The head maid stood silently by the door. Thanks to the soundproofing, she couldn’t hear a thing from inside the room.
Not long after, the door opened.
Adeline emerged quickly, head down, her face flushed red as she repeatedly fidgeted with her hair.
Right behind her came that male classmate who had spent the entire night in her bedroom, his expression also visibly flustered.
The maid said nothing. She simply closed the door for them and followed quietly behind.
There was no need to say anything. Anyone could tell what had just happened.
Adeline and that handsome young classmate had definitely done it.
Done it!
“We’re going out for a bit!” Adeline said it out.
She didn’t leave as calmly as she usually did. Instead, she threw on her shoes and rushed out the door in a hurry.
The head maid remained at the entrance, her expression slightly grim.
“Head maid, where is Miss Adeline going?” A few of Adeline’s personal guards emerged from the shadows, ready to follow and ensure her safety.
“You don’t need to go,” the maid replied, adjusting her glasses. “She’s just going to buy some… personal items. It wouldn’t be appropriate if you all followed.”
Her eyes followed the backs of Adeline and the young man as they disappeared beyond the manor’s gate.
They must have run out of Contraception Seals and were going to restock.
There was still plenty of time before sunset. They could easily go another round before submitting the application.
Really now, if Miss Adeline needed more, she could’ve just asked me to buy them, no need to go herself!
Unbeknownst to Adeline, in the maid’s mind, she had already been classified as a full-fledged adult in every sense of the word.
But in truth, nothing had happened between her and Felyn.
She had simply been so flustered that she rushed out in a panic.
Head lowered, Adeline hurried toward the Commercial Association, her rose-colored hair swaying behind her, trailing a faint scent of shame.
The midday breeze and the buzz of the street gradually calmed her restless heart.
He saw my whole body.
That was the only thought swirling in Adeline’s head, yet she didn’t feel disgusted by it.
If anything, the blame was on her. Felyn had just been lying there on the sofa. He didn’t do anything.
He won’t think I took off my clothes on purpose to seduce him… right?
She glanced back at Felyn, who was trailing behind her, but she didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze.
How was she supposed to face someone who had just seen nearly every inch of her?
What if every time he looked at her now, he’d picture her naked?
Ugh… I can’t face him anymore.
“Adeline, is there something you wanted to say?”
Her backward glance had caught Felyn’s attention. He asked the question gently.
Adeline turned back, reflexively covering her chest.
“Felyn, are you… still thinking about what you saw?”
She bit her lip, her eyes glistening.
Felyn opened his mouth to deny it, but in the end, he pressed his lips together and answered honestly.
“Yeah. I am thinking about what just happened.”
“W-What?” Adeline hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.
“I noticed you’ve gotten thinner. Your waist… there’s barely any flesh left. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard, haven’t you, Adeline?”
Felyn stepped closer, looking into her gray-blue eyes with a trace of concern.
Instead of dodging the topic, he had chosen to confront it head-on—elevating it from mere awkwardness to something far more human.
“You need to eat properly. Your health comes first. Whether it’s me or the Student Council, we all rely on you.”
Adeline froze for a moment.
“I have been eating properly… and I feel like I’ve even put on some weight…”
Her face, once stiff with shame, softened. A gentle warmth flickered in her eyes.
She gave her waist a subtle pinch. Still a bit of softness there.
Felyn’s words had untangled the knot in her heart.
The first thing he thought upon seeing her body wasn’t something vulgar, but concern for her health.
He really is a good guy…
“Have some water, Adeline. It’s hot today,” Felyn said, keeping the momentum.
He twisted the cap off a bottle and held it out to her.
When her fingers brushed against his, Adeline recoiled as if she’d been shocked, her blush deepening even more.
What’s this feeling?
Why am I suddenly so shy?
She clutched at her chest, feeling her heart pound furiously just from a simple touch.
She had touched Felyn plenty of times before—intentionally or not—so why did it feel so different today?
But thankfully…
Adeline looked at Felyn. The thin fog that usually clouded her gray-blue eyes had lifted.
The atmosphere between them had eased.
She was no longer walking ahead of Felyn. Instead, they strolled side by side.
The Royal Capital Commercial Association wasn’t far—just a little over twenty minutes on foot.
They crossed streets, passed through a plaza, and entered a narrow alley.
From a distance, Felyn could already see the Association’s iconic golden dome gleaming under the sun. Countless Magic Crystals were embedded into its surface, forming intricate patterns.
“The Association building is really this fancy?”
“Of course. The Royal Capital District not only has Magic Crystal mines, but also a never-depleting gold mine,” Adeline explained. “With nobles from all over the world spending freely, and a constant stream of new students pouring in, the consumption here never stops.”
Just from collecting a tiny service fee from shops in the district, the Royal Capital Association amassed an enormous fortune each year.
Half the district’s businesses belonged to the Silafiel family. But Silafiel knew that if he tried to control the Association too, his influence would become too overwhelming. So he kept his distance from their operations.
“You two seem pretty close, huh?”
A strange voice interrupted their peaceful moment.
Two men—clearly dressed like thugs—appeared ahead of them. Felyn immediately tensed up.
“Don’t be nervous,” said the masked man, raising both hands in a gesture of peace. “Well, not too nervous. We’re not here to cause serious trouble.”
“It’s just that the boys are a little short on cash lately. Hand over your bag, and we’ll be on our way. Promise.”
Felyn frowned.
Robbers? In the Royal Capital?
Even in the destitute Mist District, he’d never been mugged. How was it happening here?
“Security’s gotten worse lately,” Adeline murmured, biting her lip. She waited for the nearby guards to show up and handle them.
But after a while… nothing.
Still no response.
No guards?
Adeline quickly realized something was wrong. She grabbed Felyn’s hand and turned around to flee.
She didn’t want him to get hurt.
“No need to run.”
Sure enough, two more masked men appeared behind them, cutting off their escape.
“Just give us the bag and no one gets hurt. We’ll be on our way.”
“You can have my money, but not the bag.”
Adeline held the bag tightly to her chest. Inside was the application she had painstakingly prepared.
If they lost it now, it would ruin their plans to secure funding for the school festival.
Not only would they fail to meet everyone’s expectations, but she and Felyn wouldn’t be able to attend the festival together.
That was unacceptable.
“Sorry, but no can do. Who knows what treasure might be hiding in that bag? We’ll need to take the whole thing.”
The four men moved in closer.
Adeline had already made up her mind.
The Claude family controlled the empire’s military industry.
Naturally, they held combat prowess in high regard.
And the seemingly graceful Adeline, as the “Light of Claude,” was no exception.
Felyn didn’t even see her move.
In the blink of an eye, Adeline unleashed two Fifth-Grade Offensive Seals.
Blinding streaks of blue and white light shot from her fingertips, whistling through the air like twin arrows.
They streaked down the narrow alley and slammed straight toward the two masked men behind them.
Neither expected her to fight back—who would risk their life over a simple application?
Even more shocking, she could instantly cast Fifth-Grade Seals?
Just as the beams were about to engulf them, the two attackers reacted on instinct.
Golden light flared from their palms, forming semi-transparent golden shields that blocked the strike.
They hadn’t even constructed seal patterns—and yet their defense was brighter than the seals.
Divine Spells!
Adeline’s heart sank.
They’re with the Divine Church.
She reached for a Seventh-Grade Seal. Complex patterns began glowing in her palm.
“Stop her!” the masked man barked.
But Adeline’s fingers danced through the air, tracing out the complex activation path.
A translucent blue barrier erupted, surrounding both her and Felyn.
Divine Spells and a Seventh-Grade Seal in the Royal Capital? The guards and her escort squad would be here soon.
All they had to do was hold out until then. That was her plan.
But seal power was far inferior to Divine Spells.
Alone, she could never defeat them.
The first to sense the clash wasn’t a guard… but a certain black-and-red-haired girl who just happened to be wandering nearby, bored.
Bernice frowned faintly, already detecting the resonance of Divine Spells and a Seventh-Grade Seal.
(End of Chapter)