Ryan maintained steady breathing, not only normal but deliberately pressing his cheek tightly against Evelyn. Each exhale sent a warm breath brushing across her skin.

  It had to be said, the feeling of being close to Evelyn was particularly refreshing.

  Her face was smooth and delicate, clearly without any skincare products, yet carried a faint, natural fragrance, like a flower bud soaked in morning dew, calming and comforting.

  As Ryan's warm breaths repeatedly brushed against her, Evelyn's cheeks gradually flushed, and her body temperature subtly rose.

  She could clearly feel her heartbeat growing faster and faster.

  Though she was a rare Ice Spirit body, constantly surrounded by chilling cold, at this moment, locked tightly in Ryan's embrace, she inexplicably felt hot and stifled.

  Even the circulation of magic through the Codex of the Primeval Frost became sluggish.

  Looking at Ryan, his nose pressed closely against hers, breathing steady, Evelyn tried to move her head slightly to create a bit of distance.

  But the instant she moved, their foreheads and noses, pressed together, seemed magnetically bound by some invisible force. Ryan's face moved in sync with hers, maintaining the close contact perfectly.

  Evelyn tried moving up, down, left, and right several times, but ultimately had to give up.

  She could only force herself to ignore the warm breaths brushing against her nose every few seconds and endure until dawn.

  Thus, she was locked in Ryan's embrace the entire night, her concentration and meditation constantly interrupted, unable even to rest her eyes peacefully.

  It was not until the next morning that Maelira's voice broke the tense silence in the room.

  "Headmistress, I have urgent matters to discuss with you."

  Hearing the voice outside, a flash of panic crossed Evelyn's eyes.

  Disaster! Both Ryan and Evelyn exclaimed in their minds simultaneously.

  Ryan was shocked, realizing they were about to get in serious trouble. If Maelira saw them in this state, there would be no escaping a scolding.

  Evelyn was panicked because she was still tightly held by Ryan, cheeks pressed together, appearing utterly intimate.

  During the night, she had tried countless times to move away, but Ryan's face felt glued to hers, impossible to shake off. Now, with Maelira knocking, she felt the embarrassment of being caught in flagrante delicto, and her heart raced.

  But Evelyn quickly forced herself to calm down and thought rapidly about how to respond.

  In a moment, she figured it out. The only way now was to openly rely on Maelira's presence to break free.

  With a clear conscience, there was nothing to fear; as long as she acted composed, Maelira would surely believe her.

  "Come in." Having decided, Evelyn's red lips moved slightly, her eyes fixed on Ryan, still lost in thought with closed eyes.

  The door opened. Maelira walked in, initially smiling, but when she saw the two of them tightly embraced on the bed, cheeks pressed together, her anger instantly surged and could no longer be contained.

  "What exactly is going on here?" Maelira shouted, instantly appearing in front of the bed as if by teleportation.

  Her sharp gaze locked onto Ryan, and her magical energy began to surge around her.

  Evelyn had not yet spoken to explain when she suddenly felt her body being forcefully flipped. The warmth pressed against her vanished instantly, leaving her arms empty.

  In that instant, an inexplicable sense of loss and discomfort welled up in her heart.

  Maelira, furious beyond control, yanked Ryan from her embrace and, using her wrist strength, flung him violently across the room.

  Ryan felt his body lighten and then, uncontrollably, he flew out the door, crashing heavily into the thick snow outside and rolling several times before finally coming to a stop.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The icy snow immediately soaked his clothes, and the bone-chilling cold spread across his skin.

  Hearing Maelira's restrained but angry voice inside, Ryan shrank into the snow, too intimidated to move, feeling completely guilty.

  This scene, after all, looked exactly like being caught in the act in bed.

  "I told you, this boy would cause trouble for you! But you refused to listen!" Maelira's voice trembled with anger, and even Evelyn felt a trace of reproach in her tone.

  "This was an accident, not my intention," Evelyn said, her voice utterly calm and detached, as if she had not just been caught in an intimate embrace.

  "I beg you, just let us take him into custody! Focus on your promotion to Grand Magus; the academy's future depends on you!" Maelira pleaded, her face full of worry.

  How long had it been? The Headmistress's heart seemed to have been stolen by this boy!

  The scene just now had been too glaring. The Headmistress had been cold and indifferent since childhood. She had never been so intimately close to a man, and rarely even held a woman's hand more than a few times.

  Yet just now, pressed cheek to cheek by this boy, she had shown no resistance, as if silently permitting such forwardness.

  "I am already a Journeyman Mage. In a short while, I will advance to Senior Mage."

  Evelyn's words remained cold. After speaking, she turned expressionlessly toward the door, ignoring Maelira behind her.

  Only then did Maelira come to her senses. Sensing the magical aura Evelyn had subtly revealed, her face lit up and her tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

  The Headmistress was on the verge of promotion to Senior Mage. This was tremendous news!

  Ignoring the elated Maelira behind her, Evelyn walked directly into the snow, looking at Ryan lying limp and almost buried in snow.

  Ryan dared not breathe heavily, remaining in his lost-soul state, letting snowflakes settle on him.

  Seeing this, Evelyn quickly channeled her magic, sending a gentle magical breeze that instantly blew away the snow and cold from his body.

  She then bent down and lifted him back into the room.

  "Headmistress, this boy……" Maelira began to speak, intending to intervene, but when her eyes swept over the magical aura surrounding Ryan, her words stopped abruptly.

  She realized that this boy was already a Senior Mage!

  Now she finally believed Mora's previous report.

  This young man truly was a once-in-a-century talent. Recruiting him into Glacial Arcana Academy would undoubtedly bring immense benefits, yet the potential dangers were also evident.

  The greatest risk was that he could stir emotions in Evelyn.

  "His soul has not yet returned. That was merely an instinctive action," Evelyn said, shutting down all of Maelira's doubts in a single sentence.

  Maelira immediately understood. In other words, the fact that Ryan had locked Evelyn was not intentional, but perhaps merely a physical instinct while his soul was lost.

  It could not have been Evelyn pressing against him willingly, could it?

  The thought barely formed before she immediately dismissed it. That was absolutely impossible.

  Maelira did not believe in her heart that Evelyn had taken the initiative to press herself against him.

  "His level is higher than mine, and his talent is no worse than mine. Once he locked me in place, it was naturally difficult to break free."

  Evelyn seemed to see through her doubts and added this explanation.

  "What did you come to see me about?" Evelyn gently placed Ryan back onto the bed, then turned with a slight frown to look at Maelira.

  "There is nothing now. I originally came to confirm whether what Mora reported about this boy's level was true. Having seen it with my own eyes, I am reassured." Maelira said somewhat awkwardly.

  Evelyn responded with a faint sound, then walked to a nearby chair and sat down lightly, her gaze resting on Ryan on the bed.

  "Is there anything else?" Seeing Maelira still standing in place, her eyes fixed on Ryan, Evelyn spoke again, the dismissal in her tone unmistakable.

  You should leave.

  "Headmistress, please think carefully!" Maelira sighed, still unable to stop herself from advising.

  "Matters of love are the most disruptive. I beg you not to touch them. I will take my leave now."

  These past days, the three elders had already tried to persuade Evelyn countless times.

  If not for the fact that this boy possessed Grand Magus potential, outstanding talent, and great value to the academy, they would have long ago found a chance in secret to deal with him using a dagger.

  Even if they were punished afterward by the Headmistress, it would still be better than watching her be led astray by this boy and jeopardize the academy's future.

  The rest of the day passed without incident, and night fell once more.

  Evelyn quietly went out again, with no one knowing her destination.

  Ryan was finally able to move again. He took out the bottle of ten thousand year whiskey that was not yet finished from his storage space, twisted off the cap, and drank.

  This time, however, he knew his limits. Once warmth spread through his body and he felt slightly tipsy, he immediately circulated chaotic magic to suppress the alcohol, so as not to lose control and embarrass himself like last time.

  Just as Ryan closed his eyes, preparing to continue pretending to be lost in soul and dozing, the door was suddenly pushed open gently.

  Grimoire's startled voice immediately rang out in his mind:

  【It's not Evelyn! Maintain your state, do not reveal anything!】

  Ryan was startled. If it was not Evelyn, then who could it be? One of the three elders, perhaps?

  He slowly opened his eyes, deliberately letting his pupils go unfocused, presenting a completely vacant and dull expression.

  This way, he could see who had entered without exposing the fact that he was already fully awake.

  As long as the other party walked up to the bed, he only needed to glance sideways to obtain their information using Grimoire's detection function.

  But in the very next second, a youthful singing voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence in the room:

  We're just friends, what are you sayin'?

  Said, There's another, and looked right in my eyes.

  My first love broke my heart for the first time, and I was like.

  Baby, baby, baby, oh

  Like baby, baby, baby, no

  Like baby, baby, baby, oh

  Thought you'd always be mine, mine