The bell rang crisply, shattering the long-held shock and silence in the classroom.
The students blinked as if waking from a dream, but unlike the usual noisy, impatient rush after class, they gathered their belongings slowly, their eyes gleaming and expressions dazed, pairing off and drifting out of the classroom in small groups.
In the corridor, nearly everyone’s conversation revolved around the astonishing lesson they had just witnessed.
“Did you see that? ‘Stormflame!’ It was really a fourth-tier spell!”
“Five third-tier spells… How is that even possible… How did Teacher Sefina pull that off?”
“‘Source Code’… just hearing that sounds so powerful! Top five before finals! I have to work my hardest!”
“She’s amazing. I thought she was bluffing before… but wow…”
“Did you see Princess’s expression? She was completely stunned!”
At this moment, even the most arrogant noble prodigies wore faces full of admiration and longing.
Sefina had thoroughly won over these difficult students with her absolute strength and revolutionary knowledge.
A few especially eager or bold students mustered their courage to approach the podium, asking Sefina, who was tidying her lecture notes, some questions.
“Teacher, what’s the principle behind the pattern structure of that magic array?”
“Teacher, how is the stability of the ‘interface’ in mana flow ensured?”
“Teacher, will the final assessment only consider practical combat performance?”
Sefina answered several key questions concisely. Though her tone remained calm, it was no longer as cold as during class; she even elaborated a bit more on valuable queries.
This only excited the students further, though they dared not disturb her excessively. After receiving answers, they left satisfied and somewhat reverent.
Mia blended into the crowd, head lowered, trying to minimize her presence, wishing she could vanish instantly.
Though shocked by the lesson, her mind was filled only with the nightmare of “copy Elemental Theory ten times.”
Feeling down and scared, all she wanted was to sneak away and put some distance between herself and that loli teacher.
Just as she was about to successfully slip out the classroom door, a crisp voice behind her made her heart skip a beat.
“Mia, wait. Come to my office for a moment.”
Mia:!!!!!
In an instant, she froze at the doorway, stunned.
No way?! Copying the book wasn’t enough? She had to be called to the office for a scolding too?!
Wait! Could it be…
Could that outrageous rumor about the new teacher liking to tease pretty female students… be true?!
No, no way… impossible…
Teacher Sefina seemed so dignified…
But… but why did she call only me to the office right after class?!
She had heard some perverse nobles liked that sort of office play, enjoying the feeling of dominating others, liking to see their subordinates or students trembling and begging in front of them…
Spicy! So spicy!!!
Wh-what should I do?! Run away against the teacher’s orders?
She knows high-tier spells like [Advanced Levitation], could easily lift me off the ground. Where would I run?
Go obediently to the office? My innocence might be lost…
Waaah… recovery potion! Being a person is so hard!
Mia’s inner drama raged wildly, her face drained of color as she stood frozen, unable to move forward or retreat, as if nailed to the floor.
Soon, Sefina dismissed the last few students who had questions, picked up her notes, and walked steadily toward the almost petrified Mia.
“Let’s go.” Sefina’s tone was unreadable. Without further words, she led the way toward the Teacher’s Office.
Mia felt like a wind-up doll, her legs weak, mechanically following the small yet imposing figure ahead.
Watching Sefina’s blue hair sway slightly with each step, Mia felt like she was walking to the execution platform, each step pressing down on her wildly pounding heart.
***
The Teacher’s Office wasn’t far from the classroom; they arrived quickly.
Sefina took out a key and opened the door, then turned to Mia and said, “Come in.”
Her voice was flat, but to Mia it felt like a cold wind sweeping through a harsh winter.
Trembling, Mia edged inside, almost brushing the walls, carefully choosing the chair closest to the door.
She dared to touch only the edge with her backside.
Then, she heard a soft “click” from behind her.
The door… had been closed!
She closed the door! She closed the door!
No way she locked it, right?!
Two girls alone in a room! And the door is locked!
The classic setting for all the rumored ‘unspoken rules’!
Is it about to start?!!! Waaah… recovery potion!
Mia nervously closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling violently.
But her hearing sharpened. She could clearly hear Sefina’s little leather shoes tapping on the wooden floor—
“Tap tap tap…”
The sound was steady and unhurried, like a beat striking her very heart.
The footsteps grew closer until they stopped right in front of her.
The terrifying touch she had imagined didn’t come.
Instead, a sweet scent, mixed with milky fragrance and a unique caramel aroma, wafted into her nose.
“Why are you closing your eyes? Open them.” Sefina’s voice still held no emotion, but there was a hint of firmness in her tone.
Mia had no choice but to open her eyes drowsily.
What she saw was not some terrifying magical artifact or a sinister smile, but Teacher Sefina holding out a white porcelain plate.
On the plate was a golden, fluffy, soft fan-shaped pastry, glazed with a layer of crystal-clear, sticky amber syrup still steaming slightly.
The alluring aroma was coming from it.
Mia had never seen such food before.
It wasn’t hard like bread, nor delicate like a magical pastry; it looked extraordinarily soft, with a rich scent that made her swallow instinctively.
“Teacher… what is this…?” Mia’s mind completely crashed; she couldn’t make sense of the situation.
Wasn’t she supposed to be scolding me? Weren’t the unspoken rules supposed to apply? What was this fragrant thing? Some new magical potion ingredient?
“Eat.” Sefina pushed the plate a little closer and added in a faint tone, “Just made. Muffin.”
Mia had never heard that name before.
But the teacher was offering food…
Why? Could it be…
Had the teacher slipped some magic potion into it?!
She’d heard of potions that could control human minds, making someone obedient like a dog for a short time after ingestion, doing whatever they were told, and forgetting everything afterward!
Was the teacher going to… Ahhh! Drug me first, then do whatever she wanted?!
Looking at the tempting, aromatic muffin before her, Mia absolutely dared not eat it, no matter how delicious it looked…
What a mind full of drama.