Versie’s brow furrowed even deeper at the word “demon.”
A flicker of unease that she couldn’t fully digest passed through her ice-blue eyes, and her voice dropped even softer:
“Teacher, of course I believe what you say. It’s just… the concept of a ‘demon,’ even within the religious context of the western continent, is mostly used as a symbolic metaphor for evil.”
“If you’re saying there truly exist otherworldly creatures that feed on humans and disguise themselves to lurk among us… unless I saw it with my own eyes, it’s simply too bizarre and hard to accept.” Versie spoke.
Sefina nodded in understanding, her wine-red eyes reflecting the dancing flames of the fireplace, along with a shadow of past darkness.
“Indeed. Even when I first witnessed that scene with my own eyes, my initial reaction was absurdity and disbelief—my rationality refused to accept it.”
Sefina’s tone was calm and firm: “That’s precisely why exposing the Church’s hidden truth to the masses is especially difficult. Without solid proof, mere descriptions would only be dismissed as a madman’s delusion, or slander with ulterior motives.”
With that, Sefina rose from the sofa, picked up the cream-colored coat draped nearby, slipped it on smoothly, and fastened the buttons.
She tidied her slightly disheveled blue long hair and said to Versie: “It’s getting late. I need to head back. Flovi and the students are still waiting for me.”
Versie stood up as well, the seriousness from their discussion quickly melting away, replaced by a hint of reluctance and pouty displeasure. She reached out, as if trying to catch Sefina’s sleeve.
“Is teacher leaving already? We’ve only just met not long ago…”
Sefina paused mid-step at the words, turning her head to look at Versie.
Seeing those ice-blue eyes gazing at her, with what seemed to be a genuine glimmer of hope lingering within them, Sefina’s heart softened slightly, a complex sense of guilt rising within her—
She always seemed to come and go in a rush, giving this student too little of her time…
However, before that guilt could fully develop, she saw a familiar, insufferable mischievous grin spread across Versie’s face.
She raised a finger, lightly tapping her own fair, smooth cheek, blinking those ice-blue eyes again and again, drawing out her words in a deliberately softened tone:
“Then… before you leave, teacher should at least give me a farewell kiss~~ Right here is fine!”
Sefina: “…”
That faint complex feeling that had just risen was instantly shattered to pieces.
A vein seemed to throb at her temple, and her wine-red eyes glared at Versie, filled with speechlessness and irritation.
She actually thought this girl might need some companionship or warmth, but all that was on her mind was this!
Absolutely pushing her luck! Want her to willingly offer a kiss? Dream on!
Sefina let out a cold snort, said nothing more, turned and walked out the compartment door without looking back, even making a point to close it with a bit more force than necessary, producing a sharp “click” sound.
Versie remained where she was, puffing out her cheeks at the closed door, letting out a small, dissatisfied “hmph.”
“Someday, I’ll definitely make teacher willingly kiss me on her own!”
***
In the evening, Sefina arrived at a villa located in a relatively quiet area of the capital city, following the address Versie had given her earlier.
The villa wasn’t particularly grand, but its design was exquisite and elegant.
The exterior walls were of warm beige stone, paired with dark brown wooden window frames and a porch, the roof covered in dark gray tiles.
A small courtyard lay before the entrance, hedges neatly trimmed. The overall style was understated yet tasteful, blending seamlessly with the surrounding middle-class residences—unobtrusive, exactly to Sefina’s liking.
This was clearly one of the many inconspicuous properties owned by the Duke’s family, and the location was chosen perfectly—convenient for daily life while being discreet enough to effectively avoid unnecessary attention.
Sefina had used a discreet communication method that afternoon to notify Flovi of the new address and had gone out alone to purchase some ingredients and daily necessities.
Now, carrying her things, she pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.
The interior was more spacious than it appeared from outside.
The first floor was a double-height living room connected to an open kitchen and dining area, with warm-toned wooden flooring and simple landscape paintings adorning the walls.
A fire already crackled in the fireplace, its dancing flames dispelling the winter chill and filling the space with warmth. A staircase spiraled up to the second floor, where the bedrooms presumably were.
Just as Sefina set her things down on the kitchen counter, light footsteps came pattering down the stairs.
“Teacher Sefina is back?!”
Mia’s energetic voice rang out first.
She came down the stairs together with Ellaria and Kefi, followed by Flovi, who maintained her usual expressionless demeanor but walked with steady strides.
Flovi’s golden eyes swept across the living room, gave a slight nod, and reported flatly:
“Master, this place is quite good—spacious rooms and complete facilities.”
“Yes, yes! This place is amazing!” Mia nodded excitedly, her blue eyes curiously taking in the surroundings.
“So much more spacious than the academy dormitory, and so warm too!”
Ellaria also smiled gently in agreement: “The environment is quiet and elegant—truly a great place to settle down. Thank you for arranging this, Teacher Sefina.”
Kefi didn’t speak, but her eyes also showed approval of the surroundings as she gave a small nod.
Sefina shook her head, sorting the purchased ingredients into categories as she spoke:
“It wasn’t my doing. The place was found with help from a student I once had on the western continent.”
“Huh? Teacher has a student on the western continent too?” Mia immediately leaned in with curiosity, latching onto the key information.
“What kind of person are they? Are they a mage too?”
Ellaria and Kefi also showed interest, turning their gaze to Sefina.
Sefina paused in her movements, her feelings momentarily complicated.
Versie… how should she describe her?
“She… is the daughter of a Duke’s family in Sarkax. Highly talented, very powerful, and already a remarkably skilled mage at such a young age.” Sefina chose her words carefully.
Sefina continued, trying hard to push away the images of being teased, kissed forcefully, and tickled from her mind…
“She’s… also a good person. When I ran into some difficulties, she helped me a great deal. This time, finding the house was all thanks to her as well.”
That part was sincere.
“However…”
Sefina ultimately couldn’t help but add one more thing with a hint of helplessness, her ears growing slightly warm.
“Her personality… is a bit too lively. Hmm… she likes to joke around a lot, and sometimes it can be a bit… hard to handle.”
Sefina tried to phrase it as euphemistically as possible.
She certainly couldn’t tell the students that this “senior sister” of theirs was a scheming little demon who loved to get handsy with her teacher and had nothing but “teacher rush” on her mind.
Mia nodded with partial understanding:
“Oh~~ Sounds like she’s a really impressive and warm-hearted big sister!”
Her interpretation of “likes to joke around” was clearly stuck at a surface level.
Ellaria, however, caught a hint of something unusual from the subtle expression that flickered across Teacher Sefina’s face and her somewhat vague wording.
But she considerately didn’t press further.
Kefi listened quietly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
After the brief introductions, Sefina rolled up her sleeves.
“Alright, let’s start preparing dinner. Mia, come help me wash the vegetables. Kefi, Ellaria, can you see to setting out the tableware?”
The girls moved into action at her words, and the small villa was soon filled with warm, homely energy and the soft sounds of bustling activity.
Flovi automatically positioned herself by the window, taking on the duty of keeping watch.
Just as they finished dividing up their tasks and were about to start cooking—
“Knock, knock, knock.”
A clear, steady rapping suddenly came from the villa’s front door.
At this hour, who could it be?