Lilith tried hard to convince herself, attempting to replace the overly intimate word "admiration" with the more distant "respect."
However, before this mental self-reassurance could fully solidify, another thought burst forth uncontrollably.
"But... what did that guy mean when he said... he's been watching me all this time?"
"Could it be... he really was... watching me all along, just like he said? How else would he know about the things I did in secret?"
At the thought, Lilith felt her cheeks flush hot uncontrollably again, her heart skipping several rapid beats.
She instinctively squirmed her body slightly within the soft bedding, as if doing so could dispel the inexplicable heat and pounding in her chest.
"C-Could it be... that instead of Sister... he actually... likes me more?!"
"Is that why he paid special attention to me and knew so much about me? Is that why he said those things to me this morning—just to... get my attention?"
The thought made her hold her breath instantly, blood rushing to her head.
But in the next second, her reason forcibly suppressed this absurd conjecture.
"No, that's wrong! If it's me he likes, why did he say, 'Just like you, I admire Princess Vivian too'? Isn't that a contradiction?"
"Could his true target still be Sister? Approaching me and saying those things to me... was it all just to use me as a stepping stone to get close to Sister again?!"
At the thought, a wave of anger at being toyed with mixed with grievance surged within her.
"But... if he just wanted to use me to get close to Sister, there's no need for him to expose that in public, right? What good does that do him? It would only make me want to ignore him more and make it harder for me to help play matchmaker..."
"So... what on earth does he mean?! What is he trying to do?!"
Lilith felt she was about to be driven mad by these intricate guesses and deductions.
Like an anxious little beast trapped in a maze, she tossed and turned under the covers, unable to find the exit that could explain everything.
"No! I can't keep overthinking like this!"
She abruptly sat up from the bed and pulled off the covers over her head.
Her long red hair was somewhat disheveled from her earlier tossing and turning, with a few strands clinging to her slightly sweaty forehead and cheeks.
"I have to find that guy and get a clear answer! Ask him face-to-face what he meant by those words this morning and why he said them!"
Once the thought arose, it grew overwhelmingly intense.
She couldn't wait a second longer. She wanted to get out of bed right now, change her clothes, rush out of the dormitory, drag out that blond bastard who had disrupted her mind all day, and demand the full truth!
However, just as her foot was about to touch the cold floor, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of the sleek full-length mirror on the vanity nearby.
Reflected in the mirror was the messy image of a pathetic girl.
This caused Lilith's movements to freeze instantly.
An indescribable sense of shame instantly overwhelmed her previous impulse.
"N-Not that I care whether that guy likes me or not... b-but..."
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and sat back at the edge of the bed.
"As expected... it's better to rest up and adjust to peak condition before going."
"After all, the dungeon is very dangerous; I need to maintain abundant physical strength and a clear head."
"So, everything is just preparation for smoothly entering the dungeon and confronting him later! It's definitely not for any other reason!"
She successfully convinced herself.
Thus, amidst the worries of the three maids outside the door—
Creak.
The door that had been tightly shut for most of the day was suddenly pulled open from the inside.
Lilith stood at the doorway.
She had changed into a comfortable, domestic dark red velvet lounge dress. Though her hair was still a bit fluffy, it was clearly smoothed by hand, and the abnormal flush on her face had mostly faded.
She pursed her lips and lifted her red eyes, which had regained their former luster, looking toward her loyal maids. Using a tone as steady and natural as possible, she said:
"I'm hungry. Renee, go have the kitchen prepare some food, make it lavish. Layla, help me prepare hot water for a bath. Rena... you, stay far away from me; don't infect me with your idiot virus again."
Saying that, she stopped looking at her maids' eyes, which had instantly lit up with a mix of complex emotions. Turning around, she walked toward the small living room with a straight back, as if she had reverted to that proud, dazzling red-haired princess once more.
Only her slightly reddened eartips betrayed the turmoil in her heart that had not fully settled.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Academy Dungeon.
After passing through the narrow passage, Victoria and Silvia closely followed Greg's footsteps, officially stepping into the second layer of the Glory Cael Magic Academy Dungeon—a floor that had never been recorded or explored.
Unlike the environment of the first layer, which was composed entirely of natural caverns, the scenery of the second layer of the dungeon underwent a subtle change. In the dim light, it faintly revealed a strange mix of artificial intervention and vanished civilization.
The main space remained a stretch of vast natural caverns with towering rock walls, but the ground was no longer just scattered rubble and moss.
Scattered, massive square stone slabs paved part of the path, their edges worn smooth by time.
Some cavern walls were deliberately carved flat, and faint, weathered relief outlines were even visible, depicting distorted, abstract patterns that were difficult to decipher.
Even more eye-catching were the collapsed, broken giant stone pillars. They were clearly not naturally formed; their shafts were rugged, their surfaces carved with incomprehensible geometric patterns and symbols.
"This place... really is different from above."
Silvia spoke softly, her pink eyes surveying the surroundings with curiosity.
Her gaze was drawn to a giant stone pillar near the exit, half-buried in crushed rock.
She walked over, reaching out her fair fingers to carefully stroke the deep, mottled patterns on the surface of the stone pillar.
"I somehow feel..."
She slightly knit her delicate brows, her voice carrying uncertain doubt:
"The patterns on this... seem a bit familiar, as if I've seen something similar somewhere..."
Victoria also walked over and took a look. "I feel like these are probably just random lines with no pattern; they definitely don't mean anything."
As for Greg, standing behind the two of them, a glance at the markings on the broken stone pillar made him realize why Silvia found them familiar.
Because they were remarkably similar to the markings on the stone tablets held by Professor Audrey when she was kidnapped back then.
Except that the markings on those represented faith in the Mother of Depravity, whereas the markings on this broken stone pillar clearly represented faith in the Mother of Fragmentation.
Rate on N.U.
