"Elena, Elena! Come with me—I have something important to tell you!"
Before Linen could leave Ken's office, Hysteria came storming back into the classroom and immediately dragged Elena out into a quiet corner of the hallway.
"Shia? What is it? Class is about to start."
Elena blinked in confusion.
As the only member of their study group who actually cared about academic performance, she really didn't want to skip.
"Forget class! This is way more important!"
Hysteria's lips curled up in a mischievous little smile, her canines peeking out like playful fangs.
"I'm about to expose the real Linen to you!"
With that, she recounted every word she'd overheard between Linen and Ken—how he'd collaborated with their teacher, how he'd spoken as though plotting against both of them.
And as Hysteria told her story, Elena's expression shifted from disbelief… to shock… and finally, to deep contemplation.
"Well? Now you see what he's really like, right?"
Hysteria crossed her arms proudly and gave Elena's shoulder a light smack, as if they'd just scored a major victory.
"Let's go to the Eden administration office and report him! Let the whole school see what a fake gentleman he really is!"
She grabbed Elena's hand again, ready to drag her to the office.
"Wait, Shia."
Hysteria hadn't expected that.
Elena was... hesitating?
Her anxious frown only deepened.
"What are you waiting for? Do you want to sit around until he actually gets us expelled?"
"You're not—don't tell me you actually like him?!"
She stared wide-eyed.
"W-what nonsense are you talking about!"
Elena flailed a hand defensively, flustered, clearly trying to dodge the question.
"I just think... there are still some things we don't understand. I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"What's left to understand? I heard him say it myself! He and Ken! With their own mouths!"
"But Shia, think about it. Doesn't it seem strange that someone like Linen-kun would go to Ken-sensei to plan against us?"
"How is that strange? That jerk is always annoying! Now he's just being a scheming jerk! I swear, I'm going to bite him."
Hysteria bared her little fangs in frustration.
"But didn't Linen-kun help us in Arcane class?"
Elena's voice was calm and even.
"Well... maybe he was just showing off his spell-building or whatever..."
Hysteria muttered, eyes shifting sideways, not quite able to meet her gaze.
Elena chuckled softly. That excuse was so ridiculous, even Hysteria clearly didn't believe it.
Who would burn through their own mana, knowing others could steal their Arcane structure, just to rub it in someone's face?
"Forget Arcane class. Didn't he help you yesterday too? And forgive me for my recklessness? And before all that... he helped me twice."
"If he really just wanted us out of school, why would he do all of that?"
Hysteria opened her mouth... and instead blew a tiny bubble from between her lips.
Elena smiled and gently dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
"Also, think about this. Like you said, we're in the Zijinghua Empire. Linen-kun is a prince. If he really wanted to get rid of us, he has much more efficient, legitimate ways of doing it. Maybe he couldn't get us expelled outright, but why sneak around with a sketchy teacher like Ken-sensei and take the blame himself...?"
Elena paused, her voice trailing off as a new possibility struck her.
"…What is it?" Hysteria asked, confused.
"I just thought of something, Shia."
Elena looked at her, hesitant but serious.
"What if… Ken-sensei was already targeting us? And Linen-kun—was pretending to go along with him... to protect us?"
"What? No way! You said it yourself—he's a prince! If he wanted to protect us, he could just arrest Ken outright!"
Hysteria shook her head hard, her red twin-tails swinging furiously.
"It's not that simple."
Elena shook her head as well.
"Ken-sensei isn't just a valuable Arcane talent—he's a respected teacher at Eden. Even the Shadow Knights wouldn't arrest him without solid evidence."
Hysteria's lips parted to argue... but no words came. Because Elena was right.
Otherwise, how had Ken managed to remain hidden for so long?
If that were true... then Linen's "secret alliance" with Ken might not be betrayal at all.
It might mean he was deliberately walking into danger to uncover Ken's schemes—just to protect them.
And if that were the case, then what about that contract?
The one Linen signed without hesitation, even though it was clearly one-sided?
Wait.
Hysteria suddenly remembered the last thing she'd heard Linen say in that room:
"Ken, you're the best teammate."
If he really was pretending—then that line was the ultimate mockery, wasn't it?
Her heart began to race.
Why is he always doing this? Why is he always... so nice to me? Is he actually... my fian—
"Shia? Are you okay?"
Elena's voice broke her trance.
"N-no! Impossible!"
Hysteria shouted, face burning red.
"You still don't believe it?"
Elena sighed. But she wasn't surprised. She knew how hard it was to break someone's prejudice. After a moment of hesitation, she continued:
"Then how about this, Shia—over the next few days, we watch. We figure out whether Linen-kun wants to hurt us or protect us. If he's really planning to harm us, I'll go with you to report him."
"But if he's protecting us…"
Elena took a breath and met Hysteria's eyes with quiet resolve.
"Then we protect him in return. Okay?"
Hysteria was quiet for a long moment, then gave a reluctant nod.
"…So how do we know which is which?"
Elena had already thought of that.
She was an orphan who had survived alone. Her safety hadn't come from luck or caution alone—it came from that ability.
Her biggest secret.
But if Linen really had gone this far to shield them, she couldn't stay silent anymore—not if it meant he'd get hurt in her place.
So she told her.
"Shia, I have a special ability."
"I can hear... the strongest voice in someone's heart."
"No matter what they're planning—good or bad—when the moment comes, their true intent never lies. So when it happens... we'll know which side Linen-kun is really on."
Hysteria gave a slow, reluctant nod.
And inwardly, she made a vow.
She was going to prove that Linen was not her fiancé. Just a stepping stone on her path to greatness.
"When do we start?" she asked.
"Soon," Elena replied. "Because next period—"
"—is Ken-sensei's potionology class."
---
A few minutes later, right before class started, Linen returned, just in time.
He greeted the girls casually—but got no reply.
[You were ignored.]
[Mana increased.]
That works too?
Linen smirked.
He was already looking forward to the next time—after he'd fully betrayed them—and saw what kind of bonus that would unlock.
Because despite the contract with Ken, trust was a scarce commodity. The agreement required them to cooperate at least once to target the two girls during potionology class.
Which meant...
The first real betrayal was about to begin.
Ken had already handed him a note, written in a looping hand:
"Today's key: Mandrake root."
---
"Ahem!"
Just then, a few polite coughs sounded.
Ken entered the room, a large crate floating behind him.
"Welcome to potionology, everyone," he said with a faint smile—and shared a meaningful glance with Linen.
"Today's lesson will focus on... dissection."
"Elena, listen now. Their thoughts."
"I already am."
Elena's voice was low.
"What Linen-kun and Ken-sensei are both thinking... is…"
"Mandrake root."