Chapter 80: Love Games
Political Intrigue class ended like what Aegis imagined a bad date would end like. Awkward, uncomfortable, and with most parties involved mildly disappointed.
"That was enlightening," Serilla said, falling into step beside her. "Your argument about commoner marriages being more politically stable was adorable. Wrong, but adorable."
Aegis kept walking. Maybe if she ignored her long enough, she’d go away.
"Nothing to say?" Serilla’s voice dripped fake concern. "And here I thought the Aegis Starcaller I heard about would always have a comeback."
Up ahead, Talia glanced back. Their eyes met for half a second before the princess turned away, her black hair whipping around like she was in a shampoo commercial. Even from behind, Aegis could tell she was annoyed.
[Great. Now she thinks I’m fraternizing with the enemy.]
"I save my comebacks for people whose opinions I actually care about," Aegis said.
"Ouch." Serilla pressed a hand to her chest, right between her... incredibly big tits. "You wound me. And after I transferred my entire schedule just to spend more time with you."
Aegis raised a brow at her.
[She did what?]
"That’s not creepy at all."
"I prefer ’dedicated.’" Serilla stepped closer, their shoulders almost touching. "When I want something, I pursue it completely."
"Like you pursued Liora yesterday? Against that wall?"
"Jealous?"
"Of what? Your technique? Come on, she looked bored out of her mind."
"So bored she wrapped her legs around me so I wouldn’t stop?"
"So bored she had to keep her legs around you to keep from falling asleep and hitting the floor."
Serilla laughed. Not a fake laugh either, or at least it didn’t sound like it, no. Genuine amusement that made passing students turn to stare.
"You’re a fun one," she said. "Most people just stammer and blush when I talk to them. Hell, sometimes I don’t even have to speak to leave them that way."
"Most people haven’t seen you desperately trying to mark territory like a dog. All that was left was the actual pissing on Liora part."
"A dog?" Serilla’s blue eyes sparkled. "I prefer ’wolf.’ Much more predatory."
"That’s the part you had a problem with???"
They turned a corner. The hallway stretched ahead, lined with portraits of dead headmasters who all looked constipated. Aegis swore she could almost feel their eyes watching them move.
"So what’s your game?" Aegis asked after a sigh. If Serilla was going to insist on walking with her, she figured she might as well extract SOMETHING of use out of this conversation. "You show up, immediately go after my friend’s girlfriend, and now you’re following me around like we’re besties?"
"Friend’s girlfriend?" Serilla tilted her head. "Interesting way to describe someone you fucked a few weeks ago. Aren’t you involved as well?"
Aegis stopped walking.
"Oh, did you think that was a secret?" Serilla circled her slowly until she was standing in front of Aegis. "The whole academy’s been buzzing with rumors about you three. Princess Stone walking funny on certain days, Liora practically glowing with freshly-fucked aura, and you looking like Queen Rosanna’s ghost had sucked you off personally."
"The whole academy can think whatever—"
"You know what they think?" Serilla took a step closer. "They think you’re building a harem. The shameless commoner, collecting noble girls like cards. First that muscle-headed Lionheart, then somehow the Ice Princess herself, sweet little Liora..."
"You forgot Professor Nazraya."
Be it because of pride or because she wanted to brag, the words slipped out before Aegis could stop them.
[Fuck. I probably shouldn’t have said that.]
Serilla’s eyes widened. Then she grinned.
"The professor too? My, you do aim high." She leaned in close enough that Aegis’s nostrils were suddenly assaulted by her perfume. "Tell me, does she make you call her ’Professor’ in bed?"
"Wouldn’t you like to know."
"I would, actually." Serilla’s hand brushed against Aegis’s. Their faces were just a few inches apart, Serilla’s smirk versus Aegis’s resolute scowl. "I’m very interested in your... techniques."
"My technique is not being a desperate ex trying to steal someone back for the sake of trying to revive old memories."
For the first time in the conversation, it seemed like that comment had pierced Serilla’s armor.
"Steal?" Serilla pulled back, mock-offended, though Aegis didn’t think it was all just an act. "I don’t steal. I simply remind people what they’re missing."
"That so? Or, are you just afraid she’d moved on."
"Regardless," Serilla replied, a little lower, "it’s clear she hasn’t."
They’d reached the dormitory wing. Students lounged in alcoves, pretending not to watch them. Aegis could practically feel the gossip forming.
"Well, this has been fun," Aegis said, "but I’ve got actual things to do, so yeah."
"Like what? Meeting your study group?" Serilla examined her nails. "The one with all those scholarship students? How wonderfully charitable of you."
"Better than whatever you’ve got planned. Let me guess—standing outside Liora’s window singing please, take me back?"
"Please. I have standards." Serilla stepped back, finally giving Aegis space to breathe. "I’ll see you in Combat class. Try not to miss me too much, Starcaller."
She walked away, hips moving like she knew everyone was watching.
And Aegis was. Her eyes remained fixed on that bubble butt until it was finally out of sight.
Once Serilla Frost was officially gone, Aegis sighed so hard her body borderline deflated.
[What a piece of work she is. I think I did well toward the end, though. Maybe she’ll leave me alone now.]
Aegis pushed open her dorm room door to find Lune cross-legged on her bed, painting something that looked like Aegis fencing with a pink-haired demon.
"Subtle," Aegis said.
"I thought so." Lune didn’t look up from her canvas. "You two are a lot alike."
Aegis paused.
"Excuse me?"
"Lady Frost." Lune looked away from her canvas and met Aegis’s eyes. "You’re similar."
Aegis flopped onto her bed hard enough to make the springs scream.
"Oh, come on. We’re nothing alike. She’s a predatory narcissist with boundary issues."
"Mm-hmm." Lune added another brushstroke. "And you’re...?"
"Not that."
"You had sex with your professor."
"That’s different."
"You seduced the princess who hated you."
"Also different."
"You turned a love triangle into a threesome."
"Okay, when you put it like that—"
"And it’s clear part of your goals is to collect women like some people collect coins." Lune looked away again. "But with more orgasms."
Aegis stared at the ceiling.
"Well... At least I don’t force myself on people," she said finally.
"Did she?" Lune returned to her painting.
"Of-"
Aegis began to respond but she stopped.
The image was still fresh in her mind. Liora with her legs wrapped around Serilla like that. Despite what Aegis had said, Serilla was right.
Liora looked like she would have let Serilla fuck her right there if Talia and Aegis hadn’t shown up.
"Seems to me her main strategy was to make herself irresistible and bet that Liora would break. And, quite simply, she won her bet."
"That’s manipulative."
"Are games of love not, at least on some level, manipulative?"
"Hey, whose side are you on!?"
"Hm? Do you not prefer it if I speak honestly instead of just agreeing with everything you say?"
Aegis sighed, melting into her bed.
"I do, it’s just... I’m frustrated."
"I see. How educational."
---
The study group met in their usual spot, a corner of the library that smelled like dust.
"The first Monthly Ranking Test is in six days," Ellis announced, like they didn’t all know. "We need a strategy."
"My strategy is prayer," Tam whispered, looking depressed. "Lots of it."
"My strategy is not being at the bottom six percent," Miheyra said. "The bar’s literally on the floor."
[Right, as each month goes by and more students get expelled, the percentage of students being sent home decreases. A tiny reward for those who squeak by.]
"It’s not that simple." Ellis pulled out a notebook covered in calculations that looked like someone had sneezed numbers onto paper. "Based on previous patterns, the combat portion will count for forty percent. The academic portion another forty. The remaining twenty is ’faculty assessment,’ which basically means whether the teachers like you."
"So we’re fucked," Jona said cheerfully. "No one likes us."
"Not necessarily." Ellis adjusted his spectacles. "If we work together—"
"Then we’re still fucked, but as a group," Miheyra finished.
Aegis listened to them spiral into academic despair. Unlike them, she wasn’t thinking about expulsion, she was wondering what she’d need to do to remain near the top. Before, she’d had to bullshit her way to victory, but now...
[Now I actually have stats and abilities. I can actually do things this time.]
"Aegis, could you grab the Historical Warfare texts from the third shelf?" Ellis asked. "Section C-4. We need them for Strategic Planning review."
"Sure."
She wandered deeper into the stacks.
The library at this hour felt like a maze designed by someone who’d had a fundamental misunderstanding of how people liked their libraries to be.
Section C-4 was tucked behind a pillar thick enough to hide a small army. Aegis reached for the Historical Warfare text, leather-bound and heavy enough to kill someone with. Appropriate.
That’s when she heard it.
A soft moan.
She peered around the pillar.
[... Whoa.]
It was the twins.
The catgirls were pressed against the wall, tangled together like they were trying to become one person. Kai’Lin had her tongue in Mei’Lin’s mouth. Mei’Lin’s hands were up Kai’Lin’s shirt. Their tails were wrapped around each other.
[Holy shit!]