Chapter 207: The Innocent Schoolgirl

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Sugar wasn’t flustered.

She took a deep breath and calmed her nerves.

Stay composed. No matter what happens, remain dignified. At least, she could manage that—so long as her childhood friend wasn’t involved.

“I-I-Is th-this… m-me?!”

Of course, being human, there were times she failed.

“This was taken a week ago.”

“Huh? But… it’s Summer Vacation right now.”

It still was. Only a few days remained until the new term.

She had promised Riley they’d go to the beach during the break. But then she’d been summoned to Steele. Would there even be enough time now?

Though inwardly disgruntled, Sugar’s eyes widened in bewilderment at the housemaster’s words.

“But I was in the Holy City this whole time… This doesn’t make sense.”

“Exactly. It doesn’t. So I combed through the surveillance records—and when I traced it back, I found footage of you during the semester too.”

“Me… walking around the boys’ dormitory hallway?”

“Yes.”

What in the world…?

The sheer absurdity of it all paradoxically steadied her nerves.

Sugar glanced up at Riley. Sure, she had snuck into the boys’ dorm once—to steal his shirt. But she’d never ventured into the hallway.

She’d gone straight to his room via the balcony window and left the same way. There’d been no reason to step into the corridor.

‘Besides, I only did it once. There’s no way I’d keep getting caught on camera.’

Riley, too, seemed to sense something amiss, silently staring at the photo. Sugar’s gaze returned to the image.

“…Ah.”

“…Ah.”

The two of them made the same sound at the same time.

“What is it?”

They pointed at the same spot.

At Sugar’s neck in the photo.

There was no accessory there.

“That’s not me.”

“That isn’t Sugar.”

“Huh? What about her neck—?”

Sugar pointed at her own neck. At the proof of her childhood friend’s obsession and affection.

“The me in this photo isn’t wearing this choker. Riley gave it to me months ago, and it can’t be removed unless he unlocks it.”

“…”

The housemaster blinked, as if unsure he’d heard correctly.

“So I wear it when I shower, when I sleep… O-okay, sometimes it does come off, but that’s only when—!”

“When?”

“When… um…”

Damn it. What do I say?

Do I really have to explain this?!

Sugar trailed off.

By now, not only the housemaster but even the Administrative Office staff were watching intently. A girl caught on camera in the boys’ dorm? Of course they were fascinated.

‘This is public humiliation…!’

Her face burned. How could she possibly say, “It only comes off when he’s marking me with kisses”?

Being pinned down by the boy she loved, drowning in his possessiveness—even now, vivid marks bloomed beneath her collar.

The sting of teeth, the ticklish heat of his breath, the thrill of surrender, the rough, lingering caresses that left her drunk on pleasure—

‘Ah…’

“—Only when we’re alone. That’s the only time it comes off.”

As Sugar subtly clenched her thighs, Riley answered for her.

The housemaster’s expression soured.

“Sigh… That’s neither here nor there. You could easily lie about it… Anyway, students. I agree this is strange. Why would a girl who supposedly returned to the Holy City for break suddenly appear in the dorm now? At the very least, it’s not you.”

“Right. It can’t be me. I just arrived in Steele after leaving the Holy City a few days ago.”

“Even so… Don’t you find this suspicious? A girl who looks exactly like you was seen prowling the boys’ dorm. No matter how you spin it, this seems connected to you two.”

“We don’t know anything about it.”

“Are you sure? Think carefully about your usual behavior at school and answer with a clear conscience.”

“It’s true we’ve occasionally acted in ways that warranted reprimands, but we’ve never broken absolute rules. And despite our… lapses, we’ve always applied ourselves diligently in class and achieved results.”

Coming from top students, the words carried weight. This was why academic excellence mattered.

“While we were talking, I had a thought… May I share it?”

“Go ahead.”

“This might be an attempt to frame her.”

“Framing her?”

The housemaster’s eyes widened sharply.

“You can’t possibly be suggesting the school is framing her—!”

“No. I mean another individual or faction.”

“Another faction?”

“Everyone knows Sugar and I are under the Holy City’s protection. If we were to face expulsion over a scandal… it would cause friction between Steele, the Sky Island, and the Holy City. Or perhaps it’s simpler—just someone jealous of our closeness to His Holiness, playing a cruel prank.”

Trespassing into the opposite gender’s dorm was a serious offense, one that could easily land them before the disciplinary committee.

“…But this is absurd! To accuse a innocent young lady of infiltrating the boys’ dormitory—what kind of outrageous slander is this?!”

“Innocent…?”

Every administrative staff member in the room visibly recoiled, their faces plastered with question marks.

For the record, both of their backpacks contained boxes of contraceptives.

“I can only interpret this as a disgraceful attempt to frame us.”

“A framing attempt… You keep saying that…”

Whether convinced or just exhausted, the housemaster sighed and nodded.

“I suppose we can’t dismiss the possibility outright.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Fine. We’ll skip further interrogation for now. I apologize for the suspicion, but with evidence like this, we had no choice.”

Interrogation?

What kind of interrogation?

Lie detection? Memory extraction?

Damn it…

They’d be caught immediately.

Who knew what might come up? While they genuinely had no clue about this incident, Sugar had trespassed into the boys’ dorm before.

They couldn’t claim complete innocence.

Riley gritted his teeth. Throwing a tantrum now would only deepen suspicion. If they insisted it was an attempt to frame them but then avoided questioning, it’d look even worse. They had to face it head-on.

There’s got to be a way out. Getting Sugar to graduation is harder than I thought.

Just as he was stewing in frustration—

“No. That won’t be necessary.”

Sugar stepped forward.

After hiding behind Riley’s cloak like a startled rabbit, she now stood tall, chin lifted.

“Miss? What do you mean?”

“I’ll prove my innocence myself. There’s no need for further interrogation.”

“Prove it…? How?”

“That I’m not the culprit in those photos.”

Every eye in the room locked onto her. One staff member even paused mid-bite into a nacho chip, riveted.

“But we were just going to—”

“Housemaster… Listen closely. Steele is the continent’s premier academy of magic—a hallowed ground where seekers of knowledge and power hone their craft day and night. Merely being admitted here confers immense honor. Do you know how many have fallen striving to cross its threshold? How many talents and efforts have clashed, razor-sharp, for a single spot?”

Her words flowed like a rehearsed soliloquy. The housemaster’s jaw slackened.

“We passed that brutal trial. We were chosen. The name ‘Steele’ isn’t just a school—it’s a mage’s pride, their challenge, their apex. And you think I, a member of this institution, would be entangled in such a crude, filthy scheme?

Preposterous!”

Sugar slammed a fist against her chest, her face flushed with indignation (or perhaps residual embarrassment).

“This isn’t just an attack on me—it’s an insult to Steele itself! Those who frame me frame Steele! Those who throw dirt at me seek to tarnish its name! But mark my words: A mage of Steele never falls!”

She raised a fist dramatically toward the ceiling, her petite frame radiating grandeur.

“Thus… I shall prove it with my own hands! That the girl in those photos and I share no connection! I will bow to no slander, no trial! This injustice will be uncovered! And when that day comes, those who sought to drag me down will learn—painfully—the weight and might of the name Steele!”

…

“Thank you.”

After catching her breath, Sugar bowed left and right like a stage actress receiving applause.

And applause she got.

“To think a student could hold such pride for our academy…”

“A truly moving speech.”

“It’s been years since we’ve seen a pupil like her…”

The staff nodded in unison, their skepticism replaced by admiration. Even the housemaster dabbed at moist eyes.

“…I misjudged you both. I never imagined such noble resolve. Very well. I’ll trust you—and grant you access permissions for the boys’ dormitory.”

“Thank you! Leave it to us!”

Sugar puffed out her chest, then sneakily flashed a V behind her back. Riley suppressed a groan.

Did she coat her words in honey or something?

Regardless…

For now, they’d dodged interrogation.

***************

Though both had spouted passionate nonsense to escape immediate scrutiny, even in hindsight, the situation reeked of strangeness.

Who was that in the photos?

Why would Sugar’s doppelgänger roam the boys’ dorm?

An attempt to frame her? Or something more… mystical?

With Sugar’s grand declaration, they had no choice but to investigate.

They stood before Steele’s gates, steeling themselves.

“I am the culprit. I am the culprit…”

Sugar muttered half-heartedly, as if rehearsing a role.

“So it was you—”

“Obviously not, idiot! Your room wasn’t even in the footage this time, so I’ve got zero interest!”

“Your lust is the problem. If you hadn’t snuck into my room back then, we could’ve brushed this off easily.”

Fear of past misdeeds being exposed had driven them to play detective. As Riley scolded her, Sugar fidgeted, index fingers tapping guiltily.

“I’m sorry…”

She crumpled into instant remorse.

She had been punished—the choker around her neck was the trophy of her trespassing.

Whether it truly counted as punishment was debatable, but alas.

“Just focus. I’ll help you wrap this up.”

“Mmm… Thanks…”

Sugar’s face softened, and they turned to enter the campus—

“Ah… This is troublesome…”

A man stood by the gates, sighing at a massive wagon lodged awkwardly near the entrance.

They glanced at him, then away. Their own problems took priority.

“Aah… So troublesome…”

Ignored.

They pivoted toward the gate.

“Aaaah! Won’t any kind students help this poor soul?!”

“FINE! WE GET IT!”