Carrying Celitia out of the alley, Sophia ran into Shanie who was hurrying over.

"Your Highness!"

Shanie rushed up to Sophia, peering at Celitia.

"How is Lily? Has she fainted?"

Sophia said thoughtfully: "She seems fine, just asleep."

"That's good," Shanie sighed in relief. "I just asked someone to call a carriage for us, it should be here soon."

"You called a carriage?" Sophia was surprised.

She had been planning to ask Shanie to call a carriage to take them back to the academy, but the other girl had already arranged it.

"Yes, I thought Your Highness would need one, so I took the liberty of calling one."

Shanie looked slightly nervous. "Um, I haven't made things worse, have I?"

Sophia shook her head: "Actually, you've been a great help."

"That's wonderful!" Shanie flashed her a big smile. "I knew it, my intuition is usually quite accurate!"

Sophia couldn't help but recall how earlier, Shanie had instantly seen through Celitia's cold words to find her hidden true feelings.

Was it intuition or insight? Either way, she was certainly not a simple person.

Soon, the carriage Shanie had called arrived, carrying the three of them away from the busy shopping district toward Samuel Academy.

Today was the second day of registration, and there were even more people at the gate than the previous day.

So everyone saw Princess Sophia carrying a girl wrapped in her own cloak, getting off the carriage and heading toward the hospital.

The news spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred. Combined with yesterday's rumors, the entire academy was in an uproar.

Even from a distance, Shanie could hear the gossip, and cold sweat broke out all over her.

This was terrible! Lily had asked her to help clear up the rumors, but now things had blown up to this extent, she was completely powerless!

Shanie couldn't help but put her hands together in prayer: May the Goddess bless Lily and Princess Sophia...

Sophia was solely focused on getting Celitia to Sister Mahee as quickly as possible, completely oblivious to what was happening around her.

Suddenly seeing Shanie in a prayer position, Sophia asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

Shanie jumped in surprise and quickly lowered her hands, smiling to hide her concern: "Nothing, nothing at all."

Seeing that Shanie wouldn't explain, Sophia didn't press further, though she felt slightly puzzled, feeling that passersby were looking at her strangely.

But she had no time to think about it and hurriedly carried Celitia to Sister Mahee.

After just one night, seeing Sophia carrying Celitia again, Mahee didn't know what to think.

Should she be happy they weren't quarreling, or angry that Celitia had worn herself out again?

"Her body shows nothing abnormal except weakness. She's probably just fallen asleep from overexertion."

After examining Celitia, Mahee came to a similar conclusion as before and looked up at Sophia.

"Your Highness, please advise her to take better care of her body and not to overwork herself," Mahee said, half in earnest and half in jest. "Otherwise, if she comes here every other day, she'll soon grow tired of seeing my face."

Sophia felt quite guilty: "She's in this state because she exhausted herself for my sake..."

After briefly explaining what had happened that morning, Sophia gently held Celitia's hand.

She felt that her palm was still as cold as before, as if no amount of warming could make her truly warm.

"I'll stay with her a while longer. When Celitia wakes up, I'll accompany her back to the dormitory."

Mahee observed Sophia's complexion and advised: "Your Highness, you don't look very well yourself. You must be tired too, I fear."

Last night, Sophia had slept holding Celitia. She wasn't accustomed to the hospital's narrow bed and had to constantly make sure she didn't accidentally push Celitia out from under the covers, so she hadn't slept very soundly.

Hearing Mahee's words now, Sophia felt that her body indeed had an undeniable fatigue that needed a bit of rest.

"Well..."

Sophia's gaze fell on the adjacent bed, wanting to ask Mahee if she could use it, but feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Your Highness should go back and rest! Leave the bedside attendance to me. I slept wonderfully last night, I'm full of energy!"

Shanie patted her chest and said, "When Lily wakes up, I'll hand her back to Your Highness safe and sound!"

"What do you mean 'hand her back to me'... she's not my possession."

Sophia felt awkward hearing this and couldn't insist on staying with Celitia any longer.

Shanie picked up a large cloth bag from the floor and waved it in front of Sophia:

"I brought lots of pastries. If Lily is hungry when she wakes up, we can eat together. Your Highness can entrust her to me and go back to rest with peace of mind!"

"I was wondering what was in that bag you've been carrying," Sophia's mouth twitched slightly. "So it's filled with pastries?"

Shanie nodded: "Yes, when we left, I had the shop pack up all the uneaten items for me!"

"Pack them up?" Sophia was speechless. "They agreed? And other people... didn't say anything?"

That shop was a famous dessert place in Cassia, frequently visited by nobles. The idea of packing up uneaten food to take away was unimaginable to them.

"Didn't Your Highness forbid me from wasting food?" Shanie replied righteously. "Besides, I also think wasting food is wrong, so of course I had to take it!"

"But... others might look down on you for it..."

"I'm just a country girl anyway, it doesn't matter," Shanie shrugged. "And I think doing what you believe is right is more important."

Listening to Shanie's words, Sophia suddenly wondered if she herself lived too cautiously, too concerned with others' opinions.

But she was the Princess, raised since childhood under the expectant gaze of many. Her every word and action had to be fitting for her position. It was impossible for her not to act carefully or disregard others' views.

Just as Celitia had said... whether with Celitia or with Shanie, she truly seemed to be from a different world than them.

Thinking of this, Sophia suddenly felt a bit dejected.

She forced herself to be cheerful and stood up from the bedside: "Shanie, I'll leave her in your care then. I'll go back for a nap and come to visit later."

"No problem," Shanie nodded. "Your Highness should rest well!"

After taking one last look at the still-sleeping Celitia, Sophia said goodbye to Mahee and Shanie and walked out.

Leaving the hospital and heading toward the dormitory, Sophia ran into a familiar face—it was Charlotte, who had run away crying earlier that morning.

"Sophia!" Charlotte rushed over urgently. "Something terrible has happened!"

Seeing Charlotte's genuinely anxious expression, Sophia's heart immediately tightened. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you know yet?" Charlotte said. "The news about you and Celitia has spread throughout the entire academy!"