Central Academy.
Morning sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting dappled shadows on the ancient stone floor.
Wendy and Laxana walked side by side on the way to the cafeteria.
Or rather, Wendy was unilaterally holding Laxana’s hand, fingers intertwined.
The Prince wore a spring breeze of satisfaction on his face, his steps light and brisk, as if he had just conquered an entire continent instead of merely surviving a night with his memory altered.
Laxana was completely stiff.
Every passing classmate, especially those lovestruck female students, cast glances filled with envy and hatred—enough to sentence the Lady to a thousand cuts.
Those gazes should have made Laxana feel a sense of deserved happiness and pride.
But at this moment, they only made her want to cast Earth Magic on the spot, dig a hole, and bury herself.
“Nana, why are your hands so cold?”
Wendy suddenly stopped, picked up the Lady’s ice-cold hand—frozen from nerves—wrapped it in his own palm, and gently breathed warm air onto it.
Laxana stared at the Prince’s deeply affectionate expression.
Only three words remained in her mind.
Kill her.
That Xi Ya must die!
“Let me warm them up for you.”
Wendy muttered to himself, clumsily trying to shove Laxana’s hand into his robe pocket.
But because he moved too hastily, with a loud riiiip, the pocket of his modified mage’s robe tore out of shape.
Laxana wanted to cry but had no tears.
This damn tenderness!
They finally endured the walk to the cafeteria.
As soon as they found a seat, Wendy volunteered to fetch their meal.
When he returned carrying a hearty breakfast, Laxana’s nightmare truly began.
“Come, Nana, open wide.”
The Prince picked up a small spoonful of milk-soaked cereal, his face full of adoration as he brought it to her lips.
“Pfft—”
The air around them froze instantly.
Dozens of gazes focused sharply on them.
The noisy chatter in the cafeteria quieted down noticeably.
Laxana felt her cheeks heating up at an alarming rate, wishing she could blast the man in front of her away with a Forbidden Spell.
“I can do it myself!”
She lowered her voice, trying to snatch the spoon away.
But Wendy stubbornly shook his head and pushed the spoon closer, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument:
“Don’t be shy. You worked so hard taking care of me last night. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.”
Last night?
Take care of him?
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Laxana was forced to humiliatingly open her mouth and swallow that spoonful of milk cereal, only to nearly choke on the scalding milk.
She swore—this was the hardest breakfast she had ever eaten in her entire life.
Just as the Lady was about to make another grab for the spoon’s sovereignty…
A tall figure appeared silently behind them.
That familiar fluctuation of magic made Laxana’s hair stand on end.
“Laxana.”
Astreia’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a suffocating pressure.
The next second, the Princess grabbed the Lady’s wrist like lightning.
“What happened last night?!”
The accusation was direct and sharp.
Before Laxana could come up with an excuse, Wendy reacted faster than her.
“Slap!”
The Prince put down his spoon, frowning as he stood up, and pulled Laxana behind him, facing Astreia head-on.
“Astreia, you’re being too rude.”
“Let her go.”
Astreia ignored him, her emerald green eyes fixed on Laxana, who was hidden behind Wendy.
Storm clouds churned within them.
Seeing that she didn’t move, Wendy’s displeasure grew.
“You should learn from Nana. See how gentle she is.”
At these words, Astreia froze.
She widened her eyes in disbelief, looking from Wendy to the childhood friend behind him who was lowering her head guiltily.
“Her?”
“Gentle?”
Astreia’s tone spiked sharply.
In her understanding, the words “childhood friend” and “gentle” were as far apart as a Necromancer and a Sacred Light Priest.
“Of course.”
Wendy nodded firmly.
With his memory altered, he was utterly convinced of this “gentleness,” and his protective attitude was evident.
“If it weren’t for Nana last night, I could never have finished that paper.”
“Are you joking?”
“Astreia, if you keep making a scene like this, I’m going to get angry.”
BOOM!
Astreia felt her worldview collapse completely at that moment.
Like a different person.
The Wendy in front of her was far too wrong!
And Laxana—her best friend—was now trembling behind Wendy.
To Astreia, that posture was solid proof of guilt!
Betrayal!
An intense sense of betrayal and the fury of being abandoned instantly overwhelmed her rationality.
“———!”
Wild magic exploded outward from Astreia’s center!
Every metal tray and utensil in the entire cafeteria levitated in an instant, emitting a piercing shriek, their edges flickering with ominous dark purple electric light.
The air became scorching.
Panicked screams erupted.
“Run!”
“Her Highness the Crown Princess has lost control!”
Just as a disaster seemed imminent, Laxana rushed out from behind Wendy and grabbed Astreia’s arm tightly.
“It’s not what you think!”
She leaned close to Astreia’s ear, whispering quickly so only the two of them could hear:
“It’s not convenient to explain now! I’ll tell you when we’re alone!”
These words made Astreia, on the verge of exploding, pause for a moment.
She instantly realized that there might be more to the story.
Forcing a confrontation wouldn’t solve anything; it would only push Wendy further away.
She forcibly suppressed the surging magic within her.
The levitating utensils clattered to the ground.
Astreia took a deep breath, glanced suspiciously at the visibly nervous Laxana, and finally turned her gaze back to Wendy.
After a moment, she said nothing and turned to stride away.
Before leaving, the Princess looked back at Laxana.
That gaze sent a chill through Laxana’s entire body.
It contained too much information.
Suspicion. Warning. And deep hurt.
The immediate crisis was temporarily resolved.
Wendy sighed in relief, quickly turned around, and gently patted Laxana’s back, comforting her in a soft voice.
“It’s okay, Nana. Don’t be scared. I’m here.”
“Astreia has always had that temper. I’ll talk to her later.”
Laxana was held in his arms, feeling the warmth of his chest, listening to his tender whispers.
Yet inside, she was filled with icy despair.
Explain?
How could she possibly explain to Astreia?
That sentence she just blurted out was nothing more than a stalling tactic born of desperation.
What the hell was she supposed to do?!
This sweet trap, meticulously laid by Xi Ya—or rather, the Succubus Queen Evelyn.
Was just now showing its vicious fangs…