.
.
In the aftermath of the attack on the field trip.
The Academy had declared a two-week break to allow the students ti to recover.
During that short period, so students sought solace from the trauma, while others focused on their studies, but Margaret…
Margaret left the Academy and returned to the Phyler Dukedom.
She had soone she needed to see.
During the field trip, she had been confronted with an unsettling truth.
And she was determined to find answers.
She sought out a connection from her past.
And that connection was…
“It’s been a while, Alia.”
“…My lady.”
Her forr personal maid.
And the woman who had betrayed her in the worst way possible.
Alia had been caught having an affair with Margaret’s fiancé.
After her betrayal ca to light, she resigned from her position and moved to the remote outskirts of the Phyler Dukedom.
Alia was visibly surprised by Margaret’s sudden appearance.
Then, a strange, unreadable expression crossed her face, and she bowed her head.
“What brings the esteed daughter of House Phyler… to such a humble abode?”
“I have questions.”
“Please, co inside.”
Alia’s response was curt and chanical.
Her cold tone sent a pang of pain through Margaret’s heart.
But she pushed it aside.
She had to stay focused on her purpose.
“So, what is it that you wish to ask?”
Margaret had seen it with her own eyes.
The unicorn nuzzling affectionately against Raiden.
She had made discreet inquiries and discovered that such friendly behavior from a unicorn could only an one thing.
The person in question was… pure.
Margaret couldn’t understand.
She had heard it with her own ears, the sounds of Raiden and Alia’s intimacy.
The mory of their moans haunted her every night, turning her dreams into nightmares.
How could he possibly be pure?
Margaret pressed her hand against her throbbing forehead and spoke.
“Tell … What happened… between the two of you?”
“…...”
Silence descended upon the room.
Margaret waited for a response, her body tense with anticipation.
Alia studied her with a complicated gaze, then let out a laugh.
A laugh filled with mockery and derision.
“Pfft…”
“…What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, Lady Margaret. I’m simply amused by your naiveté.”
A cruel smile spread across Alia’s lips.
She tapped her lips with her finger as if taunting her.
“Would you like to spell it out for you?”
“Alia.”
“I enjoyed the pleasure Young Master Lishite bestowed upon , while you, my lady, were none the wiser.”
“What…!”
“What kind of answer were you expecting when you ca here?”
Margaret’s anger flared, but Alia’s words stopped her short.
What answer was I expecting?
She had co here seeking the truth, to understand what had transpired between them.
“Were you hoping to hear that it was all a misunderstanding?”
“No, I just…!”
“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“What are you talking about…?”
“It seems you still harbor feelings for Young Master Lishite.”
Alia’s words pierced Margaret’s heart like a dagger.
Anger and sadness welled up inside her, threatening to choke her.
Alia pressed her advantage, delivering the final blow.
“You’re so foolishly kind, my lady.”
“…...”
“Even after I caused you to break off your engagent with the man you loved, you didn’t punish in the slightest.”
“…...”
“In fact, you’ve been sending money for living expenses ever since I left the manor.”
Margaret’s hand trembled.
She had specifically instructed the head butler to send the money discreetly.
How did Alia know it was from her?
Alia leaned in close, a smug smile on her face.
“You can’t let go of your affections easily, can you? That’s why you always end up getting hurt.”
“…...”
“Wake up, my lady.”
With a bitter laugh, Alia turned away.
Margaret was too stunned to speak.
She sat there for a mont, then rose unsteadily to her feet.
Sadness, anger, disgust, betrayal, exhaustion…
A maelstrom of emotions raged within her.
She left the house, her mind reeling.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice…
“…I’m sorry, my lady.”
…Alia standing by the window, tears streaming down her face as she watched Margaret’s retreating figure.
And so, the misunderstanding only deepened.
.
.
.
《It seems we have a clear winner!》
《Lady Phyler appears to have exhausted her mana! She can barely stand!》
The announcer’s voice cut through Margaret’s daze.
His irritatingly smug tone made her grit her teeth.
As she struggled to gather her remaining mana, she heard Raiden’s voice.
“Do you intend to continue?”
His words snapped her back to reality.
She saw a flicker of her own pain reflected in his eyes.
“Perhaps you should concede…”
—You can’t let go of your affections easily. That’s why you always end up getting hurt.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Margaret glared at him, her crimson eyes blazing with defiance.
“I… will not… lose… to you…!”
It was a venomous declaration.
A desperate cry fueled by past resentnt and present longing.
She poured all her remaining mana into a final, desperate attack.
“Wrath of the heavens, heed my call!”
—Margaret-Style Wind Magic: Sixth Verse, Extre Limit—
Eye of the Typhoon
She unleashed the most powerful spell at her disposal.
The air crackled and swirled as her mana surged outwards, forming a vortex of erald blades that enveloped the entire arena.
《And there it is! Lady Phyler unleashes her ultimate technique!》
《Backed into a corner, she’s resorting to her signature magic!》
As far as Margaret knew, Raiden had a maximum of ten Blinks.
He had used it sporadically throughout the match, so he should be out by now.
There was no way he could dodge this.
Her calculations were flawless.
Except for one thing…
《Wait… sothing’s not right!》
《The mana… It’s unstable! It’s going to explode!》
She had overestimated her own strength.
Margaret was exhausted.
Her stamina was depleted, her mana reserves nearly dry.
It was no surprise that her attempt to force out her ultimate spell had backfired.
Mana shortage and ntal fatigue.
A recipe for disaster.
Her spell was spiraling out of control.
A mana explosion.
—Rumble…!!
The incomplete spell pulsed erratically, flashes of erald light illuminating the arena.
A massive ball of unstable mana hovered before her, on the verge of detonation.
《W-wait! It’s too dangerous…!!》
The announcer’s panicked voice reached her ears.
A dazed murmur escaped her lips.
“Ah…”
She had made a mistake.
—BOOOOOM!!!!
A deafening explosion ripped through the arena.
Margaret squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
“…...”
But… nothing happened.
The roaring flas and searing heat never ca.
“Uh…?”
She cautiously opened her eyes…
“Are you alright?”
…and found herself staring into a pair of concerned black eyes.
Raiden held her close, his body shielding her from the remnants of the explosion.
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