Hearing the faint reprimand in Mevis's tone, Sherry snorted coldly, crossing her arms.
"You too—don't call me by my real name in the academy. If Lord Shadow finds out that all the resources spent placing me here to assist you were wasted, it will be on you."
As the former Empress, Sherry would not tolerate being lectured by anyone except Lord Shadow. She knew the risks of using the All-Seeing Eye within the academy but had no other choice to pass that cursed entrance exam.
Mevis, as always, kept her expression neutral, her tone calm.
"Understood, Sherry."
Sherry smirked, leaning in. "You know, the All-Seeing Eye is truly useful. Last time, when we went to Sky City to gather intel on Leon, wasn't it this spell that did the trick?"
Mevis didn't lift her gaze, responding with a simple, "Yes."
"Thanks to your intel, Lord Shadow was able to draft such a detailed plan to deal with Leon. It's a pity we didn't manage to finish him off in Flaming Valley," Sherry remarked leisurely.
She added with a sly smile, "Some say Lord Shadow isn't ready for a direct confrontation with Leon yet, but there are other ways to bring him down."
Finally looking up from her papers, Mevis asked, "So, what exactly is the task Lord Shadow assigned you to help me with?"
"Leon's youngest daughter just took the entrance exam. That means all four of his daughters are now studying at St. Heath's Academy."
Sherry's lips curled into an ominous grin.
"Lord Shadow's idea is simple: find an opportunity to get rid of those little dragonlings—"
Before Sherry could finish, Mevis cut her off abruptly.
"Wasn't the original plan just surveillance? Why has it changed?"
Her tone remained flat, but her eyes carried a subtle sharpness.
Sherry froze for a moment, realizing she had slipped. Quickly, she recovered her composure.
"Well, plans evolve, Mevis. The best strategy is to strike at the heart. Even the strongest have weaknesses, and when they're exposed, that's when they truly crumble."
Sherry chuckled darkly.
"I can't wait to see Leon Cosmodeous completely fall apart. What a sight that will be."
Mevis didn't respond, lowering her gaze back to the small piece of cake in her hands—the one Muwen had just given her. She had barely taken a bite.
"Oh, what's this? Food? Perfect, I'm starving," Sherry said suddenly, snatching the cake from Mevis without waiting for permission. She took a big bite.
"Hey—"
Mevis reached out, her lips parting as if to say something, but then stopped herself.
"Not bad, pretty tasty," Sherry commented, brushing off the crumbs from her hands.
"Anyway," Sherry continued, "the next phase of the plan involves Noah and her sisters. You've been working to gain Noah's trust all this time, haven't you?"
Mevis hesitated, her eyes shifting slightly downward. "Yes."
"Good. Well done. I'll make sure to mention your efforts to Lord Shadow," Sherry said, turning on her heel and walking toward the training grounds' exit.
As she reached the doorway, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder.
"The sooner you complete your task, the sooner you'll get the Black Dragon Scale. Don't forget that, Mevis."
Mevis clenched the fabric of her sleeve tightly, her voice low. "Yes, I understand."
Without another word, Sherry left the training hall.
The door slammed shut, blocking out the sunlight that had briefly warmed the room.
Standing in the shadowy corner, Mevis felt the lingering warmth fade away, replaced by an icy chill that seeped into her heart.
"Why... does it feel like something precious was taken from me?"
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to collapse in that corner and cry her heart out.
"Mevis, what are you doing here?"
The sudden voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Peeking around the corner was Muwen, her cheerful face framed by bouncing locks of hair. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Ah... nothing," Mevis replied, her tone flustered.
"Okay then! My sister says she's ready for the next stage of training," Muwen announced with a smile.
"Alright, let's go back," Mevis said, forcing herself to straighten up.
Muwen skipped forward, grabbing Mevis's hand. The size difference forced Mevis to stoop slightly as they walked back to the training area.
Looking down at Muwen's tiny hand in hers, Mevis murmured softly,
"Such warm hands... just like that fleeting sunlight."
.
.
.
A week after the entrance exam, Leon's family returned to the academy for the admission ceremony.
Muse had already received her acceptance letter, but her exact ranking would only be revealed during the ceremony. Unfortunately, the event clashed with Noah and Muwen's class schedule, so the whole family couldn't attend together.
Still, Muse was brimming with excitement to see her results—especially since her father had promised to buy her a new instrument if she outperformed Heifi.
"Before the ceremony starts, you can check the leaderboard at the back of the hall for the young dragons' rankings," a teacher announced.
Carrying Muse on his shoulders, Leon walked over to the leaderboard with Rossweise.
Muse leaned forward eagerly, scanning the list from the top down. Her name wasn't immediately visible, which meant she had scored well.
"Here it is! Muse!" Rossweise pointed excitedly.
Her name was listed in second place.
"Second place, that's excellent, Muse," Leon praised.
Muse nodded, but her face lacked its usual cheer.
"What's wrong, Muse? Second place is a great achievement," Rossweise asked gently.
Unlike traditional dragon families, Leon and Rossweise never pressured their daughters to achieve specific goals. To them, the effort and lessons learned were far more valuable than any outcome.
But Muse's discontent wasn't about falling short of first place.
She pointed to the leaderboard, pouting.
"Heifi got first place. She scored one point higher than me."
Leon glanced at the top of the list. Sure enough, it was Constantine's fiery little daughter.
"Oh, so the pesky fire brat beat you this time," Leon remarked with a chuckle. "I'll admit, Constantine might not be the best parent, but he does know how to teach."
Muse's lip quivered. "Does this mean I won't get a new instrument...?"
Leon gently pinched her cheek, smiling.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I already have it ready for you."
Muse's eyes lit up. "Really, Daddy?"
"Of course. It was meant to be a surprise for tonight's celebration."
"Yay!" Muse squealed. Then, after a pause, she added, "But... didn't you say I needed to beat Heifi to get it?"
Rossweise chimed in with a smirk.
"Your dad just wanted an excuse to give you the gift, Muse. He's such a softie."
"Hey! Don't expose me like that," Leon grumbled.
In truth, Leon had prepared the instrument even before Muse took the exam. The condition was only meant to motivate her; he would have given it to her regardless of the result.
"Thank you, Daddy! Thank you, Mommy! I love you both!" Muse cried, kissing both her parents on the cheeks.
As the family shared this tender moment, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Second place, Muse. Not bad," said Heifi, standing with her father, Constantine.
Muse stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Next time, I'll beat you, Heifi!"
Heifi smirked. "I'll be waiting."
Meanwhile, Constantine couldn't resist gloating to Leon.
"Well, Leon, I told you Heifi would outperform Muse!"
Surprisingly, Leon remained calm, nodding. "Congratulations."
"Don't pretend you're not upset. I know this burns you," Constantine teased.
Leon smiled mysteriously. "Not at all. In fact, I should thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
Leon didn't answer, simply exchanging a knowing glance with Rossweise. The couple shared a mischievous smile.
It wasn't until the announcer's voice echoed through the hall that Constantine understood.
"Let's welcome the family of this year's first-place student, the Crimson Flame Dragon King and his daughter Heifi, to deliver a speech!"