"Miss, all our flyers and posters have been distributed," Eve said, sitting beside Haya’s bed in the dorm and gently kneading her shoulders.

"Hmm. And Teresa’s preparations?"

"Miss Teresa… hasn’t made any moves yet. No campaign materials from her side—seems she isn’t planning to produce any."

"Oh? Has she backed down?" Haya’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

*How could her little sister, who boldly confronted her on the first day of school, now shrink from action? Did she finally realize she stood no chance and just… give up?*

That didn’t fit Haya’s image of her. In Haya’s eyes, even in a hopeless situation, Teresa would still fight back.

She’d always admired that trait in her—and equally, disliked it.

"Perhaps not," Eve replied, clearly understanding Teresa too.

"Miss Teresa’s silence lately likely means she never expected to win a direct publicity war against us. It’s actually clever. If she’d countered immediately, only our two factions would be campaigning. Students comparing both sides would easily see who’s superior."

"By election day, that comparison would’ve already planted the seed: *they’re inferior*. Reclaiming votes would be nearly impossible."

"Hmm. So she’s not just brute strength—she’s got brains too," Haya agreed readily.

"Still… with her personality? Unlikely she devised this alone. Probably… Loko’s suggestion?"

"Mm." Eve pondered, then nodded. "Possible."

"No wonder she’s the York Family’s direct heir—she surrounds herself with capable people," Haya added, subtly complimenting Eve too.

A trace of warmth flickered in Eve’s eyes. "You flatter me, Miss."

"But even Loko’s brilliance can’t match yours—just as Teresa can’t match me." Haya smiled, rolled her shoulders, and turned to face Eve. "Your turn. Let me return the favor."

"Eh?" Eve’s expression shifted instantly. "N-no, Miss! I’m just a servant—"

"This is the academy. You’re my roommate. No ‘servant’ here." Haya deliberately darkened her tone, gently but firmly turning Eve around. Her hands settled lightly on Eve’s shoulders. "Relax." Noticing Eve’s stiffness, she whispered near her ear, "I won’t bite. Why so tense…?"

…

*Yawn.*

During afternoon Basic Alchemy, Loko sat beside Shilufei. As the tiny red-haired figure at the front droned on about potion ratios, Loko couldn’t help but yawn.

She hadn’t absorbed a single word—but Shilufei liked it, so she’d come along.

Suddenly, the teacher fell silent mid-sentence.

In the hushed classroom, only Loko’s yawn echoed.

Shilufei gaped at her. The teacher’s gaze locked onto Loko in the back row.

The crimson-haired girl—barely half an adult’s height—floated right before Loko.

*Oh no.*

"Student Loko," the girl said, hands on hips, glaring with feigned anger that somehow made her cuter, "do my lessons bore you?"

"N-no! How could Professor Flora’s class be boring—?"

*(Flora could float because she was a succubus. Though "succubus" contained "demon," they weren’t classified as monsters. By concealing racial traits, they could live in the human-dominated Empire of Saint Velia. Flora herself was specially hired by Saint Stephen Academy—alchemy favored long-lived races.)*

"Oh? If you’re *not* bored…" Flora offered a sweet smile, pointing to the podium. "Perfect. Some potion effects are hard to grasp verbally. Loko, be a dear and help me demonstrate?"

"Uh?" *Is this little devil planning to use me as a test subject? Am I the lab rat now?*

"Um… Professor, I really can’t—"

"Don’t worry." Flora grabbed Loko’s arm. Loko struggled—but that tiny frame held impossible strength.

Shilufei watched, wide-eyed, as Loko was "voluntarily" escorted to the front… and "enthusiastically" downed potion after potion.

Only when class ended did Loko escape.

"Wasn’t alchemy *fascinating*, Student Loko?" Flora tidied her case, glancing at the drained girl. "Still sleepy?"

"N-no… not at all…" Loko murmured dazedly, shaking her head.

Flora chuckled, left a vial on the desk. "This restores your energy. Consider it a lesson. Brew this yourself next time—you won’t suffer." She headed for the door. "Attend every class attentively from now on, Loko."

Loko snatched the vial, gulped it down. Energy surged through her limbs—she felt *more* vibrant than before.

Shilufei quietly approached. "Loko… are you okay?" Seeing Loko’s earlier reluctance, a pang of sympathy tightened her chest. Her regard for Professor Flora dipped. *What kind of teacher humiliates a student publicly?*

"I’m fine," Loko said, shaking her head.

"If it’s too much… we can skip this class."

Loko’s reaction was sharper than before. "No." Her gaze fixed on the doorway. "From now on… I’ll attend *every* lesson."