Emily expression slowly melted as the taste spread through her mouth.
Her eyes widened first in surprise, then narrowed in bliss. A tiny, almost inaudible hum of satisfaction escaped her throat.
She leaned forward slightly, muttering to herself, “This is even better than strawberries…”
And then, without hesitation, she scooped up another bite and stuffed it into her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly, making her resemble a chipmunk more than anything.
She didn’t notice Isaac watching her until it was too late.
When her eyes finally met his, her chewing froze.
A blush bloomed across her cheeks.
She turned her face away, hiding her expression behind her hand and hair.
“I’m glad you can taste it.” Isaac smiled gently.
Emily gave a quiet nod, still not facing him directly.
But even from the side, he could see her smiling.
After dinner, the group split up for a while.
Selene quietly helped clean up, occasionally glancing at Isaac when she thought no one was watching.
Alice stayed behind with her uncle and Leora in the living room, discussing something in low tones.
Isaac excused himself and began walking toward the study.
He had barely reached the hallway when he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned around.
Selene stood there, hands clasped in front of her as she held the book titled ’Plant Kingdom.’
“I—um…” she began. “I wanted to say sorry. Again.”
Isaac looked at her with a neutral expression.
Truth be told, he still didn’t understand why Alice had asked him to treat Selene normally. This was the same girl who had, at one point, enticed others to isolate Alice in her own home.
And then there was the message he’d received from the Goddess of Love, War, and Harvest. The one where Alice’s fate had included betrayal by her family.
Selene had always been the first suspect in Isaac’s mind.
If she was the one who’d driven Alice out, then no matter how soft her current voice sounded or how sincere her eyes looked, he was going to make her life miserable.
Of course, he didn’t say any of that out loud.
Right now, he had no proof, or a confirmation that it would be Selene who betrayed Alice.
There was no reason to treat Selene coldly when Alice herself had asked him not to hold a grudge. At least until he found who betrayed Alice.
And if he kept acting distant, Alice might understand for a while, but then…
She’d get mad.
Really mad.
So he exhaled lightly, trying to let go of the tension in his shoulders.
“Stop it,” he said. “You’ve apologized enough.”
Selene looked at him, surprised.
He added, “You didn’t do anything to me. So I don’t need an apology.”
That seemed to catch her off guard even more than expected. She looked down, clutching the book a little tighter.
But she didn’t walk away.
Isaac sighed again and took a step forward.
Then he held out his hand.
Selene blinked, clearly confused.
Isaac tilted his head.
“The book,” he said. “The one on plants. You didn’t bring it here to study, right? I’m guessing it’s a gift.”
“Oh—yes,” she said, straightening up. “Yes, it’s for you.”
She handed it over quickly, like she was afraid she might change her mind if she waited another second.
Isaac flipped through the first few pages.
“Oh?”
The contents were in-depth knowledge of plants.
Some of it he already knew, but there were plenty of concepts he hadn’t encountered yet, particularly the section about natural energy in plants.
It went beyond just mana and life force.
Some plants contained attributes type mana and life force, like fire-based life force or frost-tinged mana.
There were even charts on how these energies influenced the growth and effects of the crops.
“This looks valuable,” Isaac said. “Are you sure you want to give it away for free?”
“Please take it. It’s not comparable to what you did, but I thought you’d appreciate it more than money.”
Isaac gave her a smile. “Thank you.”
Selene stared at him like he’d just cast a charm spell. She quickly looked away when she realized how long she’d been staring.
[Status: Thinks your smile is heart-fluttering. Confused why her heart is beating so fast. Wonders if the poison from the assassins is still in her bloodstream.]
System Alert: It is advised host makes Selene Calloway a wife candidate and a wife as soon as possible to reduce his AP losses.
Isaac closed the book and tucked it under one arm.
He turned away and walked to the study, but before he entered, he called her out. “Selene.”
She turned to face him, surprised.
He nodded once. “Thanks again. Really.”
Then he turned and walked into the study.
Inside, the room was quiet. The window was open, and a faint breeze stirred the papers on his desk.
He placed the book inside the Soulbind Pendant.
“I will look at this later. First, I should share the Physique.”
’Since only high rank species have Physique, I wonder what makes them so special.’
He grabbed his Soulbind Pendant and entered it.
…
Alice’s POV
Alice sat comfortably on the velvet-lined sofa.
Across from her, Professor Catherine leaned forward in her chair with three neatly sealed envelopes in her hand.
Leora stood behind her while Uncle Lucius sat next to Alice.
Emily was there too, perched on the armrest of a side chair like a child who had wandered into an adult conversation and refused to leave.
She didn’t belong in this room, but staying here was better than following Isaac to study.
Professor Catherine extended the letters to Alice with a polite smile.
“These are Admission letters for you from Aeternum University, Horizon Institute, and Sanctum of Masters.”
Alice took them.
“They all want to take you in,” Professor Catherine added.
Alice didn’t ask anything stupid like didn’t the universal entrance exam happen already? or how am I still eligible for admission?
She had an SSS-ranked Talent.
As a Saintess, she would be soon capable of healing, calling upon divine power, and more. That alone was rare.
But she also had an awakened bloodline and physique. It was a complete awakening, and she held the blood of dragons.
People needed to understand something: mid-rank species ’could’ awaken a talent or bloodline. Similarly, high-rank species might awaken all three.
But it was never guaranteed.
Alice had hit the jackpot.
From someone no awakener university would have looked at twice, she had become someone even the top three institutions would kill to have.
She opened the letters one by one and scanned through the contents.
After a moment, she asked, “Do the other two universities already know about my awakening?”
“Yes,” Professor Catherine said. “Each university keeps spies in other campuses. When you entered the stronghold’s central hospital and were placed in the pod used for physique awakening or advancing to Overlord rank, they easily guessed what happened.”
Alice nodded slowly.
She passed the letters to her uncle.
“They’re offering me a lot. Horizon Institute seems good for combat training. Aeternum University might be the best for ranking up quickly. But what does Sanctum of Masters offer that the others don’t?”
Leora’s lips twitched in a bitter smile.
Everyone here knew Alice would end up at Sanctum.
But Alice planning to squeeze every advantage she could before making it official.
Uncle Lucius looked proud.
Professor Catherine didn’t seem offended.
In fact, she looked a little amused.
“We can match any benefit the other universities offer,” she said calmly. “And more. We can also use the City’s Core System to grant you a perfectly optimized Class.”
Alice considered that, then shook her head. “I already have my bloodline, physique, and Talent to master. I won’t be choosing a Class anytime soon. By the time I’m ready, I’ll be strong enough to find the right one myself. So I’ll need other benefits if you want me to join Sanctum.”
Lucius let out a quiet breath. His pride was almost visible now.
Professor Catherine nodded. “What do you want?”
Alice didn’t hesitate. “I want permission to live with Isaac. And if he’s ever sent on a mission, I should be allowed to join him unless either of us objects.”
Her words stirred the Emily.
She sat up straight. “Living with Isaac? Even I wasn’t allowed that.”
Professor Catherine turned to her, brow raised. “Aren’t you living with him now?”
Emily pouted and shook her head. “Only temporarily. I’ll have to go back eventually.”
Alice looked at her. She thought for a moment before she added, “Then add one more condition to my application. Emily should be allowed to stay with Isaac too. And whatever benefits I ask for, she should receive them as well.”
Lucius’ expression took a one-eighty degree turn.
He didn’t say a word, but his thoughts were written all over his face.
Emily blinked, surprised.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Mhm.” Alice nodded.
Only Alice knew how much it willpower it took her to say that.
A small part of her wanted to tear up the agreement and declare that Emily had no business being near Isaac.
But Emily had treated her kindly, and more importantly, Emily settled with Isaac before her. Alice was the intruder.
If it had been any other girl – any other girl – trying to get close to him, Alice would’ve ripped her apart.
Professor Catherine took a breath and nodded. “Alright. I’ll include those terms.”
Alice sat back, satisfied. “Then I’ll join Sanctum of Masters.”
Leora’s smile was hidden, but her joy wasn’t.
She couldn’t wait to sneak away and shove this news into the faces of Dante and Lucian.
Alice—an SSS ranked Saintess—was choosing her university over theirs. That alone would be enough to silence them for weeks.
The meeting ended shortly after.
As the room began to clear, Emily stepped closer.
“Thanks again,” she said softly.
Alice nodded. Emily reminded her of a small animal like a hamster trying to act serious. She was already reaching out to pat her head.
Before she could, Selene approached.
She had a red face and she seemed to be to thinking about something else.
Alice’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you give it to Isaac?”
Selene nodded. “Yes.”
Her heartbeat was a little fast. Her face was redder than it should be.
Alice studied her, thoughtful.
’Did Isaac scold her? Or ignore her? Or maybe she’s just nervous around him?’
’Whatever it is, I’ll need to make sure Isaac interacts with her more, and they get along. There’s no point in letting old grudges linger.’