It was both absurd and, on the other hand, enticing.
The voice of Iris, which had drawn Shi-en’s interest, remained perfectly steady.
“Have you heard the news that the Great Witch is visiting the Academy?”
“Yes, I’ve heard it so often that my ears are sore…”
“She believes that the cause of the abnormal high temperature lies within the Academy. If we can find that cause first, it would leave a deep impression.”
“Does that mean I can become her disciple?”
Iris nodded her head. It was as if, at last, they were connecting in their conversation, her body language showing a faint sense of satisfaction.
“Yes, finally the vision of the Great Witch falls into our hands. How wonderful is that?”
“But there’s no guarantee that I will become her disciple…”
“We can make it happen.”
It was a haughty declaration she spat out while folding the folding fan again.
“First, we will use every legitimate means at our disposal, and if that doesn’t work, we can gradually eliminate our competitors. How simple is that?”
“Will the Great Witch just stand by and watch that happen?”
“She is indifferent to worldly matters. She might even dismiss the notion that we should overcome such difficulties.”
“What about Sir Ian?”
The topic was shifting remarkably swiftly.
The two were not laid back enough to discuss facts they both already knew in depth. Rather, the two sisters preferred to briefly outline only what was necessary.
Shi-en’s gray eyes darkened with a cold light.
“What does the arrival of the Great Witch have to do with Sir Ian? You seem rather confident about this.”
“The Great Witch has shown an interest. Although I don’t know why…”
“What about Brother Viltéon?”
For the first time, Iris stumbled over her words.
Her blue eyes turned toward Shi-en again. However, Shi-en had regained much of her former calm demeanor.
The sharp gaze was scanning Iris’s face closely. Though her pupils were not yet vertically slit, her expression bore the readiness to do so at any moment if necessary.
“If you’re involving even your sister, it must be something quite important. But if Brother Viltéon hasn’t said anything… doesn’t that seem strange?”
“Shi-en, please.”
The plea slipped from Iris’s lips, as if she didn’t even want to mention that topic.
There was no other option.
The First Prince Viltéon was competing with Iris for the next throne.
It had long been common knowledge that the relationship between the two was not good.
“Didn’t I mention before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with not just reptilian eyes but also a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we suit each other or not is not what’s important.”
Shi-en wore a deliberately mischievous smile and let out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitation in Iris’s retort.
This development was something she had anticipated. The presence of her sister, gradually returning, seemed to put her in a better mood.
However, it didn’t take long before Iris’s composure was shattered.
“That will come after you talk with Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan of discontent escaped Iris’s lips.
It was to be expected.
Brother Viltéon, the First Prince, was competing with Iris for the throne.
It was well accepted that their relationship had been sour for a long time.
“You mentioned this before, right? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really think you’d fit in with that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… it’s not about whether we fit together or not.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous smile and let out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What are you getting at?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitation in Iris’s comeback.
This development was something she had seen coming. The gradual return of her sister’s former self seemed to make her feel slightly better.
But it wouldn’t be long before Iris’s calm was disrupted.
“That will come after you have a little talk with Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan escaped Iris’s lips.
It couldn’t be helped.
The First Prince Viltéon, he was in competition for the next throne alongside Iris.
It had long been common knowledge that the two did not get along well.
“You mentioned it before, didn’t you? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You have reptilian eyes, and your heart is reptilian too… Do you really think you would mesh well with that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we mesh well or not is not the important thing.”
Shi-en deliberately wore a sly smile and let out a foolish laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitance in Iris’s response.
This kind of development was something she had expected. It seemed that the return of her sister’s old demeanor put her in a slightly better mood.
Still, the time it took before Iris’s steadiness was broken was not long.
“That is something we’ll discuss after talking to Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan slipped from Iris’s lips.
There was no denying it.
The First Prince Viltéon—he was the one competing with Iris for the next throne.
It was widely accepted that their mutual animosity had been long established.
“You mentioned it before, didn’t you? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You have reptilian eyes, and a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we suit each other or not isn’t what’s important.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous grin and let out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitation in Iris’s response.
This development was something she had anticipated. The gradual return of her sister’s previous demeanor seemed to put her in a better mood.
However, it did not take long before Iris’s composure was shattered.
“That will come after you talk to Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan of discontent slipped out from Iris.
It was inevitable.
She had to deal with the First Prince Viltéon, who was competing alongside Iris for the next throne.
The fact that the two did not get along had been accepted as common knowledge for a long time.
“You mentioned this before, right? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with not just reptilian eyes but also a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we suit each other or not is not what’s important.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous smile on her face, letting out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’ then?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, Iris was quick to respond without hesitation.
This was a development she had foreseen. The return of her sister’s demeanor made her mood better as it reminded her of what she used to be.
But it wouldn’t be long before Iris’s composure was shattered.
“That will come after you talk to Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan escaped Iris’s lips, one of dissatisfaction.
It was inevitable.
The First Prince Viltéon was competing with Iris for the next throne.
The fact that the two did not get along had been accepted as common knowledge for a long time.
“You mentioned before, right? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would fit with that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we fit together isn’t what’s important.”
Shi-en wore a deliberately mischievous smile and laughed foolishly.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important about what we exchange? If we are truly a ‘good match’ then?”
“…What do you want?”
Even with a scoff, there was no hesitation in Iris’s response.
This kind of development was something she had expected. The gradual return of her sister’s old demeanor seemed to brighten her mood.
But it didn’t take long before Iris’s calm was broken.
“That will come after you speak with Brother Viltéon.”
A soft groan slipped from Iris’s lips.
It couldn’t be helped.
The First Prince Viltéon was competing with Iris for the future throne.
It had been long accepted that the two had a conflict.
“Didn’t I mention it before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You possess both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really believe you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… it’s not about whether we fit together or not.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous smile and laughed in a silly manner.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we actually are a ‘good match’?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitation in Iris’s retort.
This was clearly a situation she had anticipated. The gradual emergence of her sister’s former self seemed to make her mood a bit brighter.
However, it didn’t take long before Iris’s calm was disrupted.
“That will come after you have a talk with Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan escaped Iris’s lips.
It was only natural.
The First Prince Viltéon was openly contesting the throne with Iris.
The fact that the two were at odds had been common knowledge for a long time.
“You mentioned before, right? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You possess reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really believe you fit well with that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… it’s not about whether we are a good fit or not.”
Shi-en wore a deliberately shrewd smile and let out a foolish laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitation in Iris’s response.
This situation was already anticipated. The gradual return of her sister’s former demeanor seemed to put her in a better mood.
However, it would not be long before Iris’s calm demeanor was disrupted.
“That will come after you talk to Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan escaped Iris’s lips.
This was unavoidable.
The First Prince Viltéon—he was in competition for the next throne alongside Iris.
It had long been common knowledge that their relationship was sour.
“Didn’t I mention before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really believe you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we suit each other or not is not the point.”
Shi-en’s mischievous smile returned as she released a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we are, in fact, a truly ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even scoffing, there was no pause in Iris’s retort.
This development was one she had anticipated. With her sister’s former demeanor gradually returning, Iris felt a surge of pleasure.
But long before Iris’s calmness could crack, it didn’t take long.
“That will come after you speak to Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan, filled with dissatisfaction, slipped from Iris.
It was no surprise.
The First Prince Viltéon was competing with Iris for the next throne.
It had long been common knowledge that the two did not get along.
“Didn’t I mention before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we are a good fit or not isn’t the important issue.”
Shi-en sported a mischievous smile and laughed foolishly.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more important what we exchange? If we truly are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was a fluidity in Iris’s response.
This progression was an expected one. The slow emergence of her sister’s former self seemed to lift Iris’s spirits.
But it wouldn’t take long before Iris’s composure unraveled.
“That will come after you chat with Brother Viltéon.”
From Iris’s lips emerged a small groan of discontent.
There was no other way.
The First Prince Viltéon, he was contending with Iris for the next throne.
The notion that the two had a conflict was accepted as common knowledge for quite a while.
“Didn’t I mention this before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You possess not just reptilian eyes but also a reptilian heart… Do you genuinely believe that you fit in with that wastrel?”
“You realize, Sister… whether we mesh is irrelevant.”
Shi-en displayed a mischievous grin, letting out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more essential to focus on what we are exchanging? If we really are a ‘good match’?”
“…What are you trying to imply?”
Even while scoffing, Iris’s response was unhesitant.
This development was something she had anticipated. The gradual return of her sister’s former demeanor appeared to cheer Iris up.
However, it wouldn’t be very long until Iris’s calm was shattered.
“That will come after you have a chat with Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan of discontent oozed from Iris’s lips.
It couldn’t be avoided.
The First Prince Viltéon was competing with Iris for the throne.
The fact that the two had been at odds had been common knowledge for some time.
“Did I not mention before? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You possess both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you think you would actually suit that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we fit together or not is not the primary question.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous smile and let out a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more significant what we exchange? If we actually are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Even while scoffing, there was no hesitance in Iris’s comeback.
This was an anticipated situation. The gradual return of her sister’s old demeanor brought Iris a sense of relief.
Yet, it wouldn’t last long before Iris’s steadiness was rattled.
“That particular matter will follow talking to Brother Viltéon.”
Iris let out a small groan of discontent.
It was unavoidable.
The First Prince Viltéon was vying with Iris for the upcoming throne.
The fact that these two were at odds was well known.
“You brought it up before, didn’t you? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You were born with both reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you really think you would be a good fit with that wasteful man?”
“You understand, Sister… it isn’t about whether we complement each other or not.”
Shi-en wore a mischievous grin and let out a silly laugh.
“Isn’t it more crucial what we barter? If we genuinely are a ‘good match’?”
“…What are you hinting at?”
Iris’s response held no hesitation, even while she scoffed.
This sort of scenario had been anticipated. As her sister’s old demeanor gradually returned, Iris found herself feeling lighter.
However, it wouldn’t take long for Iris’s poise to crumble.
“That will be discussed after you speak with Brother Viltéon.”
A small groan emanated from Iris’s lips.
This couldn’t be helped.
The First Prince Viltéon was racing Iris for the throne.
The fact that their relationship was fraught had long been public knowledge.
“I told you before, didn’t I? You and I are fundamentally different from that man. You have reptilian eyes and a reptilian heart… Do you truly believe you would mesh well with that wastrel?”
“You know, Sister… whether we fit together is not what’s important.”
Shi-en wore a sly smile and released a silly laugh.
“Heh heh, isn’t it more paramount what we exchange? If we genuinely are a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you want?”
Iris’s respond, lacking any hesitation, came even between her scoffs.
This circumstance was foreseeable. The gradual return of her sister’s former self seemed to elevate Iris’s mood.
However, it wouldn’t take long for that calm to fracture.
“That will be addressed after you converse with Brother Viltéon.”
Iris’s lips curled into an uncontainable sigh.
There was no escaping this.
The First Prince Viltéon was in competition with Iris for the throne.
It had long since become common knowledge that the two had a contentious relationship.
“With my earlier word, it signifies that you and I are fundamentally distinct from that man. The difference is in the eyes and the heart—traits of a reptile… Do you think you would suit him?”
“You must realize, Sister… what ultimately matters is not whether we meld together.”
With a mischievous smile, Shi-en let loose a silly laugh.
Isn’t it more about what we exchange? If we can truly be seen as a ‘good match’?”
“…What do you intend to imply?”
Even while scornful, Iris’s reply came without hesitation.
This entire scene unfolded in predictable manner. The hint of her sister’s old self returning put Iris in a brighter mood.
Nonetheless, that peace would shatter sooner rather than later.
“However, that discussion can only follow after you meet with Brother Viltéon.”
Iris let out a quiet, exasperated groan.
This couldn’t simply be avoided.
The First Prince Viltéon was tussling with Iris for the royal title.
The two of them being in disagreement had become well-known.
“Did I not inform you earlier? You and I remain inherently dissimilar to him. Your eyes, your heart—reptilian traits… Do you genuinely suppose you’d fit well with that buffoon?”
“And you know, Sister… whether we mesh well isn’t truly the issue at hand.”
Shi-en displayed a sly grin then let out a giggle.
“Is it not more critical that we focus on what we can gain from one another? If we are indeed a ‘good match’?”
“…What are you driving at?”
Without hesitation, Iris countered her retort, even with some disdain.
This theme was expected. The gradual reemergence of her sister’s more resolute demeanor inspired warmth within Iris.
But it would not take long before Iris’s balance became unstable.
“That matter will be broached following your discussion with Brother Viltéon.”
A faint groan fled from Iris’s lips.
It could not be avoided.
The First Prince Viltéon was battling with Iris for the imperial seat.
The two’s contention remained widely acknowledged.
The Great Witch’s impending arrival at the Academy had been ongoing gossip for some time…
