Central Academy, the highest magic tower.
Wendy walked up the spiral staircase, feeling like a condemned criminal being led to the guillotine.
In front of him was the icy-faced Head of the Disciplinary Committee, Vivian.
Beside him was the confident mastermind, Astreia.
The surrounding atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.
Yet Her Highness the Princess showed no restraint.
Instead, she doubled down.
One hand remained affectionately around Wendy’s waist, while the other toyed with a button on his uniform, her posture lazy and content.
Wendy, trapped in the middle, had completely given up on thinking.
He only felt that the path from the cafeteria to the magic tower was the longest and most humiliating walk of his life.
Along the way, countless eyes stared at them.
Some held awe for President Vivian; some held envy toward Astreia; but most were directed at Wendy—a complicated mix of heartache, pity, grief over his misfortune, and anger at his weakness.
‘Just let this end already…’ the Prince thought, utterly hopeless.
Finally, the group reached the top floor of the magic tower.
Knock, knock, knock.
Vivian stepped forward and rapped on the door.
A slightly tired female voice came from behind it.
“Come in.”
The door slid open silently, revealing a room as dreamlike as a starry sky.
There were no walls—only a deep nightscape, with countless stars slowly drifting, close enough to touch.
In the center of the room floated a massive bronze astrolabe.
Countless thick magical tomes flipped through their own pages, whispering obscure incantations.
This was the office of the Dean of Central Academy, Layana.
Though Wendy had been here before, the surreal sight always lifted his spirits.
A bespectacled, intellectual beauty in a purple mage’s robe sat before the astrolabe, her brows furrowed as if studying some difficult problem.
It was Layana.
For the past few days, she had been trying to analyze the violent witch power inside Astreia but had found nothing—a source of great frustration.
Hearing the noise, the Dean removed her glasses, rubbed her tired temples, and looked up.
Her gaze first landed on Vivian, who stood at the front.
When she noticed the golden priest robe Vivian wore, a look of pleasant surprise spread across her weary face.
“Vivian? When did you put on the golden robe?”
Vivian stepped forward and bowed to Layana in a standard manner.
“Your Excellency the Dean. Before my last escort mission, I had just returned from the Saint City. His Holiness the Pope personally conferred upon me the golden robe and permitted my advancement to Temple Guard.”
“Haha, what great news!”
Layana laughed heartily, a hint of teasing in her tone.
“That old stick-in-the-mud Aurelia! Keeping it all secret! Her most prized disciple gets promoted, and she doesn’t even think to treat me to a proper meal—she’s getting stingier by the day!”
After her laughter subsided, her gaze shifted to those behind Vivian.
When she saw Astreia and Wendy, along with the group of disciplinary committee members trailing behind, her smile froze slightly.
Her brows furrowed again.
“What’s going on? Such a big commotion—did you find traces of the Demon Race?”
“No, we didn’t.”
Vivian became instantly serious.
She stepped forward and explained:
“Report, Dean! In my capacity as Head of the Disciplinary Committee, I hereby accuse Astreia, Princess of Valoran!”
“She ignored academy discipline and, in a public place like the cafeteria, engaged in forced, insulting acts of indecency against His Highness Wendy. This severely damages the academy’s atmosphere and defiles male dignity!”
“I implore you to impose strict sanctions on her shameless behavior!”
As she finished, Vivian’s voice rose sharply.
Thinking back to the cafeteria, of Wendy’s humiliated expression—like he was about to cry—a surge of anger welled up inside her.
That kiss…
That prince who was supposed to be pure and good…
How could a vulgar woman like that defile him like this!
Vivian finished her outburst in one breath, and the entire office fell into dead silence.
Wendy’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat.
He stole a glance at Dean Layana, trying to gauge her reaction.
Layana, after hearing Vivian’s accusation, was stunned for a moment.
Then she blinked her beautiful eyes.
Her gaze darted between Astreia’s hand—still gripping Wendy—and Wendy’s face, twisted in shame and fury.
As if confirming something.
Nine seconds later.
A suppressed laugh escaped from the Dean’s mouth.
“Pfft…”
Then came.
“Haha… hahahaha…”
Layana looked as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.
First, she held her forehead, her shoulders shaking violently.
Finally, unable to contain herself, she slapped the table, laughing uncontrollably, tears nearly streaming out.
“Hahahaha… Mo-molesting a male student? Forced intimate contact?”
Layana gasped between laughs, pointing first at Astreia, then at Wendy.
“Oh my god… you actually did that!”
“In my thirty years as Dean of Central Academy, this is the first time… the first time I’ve ever heard an accusation like this! Hahahaha!”
The entire office echoed with the Dean’s maniacal laughter.
Vivian stood frozen.
She had imagined every possible reaction from Layana—anger, reprimand, or fair and impartial judgment…
But she never expected this!
How was this like a respected dean?
This was clearly a bystander who couldn’t wait to see the world burn!
Wendy felt his soul floating out of his body.
He wanted to claw a hole in the floor with his feet and crawl inside.
This was too humiliating!
After laughing for a full minute, Layana finally managed to stop.
“Cough, cough…”
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and sat back down.
She looked at the dumbfounded Vivian and the utterly hopeless Wendy, cleared her throat, and forcibly restored her deanly authority.
“Mhm, I roughly understand the situation now.”
Layana raised a hand and gave a gentle, meaningful look.
The disciplinary committee members behind Vivian, though full of doubts and eager to hear the trial, dared not defy the Dean’s orders.
With reluctance and curiosity, they bowed and silently withdrew from the starry realm.
The magical door closed without a sound.
The entire office was now completely sealed off from the outside.
Only Layana, Vivian, Astreia, and Wendy remained.
The atmosphere shifted to something delicate.
“Alright, now that we’re alone.”
Layana set down her teacup, her gaze landing on Vivian’s still-tense face, her tone carrying both approval and amusement.
“Vivian, I’m glad to see you upholding academy discipline so strictly. You’ve done very well.”
She gave her approval first.
But Vivian’s expression didn’t relax.
If anything, the praise made her straighten her slender back even more, as if to declare she wouldn’t be swayed by compliments.
“However…”
Layana changed the subject, her gaze drifting to Astreia, who was resting her chin on Wendy’s shoulder like a giant sloth clinging to the prince.
“Today’s incident has another side to it.”
‘Here it comes!’
Vivian’s heart jolted.
She remembered Wendy volunteering to come see Dean Layana back in the cafeteria.
Could it be…
Was the Dean really going to cover for her own direct disciple?
At the thought, a fiercer flame ignited in Vivian’s blue eyes.
She stepped forward, her words crisp and resolute, cutting in before the Dean could continue:
“Your Excellency the Dean! I trust in your sense of justice! But the facts are clear—over a hundred students witnessed Her Highness Astreia’s actions. No matter what the circumstances, they cannot justify her behavior in a public place, openly—”
Before she could finish.
“Actually…”
Layana interrupted her, a complicated expression on her face—one that mixed “discomfort,” “sympathy,” and “holding back laughter” in a way that made Vivian feel extremely uneasy.
The Dean looked at the righteous Vivian and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Astreia…”
“Because of a very special condition she has…”
“Has no choice but to engage in lewd acts with Prince Wendy.”