"Headmistress, you must have sensed it incorrectly." Sally forced herself to remain calm. Her hands hung at her sides, hidden within the wide sleeves of her robe, already trembling uncontrollably.

  "Everyone in the academy knows that aside from entering seclusion for meditation, I rarely leave my quarters unless summoned by an elder, let alone approach Holy Ice Hall."

  "Let me say something." Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, Ryan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over."Standing and talking at the entrance like this is really strange. Why do we not go inside and sit down to talk?"

  The moment his words fell, he became the focus of both women. Evelyn's cold gaze swept over him, while Sally looked at him with clear pleading in her eyes.

  "Since you wish to go in, then go in and sit first." Evelyn's tone sounded calm and even, yet upon closer listening, it carried a bone chilling coldness.

  How could Ryan dare to actually go in alone? Under the scrutiny of both their gazes, he silently lowered his head and retreated behind Evelyn, not daring to breathe too loudly, completely reduced to a background presence.

  "This is the first time, and also the last." Evelyn stared at Sally and left behind a meaningful warning before turning and walking out of the hall.

  The intimidation contained in those words made Sally instantly understand that this was the Headmistress's final admonition regarding her unauthorized approach to Holy Ice Hall and her contact with Ryan.

  "Thank you, Headmistress, for showing mercy." Sally bowed toward Evelyn's departing figure, fine beads of cold sweat already seeping across her forehead.

  She was a Ninth tier Arcane Mage, yet under Evelyn's pressure, even breathing felt difficult.

  She was truly afraid, terrified that a single moment of displeasure from the Headmistress would result in retrospection magic being used to search her soul once again. That soul tearing agony was something she never wanted to experience in her lifetime.

  Ryan stood to the side, watching Sally's slightly trembling arms, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

  Evelyn was indeed as majestic and terrifying in front of outsiders as ever. He himself had personally experienced that suffocating sense of oppression.

  "Are you not leaving? Do you plan to spend the night here?" Evelyn's voice came from outside the hall, carrying a trace of irritation that was hard to detect.

  Ryan was startled by the urging voice and shuddered, then hurried after her, sighing inwardly. Evelyn's jealousy was indeed well deserved of its reputation.

  Back in Holy Ice Hall, Evelyn sat down in a chair and looked at Ryan with icy eyes as she issued a stern warning."From now on, you are not permitted to go to other people's residences without authorization, to avoid disturbing each other's progress in magical advancement."

  Ryan looked stunned and subconsciously asked in return,"Then what about you? I can get close to you?"

  "I am the academy's Headmistress and also your Mentor. Teaching you is my duty. What is wrong with that?" Evelyn replied matter of factly.

  "Then, Mentor, I..." Ryan hesitated, his cheeks flushing slightly, as if struggling immensely.

  "Hmm?" Evelyn frowned faintly and leaned forward a little, waiting for him to continue.

  As if he had made the decision of a lifetime, Ryan suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly,"Can I hug you?"

  Evelyn was stunned by the question, her eyes filled with astonishment as she stared blankly at Ryan. It took her quite a while to recover.

  "What do you think?" Evelyn asked, as if leaving him to infer the answer himself.

  But in Ryan's view, if he was meant to guess, then there was only one possibility. How would he know whether it would work if he did not try?

  "I think it absolutely should be allowed!" Ryan grinned broadly, throwing his arms wide and taking slow steps toward Evelyn.

  But just as he was about a sword's length away from her, his feet suddenly froze.

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  He had not stopped on his own. A sword exuding a chilling aura had already been placed directly before his chest.

  The Ultimate Ice Sword emitted a faint buzzing, as if expressing its discontent toward Ryan.

  The sword spirit within the Ultimate Ice Sword tried to voice a protest, but Evelyn sealed its channel of expression with a wave of magic. The faint whining gradually faded, likely because the sword spirit realized resistance was useless and quietly fell silent.

  "Now, what do you think?" Evelyn lowered her gaze on Ryan, who was frozen in place. Her tone carried a teasing lilt, and a faint smile flickered in her eyes.

  "Fine, I guess not." Ryan's face fell, full of grievance.

  Hearing this obedient answer, Evelyn finally lowered the Ultimate Ice Sword, and the chilling aura surrounding her eased slightly.

  "What about the academy's elders? Am I not allowed to get close to them either?" Ryan's eyes darted as he posed another question, trying to probe Evelyn's limits.

  Evelyn was silent for a moment. She had only prohibited him from approaching the other female students, overlooking the elders.

  But a second later, she spoke coldly:"No, not them either."

  Her answer was crisp and decisive, as if no thought had been needed, leaving no room for argument.

  Ryan stood there, caught under Evelyn's intense gaze, feeling inexplicably awkward. His usual playful smirk had faded somewhat.

  Evelyn stared at him for a moment, then warned in a cold tone:"If you continue to misbehave and provoke others, I will hand you over to the Grand Elder for guidance."

  Ryan instantly feigned shock, though in truth he was genuinely alarmed.

  The Grand Elder was notoriously strict, excelling in dull and exhausting magical theory lectures, far more unpleasant than enduring Evelyn's scolding.

  "Mentor, no! The Grand Elder's teaching is way too harsh, I can't handle it!" Ryan pleaded desperately."I just want to stay by your side. Please, Mentor, don't even think about it."

  His pitiful expression caused Evelyn to freeze for a moment, and fragments of memory involuntarily flashed through her mind.

  "Mentor?" Seeing Evelyn staring at him blankly, Ryan waved his hand slightly and softly called out the title twice.

  Evelyn snapped back to reality, and hearing the word"Mentor" stirred an inexplicable pang in her heart.

  Her gaze flickered, and she once again sensed that faint trace of Sally's magical aura lingering on Ryan. It was the unique aura of another woman, stirring the annoyance in her heart once more.

  With her strength, she could have easily dispelled the aura with a simple wave of magic.

  Yet she reached into her storage ring and took out a delicate crystal vial, offering it to Ryan.

  "Go purify yourself." Evelyn said flatly.

  The crystal vial contained a clear liquid with a faint floral scent.

  "Mentor, my own magic is already enough to purify the aura around me. Why do I need this?"

  Ryan, knowing full well the answer, still asked in feigned confusion, curious to see how Evelyn would respond.

  In the end, Ryan obediently carried the crystal vial out of the room under Evelyn's silent, deathly gaze.

  "Mentor, this vial of purification liquid is so small. How is it enough to wash with?" The door opened again, and Ryan poked his head out, grinning foolishly as he asked.

  No sooner had he spoken than a large bucket appeared in Evelyn's hands out of nowhere. She casually tossed it, and Ryan, quick on his feet, hurried forward and caught it steadily.

  The door closed again, but it did not stay shut for long.

  "Mentor! There's no water outside. How am I supposed to mix the purification liquid?" Ryan called innocently, holding up the empty bucket.

  Evelyn's eyes narrowed, and in a swift motion, she tossed a fist-sized Flame Crystal at him.

  These crystals contain pure fire element magic and are commonly used in the magical world as heating tools.

  She glanced at the snow piled up in the courtyard behind Ryan, her meaning unmistakable.

  The door was closed for the third time, cutting off Ryan's voice. A few seconds later, it opened once more.

  "Anything else?" Evelyn raised a perfectly arched brow, looking at the still-grinning Ryan at the door.

  "Mentor, do you want to wash with me? I'm a little scared to be out here alone." Ryan said, puffing out his chest and speaking with deliberate, playful coaxing.

  "Get lost." Evelyn said, casting him a cold glance.

  The door was slammed shut with force, clearly indicating it would not be reopened.

  Ryan pouted, carrying the bucket and the Flame Crystal to the corner of the courtyard.

  He took a magical device from his storage space, the Perpetual Magic Kettle, and clear water began flowing continuously into the bucket.

  Once the bucket was full, Ryan carefully used his own limited magic to envelop the Flame Crystal, precisely controlling its fire element magic.

  He had to activate the crystal's heat while preventing the magic from spiraling out of control and burning through the bottom of the bucket.

  He dropped the Flame Crystal into the bucket of water. The moment it touched the surface, it released gentle heat. Steam rose delicately from the water as the temperature gradually increased.

  The bucket was not very spacious, but it was just large enough to fit Ryan's curled-up body.

  Watching the water slowly warm, it resembled a hot spring, with the crystal at the bottom steadily continuing to heat it.

  Ryan carried the bucket to the door, took out the vial of purification liquid Evelyn had given him, and poured it all in without hesitation.

  Instantly, a rich but not overpowering floral fragrance spread, drifting into the room through the door gap.

  Evelyn, meditating inside, couldn't help but twitch her nose slightly, silently thinking: Did this boy really pour the entire vial in?

  But that was fine. It would completely dispel the trace of foreign aura lingering on him.

  What am I thinking! Evelyn snapped back to herself, quickly suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind. She closed her eyes again, focusing on channeling her magic into meditation.

  Outside, Ryan was noisily removing his clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts embroidered with strange patterns.

  He took a deep breath, swung his legs, and jumped into the bucket. Then he squeezed his body tightly, finally managing to fit into the narrow space.