### Chapter: 188
A date with Charlotte.
Kraush could hardly process what was happening—how on earth had he ended up being asked out by Charlotte?
“Just follow me.”
Without a moment’s hesitation or a thought to be rejected, Charlotte turned and walked away.
Kraush, still dazed, hurried to catch up with her.
He couldn’t possibly say no to Charlotte, especially since he’d borrowed quite a bit from her lately.
After all, as she mentioned, he owed her.
‘A date? What exactly is she planning to do?’
Being Charlotte’s younger brother, Kraush found her unpredictable antics baffling at times.
She always operated on her own whims.
Following Charlotte, he noticed many eyes turning towards them as they walked.
He tried to keep his head down, wanting to avoid any unwanted attention while tailing her.
“Um, sister.”
“Call me sister.”
Kraush momentarily lost his words, staring at her, prompting that familiar smirk from Charlotte—the patented kind she reserved for moments like this.
“It was a joke.”
Charlotte’s sense of humor was always hard to pin down.
“What do you want to say?”
“Whatever you have planned for this date, wouldn’t it be better to drop the disguise?”
Kraush asked her to at least shed this appearance, and she tilted her head in contemplation.
“Isn’t it better to keep this look for where we’re heading?”
As Kraush considered her words, he suddenly realized where they were going and looked up.
There stood a rather elegantly crafted building.
Its rounded rooftop and tightly packed pillars exuded a temple-like atmosphere.
Furthermore, the flowing waterways and flowers around them, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, created an incredibly beautiful scene.
And then Kraush made the connection.
‘The Noblewomen’s Club at Rahern Academy.’
A place for sipping tea and sharing gossip among the noblewomen of Rahern Academy.
Currently, it primarily hosted the first-year students.
While it may appear to be a casual social gathering, it was, in reality, a battleground of political maneuvering.
Almost all the main gossip concerning Rahern Academy originated from here.
While the male aristocrats didn’t create such assemblies, they often planted their trusted allies here to gather information.
Kraush was taken aback by Charlotte bringing him here.
So, he turned to her, bewildered.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“There have been some interesting rumors floating around recently. I thought it might help my little brother.”
Her words indicated that she wanted him to gather information that would be beneficial for his future life at Rahern Academy.
Once he realized that this was a considerate gesture on Charlotte’s part, Kraush showed a brief look of surprise.
He had been working tirelessly to establish himself as a key figure among the second-year students.
Thanks to those efforts, he had successfully achieved that status.
But because he had focused so heavily on the second years, he lacked information about the distribution of power among first-year students.
With the second years secured, it was now crucial for him to transition into a key player among the first years as well.
But how could he obtain such information?
Well, what a coincidence.
Here was Charlotte bringing him to a place where information would be easily accessible.
‘Repay the debt, she said.’
But this felt more like incurring a debt, didn’t it?
While lost in thought, Charlotte confidently strode into the women’s club without hesitation.
Her bold entrance made it clear she was familiar with the place.
“Whoa, Charlotte?”
“Isn’t that Lady Charlotte Balheim?”
“Oh my, Lady Charlotte has arrived!”
“Isn’t this her first time visiting here?”
As soon as Charlotte stepped foot inside, the women reacted with startled expressions.
Yet, despite being so familiar with the place, could it be that it truly was her first time in the women’s club?
Staying true to her character, Charlotte was indeed being Charlotte.
“Charlotte?”
At that moment, Kraush overheard a voice that immediately irritated him.
Slowly turning his gaze, he was met with a woman sporting ocean-like hair.
Amongst her gracefully refined appearance, her intelligent gaze stood out.
The owner of those vibrant blue gemstone-like eyes was none other than the Empire’s Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.
As soon as he saw her, Kraush barely managed to stifle a grimace at Sigrid’s eyes narrowing in discontent.
After all, the women’s club was practically her territory, and Charlotte had just barged in.
Naturally, that was expected.
But Sigrid was crafty too.
She quickly masked her emotions before locking eyes with Charlotte.
“It’s lovely to see you. I didn’t expect you to visit here. What brings you?”
With an overly cheerful inquiry, Charlotte let out a short snort.
“Not here to see you.”
And without the slightest hesitation, she turned her back on Sigrid.
Sigrid’s meticulously groomed eyebrows twitched disapprovingly.
Of course, given that she had been dismissed right in front of Charlotte, that reaction was only natural.
Kraush began to notice how Charlotte treated everyone else differently.
The saying, “Heaven is high, and Earth is low,” suited Charlotte perfectly; she was merciless to those she deemed undesirable.
Especially considering her relationship with Sigrid, which was bound to be hostile, her attitude intensified.
‘It makes sense why Sigrid and Charlotte could never become friends.’
These two were opposites in nature.
The only trait they shared was their belief that they were the best in the world, their own brand of narcissism.
“Ah, is that so?”
Sigrid managed to muster a strained smile before turning her gaze toward Kraush.
“By the way, I see we have a newcomer over here. Who might you be?”
Naturally, Sigrid failed to notice Kraush’s true identity.
Her brows knitted together in confusion.
Charlotte, the one who usually accompanied her, was someone kept in mind, yet this stranger was a complete mystery.
Moreover, apart from their hair color, this stranger bore a striking resemblance to Charlotte.
To Sigrid, Charlotte was a variable.
It seemed she wanted to learn everything she could about those tied to her.
Just then, Charlotte casually slipped her arm around Kraush’s shoulder.
Being quite tall, Charlotte towered over Kraush, who now seemed nearly engulfed in her embrace.
With a mischievous grin, she lifted her lips.
“My girlfriend.”
Kraush stiffened, as did Sigrid.
What nonsense had just come out of Charlotte’s mouth?
But Charlotte simply tossed this bombshell and continued walking without a care.
She boldly went straight to the central chair in the room and gestured for Kraush to join her.
This level of unpredictability was enough to give Kraush a major headache.
And judging by Sigrid’s wide-eyed expression, she was equally flummoxed.
Because in her mind, Charlotte would never jokingly throw around the term “girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?”
“A girlfriend? Seriously?”
It wasn’t just Sigrid’s surprise; every pair of eyes among the gathered women was suddenly focused on Kraush.
Their gazes were a mix of intrigue, interest, and various emotions, including—surprisingly—jealousy.
‘Jealousy? What’s that about?’
Kraush found himself staring in disbelief before he instinctively reached for the back of his neck but quickly stopped himself.
If he drew attention to himself, it could blow his cover.
So, instead, he decided to obediently sit beside Charlotte.
“Hmm, so this is how it feels inside.”
As if she sensed his inner turmoil, Charlotte began inspecting the interior of the women’s club, which was new to Kraush.
To capture the hearts of noblewomen, it was adorned with the latest fashionable furniture, flowers, and various decor.
Since Sigrid was at its helm, these items must have been procured under her guidance.
‘Showcasing the Empire’s power while also putting on a charitable front—perfectly calculated.’
Kraush felt his stomach turn at the sight, but he held it in.
Whenever it came to Sigrid, nausea wasn’t far behind.
“Whoa-ha-ha! Is that truly you, Charlotte?”
At that moment, another vibrant voice boomed through the hall.
Kraush had definitely heard that voice before, so he turned to see a distinguished woman approaching.
She wore a slightly cropped white shirt that teased her midriff, accompanied by a long, red jacket displaying the emblem of the Magic Department.
Her ash-gray hair pulled back with bright yellow accessories and round glasses added to her striking appearance.
Bang!
The sound of her shark-like teeth clashing together as she grinned was unmistakable.
That woman was none other than Taria Bales, the top student of the Magic Department, famously known later as the Thunder King who broke through to the Ten Great Lords.
Among the Sky Generation, aside from Charlotte, she was the quickest to ascend to such lofty heights, specializing in Thunder Magic.
‘She’s already a 7th Circle Adept now, right?’
In terms of skill, she had already achieved Master level in advanced magic.
Remarkably, she was only 16 years old.
Considering her age, this accomplishment was utterly absurd.
‘The top students of the first years in the Unnamed Academy and the Magic Department are women, while in the second years, both top students are men.’
An ironically strange dynamic was emerging.
Taria approached with a chuckle.
“Fancy meeting you here! I thought our dear noble Charlotte didn’t enjoy places like this?”
Taria asked playfully, a challenge in her tone, earning an indifferent shrug from Charlotte.
“That’s my business.”
Charlotte’s insistence on her noble status was unmistakable.
“Haha, indeed, it’s just like you, Charlotte.”
Taria took Charlotte’s aloofness in stride, revealing her own easy-going nature.
Clearly, she had a certain familiarity with Charlotte, bearing no offense from their previous exchanges.
Kraush pondered how a connection had formed between them when they usually would not have met, especially since Charlotte rarely frequented Rahern Academy.
Had Charlotte’s presence here opened a new page in her relationship with Taria?
‘Perhaps.’
With such thoughts fleeting through his mind, Kraush turned to Taria at that moment.
Their eyes met, and he noticed something unusual flicker in her gaze.
Before Kraush could dwell on it, Taria casually pulled the turtleneck of her shirt, revealing something discreetly imprinted on her skin.
Soon, Kraush’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Hello, nice to meet you. I don’t know who you are, but you seem close to Charlotte.”
The moment Kraush saw her smile, he let out a short breath of disbelief.
The black star emblazoned on her neck immediately caught his attention.
And in that single instant, Kraush realized her identity.
Taria Bales.
She was a spy planted by the Crimson Garden at Rahern Academy.
【Let me tell you a little secret.】
In that instant, letters began to appear before Kraush’s eyes.
She was using a message spell right there.
As her sharpened gaze swept the hall, she continued.
【There’s a spy planted by the Black Witch in here.】
And then, chaos erupted.
