At those words, Ayesha felt a wave of goosebumps erupt across her entire body.

  She momentarily doubted her morning routine—had she forgotten to properly mask her scent today? But her memory was clear: she had meticulously suppressed any trace of feminine fragrance before heading out.

  If that was the case... then there was only one conclusion.

  A homosexual!

  Ayesha’s pupils shrank in horror. She had heard rumors about the debauched private lives of the nobility and knew that "man-on-man" affairs were not uncommon in high society. She just never expected to find herself in the middle of one.

  Good Heavens! Her current disguise, "Thomas," was supposed to be a scrawny, rough, and utterly unremarkable son of a commoner.

  Then there was Eros. Much as she loathed the pervert, she had to admit he was exceptionally handsome—perhaps the most striking man she had ever seen. Why would a noble scion with such looks and lineage be a homosexual? It was a tragic waste of potential!

  And even if he was gay, why were his tastes so eccentric? How could he possibly be attracted to her "Thomas" persona? She had intentionally made this disguise as talentless and invisible as possible. Had he grown tired of "fine dining" and decided to try a "wild boar" for a change?

  Suddenly, she recalled their first meeting, when he had been touchy-feely with her. The signs were there all along!

  Watching the red-haired girl—disguised as a boy—tremble in place, the corners of Eros’s mouth curled upward. He reached out and gave her backside a playful pat, feigning a look of confusion. "What’s wrong with you?"

  Feeling the contact on her hip, Ayesha let out a muffled yelp of shock. Her face turned a vivid, burning crimson as she struggled to contain her mix of humiliation and disgust. She forced herself to act timid and stuttered, "N-nothing! I'm fine!"

  Eros suppressed the urge to burst out laughing. "That’s good to hear," he said in a silky, gentle tone.

  Beneath her loose school uniform, Ayesha’s chest heaved with suppressed rage. If she hadn't heard that he’d taken leave to advance to Sequence 7, if she weren't outmatched in a fight, and if it weren't for her mission and persona... she would have punched this man’s head off.

  It’s all for the mission. It’s all for the mission, she repeated like a mantra in her mind. If I expose myself now, everything is ruined. Endure it!

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Just then, a crisp, melodic voice called out from nearby.

  "Eros! What are you doing over there?"

  "Coming! Coming!" Eros called back to Undine.

  Ayesha nearly shed tears of gratitude. In that moment, the elegant Undine standing in the distance looked like an angel sent by the Goddess to save her—radiant and holy.

  The pervert was finally leaving. But before she could fully exhale, Eros turned back with a grin. "I'm off. I'll come find you again at lunchtime!"

  Ayesha froze. She felt her soul leave her body.

  Eros gave her a knowing nod and turned to walk away. At that moment, a young man in ornate robes stepped out from behind a nearby flowerbed. He glanced at Eros’s retreating back and then at "Thomas," a pensive look crossing his face.

  He had merely been passing by, but he hadn't expected to witness such an "interesting" scene. Who would have thought the heir to the Rose Duke, the scion of the Elven bloodline, and a renowned genius, was actually a "comrade of the same path"?

  Fascinating. Truly fascinating.

  Farther away, Undine looked at her brother—who caused her no end of headaches—with deep suspicion. "What were you doing just now?"

  "Teasing a little girl," Eros replied, his lips twitching.

  Undine’s eyes narrowed, her expression turning dangerous as she gnashed her teeth. "You dog... you haven't actually fallen for 'him,' have you?"

  Eros stole a glance at his "stinky little sister" and said with mock righteousness, "How could I? He's not nearly as beautiful as you, Sister. In my heart, you are the number one in the world."

  In an instant, Undine’s face turned bright red. She began to stammer incoherently, "What... what kind of pig-talk is that?! I don't understand you at all! Just... stop talking!!"

  She hurried ahead of him with quick, heavy steps, refusing to look back.

  Eros chuckled. She’s so easy to appease. Still too young...

  A moment later, Joanie caught up to them. She walked beside Eros, glancing at Undine’s retreating back before looking at him with sparkling eyes. "I heard your leave was to prepare for the Sequence 7 advancement ritual?"

  "How does everyone seem to know that?" Eros asked, surprised.

  Joanie smiled, her red lips curving slightly. "After they noticed you were missing, the Prince asked the teacher about it during class. That’s how we found out."

  "By the way," Joanie added, her gaze fixed on him with curiosity, "since when did you and the Prince get so close? He actually seems concerned about your whereabouts."

  Eros was taken aback. He didn't think for a second that the "Blue-haired Prince" was asking out of genuine concern. So, what was the motive?

  According to Barbara’s detection, there was a Royal Warlock lurking outside the academy. The Prince likely knew he had left shortly after it happened, but didn't know why. Asking in class was probably a probe to see what he had been up to—especially since Eros had been accompanied by Church Nightwatchers.

  The Church... the Nightwatchers... Light dawned on Eros. The Prince had previously mentioned sacrificing Undine to an Evil God to grant a wish. He was likely terrified that Eros had gone to report him to the Church, which would implicate the entire Royal Family.

  Eros scoffed internally. The Prince was overthinking things. If someone were actually going to report him, the Church wouldn't bring the whistleblower along for the ride.

  Besides, why would he, a remnant of the Night Clan, go out of his way to help the Church maintain stability? He would love nothing more than to see the Royal Family and the Church at each other's throats. Even if the Royal Family was weak compared to the Church, as long as they caused even a tiny bit of trouble, they were "good brothers" in his book.

  As long as they don't mess with me, that is.