The issue involving Miss Belle was handled surprisingly fast.

Almost suspiciously fast.

Police officers arrived, took statements, collected evidence, and dragged Bumble away while she continued yelling about betrayal, ruined reputations, and my existence specifically.

I gave my statement honestly.

"Well she tried to stab me multiple times," I explained while drinking milk peacefully. "Which was honestly very rude of her."

The officer paused mid-writing.

"...Very rude?"

"Yes. Extremely unprofessional behavior for an educator."

After the statements were finished, Principal Varek personally called me to his office.

For once, the old fox actually looked apologetic.

"Miss Frostine," he sighed, "I truly apologize for what happened today. The academy should have handled Miss Belle’s situation more carefully before it escalated this far."

I nodded dramatically like a forgiving saint. "Yes. I almost died before reaching the exit."

"...You were celebrating your first-place ranking immediately after."

"That’s because priorities matter."

Varek stared at me for a long moment before laughing tiredly.

Honestly I think the principal had already accepted that I was mentally unstable.

As compensation, he granted me my own private studio classroom exclusively for carving lessons.

Not only that—

I was also given a private pass allowing me to use the academy’s training grounds anytime I wanted regardless of schedule.

Twenty-four hours access.

No restrictions.

No supervision.

Which honestly felt dangerous for everyone involved.

"You’ll also officially begin teaching during the next academy meeting," Varek continued while sliding paperwork toward me. "Your salary, benefits, teaching schedule, and material privileges are all listed there."

My eyes slowly widened while reading the numbers. "...This much?"

"Yes."

I immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. "Principal, thank you for believing in my talents."

"Wow, My Lady," Gawain whispered from behind me. "I can’t believe how quickly you switched attitudes because of money."

"Money is the foundation of respect," I corrected instantly.

"You were celebrating ten seconds later."

"That doesn’t erase the emotional trauma I experienced," I shot back immediately.

"At least you’re unharmed."

"Physically? Yes." I placed a hand dramatically over my chest. "Mentally? I’ll never recover."

Gawain stared at me blankly. "You asked if attempted murder gives bonus points."

"...And did I receive any?"

"No."

"What a cruel system."

Principal Varek slowly rubbed his temples like his stress level had permanently ascended ever since meeting me.

"...How did you even get inside my office, Mister Delacroix?"

Gawain smiled pleasantly. "Doors cannot stop me."

"That answer concerns me deeply."

"Please forgive him, Principal," I said while happily staring at my contract. "He follows me around all the time anyway. Just think of him as my aide."

Varek looked at Gawain. "...Fine."

I continued reading the contract seriously until another issue came to mind.

"Oh," I said casually. "Can we change something in the contract?"

Varek already looked exhausted again. "What now?"

"I’ll only teach until I graduate."

"...But why?"

I looked at him honestly.

"I have my own business to manage and I don’t want unnecessary stress in my life."

Gawain looked like he wanted to point out the irony of me saying that while being the source of stress for everyone else.

Varek dragged a hand down his face again. "Fine Miss Frostine."

"Wonderful." I smiled brightly before immediately continuing. "Also can I request more energy stone materials too?"

"Yes."

"And weapon-grade carving tools?"

"...Within reason."

"And a mini refrigerator for milk?"

Varek looked genuinely defeated now. "...I’ll have someone arrange it."

"And a private material storage room?"

Principal Varek stared at me silently for a very long moment.

The office became so quiet that I started wondering if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open.

I even waved the paper slightly just to make sure he was still alive.

Nothing.

The old fox simply continued staring at me before finally flicking his fingers.

The next thing I knew, the paper in my hands exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces and scattered across the office like snow.

At the same time, an invisible force shoved me toward the computer screen.

I stumbled forward. "Hey!"

"Write your terms and get out," Varek said flatly.

"But my fingers are tired from the fighting," I complained. "I was almost murdered today."

"Write."

"I survived several life-threatening situations."

"Write."

"I need emotional compensation."

"Write or I’ll be the one kicking you out."

I immediately sat down. "Fine."

The keyboard materialized from the projection screen and I started typing while grumbling under my breath.

Across from me, Varek slowly rubbed his temples.

As I typed, I could hear him muttering beneath his breath.

"Problematic geniuses..."

"Expensive students..."

"Why is this my life now..."

"At this point I deserve retirement..."

"I should have become a farmer..."

I ignored him and continued adding my demands and after a few minutes, I leaned back proudly.

"Done!"

Varek didn’t even bother reading it as he printed out two copies as he shoved the new contract back into my hands.

SLAM!

"Sign it and leave my office."

I immediately signed it before he could read my demands and change it.

The second my signature landed, Varek stood up and pointed at the office door.

"Out."

"Principal, you wound me."

"Out."

I clutched the contract against my chest protectively and stood up. "Thank you for investing in my future."

"You’re draining the academy budget."

"That’s basically the same thing."

Gawain finally burst out laughing while Varek looked one inconvenience away from banning me from the building permanently.

As we reached the door, Varek suddenly called out again.

"Miss Frostine."

I turned around.

"...Please don’t cause another incident this week."

I smiled confidently, "I’ll try my best."

"Don’t try," Principal Varek said immediately. "Do it."

"...Wow."

"I’m serious, Miss Frostine."

I looked at him innocently. "Have I ever caused that much trouble?"

Varek stared at me like he had just realized arguing was pointless. "Leave my office."

"Understood."

Still hugging my freshly signed contract against my chest, I turned toward the door happily.

But before leaving, my eyes landed on the half-finished energy stone sculpture sitting on his desk.

I paused.

The sculpture resembled a wolf—

But not exactly.

The structure was beautiful, detailed, powerful even... but something about it felt off.

I stared at it for another second then pointed out casually. "The energy flow is wrong, Principal."

Varek blinked once. "...What?"

But before he could say more, Gawain smoothly opened the office door and started pushing me outside.

"Time to leave, My Lady."

"But the left side circulation is collapsing inward," I continued while getting dragged away. "You balanced the outer shell too much so now the core flow looks stiff. Also the jaw structure is forcing the energy to disperse unevenly—"

BANG!

Gawain closed the office door immediately.

Silence

"MISS FROSTINE!" Varek’s furious scream exploded from inside the office.

I looked up at Gawain innocently. "...I was helping."

He looked like he was seconds away from collapsing from laughter. "You just insulted the principal’s personal work right after emotionally bankrupting him."

"It’s not my fault the energy flow was ugly."

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I adjusted my glasses, walked toward the center platform, and smiled professionally at the sea of students staring down at me.

"Hello everyone," I greeted smoothly. "I am Blanca Frostine and I’ll be your instructor for Contemporary Carving."

The entire room immediately exploded into cheers.

"So you really won the demo class?!"

"Did you actually beat a grand master in teaching?"

"I heard students learned more in one day from you than in weeks under Miss Belle!"

"Wow... I can’t believe Miss Belle actually lost..."

"Miss Blanca, please don’t quit after one semester!"

I laughed shyly while brushing my hair back dramatically.

"Oh come on," I said modestly. "Am I really that amazing at teaching?"

The class instantly turned against me.

"You’re amazing at terrorizing our work!"

"Harming us emotionally!"

"Destroying our self-esteem!"

"Making us question our future careers!"

My smile slowly disappeared the longer they continued. "...Excuse me?"

"Making us slowly go insane because of your actions," Silvano added flatly from somewhere in the audience.

I immediately narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you there?"

Silvano leaned lazily against his chair. "I’m a student at this class so typically, I’m here to learn."

"No," I rejected instantly while pointing at him. "You’re my assistant. Come here."

Silvano crossed his arms immediately. "I never agreed to becoming your assistant permanently."

I gasped softly. "...I see."

Then with dramatic heartbreak, I turned around and started walking toward the exit.

"Well then," I sighed sadly, "since my dear assistant refuses to help me, I guess I’ll just teach another class instead."

"COME ON SILVANO!"

"We’re this close to graduating!"

"Don’t abandon us now!"

"Just endure her a little longer!"

One student even clasped his hands together desperately.

"Please! We already survived this far!"

Silvano looked horrified at how quickly everyone threw him under the carriage.

Meanwhile I slowly glanced over my shoulder and smiled sweetly at him.

"Yeah, Sylvie," I hummed. "You don’t want to be the reason your classmates fail to graduate, right~?"

Silvano dragged a hand down his face before finally standing up in defeat.

"...Fine."

The class cheered loudly like they had just prevented a national disaster.

He walked toward me slowly before stopping beside my desk with the exhausted expression of a man whose fate had already been decided.

I smiled victoriously.

"Wonderful. My emotional support assistant has returned."

"I want additional pay."

"You get character development instead."

"That sounds worse."

Ignoring his suffering completely, I turned back toward the class and clasped my hands together happily.

"Since exams are approaching," I announced sweetly, "and Contemporary Carving relies heavily on performance exams..."

The students immediately straightened up nervously.

"I’ll be pushing all of you to your absolute limits," I continued with a smile, "so this class can become number one in carving."

Several students swallowed hard.

One student quietly started praying.

I pulled away the giant cloth covering the back tables.

Rows.

And rows.

And rows.

Of carving materials.

The entire class froze.

"...Miss Blanca," one student said weakly. "Why does this look like military training?"

"Because," I answered proudly, "we’re going to traumatize the other carving classes academically."

Silvano sighed beside me. "You’re enjoying this too much."