“I’ll make every instance of your ‘kindness’ turn into a slap across your own face.”
‘You want to step over my corpse to climb to a high position in House Elwin again?’
‘In your dreams.’
Just then, a faint click came from the door — the sound of Lyra’s door closing.
A soft rustling followed from next door, then the dull thud of someone falling onto a bed and a satisfied, cat-like sigh.
Freya tilted her head slightly, the tension in her heart loosening for some unknown reason.
At the very least, she had a “partner” by her side now.
Though Lyra’s origins were unknown, their goals were currently aligned.
She was someone who wouldn’t face Freya with hypocritical tears and schemes.
Freya redirected her gaze to the documents in her hands, her eyes having already regained their calmness and focus.
Tomorrow was the Exchange Competition.
It would be the first step in overturning her image and demonstrating her value, as well as an important stage to observe Ross, Irina, and the reactions of various factions.
As for Irina… since she couldn’t wait to jump out and play the “thoughtful little sister,” Freya would give her that chance.
‘I just hope, Father, that when you discover this “little sister” is hidden with thorns, you won’t regret it too soon.’
Freya extinguished the magic lamp, and the room plunged into darkness.
Only the moonlight outside the window silently witnessed the unquenchable, cold, and resolute flame burning in the young woman’s eyes.
The road to revenge was long, and tonight’s memories and plans were but one small cornerstone.
Step by step, she would reclaim everything that belonged to her and drag those traitors, one by one, into the abyss they had dug themselves.
The next morning, Freya finished washing up and was about to change into her academy uniform when the door was pushed open.
Lyra rushed in wildly, accompanied by a loud shout.
“Good morning, Boss! Let’s go eat breakfast!”
She was immediately met with the sight of Freya’s back as she was getting dressed, her bare shoulders exposed and her expression hidden.
At that moment, Freya’s body was shaking violently, as if she were suppressing a massive amount of rage.
Lyra let out a soft “Ara — ” an awkward smile appearing on her face.
Realizing that something bad was about to happen, she began to back out of the room inch by inch, though she didn’t lose any speed.
“Boss, Boss, please continue. This lowly one won’t disturb you…”
Sure enough, a world-shaking roar erupted from Freya a second later.
“GET OUT!!!”
“I was wrong, Boss!!!”
Lyra bolted the instant Freya exploded, narrowly avoiding a thrown slipper.
Thud!
Lyra pressed her back firmly against the door, which let out a dull sound.
She clutched her chest, panting heavily, her face still showing a mix of relief at having survived and a bit of guilt.
That roar from the Boss just now had carried a physical wave of magic power, making her eardrums buzz.
The soft-soled slipper that had come flying out had accurately grazed the tip of her nose before slamming into the doorframe.
“That… that scared me to death…”
Lyra muttered under her breath, patting her slightly flushed cheeks.
Even though it was only a fleeting glimpse… ‘Boss’s shoulders have such a nice line, and her skin is so pale… No, no, no!’
‘What am I thinking!’
Lyra shook her head violently, tossing the inappropriate thoughts out of her mind.
‘But — ‘
‘The Boss looks quite cute when she’s angry…’
‘No, no, Lyra, do you want to be slaughtered by the Boss?’
A few minutes later, the door was gently pulled open from the inside.
Freya was fully dressed.
The standard female uniform robe of the Central Magic Academy fit her perfectly.
Her long purple hair was meticulously tied behind her head with a ribbon of the same color as the uniform.
There was no extra expression on her face; she was so calm it was as if the roar and the flying slipper from earlier were just Lyra’s hallucinations.
Only those pale violet eyes were a few degrees colder than usual.
When her gaze swept over Lyra, Lyra subconsciously shrunk her neck.
“B-Boss, morning…”
Lyra greeted her with a forced smile, her eyes wandering.
Freya ignored her and walked right past her toward the dining room downstairs.
Her steps were steady and her back was straight, radiating a low-pressure aura that said “stay away, especially you.”
Lyra rubbed her nose and followed sheepishly behind her like a little tail that had done something wrong.
The atmosphere at breakfast was somewhat stagnant.
Freya ate her meal quietly, her movements elegant and her gaze fixed forward.
Lyra, uncharacteristically well-behaved, nibbled on her bread in small bites.
She would occasionally steal a glance at Freya and only dared to take another slice when she saw there was no reaction.
It wasn’t until breakfast was nearly over that Freya put down her utensils, took a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth, and finally looked at Lyra sitting across from her.
“Lyra.”
Her voice was calm and flat.
“Present!”
Lyra immediately sat up straight.
“First, before entering someone else’s room, please knock and wait for permission.”
Freya looked at her, her eyes devoid of emotion.
“This is basic etiquette and a sign of respect for others.”
“Yes! Boss! I’ll remember! Next time, I’ll definitely knock! Three times!”
Lyra immediately raised her hand in a promise.
“Second — “
Freya continued, her tone still indifferent.
“For today’s Exchange Competition, I don’t want you to do anything out of line because of any ‘accidents’ or ‘sudden whims.’ Your task is to observe, gather information, and act on my instructions when necessary. Understood?”
“Understood! Absolute obedience to orders! I’ll only look and won’t touch… uh, unless you tell me to, Boss!”
Lyra nodded like a woodpecker.
Seeing Lyra’s eager-to-please attitude, Freya’s anger had actually mostly dissipated.
She knew Lyra hadn’t done it on purpose.
The girl simply didn’t have much of a concept of “private space” or “noble etiquette.”
It was just that being barged in on like that in the early morning, coupled with the bad mood from last night’s memories, had caused her to lose control of her emotions for a moment.
“Mhm.”
Freya gave a faint response and stood up.
“Get ready to leave. The carriage is already waiting.”
“Okay!”
As if receiving a grand pardon, Lyra quickly gulped down the last of her milk, wiped her mouth, and followed behind Freya.
On the way to the Royal Academy of Magic’s practice grounds, the atmosphere in the carriage lightened significantly.
Lyra regained her high-energy self, clinging to the carriage window and looking curiously at the streets getting busier and the growing crowds heading toward the practice grounds.
“There are so many people, Boss! It’s even livelier than when the Black Market opens a grand fair!”
Lyra marveled.
“The Exchange Competition is an annual event in the Royal Capital. It’s not just about the honor of the academies; it also involves the reputation of the major noble houses and a display of the younger generation,” Freya explained, her gaze also fixed outside.
Students wearing uniforms from different academies could be seen, along with various types of noble carriages.
“Oh…”
Lyra seemed to only half-understand, but then she became excited again.
“Then Boss, are you going to take the field today? Use those powerful ‘pew-pew, boom-boom’ spells of yours to knock them all down!”
Freya gave her a look.
“I am attending as an Outstanding Student Representative and an Observer, not as a contestant. The focus today is on ‘observing.'”
“Oh…”
Lyra was a bit disappointed but soon brightened up.
“Then I’ll ‘observe’ carefully too! Especially that Blondie and the Crybaby!”
‘Blondie? Crybaby?’
‘Oh, she means Ross and Irina — ‘
‘Those nicknames are quite fitting — ‘
At the mention of Ross and Irina, Freya’s eyes darkened slightly.
She adjusted her breathing and focused her attention on the upcoming occasion.
The carriage passed through the grand gates of the Royal Academy of Magic, drove through the tree-lined avenue, and finally stopped in the designated area on the outskirts of the practice grounds.
The practice grounds were a massive circular building, ancient and solemn, and it was already bustling with people.
Freya and Lyra stepped out of the carriage.
Staff from the Central Academy immediately came forward to guide them to the Central Academy’s exclusive viewing and preparation area.
The air was filled with the scents of excitement, tension, and a faint smell of magical potions.
Flags of various academies fluttered in the stands, and judges and noble guests in formal attire were already taking their seats.
The participating students were making final preparations in the warm-up area at the edge of the field, with magical light flashing from time to time.
Freya quickly found the Central Academy’s section.
After a brief exchange with the leading Professor and several participating students, she sat down in the front row with Lyra, where the view was better.
Her gaze quickly swept across the field and soon locked onto the Royal Academy’s area.
Ross was indeed there.
He was wearing a suit of silver-white light armor, covered by the cloak of the Royal Knight Preparatory Class.
He was chatting and laughing with his companions, his posture relaxed.
The sunlight falling on his golden hair was so dazzling it was almost blinding.
Beside him, Irina was also wearing the simple robes of the Royal Academy’s logistics or support staff.
She was looking up at him with pure admiration and a hint of nervousness, holding a small medical bag in her hands.
‘Irina actually managed to get Ross to agree to let her into the Royal logistics…’
‘If those old fossils back at the Central Academy found out, would their noses turn crooked with rage?’
‘But — ‘
‘That has nothing to do with me…’
As if sensing her gaze, Ross turned his head.
His eyes crossed through the crowd and landed precisely on Freya.
He was slightly stunned for a moment, then he flashed a brilliant smile and waved at her.
Freya looked away expressionlessly, as if she had only happened to glance in that direction by accident.
Lyra whispered in her ear, sounding a bit excited.
“Boss, that Blondie kid is greeting you. Are you going to pretend you didn’t see him?”
“Focus on watching the match,” Freya said flatly.
But that didn’t stop Lyra’s curiosity.
“Boss, isn’t that Blondie kid a student of the Central Magic Academy like you? Why is he in the Royal Academy of Magic’s team?”
“He is the Crown Prince. Although he is officially a student of the Central Magic Academy, he is also a registered student of the Royal Academy of Magic. This time, he will definitely represent the Royal Academy in the competition.”
Just then, a loud trumpet blast sounded, echoing throughout the practice grounds.
An emcee dressed in royal ceremonial robes walked to the center of the field and used amplification magic to announce that the Aurora Empire’s annual Academy Magic Exchange Competition had officially begun.
The first match was a team confrontation between the Royal Academy of Magic and the Northland Winter Academy.
Magical light instantly flared up as the sounds of roaring and the cheers of the audience intertwined, raising the curtain on today’s grand performance.
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