From Pawn to King: Ruling a Harem of Chaos

Chapter 12: The Widow's Secret Lesson and Lilith's Pitiful Perspective

"The morning session is for helping students… get familiar with academy life… and adjust. The most important part… is the afternoon freshman ceremony… which all new students… must attend."

Ella's soft, magnetic voice trembled slightly, her words halting and shaky.

"And what else?" Shia's lazy voice carried a teasing tone.

"There's also… the freshman qualification tournament tomorrow. That's the most… important event. It will determine… the class placements going forward."

Despite the quivering in her voice, Ella still managed to finish explaining.

Shia, however, looked unimpressed.

"Oh."

He already knew all of this like the back of his hand.

What he didn't find satisfactory, though, was Ella's lesson delivery.

"Aunt Ella, are you sure this is how you're supposed to teach?"

Shia's voice carried a mix of doubt and feigned concern.

As a lecturer, shouldn't she be able to speak clearly?

"Shia!"

Ella's voice rose slightly, her tone laced with frustration as she bit out the words. It sounded almost like a scolding, though it carried an undertone of embarrassment.

Was her teaching really the problem?

No! It was all his fault!

Yet, Ella couldn't voice her frustrations.

Sitting on a park bench, her ears burned bright red, the blush slowly spreading to her face. Though her voice had risen, she kept it low, clearly worried about being overheard.

Her eyes darted nervously around, like a thief afraid of being caught.

Ella shifted her hips slightly, the movement subtle but telling. Her whole demeanor was awkward and fidgety.

The park bench shielded most of her body from view, and a carefully manicured bush obscured the area beneath it.

But from a different angle—say, the far bank of the river—you'd see the purple-haired beauty's long, elegant legs draped over the lap of the boy sitting beside her.

Shia's hand rested lightly on her black-stockinged legs, the silky texture and soft elasticity beneath his fingers undeniably satisfying.

"Aunt Ella, how's my massage technique?" Shia's voice was still casual, a hint of amusement lacing his words.

What kind of teacher lets their student massage them during a lesson!?

Ella was on the verge of breaking down.

Shia thought he was being generous. He might not have the money for private lessons, but he could always repay his mentor's efforts with his skilled hands.

So here they were—one giving a private lesson, the other showing his gratitude—all culminating in this scene.

Ella regretted everything. She couldn't understand how she had been dumb enough to fall for Shia's nonsense.

She should have outright refused him and given him a slap for good measure.

But the pride she held in her discipline and self-control had crumbled the moment she faced this boy.

Biting her lip, Ella tried her best to maintain her professional poise.

That said, his massage *did* feel amazing.

The soreness from walking in high heels for half an hour melted away. Her tense leg muscles relaxed, and her entire body began to feel at ease.

Ella closed her eyes slightly, letting herself sink into the comfort.

Without realizing it, she had become fully immersed.

"What the hell are you two doing!?"

A crisp, melodious voice shattered the tranquility, snapping Ella out of her momentary relaxation.

Her heart skipped a beat as she instinctively turned toward the voice.

Across a small patch of grass and shrubbery, Lilith stood behind them.

Clad in a striking red skirt, her outfit was bold and eye-catching. Her long, shapely legs, encased in black stockings, stood out even through the leafy cover.

Her golden hair gleamed in the sunlight, and her perfect, exquisite face was marked with a mix of shock and disbelief.

She looked betrayed, her gaze accusing as it flicked between the two.

After failing to find Shia at his house, Lilith had come to the academy. Following directions from the students, she had tracked down her mentor—only to discover her mentor and her fiancé together!

From afar, she had seen two familiar figures sitting closely on the bench, speaking in hushed tones.

Her heart sank.

As she got closer, her suspicions were confirmed.

The sight of her mentor and her fiancé together filled her with simmering displeasure.

But her anger wasn't directed at Shia.

It was at her mentor, Ella.

If you're going to go for a younger guy, at least pick someone else! Shia is *mine*!

He might be trash, but he's my trash. You don't just take what belongs to me!

Ella, on the other hand, felt a moment of panic at Lilith's sudden appearance.

But she quickly regained her composure, once again the dignified and elegant mentor.

"Shia just enrolled and isn't familiar with the academy yet. I'm giving him a tour to help him adjust," Ella explained smoothly.

Meanwhile, Shia was sizing up Lilith.

This was his first real encounter with his fiancée.

The recordings he had seen before? That was just him watching a video.

Now, up close, he had to admit—Lilith was flawless. Her beauty was immaculate, down to the precision of her makeup.

Her soft, slightly curled blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, complementing her delicate, melancholy expression. It was enough to make any boy fall for her.

Her slender neck, the deep neckline of her red dress showing off her impressive cleavage far beyond what one would expect for her age, and her curvaceous black-stockinged legs all combined into a package that screamed perfection.

She was the kind of girl you could admire for three years without getting bored.

But as perfect as she looked, something about her rubbed Shia the wrong way. She radiated an aura of pettiness that made it hard to truly like her.

While Shia assessed Lilith, she dismissed him entirely.

To Lilith, Shia was her property.

The real issue was her mentor, Ella.

Lilith's gaze bore into Ella, her eyes full of doubt and reproach.

"Teacher, since when did you and Shia get so close?"

Her teacher's scent lingered in Shia's room, and now she saw them sitting so intimately, whispering to each other.

A bad feeling gnawed at Lilith, making her stare even more intently at Ella.

She felt irritated.

You're my teacher. You know he's my fiancé. How could you sneak behind my back like this?

Under Lilith's gaze, Ella couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

It felt like she'd been caught red-handed.

And, in a way, she had been.

After all, Shia was technically Lilith's fiancé.

Ella's thoughts spiraled.

The situation felt unfamiliar and strangely unsettling. For the first time, she felt nervous and unsure of herself, her mind racing but frozen at the same time.

What the hell should I say to prove my innocence?