Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Watching Bartholomew effortlessly summon a butterfly, the three people inside the carriage wore varying expressions.

The Duke and Duchess looked astonished; then, one’s expression turned complex while the other’s turned into pleasant surprise.

Susanna’s expression was somewhat panicked.

Her fingers unconsciously twisted together.

The magic classes at Holy Island Academy didn’t teach this.

She was still learning basic magic, such as elemental magic and healing magic.

Because everyone’s comprehension and aptitude for magic differed, the magic instructors only taught simple introductory courses like Fireball and Light.

More advanced magic had to be studied independently based on personal interest, or one had to find a way to pass the instructor’s course assessments to qualify for one-on-one private lessons.

Learning magic was extremely complex. Even with the lineage required to learn it, most students remained stuck in the basic courses for a long time, their heads spinning in confusion.

Sister Bartholomew’s action was equivalent to summoning a physical avatar.

With Susanna’s current Mana, she couldn’t summon a white swan at all.

Furthermore, she had seen with her own eyes that after Sister Bartholomew summoned those Morpho Butterflies, she could command them to perform many tasks.

This was no longer the kind of magic one could learn through private lessons with an instructor in a magic course.

This was an innate talent.

…

“Luoluo, Mother has a feeling that you will be the most outstanding child of the Butterfly Family.”

Madam Constance looked at the Duke and said with immense pride:

“No wonder His Majesty the King took a liking to Luoluo at first sight and wanted her to be Prince Cyril’s Princess Consort. It seems His Majesty’s vision is very sharp…”

Hearing Madam Constance start up again, Beili caught a glimpse of Susanna’s sour, constipated expression. She sighed deeply in her heart and let the Morpho Butterflies dissipate at her fingertips.

“Osborne, have I told you about this? Luoluo and Prince Cyril have been getting along quite well on Holy Island, and their progress has been very fast.”

Madam Constance unfolded her carved bone fan with its red handle, covering half her face as she smiled meaningfully at the Duke.

“I thought that given their personalities, it would take a long time to foster feelings between them. I didn’t expect them to have already begun attracting one another…”

The Duke didn’t know whether he should smile or not; he glanced at Susanna.

Susanna’s head hung even lower.

“Mother, let’s end this topic. Please stop talking…” Beili said helplessly, supporting her forehead.

…

Outside the hollow-carved carriage window, figures were pushed to both sides of the road as the street scenery constantly receded.

Amidst the conversation, the Constance Family’s carriage finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.

The magnificent palace architecture shimmered with a piercing golden light under the sun.

Lined up in neat rows, Knights stood tall and solemn on the plaza, waiting.

The carriages of all the noble families were guided to park in an orderly fashion on a flat, open plaza within the palace grounds.

The area was surrounded by red flags embroidered with rose patterns and thorn vines, fluttering in the wind.

Everyone stepped down from their carriages and consciously formed two lines, waiting for the members of the royal family to complete the prayer and blessing rituals before walking through the center.

Red was the national color of Sainthos.

Consequently, the Nobles on the plaza were all dressed in magnificent formal wear featuring red elements.

Under the bright sunlight, the sound of chatter and laughter was constant.

The two young women stepped out of the carriage behind the Duke and Duchess. Following the guidance of the ceremonial team, they took their places in an empty spot near the front of the queue.

The crowd’s gaze couldn’t help but fall upon the two girls standing beside the Duke and Duchess.
Among them, the girl with pale pink hair seemed to dislike overly vibrant shades of red.

She wore a pure white puff-sleeve dress paired with white satin gloves. A single red ribbon was tied around her neck, and her jewelry consisted mostly of pale pink pearls, making her look pristine and pure.

The other girl, in keeping with the national colors of Sainthos, wore a deep, rich wine-red gown.

The skirt featured layers of black lace, voluminous yet light, adorned with exquisite black bows. She wore matching crocheted black lace gloves and a three-tiered black diamond necklace that radiated a luxurious glow under the sunlight.

Standing diagonally across from them…

Three young women, their faces obscured by patterned veils, were glaring at her with venomous eyes.

“Look at her, dressed like a witch!”

“My face still hurts. I think another blister just popped…”

“It’s all her fault! Damn that Bartholomew. No matter how beautiful her dress is, it’s useless. She ruined my entire plan…”

…

Amidst the chatter and laughter, Susanna noticed those three unfriendly gazes.

She hurriedly lowered her head, terrified that their fury might spill over onto her.

“Heads up, Susanna.”

Standing beside her, the gray-haired, red-eyed girl spoke in a low, calm voice, her expression indifferent. “Are you sure you want to display the posture of a little mouse right under the eyes of so many Nobles?”

These words struck Susanna right in the spine, and she lifted her head again.

“Sister Bartholomew…” she whispered. “Mia, Sophie, and Julia from the Bird Family are watching you…”

“Oh? Where are they?”

“To your right…”

The gray-haired, red-eyed girl suddenly turned her head to sweep a glance over them. Her red eyes were laced with a chilling coldness as she stared the three of them down.

At the same time, a butterfly slowly fluttered its wings and landed on her hair.

The three veiled girls met her gaze, their bodies stiffening in unison before they all quickly turned their heads away.

“There, they don’t dare look this way anymore.”

The girl withdrew her gaze and said placidly, “After all, the wounds on their faces still hurt. Pain helps them retain a sense of fear.”

Susanna stole a glance back and saw that they had indeed turned away and were no longer looking over, though their chests were still heaving with indignation.

Just then.

A dull horn blast echoed across the square.

This was the Royal Family’s signal to assemble, notifying all Nobles, their families, Knights, and attendants that the Royal Family was preparing to depart. Hunting Day was about to begin.

Amidst the horn calls, the royal procession emerged from the palace.

The group descended the stairs.

They walked past the Nobles, who bowed respectfully.

From a distance, Beili saw the elderly King approaching, supported by Cyril.

Following the example of the other noble ladies, she lowered her head slightly, fixing her gaze on the ground while holding her skirt in a formal curtsy.

A flurry of footsteps passed in front of her.

Then, Beili heard a familiar, brief, and faint chuckle.

Startled, she lifted her red eyes.

And there.

She saw a black-clad figure in the procession looking directly toward her position.

A silver mask with cold, hard metallic lines fit seamlessly against his face.

A flowing, unpatterned black robe, hood, and gloves covered every inch of his skin, leaving only a pair of hollow golden eyes that seemed to hold a mocking smile.