‘Why is Bella here? Isn’t this the faculty dormitory? Could it be that Bella has also come to teach at the Royal Academy of Magic?’
Winnidith’s mind had turned into a complete mush, but her eyes were glued to Isabella’s body.
Perhaps because she had just taken a bath, Isabella’s already fair skin now looked as delicate as milk, making one want to pounce and lick it; and since this world didn’t have hair dryers yet, the golden hair clinging to her chest, even after being towel-dried, still soaked through the white cloud silkworm silk pajamas she wore, creating a translucent window.
From Winnidith’s point of view, she could just make out a faint pink.
N-not wearing…
Slowly, Winnidith’s face grew hotter and hotter.
She wanted to tell herself that was just a mass of fat, and she had her own, just not as big.
But her face wouldn’t listen.
Her eyes wouldn’t listen either.
“Heh.”
Seeing that her gaze was completely fixed on her body, Isabella proudly twirled a lock of hair against her chest.
This reaction made the hour she’d soaked in the bathtub worth it.
But she’d teased enough; any more and Wendy would probably faint.
Isabella wrapped her wet hair in a pre-prepared towel, found a shawl to cover her exposed skin, and then sat on the sofa to answer Winnidith’s initial question.
“Why am I here, Wendy? You ask such a strange question. This is my dorm. Isn’t it natural that I’m here?”
“Your dorm?”
As that eye-catching flesh color disappeared, her fevered mind gradually cooled.
Regaining some ability to think, Winnidith stepped outside the door in confusion, glanced at the sign reading Special Dormitory No. 1, then returned to the room.
She thought she’d found the answer.
“Bella, you…”
Winnidith took a deep breath and looked seriously at Isabella sitting on the sofa.
“Are you planning to announce that you can cultivate Douqi?”
Her reasoning was simple: the special dormitories at the Magic Academy were meant for the most precious students or teachers.
Given Isabella’s status as a royal princess, if she enrolled, living here would be only natural.
But unfortunately, she guessed wrong.
“No. As soon as that news gets out, my two elder brothers will immediately stop fighting and cooperate to push me out of the line of succession. Until I build up my own power base, unless absolutely necessary, I won’t leak that information.”
Isabella shook her head.
Her outward appearance of being “completely harmless” was her greatest weapon now.
Used well, she could quietly gather a force loyal only to her, then at the critical moment, with lightning speed, overthrow both brothers and become the sole heir to the throne.
As for the issues of Spirit-Absorbing Body and Divine Power later, that could wait.
For now, it was time to play a guessing game with Wendy.
Isabella saw the realization dawn on her face and immediately understood she had a new answer.
Half curious, half indulgent, she waited for her reply.
“Bella, you got roped into working here by that old geezer Elias because they’re short on teachers, right?”
Winnidith clapped her hands and said smugly.
Since she wasn’t a student, she had to be a teacher.
With Bella’s royal etiquette training, becoming an art teacher at the Royal Academy of Magic would be a piece of cake.
“Sorry, you guessed wrong again, Wendy. The Art Academy isn’t short on teachers, and I don’t plan to become a faculty member at the Royal Academy of Magic. In a way, that position would be a stain on an Emperor Candidate.”
Isabella crossed her arms in front of her chest, signaling Winnidith to keep guessing.
But if she was neither student nor teacher, then she could only be a family member.
However, Bella’s two elder brothers had already graduated, her two elder sisters were married, and her remaining younger brother, like Elena, wasn’t yet old enough for school.
There shouldn’t be any relatives of hers at the academy.
Winnidith felt like her brain had been ruined by her boobs.
Otherwise, why couldn’t she come up with another answer after all this time?
She wasn’t stupid!
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”
Isabella held back her laughter to the utmost, then reached out and placed a Hexagram Badge symbolizing the Royal Academy of Magic on the table in front of her.
“Actually, I’m the Honorary Principal of the Royal Academy of Magic. This dormitory was built for me from the start. It’s just that I rarely stay overnight at the academy, so aside from Dean Elias, no one knows I have property here.”
Honorary Principal?
A clear confusion shone in Winnidith’s eyes.
What was that?
How had she never heard of it?
Seeing she still didn’t understand, Isabella explained.
“If you donate ten thousand gold coins to the academy every year for ten consecutive years, you get the title of Honorary Director personally conferred by the Dean.”
“I didn’t have that much time, so I directly donated one hundred thousand gold coins in my own name for three consecutive years. The Dean was deeply moved by my sincerity and granted me the status of Honorary Principal as a special exception.”
Are you sure Elias was really moved by sincerity?
One hundred thousand gold coins…
Winnidith could almost picture Elias’s perverted grin the moment after handing Isabella the “Honorary Principal” badge, as he immediately summoned the teachers from each department to discuss how to split the spoils.
But the money was already given, and she couldn’t take it back.
She might as well ask what this “Honorary Principal” actually got.
She didn’t believe Bella would do something as foolish as throwing money away.
Sure enough, Isabella went on to explain what the “Honorary Principal” represented.
“A lot. For example, access to the Forbidden Books Area, authority within the academy equal to the principal, ten annual recommendation slots for admission to the Royal Academy of Magic, priority meetings with outstanding graduates, and the power to mobilize part of the academy’s forces.”
Tsk, that did sound pretty useful.
Winnidith clicked her tongue in thought.
The Forbidden Books Area contained the most powerful Combat Skills, Magic Formulas, and various artifacts accumulated over the empire’s millennium.
Every single one was a treasure fought over by countless people outside.
The ten annual recommendation slots and priority meetings with outstanding graduates were also convenient ways to strengthen personal power.
And the most crucial part was mobilizing part of the academy’s forces.
The Royal Academy of Magic was a superpower second only to the imperial family and the Trenton Family within the empire.
Being able to mobilize its forces, even just a portion, was enough to make many people think twice.
With such high authority, hadn’t Isabella’s two brothers ever tried to get it for themselves?
“Of course they did, but neither was willing to let the other have that advantage. Yet the imperial family had to have someone as Honorary Principal to keep the Royal Academy of Magic firmly under control, so in the end, it fell to me~”
Isabella said in a light tone.
“After all, I’m no threat at all~”
That actually worked?
Winnidith wiped the sweat from her forehead.
If Rodrigo and Celen ever found out that Bella was planning to use the Royal Academy of Magic they’d willingly handed over against them, would they be furious enough to curse?
But Winnidith wasn’t close to them, especially now that they were enemies with Isabella in the struggle for the throne.
Seeing them get the short end only made her secretly happy.
“Sounds great. I’m even considering asking my uncle for some money to buy an Honorary Principal title.”
Winnidith joked.
Among all those powers, the only one useful to her was the Forbidden Books Area, but Uncle Victor had already promised to provide all the help she needed.
Getting into a forbidden area wasn’t hard.
Besides, that was three hundred thousand gold coins, equivalent to a third of the Trenton Family’s annual income.
Winnidith wasn’t reckless enough to spend that much on an empty title.
“Indeed, it’s good. But actually, compared to those powers you just mentioned, I only want to exercise another authority of the Honorary Principal right now.”
Another authority?
What authority?
Before Winnidith could figure it out, a shadow suddenly fell over her vision—Isabella had somehow walked right in front of her.
“B-Beh?”
Just as she was about to ask what Isabella was doing, she felt her chin gently pinched, then lifted upward with a soft pressure, forcing her gaze level with Isabella’s eyes.
“Teacher Trenton, I think there’s a problem with your teaching methods. Come to my room later, and I’ll give you some proper guidance.”
A strong, fragrant breath sprayed onto Winnidith’s face.
Through those beautiful burgundy eyes, Winnidith could clearly see her own reflection.
Suddenly, an idea struck her mind like lightning, making her tremble with tension.
Could this be…
Under-the-table rules?!