Even the most powerful weapon

would be meaningless

if its wielder is weak.

-Genos (one punch man)

Ora's Point Of View

My eyes open and I squint them to adjust to the brightness of the room.

'Why is there so much light, it's making my eyes hurt.'

I move with limited mobility from my neck to check out where I was moved to. It's quite messy honestly. There are bottles filled with different types of elixirs spilled onto the floor and pills strewn about on the shelves.

'everything is just so disorganized, how does she get anything done? This has to be a violation of some type of health code!'

Surveying my surroundings I completely missed a pair of black eyes observing me as well.

"You're finally awake, that's good." She says it so blandly, as if this situation does not surprise her at all. I want to respond but my mouth is so dry, and my throat stings as well when I try.

I flick my tongue over my chapped lips to moisten them, and cringe at how dry they are. My mother would surely freak if she saw my appearance. She's always nagging me about how I should be picture perfect at all times, but as the lady of the manor that kind of attitude is normal. Sometimes I think she needs to get out of the manor for a while and live a little though. All she does is cater to my father's needs and look serious. It must get boring for her after doing it for so many years.

"Ah, my leg really hurts." I move to adjust my position to get more comfortable but Yui, that's the name of the alchemist, she stops me.

"Oh no, don't move or you'll waste my hard work. Here, let me help." She wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls my body up a bit to sit upright. I am surprised at how strong she is, but I don't let it show.

"Thank you."

"Mhm." Yui hums.

My mind somehow drifts onto Sebastian again and I can feel a blush form on my cheeks. I can still remember the heat emanating from his hands through my uniform. I wish I could have touched his skin...to feel how soft his skin is.

All of a sudden Melia's face pops into my mind and I feel my heart squeeze with guilt. Sebastian is her suitor, I can't believe I'm still having thoughts about my friends future fiancé. I thought once sensei appeared that they would go away, but there still here. Why couldn't it be me he loved instead?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth's Point of View

I look at the foolishly simple Maximus. It is so cliché of him to appear in front of me when I'm injured. It's like he has a hero complex, just like my other suitors, they all want to dominate me. I let out a giggle because it's so easy to read what they want.

Maximus smiles as well thinking that the reason I'm laughing is because I am flirting with him. What a blockhead. It will be like thunder from a clear sky to him when I throw him away after he's outlived his use. There's no way I'll marry someone like him.

Speaking of throw away, where's my mother? She hasn't contacted me in a while. This isn't like her. She said she was going to visit that man and ever since then I haven't hear a word from her, I'm beginning to get worried. I don't know how she can call him by his first name, Rowan, without being afraid. It feels like with one wrong move he'll snap you're head off. He's so creepy, but he is the reason I got into the academy in the first place, without his connections I'd probably still be a maids child, I would be working in the palace and getting scolded by the mama whenever she felt like it. That's not the kind of life I want to live. I want to be royal! She promised me that I'd be a princess of the Kristonian Kingdom! Without her how would that be possible? She never does anything right dammit! Useless whore.

Lost in though Maximus takes that moment to ċȧrėss my face. I probably look to irresistible to him right now. My eyes flash to his and he moves his hand pulls back quickly as if he'd been scalded.

"I-I, sorry you just had something on your face. I was removing it that's all." I roll my eyes at his demeanor, he's acting like a fool in love. I don't let it show on the outside though, instead I flash him a bright pearly small.

I grab his dangling left hand and squeeze it. His entire body stiffens and I revel in it. It's nice seeing how badly of an affect I have on him. "Thank you for bringing me here." I put as much love into it as I can fake.

"Its-

"Max, really I appreciate it. You've always been here for me whenever I needed you-"

Crocodile tears pool in my doe eyes and from his expression I can tell he's already puddy in my hands. A toad ŀusting after swan meat, how ludicrous.

"Please don't be mad at Akiko anymore. I know the only reason she hates me so much is because she cares a lot for you and doesn't trust me, she's not trying to control who you can and cannot socialize with. I don't want to be the reason your brother-sister relationship sours. I'll take the blame for this one okay? Just talk to her, she looks sad."

The moment he hears me bringing up Akiko his face sinks. I give the bitch in the corner a smirk.

"I win you lose." I mouth to her. A lion uses it's full strength even when chasing a rabbit, Akiko may be not much of a threat, but she's still a threat none the less. I have to put her in her place, she's nothing but a stepping stone for me and she needs to get that in that two sizes too big for her body head of hers.

Her face explodes into flames and her eyes glare daggers at me. She wishes she could burn me to a crisp but it is all pipe dreams for her.

Sigh, It's so easy to trample upon the girls here but that Melia is so damn difficult. It's like she has eyes in the back of her head. She's such a tramp. Neither her or her family deserve the positions they are today. I should be the one where she is! I should have people waiting on me hand and foot not her! My heart aches for the day where I can finally get rid of them all.

---------------------------------------------------

Melia tickling Baozi: Achoo!

"Ahh, ahh you sneezed on me! Disgusting! Let me go master!"

"Baozi, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get it on your face!"

"Get away from me!"

------------------------------------------

I can feel my mood darken, I don't want Maximus to see my expression so I lower my head. He takes it for me fearing Akiko because he see's her fierce gaze set on me.

"Little rabbit, you don't need to worry about Akiko and I. Focus on resting and healing for me okay?" His mood darkens and he decides to leave before he ends up strangling Akiko.

"I'll come to check on you later, okay?" He says

"What about Akiko, you haven't said anything to her while you were here?" I add oil to the fire.

He pauses, I can see his facial expression twitch, as if he is having a hard time containing his anger. He wonders how I can still try to put in a few good words for Akiko after everything she did to me. His heart towards Akiko hardens to stone.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine." He gives me a peck on the head, then he walks away, closing the infirmary door without looking back.

Akiko POV

The way they gaze at each other is nauseating. She doesn't deserve him! Why can't he just understand. My own brother turned against me for a palace maid's daughter. I admit that I have some feelings for him, more than a sibling should. Thankfully we're only siblings in name. My mother was only a few weeks pregnant when she entered the emperor's harem as his concubine. She bribed the imperial doctors with a nice position if they kept it a secret. No one except she and I know. My biological father's dead and those doctors died in strange ways one by one because of my mother's scheming.

If Maximus thinks his princely position is stable, then he'd better think again. Now that he's offended me, his strongest backer...the gloves are off.

I pull out a special stone my momma gave me to contact her. I have two kinds of powers. My mom is native to the Beast Taming Kingdom but my father was a spy planted by the Kristonian kingdom. I'm a beast tamer but I'm also an earth elementalist. I keep that side hidden so that no one would find out and then open dangerous doors. This rock was giving to be because I am an earth elementalist. In order for it to be used there's a special contraption that must be filled with my mana.

I surge my mana into the rock in my hands. I feel it heat up. It's a small rock, Elizabeth and her scheming eyes have no way of seeing my movements. I whisper a few words small enough to go unnoticed but loud enough for the rock to absorb.

"Mom, you don't have to hold back anymore."

"Are you sure? I know how much you adore that man's son."

"It's fine mom. I'm ready."

"Okay sweetie."

If I wanted to I could kill her. I'm not a good person. However, I have self control. My mother on the other hand never has and never will. Though, this isn't her battle, it's mine. While she stirs up trouble in the imperial harem, I'll work on manipulating the waves at the academy.

I can't believe I thought he was different.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like