“The young master is busy right now.”
“Busy?”
“Yes… he is extremely busy at the moment,”
Snow initially didn’t think much of Yui’s response, chalking it up to Riley’s usual eccentric obsession with training.
Knowing him, he was likely working on some new technique or pushing his limits in another early-morning routine.
Snow sensed there was more going on.
She knew all too well how to read people, and beneath Yui’s poker face, she could detect something unusual, something that Yui was clearly trying to conceal.
“Is he doing something dangerous, perhaps?” Snow probed, her voice calm but laced with suspicion.
Yui’s response was quick. “No… the young master is just… occupied with important matters at the moment.”
“Hmm,” Snow murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Yui’s face, which had grown more resolute, as if determined to keep the details shrouded.
Yui’s gaze shifted to meet Snow’s directly, scrutinizing her in a way that felt almost confrontational. “If it’s not too forward of me, may I ask… are you truly the young master’s friend?”
“Yes,” Snow replied without hesitation.
Snow could sense Yui’s lingering doubts, despite her guarded expression.
As a maid of Killian Hall, Yui held a certain duty to protect Riley and maintain a level of discretion about his affairs, but her position only allowed her to go so far.
False suspicions could jeopardize her standing, and Riley’s unpredictable behavior only added to the difficulty of discerning the truth.
She prided herself on knowing the faces of nearly all the students in Killian Hall, even if only in passing.
Yet, the young man before her was unfamiliar, and that discrepancy alone raised silent alarms.
The only students she hadn’t fully memorized yet were some of the newly arrived first-years, still fresh on their time here, though this person didn’t strike her as a first-year.
Yui found herself wanting to press further, to ask this “friend” more pointed questions, but her responsibilities and limits were clear.
Right now, her priority was ensuring Riley’s privacy.
So, for now, even if her suspicions remained unsettled, Yui decided not to complicate matters by pressing the young man further.
Snow, unsatisfied with the situation, was ready to let things be.
She could always return tomorrow or later, without ruffling feathers or drawing suspicion.
But then…
A powerful surge of mana radiated from Riley’s room, slipping through the barriers set up within the dorm.
Yet, for someone like Snow, whose mana sense was attuned to even the smallest fluctuations a level upon which only the highest-ranking mages could achieve, it was enough.
She sensed Riley’s mana inside, but the spike wasn’t his.
“Move…”
The single word slipped from Snow’s mouth, carrying a weight that froze Yui in her tracks.
This transformation was all Yui needed to step aside, stunned and bewildered.
“Killian Hall maid, Yui. Open the door,” Snow commanded, her voice carrying a cold finality that left little room for negotiation. “I need to have a word with your young master.”
Though reluctance weighed on her, Yui couldn’t resist the unyielding authority Snow projected.
She moved aside and opened the door, casting an uncertain glance at Snow before bowing her head.
The moment Snow entered Riley’s room, her eyes began a thorough scan, tracking the remnants of red mana still lingering in the air like faint trails.
A pink strand on his shoulder stood out in stark contrast against the dim light.
The sheets on his bed were noticeably wrinkled, and the impression of someone having sat on the sofa was evident, as if a second person had only recently left.
Snow’s mind pieced together the scene.
She didn’t know precisely what had transpired between Riley and whoever else had been here, but the presence of his maid guarding the door was reason enough to deepen her suspicions.
All his firsts are supposed to be hers.
The warmth in her eyes hardened into something colder, and her expression froze, veiling her usual demeanor in an icy resolve.
“Snow…?”
….
The chill settled over me, freezing me in place like a plunge into winter’s harshest storm, and I felt every degree of Snow’s icy glare as if it were a weight pressing down on me.
She wasn’t even using her magic, but the look she gave me felt colder than any spell. My thoughts spun with a single word that perfectly captured my predicament.
Fuck.
I couldn’t move, and there was no escape from her gaze, which practically screamed, “Were you cheating on me?” The tension settled like frost on my skin.
Even the slightest motion felt like it would shatter me.
Gulping inwardly, I tried to steady myself.
The stakes of my answer felt high, and yet I knew that either lying or telling the truth could lead to the same conclusion.
So, I opted for a measured response, keeping my tone as calm as possible.
“And who exactly is this friend of yours?” Her voice was dangerously soft.
“Senior Alice,” I said, trying to sound casual, though I knew I probably sounded anything but.
“SLEPT?”
Snow’s voice rose sharply, and I barely had time to react before she took a quick, icy step forward, her frost-laden hand reaching for my neck.
Cold spread from her grip like a vice made of ice itself, making every breath tight.
Her gaze bore into me, relentless, cutting off every possible escape route as she leaned in close.
“Riley Hell,” she said in a low, seething tone. “I need you to explain everything, in full detail, before I kill you and myself later….”
…
“It’s definition of pranks is quite extreme then,”
With that, she sank onto my lap on the sofa, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head on my shoulder.
I gently ran my hand through her soft white hair, feeling her warmth settle against the back of my neck.
“I see.”
There was a slight possessiveness in her tone, but she stayed close, letting her fingers idly trace patterns along my arm and chest.
It seemed Snow had this unusual fixation on mimicking everything Alice had done while I was asleep, as if she could overwrite the experience somehow.
I considered questioning it, but seeing her so calm and satisfied, I decided to let her do whatever brought her peace.
Honestly, it has been a while since Snow and I had a quiet, private moment like this.
Ever since we’d admitted our feelings to each other, we had this quiet, hidden connection.
But time to indulge it was rare, squeezed thin by conflicting schedules and the constant need to keep things discreet.
So here we were, in an unexpected but cherished reprieve, enjoying the simplicity of each other’s presence.
“Riley….”
“Hm?”
“C-Can we kiss….?”
I found my self chuckling at her cute request, not letting the moment get ruined my face naturally moved closer.
Her lips were as intoxicating as ever…
