Iris was alone in the bathroom, her heart pounding as she crouched over the marble toilet.

  The air smelled of jasmine and the warm dampness that always lingered after her baths, but now she could only think one thing:

  ‘How the hell do I get this mage out?’

  She tugged down her underwear with an awkward jerk, letting the fabric drop to the floor, and hesitated a second before rexing to pee.

  As the stream flowed, she clenched her pelvic muscles, pushing hard like that might pop Kai out like a cork from a bottle.

  But nothing.

  Just the sound of liquid hitting porcein filled the silence.

  ‘Come on, get out, damn it…’ Iris thought, frowning as she kept trying, her cheeks burning with frustration.

  Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door made her jump.

  “Everything okay, Your Highness?” a timid voice asked from the other side.

  Iris gritted her teeth, heat creeping up her neck.

  “Leave me alone, I’m busy!” she yelled, her high-pitched voice bouncing off the tiled walls.

  She refocused, squeezing and releasing down there so hard that a short, sharp fart slipped out by accident.

  “Shit!” she muttered, covering her face with a hand as embarrassment scorched her cheeks.

  But then she felt it: Kai was still there, a motionless lump inside her vagina, not budging an inch.

  ‘Did I really kill him?’ Iris thought, a knot of worry tightening her stomach.

  It didn’t make sense.

  When she’d passed out in the tub, he hadn’t drowned; he’d even talked to her when she woke up.

  ‘Is he faking it? Or what the hell’s he doing?’ she wondered, frowning as she wiped herself with a damp cloth.

  Before she could dig deeper, another knock cut her off.

  “Princess, your mother wants you!” Eldra’s nasal voice rang out this time, with that bossy tone Iris hated.

  Iris let out a long, exhausted sigh, muttering to herself:

  “Hang on a bit longer, mage, please…”

  She stood, adjusting her clothes with shaky hands, and left the bathroom with a scowl.

  Eldra waited in the hallway, her gray hair a mess and a tight smile not reaching her eyes.

  “This way, Your Highness,” she said, with a stiff gesture pointing the way.

  Iris followed reluctantly, shoulders slumped and brow furrowed, while Mira trotted behind like an eager puppy.

  When they reached the king’s room, the door flew open, and Aldric, her father, greeted her with a shout that shook the walls:

  “Iris!”

  On reflex, she straightened up, muscles tensing like she expected a scolding.

  But then her mother, Queen Lysara, rushed over and pulled her into a side hug, pressing her against her blue silk dress.

  “Congratutions, my girl,” she said, her voice soft against the sternness of her face.

  Iris blinked, confused, a bitter taste rising in her throat.

  ‘Congratutions? That exam was a giveaway, why are they acting like it’s a miracle?’ she thought, her face staying stiff as stone.

  Aldric stepped forward, that huge grin still pstered across his graying beard.

  “The proctor’s gone, but he asked me to congratute you on your achievement,” he said, punching the air like he was celebrating a successful hunt. “You’re the first student to get a perfect score in this exam format!”

  ‘Obviously, the answers were right there,’ Iris thought, eyes narrowing as she stared at her father like he was speaking another nguage.

  She didn’t get why they were so thrilled.

  Lysara released her hug, adjusting her bun with an elegant flick.

  “You can rest the rest of the day and skip dinner,” she said, her maternal tone aiming for comfort. “I know you’re not feeling well.”

  But before Iris could nod, Aldric raised a hand, cutting in with a huff.

  “Sleep? She can’t sleep now! We’ve got to tell your siblings so they can congratute you!” he excimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Lysara whipped her head toward him, her gaze sharp enough to cut gss.

  “Aldric Valderia,” she said, spitting his full name in a low, dangerous tone, one eyebrow raised. “Your daughter just probably ranked number one with her effort. Don’t you think she deserves a rest today?”

  The king blinked, scratching his neck with a nervous chuckle.

  “Well, yeah, I guess…” he mumbled, sighing like it pained him to give in. He turned to Iris, his smile softening. “Fine, rest. Ask your maids to bring you dinner.”

  Lysara shot him another look, this one mixing exasperation and warning, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  Aldric cleared his throat, correcting himself fast.

  “Or ask for whatever you want to eat, anything,” he said, throwing his hands up like he was surrendering.

  Iris watched them silently, her face calm but drained, though inside she was screaming with confusion and shock.

  ‘Since when do they pamper me like this?’ she thought, nodding slowly.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, her tone ft before turning to leave.

  As the door closed behind her, Lysara stepped closer to Aldric, lowering her voice.

  “Well… I wonder how much effort she had to put in to come out first,” she said, blending pride and amazement.

  Aldric frowned, scratching his beard.

  “You really think she came out first?” he asked, his tone doubtful.

  Lysara looked at him like he was an idiot.

  “Don’t you realize how hard that exam is? I’ve heard rumors from the academy… that early test is a beast,” she expined, her eyes lighting up as she started sharing details she’d picked up.

  Meanwhile, Iris trudged to her room, fnked by Eldra and Mira.

  Eldra kept a rigid pace, hands clenched under her apron, while Mira stumbled a bit, gazing at the princess with shiny eyes.

  At the door, Iris sighed deeply, shoving it open.

  “Don’t come in unless I ring the bell,” she said, her tone sharp and final.

  Both nodded—Eldra with a tense grimace, Mira with a quick bob—and the princess stepped inside, smming the door shut with a thud.

  Without wasting time, she headed to the private bathroom, yanking off her underwear with a rough tug and wetting herself with a damp cloth.

  ‘I’ve got to get him out now,’ she thought, sitting on the tub’s edge and sliding her fingers toward her groin.

  She brushed the area carefully, a faint tickle making her shiver.

  “Come on, this isn’t the time for this…” she scolded herself under her breath, frowning as she tried to focus.

  But then, just as her fingers went deeper, Kai moved.

  A faint kick, a brush that sent an electric jolt up her spine.

  “Stop, stay still!” Iris excimed, her voice trembling as heat surged to her chest. “I’m trying to get you out!”

  Inside, Kai opened his eyes slowly, his head buzzing like he’d woken from a deep sleep.

  ‘Where the fuck am I?’ he thought, feeling the wet heat and fleshy walls around him.

  Everything was slimy, sticky, and the sharp scent of Iris’s fluids wrapped him like fog.

  Then it hit him: he’d fallen asleep in there.

  ‘No way…’ he thought, a mix of disbelief and embarrassment washing over him.

  He’d bought a skill from the system shop—“Wisdom,” something promising a boost to his intelligence—but exhaustion had knocked him out.

  Suddenly, the walls shifted, squeezing and jostling him as Iris’s fingers pushed him outward.

  ‘She’s getting me out!’ Kai thought, stretching his hands to help himself along.

  It was slow, his slippery body sticking to everything, but bit by bit, he emerged.

  When he finally broke free, he nded on Iris’s palm, soaked in her juices, hair pstered to his face and arms trembling.

  Kai tried wiping his face with his hands, shoving off the stickiness as he coughed.

  ‘Getting inside a girl’s vagina is supposed to be hot, but not like this, damn it…’ he thought, grimacing in disgust.

  Iris stared at him, eyes wide and cheeks bzing red.

  “You’re alive!” she excimed, her tone mixing relief and embarrassment as she held him in her hand, watching his tiny form drip onto her skin.

  The absurdity almost made her ugh, but the heat in her face stopped her.

  Kai looked up, growling as he cleared more fluid from his eyes.

  “Of course I’m alive, you lunatic! What were you pnning, killing me in there?” he snapped, his voice hoarse.