Rita had imagined countless possible developments: gentle caresses, rough demands, even a near-violent act of possession.
But she had never expected it to unfold like this.
Cecilia was nestled against her like a small animal seeking warmth on a cold winter night, weary and faintly vulnerable, resting her head on the very person who just minutes ago had snapped a magic dog’s neck like a dangerous threat—essentially using Rita as a human pillow.
That was all there was to it.
And somehow, this turn of events wasn’t bad at all.
At least it calmed Rita’s wildly pounding heart little by little.
But Cecilia’s heartbeat remained loud, so loud it seemed like it might burst Rita’s eardrums.
Then, gradually, all the noise softened, settled, leaving only a steady rhythm and the faint sounds of two people breathing.
Dawn was slowly approaching.
The next morning.
Half-asleep, Rita heard a dull thud.
What was that? Surely she hadn’t kicked her phone off the bed again?
She turned over, eyes still closed, and reached down beside the bed to search the floor.
Her fingertips brushed over the fuzzy carpet but found nothing she was looking for.
She wriggled like a worm, arching her upper body off the bed again, and this time, finally touched something warm and soft.
What was this? She pinched it twice.
Hmm, the texture was off—it wasn’t her phone.
Rita blinked open her eyes groggily, and the first thing she saw was Cecilia sitting on the floor, looking helpless and confused, eyes full of puzzlement.
Right, she’d been in this world for a while now.
Looks like she’d had a rare good night’s sleep last night.
Wait! Last night!
Rita recalled clearly and fully: she had fallen asleep holding a sleeping Cecilia at dawn.
So the memory loss they’d both suffered on the first day really was caused by a lethal amount of enchanting spiritual energy?
Rita thought this over and glanced back at Cecilia, suddenly realizing her hand was still resting on Cecilia’s body.
But it wasn’t like in those lucky protagonist comics where she might be clutching a tiny treasure chest—instead, she was holding Cecilia’s face firmly.
Ah, too bad.
“Rita.”
Cecilia was the first to react, brushing away the hand clasping her face, then steadying herself on the edge of the bed and rubbing her backside.
Seeing this, Rita finally understood what it was she’d kicked off the bed.
“Imperial Princess!”
Rita tumbled out of bed hurriedly, nearly dropping to her knees in front of Cecilia.
“Don’t mention it,” Cecilia waved her hand as she sat on the bed’s edge. “I’ll have someone send the money to your room. Nothing happened last night, right?”
“Yes,” Rita nodded quickly.
Even if she had the courage, she wouldn’t say the Imperial Princess had held her and cried half the night—and anyway, no one would believe her.
“The day has already broken. If you stay here any longer, people will get suspicious. You have the Saint Knight Examination today. Just leave the way you came in.”
By the Princess’s tone, she wasn’t going to press the issue of Rita’s unfortunate sleep kick?
That was good news!
Rita nodded repeatedly, slipped on her boots, and headed for the door.
“Rita.”
Cecilia called after her again.
“Yes, Imperial Princess, do you have any other instructions?”
The Imperial Princess gave the gentlest smile Rita had seen from her yet and raised a hand, pointing to the window facing the bed.
“I mean, just leave the way you came in.”
“But last night that was—”
“Hm?” Cecilia blinked. “Did something happen last night?”
That grudging, scheming woman!
Rita crossed her arms and scowled as she walked toward the examination hall.
Last night was bribery; this morning was blackmail!
Under Cecilia’s pressure, Rita had no choice but to climb out the window.
But she couldn’t show her wings in daylight, so she climbed down layer by layer.
She’d only descended halfway when a patrolling soldier caught her.
This time, she wasn’t treated harshly.
Halfway through being escorted back, a Maid appeared, whispered something to one of the soldiers, who muttered “The Imperial Princess sure knows how to play” and promptly released her.
As for the thousand gold coins, not a single coin was missing; as soon as she returned to her room, someone brought a small tray to her.
But none of that mattered—what mattered was she still had to take the Saint Knight Examination.
She hadn’t run off last night; why skip the exam today?
Was she waiting for Cecilia to suspect her?
Cecilia’s unusually soft demeanor last night made Rita realize that beneath the Princess’s cold exterior lay a living, breathing person—with the vulnerabilities of an ordinary girl.
Still, Rita didn’t intend to delve into the reasons behind it; none of that concerned her.
For now, it was actually not bad to rely on Cecilia.
Speaking of Cecilia, the Princess was currently standing on the stage, continuing the opening ceremony that had been interrupted yesterday.
With the chaos from yesterday, security had been significantly tightened today, and it was harder for the commoners to get close.
If not for the ceremony’s role in stabilizing morale, this part might have been canceled altogether.
“This examination is a dual test of your abilities and your character. A Saint Knight must uphold the Knight’s Oath: loyalty, humility, compassion, honesty, justice…”
A sharp but quiet voice whispered in Rita’s ear.
“Honesty and justice? What a joke. How many candidates standing below are honest? And how many Test Proctors up there are just?”
Everyone knew there was corruption in the Saint Knight Examination, but no one dared to say so openly in the exam hall.
And the person standing beside Rita had to be one of the examinees.
Rita turned toward the voice’s owner, puzzled.
The girl was around Rita’s age, with short emerald-green hair and a pair of purple eyes that seemed to hold magic.
Seeing Rita look, the girl curled the corner of her mouth into a smirk. “What do you think?”
“Me?” Rita pointed at herself.
“Exactly. Most people are here thanks to that.” The girl nodded and made a coin-flipping gesture. “But you’re different.”
Her proof had been found, and she hadn’t spent a penny—that was obviously different.
Rita was still wary of this woman.
Flattery without reason—no good can come of it!
“How do you know?”
“Isn’t it common knowledge? Oh, you mean that—” The girl answered matter-of-factly: “Yesterday, I watched you protect the Imperial Princess. That’s not something those rich noble daughters would do. Plus, you were taken away by the guards, but here you are today, safe and sound. That means you’re not simple.”
She chuckled. “So, let’s work together.”
“Work together?”
“Yes, work together. It’s not easy to snatch a spot from those who’ve paid their deposits.” The girl extended her hand. “By the way, I haven’t introduced myself—I’m Valfis.”
Rita didn’t plan to shake her hand, but for courtesy’s sake, she should give her name.
“Nice to meet you. I’m—”
“Hmph, since yesterday, your name’s been known far and wide.” Valfis, seeing Rita refuse the handshake, didn’t insist. Instead, she crossed her arms, a smug expression settling on her face.
After a moment, Valfis scratched her head. “Wait, who are you again?”