Her heart nearly slammed out of her chest. Ellaria was startled by her own dangerous thoughts, her heartbeat racing almost out of control.
Her rationality was like a string stretched to its limit, shrieking sharply in her ears:
‘No! Ellaria, how could you think of such a thing?!’
‘This is taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability! It’s blasphemy and disrespect toward Teacher! What about the etiquette and morals you’ve learned every day?!’
Her heart roared—but…
‘Do you want to stand by and watch Teacher completely lose control as the train corridor becomes crowded, exposing herself to everyone?’
‘Therefore, this isn’t taking advantage—this is… this is protection!’
‘It’s a necessary measure!’
This seemingly reasonable excuse, mixed with desire, churned inside Ellaria’s heart.
Finally, Ellaria took a deep breath, a flash of determination and desperate shame flickering in her emerald eyes.
She hesitated no longer, turned the handle of the restroom door behind her that hadn’t been fully locked, and quickly locked it behind herself.
Within the cramped space, the temperature seemed to rise instantly…
***
A while later…
The train gradually slowed down, and an announcement came over the speaker that they were about to arrive at Sarkax Royal Capital Station.
The restroom door opened silently.
Sefina practically crawled out while leaning against the wall, and Ellaria, following closely behind her, also kept her head down.
The two returned to their seats one after the other in silence, their movements somewhat stiff.
Flovi, Mia, and Kefi had already organized their luggage and were waiting to get off.
Sefina’s cheeks were unnaturally red, more vivid than the brightest rose, spreading to her ears and neck, even the skin beneath her collar showing a hint of pink.
She didn’t dare lift her head, wishing she could bury her entire face in her scarf. Where was the cool and composed teacher she usually was on the podium?
AAAAAAH!!!!
Sefina’s inner world was completely overwhelmed by chaos, shame, and intense self-condemnation.
‘What have I done?!’
‘And… and with a student again…’
‘And of all people, Ellaria! That always proper and well-mannered Ellaria, the one I trusted the most…’
Although in her last shred of rationality, Sefina vaguely understood that Ellaria probably took that measure to help her quickly resolve the magic crest outbreak and prevent a complete loss of composure in public…
After all, if she hadn’t dealt with it immediately, once the train stopped and the crowd moved, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
But…
But…
‘This is no excuse!’
Sefina screamed in her heart.
‘Once was an accident, twice… and with a different student each time!’
‘Sefina! Do you still deserve to be a teacher?!’
‘What about your professional ethics?! Your bottom line?! Your responsibility to guide your students?!’
‘Have they all been gnawed away by magic crests and crazy accidents?!’
Sefina harshly condemned herself in her heart. She felt like a terrible failure, constantly claiming to protect and guide her students, yet repeatedly crossing boundaries into intimate contact with them.
‘With Mia, it was a dual accident of magic potion and magic crest—barely excusable by “force majeure.” This time… although it started with the magic crest outbreak, she couldn’t completely shirk the process…’
Sefina would be ashamed to death just recalling it now.
Ellaria sat next to Sefina, also with her head low. Her golden hair covered most of her face, revealing only her equally red earlobes and slightly trembling shoulders. Her heart was also far from calm.
‘Oh my god…’
‘What… what have I done…’
Ellaria’s fingertips were icy cold, tightly intertwined.
‘I actually… did that to Teacher…’
‘Taking advantage of her magic crest outbreak, while she was unconscious…’
‘I… I’m like a despicable profiteer!’
After reason returned, overwhelming regret and self-condemnation nearly drowned Ellaria.
She had defiled the purest teacher in her mind, and also violated the royal upbringing and moral code she had always followed.
The impulse from a moment ago and the excuse of “protection” now seemed so feeble, more like self-deception.
She clearly… clearly had been swept away by desire and long-suppressed emotions.
‘Wuwuwu…’
‘Teacher must hate me to death…’
‘Will she think of me as a shameless, ill-intentioned student…’
Just then, Flovi, who had been waiting in the aisle, seemed to notice something and directly asked:
“Master, your face is really red. Are you feeling unwell?”
‘!!!’
‘Flovi!!!’
‘You… you airhead!’
‘Don’t ask that!!’
Sefina wailed inside, feeling like her cheeks, which had just cooled a little, instantly exploded again.
She had just done something unspeakable with Ellaria in the restroom, and now Flovi was bluntly asking about it in front of everyone…
She wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it right then, or use the highest-level magic to teleport herself to the end of the universe!
Sefina abruptly raised her hand, tightly covering her burning hot cheeks, lowering her head even further, not daring to look at Flovi or the possibly watching Mia and Kefi.
Ellaria also flinched at Flovi’s question, her heart nearly stopping.
Seeing Teacher Sefina’s embarrassed and ashamed state, almost curling up, her mind raced to come up with an excuse to gloss over it.
“It’s… it’s because… the carriage is too hot! It’s a bit hot!”
“Sefina Teacher and I went over to the window by the restroom to get some air…”
The excuse sounded incredibly flimsy.
Not to mention whether the small restroom window could effectively “air out,” just the fact that “getting some air” could make her face this red was enough to raise suspicion.
But Ellaria’s mind was also a mess; coming up with this excuse was already her limit.
After saying it, she nervously looked at Flovi, then secretly glanced at Mia and Kefi.
Mia blinked her blue eyes, seeming to find the explanation a bit strange, but didn’t think much of it, just “Oh”-ed.
Kefi sat quietly, her gaze shifting between the two, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
Fortunately, Flovi’s thought process was simple and straightforward enough.
After hearing Ellaria’s explanation, she just nodded thoughtfully and let out a soft “Oh.”
Both Sefina and Ellaria almost simultaneously breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Even though the excuse was full of holes, at least Flovi wouldn’t dig deeper, Mia was laid-back, and Kefi… at least didn’t question it on the spot.
The train finally came to a complete stop, and the doors opened.
A gust of biting cold wind immediately rushed into the carriage, icy and piercing.
The five got off one by one, stepping onto the platform of Sarkax Royal Capital Station.
The cold wind was like a knife, whipping up fine snowflakes on the ground and hitting them in the face.
Yet even standing in the frozen snow, Sefina still felt her cheeks burning, the heat seeming to radiate from the inside out, unable to be blown away by the cold.
Ellaria also felt her face burning, the cold wind on her cheeks bringing a strange sensation of ice and fire interwoven.
Her mind uncontrollably replayed the chaotic fragments from the restroom.
Teacher’s dazed and vulnerable expression, Teacher’s warmth, Teacher’s scent…
The intense self-condemnation and regret still lingered, but beneath that…
She seemed to crave more.