Greg was also caught in a brief stalemate. His mind raced as he scrutinized her, trying to find even the slightest flaw in that iron-walled, perfect exterior to use as an opening.
But after several sweeps, he still came up empty-handed.
Thus, a rather bizarre scene unfolded at the crossroads of the academy's main thoroughfare: Lilith Kahn, the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Kahn and a genius mage, stood face-to-face with Greg Sass, the former Duke's son, with only a few paces between them.
One was internally conflicted about whether to say hello, struggling to maintain a calm expression while her eyes darted around.
The other was internally calculating how to pick a fight, his face wearing an expression that seemed peaceful but hid a growing scheme.
The two of them simply stared at each other. Neither spoke first, and neither moved a muscle. They were like two statues suddenly struck by a petrification spell, frozen in a silence that was rapidly becoming awkward.
This unusual confrontation naturally did not escape the eyes of the surrounding students.
The crowd, which had only just begun to disperse after the previous magical accident, was immediately drawn back by this even more sensational scene.
Whispers rose again like a tide.
"Hey, hey, look over there! It's Princess Lilith and... Greg Sass?"
"What are those two doing standing there? Why aren't they saying anything?"
"The atmosphere seems a bit strange... Is something about to happen?"
"I bet it has something to do with Greg Sass's old engagement to Princess Vivian!"
"Oh! I get it! He's blocking Princess Lilith's path to make a statement! Or maybe he's trying to send a signal to the royal family through her? Like... 'Thirty years to the east, thirty years to the west—never look down on a poor youth!' Is he planning to prove to the entire royal family that he's not the loser he used to be?"
"It's very likely! Look at the air between them; it's practically solidified! I think I can even smell... the scent of gunpowder!"
"Eh? You can smell it too? I thought it was just my imagination—wait! You crazy alchemy student! What are you doing with those unstable potions emitting green smoke?! Academy regulations forbid bringing dangerous goods near crowds!"
At the edge of the crowd, Yelena, who was closely monitoring Greg's every move, heard the students' chatter. Her round eyes suddenly lit up with an expression of realization.
"So that's it!"
Greg had suddenly intercepted Princess Lilith for that very reason!
He wanted to use Princess Lilith to prove his change and strength to the entire royal family! To wash away his past infamy and regain respect!
This... this was so courageous, so bold!
As his senior and supporter, I absolutely cannot allow any external factors to disturb Greg's important moment!
A strong sense of mission instantly filled Yelena's small chest.
She quickly locked onto the alchemy student in the crowd who was still holding the dangerous, green-smoking potions.
"You over there, alchemy student!"
Yelena's petite body erupted with an astonishing aura. She rushed over in a few steps, pointing her finger straight at him as she barked in the sternest voice she could muster:
"Your current behavior is a serious violation of Chapter Seven, Section Three of the Academy Disciplinary Regulations! Cease your dangerous actions immediately, put down the items in your hand, and come with me to the Student Council's Disciplinary Committee!"
"N-No! I wasn't!"
The alchemy student was startled and tried to explain frantically.
"I-I was just conducting an observation experiment on gas diffusion! It's perfectly safe! You people don't understand—"
"Thwack!"
Before he could finish his defense, Yelena had somehow produced a heavy-looking oak baseball bat with practiced ease. With lightning speed, she landed a precise blow on the back of his head.
The alchemy student's eyes rolled back, and without even a groan, he slumped limply to the ground. The bottle emitting green smoke rolled away, but Yelena caught it with a thick cloth with sharp reflexes.
"Phew..."
Yelena breathed a sigh of relief, tucked the baseball bat behind her back, and then bent down. She grabbed the unconscious student's collar and began to drag him toward the Student Council like a sack of potatoes.
After a few steps, she didn't forget to look back at Greg, who was still in a standoff with Lilith. She gave him a thumbs-up full of encouragement and affirmation.
"Go for it, Greg!" she shouted silently with her lips, her eyes sparkling.
"I've already eliminated a potential risk for you to ensure your next big move won't be interrupted! Now... it's all up to you!"
With that, she dragged her trophy away and disappeared behind the crowd, hiding her contribution and fame.
Left behind to continue the staring contest with Lilith, Greg was thinking: Where is my Tiny senior? Come save me! Now is the time to repay my kindness!
However, reality soon told him that no one would respond to his expectations in this situation. He could only rely on himself.
Greg knew that continuing the stalemate was pointless.
He had to find a way to break this awkward situation. Otherwise, if the surrounding rumors grew any more ridiculous, it wouldn't be long before he was labeled a rebel intending to send the King to the guillotine.
Anyway, I'll just pick a random topic to talk to her, but in this situation, what kind of opening would even be reasonable?
Greg's devious mind began to work frantically. Suddenly, he recalled subtle details from Lilith's personal story line that were easily overlooked:
Deep in the bottom drawer of her bedroom desk, she hid a carefully wrapped notebook. Inside, she had neatly transcribed the entire content of one of Vivian's public speeches, with her own thoughts and questions written in a childish hand in the margins.
In a corner of a festival celebration, someone once caught a glimpse of her secretly watching Vivian, who was surrounded by a crowd and handling nobles with ease. The look that flashed in her eyes wasn't jealousy, but a complex mix of longing and loneliness.
She once sighed to a highly trusted maid in private: "I really envy how Sister can handle everything so effortlessly. I don't seem to know anything besides magic..."
These fragments pieced together a Lilith that was completely different from her flamboyant and proud surface—a young girl who, deep down, deeply admired and longed to be like her perfect, strong, and reliable sister, Vivian.
Greg's eyes lit up.
What if... I point this out right now in public?
Given Lilith's extreme tsundere personality, being publicly exposed for her admiration of her sister would likely make her so ashamed and angry that she'd want to crawl into a hole!
Making someone suffer a social death—wasn't that a perfect form of revenge?
Moreover, he already intended to prevent these sisters from falling out in the future.
Pointing out Lilith's true feelings now might push her to be more honest with her sister, thereby planting the seeds for improving their relationship.
It was killing two birds with one stone!
Greg almost wanted to cheer for his own "genius" idea.
Rate on N.U.
