"Ah, I'm exhausted after such a long day, and to think I even ran into a fight! A hot bath will do the trick. Alpha, go heat the water. You know how to use the crystal stove, right? It's the same as the one at home." After giving her instructions, Felice walked into the bathroom and began undressing. She suddenly remembered that she had run out of soap before leaving and that the new ones were still outside. The towels were also still hanging on the balcony. So, she raised her voice, "Alpha, bring me the soap and a towel!"
One of Alpha's strengths was his silence. He never asked unnecessary questions—whether about the academy or about Sarah. He simply did what he was told. Felice appreciated this about him. So this is what having a familiar servant is like... how convenient!
The water flowed through the pipes into the bathtub. Felice tested the temperature and then submerged herself in the hot water. Soon after, Alpha opened the door, handed her the soap and towel, and asked, "Do you need anything else? If not, I'll go prepare dinner."
Felice stared at Alpha standing before her. It had been a while since she'd taken a good look at the demon in such bright lighting. He really did resemble a human. No wonder he could fool people like Rahal. His features were indistinguishable from those of a human, except for the color of his blood, which gave his complexion a pallor. His golden hair, once a tangled mess, was now well-groomed—thanks to Felice herself, who had trimmed it to match human standards. His outfit, a shirt and shorts gifted by the village chief of Warwick, was unique now that Warwick Village no longer existed.
Felice's thoughts drifted to how much had happened in just a few days. No pointed ears, no tail, no beastly eyes—Alpha's clear blue eyes were identical to a human's as he earnestly awaited her next command.
Felice suddenly felt her face flush. She realized with a jolt that she was still in the bath. Perhaps the water was too hot? Wait, the bath?! He's standing there watching me bathe! Her mind spun, and her entire body felt as though it were on fire.
"Get out! Get out right now!" Felice yelled, nearly hurling a fireball but holding back at the last second. A faint glow of flame appeared in her palm as she pointed at Alpha, roaring, "Leave immediately! And close the door behind you!"
Alpha, baffled, obediently left and closed the door. Felice stared at her hand, which had almost launched a fireball, and sank into the bathtub, blowing bubbles in frustration. What's wrong with me? He's just a demon that looks human. My familiar—nothing more.
---
Outside Felice's dorm, two well-dressed young men were perched on the branches of an old oak tree. One, with blue hair, held a long golden telescope, while the other, a brunet, asked, "How's the clarity on that vision stone, Harwi? What do you see?"
"My goddess! She asked him to bring her a towel. He watched her like that! They're living together! Oh, Leo above, I'll kill that guy!"
"What? Felice has a man in her dorm? Let me see!"
"Wait, Hatch, don't grab it! I need one more look! A goddess in the bath—this is a once-in-a-century opportunity!"
"You dare spy on Felice bathing?!" Hatch roared, delivering a sharp kick that sent Harwi tumbling from the tree.
Moments later, a bright arc of lightning shot out from Felice's window, striking the base of the oak tree and reducing Harwi's hair to a singed, curly mess.
Hatch leaped down from the tree, laughing at Harwi's misfortune. "Our esteemed prince, reduced to a mop-headed bear! That's what you get for spying on Felice in the bath!"
Harwi glared at him. "Alright, Hatch, you exposed me, and I'll remember this!" He ran a hand through his fried hair, glancing wistfully at the window. "Ah, my goddess… She's electrifying."
---
Back in Felice's dorm, the two uninvited men were now inside. Though she had just finished her bath, Felice had wrapped herself in a robe and was drying her hair with a wind crystal. Her mood was foul.
Harwi, still paralyzed from her third-tier lightning spell, could only stammer as Hatch cast cleaning spells on him in an attempt to alleviate the effects. Despite his condition, Harwi seemed to enjoy chatting with Felice.
"Oh, so this is your assistant, Felice? If you needed an assistant, why didn't you ask me? If I'd known being your assistant meant living with you, I would've signed up immediately."
Felice shot him a glare. As if I'd be bold enough to make a prince my assistant. That's just asking for trouble.
"Alright, what are you two doing here? Don't tell me it's just to watch me bathe!" Felice barked, her anger flaring as she confiscated Harwi's vision stone.
"Of course not!" Hatch replied hastily.
Harwi, however, calmly continued, "This was purely an accident. We're investigating something."
Hatch gave Harwi a look, clearly urging him to stop talking, but Harwi ignored him. "Felice isn't an outsider. Actually, what we're investigating is classified—a national secret. Not even the instructors know."
"Then don't tell me. Once you're able to move, get out," Felice snapped.
"No, I must clear my name. I insist on explaining," Harwi said theatrically. "It's nothing too major, really. My father thinks the headmaster's investigation is taking too long, so he sent me to conduct a secret inquiry."
"You're talking about the planar summoning array?"
Harwi grinned knowingly. "I knew Felice would be in the know."
"Something this big—how could I not know?" Felice retorted, continuing to dry her hair.
"The headmaster thinks it's a frame-up array, with its origin hundreds of kilometers away. Mage Catis made a trip out there and suffered a great loss," Harwi said.
"You seem well-informed," Felice remarked.
"And you've clearly known for a while," Harwi said with a smile.
Felice scoffed. "Not long, just found out this afternoon. Your academy's secrecy isn't all that impressive."
Harwi's tone turned serious. "This incident is unprecedented—it's the first in twelve years. And with Flandre Academy involved, it's only natural that it's being taken seriously."