CHAPTER 61: CATHERINE’S NIGHT CLASS

Back in her room, Catherine habitually wanted to change out of the coat she had worn all day. So she let Julian go over the teaching materials first, while she walked over to the wardrobe. After all, she was about to teach, and couldn’t wear clothes that were too casual or inappropriate. Catherine immediately discarded all those brightly colored nightgowns and revealing lingerie that showed off her chest.

While considering her outfit, Catherine covered her full chest with one hand and started rummaging through the wardrobe.

After thinking for a while, Catherine picked out a creamy white blouse and put it on. However, she only buttoned it up to the second button, letting her collarbone show slightly.

For the lower half, Catherine casually picked up a short black skirt and put it on. Sitting on the bed, she smoothed down her dark purple stockings, which shimmered faintly under the evening light. The black skirt brushed over her calves and thighs, and once lifted, it just barely covered Catherine’s underwear and her backside.

"Mm... a bit too tight," Catherine frowned slightly, placing a hand on her soft lower belly where a little extra flesh had formed, silently blaming herself for not exercising enough lately.

Such was the frustration of adulthood. Long past the age of physical development, if people didn’t control their diet or maintain regular exercise, their bodies were bound to change sooner or later.

As a scholar, Catherine strongly disliked physical activity. As a result, her figure was full and voluptuous, with pronounced curves. Once her clothes came off, it was all soft, tender flesh. Catherine, in fact, quite liked the feeling — when bathing, touching herself brought a pleasant comfort.

But if the flesh started to grow in places it shouldn’t, her mindset would certainly change.

Looking in the mirror, Catherine saw the short black skirt hugging tightly around her hips and thighs. Any casual movement would immediately cause wrinkles to form on the fabric. The more she looked, the more she frowned. She made a mental note not to wear this skirt out again.

With her current figure, she feared a few steps would be enough for it to ride up completely.

Brushing the hair from her forehead and facing the mirror, Catherine admired her alluring face — dewy and fresh, with large eyes and long lashes. Her features were sensual and captivating, her complexion glowing far more than it had in the past few days.

From top to bottom, her body was like a winding mountain range. Her full chest pushed the blouse into waves of wrinkles, and her snow-white skin glowed beautifully in the light.

Only then did Catherine return to Julian’s side, pulling out the chair next to him and sitting down.

A rich fragrance immediately surrounded Julian. He set aside the teaching materials in his hands and turned to look at Catherine.

The snow-white blouse, short black skirt, and those shimmering stockings made Julian briefly feel like he had returned to the past. In his memory, before she took a leave from teaching, his English teacher often dressed just like this.

This involuntarily made him speak with reverence:

"Good evening, teacher."

Catherine paused for a moment, then revealed a soft, gentle smile and nodded in response.

Julian’s gaze drifted over Catherine’s chest. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure whether or not to say something.

Her blouse was white, but the undergarments she wore were clearly darker in color.

That made it easy to see the color of what was underneath.

But Catherine didn’t seem to care about this detail. Sitting next to Julian, she opened a book and began her preparations.

From a nearby box, Catherine took out a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. Once she put them on, she cleared her throat and began speaking in her soft, pleasant voice.

Julian tilted his head to look at the book in front of him, but his peripheral vision occasionally drifted toward Catherine wearing those glasses.

He didn’t know why, but something about those common glasses, sitting on Catherine’s nose, gave off a strange sense of sharp elegance.

"Let me first tell you about the current state of the continent," Catherine said, opening her left hand. The map of the Glorious Light Continent unfolded before Julian.

"This continent is mainly split by this mountain range. On one side are the human nations led by the Holy Light Church. And on the other side..." Catherine’s finger moved slowly across the map.

"...is the territory ruled by dark creatures. It used to be a place of wild chaos, but later, it was unified by a powerful transcendent into an unprecedentedly strong empire — the Black Rose Empire."

Julian studied the map, listening closely, while a sense of confusion slowly rose within him.

The so-called "dark creatures"... Julian could guess they referred to monsters born from dark magic. But what intrigued him was: how could anyone possibly unify such creatures?

"The emperor of that empire... is said to be a Dark Dragon," Catherine said slowly.

Julian’s face finally showed surprise.

A Dark Dragon?

Even after coming to this world and witnessing real supernatural magic, hearing that dragon-like beings actually existed still stirred something in him.

"And as for the current balance of power in the Radiance Continent," Catherine continued, "though it may seem complicated, it’s actually very simple. The Sakura Roland Empire is without question the most powerful of the human empires. However, even Sakura Roland is under the authority of the Holy Light Church."

"Branches of the Church are scattered across the continent. While they preach to guide the people’s faith, they also secretly manipulate local affairs."

At this point, Catherine’s expression shifted subtly, but she didn’t comment further.

"More importantly, Julian, you need to understand — the ones who truly rule this world are the transcendent beings of the holy realm, not kings or emperors or any so-called titles or positions."

"A single holy realm transcendent can easily surpass tens of thousands of soldiers in might. And the Pope is currently the strongest of them all. That’s why the Church has such terrifying power."

"How many holy realm transcendents are there now?"

"On the surface, no more than ten across the entire continent."

Julian had heard not long ago that Catherine had reached the threshold of the holy realm. Back then, it hadn’t really struck him. But now, knowing the true rarity of such power, he glanced at Catherine’s soft profile with disbelief.

Thinking about the past few days — Catherine had been seductive, gentle, affectionate, treating him like a beloved child. She embraced him, protected him, and made him feel so close — it was hard to imagine she was nearly one of the top ten transcendents on the entire continent.

Even now, while explaining the map, Catherine occasionally threw caring glances toward him. Behind the glasses, her large eyes were full of tenderness.

"So you’re really that powerful..." Julian murmured with sincere admiration.

Hearing Julian’s heartfelt praise, Catherine, usually reserved and gentle, couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.

Being flattered by strangers was one thing. But being admired by someone close... it was an entirely different feeling.

"My limit ends here," Catherine said humbly, shaking her head. Then she looked at Julian, her eyes filled with hope and expectation.

"But you, Julian... your talent is no less than Losiya’s or even the Holy Church’s saintess," Catherine said with complete confidence.

"You haven’t even received your holy mark yet. I’m truly looking forward to the day you surpass me. If I’m lucky enough to witness that moment... that would be the happiest thing I could imagine."

Catherine’s sincere eyes shook Julian’s heart. He gave a slight nod.