The Imperial Mana Academy was old.
Like, aggressively old. The kind of old that came with moss-covered stone walls, creaking wooden floors, and a persistent smell of ancient parchment mixed with something vaguely sulfuric that I really hoped wasn't a mana-related incident.
Lady Clarissa led me through the entrance hall, her hand warm and reassuring on my arm.
"You'll love Headmistress Corvina," she said cheerfully. "She has been teaching mana theory for forty years. Absolute legend. A bit stern, but she has a good heart."
Stern. Great. Just what I need right now.
I was still furious. Still hurt. Still replaying the Duke's words in my head on an endless, torturous loop.
"Why can't you just be quiet sometimes?! Like a proper lady, like a proper princess!"
My hands clenched into fists.
Breathe, Emily. You're here to learn mana control. Not to think about emotionally constipated dukes who yell at you for asking basic questions.
