“Why … are you interested in that topic?” Melan drew herself back but failed to remove that warm itch in her chest.

  “Is it not also a type of forbidden ritual?”

  “It’s a delicate matter.”

  “Are they still themselves? Have they changed, or did they vanish?”

  Melan frowned. She looked away from Iris, trying to think of something else, something to stop those moments from replaying themselves. Seeing them again, in their inhuman forms, crushed her.

  “I apologise, Lady Iris, but I’m uncomfortable discussing this topic,” she said. “Some of my pupils…”

  “Perhaps they do not regret it.” Iris’s voice shifted. There was an air of mystique flowing within her tone. “Perhaps they are better off with that dizzying freedom.”

  An outline of a mysterious lady imposed itself upon Iris. The quiet reception room melted. Its walls and ceiling dissolved into sparkles of scented candles and flashes of hanging lanterns. Faint yet lively music permeated the misty air of the open bar while the laughter of unseen ladies echoed between curtains. Thin lush perfume tickled Melan’s nose. She shook her head.

  The vision of that salon vanished, but Iris remained.

  She was standing at the door, smiling at the absent-minded Melan. “Are you going to leave me too?”

  “I’ll escort you, Lady Iris. Is there any place you’d like to visit first?”

  “Anywhere is fine, so long as you’re the guide.” Iris chuckled. “But I’d like to visit Mystic Tower last.”

  “That’s my plan as well.”

  Melan led Iris out of the reception hall, past a research hall specialised for astral observations, and out through a bridge connecting the main research hall with the central cafeteria. Researchers and technicians strolled in groups toward various food halls, casually chattering about their progress.

  When meeting her colleagues and students, Melan maintained her cordial, gentle disposition. The prior hesitation retreated behind a professional mask she always wore, although her warm smile seeped through it every so often.

  Iris quietly followed her guide. She returned the greeting but kept her distance from the students. They thought of her as an unfamiliar professor and, sensing her air, didn’t approach her.

  “Please forgive them, Lady Iris. Your presence might’ve intimidated them.”

  “Am I that unapproachable?”

  “You certainly have a unique aura.”

  “Does it also affect you?” Iris inched close to Melan. Her face leaned until it almost touched her guide’s. “Am I unapproachable now?”

  Melan blinked. Her eyes focused on Iris’s. She turned away but failed to escape that teasing expression, that mischievous smile, those pink lips. Something inside her quivered, and she could feel the air burning.

  The urge to step away seized her, but she mustn’t panic. Many eyes were on her; she must be respectful.

  “Sometimes it feels like you come from another world,” Melan said.

  Iris returned Melan her personal space. She scanned the cafeteria, spotting multiple traditional food stores, and looked at Melan with sparkling eyes.

  “There’s a private lounge for the academy’s staff, but I believe the rustic air suits you more.”

  “You know me too well.” Iris smiled. “Would you like to enjoy nature with me?”

  “My pleasure.”

  Melan led Iris to her favourite stores and recommended a few dishes. They found themselves in a botanical garden where barely any students frequented. Tall trees and wildflowers covered the walls and domes but allowed sunlight to brighten the mood.

  “I usually come here to recollect my thoughts,” Melan said. “Although it’s slightly far from the cafeteria, it’s quiet and secluded.”

  “A perfect place to unwind, to hide away from the public eyes.”

  “We may have ordered too much.”

  “Occasional overindulgence won’t hurt.”

  Melan and Iris finished the meal and chatted about various topics. The mundanity of their research routines, the exciting new ideas, the upcoming conferences and seminars, the recent breakthroughs, each topic jumped from one another as if they were afraid of silence.

  “Professor Melan!” A bright voice interrupted the moment.

  Melan and Iris turned to the newcomers. A girl in her undergraduate uniform, with flowing pink hair and bright sapphire eyes, approached her professor. Behind her, a handsome young man followed.

  “How have you been, Wandrina?” Melan said. “Recovering well?”

  “I’ve been declared fully recovered.” Wandrina puffed up her chest. “Although it was distressing, I didn’t really suffer anything physical.”

  “That’s not true,” Ramantis said. “When we—”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Wandrina glared at him. “Silence!”

  “What happened, Wandrina?” Melan said. “I thought you wouldn’t hide something from your mentor.”

  “I’m sorry, Professor Melan. I don’t want to worry you.”

  “Shouldn’t you be upright with your conduct, Wandrina Lallae?”

  Wandrina blushed. She glanced at Ramantis, who looked at her with eyes she didn’t want him to. “There were misunderstandings and infighting, but no one got hurt.”

  “But your friend’s expression indicates otherwise.”

  “He’s not my friend!”

  “Then who is he?”

  “He’s … my partner, my colleague.” Wandrina forced a smile. “And who are you, Miss?”

  Following Wandrina’s gaze, Ramantis greeted the stranger beside their professor. Iris wore a bright, amused smile so foreign yet familiar that the two students wondered where she might’ve seen it.

  “I’m Iris Goodwill, a scholar of ancient history and antiquity myths.” Iris lightly bowed her head. “I also have an interest in studying the Corrupted Magic.”

  Wandrina froze. Iris’s tone and manner carried a chill that seized her. She recovered after a brief silence but couldn’t find any words to describe her feelings.

  Ramantis audibly gasped. “Why would you want to study the Corrupted Races?”

  “Aren’t they fascinating?”

  “They’re dangerous and conniving.”

  “What really happened, Ramantis?” Melan said. “Tell me truthfully.”

  Ramantis swallowed before looking at Wandrina. She pursed her lips but didn’t stop him. He forced himself to take a deep breath.

  “The Court of Indulgence killed the cultists and captured us. They wanted to take away those they fancied. We … just tried to stop them.”

  “Go on.”

  “Their leader, Black Rose, offered us a choice…” Ramantis’s voice faded. His face turned red. “I, we had a disagreement and—”

  “You can’t even reliably tell a story,” Wandrina said. “Your emotions distort the fact. I’ll tell it myself.”

  Melan gave her permission. Ramantis finally breathed relief.

  “Madam Black Rose was cruel, but she never intended to harm us. Her people weren’t only Monster Girls. There were some humans and Beastkins, and she never forced anyone.”

  “What did she do to you?” Iris asked.

  “She forced me to play a terrible game.” Wandrina clenched her fists. “I was too weak to defy her. We were all too weak.”

  “It wasn’t merely a game, was it?”

  Wandrina stared into Iris’s eyes, trying to find the elusive intents within this mysterious scholar. The corners of her eyes found Ramantis fidgeting, hesitating to speak up. If she didn’t do it, he would.

  “She offered me a chance to know myself … to know others.”

  Wandrina’s heart palpitated. She resisted pressing on her chest to chase away the fuzziness. A deep breath was what would eventually calm her, yet the thought of Ramantis looking at her lit up a ball of light within her.

  “So what did you learn?” Iris leaned forward. “The Corrupted Ones are said to understand the matters of the hearts better than us Pure Ones.”

  “I learn that I may have judged Ramantis too harshly.” Wandrina peeked at her friend. “My prejudice made me regard him as worse than me, but he still stepped up when the situation called for it.”

  “So you do respect me!” Ramantis laughed. “Of course I would help my friends. Who wouldn’t?”

  “Don’t be too full of yourself. In the end, I’m the one who was prepared to sacrifice myself. Your foolishness almost caused us everything.”

  Ramantis harrumphed but couldn’t find a counterargument. He sought Melan’s guidance, but she concentrated only on Iris and Wandrina, her eyes shimmering with thoughts unknown.

  “What do you think about Black Rose, Miss Iris?” Melan said. “She played with our students, injured our professors, and captured our people.”

  “You’ve met her, Melan. How does it feel to be by her side?”

  The two students gasped. Their eyes widened while their breathing grew restless. They swiftly regained themselves, although they still couldn’t stop their curiosity from overflowing. Their mentor had never told anyone this knowledge, yet Lady Iris’s confidence assured them.

  “How … did you know I met her?”

  “You recognised her name and nodded along with Wandrina’s retelling.”

  “Was it just a speculation?”

  No change in Iris’s expression. She reached her right hand toward Melan, pointing her index finger at Melan’s lips. She swiped her hand down and tapped the table. With her head tilted, she let out airy laughter.

  “I also dabble in the art of divination.”

  “Your instinct is terrifying, Miss Iris.”

  “I’ve surprised myself quite a few times as well.”

  Iris retracted her hand, looked at Wandrina, and returned her gaze to Melan. “Your pupils are waiting.”

  Melan recollected her thoughts. There was no escape; she never intended to escape. This could be an opportunity.

  “The Court’s primary goal isn’t to plunder the warehouses or the Mystic Tower.” Melan lowered her voice. “They breached the tower’s defence to rescue their kin.”

  “The Academy has imprisoned Monster Girls within The Tower?” Wandrina trembled. “That’s …”

  “Are you caring for the Corrupted Ones?” Iris said.

  “They deserve basic decency,” Ramantis said. “Even if tainted by curses, they’re still sentient.”

  “If we disregard the sacredness of life, what will be the difference between us and the demons of the abyss?” Wandrina said.

  Melan lowered her head, grinding her teeth. She gripped her dress while forcing herself to maintain her expression. If only she dared to stand for her belief, maybe those girls wouldn’t have to suffer through the torture.

  But would they still be alive, long enough for The Court to rescue them?

  “I’ve failed you two,” she said. “I was complacent in the matter. And I—”

  “Are you going to blame yourself again?” Iris said.

  Melan paused. “I—”

  Iris’s playful smile prevented her from speaking further. The truth would endanger her two students; they had yet to gain the power to protect themselves.

  As for Iris, she never let any emotion come through. Only a formal smile painted her countenance. Yet Melan could sense a favourable sentiment to The Court, to the Monster Girls. Maybe it would be acceptable to share the tower’s secrets to such a person.

  “Professor Melan?” Wandrina said. “It’s been a pleasure … but we’ll have to take our leave.”

  Before Ramantis could speak, Wandrina bid the two professors farewell and dragged her friend out of the dome and into a lecture hall. She could barely control her trembling, but her manner remained elegant.

  Iris nodded. “We should hurry as well. There are still many places I’d like to visit.”

  …

  Ramantis followed his partner through the hall, staring at her strange expression. He could guess her emotions but not their source. Still, she must have her reason to drag him out of the conversation so abruptly.

  Wandrina only stopped when she arrived at a private study room far from the cafeteria, from the academy’s main library. She activated the noise-suppressing function, closed the door curtains, and stacked a few books before her.

  “Why did you make up that excuse?” Ramantis said. “The Academy’s secret was terrible, but you’d never lose your cool.”

  “Lady Iris, don’t you think she’s mysterious?”

  Ramantis contemplated his impression of her. She carried an air of distilled curiosity and bubbling amusement. Her tone infected the mood with festive, yet she appeared removed from her environment.

  “She knew more than she let us on,” he said.

  “She and Professor Melan may have a history.” Wandrina frowned. “How could an outsider know about the academy’s secret?”

  The two couldn’t voice their speculation. They sank into silence while reading the records borrowed from the historical archive, which detailed tales of The Academy and the organisations around the Eastern Continent.

  While skimming, Wandrina stole a glance at Ramantis. He appeared calm and absorbed in the works. She couldn’t help but grin. Her speculation was wilder than his, although she couldn’t yet find any evidence.

  A horrible conjecture lingered in her mind; however, its vague suggestion eluded her. She could only let that sinking familiarity permeate her, hoping that she would remember where she may have experienced such an admirable presence.

  Special thanks to my patrons: Linaith, and Ouroboros! You all are my motivation booster!

  Read ahead by joining my , or get notified of the next release by joining my .