Finally, she made it to the teachers’ apartment stairwell before changing back into a girl.

The stairs were dim and deserted.

Tiyi rushed to her door, hands trembling so badly she fumbled with the key. After several tense tries, the lock finally clicked open.

She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it, face flushed, gasping for breath.

Unbuttoning her shirt, she glanced down and grimaced. This daily humiliation of being trapped in a woman’s body was already unbearable.

Just when she’d finally reclaimed her male form, she’d suffered another disgrace—losing to the very woman she’d once secretly admired.

She took slow, deep breaths to calm herself.

Honestly, how could she have possibly beaten Qingruo in her current state? Selys’s curse had drained her strength. Her body still hadn’t adjusted to the temporary shift back to male form, granting no power boost. And the crushing pressure of the transformation deadline looming over her… No wonder she lost.

After all, she’d always been nearly Qingruo’s equal.

At least her swordsmanship still held its own against Qingruo’s. Without the time limit forcing her to revert, and with her now-familiar female body, the duel’s outcome might have been different.

Her sword skills, at least, remained among the Empire’s elite—though far from her former peak.

Combined with magic, she could still handle ordinary threats easily.

Of course, with only a few months of magical training—even with rapid progress—she stood no chance against Qingruo’s Sacred Power.

And as a man? Using magic was unthinkable. It would mean admitting the former Holy Temple Knight had become a heretic.

*"Qingruo really is formidable. Her progress these past months… No wonder Selys fears her so much, scheming relentlessly to eliminate her. Not happening."*

Tiyi knew how fiercely Qingruo demanded perfection of herself, how burning her competitive spirit ran.

She’d lost to Tiyi many times before. This victory must have meant everything to her.

Yet, when victory was already in her grasp, Qingruo had deliberately held back—to protect *his* reputation. That manufactured draw.

Having once stood shoulder-to-shoulder among the Empire’s strongest, Tiyi understood how hard that split-second choice must have been.

Today, Qingruo hadn’t just saved Night’s honor. Everyone knew their past duels were close; a draw seemed plausible to other students.

But if they’d seen him lose outright? Suspicion would’ve followed.

Back then, as a man, pride still mattered. Now? With her curvy body pressed against the hard doorknob, breath coming soft and warm… What dignity did a boy-turned-girl have left?

Trapped in this shameful form, the sting of losing to Qingruo faded slightly.

*"Today’s real danger was almost missing the transformation window… Losing to Qingruo would’ve been embarrassing, but this? If I’d been caught as a girl… I’d never survive at the Academy. They’d hunt me down as a Witch."*

That was the true peril. She couldn’t let old feelings blind her.

*"I must adapt. Fast."*

*"To living as Yedi by day—a respected male teacher—and Tiyi by night. No mistakes."*

*"Only then can I reclaim my life, even partially. Only then can I keep protecting Qingruo."*

Even as a shadow-dwelling Witch.

Twilight deepened to dark blue outside. The room dimmed further as she lit a candle on the wooden table.

Beyond the window, castle towers pierced the night sky, their lights glittering among the distant mountains.

She drew the curtains, shed her male uniform, and hung it aside. Collapsing onto the bed, she lay with legs pressed together, shoes still on, dangling off the edge. Her tight trousers dug uncomfortably into her feminine hips—but she’d shower soon anyway.

*"As for that ‘assassination plan’ against Qingruo… They gave no deadline. Lady Xialda’s promised Witch ally hasn’t shown up. If they’re not rushing me, why should I rush?"*

Tiyi had never intended to carry it out.

…

Behind the Imperial Sacred Academy’s ancient castle, garden paths wound past dormitories glowing with warm, palace-like lights—the girls’ quarters.

At the top floor of the finest tower, moonlight spilled through gauzy curtains onto a window. Silhouetted against the night, Qingruo stood in her black academy gown, having finished her evening prayers. A cool breeze stirred her hair as she stared into the darkness, thoughtful.

Her calm eyes held a trace of worry.

*"What’s wrong with Teacher Yedi? I thought he was holding back to guide me… but near the end, he truly almost lost. That’s not like him at all."*

*"He genuinely couldn’t defeat me… How?"*

*"His swordplay and instincts remain brilliant. But his strength… Has something happened to his body?"*

Qingruo held no interest in men. But that didn’t mean she was indifferent to the mentor who’d shaped her path toward becoming the Empire’s future knight-commander—the one she respected above all.

Beneath the night sky, her gaze sharpened. She vowed lifelong chastity, but not heartlessness.

*"Those months he vanished… Did something happen then?"*

*"I need to find out."*