Under the moonlit sky, Lilian Ackermann was flitting through a forest cloaked in fog under the guidance of the spirits.

  Two hours had passed since she blasted a hole in the wine cellar and made her escape. Knowing that it would be unwise to leave through the academy gates, she rushed straight for the Fog Forest, which led straight to the rest of Leinster.

  The two of them were like walking spotlights who attracted gazes no matter where they went, but they couldn’t afford to draw any attention now, especially not when Roel was in his chibi form.

  Lilian lowered her head to look at the figure in her embrace. The sleeping boy’s skin was so smooth that it seemed to glow under the moonlight. His adorable eyelashes fluttered along with the wind. He had double eyelids, thin eyebrows, straight nose bridge, red lips, and a pair of small ears that looked like little clams.

  “!”


  Looking at the adorable little creature in her arms made Lilian feel like an arrow had shot right into her heart. Her breathing that had remained stable even as she scaled across mountains turned erratic, and her body started to heat up.

  She had to tug her collar forward to allow the night breeze in before she was able to slowly regain her cool.

  This was the second reason why Lilian decided not to appear before the crowd. Roel was simply too eye-catching at the moment that his mere appearance was enough to make him the center of attention.

  While it was in the spur of the moment that she had chosen to leave with Roel, this didn’t mean that she didn’t carefully consider the issue. It was an intentional choice on her part to leave a message to the Enforcement Division to inform them that there were still other evil cultists in the academy in order to stall for time.

  Both Roel and her had sensitive identities, such that it would stir huge chaos if they were to suddenly go missing without a reason.

  Of course, the excuse of chasing after evil cultists wouldn’t work in the long run, but it would at least buy them a day or two.

  This period of time was more than enough for Lilian to escape from Leinster’s vicinity. By then, she would write a letter to Chris to have her issue them a mission so as to create another excuse for their disappearance.

  This would at least prevent this matter from elevating into a disappearance case, though it wouldn’t stop students from gossiping about them. The gossip would likely undermine their honor, but she thought that it was unlikely that it would get out of hand given the cold relationship they had on the surface.

  Lilian shook her head with a faint smile on her lips, gladdened that she had done well with the secrecy measures of their remedial classes. She was oblivious to the fact that her other younger brother had already started to view her as a symbol of free love.

  Even if gossip really spreads between me and Roel…… somehow, I don’t really feel averse to it.

  Lilian glanced at the boy she was holding in her arms before quickly averting her gaze with blushing cheeks.

  She had never been too concerned about how other people viewed her as she didn’t think that it was necessary to worry about others’ opinions of her, but for some reason, she felt a little tingle of anticipation upon knowing that rumors would spread between her and Roel.

  How would they view us? Will they think that we’re compatible with one another? Or would they think that there wouldn’t be anything between us due to the differences in our nationalities?

  “.…… I think I should rest for the day.”


  All the miscellaneous thoughts floating in her mind and her body heating up every now and then made Lilian think that the exhaustion was getting to her, so she began searching around for a place to rest.

  Many private mountain villas had been built around Saint Freya Academy over the last thousand years, so it didn’t take Lilian much time to find a decent one. Based on its conditions, she deduced that it was a vacation home for nobles to escape from the summer heat.

  Not standing on ceremony at all, Lilian went straight for the villa that was in the best condition.

  While holding onto Roel clad amidst clothes with one hand, she nonchalantly flicked a fine thread of mana toward the villa’s door with her other free hand, and the lock opened with a ‘tak’ sound. She pushed the door open and entered the villa.

  She had already verified beforehand that there was no one inside, so there was no need to sneak around. She first swept a glance across the lounge before making her way up the stairs, where the bedrooms were located.

  After passing through a stairway with windows that provided a good view of the moonlit sky and a slightly shadowy corridor, she entered one of the bedrooms and laid Roel down on a soft canopy bed. It seemed like there were servants frequently visiting the villa to clean the place as the room looked squeaky clean, though that was not the main concern she had in mind at the moment.

  There was a problem far more important that she had to resolve.

  Are we…… going to sleep together?

  Lilian Ackermann stood by the side of the large canopy bed as her breathing started to hasten. She gulped down a mouthful of saliva as her body started to heat up once more.

  She had grown much closer to Roel after surviving the ordeals of the Witness State, but the two of them still respected the boundaries arising from their gender differences. The evidence lay in how they had never shared a bed when they were in the headquarters of the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch.

  The Austine Empire embraced traditional conservative virtues. An unmarried woman sharing a bed with a man was viewed as having relinquished all other possible marriage candidates. It was equivalent to her promising herself to that man for life.

  It was likely that Roel had chosen not to share beds with her out of respect for the Austine Empire’s traditions, which was why they ended up taking turns to sleep. Yet, when faced with the same choice once more, Lilian found herself hesitating.

  There were many spare rooms in the villa, and they had no pursuers after them. There was no reason why the two of them had to share a bed. Yet, Lilian found herself unable to walk away at all.

  Her amethyst eyes gazed upon the boy sleeping on the bed, from his scattered long hair on the pillow to his delicate facial features. Somehow, she thought that it wouldn’t be a big deal to share a bed with him.

  Promising myself to him for life? In other words, I’ll be duty-bound to protect and take care of him for my entire life?

  This vow was one that most who hadn’t thought things through would shy away from since it embodied heavy responsibility, but at this very moment, Lilian had a very different take to it.

  There’s actually such a good thing in the world?

  Somehow, she thought about the kiss which the witch had initiated with Roel using her body.

  That was a kiss she had never experienced before, completely different from the warmth of a little peck. It was a kiss that completely filled up her soul, leaving her feeling intoxicated and lost. Just thinking about it piqued a little curiosity in her.

  How would he taste like in his current form?

  With such thoughts in mind, her body began to approach his.