"Get off." Evelyn glared at Ryan. His audacity was growing by the day!

  In his eyes, there was no trace of reverence for her, the Headmistress of Glacial Arcana Academy and former Grand Magus. Instead, he treated her like a teasing lover, utterly brazen!

  Evelyn silently resolved: she must raise her magic level as soon as possible and complete the sealing of the ultimate ice sword.

  Otherwise, with her current strength as a Seventh-tier Senior Mage, she could not control him. She would only be repeatedly bullied without any way to fight back.

  Watching Ryan's face draw ever closer, his nose almost brushing her skin, Evelyn could no longer remain calm.

  She struggled, freeing her right hand pressed against her side, and slapped hard at Ryan.

  Her aura exploded violently, and a piercing chill spread instantly. Frost crystallized along the edge of the bed in an instant.

  Ryan had anticipated this. He immediately unleashed an even stronger aura, suppressing Evelyn's force in a flash.

  At the same time, he used his free hand to precisely catch Evelyn's slapping right hand. Their fingers intertwined in an instant, locked firmly in his palm, leaving her unable to move even slightly.

  "Evelyn, I..."

  Pressing on top of her, Ryan slightly tilted his head, leaning close to her ear, exhaling warm breath slowly.

  His magnetic voice carried a deliberately lazy tone, brushing over Evelyn's ear like a feather. Her body trembled involuntarily.

  Even as her heart raced, Evelyn forced herself to remain composed. She twisted her head sharply, avoiding Ryan's approaching face, her voice resolute:"No! Get off!"

  This time, unlike in the snow, she did not close her eyes. She struggled stubbornly, refusing to yield an inch.

  Seeing her determination, Ryan suddenly released her tightly locked hand and rose fluidly, his movements seamless and decisive.

  Evelyn was stunned by this sudden change, lying dazed on the bed, momentarily unable to react.

  Her body, once firmly restrained, suddenly free, yet an inexplicable emptiness rose in her chest.

  The room immediately became awkward. Neither spoke, and only their slightly hurried breathing echoed in the air.

  At that moment, a crisp knock on the door suddenly broke the silence.

  Evelyn snapped back to reality, hastily sitting up, flustered, tidying the skirt that had been pressed down, then quickly composed herself, as if the intimate confrontation had never happened.

  "Who is it?" Evelyn's voice returned to its usual calm and distant tone, directed toward the door.

  She had no fear of anyone attempting to scan the room with magic. This room had been personally arranged by her when she was Grand Magus, inscribed with advanced shielding arrays.

  Not only did it block external magical perception, it also concealed the fluctuations of magic inside.

  She had set this array precisely to prevent the three Grand Elders from peeking. After all, no mage liked their meditation being secretly observed.

  "Sorry, Headmistress, I knocked on the wrong door." A slightly flustered voice came from outside.

  In her haste, Sally had mistaken the door. Realizing her error, she immediately turned and hurriedly tried to escape the awkward situation.

  That's not right, I can just ask Headmistress directly! Sally had taken a few steps forward when she suddenly stopped, spinning around on the spot.

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  How could she have forgotten that Ryan was Headmistress's apprentice? Headmistress would definitely know where he lived!

  Sally hurried back to the door, knocked three times, and spoke respectfully through the door.

  "Headmistress, I have a question. Where does your apprentice Ryan live?"

  While waiting for a response, she absentmindedly glanced at the broken architectural debris stacked nearby.

  It looked like ruins of the palace damaged by magical energy, but she paid little attention, assuming it was leftover material from the academy's repairs.

  Inside, Ryan heard the knocking and walked straight over. He pulled the door open and raised an eyebrow."What is it?"

  Sally waited for a long moment, never expecting that it would be Ryan himself opening the door.

  The moment she saw him, her eyes went wide, pupils shrinking. A lone boy and girl in the same room?

  Forcing down her shock, she tried to make her voice sound calm."The Grand Elder is looking for you. She wants you to come over."

  Seeing her dumbstruck, hesitant expression, Ryan immediately guessed what her little mind was conjuring up and shook his head in silent exasperation.

  "Wait a moment."

  Evelyn's calm, icy voice came from inside the room, carrying the tranquility of someone who had just finished meditating.

  Before the words even fell, her long legs slid down the edge of the bed, and she appeared at the doorway.

  Sally's eyes accidentally swept over her and were instantly struck dumb with shock again. What had she just seen? What exactly had she seen?

  Her eyes widened even more than before, mouth slightly open, her mind screaming: white lace edged stockings?

  After all, Evelyn was always seen as composed and solemn; no one had ever seen her dressed like this.

  Evelyn quickly noticed Sally's lingering gaze. Her brows furrowed slightly, and instinctively she grabbed her skirt to cover her legs again.

  Sally finally snapped out of her stupor, hurriedly lowering her head, too afraid to look again. She now feared knowing too much and being silenced by Evelyn.

  "What does the Grand Elder want with my apprentice?" Evelyn asked Sally from the doorway.

  A faint unease stirred in her mind: if the Grand Elder summoned Ryan alone, it was certainly not for a trivial matter. It could even be related to the incident in the snow, demanding an explanation.

  Sally looked at the two figures standing side by side, handsome and elegant, their temperaments complementing each other, and felt a little dazed. She thought to herself: what a perfect couple!

  Unfortunately, Glacial Arcana Academy strictly prohibited romantic entanglements and forbade spending time alone in private.

  "Headmistress, I don't know either. I was simply sent to summon Ryan over."

  Sally kept her head lowered. The aura around Evelyn was so overwhelming it crushed her courage to even look up directly.

  【Host alert: three Elder Mage-level spiritual forces are currently locking onto this location from high above!】

  A sudden alert sounded in Ryan's mind from the Grimoire. He instinctively glanced at the sky, then quickly lowered his head again, refocusing his gaze on Sally.

  "What's wrong?" Sally's heart skipped a beat at the sudden shift in Ryan's vigilant gaze. She instinctively stepped back half a pace and asked.

  "Nothing." Ryan withdrew his eyes, then turned toward Evelyn.

  "Mentor, since the Grand Elder summoned me, it must be urgent. I'll be back soon."

  On the surface, he looked nonchalant, but inside he was already swearing like a sailor. Going there, he feared, was likely signing his own confession!

  Breaking academy rules would be one thing, but breaking them while involving the Headmistress of Glacial Arcana Academy?

  Those three old ladies would never let him off easily. On the other hand, with Evelyn there, they probably wouldn't go so far as to take his life.

  Evelyn's cold eyes flickered slightly, her expression dark and unreadable. She spoke calmly,"I'll go with you. Conveniently, I also have something to discuss with them."

  "What are you going to do?" Ryan asked, stunned, his heart fluttering with a touch of sweetness.

  She wouldn't happen to be worried about me, would she? That she wants to protect me? Truly my good wife!

  "I'm going to seal the ultimate ice sword." Evelyn saw through his daydream, her tone icy and composed, cutting off his thoughts without the slightest extra emotion.

  Ryan's hopeful fantasy evaporated instantly. He pursed his lips and sighed helplessly,"Fine, let's go then."

  Sally, Ryan, and Evelyn eventually arrived at a loft that shimmered with pale blue ice crystal light.

  The three Grand Elders were already waiting at the doorway, their faces adorned with gentle, kind smiles. Their magical aura was calm and soft, completely devoid of the anger and harshness they had shown before.

  This unusual behavior only made Ryan more puzzled. He glanced at Evelyn and guessed silently: they probably toned down their anger because she is here, they dare not be reckless.

  "What urgent matter do you have with my apprentice?" Evelyn asked.

  Her stance clearly declared: this Ryan is under my protection. Don't even think about laying a hand on him.

  Seeing this, a warmth spread through Ryan's chest, and the tension in his body eased slightly.

  Sally, sensitive to the heavy atmosphere, furrowed her brows. Wisely, she stepped back behind the others and quickly turned to leave.

  She had no intention of staying in this place of disputes, caught under the oppressive magical pressure of the Elders. Such a terrifying aura! She silently hoped Ryan would come out of this safely.

  Once away, Sally immediately shed the cold, composed mask from her face and bounced along the empty stone path, her movements exuding a touch of cuteness.

  She hurried toward her own residence while silently praying for Ryan's safety.

  MB