Lilian walked forward without hesitation toward the familiar figure.
The sudden appearance of the First Princess naturally drew everyone’s attention.
“Th-The princess…!”
“Why is the First Princess at the academy?”
“…Could it be that she’s here to see the Second Princess?”
Brushing past the murmuring crowd, Lilian strode towards the dust-covered workers.
She reached out her hand—toward the familiar man she had just recognized.
No, toward the leader of the secret organization that had engulfed the continent’s shadows in just a few months.
And then—
“You do know that calling this a coincidence would be childish, right?”
She asked.
“What scheme is he plotting this time?”
“What reason does a bloodstained swordsman have to appear in such a peaceful place?”
However—
“S-Scheme? Your Highness, I’ve never harbored such sinister thoughts in my entire life…!”
“…What?”
What Lilian found was not the familiar face she expected but a complete stranger.
The man she thought she had caught vanished like a mirage before her eyes.
Lilian let out a short, incredulous laugh.
Then, the voice of the captain of the royal guards reached her.
“What is the matter, Your Highness?”
“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”
She briefly considered ordering the knights to search the area, but that man wouldn’t be caught so easily.
It would be nothing but a waste of time.
So, instead, Lilian turned her back on the gazes fixed upon her.
She made her way toward the carriage that would take her to the guest quarters reserved for esteemed visitors—specifically, her own accommodations.
‘There’s no way that the meeting I was anticipating refers to him. No, it absolutely cannot be…!’
As Lilian boarded the carriage, her thoughts ran along those lines.
She fervently hoped that the message from the divine beast—the reason and purpose for her journey to Primus—was not pointing toward that madman who only looked normal on the surface.
***
Soon, she arrived at her lodging.
The place was as grand as a noble’s private estate, and numerous attendants were already waiting to serve the First Princess.
However, she dismissed all but the essential staff, using the excuse that she wanted to rest quietly.
Upon reaching her spacious bedroom, she even sent away the royal guards.
“Then, we will stand by outside. Please rest well, Your Highness.”
Creak.
The wooden door, engraved with intricate patterns, slowly closed.
Almost simultaneously, a quiet sigh escaped her lips.
“…Why does it have to be him?”
With Karian’s appearance, it was certain that some disturbance would occur at the academy.
Not that she particularly cared about whatever trouble he stirred up—
But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that he would interfere with her own plans.
Whatever his objectives were, she just wanted him to stay out of her way.
Whether he planned to abduct students from Primus or steal rare tomes from the Grand Library, Lilian had no intention of getting involved.
All she wanted was for him to leave her alone as well.
***
As she was lost in thought about this familiar yet vexing figure—
Thud.
A neatly folded note landed gently on her forehead.
“2 PM, at the main building café. See you there, ill-tempered princess.”
“Ha, who does he think he’s calling ill-tempered…!”
As expected.
Despite the presence of the empire’s elite knights guarding the area, he had slipped in without hesitation—just to toss a note before disappearing once more.
She hadn’t even heard his footsteps.
Just like before.
And just like before, he had the audacity to call her an “ill-tempered princess.”
-Crackle-
The heat rising within her chest compelled her to crumple the note in frustration.
Then, she tore it apart—
And with fifth-tier flame magic, she burned it to nothingness.
『Hellfire』
The paper floated briefly in the air before being reduced to ashes.
The edge of the carpet was slightly singed in the process, but she couldn’t care less.
She just needed to hear what Karian was planning.
And, at the very least, she had to warn him not to get in her way.
***
With that thought, she stepped outside her quarters earlier than the time written in the note.
Alone, of course.
“You cannot, Your Highness. If anything were to happen while we were absent—”
“If people saw the First Princess needing an escort just to visit a café, what do you think they’d say? That the First Princess is the biggest coward on the continent?”
“I…”
“Ikarte, I’m not that little girl anymore. I can take care of myself.”
Lilian snapped at the grizzled captain of the royal guard, dismissing his excessive concern.
Then, she turned her back on him.
She added one final warning—
“If any of the knights dared to follow her, she would treat them as insubordinate.”
Lilian walking alone toward the main building of Primus was partly because she didn’t want to draw too much attention from the students.
But the most decisive reason was the man she was about to meet in a few minutes.
‘He’s going to mock me for sure. He’ll ask if I was so scared that I had to bring my knights with me.’
Of all people, she did not want to be looked down on by Karian Desar.
That was why she arrived a little earlier than the promised time, maintaining a calm expression as she waited for him.
***
-Rustle.
-Rustle, rustle.
“Alright, that’s all for today. If there’s anything you didn’t understand in today’s lesson—”
I trailed off, noticing the dazed expressions on my students’ faces.
In that state, they probably wouldn’t register a single word I said.
‘Hmm, maybe I pushed them a bit too hard today.’
Since the Leap Ceremony was only a few days away, I had intensified the lesson’s difficulty.
Perhaps because of that, most of the advanced class students hadn’t even finished their notes yet.
But it’s fine—everything I covered was essential.
Once they start understanding the basics, they’ll naturally grasp the more advanced concepts step by step.
So, instead of giving them an overview of the next lecture, I simply left the hall.
I had the faintest feeling that the moment I stepped out, relieved sighs erupted from various corners of the room.
‘Yeah, no way they’re exhausted after just three hours of class.’
As I walked down the long corridor, my mind shifted to my next lesson—the Fundamentals of Mana Design.
However, before preparing for the class, I found myself craving something sweet.
***
-Halt.
…Step, step, step.
In the end, I changed course, heading toward the café in the main building instead of my office, where Princess Irina and Evan were waiting.
Until a few months ago, I didn’t particularly crave sweets.
But ever since my body became younger, I found myself drawn to them more often.
Of course, the café owner’s incredible skills also played a role.
They could effortlessly create desserts and drinks unlike anything found elsewhere on the continent.
‘How could I not keep coming back?’
Even better, they allowed custom orders tailored to my exact tastes.
I wasn’t sure why, but their menu constantly reminded me of the franchise cafés from my original world.
‘As expected of the continent’s best academy.’
In a way, the café’s excellent beverages were part of the benefits that Primus offered.
Honestly, becoming a professor here might have been worth it just for this café.
***
Upon arriving at the familiar garden, I made my way toward the café entrance at its center.
But something felt off.
Especially the atmosphere inside the café.
‘…Did a fight break out?’
Hearing the murmurs filling both the café’s interior and exterior, I tilted my head in confusion and stepped inside.
And the moment I did—I doubted my own eyes.
“You could call it a treasure hunt.”
“Treasure? Is the orphanage struggling that much these days?”
“Well, I’m just here to check on something personal. You, on the other hand, should take this time to bond with your dear sister.”
Golden hair cascading down to the waist.
Expensive-looking accessories.
An overall pristine white appearance.
And across from her—
Black hair.
A neat face with round glasses as the only accessory.
A slightly lean frame.
“You caring about someone else’s family affairs? I’m so touched, I might cry.”
“I’ve told you repeatedly—I’m three years older than you. Could you stop talking like I’m beneath you?”
“What’s wrong with calling someone below me what they are? If you have a problem with it, you should’ve been born into the royal family.”
At a table inside the café, two very familiar figures exchanged words that could either be pleasantries or insults.
I barely managed to stop myself from calling out to them.
Instead, I focused my gaze straight ahead and walked toward the café owner.
But my attempt to ignore them was utterly in vain.
***
“Keep your voices down. That girl over there is so nervous because of you she can’t even place her order.”
“And why would that be my fault? It’s obviously because of you. Who wouldn’t be afraid of a bloodstained assassin?”
“Then, why don’t we ask her directly?”
For some unknown reason, Karian suddenly stood up and approached me.
No, not only did he approach me—
He even reached out and ruffled my hair while speaking in a friendly tone.
-Pat, pat.
-Pat, pat.
“I just have one question—”
-CRACK!
“…! …!?”
“Oh.”
Before I even realized it, I had kicked Karian’s shin.
Of all things, I absolutely could not tolerate a guy who was younger than me ruffling my hair.