This is bad...
Both girls thought it at the exact sa mont as they watched Alice casually settle into the seat beside them—completely unaware of the chaos her re presence stirred.
As usual, Alice looked like a princess pulled straight out of a fairy tale, effortlessly enchanting.
Even with half the colosseum sneaking glances at her, she simply accepted the attention with her usual unbothered grace, waving lightly whenever soone called her na.
It wasn’t the stares that made Emilia and Athy stiffen.
It was sothing far more dangerous.
S-She doesn’t know... right?
Athy swallowed hard, trying very hard not to let her trembling show as she sneaked a glance at Alice.
Her heart thudded so loudly she wondered if Emilia could hear it.
What she had done wasn’t a cri—technically.
But depending on how one looked at it, it could definitely fall under... slander.
Or misinformation.
Or sothing equally terrible when directed at soone as influential as—
Riley.
Her book didn’t damage Alice’s reputation at all.
In fact, Alice had co out looking practically saintly compared to how Athy had exaggerated Riley’s... charm.
If anything, it was Riley whose image suffered the most from Athy’s over-the-top, overly romantic, borderline ridiculous scenes.
And even if Alice was the most lenient and easygoing among Riley’s lovers, Athy understood one thing very clearly:
You do not treat anything involving Riley lightly.
Ahh what should I do if she finds out I’m the author...? Then senior Riley, Princess Snow, and Lady Rose, and Lady Seo, and—and—
A terrifying montage flashed through Athy’s head:
Snow’s cold smile, Seo flat stare, Rose quiet judgnt, and Alice’s amused smirk.
Athy’s soul nearly left her body at the thought.
N-No... calm down... calm down Athy...!
She forced herself to breathe, patting her chest discreetly.
T-There’s no way senior Alice would read a silly book like mine, right?Yes, she’s far too busy!And even if it did get popular, it wouldn’t interest her!She wouldn’t recognize my writing style, my tone, my—anything!Yes... as long as I stay quiet, she’ll never know!
Athy nodded firmly to herself.
anwhile, Emilia—sitting right beside Athy—was enduring her own private ntal crisis.
Her fingers tightened around the hem of her skirt as a wave of anxiety washed over her.
D-Did the princess already tell Senior Alice...?
The thought alone made her shoulders tremble.
It was already overwhelming enough that Princess Snow—soone so close to Riley—knew about her feelings.
Bearing that knowledge had kept Emilia up for several nights.
But the idea that the others in Riley’s circle... Rose, Seo, and Alice herself... would eventually learn about it?
Her stomach twisted painfully.
Of course, liking Riley wasn’t a cri.It wasn’t wrong.No one had scolded her or told her she was overstepping.
But Emilia couldn’t help feeling as if she were committing so sort of sin simply by loving him.
After all, she was a saintess—soone ant to bring comfort and blessings to everyone equally, not devote her heart so strongly to one man.
Her love wasn’t supposed to be so... exclusive.
And yet, no matter how hard she tried to remain impartial, the heart of a young girl in love simply refused to listen to reason.
Her gaze drifted nervously toward Alice.
Snow had openly accepted her feelings—even encouraged her in so small ways.
But the others? Emilia wasn’t sure how they would react.
So of them were gentle, so were sharp, so were unpredictable.
And Alice... Alice was sweet, yes, but also fiercely devoted.
I... I’m getting nervous...
It wasn’t fear—she wasn’t scared of them hurting her.It was sothing gentler, yet heavier.
She felt like a child waiting to be judged on a test she had never studied for, desperately hoping she wasn’t causing trouble for people she admired and cherished.
Her heart pounded as she wondered—
Would they think she was intruding?
Would they think she was greedy?
Or would they... accept her, too?
Emilia pressed her hands together, trying to steady her breath, unaware that Alice had just turned her golden eyes toward both girls with a soft, curious smile.
.....
Hmm... they’re really staring at ...
Alice blinked, wondering to herself as she felt two pairs of eyes constantly drifting toward her.
Emilia and the unfamiliar junior seated beside her kept sneaking cautious, curious glances in her direction.
And every ti Alice turned her head even slightly, both girls snapped their eyes forward like soldiers pretending to stand at attention.
It made her lips curl into a small smile.
How cute...
She honestly had no idea what was going on in their heads, but from the way they behaved, she assud they were just nervous having her nearby.
It wasn’t exactly new to her.
Even now, as she scanned the colosseum stands, she could practically feel how many people were watching her.
If she’d chosen to sit in the common seats today, she would’ve been mobbed instantly—people asking for autographs, random strangers trying to strike up conversations, even outright recruitnt attempts from guilds and magic towers.
It was always like that.
So, compared to all that chaos, Emilia and the junior’s shy attention was practically nothing.
Letting the two girls be, Alice turned her focus back toward the stage—no, more specifically, toward the judges’ section above it.
That was the whole reason she ca to this particular match bracket at this exact ti.
Her best friend, Lorraine, was scheduled to fight right after the first match.
Lorraine wasn’t famous like the top contenders, and she didn’t have a flashy title or so legendary reputation.
But she was Alice’s childhood friend—the one who walked with her through thick and thin—so of course Alice wanted to see her shine here.
Too bad she got matched with Kagami, though...
Alice sighed softly, rubbing her forehead.
Lorraine was strong, no doubt about that.
But Alice also knew firsthand just how absurdly powerful her juniors were.
And among the second-years, Kagami—the teor Fist—stood out as one of the most troubleso opponents you could run into.
It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in Lorraine.
It was just... Kagami was a walking disaster carrying fists that could erase an entire stage if she felt like it.
Still, Alice smiled warmly to herself.No matter the outco, she’d cheer for her friend all the sa.
"Hello ladies and gentlen! Allow to introduce myself—I’m your host for the day, a proud fourth-year here at Lun Academy, Almond Flik! Nice to et you everybody!"
The young man’s voice echoed across the massive colosseum as he floated high in the air using flight magic.
With a bright grin and theatrical gestures, he looked like he’d been waiting his whole life for this mont.
The crowd responded instantly—cheers, whistles, applause.
Once the noise died down, Almond raised a hand and continued energetically,"Alright! Before the real excitent begins, let quickly go over the rules—there’s only one!"
He held up a single finger.
"Fight until your opponent is knocked out or surrenders! Simple! Clean! Direct!"A wave of cheers followed the clear explanation.
"But—!" Almond’s eyes sparkled as he smoothly transitioned into what was definitely a pre-planned advertisent. "Unlike last year’s tournant, participants are now allowed to go all out without holding back. No need to fear accidental injuries, thanks to Lun Academy’s very own genius invention—our Safety Bracelets!"
He struck a pose as several small, glowing bracelets appeared behind him, orbiting in a neat little formation.
The crowd murmured in excitent, and many mages—especially those from the Magic Tower—leaned forward with sharp, interested eyes.
Even from the VIP seats, Alice could spot more than a few who were itching to dissect the bracelets’ functions.
Alice couldn’t help letting out a small chuckle.
Principal Leilah’s really trying to milk every coin out of this event...
Riley predicted this would happen, and seeing it unfold so blatantly made her shake her head with amused fondness.
"Now then!" Almond clapped his hands, causing the lights around the stage to shift. "Before we begin our first match of the festival, allow us to introduce our judges!"
The arena dimd slightly as dramatic drums echoed throughout the colosseum.
The music swelled into sothing grand, sothing that demanded everyone’s attention.
From the back of the judges’ platform, several silhouettes erged—each step synced with the rising tempo.
The atmosphere shifted the mont the figures approached the front of the judges’ platform.
You could almost feel the tension crawling up everyone’s spine as the lights focused on the center chair.
But instead of the usual eruption of cheers, gasps, or wild excitent...the entire colosseum fell into a heavy, uneasy silence.
Voices from every corner whispered in confusion.
"H-Hey... isn’t that—?""No way... why would he be here...?""D-Do we stand? Should we bow?""U-Uhm... what do we even do?"
Even the academy staff—normally the ones who kept order during chaotic situations—looked completely lost.
A few teachers stiffened, others subtly stepped back, and so just froze in place.
Because the judges weren’t the problem.
It was the one sitting in the grand center.
The mont he stepped forward, the other professor-judges were practically pushed to the sides—not by force, but by sheer presence alone.
He sat casually, almost too casually for soone of his status, crossing one leg over the other as if he were simply relaxing in his palace courtyard.
His blue eyes slowly scanned the crowd, calm but piercing—like the sky itself watching over an entire nation.
His hair, a pure white that looked almost crystalline, shimred under the light like fresh snow.
His beauty... honestly didn’t make sense for a man his age.
No one would be surprised to mistake him for Snow’s older brother rather than her father.
Everyone in the continent knew there was only one person alive with such ridiculous features.
Only one man whose presence alone could silence tens of thousands.
"Be at ease."
His gentle command rolled across the colosseum like a warm breeze, and only then did people finally rember how to breathe properly.
Shoulders dropped.
Tension lted.
A few people even sat down shakily, clutching their chests.
The Emperor himself had graced Lun Academy with his presence.
Emperor Leopold Luvenitia White Germonia Leven.
The ruler of the Germonia Empire.The most powerful figure in the continent.And the father of the academy’s beloved Princess Snow.
His arrival instantly changed the entire weight of the event.
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