The following day, Eros returned to his classes. The moment he stepped into the classroom, he felt the gaze of the blue-haired Prince, Saliba, fixing on him.

  Eros shifted his eyes toward His Highness and deliberately flashed an enigmatic, meaningful smile. Saliba’s heart tightened, and a flurry of doubts instantly flooded his mind.

  Why is he smiling at me? Does he know something? How much does he know?

  As these thoughts swirled, the Prince became visibly guarded and uneasy. Eros, of course, had no idea the Prince had such a vivid imagination; his smile was merely a whim, a little game to tease the "filial son" since he happened to be in a good mood this morning.

  Saliba, however, was oblivious to Eros's playfulness. He spent the rest of the day trapped in a spiral of anxiety, obsessing over how much of his secret had been compromised.

  On the other side of the room, Joanie had regained her usual lively and cheerful personality after a night of adjustment. However, the way she looked at Eros now carried a certain softness—a discovery that left Undine feeling quite conflicted.

  After his gaze swept past the Prince, Eros scanned the rest of the classroom. He noticed that Baron Larry Watt was absent, likely at home receiving a "stern lesson" from his father. Eventually, Eros’s eyes settled on a girl with pale, golden-flaxen hair.

  Miss Siphreya Uriel Kenfeld—Larry Watt’s fiancée.

  Siphreya clearly noticed Eros’s attention. A faint crimson crept onto her fair cheeks, and her beautiful eyes met his with a mixture of shyness and trepidation. Eros smiled and gave her a polite nod of acknowledgment before continuing toward his usual seat next to the red-haired girl he liked to "feed."

  Ayesha’s body stiffened, but she fought to maintain a composed facade, staring straight ahead. Eros raised an eyebrow, leaned in close to her neck, and took a deep breath.

  "Good brother, you seem to smell even better today."

  Ayesha began to tremble more violently. Eros suppressed a laugh and stopped teasing her for the moment. Sensing that the "pervert" had no further outrageous intentions, Ayesha let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief, her racing heart finally slowing down.

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  During the lecture, Eros didn't bother the red-haired girl further, instead choosing to slack off on his own. While Ayesha was relieved, she also felt a strange, tiny pang of disappointment. She had grown accustomed to Eros’s intermittent harassment and small gestures during class; his sudden silence felt odd.

  A shocking thought crossed her mind: Has this pervert fallen for another man?

  The moment the idea surfaced, Ayesha scolded herself internally. What does it matter to you who he likes? Stop overthinking! She took a deep breath and forced herself back into the persona of a diligent student.

  When class ended, just as Eros was about to go tease his "stinky sister," the classroom suddenly fell silent. Experienced in such shifts of atmosphere, Eros looked toward the door and saw Dean Como walking toward him.

  As the Dean approached, he gestured for the other students to leave. Soon, Eros was the only student left in the room.

  Dean Como stopped in front of Eros, his expression kind and his voice gentle. "His Excellency the Archbishop intends to visit the academy to meet with you tomorrow morning. I’ve come to remind you so that you can prepare yourself to face a Sublime One."

  Eros perfectly performed a look of reverence mixed with slight nervousness. "Understood. Thank you for the heads-up, Dean Como."

  Dean Como nodded with a fatherly smile and tapped four points on his chest in a holy sign. "May the Deity watch over you."

  Eros mirrored the gesture, drawing an inverted cross with a solemn expression. "Praise the Deity!"

  "Praise the Deity," the Dean echoed, giving Eros one last smile before leaving the room.

  It took a while after the Dean’s departure for the students to cautiously filter back in. Soon, the usual clamor reclaimed the space.

  During lunch, Eros casually remarked as he fed Ayesha, "His Excellency Anthony, the Cardinal Archbishop of the Reincarnation Church stationed in Indiles—a Sublime One—will be visiting the academy tomorrow."

  The air in the private box seemed to freeze for several seconds. Total silence fell over the table. Eventually, Undine broke the silence.

  "Is that why Dean Como came to see you this morning?"

  Eros glanced at Ayesha, whose body had turned rigid and whose face paled with panic. He reached out to carefully brush a food crumb from the corner of her mouth and replied nonchalantly, "Mhm. The Cardinal Archbishop is coming specifically to see me."

  Undine gritted her teeth secretly. This dog-thing! When I asked him earlier, he said it was a 'secret,' yet now he talks about it so casually!

  Sitting on the other side, Joanie marveled, "A Cardinal Archbishop... that’s a top-tier official of the Church, a true Sublime One. For such a legendary figure to visit the academy just to see Eros personally..."

  She paused, her eyes twinkling as she teased, "I bet if this news gets out, noble ladies will be trying to smuggle themselves into your room by any means necessary."

  Eros’s lips curved as he met Joanie’s eyes with interest. "Would you be one of them? If it’s Joanie, I certainly wouldn't refuse."

  Joanie’s face turned an explosive red, and she looked ready to bury her head in her chest.

  "COUGH! COUGH!" Undine coughed loudly, shattering the flirtatious atmosphere.