Unconcealed aggressiveness. Versie’s kiss, like her current dominant position, carried unconcealed aggressiveness.
One hand held Sefina’s head from behind, the other pressing against her waist, her tongue plunging deep to conquer.
Sefina let out a muffled “mmph,” her cheeks burning hot, her wine-red eyes filled with shame and indignation, but she could only squeeze out fragmented protests from her throat.
Versie narrowed her eyes, her ice-blue depths rippling with smug pleasure.
The teacher’s lips really were soft, still carrying the faint bitter aftertaste of coffee.
However, at the very moment Versie’s guard was lowest—
She suddenly felt her entire body stiffen.
Before she could even think about what had happened, Versie’s hands, which had been holding Sefina’s head and waist, slid down involuntarily.
Immediately after, an irresistible force struck, “flinging” her whole body off Sefina.
Versie stumbled and fell onto the carpet, dull pain shooting through her hip and elbow. She looked up in astonishment, her ice-blue pupils sharply contracting—
Sefina had already sat up, disheveled blue long hair draped over her shoulders, cheeks still flushed, breathing still a little rapid.
But those wine-red eyes were now sharp as ice, locked directly onto her.
And in Sefina’s hand was a wand, its tip steadily pointed in her direction.
The wand was an elegant silvery white, its shaft wrapped in ice-blue runes, topped with a translucent blue gem.
It was Versie’s own wand!
‘When…?!’
Versie jerked her head down to look at the small pouch at her waist that she never let out of her sight.
The clasp at the pouch’s opening had somehow been flipped open, and it was completely empty inside.
Just now, she had been entirely focused on the kiss, reveling in the feeling of overpowering her teacher, and had completely failed to notice how Sefina’s hand, behind her back, had slipped into the pouch at her waist with extremely deft and covert movements.
Teacher Sefina also knew she was in the habit of keeping her wand there…
‘She knew the teacher’s habits, but wasn’t the teacher equally familiar with hers?’
‘That kiss, which had seemed forced, had actually been the teacher’s chance to access her belongings!’
Sefina slowly stood, looking down at Versie sitting on the floor.
The flush on her face grew more vivid from anger, but her expression turned cold, and a dangerous curve tugged at the corner of her lips.
She twirled Versie’s wand once in her hand, rhythmically tapping her own palm with the shaft, wine-red eyes narrowing slightly:
“Remember what I said just now?”
The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a distinct chill, each word striking heavily against Versie’s heart:
“When I get my wand, you’ll be sorry!”
Versie’s ice-blue eyes flew wide, filled with “oh no” panic.
The situation had reversed too quickly. Moments ago, she had been completely pinning the teacher down and teasing her freely; in the blink of an eye, she was the one collapsed on the floor!
‘Trouble…’
‘She really went too far this time…’
A watery sheen glazed over her ice-blue eyes.
“Teacher~~”
Versie quickly switched expressions, tilting her face up, her voice soft and sweet, full of pleading.
“C-Can you spare me? I know I was wrong…”
The dangerous smile at the corner of Sefina’s lips deepened.
She tilted her head slightly, her wine-red pupils deep and intimidating under the dim yellow light of the private compartment, and asked softly:
“What do you think?”
Versie’s heart sank completely.
The moment she saw the teacher’s eyes, she knew it was over—time to settle the full score.
Sefina said no more. With a flick of her wrist, the wand’s tip lit up with a soft emerald green light.
The light flowed and condensed, quickly materializing a slender, sturdy dark teaching cane in her other hand.
This was the most basic shaping application of wood magic.
Versie stared at the teaching cane, pupils trembling slightly, instinctively wanting to shrink back.
“Kneel properly!”
Sefina’s voice was flat and calm, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.
Versie bit her lower lip. Knowing she was in the wrong and the wand was in the other’s hands, resistance was futile. She could only slowly adjust her posture and kneel properly on the carpet before Sefina.
“Hands. Out.”
Sefina gently tapped Versie’s wrist with the teaching cane.
Versie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tremblingly extended both hands, palms up.
Crack!
The teaching cane whistled through the air, landing cleanly on Versie’s tender left palm.
“Ah! It hurts!”
Caught off guard, Versie cried out in pain, her entire arm trembling. A clear red mark quickly appeared on her palm.
Her eyes reddened instantly, her voice turning teary.
“Teacher, be gentler…”
Sefina ignored her plea and raised the teaching cane again.
Crack!
This time, it landed on her right palm.
“Ah! It hurts!”
Crack!
“This one punishes you for showing no respect to your elder and repeatedly overstepping your bounds!”
Sefina’s tone was cold.
Crack!
“This one punishes you for saying one thing and meaning another, always deceiving and teasing your teacher!”
Crack!
“This one punishes you for your despicable methods, daring to sneak an attack to snatch the wand!”
Sefina paused, looked at Versie’s slightly swollen hands and her appearance—lower lip bitten tightly, tears welling in her eyes—and ultimately didn’t voice that final “charge” that was even more embarrassing to say.
After just these few strikes, Versie’s palms were bright red and slightly hot; even touching them made her hiss in pain.
Crystalline tears finally rolled down Versie’s pale cheeks.
The hand holding the teaching cane paused.
The anger in her heart had actually mostly dissipated after the first strike. Seeing Versie looking so pitiful now, a trace of reluctance to be harsh arose.
She let out a soft sigh and casually placed both the teaching cane and the wand on the side table nearby.
Then she walked over to Versie, crouched down, and gently held those swollen red hands.
A soft white light rose from her palms, enveloping Versie’s hands.
This was gentle healing magic, which could relieve pain and promote the dissipation of bruising.
“Does it still hurt?”
Sefina asked in a low voice, her tone much softer now.
Versie sniffled, nodded, and spoke in a muffled voice.
“A little…”
She lifted her tear-misted ice-blue eyes to look at Sefina, who was right in front of her, then suddenly added softly, with a hint of testing and slyness:
“But… if Teacher Sefina would give me a kiss, it wouldn’t hurt anymore.”
Sefina’s movements froze. She looked up and shot her an exasperated glare.
‘Even at a time like this, she still has the nerve to be cheeky!’
She simply let go of Versie’s hands, stood up, ignored her, turned and sat back down on the sofa, wearily rubbing her temples.
After all that commotion this afternoon—the fright, the embarrassment, the exertion—she really was a bit tired.
Versie looked at her hands, which felt much better after the treatment, then secretly glanced at Sefina resting with her eyes closed on the sofa.
She carefully shuffled over, sat down next to Sefina, and gently rested her head on Sefina’s shoulder.
Sefina’s body stiffened slightly, but in the end, she didn’t push her away.
The private compartment grew quiet, leaving only the faint crackling of firewood burning in the fireplace.
Outside the window, the snow had stopped at some point, and dusk was deepening.
After a moment of tranquility, Sefina suddenly opened her eyes, her wine-red eyes regaining clarity.
“Almost forgot, there’s another important matter to attend to.”