"Sianna really is a busy woman," Melissa started, easily slipping into the role of my personal informant.
She stepped back from me and leaned against the training hall wall, crossing her legs.
"She keeps herself busy all day," Melissa explained, "and only leaves the main academy buildings close to eight o'clock at night, and she rarely talks to the other professors in the faculty lounge.
A lot of the older teachers actually think she is stuck-up and arrogant just because her husband is a military captain."
'That explains why she always looks so tired,' I thought to myself, picturing the dark circles under her silver glasses.
'She is trying her best to keep her personal thoughts and worries completely sealed away by burying herself in endless academy work.'
"What about the mornings?" I asked, keeping my tone professional.
"Her morning routine is the same every single day," Melissa continued, her blue eyes watching my face closely.
"She takes early morning walks in the eastern academy gardens with her dog, a small golden retriever. After the walk, she trains her mana core privately for one hour, and then goes straight back to her house to get ready for morning lectures."
"Where exactly does she live?"
"Well, her actual married home is an estate in the centre of the capital city," Melissa said.
"But since Captain Darius is deployed to the northern border, she is currently staying in the private faculty dorms right here on the academy grounds. Building C, third floor."
"Hmm." I rubbed my chin, my mind already spinning fast.
I was trying to piece together a solid plan out of all these little details.
The morning walk with the dog seemed like the most natural opening. It was outside the classroom setting, and people were usually more relaxed around their pets.
"Thinking of ways to fuck her?" Melissa asked bluntly, her face completely indifferent as she stretched her arms.
"I told you, no personal questions," I replied, shooting her a warning look.
"Well, just giving you a friendly heads up," Melissa shrugged, completely unfazed by my glare.
"Sianna is extremely reserved since she comes from a strict family of dukes, and rarely talks to anyone outside of the small circle of people she already knows. You might be her new student after today, but that definitely doesn't mean she will just let you touch her however you wish."
Hearing this, my face remained perfectly calm, but my heart started beating significantly faster.
This really is a dire situation.
Seducing a lonely target is one thing, but seducing a high-ranking, emotionally closed-off noblewoman who also happens to be my professor is a risk.
It would have been a cake walk if the system had assigned me someone my own age, like a naive first-year student.
I could have charmed a freshman in twenty minutes. But an older, married professor requires a different level of psychological warfare.
"Your advice is highly appreciated, Lady Melissa," I said, giving her a small, dramatic bow to lighten the mood.
"What use are your empty thanks?" she scoffed, dropping into a fighting stance again.
"Let's train for one more hour. Also, I need you here in this hall every single night from now on."
'This is getting annoying,' I thought, hiding a sigh.
"I thought this was a simple one-time transaction," I said, staying relaxed.
"I fix your mana core, you give me the schedule. We are even."
"I am officially interested in how your little love story goes," Melissa said, walking slowly toward me.
"So you are going to keep me fully updated on your progress. Also, you never know..."
She walked so close to me again, tilted her head up, bringing her soft lips so close to mine that I could actually feel her warm breath across my mouth.
"I could be hiding there in the shadows," she whispered, her eyes teasing, "watching you fuck her brains out."
[Charm Interaction +10% with Secondary Target (Melissa)]
The blue system text popped up right next to her face as my blood ran hot.
This girl is exhilarating. She was dangerous, unpredictable, and completely unapologetic about it.
But before I could even fully enjoy the attraction, she pulled back instantly, formed a fist of solid ice, and started attacking me again with zero warning.
"Focus, Newman!" she yelled, swinging hard.
We duelled intensely for another full hour in the empty hall. I spent most of the time just dodging her erratic attacks and correcting her mana flow whenever she accidentally mixed the fire and ice.
By the time we finally called it quits, we were both sweating through our clothes and the stone floor was covered in scorch marks and puddles of melted ice.
I left the training hall, snuck back into the crowded freshman dorms without getting caught by the night wardens, took a very fast, cold shower to wash off the soot, and collapsed face-first into my narrow bed.
Before I closed my eyes, I pulled up the glowing red timer hovering in my mind.
[Time remaining: 2 Days 2 Hours]
I have to make a major move tomorrow morning.
There is no more time for simply building rapport in her office.
I woke up early the next day, right as the sun was starting to rise over the academy towers. I skipped breakfast in the cafeteria and headed straight for the eastern gardens.
The gardens were beautiful in the early morning light, filled with rare, magical flowers and perfectly trimmed bushes.
It was quiet and mostly empty, exactly how Sianna liked it.
I found a good spot near the main fountain, sitting on a bench where I had a clear view of the walking paths and waited patiently for about twenty minutes, mentally rehearsing exactly what I was going to say when she walked by with her golden retriever.
I even bought a small bag of expensive dog treats from the campus store just for this specific encounter.
Then, I finally saw her walking down the gravel path through the rose bushes.
Sianna looked even more beautiful outside of her academy uniform.
She was wearing a simple, light grey sweater, and her dark hair was actually down, flowing beautifully over her shoulders instead of being tied up in that tight bun, holding a leash on the golden retriever.
I stood up from the bench, putting on my best, most charming smile, ready to initiate the accidental encounter.
But then I stopped dead in my tracks.
She wasn't alone. Someone else was walking right beside her on the narrow gravel path, talking quietly to her while pointing at the different flowers.
It was Zephyr.