At this very moment.
Alicia’s subtly curved smile—the kind that suggested immaculate kindness—was carefully restrained to a gentle, polite angle.
Her dazzling lake-blue hair shimmered under the light, flowing like liquid brilliance.
Yet beneath those long, lowered lashes, her amber eyes—once warm like winter sunlight—now gleamed with imperial disdain, filled with contempt and fear.
Like the heavy hand of a financial conglomerate, the darkness behind their power…
No, not quite. It was the royal hand and shadow of darkness about to descend.
Her cold, emotionless gaze pierced forward like two invisible ice daggers, locking precisely and unerringly onto the two figures ahead.
One was grimacing and rubbing an ankle; the other, with a smug, sly smile still lingering at the corner of her mouth, was the “close desk mate,” her “best friend.”
Alicia lifted her foot and began ascending the steps.
Tap… tap…
The sharp, rhythmic sound of high heels striking the ground sent a tremor through Luo Ye’s heart.
Though he had switched to a more practical pair for the academy activities, the crisp, orderly sound falling on the polished stone steps struck heavily and steadily on both Luo Ye and Lilith’s hearts.
With her approach, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop even further.
Even the sunlight appeared unable to penetrate the absolute “domain” surrounding her within a foot of space. The air visibly crystallized into tiny ice particles, swirling down like snowflakes.
“I say, Luo Ye Kardia.”
Alicia gracefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently at Luo Ye.
He swallowed hard.
Alicia had actually called him by his full name.
Tell me, when you’ve done something wrong—or appear to have done something wrong—and the person who caught you calls you by your full name, do you instinctively fall into fear?
If you ask Luo Ye, the answer would be: yes.
Just like when you broke a window as a child and heard your mother call your full name.
His first thought was—
Oh no, I’m done for.
“Uh, Alicia, is something wrong?”
Luo Ye pinched his thigh, trying to pull himself together.
What a joke. He had finally managed to snatch a voice among these gravity-defying goddesses, and now was not the time to show weakness.
“You seem to have forgotten something you promised me.”
Seeing Luo Ye respond like this, Alicia’s smile widened, unexpectedly so—even Lilith was a bit stunned. She raised a finger to her lips and gave a wink:
“Someone promised me that even if they looked for other women behind my back, they wouldn’t flirt in front of me… Remember?”
Luo Ye: ?
“Huh?”
When did I promise that…
Wait.
Suddenly, Luo Ye recalled the first simulation, or rather, just a few days ago, when Alicia rescued him during his secret meeting with Hisnai, warning him that since he promised to cooperate with her, he needed to consider her feelings and respect her as his fiancée, and not flirt with other girls in front of her…
Uh oh…
This was bad.
It really was a thing.
Luo Ye’s eyes darted to Lilith, who still seemed confused about the situation, and he quickly cleared his throat, preparing to shift the blame onto her.
However…
Lilith suddenly widened her eyes, glancing back and forth between Luo Ye and Alicia as if she’d just figured something out.
Then, with zero dignity, she lunged forward, hooking her arm around Alicia’s and tearfully looked up with pleading eyes:
“It’s all Luo Ye’s fault! He’s been forcing me, Alicia-chan, please save me!”
Luo Ye: ???
Wait, girl?
What’s going on here?
Lilith’s performance continued.
Her gorgeous eyes brimmed quickly with two pools of touching tears, large droplets ready to fall, creating a pitiful scene.
Not only that, she buried her face in Alicia’s arm—an arm even Luo Ye hadn’t dared to touch yet—and rubbed against it.
Her voice choked just right with trembling fear, perfectly acting the role of a “pure white rabbit, forced and coerced”:
“It’s true, Alicia-chan! He… he’s been using his status as top of the grade to force me to practice with him, and even mocked my magic skills… I was terrified!”
“He even deliberately bumped my head earlier, broke the chandelier, and threatened me to lie to the professor… That rogue fireball was his sabotage too! Sob…”
“Alicia-chan, look at my head! It hurts so much from him hitting me!”
“Alicia-chan, please control your fiancé; he’s bullying me!”
Faced with Lilith’s sudden tearful accusation, Luo Ye slapped his left hand to his forehead with a smack.
His face twisted in disbelief, outrage, and utter confusion at the ridiculous nonsense he was hearing.
If he could, he would shout from a past life:
Oscar! You owe Lilith Canor an Oscar, do you hear me?!
The act wasn’t over. Lilith’s glistening, pleading eyes swept past the dumbfounded Luo Ye, a glint of smug satisfaction flashing deep within.
It was as if she silently said:
“Hmph, trying to fight me? Framing and shifting blame is my specialty!”
Luo Ye wanted to explain.
But Alicia…
At the moment Lilith clung to her arm and started her sob story, the cold aura around her seemed to stiffen for a moment.
Her icy, merciless amber eyes slowly shifted from Lilith’s exaggerated expression to Luo Ye’s face, which was painted with “I’m innocent” all over.
Her gaze was as sharp as a scalpel, as if ready to dissect every lie and performance before her.
Luo Ye felt a chill crawl over him under Alicia’s silent stare.
For a moment, thousands of words got stuck in his throat, finally dissolving into a deep sigh.
Forget it. Just let it all collapse.
Luo Ye gave up trying to think.
Lilith saw Luo Ye’s resigned look and almost wanted to jump for joy.
Plan successful!
She had pulled it off!
Her little scheme was flawless!
Not only had she gotten revenge for being scolded and forced to write a self-reflection, but she also cleared herself of any trouble and perfectly pinned all the blame on Luo Ye!
Lilith could already imagine how Alicia would scold her “fiancé” next, and just the thought thrilled her.
Heh heh~
Lilith forced a pitiful, trembling sob and rubbed her face against Alicia’s arm even more earnestly, like a little kitten seeking its owner’s protection: “Alicia-chan…”
However, just as Lilith’s inner celebration of “Luo Ye is getting divorced on the spot” was about to pop the champagne…
Alicia’s gaze suddenly shifted to Lilith’s rain-soaked yet smug, satisfied face.
“Lilith Canor.”
Alicia spoke.
Her voice remained cold, even calmer than before.
But Lilith’s heart skipped a beat.
Alicia called her… by her full name?
Huh?
Alicia slowly and resolutely withdrew her arm from Lilith’s octopus-like embrace.
She leaned forward slightly, her flawless, breathtaking face almost brushing against Lilith’s nose.
Beneath long, curled lashes, her amber eyes showed no ripple of emotion stirred by the “best friend accusing fiancé” scene, only a soul-freezing lake of cold.
Alicia enunciated each word with crystal clarity, piercing every corner of the tiered classroom:
“You think… you’re quite the actress?”
“Hmm?”
Lilith was dumbfounded.
Alicia’s lips curled into a slow, almost imperceptible smirk.
That smile was full of contempt from seeing through everything, and a condescending mockery.
“Using those little tricks you learned from your theater family… tricks meant to make men dizzy with infatuation… and using them in front of me, you really think…”
“Will it work?”
The last four words fell slowly, with a tone that suddenly deepened sharply.
Lilith’s tear-streaked, pitiful face froze instantly.
Her beautiful golden eyes widened to their limit, as if silently screaming, “This part’s not in the script!”—shock and disbelief written all over.
Alicia lifted her chin slightly.
“Or perhaps, the proud heiress of the Canor family…”
“Has become so narcissistic that you think I’m stupid enough not to tell…”
“Exactly who is trying to seduce my husband… hmm?”
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