"Have you seen enough, you shameless trashy pervert, you trashy degenerate, and trashy trash!?"
Hysteria turned her face away furiously, tears brimming in her eyes. Her hands trembled slightly as she held up her skirt, and her slender legs—far more graceful and shapely than she ever let on—pressed together in shame beneath sheer black tights.
But this attempt at modesty, rather than concealing anything, only created a delicate tension—an irresistible allure for anyone with a certain... specialized set of interests.
Luckily, Linen was a gentleman. He only took one look before respectfully averting his eyes.
That said, if it had been her idea in the first place, he probably wouldn't have minded a longer glance.
But this—this was part of his master plan! Something he'd been scheming and staging for days! How the hell had she agreed to it so easily!?
Don't tell me this imperial princess... actually has some hidden saintly tendencies?
Even that small-fry villain Farao could get rejected like it was nothing, yet no matter what Linen did, he couldn't earn one single proper rejection?
Damn it all! Why is the world like this?!
Worst of all, he'd burned a huge favor just to get one peek at a pair of Strawberry Bear panties.
It felt like getting scammed by the universe.
There's no way someone could seriously get turned on by Strawberry Bear... right?
But these were thoughts Linen would never, ever say out loud.
He had a strong hunch that if he so much as breathed them, only one of them was walking off this rooftop alive—and it wouldn't be him.
Just then, the rooftop door creaked open.
"Um, I'm back."
"Waaah! Elena!"
Hysteria flung herself into Elena's arms, burying her face against her chest, pressing so hard it practically stirred a tide she herself would never have.
Elena blinked in surprise at the sudden emotional outburst. She gave a concerned glance toward Linen.
"Um... did you two fight?"
Despite feeling thoroughly ripped off, Linen knew better than to risk setting Hysteria off. He smiled and said calmly:
"Not at all. I simply... appreciated Princess Hysteria's sincerity."
Hysteria, who had been quietly doubting her very existence with her face buried in Elena's embrace, suddenly froze.
Wait... can this guy actually say something decent for once?
Though her face was still flushed with embarrassment, she couldn't help the faint, triumphant smile that tugged at her lips.
Hah! Victory is mine!
That arrogant minnow, Linen Norton—he felt my sincerity!
But then she caught herself.
Wait—why do I feel happy about that?! He's the one who looked! I'm the one who got embarrassed! Why am I the one feeling good?!
Grinding her teeth in fury, Hysteria seethed silently.
Fine. I'll remember this!
Her pride wouldn't allow her to return kindness with spite, no—but that didn't mean she couldn't make him suffer in other ways.
Then and there, she made up her mind to exact poetic revenge.
Lifting her head, she looked Elena straight in the eyes and declared, "Elena, I've decided. I'll do it."
"Huh?"
After a moment of confusion, Elena quickly caught on—of course. Hysteria was referring to their secret plan to help Linen by quietly working against Ken.
Until now, Hysteria hadn't been especially invested in it. But thanks to today's humiliation, a righteous fire now burned in her chest.
"You just wait, Norton. After I heroically save you, I'll make sure you understand exactly how I felt today!"
...
After the rooftop mess came lunch.
Everything at Eden Academy was first-rate—including the cafeteria.
Lavishly decorated in the style of the old European courts, the hall radiated elegance. The menu changed daily according to carefully balanced magical and nutritional standards.
"The roast chicken with sweetgrass glaze smells different today," Hysteria said with mild surprise, sniffing her plate. "They must've used a magical beast rather than a regular fowl."
It wasn't unusual to eat magical creatures. Properly processed, they lost their toxicity and could even provide beneficial mana effects.
But to serve beast meat to the entire student body—for free? That was something else entirely.
Hysteria wasn't sure whether she should be more impressed by Eden Academy or the mighty Zijinghua Empire behind it.
"Shia, you're amazing!" Elena beamed.
Having never eaten gourmet food before, she simply thought it tasted good—she had no idea it had all these layers of detail.
"Hmph, of course I am~" Hysteria said proudly.
But before she could soak in the praise, another voice chimed in:
"Your nose is sharp, I'll give you that."
"You jerk! It's not just my nose that's sharp!"
Hysteria had no trouble hearing the implication in Linen's tone. She bared her little fangs, growling at him like a cornered kitten.
"Very convincing," he said, smirking.
"Y—you...!"
"All right, all right, let's not start a fight," Elena hurriedly interjected.
The two of them huffed and went back to eating.
Honestly, Hysteria had zero desire to share a table with Linen—but because their rooftop adventure had delayed them, most of the seats in the cafeteria were already taken.
Since they were in the same study group, and since the delay had mostly been her fault, she couldn't really complain about having to sit with him.
Still, every bite she took, she made sure to shoot Linen a dagger-like glare—hoping sheer spite could make him vanish.
Linen didn't mind at all.
If anything, he was slightly disappointed she hadn't refused to sit with him outright.
Being glared at wasn't a rejection. If her animosity had spiked just a bit more, she might've refused to share a table—that would've been perfect.
But perhaps Hysteria's private curses were being heard by some god of vengeance.
Just as their meal was nearing its end, a girl approached their table in a hurry.
"Linen! There you are—Professor Ken asked me to find you. He wants to see you."
Ken again?
At the mention of his name, both Hysteria and Elena tensed—visibly trying to stay calm, but slowing their eating, ears pricked for Linen's reply.
Linen, however, didn't react at all. He continued eating at his own leisurely pace.
"Got it. Tell him I'll come after dessert."
Ken doesn't rank high enough to make me skip sweets.
Eden's desserts were famously good, but also strictly rationed—one per person per meal. To maximize the experience, Linen always chose his post-meal treat blind, like opening a mystery box.
Wonder what I got today...
He picked up the personalized menu slip beside his tray.
"Strawberry Bear Cake?"
He muttered it without thinking—and instinctively looked up across the table.
Right into Hysteria's eyes.
"I'm going to KILL YOU!!!"
She leapt across the table at him, finally pushed past her breaking point.