The carriage fell silent.
Under Ellaria’s gaze, Sefina felt as if she were being slowly roasted over a low fire. She hesitated for a few seconds, even feeling her cheeks grow slightly warm.
After a moment, Sefina finally squeezed a single syllable from her throat, barely audible:
“Yes.”
Her voice was extremely soft, but in the quiet carriage, it was enough for Ellaria to hear clearly.
Ellaria’s emerald eyes lit up instantly. Beyond surprise, there seemed to flicker a trace of… happiness?
“I knew it…”
She murmured softly, and then, as if a floodgate had opened, she leaned in a little closer and began to speak in a hushed tone, audible only to the two of them:
“Teacher, this book… actually, I’ve read it too. The female teacher’s character design really… really struck a chord with me.”
Ellaria chose her words carefully, her cheeks faintly flushed:
“On the surface, she’s so cold and strict, demanding of her students, almost inhuman. But in private, she silently cares for them, considerate and attentive. That contrast is written so delicately and movingly.”
Sefina stiffly maintained her posture, staring out the window, and only let out a short, acknowledging hum from her nose:
“Mhm.”
The little person inside her mind was already banging her head against the wall—’Stop describing it like that!’
‘Who does that sound like?!’
‘Especially that “cold and strict on the surface, but actually warm and considerate female teacher”…’
‘Who does that describe? So hard to guess!’
Sefina had zero desire to delve deeper into this topic, especially in front of her own student.
But Ellaria seemed to have found a kindred “book friend.” The usually reserved and imperial princess now had shining eyes and a rare urge to share, continuing to chatter on:
“Also, the way the protagonist handles her feelings is so realistic. She always acts so rationally, like everything is under control, almost overly calm.”
“But the moment it involves her feelings for the ‘delinquent student,’ she starts to hesitate and conflict, even gets a little… twisted.”
“She cares desperately inside, but insists on putting up her teacher’s facade, using reason to warn herself to keep her distance.”
“That inner struggle and contrast—I think it’s written really well, really authentic… Teacher, what do you think? Do you like this kind of plot and character setting?”
Sefina’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
She felt as if every word from Ellaria was like a tiny arrow, precisely piercing her already sensitive and awkward nerves.
The word “like” alone made her scalp tingle.
She squeezed out another word from her throat with difficulty:
“Mhm.”
Her voice was even drier than before.
Sefina was screaming inside.
She admitted that, in private, she did kind of like the novel’s delicate portrayal of the characters’ inner thoughts and the tension of emotional development, but…
But sitting side by side with her student, discussing the plot and characters of a yuri novel about a teacher and student?
What was this? An academic seminar?
How could it be?!
Rather, it felt like she was being identified with or encouraged!
Not to mention, these nine students of hers… seemed, perhaps, probably, to already harbor certain feelings that didn’t fit the teacher-student code of conduct!
This conversation was dangerously treading on thin ice!
In the back seat, Mia was eavesdropping, her ears perked up, her cheeks as red as a ripe apple.
Hearing Princess Ellaria analyze so seriously, even praising the plot and characters she had written, Mia felt both mortified—wanting to crawl under her seat—and secretly an indescribable happiness and pride.
After all, this novel was something she had poured her heart and soul into.
Being recognized, even if the other person didn’t know the author was her, was enough to make the little writer’s heart swell with joy and even ignite some creative motivation.
‘Mhm! Once we settle in the Western Continent, I have to work hard on coding and updating tonight!’
Mia clenched her little fist secretly.
Ellaria didn’t notice the author’s complicated feelings in the back seat; her attention was entirely on the teacher beside her.
Seeing that Sefina hadn’t explicitly objected, she seemed encouraged and continued sharing her reading reflections, though it was more like a one-sided outpouring:
“I think… what makes this novel the most appealing is perhaps the depiction of that… ‘sense of moral transgression.'”
The three words “sense of moral transgression” fell like a small pebble into Sefina’s heart lake, causing her eyelashes to flutter slightly.
“The protagonist is a teacher. Her social identity and moral sense constantly remind her that there is an uncrossable line between teacher and student.
“Reason tells her that she cannot develop a relationship beyond the teacher-student scope. That would be wrong and dangerous.
“But under the proactive approach and persistent ‘offensive’ of the ‘delinquent student,’ the protagonist’s defenses slowly crumble.
“She starts to have feelings for the other, to agonize over her. Reason and emotion wage a fierce battle every day.
“On one side is inner moral condemnation and self-doubt, and on the other, she’s deeply entangled and unable to extricate herself…
“The tug-of-war of this contradiction is really heart-wrenching and captivating.”
Sefina’s mouth twitched even more noticeably.
Her hands, resting on her knees, unconsciously tightened.
‘Ellaria…’
‘Are you sure you’re just discussing the novel’s plot?’
‘Why does every sentence sound like a precise allusion, or… a test?’
For a moment, Sefina couldn’t tell at all whether the princess was simply absorbed in the novel’s plot or using it as a pretext to hint at something.
This made her feel restless, like sitting on pins and needles. She didn’t know whether to answer or not.
Just as Sefina was in the midst of an inner struggle, Ellaria suddenly made an even more intimate move.
She gently rested her head on Sefina’s shoulder.
Soft golden hair brushed against Sefina’s neck, bringing a slight tickle and a faint fragrance.
The warmth and weight of the girl’s body transmitted through their clothes, making Sefina’s body stiffen slightly.
“Teacher, you…”
Ellaria leaned on her shoulder, her voice becoming softer, carrying a hesitant, unfinished tone.
Sefina’s heart skipped a beat. She swallowed and let out a faint, questioning sound:
“Hm?”
Ellaria seemed to muster up her courage, but when the words reached her lips, she retreated and quickly changed the subject:
“N-nothing…”
Her ears were bright red.
In truth, what she had almost blurted out was:
‘Teacher, do you… would you accept this kind of romance between teacher and student?’
But perhaps she both longed to know the answer and feared it.
In the end, shyness and anxiety won out.
So Ellaria quickly changed the topic. Her eyes landed on the brand-new sequel resting on Sefina’s lap, and her voice carried a hint of anticipation:
“Teacher… the one in your hands, is it the sequel? I haven’t read it yet…
“Should we… read it together?”
Sefina: “…”
Shoulder to shoulder, head to head, reading together this yuri novel about a forbidden romance between a female teacher and a female student?
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.