"I see."

  The old woman paused briefly before continuing, watching me with those tired eyes that looked like they had seen far too many lies in her lifetime.

  "It seems everything lines up. It could be the work of some prankster… or even a disgraced noble resorting to the lowly tactic of deception."

  "A noble?" the guards asked, incredulous.

  "Yes. Even if it is a recording, I can tell it is aquatic magic. The spell is known as Crystalline Mirage. Therefore, it could only have been the work of a noble… or, in an extremely rare case, a commoner with exceptional magical aptitude."

  "The point is that, in my opinion, it was not young Adelheid. Therefore, I decre the case closed. You may all leave."

  The relief that flooded my body when I heard those words come from the old woman’s dry lips was impossible to describe.

  It felt like my legs were about to give out at any second.

  I can’t believe everything I improvised… actually worked.

  Even though I said it in the heat of the moment, calling Kaelvarion was insanely risky. Not only because I’m sure—much to my absolute misfortune—that I’ve just raised his affection level toward me, but also because of that tiny, tiny detail that I had hit him pretty damn hard earlier.

  There was a very real chance he’d be pissed. That he’d simply refuse to help me.

  But thankfully, Kathryn’s body has muscle memory.

  That’s what let me pull off that utterly shameful damsel-in-distress act so convincingly.

  When I did it, I was this close to throwing up.

  Good thing Kaelvarion has as much looks as he cks brain cells. He fell for it fast and figured things out with the little I managed to say.

  Just as I finally started to rex, a cold sensation crawled across my skin.

  Danger.

  Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run.

  I looked around, and it didn’t take long to find the source of that fear.

  Carlotta was staring at me.

  Her beautiful blue eyes were cold. So cold it almost felt like she wanted her gaze to fire knives and pin them straight into my body.

  "Well then, dear. We should be going."

  Kaelvarion wrapped an arm around her waist and turned her smoothly. Only then did they leave.

  …I think that guy understood the situation and decided to help me.

  "Madam Herz, I will also take my leave," I said carefully.

  "Your Excellency, we as well," the guards added.

  The old woman simply waved her hand, allowing everyone to go.

  Just as I was about to head over to Maxi and get the hell out of there as fast as possible…

  "Could you leave me alone with Lady Adelheid? There are a few things I need to crify."

  I froze on the spot.

  My tail drooped, defeated, like it had lost all the energy it had left.

  …Great.

  This still wasn’t over.

  "Well? What is it you wish to discuss with me?"

  The Nen, Kathryn von Adelheid, wrinkled her nose with a mix of distrust and fear. It was a small, almost instinctive gesture—like a cornered animal that didn’t know whether to run or bite.

  That gesture, born from Kathryn’s nerves, struck Madam Herz as vaguely amusing. It reminded her of a feral cat.

  She cleared her dry throat, regained her composure, and took a seat in front of the monitoring panel.

  Once more, she reviewed the recordings.

  Just to refresh her centuries-old mind.

  Amid the clumsy movements and seemingly normal images, she noticed the subtle circuitry of snowfke-like patterns sliding across the footage. To an ordinary eye, they would’ve been invisible—mere compression errors. But to someone bearing the title of The Strongest Creature, they were as clear as day.

  Herz’s tired eyes slowly closed.

  She sighed—not in resignation, but with a kind of ancient weariness.

  It was obvious that this had been a deception carried out by an exceptional user of aquatic magic. One skilled enough to deploy a Mirage spell across multiple points simultaneously.

  Not only that, but they had enough elemental control to create synchronized images with astonishing detail.

  That was absurdly difficult. Even for her, it would have been so taxing that at least some refraction error would’ve slipped through.

  Who could possess that level of talent without her knowing?

  But… a certain snow-white-haired maiden crossed her mind.

  Clear as a silver mirror—it was her.

  She didn’t know the reason behind a “prank” like this, but it had dragged her here through a clever and dangerous move. A gamble that paid off.

  Even knowing the truth, she still had to fulfill her duty as director.

  "Young dy, I’ll be direct," she finally said. "I knew it wasn’t you. From the beginning, I noticed strange reflections. Clear signs of an aquatic-type spell."

  "Then what the hell was all that about?"

  Herz raised one skeletal finger to her lips. A simple, silent gesture.

  Kathryn understood instantly, sealing her mouth shut like it had been glued.

  "As I said, I knew," Herz continued. "But I couldn’t simply dismiss the situation. Despite my reputation, you are a Nen. That complicates matters. I risked damaging both my own prestige and that of Libelling Academy if I absolved you without solid proof beyond my word."

  Kathryn’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  "Huh? So you put me through all that stress just because of your ego? Wow, stelr director you are, huh?"

  "Watch your tone, dear."

  Even though Kathryn amused her greatly, Herz would not allow open disrespect. Some insolence could be tolerated in private—but her position had to be made clear.

  "...S-sorry."

  "It’s fine. I owe you an apology as well," Herz admitted. "You’re not entirely wrong. I put you in an unfavorable situation. If you hadn’t managed to get out of it, I would have had no choice but to expel you for that crime."

  Kathryn went pale—proof that she clearly remembered the warning she’d been given in that office.

  That pleased Herz.

  "But you handled it well," she added. "You gathered the right allies. I must admit, I was surprised when you said Lord Kaelvarion would help you."

  Herz let out a dry, rasping ugh.

  "And Miss Maxine pyed her part perfectly as well. She didn’t ruin the alibi."

  Kathryn frowned.

  "So… you know who the hell did all this, right? It’s obvious this wasn’t a joke. They wanted you to expel me."

  "I don’t know," Herz replied. "I only identified the spell. The person behind it remains a mystery."

  She lied.

  She knew exactly who it was—but she had no intention of sharing that information… yet.

  There were too many reasons to stay silent, the biggest being Kathryn herself.

  She still didn’t fully understand her. Over the past few weeks, Kathryn had shown a sudden shift in attitude—votile, like a combustion spell. She could be shy, even frightened… yet she also had a wild side that surfaced without warning and pushed her into reckless actions.

  If she learned the truth, Herz feared she wouldn’t hold back. And a csh like that would only end one way.

  One that would not be in Kathryn’s favor.

  "Young dy," Herz said seriously. "I advise you to be careful."

  "Careful?" The way Kathryn arched her brows made it clear she didn’t like the old woman’s tone.

  "Yes. Very careful. If an incident like this happens again—whether it’s your fault or not—I will be forced to intervene. Even if I don’t wish to, the scales will always tip against you."

  Kathryn clenched her teeth.

  "So… what, you’re racist now?"

  "I am not," Herz replied calmly. "But the society we live in still has much to learn."

  Kathryn clicked her tongue.

  "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. That’s enough stupidity for one day. Can I bail to my room already?"

  "Yes," Herz nodded. "But remember this: I do not wish for you to be left at the mercy of radical anti-magic groups."

  Silence settled between them once more.

  And for the first time, Kathryn felt that she had escaped—

  —but only for now.

  Ouro