Chapter 78: The Emperor Invites You (1)

Lyra lay on the floor mat, hugging the Monster Bestiary without turning the pages.

She stared at the ceiling, her red eyes appearing a bit vacant.

Freya sat at the desk, not reading.

She was thinking about today’s events.

The abnormal rampage of that Flame Lion.

The coincidence of all those magical beasts breaking through the barrier at once.

Serar’s appearance.

And his final words—

“There are no more than five people on the entire continent who can freeze it to death in a single blow.”

He was testing her.

Testing the source of her mana.

Testing her true strength.

‘What exactly is he trying to do?’

“Boss.”

Lyra’s voice came from the floor mat.

Freya turned her head.

Lyra sat up, her red eyes looking at her seriously.

“That blue-haired guy from today—”

She paused.

“He’s dangerous.”

Freya did not argue.

“I know.”

Lyra frowned.

“The way he looked at you…”

She struggled to organize her words.

“It’s like the way that crybaby looks at you, but it’s different.”

“How is it different?”

Lyra thought for a long time.

“When the crybaby looks at you, she wants to take something from you,” she said slowly.

“But that blue-haired guy looks at you…
Because he wants to know who you are.”

Freya fell silent.

Lyra’s metaphor was unexpectedly accurate.

Irina wanted the things Freya possessed—status, influence, and the Crown Prince’s attention.

But what Serar wanted… was to know who she really was.

Freya closed her eyes.

She remembered Serar’s deep blue eyes, reminding her of surging waves in the depths.

There was something inside them she did not understand.

It wasn’t hostility.

It wasn’t greed.

Instead, it was—anticipation.

“Boss.”

Lyra spoke again.

Freya opened her eyes.

Lyra was crouching at her feet, looking up at her with red eyes full of sincerity.

“No matter who he is, or what he wants to do—”

She said.

“I will protect you.”

Freya looked at her.

She looked at that serious face, those red eyes filled with sincerity, and that little canine tooth slightly bared due to her solemnity.

A long silence followed.

Then she reached out and gently rubbed that fluffy head.

“I know.”

Lyra grinned, her eyes curving into two crescents.

Contented, she lay back down on the floor mat, hugging the Monster Bestiary to her chest and closing her eyes.

“Goodnight, Boss.”

“…Goodnight.”

Outside the window, the night wind blew past.

Far away, a light still burned in the Mutual Aid Society’s activity room.

Irina sat at a desk with a report spread out before her that had just arrived this afternoon.

It detailed the events of the magical beast rampage, including every detail of Freya freezing the Flame Lion in a single blow.

Her fingers lightly tapped the tabletop.

Tap.

Tap.

Complex emotions surged within those pink eyes.

She had underestimated Freya.

Not just a little.

But by a lot.

But now she knew the truth.

She knew Freya’s true strength.

She knew what she was hiding.

And she also knew the way that exchange student who suddenly appeared looked at Freya.

The corners of Irina’s lips curled up slightly.

It was a cold smile.

“Interesting,” she whispered.

“This is getting more and more interesting.”

Inside Moonlight Hall, the candlelight flickered.

Vanessa sat before her dressing table, holding a secret letter that had just been delivered.

The paper was thin, and the handwriting was elegant and neat.

-In today’s magical beast rampage, Freya Christo Dale froze a flame lion-shaped beast to death in one blow.

-The beast had remnants of an ancient bloodline, making ordinary ice magic ineffective against it.

-Everyone present was shocked.

Vanessa’s fingers paused slightly.

She looked at those lines for a long time.

Then, she chuckled softly.

The laughter echoed through the empty bedchamber, gentle yet deep.

“It really is her.”

She brought the letter close to the candle flame, watching it burn away bit by bit.

Ashes drifted down.

She looked at her own reflection in the mirror, the smile on her lips slowly deepening.

“That child from the Rellar family has already gone over,” she murmured to herself.

“Good.”

Outside the window, the night breeze blew.

Something was brewing even faster in the darkness.

After the magical beast rampage, the atmosphere in the Academy became even more subtle.

Freya walked the path to the classroom, feeling more watched than ever before.

Gazes poured in from all directions.

Some people lowered their heads quickly as she passed, while some huddled together whispering.

Some simply took a detour as if she were some kind of monster.

Most obvious were the students wearing pink armbands.

They no longer intentionally avoided her as they had before, but looked at her with more complex expressions.

There was apprehension, vigilance, and a hint of… hostility?

Freya ignored it.

She went to class as usual, trained as usual, and ate with Lyra as usual.

But Anke told her that the rumors about her were increasing these days.

Some said she was hiding her strength with ulterior motives.

Some said the blood of magical beasts flowed through her veins; otherwise, how could she have frozen that lion in one hit?

Still others said she must have used some kind of forbidden arts to display such power before everyone.

“Listen to the nonsense they’re spewing!”

Anke slammed the table in anger.

“Those people are just jealous! Because they can’t do it themselves, they say others use forbidden arts!”

Freya did not respond.

She just slowly sipped her tea, her gaze landing somewhere out the window.

Anke wanted to say something but ended up sighing.

“Don’t you care at all?”

Freya set down her cup.

“Care about what?”

“Those rumors! The way those people look at you!”

“They’re all talking behind your back—”

“What they say—” Freya interrupted her.

“What does it have to do with me?”

Anke was stunned.

Freya looked at her, those light purple eyes devoid of anger or grievance, only containing a nearly transparent calmness.

“It’s enough that I know who I am.”

Anke opened her mouth to speak but found she could not say anything.

She suddenly felt a bit envious of Freya.

No, very envious.

Life must be so easy if one could disregard the opinions of others like that.

Lyra, who was gnawing on meat nearby, looked up upon hearing this, her red eyes sparkling.

“The Boss is right!”

Her mouth was stuffed with meat, and her voice was muffled, but her little canine tooth glinted in the sunlight.

“Who cares what they say! Boss is the most amazing!”

Looking at her silly expression, Anke could not help but laugh.

Fine.

These two, one too cold and the other too silly, were actually a perfect match.

That morning, as Freya and Lyra walked out of the dormitory building, they encountered someone unexpected.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray robe, the corners of which were embroidered with the gold Imperial emblem.

His hair was meticulously groomed, and his face was solemn and rigid, standing there like a statue.

Seeing Freya, he bowed slightly.

“Miss Freya.”

Freya stopped walking.

Raymond.

The Imperial Chief Attendant, the Emperor’s close confidant.

“Lord Raymond.”

Freya nodded slightly, her etiquette perfect, neither servile nor overbearing.

A flicker of indiscernible admiration passed through Raymond’s eyes.

“His Majesty requests your presence. Now.”

Lyra was taken aback for a moment.

Then she reacted, stepping in front of Freya.

“I’m going too!”

Raymond looked at her, his gaze polite yet distant.

“His Majesty has only invited Miss Freya.”

Lyra’s brow furrowed.

“Then I’m not at ease—”

“Lyra.”

Freya’s voice came from behind her, soft but enough to make her stop mid-sentence.

Lyra turned around, her red eyes full of worry.

“Boss…”

Freya looked at her.

She saw those eyes screaming that she did not want to leave, those slightly pursed lips, and that little canine tooth peeking out from nervousness.

She reached out and gently rubbed that fluffy head.

“Go find Anke.”

Lyra’s eyes instantly turned red.

“But—”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Lyra opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by Freya’s gaze.

There was something in those light purple eyes that put her at ease.

It was a deeper, more stable strength—

“Trust me.”

Lyra looked at her for a long time.

Then she slowly let go.

“…Then you have to come back early.”

Freya nodded.

She turned and walked toward Raymond.

After a few steps, she suddenly stopped without looking back.

“Eat more of the barbecue for lunch. Don’t wait for me.”

Lyra stood there, watching that light purple silhouette get further and further away, until it finally disappeared at the end of the road.

The wind blew softly, swirling a few fallen leaves.

She held the paper bag of snacks she hadn’t given her yet, something churning in her red eyes.

The Imperial carriage was parked at the Academy gates.

It was a low-profile carriage on the outside, but extremely sophisticated on the inside.

Anti-peeping magic runes were carved into the windows, making it impossible to see the situation inside from the outside.

Freya got into the carriage.

Raymond sat opposite her, his posture upright, not saying a word.

The carriage slowly started, the sound of the wheels rolling over the stone road rhythmic and dull.

Freya gazed out the window.

Familiar street scenes flashed by, gradually replaced by wider roads and more majestic buildings.

The Imperial Palace was getting closer.

She remembered the scene of her last visit to the palace in her previous life.

At that time, she thought she was being invited to discuss important matters.

Instead, what greeted her was a dark dungeon, Ross’s sword blade, and that cold smile on Irina’s lips.

Freya lowered her eyes.

This time, it was different.

She knew who was waiting for her.

And she knew that this trip would definitely not be easy.

But—

She opened her eyes and looked toward the gold dome that was getting closer and closer.

This time, she was not the prey.

“Miss Freya.”

Raymond’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

“We’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped.

The door opened, and sunlight flooded in.

Freya stood up and stepped out of the carriage.

The Imperial Palace unfolded before her.

The golden domes, white stone steps, and majestic columns—everything overlapped with the memories of her previous life.

But this time, she stood taller.

Raymond walked by her side, leading her through one corridor after another.

Occasionally, palace attendants passed by; seeing Freya, their eyes flickered with curiosity before they quickly lowered their heads and hurried away.