The river that had once been frozen had now thawed; fresh buds from flowers and trees began to bloom once more.
At the heart of the Altaros Empire stood the most prestigious academy on the entire continent, an institution that had existed for over a thousand years. Every year, it opened enrollment for prospective students, most of whom were around seventeen years old.
The academy accepted students from any background, as long as they met the required criteria. Even an orphan with no family at all would be admitted—so long as they possessed sufficient talent.
One such student was Felicia—no one could look away from her.
She was a perfect blend of innocence and allure. Her face resembled that of a fairy, with bright blue eyes that seemed pure and untainted. Yet her body told a different story. Her mature curves were hidden beneath her clothing, but the fullness of her chest and the shape of her hips were far too pronounced to ignore. Her presence amidst the crowd was like honey drawing bees—a promise of temptation that instantly stirred the imaginations of men.
Standing among the crowd, she gazed at the announcement board. Her name was clearly listed as one of the successful candidates admitted into the academy.
At that moment, a young man called out to her.
"Hey, Fel! Which class did you get into?" he asked. His black hair shimmered under the sunlight, matching the color of his eyes. Despite wearing simple clothes, his appearance stood out—his handsome features reminiscent of noble lineage.
"Eran! I'm in Class B, Magic Department," Felicia replied with a smile.
The two were childhood friends from the same orphanage. They had spent time together since they were seven years old.
"Let's go to the cadet registration counter together?"
"Of course!"
They walked side by side toward the new student registration counter. There, they would receive their academy tokens—official proof that they had been accepted into Altaros Academy.
"By the way, Eran, which class are you in?"
"Of course I'm in Class S, Knight Department. Hehe," Eran said with a grin.
"Though I'm ranked at the very bottom of that class."
"Eh, that's still amazing! I heard Class S is filled with extremely talented nobles. Are you sure you can compete with them, Eran?"
"Of course! I'll give it everything I've got!" he replied, giving a confident thumbs-up.
They looked as close as ever—sometimes even like an inseparable couple. But in her heart, Felicia saw Eran more as a dependable brother.
They entered the token distribution room.
"You're the young man named Eran, correct?" asked one of the professors in charge.
"Hey, look. Isn't that the scholarship student?"
"You're right… he's quite handsome, isn't he?"
"I heard he's a commoner—even from an orphanage."
Other new students began whispering as they noticed Eran. Quite a few female students were clearly captivated by his appearance.
After receiving their Altaros Academy tokens, the two returned toward their lodging.
"Hm, so this is the academy token?" Felicia murmured, examining the square-shaped object in her hand.
"That's right. They say with this, we can freely enter dungeons and other restricted areas."
The token was more than just a physical item—it was proof of their identity as members of Altaros Academy. Graduating from this place guaranteed a better future and life.
***
Life at the academy went well for both of them.
Within just a few weeks, rumors spread that Eran had saved a Count's daughter—Serena von Faleria—from an assassination attempt. Thanks to that incident, his popularity skyrocketed.
Due to differences in class and department, Felicia rarely met Eran. Their busy schedules became a barrier between them. Even so, Felicia excelled in her studies and gradually made new friends.
When lunch break arrived, she went to the academy garden with one of them.
"Fel, you grasp the essence of magic so quickly. Can you help me later?" asked Elly, one of her close friends.
"Of course, Elly. I'll help you until you understand," Felicia replied sincerely.
"Aww, thank you, Fel! You really are my best friend!"
As the two walked through a quieter part of the garden, a commotion suddenly broke the calm.
"S-sorry… please don't do this," a weak voice pleaded.
"Don't give me that nonsense! Isn't it obvious you have to pay your 'tax'? If not, I'll drag you out of this academy!"
The shouting grew clearer. Felicia and Elly peeked toward the source and witnessed bullying. Three young men surrounded a student who was kneeling at their feet. The silver-haired youth standing in the center seemed to be their leader.
"We have to help him," Felicia said, stepping forward. But suddenly, Elly grabbed her arm tightly.
"Stop! You shouldn't get involved with nobles like them."
"B-but… aren't we all equal in the academy? I can't just ignore something like this!"
"Fel, listen. That's Yuriel. He's from Class A, Knight Department. Rumor has it he often bullies weaker students. If you interfere, you'll become his next target!" Elly said, shaking her head in fear.
"Still…"
"No! Let's go somewhere else. I also heard he likes harassing women. I don't want him targeting you."
In the end, they chose to have lunch elsewhere.
Days passed. Felicia and Eran met less and less. Eran became increasingly busy training in the knight's field, often seen sparring with Serena. Since they were in the same class, it was only natural they spent a lot of time together. Occasionally, Felicia watched from afar with Elly.
Until one afternoon, on her way back to the dorm, Felicia accidentally saw Yuriel sitting alone on a bench in the garden. His gaze was empty, his hands bruised as if he had been punching a stone wall.
Felicia recognized that look—the look of someone who had just lost something precious.
She knew Yuriel was a bully, but seeing him in such a broken state stirred something in her heart. She approached him and offered a handkerchief.
"Um… you can use this to clean your wounds." She carefully placed it beside him.
There was no response. Only suffocating silence.
"In that case, I'll take my leave," Felicia said, walking away.
She didn't realize that this small act of kindness would become the beginning of the worst experience of her life.
The next day, Yuriel began approaching her little by little. But unwilling to deal with someone like him, Felicia kept avoiding him.
What started as small disturbances gradually escalated. The breaking point came when Felicia politely refused his dinner invitation—Yuriel snapped and dumped her lunch onto the floor.
"Hey… isn't that too much?" Elly whispered angrily.
"It's okay… I can still endure it," Felicia said with a long sigh.
"Here, take half my bread." Elly shared her meal.
"Thank you so much, Elly." Felicia ate gratefully to ease her hunger.
Although Felicia had a scholarship, it only covered tuition. Living expenses in an academy as vast as a city had to be paid on her own. That was why she lived frugally, often eating just once a day.
Sometimes, she explored low-level dungeons with Eran to earn extra money, or worked part-time as a dishwasher at an inn. Despite Yuriel's harassment, she chose to keep it from Eran. She didn't want to distract him from growing stronger.
Especially now that Eran was becoming more popular among women.
Until one morning on a day off, as Felicia was heading to the inn where she worked, a burly young man suddenly blocked her path.
With a panicked expression, he told her that Yuriel was bullying Elly in a quiet alley behind the area. Hearing her friend's name, Felicia's heart sank.
Without thinking, she ran toward the direction he pointed.
Her mind raced with worry. She hoped Elly was safe—never once had she imagined Yuriel would target her through her friend.
But when she arrived at the damp, silent alley, there was no sign of Elly.
Only Yuriel stood there, accompanied by his two lackeys.
"Well, Boss, looks like the rumors were true," one of them sneered.
"What a shame. A girl this beautiful turns out to be just a cheap worker at an inn. If I knew, I would've visited more often," the other added.
Hearing those filthy words, a chilling premonition struck Felicia. She stepped back, trying to turn away—but the two men quickly blocked her path.
"You've always acted innocent, being kind to everyone. How dare a mere commoner like you reject me over and over?" Yuriel said, stepping closer.
"What do you want from me?" Felicia asked, her voice trembling.
"Isn't it obvious? Just tell me—how much are you worth?" Yuriel replied, licking his lips.
"Don't be ridiculous! I don't do that kind of work!" Felicia stepped back again, her heart pounding painfully.
"You kept rejecting me and acting like some pure saint. But who would've thought you sell yourself at that filthy inn?"
Yuriel kept advancing. Each step felt heavy and oppressive. Felicia wanted to run, but her escape routes were already blocked.
"S-sir, watch your words! Even if I'm poor, I have never—"
"Shut up!" Yuriel barked, grabbing her arm and pushing her to the dirty ground.
"You two, stand guard outside!" he ordered.
"Hehe, of course, Boss."
"Save some for us later," they grinned before walking toward the alley's entrance.
Felicia tried to cast a spell to protect herself, but overwhelming fear paralyzed her. Her hands trembled violently, her body weak and unresponsive. Looking at Yuriel now, she no longer saw a human—but a starving beast ready to pounce.
Yuriel leaned down, his hand gripping her shoulder roughly. His breath was hot and heavy, his usually cold blue eyes now filled with dark desire.
Felicia trembled, tears silently streaming down her face. Her body froze in fear so deep she couldn't even scream.
"Please… stop…" she whispered weakly.
Yuriel only smirked, his fingers reaching for the strings of her dress.
Just as the fabric was about to come loose—
"YURIEL DE VALOIS!!!"
A thunderous shout shattered the silence of the narrow alley.
Eran stood at the entrance, his training sword still in hand, his face burning with anger and shock.