CHAPTER 95: ACADEMIC VENTURES

The restricted section smelled faintly of old magic.

Aegis pushed through the heavy doors at exactly midnight, finding Serilla already there, surrounded by a fortress of ancient books. She’d changed out of her uniform into something that definitely violated several decency laws—a silk dress that showed her entire left tit if you looked at the right angle.

"You’re punctual," Serilla said without looking up. "I’m impressed."

"You’re basically naked."

"It’s called fashion."

"It’s called your nipple is showing."

"Oh?" Serilla glanced down. "So it is." She didn’t adjust the dress. "Anyway, I study better when I’m comfortable. I do so hope you don’t mind."

[Mind? If you weren’t such a colossal piece of shit, I’d be trying to bend you over right now.]

Aegis kept those particular thoughts to herself, though. She dropped into the chair across from Serilla. The dress in question rode up when Serilla shifted, showing she wasn’t wearing underwear.

[Of course she isn’t.]

"So," Aegis grabbed a book, prying her eyes away with crowbars made of willpower. "Queen Rosanna’s mystery lover."

"Right to business? How dreadfully boring." Serilla leaned forward, both tits basically escaping. "Here I was hoping we could chat first."

"About?"

Serilla smirked.

"About how I’m going to steal Liora away from you and Princess Stone and keep her all to myself."

Aegis snorted.

"Good luck with that."

"Luck has nothing to do with it." Serilla stood, walking around the table. Her ass bounced with each step. "See, you’re playing arelis while I’m playing aramis."

Arelis and aramis were this worlds’ version of checkers and chess. In effect, she was calling Aegis a dumbass.

"Pretty sure we’re just researching dead people right now, actually."

"Metaphorically." Serilla perched on the table edge, right in front of Aegis. "You’ve got your little harem. Scarlett, Talia, that painting girl who watches you sleep."

"She doesn’t—wait, what?"

"The point is, you’re spread thin. But me? I can give Liora everything."

"Including a possessive girlfriend who does the splits on refreshment tables?"

"Including devotion she’s never experienced."

Aegis laughed. Actually laughed.

"You? Devoted?" She leaned forward herself, putting her elbows on the table and her head on her hands. "Forgive me for being a tiny bit skeptical about that."

That was the first thing Aegis said that seemed to actually rattle Serilla’s armor a bit, so she kept going.

"Besides, you think Liora’s just going to dump everyone and everything for you?"

"I know she will."

"Based on what? Your magic dick?"

"Based on the fact that I actually pay attention." Serilla’s dress slipped further. Her entire left boob was out now and she was doing nothing to hide it. Aegis tried not to stare. "Think about it. Talia’s too worried about marriage proposals. You’re too busy collecting girls like cards. But me? I’ll worship her. Really, I’m doing you all a favor. All I’m doing is... helping soften the load on your plate a little."

"Gross."

"I disagree. Isn’t this the very essence of romance?"

Aegis leaned back, stretching her arms in the air. She caught how Serilla’s gaze dropped down to her chest and held back a smirk.

[Oh? Looks like you aren’t quite as unshakeable as you think.]

"Nah, Liora likes the current arrangement." Aegis grinned. "She told me so while I was balls-deep in her ass."

Serilla’s eye twitched.

Another point scored.

"... That’s rather crude."

"It’s just accurate."

"We’ll see." Serilla slid off the table. Her tit bounced free. She still didn’t fix the dress. "But enough about my future wife. We have research to conduct."

She opened a book, suddenly all business despite having her whole boob out.

"According to this, Rosanna had several documented relationships before taking the throne. But after? Nothing special."

"Maybe she was too busy running a kingdom. Imagine that."

"Or maybe she was hiding someone." Serilla turned the page. "Look. A servant’s diary. The Queen would disappear for hours at night, meeting someone in the Sky Piercer."

Aegis glanced at Serilla.

[... Where I meet her.]

"Could’ve been anyone," Aegis said.

"Could have." Serilla traced the text. "But listen to this: ’Her Majesty purchased curious items monthly. Moonpetal, shadow root, passion vine.’ Recognize those?"

[That’s the tea I make for Rosanna.]

"Sounds like tea ingredients."

"Very specific tea." Serilla’s smile was wicked. "The kind of tea used in certain... intimate rituals."

"Or just expensive tea."

"Twenty gold coins a month for tea?"

"Rich people are weird."

"Or she was meeting someone special." Serilla pushed another book over. "Royal records show she had a private chamber built at the Sky Piercer’s peak. No one was allowed up except her."

"So?"

"So who builds a secret sex tower unless they’re hiding something?"

"Someone who doesn’t want servants watching?"

"Please. You participated in a play about the woman, you know she wouldn’t care about servants watching. At least, watching her with one of her regular lovers. Now, she was probably meeting a secret lover." Serilla’s dress finally gave up entirely. Both tits were out. She didn’t notice or didn’t care. "There’s more. References to someone who ’brought shadow and light.’ Multiple mentions of meetings that ’defied nature itself.’"

"Sounds like poetic bullshit to me."

"Sounds like a mystery to me."

They stared at each other. Serilla’s tits stared at Aegis too.

"Your dress gave up," Aegis pointed out.

Serilla looked down.

"Huh. So it did." She pulled it up halfheartedly. It immediately fell again. "Whatever. Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Good. Oh, and Aegis?" Serilla stood, everything bouncing. "When I take Liora, do try not to cry. You’ll still have your other toys after all."

"When Liora turns you down, try not to throw yourself off the Sky Piercer."

Serilla smiled.

"How confident."

"Prophetic, more like it."

Serilla laughed, pulling her dress up properly this time.

"You know what? I actually like you. Shame we’re enemies."

"We’re not enemies. You’re just delusional."

"Mm, we’ll see."

She left. Aegis sat there for another minute, then headed for the Sky Piercer.

---

Rosanna waited at the top, translucent in moonlight.

"You’re a little bit later than normal."

"Sorry, had a study date."

"At midnight?"

"It’s a whole thing." Aegis flopped onto the meditation platform. "Hey, question."

"Answer."

"Did you have a secret lover you met up here?"

Rosanna raised a brow.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Research project. Found some old diary talking about you buying specific tea ingredients. Meeting someone secretly."

"Servants gossip."

"So it’s not true?"

"I didn’t say that." Rosanna turned away. "I had many lovers."

"But one was special enough to build a private chamber for?"

"This platform existed before me."

"The servant said you had it modified."

"Servants say many things."

"Rosanna."

The ghost sighed.

"You’ll have to be specific, darling. Which lover are you asking about? The duke’s son with the talented tongue? The ambassador with impressive stamina? The stablehand with the cock like a—"

"The one you bought moonpetal tea for."

"I bought many things for many people."

"You’re deflecting!"

"I’m reminiscing, dear." Rosanna smiled. "Now, shall we practice, or discuss my sex life all night?"

"Both?"

"What a greedy child."

They trained. Rosanna guided Aegis through aether manipulation while carefully avoiding all relationship talk.

---

By three AM, Aegis was exhausted.

She trudged through empty halls, too tired for stealth. Which was why she spotted Talia in the garden.

The princess sat on a bench, still in uniform, staring at nothing.

[Why do protagonists always brood in gardens?]

Aegis walked over.

"Bit late for all this brooding."

Talia startled, fire sparking before recognizing her.

"What are you doing up?"

"Could ask you the same."

"I asked first."

"So?" Aegis flopped onto the bench. "What’s wrong? You look like someone pissed in your cereal."

"Charming."

"I try. Seriously though, what’s up?"

Talia was quiet. Then:

"Mother sent another letter."

"Darius?"

"... A proposed wedding date."

"Oof."

They sat in silence for a moment. Somewhere in the garden, a cricket was desperately screaming for sex. Maybe. Honestly, quite relatable.

"Just tell her no," Aegis suggested.

"I’ve tried, but you can’t just tell Duchess Stone no."

"Sure you can. Watch." Aegis stood up, clearing her throat dramatically. She looked right into Talia’s eyes. "No! See? Super easy."

Talia snorted.

[God, making Talia laugh, or even get close to laughing, always feels great.]

"Aegis—"

"No, Mother! No wedding! No Darius!" Aegis started marching around like she was giving a speech to parliament. "No, no, no!"

Talia was full-on grinning now.

"By the gods, stop being an idiot—"

"NO MEANS NO, MOTHER! THE DUCHESS OF NO-TOWN HAS SPOKEN!"

Talia lunged off the bench and tackled her into the grass.

They hit the ground, rolling twice before Talia ended up on top. Her hands on Aegis’s wrists.

"Take! This! Seriously!" Talia pleaded, though she couldn’t stop smiling.

"Can’t!" Aegis wheezed between laughs. "Being! Murdered! By! Tiny! Princess!"

"I’m not tiny!"

"Well, in some parts, yeah. You’re definitely not."

They struggled for a bit, Talia trying to look threatening while Aegis kept laughing at her attempts. They were pressed together from chest to thigh, both breathing hard from the tussle.

Their eyes met.

The garden suddenly felt very quiet except for that horny cricket.

"We should probably—" Talia started.

"Yeah, probably."

Neither of them moved. Talia’s grip on her wrists loosened but didn’t let go. Her weight shifted slightly, pressing them closer together.

Then Talia was kissing her, fierce and desperate like she was trying to forget about wedding dates and arranged marriages and every other terrible thing in her life. Aegis freed her hands and immediately grabbed Talia’s ass, pulling her down harder.

They made out for a few long minutes. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting like they’d run laps around the academy.

"This doesn’t mean anything," Talia said immediately, still straddling her, five hearts of affection blinking over her head.

Aegis could basically see heart eyes.

"Obviously not."

"Good."

"Great."

They were still pressed together. Aegis’s cock was rock hard against Talia’s stomach, which was really not helping the whole ’this means nothing’ argument.

"Your dick is poking me."

"Your fault for tackling me."

"Everything’s always my fault with you."

"Well, it is."

Talia kissed her again, actually grinding down this time. Aegis groaned into her mouth, hands tightening on the princess’s ass. For someone who claimed this meant nothing, Talia was really committed to the bit.

"We can’t—" Talia gasped between kisses.

"Definitely not—"

Talia’s hand slipped between them, squeezing Aegis through her pants. Aegis’s hips bucked up involuntarily.

"Fuck," Aegis hissed.

"Later." Talia stood up suddenly, leaving Aegis cold and confused on the grass. Her uniform was wrecked, covered in grass stains and dirt. Her hair looked like she’d been thoroughly ravished. "This never happened."

"What never happened?"

"Exactly."

She walked away fast, practically running by the time she hit the path. Her ass looked fantastic even when she was fleeing the scene of the crime.

Aegis lay in the grass for another minute, cock throbbing, staring up at the stars. The cricket was still going at it, probably having better luck than she was.

[My new life is so weird.]