"Luyi-sama... are you truly... planning to attend school?"
Alices asked tentatively, needing to confirm she hadn’t misheard.
*Who in their right mind actually wants to go to school?*
"Yes."
Luyi’s reply was so firm it made Alices question reality for a fleeting moment. She simply couldn’t understand why someone as powerful as Luyi would desire such a thing. Yet, she found herself utterly unable to refuse any of Luyi’s requests.
"Understood," she nodded. "Then I’ll arrange for you to enroll in the same academy as me. Is that acceptable?"
"No issue."
"It’s just..." Alices hesitated, struggling to voice her concern.
"Just what?"
"Nothing major. I merely hope... if we attend the same academy, Luyi-sama won’t be angered by certain... incidents that might occur." A trace of shame flickered across her face.
"No matter," Luyi dismissed it with a shake of her head. "I’ll leave the arrangements entirely to you."
"Of course."
"...Thank you." Luyi added, noticing Alices’ conflicted expression.
"I-I’m honored to serve!" Alices flushed, flustered by the gratitude.
"You could afford to be more confident," Luyi remarked casually over her shoulder as she turned to leave.
Silence answered her. Only after Luyi vanished did Alices let out a bitter chuckle and sigh.
*Confidence...*
*When was the last time I felt that way myself?*
---
Enrolling required crafting a new identity for Luyi. So far, only Alices’ most trusted aides within the manor knew of her existence.
In the dressing room, Alices stroked her chin, studying Luyi’s angelic face. That pure, breathtaking beauty bore no resemblance to an Abyssal Demon. Worse, any Abyssal Demon near Luyi would inevitably be drawn to her aura. Luyi was a little white rabbit; they were all starving wolves.
"Going barefaced is out of the question," Alices muttered. "Perhaps... we should emphasize some Abyssal Demon traits?"
"Like this?" Luyi closed her eyes briefly. When they reopened, her clear blue irises blazed crimson. The Demon Sovereign’s pressure flooded the room. Alices’ legs gave way, collapsing her onto the floor.
"L-Luyi-sama, stop!" she gasped. *One more second under this pressure and I might actually die.*
"Is this still unacceptable?" Luyi frowned, thinking she’d already restrained herself considerably. Could even a weaker royal descendant like Alices not endure it?
"What about... this?" Luyi’s hand moved slowly. Space twisted before her. From her spatial ring, she withdrew a pair of glasses and slipped them on. Dark, circuit-like patterns glowed faintly along the frames. Instantly, the oppressive aura lessened.
"What is this?"
"A trinket from an old event in *Dusk*. It seals fifty percent of the wearer’s stats while equipped."
"Huh?" Alices blinked, utterly lost.
"Think of it as a power limiter," Luyi clarified. For others, it was useless clutter. But for her—overpowered even back then—it made boss fights and PvP matches challenging.
"Now? How does it feel?" Luyi looked up. Her eyes remained crimson, yet softened behind the lenses. The innocent beauty was now layered with quiet intellect and grace—like a still forest lake mirroring the sky, inviting you to draw near and listen.
"So beautiful..." Alices blurted out, then winced at her own lack of composure. "I-I mean! This look suits you perfectly, Luyi-sama!"
It *did* evoke Abyssal Demons. Yet without the Sovereign’s pressure, Luyi still felt like a little white rabbit—just one dipped in dark magic.
"Appearance-wise, this should suffice," Alices hurried to change the subject. "Next, let’s discuss your background story..."
---
Three days later.
"From this day forward, Miss Luluie is part of our household."
At the welcome gathering, Alices smiled warmly. Beside her stood Luyi, clad in simple Abyssal Demon commoner attire—an unadorned linen dress and a plain ponytail. Yet her ethereal presence drew every eye, overshadowing Alices herself.
*Luluie? Seriously?*
Luyi still hadn’t adjusted to the absurd name. Her fabricated identity: the last scion of a minor royal branch that had faded a century ago. Alices had begun searching years prior; her swift return from the Human Realm was thanks to aides finally locating "Luluie." The story held water.
"Welcome, L-Luluie-sama," a gaunt man and a maid-clad woman clapped stiffly from the crowd, their smiles tight.
*Thank the Abyss Luyi-sama agreed to this charade...*
*A "minor branch"? Even our King would kneel before her bloodline.*
---
News of Alices rediscovering lost royal blood spread through the capital’s princes within hours.
"Luluie? The sole survivor of a defunct minor branch?" A refined man smiled faintly, placing a black chess piece. "What’s your take, dear third brother?"
His opponent, a cold-faced man named Silti, seemed distant.
"Silti?" The refined man’s brow furrowed slightly.
"My apologies. My thoughts wandered," Silti replied, snapping back.
"No harm. Your recent seclusion seems fruitful," the man conceded smoothly. "But now that you’re out, enjoy life. All work and no play dulls even the sharpest mind."
"As you say, Second Brother." Silti couldn’t reveal his discovery of the schematics.
"Still... Alices’ move surprises me," he continued, lifting a piece. "I’d dismissed her as a talentless, deluded, timid princess. But if her agents truly began this years ago without exposure..." He paused. It was like a student who always scored zero suddenly handing in a passing paper. The leap unsettled him. "She claims Luluie will join our academy. Minor branches can’t cheat admissions. So her talent must be exceptional?"
"Isn’t that better?" The refined man’s smile never wavered. "Alices finally found a decent toy. I’d feared she’d run out of playthings."
Silti’s hand trembled as he set down his piece. Only the Second Prince could sound so pleasant while being so cruel.
"Let’s hope this toy doesn’t break as easily as the last ones."
The game continued. The refined man placed his final piece. The white king toppled, rolling to the table’s edge before falling.
***Crack—***
The delicate glass piece shattered on the floor. He didn’t glance at the fragments. "Otherwise," he murmured softly, "my poor sister will cry again..."
