Chapter 71: Please don’t scream
"I do not understand your answer," Aldric replied, adjusting his spectacles with a precise movement. "What is the Song of the Welkin Moon?"
"It is just a lullaby of the past," Lirien answered, a faint smile forming on her pink lips. Her eyes grew distant, lost in a memory she did not share.
Aldric decided not to inquire anything further since she was giving him indirect answers. His fingers lowered from the bridge of his nose.
"Since we are on the topic of the Crownbearer, where have you sent him?" He asked with narrowed eyes, tapping the centre of his spectacles. The gesture was habitual and unconscious.
"To the dormitory," Lirien replied, her smile turning smug and playful. Her silver eyes glinted with mischief. "Girls’ dormitory." She spoke the last words under her breath, barely a whisper. The little brat had been too shrewd for his own good, so she had decided to teach him a lesson.
She tucked the strands of her snow-white hair behind her ear as she murmured, "I hope he manages to return alive."
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"Ahhhhhh!!!" Vlad screamed as he free-fell through the unknown dimension of canvas, colours and shapes streaking past him in a blur of chaos. The wind roared in his ears, drowning out his own voice. "Where the heck did that Principal send me? If I hit the surface with this speed, I will surely be smashed into paste."
He had just finished those words when a white dot appeared in the distance. Slowly, it grew wider. Or, more accurately, Vlad was reaching closer to it. His heart hammered against his ribs.
"I-is this how I am going to die..." he murmured as he hurtled towards the white exit, his body tumbling uncontrollably.
He hit the surface with a soft thud. Surprisingly, he did not suffer any damage. It was as if he had been dreaming of falling but suddenly opened his eyes only to find himself on a bed.
"On the bed?" he mumbled, feeling something soft and yielding beneath him. His lips were touching something smooth, his body pressing against something uneven and softer than any mattress he had ever slept on. A sugary aroma filled his senses, the scent sweet and attractive.
His eyes slowly opened, the blurry vision sharpening into focus. What he saw first were silken threads in crimson, spilling across the pillow like liquid fire. He blinked to focus more. They were not threads but actual hair, rich and lustrous. His eyes widened slightly, moving downward, tracing the smooth jade-like skin that glowed under the dim light of the room. Finally, his gaze fell on pink, gem-like eyes looking straight at him, wide with shock and something else unreadable. He slowly lifted his head, a shameless smooching sound escaping his lips as they left the cheek, the cheek of Seraphina.
Now that there was some distance between the two, Vlad finally recognised the figure. A mixed feeling surged through him, his face turning beet red as he saw the wet aftermath he had left on her cheek, while his eyes widened like saucers in horror at how he had ended up in such a compromising position.
Seraphina, who was equally shocked beneath him, had a slow, intense blush surging from her neck to her cheeks, her trembling lips slightly parted as she screamed, "Ahh—"
Vlad instinctively pressed his hand over her mouth. "Pl-please don’t scream. L-let me explain."
Before he could say anything further, several footsteps echoed outside the room in the hallway almost instantly. Louder than them rumbled Vlad’s heart, pounding against his ribs like a war drum. If he were caught on top of Seraphina, not only would he be kicked out of the academy, but he would be hunted by the Pyro Tyrant for the rest of his life. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Lady Cendral, are you alright?" A hurried female voice came from beyond the door. "Lady Cendral?"
"Seraphina, I am lifting my hand. Please tell them to go away," Vlad pleaded, every syllable dripping with desperation. His eyes were wide, begging.
She slowly blinked her eyes in a nod, so Vlad lifted his hand. His palm left her lips with a soft sound.
Meanwhile, hearing no response from the other side, the woman outside the door said, "We will be breaking in, Lady Cendral—"
"No need. I only had a nightmare," Seraphina answered, her voice carrying a hint of fluster. She cleared her throat, trying to sound composed.
"Oh... that must have been terrible," the woman from the door replied, her tone carrying genuine worry. "Do you need our help with anything?"
"No. I will fall asleep again."
"I understand. Call us if you need any help." The footsteps echoed again, fading into the distance. There had been multiple figures standing outside along with the woman who had spoken.
Once they left, Vlad released a sigh of relief and whispered, "Thank you."
"Get off me," Seraphina muttered, her eyes narrowed at him, her voice sharp like daggers.
"Y-yes, ma’am."
As he began to rise, her eyes widened as she realised something. "No! Wait!"
She was too late. Vlad had already reached a sitting position on her thighs, his knees resting on either side of her, his eyes falling on her entire body beneath him. The dim moonlight cast soft shadows across the room.
She was dressed in simple white cotton undergarments. Vlad’s gaze drifted downward, lingering for a moment before tracing the curve of her slender frame. His eyes travelled from her neckline to her narrow waist, watching the steady rise and fall of her stomach with each heavy breath. Her skin seemed to glow in the pale light. His thoughts short-circuited on the spot. A crimson trail escaped from his nose, and his jaw hung open as if his soul had temporarily vacated his body.
"P-pervert! Close your eyes!" Seraphina snapped, her foot hitting his face and throwing him to the floor. He landed with a heavy thud, the impact jarring his senses.
