Movira looked at her cautious, timid expression, and the softest corner of her heart was pierced sharply.
She stood up, walked over to stand in front of Seraphina, and without reaching out to touch her, simply bent down to meet her eyes at the same level. A radiant smile she had never shown before bloomed across her face.
“Of course. We are sisters, of course. That will never change!”
This simple promise became the strongest bond pushing their relationship one step further.
It swept away the last shadows lingering in Seraphina’s heart.
The confusion, fear, shame, and chaos from yesterday and this morning seemed to find their place at this very moment.
A wave of relief surged over her, crashing through every defense she had.
She could no longer hold back. She suddenly stood up and threw herself into Movira’s arms, hands locking tightly around the other woman’s waist as she buried her flushed cheeks deep into Movira’s chest. Her body trembled gently with quiet sobs.
“Mm… mm… You promised it would never change… Wuu… wuu…”
Movira was pushed back half a step by the sudden, proactive embrace, but she immediately wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close.
She couldn’t fully understand why Seraphina had suddenly become like this, but she knew one thing for certain: right now, Seraphina desperately needed this reassuring hug.
“You promised… it will never change.” Even as she answered, a faint hesitation lingered in Movira’s heart. Would it truly never change?
Still, she pushed that private feeling down once more. Using their height difference, she gently rubbed her chin against the top of Seraphina’s soft hair.
Calling each other sisters was only Movira’s way of drawing closer to Seraphina—it was never her final goal.
To reach that final goal, she would eventually have to make Seraphina face those questions about her self-identity and about their relationship head-on. Avoidance was only temporary. It helped for now, but it was not a lasting solution.
Just thinking about the problems they would have to confront someday made even Movira let out a long, silent sigh in her heart.
After a long while, the trembling in Seraphina’s body slowly subsided.
“Um… you can let go now.”
“Oh, right.” Movira quickly withdrew her hands from Seraphina’s back.
Only after Seraphina pulled out of the embrace did Movira notice the warm, damp spot on the front of her own clothes.
She suddenly realized that Seraphina had… actually cried? And cried so hard that a small patch of fabric was soaked through.
“What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly feel so… wronged?”
Seraphina sniffled. Her cheeks were still tinged pink. She didn’t dare look up at her, and her voice came out thick with tears, sounding muffled. “I’m sorry… I got Sister’s clothes wet.”
“It’s fine.” Movira didn’t care about that at all. What mattered to her was that Seraphina had once again called her “Sister.” She had gotten past yesterday’s hurdle.
Of course, she also wanted to know the reason.
“It’s just… why are you crying?”
She truly didn’t understand. It had been such a small thing, yet these sudden tears left her at a loss.
Seraphina stayed silent for a moment. Her fingers unconsciously clutched at the corner of Movira’s clothes near her waist—she didn’t even realize she was doing it until the action registered.
In an extremely soft voice, she murmured, “Because… you are the only person… I can rely on here… This isn’t the Demon Realm…”
In the Demon Realm, Seraphina had Lina for everyday life, Ailinuo as well, and for official matters there was Mr. Dekrian and the Giantwing Demon chieftain.
But here, in this human magic academy, it seemed there was only Movira.
To Movira, those words landed like a thunderclap, exploding inside her chest.
“The only person she can rely on…”
Dekalorin’s earlier words echoed in her mind like a refrain—“Make her whole world consist of you.”
In a certain sense… had she already achieved that?
A warm current flooded through her entire body.
“Mm.” Movira raised a hand and gently wiped away the lingering tears at the corners of Seraphina’s eyes. “I’m right here. Don’t cry anymore.”
And right at that moment—
“Seraphina!” The door slammed open with a bang. Dekalorin burst into the room, but her voice cut off sharply when she saw the scene inside.
Time seemed to freeze.
Three pairs of eyes met in midair.
Dekalorin’s eyes widened into perfect circles. Her gaze locked precisely onto Movira’s hand, which hadn’t yet been withdrawn, and onto Seraphina’s obviously tear-streaked face that still carried a faint blush.
Seraphina recoiled like a startled rabbit. She jerked backward and quickly swatted Movira’s hand away. The redness that had just begun to fade rushed back across her cheeks.
Dekalorin reacted instantly. She planted one foot on the ground, swung the other leg up in a perfect half-circle, and turned to face outward.
“Oops! I didn’t see anything! You two keep going! Keep going! I’ll come back later.”
“Wait!” Seraphina called out, her voice still carrying a hint of shyness. “Dekalorin, if you have something to say, just say it.”
Dekalorin stopped. She glanced toward Movira with a questioning look. After receiving a nod, she turned around slowly, walked into the room, and kept her eyes carefully averted from the pair. She pretended she had seen nothing and deliberately adopted a strictly businesslike tone.
“Um… well, the council formally passed the resolution this morning. You have been granted the honorary title of Arcane Professor.”
She immediately changed tack. “However, according to academy regulations, newly appointed professors must deliver at least one public lecture within the first month. It’s part of the inauguration ceremony and a way to demonstrate your abilities to the students and faculty.”
“A public lecture?!” Seraphina nearly jumped off the bed in shock. She forgot her embarrassment entirely and stared at Dekalorin in disbelief. “You never mentioned this requirement before!”
Movira echoed Seraphina’s sentiment, though her tone was noticeably colder. “Dekalorin, is this what you call a forced sale?”
“Yeah! Can I refuse?”
“No can do.” Dekalorin spread her hands. Like a magician, she produced a beautifully crafted appointment letter embossed with the academy’s crest from behind her back. “The letter is already prepared, and the paperwork is complete. Backing out now wouldn’t follow the rules.”
“You think I’ll believe that? You ‘forgot’ to mention such an important regulation?”
Facing Movira’s skeptical gaze, Dekalorin’s eyes finally showed a trace of helplessness.