majesty and authority.
She was wearing a black silk nightgown.
The fabric was cool and clung to her skin, outlining every curve in a breathtaking manner.
The air was filled with the elegant scent of high-grade incense.
She didn’t believe the Horned Demon would be unaware of what happened at the Academy today.
In front of 1,000 students, she had mercilessly rejected the invitation of a prince, a member of the Royal Family who was highly likely to become an important pawn for him.
Doing this… might disrupt the Horned Demon’s plans. She was prepared.
She was prepared to receive her… “punishment.”
She had even rehearsed countless possibilities in her mind.
Perhaps it would be that cold blindfold and shackles, or perhaps newer props that she couldn’t even imagine.
No matter what it was, she decided to endure it.
She wouldn’t resist anymore; she would just silently endure it to obtain 100 million Humiliation Value as quickly as possible.
“Click.”
The soft sound of the lock turning was sharp and piercing in the deathly silent room.
The door was pushed open.
A tall, upright figure walked in.
He carried the refreshing moisture of a recent bath.
He took his time, his footsteps landing on the thick carpet without making a sound.
At this moment, Su Nian was already obediently performing the ceremony to welcome her Master, kneeling on the floor by the door.
She kept her eyes down, looking at the floor, not daring to look up.
However, the expected storm and sense of oppression did not descend.
She could feel the man picking her up.
His breathing was steady as he carried her to the sofa.
This was completely different from the aggressive heaviness of the past.
“You did well at the Academy today.”
The Horned Demon Chu Tian’s voice sounded above her head.
It was flat, but it carried a hint of approval and pride.
Su Nian was slightly stunned and said, “I thought… you’d be angry because it might disrupt the Horned Demon Lord’s plans.”
Her voice was dry, carrying a hint of caution and testing that she hadn’t even noticed herself.
“Angry?”
Chu Tian let out a low laugh.
The laughter was muffled, coming from his chest and vibrating through the air and her eardrums.
“Why would I be angry?”
“A self-righteous buffoon isn’t worthy of being my partner.”
His tone was filled with blatant contempt, as if he were talking about an eyesore of an insect.
“Making him lose face today saved me a lot of trouble. It also let me watch a good show.”
A warm, large hand suddenly landed on her head, rubbing her hair as smooth as a golden waterfall.
The movement actually carried a few hints of… doting.
Su Nian was completely bewildered.
She couldn’t understand this man’s thought process at all.
“So…”
The man looked at her beautiful face, which was filled with confusion.
The curve of his lips rose further, carrying a playful sense of controlling everything.
“To reward you, I’ve decided to give you a surprise.”
‘A reward? A surprise?’ Su Nian’s heart tightened again.
Hearing those words from his mouth made her feel more uneasy than the word “punishment.”