“Are we just going to stand here and wait?”
Sigh…
Laxana wiped the tears from her face and looked at Astreia beside her.
Her Highness the Princess’s fists clenched until her knuckles cracked.
She stared at the closed oak door as if she could burn it to ashes.
“No.”
Astreia turned and walked away.
“We’re going to make that scheming woman understand what it means to pay someone back in their own coin.”
Laxana hurried to catch up.
“What are you planning?”
“She wants to play strategy, does she? Then we’ll play along.”
Astreia’s footsteps echoed through the empty corridor.
“We made a mistake before: we thought she was just an ordinary librarian.”
“And now?”
“Now we understand.”
The princess stopped and turned around.
“That woman has been setting this up from the very beginning. The hostility and compromise on the path last night… then tonight…”
Laxana’s face turned even paler.
“She deliberately caused a rift between us and Wendy?”
“Of course.”
Astreia gave a cold laugh.
“Look how perfectly she timed it. She appeared when Wendy was most agitated, brought him the materials he needed, and then stood by watching us clash with him.”
“In the end, she played the savior, and Wendy naturally turned to her.”
Laxana bit her lip.
“We… were outmaneuvered.”
The two walked out of the library.
Moonlight spilled onto their faces.
Astreia’s expression was graver than ever.
“Laxana, let me ask you something.”
“What?”
“Through your empathic link… can you feel Wendy’s emotions?”
Laxana’s eyes snapped open.
Her face went pale.
“Yes… he’s extremely pleased. The kind of pleasure is completely different from when he’s with us.”
Astreia’s expression turned colder.
“How is it different?”
Laxana hesitated, then closed her eyes.
After a moment, she spoke in a low voice.
“I can only sense a little… but it’s strange. Right now, he feels… When he’s with us, his pleasure is physical—filled with exhaustion and satisfaction.”
She hugged herself.
“But right now… it’s spiritual. As if… something is filling his soul.”
“Damn it.”
Astreia clenched her fists tighter.
“She gave him something we couldn’t.”
“Yes.”
Laxana’s tears began to fall again.
“That kind of spiritual fulfillment… I’ve never felt that from Wendy before.”
The two were silent for a long time.
The night wind blew, bringing a chill.
“Astreia.”
Laxana suddenly spoke.
“I’ve figured something out.”
“What?”
“Our approach before… it was all wrong.”
She wiped away her tears, her violet eyes burning with unwillingness.
“We only satisfied our own possessiveness. We never truly understood what he needed.”
Astreia frowned.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Xi Ya gave him spiritual resonance. She understands his academic pursuits, sympathizes with his creative struggles, and even gives him exactly the right guidance at the most critical moments.”
Laxana’s voice grew calm.
“And we… we only dragged him to bed.”
It was blunt, but Astreia didn’t argue—because it was true.
“Since she can help him academically, so can we.”
Laxana’s tone carried determination.
“Right.”
Astreia thought for a moment.
“So what you’re saying is, we need to change strategy?”
“Yes. Give Wendy what she can give—but do it better.”
The princess nodded.
“But first, we need to find out her true background. Those perfect credentials definitely have problems.”
“I already have an idea.”
Laxana pulled a magic crystal from her bosom.
“My mother gave me this. It can connect to the academy’s core archive. Official records can be forged, but the magical imprint left at enrollment cannot. That’s the real record of a student’s information—our predecessors used it specifically to root out demon spies.”
The crystal glowed faintly in the moonlight.
Laxana channeled her magic into it, and lines of text began to appear on the crystal’s surface.
“Xi Ya Allison… enrollment date…”
Her voice grew softer.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s definitely a problem! The magical imprint shows… her actual enrollment was three years ago. But her official file says five years.”
Astreia leaned in immediately.
“And?”
“Her magic level… the file says she’s at an ordinary civilian standard. But the magical imprint shows—”
Laxana’s hands began to tremble.
“—that her magical fluctuations once reached advanced mage standards—almost as high as mine!”
They exchanged a look, both seeing shock in each other’s eyes.
“This woman…”
Astreia’s voice was barely a whisper.
“She’s been hiding her true abilities.”
“Not just abilities.”
Laxana continued scanning.
“Her original file also contains a deleted record… about some magical experiment.”
“What kind of experiment?”
“Can’t read it clearly… It seems protected by a high-rank sealing spell. I’m not skilled in that area. But one thing is certain: this woman is definitely no ordinary librarian.”
Astreia began pacing on the spot.
“A hidden high-level mage works as a librarian in the academy and shows such great interest in Wendy…”
“She must have some ulterior motive.”
Laxana picked up the thread.
“And Wendy… is probably just a pawn in her plan.”
This realization only fueled their anger further.
They had thought Xi Ya was just a common romantic rival.
But now it seemed the situation was far more complicated.
“Astreia.”
Laxana suddenly grabbed the princess’s hand.
“No matter who she is or what her goal is, we can’t let her succeed.”
“Of course.”
Astreia tightened her grip.
“We are the true allies.”
“Then what do we do?”
Astreia looked in the direction of the library, still brightly lit.
“Since she likes playing strategy, we’ll play it to the end. Starting tomorrow, we’ll make Wendy see exactly what kind of woman she is.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“A rough idea.”
The princess’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“What is her greatest weapon?”
“Academic ability?”
“Wrong.”
Astreia shook her head.
“It’s her perfect image. She makes Wendy feel that she’s the only one who understands him, the only one who can help him.”
Laxana thought for a moment.
“So…”
“So we need to break that image, and at the same time make him realize that he’s being manipulated.”
Astreia turned to face her.
“Your mother is the Dean of the Magic Branch. She must have a lot of precious academic materials.”
“Specifically, what needs to be done?”
“First step: we have to show our own academic ability.”
Astreia continued.
“We need to provide Wendy with the materials he needs before Xi Ya does.”
“Right. I also have access to the royal secret chamber—there are many military treatises there.”
Laxana’s eyes lit up.
“Let him realize that he can complete On War without Xi Ya.”
“Yes. The second step—”
Astreia paused.
“—we need to make Wendy see Xi Ya’s true face.”
“How do we make him see it?”
“Create some unexpected incidents and observe her reaction.”
The princess’s smile turned dangerous.
“I don’t believe she can keep up that perfect facade forever.”
Laxana understood.
“You want to provoke her into showing her hand.”
“Exactly.”
Astreia nodded.
“Everyone has a limit. Everyone loses control under the right circumstances. We need to find that trigger.”
They discussed a few more details, then split up.
Laxana returned to ask for her mother’s help in obtaining precious materials on war history.
Astreia would write to her younger sister, the queen, requesting military classics.
Before they parted, Laxana suddenly asked, “Astreia… what if Wendy ends up completely brainwashed by her?”
The princess stopped and looked back.
Under the moonlight, her emerald eyes gleamed with determination.
“Then we’ll take him back.”
“Even if he hates us?”
“Even if he hates us.”
Astreia’s voice brooked no argument.
“He can hate me, curse me, never forgive me—but I will never let anyone use him.”
Laxana felt the intensity of the princess’s protective instinct, and warmth surged in her heart.
“I feel the same.”
They clasped hands again.
This time, their alliance was stronger than ever.
Because now they understood: they weren’t just facing a romantic rival—they were facing a dangerous person who might have sinister intentions toward Wendy.
And no matter the cost, they had to protect that man—
Even if Wendy had chosen to betray them now…