Morning, at Saint Freya Academy’s Fendt Cafe, famous for its desserts, two ladies were seated opposite to each other at a table, one with brilliant golden hair and the other with lustrous auburn hair.

  Nora Xeclyde and Charlotte Sorofya.

  The esteemed leaders of the Goldenrose Faction and the Redrose Faction were gracefully having morning tea with one another, but the atmosphere between them lacked cordiality. After all, it was a private meeting. Had it been a business meeting instead, they would have at least tried to maintain an impartial attitude to fulfill their responsibilities.

  The two of them had been arguing for the past month over the allocation of Roel’s schedule, and it was only out of graciousness that they were maintaining a minimal level of courtesy with one another.

  Besides, they weren’t gathered here today to resolve their personal differences. It was to discuss a letter that had been delivered to each of their residences earlier in the morning to inform them of something that was extremely concerning.

  “Are you aware that Roel and that woman have gone in pursuit of the evil cultists?”


  “Of course. I know everything about darling, so how could something as important as that elude me?”


  “What’s your take?”


  “.…… Not of concern.”


  Charlotte responded to Nora’s vague question with an equally vague answer. The latter pondered quietly for a moment before nodding in agreement.

  As Roel Ascart’s protector and fiancée, both Nora and Charlotte were extremely wary about Roel enrolling at Saint Freya Academy. Unlike in the Ascarts’ manor, there were simply far too many opportunities here for conniving vixens to try to get close to him.

  ‘Graveyard of Lovers’ and ‘Paradise of Vixens’, some had dubbed Saint Freya Academy. Far too many engaged couples and childhood friends had fallen prey to this treacherous land that only the foolish would dare to take it lightly.

  While Nora and Charlotte had their fair share of fights since the start of the semester, they stood on the same front when it came to repelling outsiders. So far, they had already taken down three vixens, but even so, there was still one woman they dared not to get careless against.

  Lilian Ackermann.

  She was a formidable adversary who wouldn’t pale in comparison in terms of strength, background, and appearance. She was the worst enemy for the two of them.

  In view of the Ascarts’ odd preference for dominant women, Nora and Charlotte had paid particular attention to Lilian ever since enrollment. But with Roel and Lilian clashing occasionally in public, as well as Paul Ackermann’s choice to join the Bluerose Faction over the Purplerose Faction, their worries began to dissipate.

  The only reason why they were gathered together to discuss this matter was due to Roel and that woman disappearing together for an entire night.

  “One night should have been enough for them to catch up with the evil cultists and apprehend them. Did they meet with trouble?”


  “That makes it even more impossible for anything to happen between them. Besides, that woman is not interested in men.”


  “Yes, you’re right.”


  The two ladies thought about Lilian’s circumstances and exhaled in relief. The atmosphere loosened a little, and elegant smiles appeared on their faces.

  Knowing Roel’s character well, they weren’t too worried about him approaching any women; it was only the vice versa that was worrying. It was fortunate that Lilian didn’t seem to have any inclination to approach Roel, so there shouldn’t be any problem here.

  Lilian was renowned for her cold and aloof personality. It was to the point where she had never danced with a man before despite the banquets she attended. Would a woman like her attempt to court Roel?

  Their lips curled up as the answer was apparent to them.

  Heh, that’s impossible.

  But their intuition as women—or maybe their own experiences—told them they couldn’t let their guard down here. Charlotte soon thought of something that made her body stiffen up.

  Hold on for a moment, this situation looks a little familiar…… The Witness State!

  “Lilian is from a lineage with a long history too. Is there a possibility that darling’s bloodline will be activated with her?”


  “Are you talking about the Witness State? That doesn’t seem too possible considering their backgrounds……”


  Nora pondered over Charlotte’s question before shaking her head in response. Charlotte also slowly calmed down after the initial scare.

  True. Based on the previous Witness States, it appears that only those whose ancestors had crossed paths with the ancestors of the Ascart House would be dragged into the Witness State.

  Both Nora’s Xeclyde House and Charlotte’s Sorofya House were noble houses that were close to the Ascart House at one point in history, but the same couldn’t be said about Lilian. How could any Ackermann possibly have a close relationship with an Ascart?

  In the first place, the Austine Empire and Ascart Fiefdom were so far away from one another that it was nigh impossible for an Ascart to cross paths with an Ackermann, let alone be involved together in a significant historical event.

  There was indeed a possibility that the involvement between the two houses could go further back into the Second Epoch since the humans in West Sia could all be traced back to the Ancient Austine Empire, but that was really just a theoretical possibility.

  Practically speaking, it was still implausible.

  Nora and Charlotte had flipped through historical records about the Ancient Austine Empire, looking through the lists of noble houses that existed in that era, but they couldn’t find anything about the Ascart House at all. This meant that it was unlikely for the ancestors of the Ascart House to be associated with the lofty Ackermann Imperial Family.

  It was hard for those who had never witnessed the grandeur of the Ancient Austine Empire to fathom just how lofty the Ackermanns were back in the Second Epoch. They were the sole overlords of humankind, commanding vast territories and countless subjects. It would take years just to travel from the border to the capital, not to mention that only the noblest of bluebloods were qualified to request an audience with the emperor.

  It was only normal for the Ascarts to have not crossed paths with the Ackermanns.

  In other words, Lilian wasn’t a threat at all!

  Without a Witness State, it was unthinkable for anything to happen between those two in such a short period of time. A man who usually shied away from women and a woman who harbored no interest in men—as if those two would ever get into the same bed with one another!

  Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief.

  She was specially woken up early today to infiltrate the Azure Manor so as to give Roel a morning kiss, but this incident ruined her plans.

  Darling must be feeling lethargic without my morning kiss to power him through the day, she thought.

  She was oblivious to the fact that someone had already accomplished the mission for her.

  Meanwhile, Nora carefully thought over this matter.

  “It’s due to our lacking capability that Roel had no choice but to seek that woman’s help in dealing with the evil cultists,” she remarked with a sigh.

  “There’s no denying that woman possesses frightening talent and means. It’s only fortunate that the political situation is still stable at the moment, so we’ll have time to catch up with her,” replied Charlotte in agreement.

  The two women looked at one another and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Lilian’s presence was huge pressure on them, but it didn’t seem like there would be a confrontation between them anytime soon. Thus, it wasn’t a worry for the time being.

  “After all, there isn’t any conflict of interest between us.”


  The two women smiled at one another as they decided to forgive the absence of the young man.