The next morning.

The sky was still dim, and a gentle breeze drifted in through the window, brushing across their faces and bringing a touch of coolness, though it didn't feel cold.

Celitia slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing that came into view was Sophia's peaceful face.

Her eyelashes were long, thick and curled, each one distinct. The fine down on her cheeks was clearly visible, gilded with a layer of soft, pale light from the sky outside the window.

The girl's arms were still holding her, probably numb again from being pressed by Celitia.

Yet even so, her posture hadn't changed in the slightest.

Gazing at that face so close at hand, Celitia felt an indescribable complexity rising in her chest.

Yet there was also a trace of sweetness that emerged from that bitterness, lingering around her heart.

Celitia tried to struggle a bit, wanting to get up from Sophia's embrace.

This slight movement immediately woke Sophia.

"I fell asleep?!"

Sophia's voice carried a thick nasal tone, and her body instinctively tightened, once again holding Celitia firmly in her arms.

"What's wrong, Lily? Are you still in pain?"

She was holding too tightly, making it a bit hard for Celitia to breathe.

"Let me go, Sophia," Celitia said. "I'm fine now."

Sophia hurriedly loosened her grip, but her lower arm wouldn't obey, as if it no longer belonged to her.

Celitia slowly sat up on the bed and extended both hands, gently massaging Sophia's numb arm with her ten fingers.

Sophia's head was still a bit foggy. She opened her eyes and stared at her in a daze.

The girl's seaweed-like long curls fell from her temples, covering half her face. The hair color was slightly cool-toned, making her skin appear even more jade-white.

The curve of her profile drew beautiful lines. She blinked slowly, the light in her eyes flickering faintly, hazy and gentle.

Without realizing it, Sophia became somewhat entranced.

Until the falling strands brushed against Sophia's nose, tickling her so that she couldn't help but sneeze: "Achoo!"

"Do you have a cold? Your spirits... don't seem very good."

The massaging movements paused slightly as Celitia turned her head to look at Sophia's face, worry rising within her.

The window had been open all night, and her own body temperature was already low—it was entirely Sophia who had warmed her.

Sophia's face reddened. How could she admit that she had been dazedly staring at a beauty? She quickly shook her head:

"No, I just woke up and I'm still a bit confused."

That sneeze had woken her up completely, sweeping away all drowsiness from her mind.

As her arm gradually regained feeling, Sophia rolled out of bed.

"Are you really okay now?"

Looking Celitia up and down carefully, Sophia found that except for her face still being a bit pale, her condition seemed to have returned to normal.

What happened last night seemed like a dream.

"I'm fine," Celitia shook her head. "We still have classes today. Let's get up early to prepare so we won't be late."

Sophia paused in a subtle way.

She had been in such pain last night, yet this morning she was still thinking about attending classes.

How should she put it—this was indeed Celitia, always able to operate ruthlessly like a machine, as if nothing could interfere with her.

"Don't go," Sophia tried to persuade her. "I'll ask for leave for you. Just rest today."

"I'm really fine now. No need to ask for leave for me."

Celitia still shook her head, a hint of helplessness showing in her eyes as she hesitated to speak.

After the award ceremony, most of the outrageous rumors about Celitia had basically died down.

But following that, a betting pool had quietly emerged—betting on when Sophia would confess to Celitia.

Shanie had secretly told her about this privately, and Celitia felt a headache just hearing about it.

It really never ended.

Sophia confessing to her?

How was that possible?

But if she let Sophia ask for leave for her again, this inexplicable betting pool would undoubtedly continue to grow.

Although keeping a low profile was no longer possible, at least... let her spend her academy life normally.

Sophia obviously didn't know about this matter and was still somewhat bewildered by Celitia's reaction.

Seeing that Celitia had already gotten up, opened the door and was walking out, Sophia hurriedly rolled out of bed, grabbed her outer clothes, and chased after her.

Breakfast was usually prepared by Celitia—generally toast with butter, which wasn't complicated to make—but Sophia felt that this time she shouldn't trouble her to do it.

"I'll prepare breakfast. You just sit there properly."

Sophia put on an apron, rolled up her sleeves, and walked into the kitchen with full confidence.

Two minutes later, Celitia heard the sound of a plate shattering on the floor.

"..."

Celitia was speechless.

If she broke a few more, there wouldn't be any plates left for tomorrow.

Celitia silently complained to herself, helplessly getting up from her seat and walking into the kitchen.

Sophia was holding a knife, gesturing at the square toast, hesitating about how to cut it.

"Forget it, let me cut it instead, so you don't cut your own fing—"

Before Celitia could finish speaking, she suddenly saw a gray shadow dart out from the corner of the kitchen, rushing toward the door at high speed.

Her body reacted faster than her brain. Celitia instinctively extended her foot and stepped precisely on that gray shadow.

A soft, squishy feeling came back from her foot. Celitia's pupils dilated in shock as she instantly realized what she had stepped on.

"Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhh—!!"

A series of screams erupted from the girl's mouth. Her body swayed precariously, almost about to fall, yet her foot remained persistently stepping on that grayish thing.

Sophia was so startled that she dropped her knife and rushed to Celitia's side in one stride: "Lily? What's wrong??"

Celitia tremblingly extended her hand, pointing at her foot: "Quick, get it away, quickly, please!!"

Sophia bent down in confusion, reached out to grab the constantly writhing tail, and lifted the small animal from under Celitia's foot.

"You mean this? It's just a gray mouse, isn't it?"

She held the mouse by its tail, bringing the gray mouse a bit closer to Celitia.

"Look, it's just an ordinary mouse, not something scary."

"Take it away!!"

Celitia was going crazy, retreating three steps backward and hitting the wall by the kitchen door with a "thud."

Sophia looked at the mouse in her hand with puzzlement, then looked at Celitia's completely distraught face with equal puzzlement, suddenly understanding:

"Oh—you're afraid of mice, aren't you, Lily?"

Having maintained a sufficient safe distance, Celitia finally snapped out of her terror and stared at Sophia in disbelief.

She saw Sophia dangling the mouse by its tail, swinging it back and forth in the air as if she found it quite entertaining.

Hey, was this person really Her Highness the Princess?!

Wasn't she more like some kind of wild person from the mountains?!

Watching Sophia curiously playing with the mouse, Celitia was simply speechless.