In the academy, Maruti had almost fainted from hearing such heavy and historic lessons.
"Huff… did I ever ask you to explain it to me?" she sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead as though the weight of Esdeath's words had drained her.
"You didn't stop me either," Esdeath replied casually, her tone as calm as ever. "By the way, did you use up all those soul-enhancing essence stones?" she asked, turning her eyes toward Maruti with mild curiosity.
Maruti's face brightened instantly. She nodded with a cheerful smile. "Yes! I feel so refreshed lately. Even with just four hours of sleep, I wake up with more energy and lightness than I ever got from twelve hours of rest." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, almost as though she couldn't believe it herself.
It was indeed one of the effects of having one's soul strengthened. The stronger a soul became, the less depression, boredom, and laziness one would feel. Instead, there would be more positivity, clarity, and spirit flowing within.
"I should have reminded you not to get too addicted on it," Esdeath said slowly, her gaze shifting ahead as though she was thinking deeply. "But since you have the freedom essence stone, it isn't really a problem."
Maruti nodded quietly, though her lips parted as if she wanted to say something more but decided against it. Thoughts were swirling inside her mind. "So the reason Constellations are born is because fate was destroyed? That means… if fate is restored, then no more Constellations would appear…" she whispered under her breath.
But as her thoughts wandered, another matter suddenly popped into her head. Her eyes widened, and she quickly turned toward Esdeath.
"Ohh, I completely forgot! One more major thing happened!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. Without waiting, she explained how she had gone out to buy two barrels of red wine and somehow ended up joining the revolutionary army by mistake.
Esdeath stared at her blankly. For a few seconds, she didn't speak. Her lips pressed together, and then she let out a tired sigh. "Here I thought you hadn't done anything troublesome."
"It's not like I did it on purpose!" Maruti puffed her cheeks, her voice turning defensive and soft at the same time. "My luck has been like this for such a long time!"
After a short silence, a faint smile curved on Esdeath's lips. Her sharp eyes softened. "Well, it isn't too bad after all. Maybe we can make some use of them," she muttered under her breath.
Before Maruti could respond, the classroom door opened. The teacher finally stepped in, her face carrying a slightly weary look. She placed her things on the desk and sighed, her shoulders loosening a little.
"I'm really sorry for being late. Actually, the issue of who will be the next principal of Awakened Academy has been going on for a long while… but it has finally been decided," she said, her tone carrying both relief and exhaustion.
From the day the Awakened Academy was first built, Elara had been its one and only principal for over two hundred years. Everyone believed that the new principal should also be an S-rank awakened, but since the only S-rank left in the kingdom was Lortell, there was no other option. They had no choice but to choose someone extremely competent instead.
"Ma'am, who is the principal now?" a student stood up and asked, raising her voice with curiosity.
The teacher's lips curved into a small smile. "Kaya… Kaya Lysandria. She received the most votes and has officially become the principal."
A few murmurs spread through the room. Kaya had once been the physical education teacher, known for her strong presence and ability to teach martial and weapon training. But aside from her strength, she also had a sharp mind and a calm, chill personality. Among the authorities, it was decided that in the absence of an S-rank, she was the best choice.
Maruti suddenly raised her eyebrows, a flicker of realization lighting up her face. "Ohh, I remember her! She gave me her bra!" she said casually.
"Don't tell me you're going after teachers now?" Esdeath gave her a disappointed look, her sharp eyes narrowing just slightly.
"Of course not! Do I look like someone who just goes after any woman?" Maruti snapped back in frustration, throwing her arms up.
"Yes," Esdeath replied without hesitation, her tone flat and careless.
Maruti's lips twitched as anger bubbled inside her. She clenched her fist, feeling the urge to land a punch right on Esdeath's face, but before she could act, the teacher cleared her throat and continued speaking.
"It's already been a month. Soon, your semester exams will begin," she said in a calm voice. "First will be a written test. Then there will be three types of practical tests. One is scouting and surveying a given area, then extracting important information from it. Second is to kill a specific monster. And the last one is to refine an essence stone."
"Refine an essence stone?" a student asked, his face puzzled as he tilted his head.
"Yes. Refining essence is not an easy task," the teacher explained patiently, her lips curling into a faint smile. "It is a talent in itself. And remember, it has to be a specific stone that the academy will assign you. Where you find the recipe and how you refine it—that will depend on your own effort. But don't worry. None of the three tasks will be too hard. After all, it is only the first year. Which of the three tasks you get will be chosen at random."
The students nodded, some whispering to each other, their expressions filled with a mix of worry and curiosity.
After explaining the exams, the teacher continued her lesson. Since it was theory class today, one teacher after another entered, each of them talking about different topics and long histories. The air in the classroom grew heavy, and more than a few students fought to keep their eyes open.
By the time the lectures finally ended, the sun had risen high, painting the academy walls with warm afternoon light. Esdeath quietly returned to her room, uninterested in anything else. Maruti, however, stayed behind in the academy. She wanted to find an opponent for a spar.
Every student was required to duel at least two or three times a week. Since Esdeath had been on leave for a whole month, Maruti had no choice but to look for someone else. Besides, she secretly enjoyed duels—the thrill of clashing against someone, even if only for practice, always brought a spark to her mood.
As she wandered through the long hallways, instead of an opponent, she saw her sworn enemy—Corin—walking straight toward her.
He had a bright smile plastered on his face. To make things worse, he clenched his fists, bent his back, and posed like a delicate young girl. His movements were exaggerated, almost comical.
"Miss Maruti," he called out sweetly, "would you like to have a duel with me? I promise I'll lose in seconds! I just need to finish this week's quota!" His voice carried so much false enthusiasm that it made Maruti's skin crawl.
Her expression twisted in disgust. She quickly took ten big steps backward, her hands raised like she was protecting herself from a disease. "You could have said that from ten meters away too! And act like a man, damn it!" she almost shouted.
Her words rolled right off him. Corin's smile never faded, as if her anger amused him more.
Maruti sighed in defeat. "Fine. But don't you dare touch me. Just let yourself get hit by my projectile attacks."
"Of course," Corin agreed, nodding eagerly.
The duel started, and just as Maruti ordered, Corin allowed himself to be struck by her long-range attacks. Within a few moments, he fell back dramatically, letting her win without resistance.
When the match ended, they both left the dueling area. But even as they walked out together, Maruti kept a strict ten meters of space between them, her face still showing traces of disgust.
The silence between them was heavy, almost suffocating. Corin finally broke it, his tone casual. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"To eat, of course! I'm starving!" Maruti rubbed her belly, her voice filled with impatience.
Corin's eyes lit up with an idea. "How about we go to one of my father's mansions? You can eat all the noble dishes you want there."
The moment those words entered her ears, Maruti froze. Her eyes widened, and the corners of her mouth began to glisten with drool she couldn't hold back. In her mind, she laughed wickedly. "Yes… Fable really did make a good slave out of him," she thought, her gaze flicking toward him like a hungry beast staring at prey.
She wiped her mouth quickly and nodded eagerly. "Let's go!" she said with excitement, her steps suddenly full of energy.
After some time, Maruti finally reached one of Corin's father's mansions. The huge dining hall was glowing with soft golden light from the chandeliers, and the long table was covered with all kinds of dishes—juicy roasted meats, fresh fruits, steaming soups, soft breads, and sweets that looked too beautiful to eat. To Maruti, it was like staring at treasures from another world.
Corin had even sent all the guards away to give her privacy, leaving the whole place silent except for the sound of food being placed on plates.
"You actually did one good thing in your life, boy!" Maruti said with pride, her eyes shining as she sat down and began her feast without hesitation.
She ate with pure joy, stuffing one dish after another into her mouth. Time passed quickly, and soon half the food on the long table had disappeared, yet she hadn't let out a single burp. Her appetite was bottomless.
As she was reaching for another piece of meat, Corin, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke, the question slipping out of his mouth as if it had appeared from nowhere.
"Miss Maruti, what is our plan anyway? Master Esdeath has only said a few things about it. I need to know to prepare for anything."
Maruti froze for a moment and gave him a sharp glare, her hands pausing in midair. "Why do you want to know?" she asked suspiciously.
Corin tilted his head like a confused child. "I don't know. It just came to my mind, so I said it."
Maruti leaned back in her chair, chewing slowly as she thought. "Well, he is one of our teammates now. But since Esdeath didn't tell him the plan personally, I guess there's no need to explain either. And now that I think about it… after the revolutionary army appeared in the story, maybe Esdeath's plan has already changed again," she thought silently.
A sly grin slowly spread across her lips. "Well… I can just brag about my importance instead. If there comes a time to share the real plan, Esdeath herself can do it," she decided. She puffed out her chest and rubbed her nose proudly.
"The plan is based solely on the great me," she announced with confidence. "I am the pillar and the main character of it all!" Her voice was loud, as if she wanted the walls themselves to hear her.
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Corin didn't question her further, and after maruti left, he spent the evening in the mansion. When night finally descended, he chose to stay there for the night. He fell asleep quickly, his mind slipping into a dream.
In his dream, Corin's body was as feminine as usual. He sat cross-legged on a bed, his hands resting on his knees. Beside him sat Cassandra, her expression calm and emotionless as always, her eyes watching him quietly.
"Today, I met Maruti," Corin began to explain, his voice low but steady. "She thinks I can't do anything against them since I'm their slave. After I asked, she told me that she'll soon reveal her true identity—as the author of the book I saw in the future. She will use that to gain the people's trust, while Esdeath works secretly in the shadows. Esdeath already contacted the revolutionary army, and with their help, they plan to ignite the people's anger towards the nobles in one go, creating a massive protest. That protest will eventually overthrow the throne and the king. Esdeath will stay behind quietly, waiting and watching. But… if she gets exposed early, there will be no turning back. The whole kingdom will name her a terrorist."
Cassandra listened carefully. Silence stretched between them for a few seconds, her gaze thoughtful.
"It seems she is even more dangerous than my sister," Cassandra muttered under her breath.
Her sister's desires were at least none—she didn't wanted power and the throne. But Esdeath… Esdeath seemed to have no such simple goal, making her far harder to predict.
Without hesitation, Cassandra reached out and wiped Corin's memories of the conversation. Then she stood, her cold figure fading slowly. "If you ever obtain more information, you should sleep here instead of your private apartment in given by academy," she instructed before disappearing completely from his dream.
The next day arrived. Cassandra woke up early as always, even before the sun had risen. She washed her face with cold water, brushed her teeth, and got ready for her usual morning exercise. As she opened her door, however, something on the ground caught her attention.
A folded newspaper lay there quietly. She picked it up, planning to read it later. But her eyes glanced at the front page, where large bold letters shouted "Breaking News."
Curiosity tugged at her. She unfolded the paper and read the content.
Her emotionless face suddenly changed—her eyes widened, her breath stopped for a moment, and her usually cold eyes turned red and watery with sorrow and disbelief. It was as if emotions were breaking free from the cage she had built around them.
"No way…" Cassandra whispered to herself, her hands trembling as she held the paper tightly.
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An hour later, inside the academy, Lilith woke up in her office. She had been working late into the night, her desk still buried under piles of documents. At some point, exhaustion had forced her to sleep there. She stretched and yawned, rubbing her eyes, when she noticed a newspaper lying on the corner of her desk.
"Someone must have left this here for me… it must be important," she thought, reaching for it.
The moment her eyes landed on the headline, her body stiffened. She rose to her feet in shock, her voice escaping in disbelief.
"No way…"
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At 7 a.m., Lortell was sitting comfortably on a couch, enjoying small snacks while waiting for her tea. Esdeath, wearing a simple apron, came hurrying in with a steaming teacup in her hand. She placed it gently in front of Lortell, who accepted it with her usual calm grace.
Lortell lifted the cup and took a small sip, then reached for the newspaper that had been placed nearby. She glanced at it casually at first, but as her eyes scanned the bold letters and the words sank into her mind, her body went rigid.
Her hands trembled, and the cup slipped from her fingers. It fell to the floor and shattered, tea spilling across the polished tiles.
She read the line again and again, but there was no mistake.
The headline declared: "The former Archduke has died yesterday at 9 p.m. of natural death."