Chapter 143: Lily and Vlad
"Hmm, strange," Lily murmured, her eyes narrowing. "The rare occurrence of entering an illusion world during the State of Enlightenment only happens when there’s an increase in resonance with one’s element."
She looked at Vlad, curiosity laced across her serene face as she asked, "Has your Umbra element reached the Tempest Stage?"
’Crap, was there something like that too?’ Vlad thought, alarmed. ’The books never mentioned that it only happens with an increase in Resonance.’
He was still searching for a way out when Lily continued, "Well, there are still many unknown mysteries related to magic. Your case might be one of them."
"Y-yeah, right," Vlad immediately nodded, feeling relieved.
’Good, I don’t need to feel guilty for looking at his bare body since he’s an adult,’ she thought, nodding to herself, completely ignoring the actual problem with her reasoning. Now that she knew Vlad was an adult, she felt even more comfortable being his friend.
"One more question. How did you enter the restricted area of the forest?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Vlad. "You know you’ll be punished if the professors find out."
"Oh, that..." Vlad explained how he had accidentally entered this inner area of the forest through the water current. Naturally, he left out the part where he’d spotted Lily and decided to hide beneath the water’s surface.
"Since we’re friends, surely you won’t snitch on me, right?" Vlad asked with a wry smile.
"I won’t," Lily shook her head with a chuckle.
"By the way, what’s your position in the academy?" Vlad asked. He had been curious about this since he’d first met her.
"Why don’t you guess?" she answered with a question of her own, tilting her head.
"Umm... you’re too young to be a professor," Vlad murmured, his words making Lily giggle like a little girl. "At first I thought you were the caretaker of the beasts here, but considering the Inner World, you might also be a third-year student who’s gone through the State of Enlightenment."
"Good answer... very good answer," Lily said, nodding, delight clear on her face as she couldn’t stop smiling. "I only graduated last year. Now I’m the caretaker of the beasts here, appointed personally by the Principal. No professor is aware of my presence."
She leaned closer to Vlad and said, raising her index finger in front of his face, "So you mustn’t tell anyone about me either."
"Alright, got you," Vlad agreed before asking, "How’s your relationship with the principal?"
She flinched at his question, her breathing quickening slightly.
’Is he suspicious of me? But I made sure not to use my real voice when I met him in the principal’s office. No, I’m just overthinking it,’ she thought, shaking her head before answering, "Not really. I was always top of the class in Beast Taming, and since I have no family or friends, I decided to stay here."
She said the last words in a low tone, the only truth among her otherwise careful lies meant to conceal her identity.
Vlad couldn’t find the right words to respond. He had a loving mother, a father who had taught him the ways of the world, and Chloe, who had never once doubted his ambitions. He couldn’t imagine losing any of them. How lonely Lily’s life must have been, never having experienced that warmth.
"You have a friend now," Vlad said, the only words he thought were fitting.
"Hehehe~ right. I have a friend now," Lily repeated his words with low giggles, her silver eyes narrowed in happiness.
After a pause, she asked, "Why did you ask about the principal, though?"
"Just wanted to make sure she isn’t keeping you here against your will," Vlad said with a shrug, as if it were a completely natural thing to ask.
Lily’s brows twitched, the smile vanishing from her face. But again, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked in a teasing tone, "What if she was? Would you have taken me away?"
"Not right now," Vlad said, shaking his head. "I’m too weak to protect even myself. I’d be squashed like an ant if I offended a Primordial Dragon."
"Oh..." Lily’s eyes lowered, but then Vlad continued, "So I would have asked her to name a price for your freedom. If it was reasonable, good. If not, I would have asked you to wait for me until I became the Legendary Knight, and then I’d break you free."
Her eyes widened, her silver irises trembling at his words. She felt a strange flutter in her heart, a feeling she’d never had before. "Even if your words are empty promises, it still makes me happy that someone is willing to go against a Primordial Dragon for my sake," she said, resting her cheek on her palm.
Vlad’s brows furrowed, a crease of annoyance appearing on his forehead, as he muttered, "Believe me or not, those words were not empty promises."
"Fine, I believe you," Lily chuckled, although her tone told Vlad that she didn’t. "I’m not imprisoned, so there’s no need to offend the principal. But why do you think she’d do something so terrible?"
"She just gives off the vibe that she could," Vlad said with a shrug.
"Oh, tell me more," she asked, her eyes narrowing.
"She’s just a petty old hag who might get offended by someone breathing in the same room. I don’t usually judge someone after just one meeting, but the shit she pulled on me nearly cost me my life." His lips curved into a wide grin as he continued, "I’m definitely getting my revenge on that ancient hag. I’ve already earned ten chances to meet her, and I’m going to squeeze every bit of important information out of her during those meetings."
His gaze turned to Lily, who sat beside him with an unreadable expression, her fists tightly clenched at her sides, her eyes hidden behind her bangs.
"Lily, you good?" Vlad asked, his tone growing nervous at her ominous silence.