“Aren’t you going to stop me?” Iris said.

  “I would, if I could.” Ludmint grabbed her Honey’s hands and kissed their backs. “Who in this world can change your mind?”

  Iris smiled. A gush of wind fluttered her dress. Her hat waved with her hair, dancing like flames, concealing within their beauty her suppressed emotions. She cast one last smile at her fiancée, drew back her hands, and allowed her maid to wear her gloves.

  Antina faithfully guided her mistress to the carriage. Only after Ludmint returned to get ready did Antina relax and lean on the sofa. Her eyes stayed on her mistress, her cool mask giving way to her curiosity.

  “Mistress, I couldn’t understand you.”

  “A heart is most profound when obscured.” Iris touched her chest. The carriage curtains dragged themselves to shield the interior from sunlight. “But you can peer beyond the veil.”

  “I’d rather not taint your dress right now. What I want to know is why you applied for a position at Royal Magic Academy.”

  “Should a scholar give up the wealth of knowledge when it’s within her reach?”

  “With your influence, nothing is beyond your grasp.”

  Iris shook her head. “My influence only covers the present. Compared to the vastitude of the past, I’m merely a speck of dust.”

  “The most beautiful speck of diamond.”

  “Captured and auctioned to the highest bidder?” Iris leaned forward and took her maid’s hands. “Or worn and cared for by you?”

  Antina lowered her head toward her mistress’s palms, but she stopped close and retrieved her warm hands; a smile beamed across her face, and she stared at her mistress’s clear, unflinching pupils.

  “Please tell me your secret.”

  “The untold history.”

  “Did you … find something during the rescue?”

  “I may have, or I may have not.” Iris closed her eyes. “I couldn’t remember it.”

  Antina got out of her seat but was silenced. Her mistress pressed her index finger against her lips, wiggling the fingertip against her tongue. Losing the strength to resist, Antina shivered.

  “You’re unfair, Mistress,” she whispered. “You can’t stay silent forever.”

  “Worrying you with baseless speculation is unacceptable.”

  “But worrying me with your silence is?”

  The carriage halted. The curtains parted to let sunlight bathe the interior. Iris opened her eyes and, taking in the fresh morning light, winked at her stunned maid. The driver opened the door, received her mistress’s hand, and helped her alight. Iris chuckled while tracing her fingers across the driver’s palm.

  Antina regained herself and arrived by her mistress’s side. She resisted glaring at the driver, as her mistress’s presence loomed over her.

  “Don’t you have other business to take care of?” Iris said.

  “They can wait.”

  “A clever maid pleases her mistress.”

  “But the stubborn one wins over her heart.”

  “Do you think you could compete against my two dearest?”

  Antina pouted. “Please wait for me.”

  “I can be quite unfair, can’t I?”

  Iris did not wait for her maid’s answer. She kissed her and entered The Academy. A group of students had already been waiting for her. She gave them her letter of recommendation and followed them into a tall building.

  A set of large statues of distinguished scholars greeted her. They lined up in the large main hall, where many a great researcher passed by. Some stopped by the students to chat about their latest projects while others politely introduced themselves to Iris; her reputation as a rising expert in ancient history and magic had preceded her.

  If not for her interview schedule, she might not be able to extract herself from the discussion. The students profusely apologised to the researchers for dragging Iris away; she still promised them to return when able.

  “The committees are waiting for you, Madam,” a guide said. “We’ll be waiting in the reception room. Please notify us if you need help.”

  “In any and all matters?” Iris said.

  “We’ll try our best.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Iris chuckled. “But you wouldn’t neglect your study just for this, right?”

  The guides looked at each other, their expressions hesitant. They couldn’t read through Iris’s smile. She didn’t wish to torment them for too long and dismissed them. Their enthusiasm was commendable, even if a little overwhelming for newcomers.

  Candidates for various academic positions had already made themselves comfortable in the reception room. They chatted while waiting their turns, exchanging ideas and feedback, and forming connections and opportunities.

  Their activities halted when Iris entered the room. Despite her modest attire, she attracted attention with her unmistakable disposition. She politely greeted fellow scholars before heading for the interview room. The attendants carefully opened the door, ushered her in, and closed it as quietly as possible.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The remaining scholars whispered among themselves. By examining the schedule, they found that she was the final candidate, and that she had arrived on time.

  …

  Five professors seated themselves before Iris. One by one they greeted her, introduced themselves, and observed her demeanour.

  The head of the committee, a lady in a purple cloak, feinted coughing. “Please tell us why you’d like to join the academy.”

  “I’d like to browse the academy’s library. And I’d like to make some new friends.” Iris winked at the head committee. “Lady Everlyn, is that also not your reason for being here?”

  Everlyn tapped the table. “Partly, yes. But this isn’t about me, is it?”

  “It could be.” There was a pause, then a giggle. “Please forgive me. I sometimes joke around when I’m nervous.”

  Everlyn could not detect any anxiety from Iris’s tone; she wrote down a few words and covered them with her hand, smiling playfully.

  “Why don’t you tell us about your career, Miss Iris?” Another professor, a formal man with a golden ring, interrupted the moment. “We’re in the same field, but others may not have heard of your accomplishments.”

  “As Sir Vilpast said, my research interests are mainly in ancient history and magic. A few people have complimented my humble works.”

  Iris summarised her research topics, recounted her adventures, and mentioned insights she gained from deciphering secret runes, whose details she omitted because they were ongoing works.

  “You shouldn’t undersell yourself, Miss Iris.” Dolina, a tanned lady in a midnight-blue robe, clapped her hands. Her eyes gleamed while listening to Iris’s stories. “Very few people could earn Ludmint’s praise. You earn an overwhelming amount of it.”

  “She may have an intimacy bias.”

  Dolina tapped her lips and looked up. “So that’s why she’d never taken interest in this kind of stuff. Turns out she’s been hiding a lovely secret.”

  “Dolina! Personal matters can wait until after the interview,” Everlyn said. “The ethics board wouldn’t like this.”

  “You’re too strict, Everly. Her Highness wouldn’t like it when you frown like that.”

  “Don’t bring her into this.” Everlyn’s voice faltered, but she controlled herself to retain her professionalism.

  While Everlyn and Dolina were bickering, Iris gave her attention to the two remaining professors, who kept their silence throughout.

  Gilworth returned a polite smile. Aside from his left leg, which had trouble moving, he had mostly recovered from the incident.

  “Since you talked about ancient magic, are you perhaps interested in the ancient professions as well?”

  “Unfortunately I do not have a complete legacy of the Ancient Blade Wielder.”

  “How did you know I’m interested in them?”

  “The traces of Time Magic and Sword Aura linger around you.”

  “Indeed I pursue the art of magic and swordsmanship. In one of my recent outings, I managed to find a few pages of ancient texts regarding ancient swordsmanship.”

  “It’d be my honour to help.”

  Although Iris conversed with Gilworth, her eyes retained their focus on the last professor, Melan. Despite keeping to herself, she could not stop her gaze from connecting with Iris’s. She held her breath until she could no longer, then she distracted herself by noting down her thoughts, but everything she wrote eventually flowed to her suspicion, the suspicion she didn’t want to confirm.

  “Anything to ask her, Melan?” Everlyn said. “I thought you wanted to interview Miss Iris.”

  “I’m … just waiting for the most opportune moment.” Melan’s voice shivered. “Miss Iris, can you tell me more about … your experience with forbidden magic?”

  The room descended to a halt. The professors straightened their backs, chased away the useless thoughts, and kept close to Iris’s lips. They put down their pens, relaxing their powers, letting the sound isolation barrier operate at its peak.

  Iris did not immediately answer; she replaced her formal smile with another, one which extended beyond her countenance, one which leaked into her gaze and peered beyond one’s physical shells.

  “I’ll have to disappoint you all,” Iris said, “but I’ve never found a completed forbidden spell. The only recourse is my encountering their fragments. Are you willing to listen to my speculation?”

  “Even The Academy has only the tiniest clues. I can’t estimate the value of your findings.” Everlyn’s eyes brightened. “Although not much, I have a collection of peculiar artefacts dated back from the olden days.”

  The other professors also offered their prices.

  “You all overestimate what I’ve learned. I’ll treat your offers as an invitation to discuss potential collaboration. After all, knowledge should be shared, shouldn’t it?”

  “There are values in secrecy,” Everlyn said.

  “I trust your judgement.”

  Iris cleared her throat and, summoning a blank screen with a swipe of her palm, drew a series of symbols. Their shapes contained their essence, their connections their meanings. She arranged them cyclically, layers after layers, above and below, in front and behind.

  Her hair stirred with each stroke of her quill. The lanterns powering the room flickered, but no wind nor sound materialised. The professors focused on Iris’s movement, on the traces of magic lingering near her fingertips. They flapped their crystalline wings, orbited her arms, floating up to her head, and formed a stack of halos above her.

  She lifted her hand and turned to her interviewers. The halos above and the wings behind disappeared. She no longer wore that mystical smile. Instead she relaxed and examined others for their reactions.

  She gave a few details about a few forbidden rituals she partially salvaged. They ranged from a ritual to capture a demon’s soul to a portal to an alternated reality. Despite the incomplete information, Iris still deduced much of the procedures and potential steps; she explained from the tiniest details to the biggest unknown, until the hourglass on the table let out its squeak, indicating that time was running out.

  “There is one last thing I’d like to tease you all.” Iris specifically looked at Melan then swept her gaze across the interviewers. “However, the topic might be too much.”

  “We’ve seen our fair share of unspeakable things.” Everlyn was unmoved. “The path of mystique does not care for morality.”

  “Even sacrilege?”

  Melan frowned. She glanced at her colleagues, at Iris, and finally took a deep breath. She was about to interrupt Iris when someone knocked on the door.

  Iris erased the magical board and stepped aside. The door swung open. Everlyn’s secretary hurried in and whispered something to her. She sighed, gave him a piece of paper, and walked to Iris.

  “Unfortunately, something urgent has just come up. Please forgive me.”

  “It’s my fault. We’ve long overextended the interview, haven’t we?”

  “Your presentation is worth it.”

  “It’s a pleasure to share my knowledge.”

  “Then, would you be willing to take a little tour of my lab?”

  “If the schedule permits.”

  “I’ll contact you to set up the timeslot.”

  After Everlyn left, Vilpast and Dolina also excused themselves. Vilpast had a seminar to prepare, and Dolina must check in on her experiments, which had reached their critical phases. They promised to make up for it.

  “What about you two?” Iris said. “Are you going to leave me too?”

  Gilworth wryly smiled. “If you wish, I can accompany you to tour the academy.”

  “Taking up your precious time would trouble me.”

  “I … I’ll try to make it up the next time we meet, Miss Iris.” Gilworth looked at his right arm. “I still haven’t completely recovered yet.”

  “Your health comes first, Mister Gilworth.”

  “Thank you for your understanding.”

  Melan was the only one left. She stared at Iris unblinking. The other professors had already gotten the students to guide other candidates around the academy; all of them had already wandered off elsewhere.

  Iris also gave Melan the same curious stare, although she kept her thoughts to herself. The world wasn’t moving when those two weren’t moving.

  “Lady Iris, what … were you going to talk about?”

  “Something similar to the ancient ritual of rebirth.” Iris walked closer to Melan, who did not step away. “The Monsterisation of The Pure Ones.”

  Her voice shifted from the formal to the soft, ticklish tone. It held Melan’s shoulders and caressed her arms through her clothes. She exhaled, but her breath heated her face.

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