The Delicate Female Lead Only Wants to be Loved by the Villainous Young Ladies

Chapter 57

Different Sequences meant different classes, and naturally, different training grounds for their Magic Training lessons. So Adele had to part ways with Celeste earlier than she would have liked.

Celeste was clearly reluctant to leave, but due to the nature of their relationship, she didn’t beg or plead. She was more like a lovesick admirer, her gaze lingering on Adele long after she had turned away, a mixture of longing and adoration in her eyes.

As for Linlang… well, she was probably thrilled to finally have Adele all to herself.

Only when Adele and Linlang had disappeared from sight did Celeste finally tear her gaze away, rejoining her own group of classmates.

Her actions, of course, did not go unnoticed. The whispers started immediately, a chorus of mocking laughter and disdain.

“Who was she with just now?”

“That lowly Sequence Five, again.”

“She’s really pushing her luck, isn’t she?”

“Birds of a feather flock together, I guess~”

But Celeste ignored them, their words washing over her like water off a duck’s back. She knew what was truly important to her now.

The lesson hadn’t officially started yet, but the students were allowed to practice within the designated training area, which was protected by a magic barrier. Several Elemental vampires were already showing off, boasting about how much their elemental refinement levels had increased.

In the center of the training ground, a battered target hung precariously from a metal frame. It looked like it was about to fall apart, and yet, no one had managed to destroy it. Stone pillars conjured from earth magic, ice arrows, wind blades… they had all failed to shatter the target completely.

The closest anyone had come was a Sequence Two vampire whose elemental refinement level was rumored to have reached level 7. Her wind blade had left a deep gash in the target, far more impressive than the superficial scratches the others had managed to inflict. It had been her most powerful attack, and she had been met with a chorus of cheers and applause.

The teacher, who was in charge of the Sequence Two Magic Training class, had been observing from a distance, her hopes rising as she witnessed the wind blade attack. Could this be it? Could she finally have a true prodigy in her class?

But the target had remained intact, and her hopes had been dashed.

*Seriously? That’s it?*

If she had to give an assessment, she would say that the wind-wielding vampire’s power was… superficial. She had focused on form over substance, on style over power. Her technique was flashy, but her foundation was weak.

As for her elemental refinement level… well, there was a good chance she had exaggerated her progress.

Just as the teacher was about to give up and start the lesson early, a wave of intense heat washed over the training ground. Even she felt a surge of pressure, a palpable shift in the air.

Her eyes widened as she spotted the source of the heat: a golden-haired girl, the one everyone else avoided like the plague, standing in the center of the training ground, her gaze fixed on the distant target.

Her hair, a cascade of golden sunlight, whipped around her face, her movements radiating a confidence, a power that was undeniable. The scar on her cheek, pulsing with a faint blue light, only added to her allure, a touch of danger that made her even more captivating.

A bow and arrow, forged from fire and imbued with the essence of flames, materialized before her, the flames swirling and dancing with a life of their own, a testament to her mastery of fire magic.

She nocked an arrow, her gaze unwavering, her focus absolute.

And then, with a soft *whoosh*, the flaming arrow shot towards the target, its trajectory perfect, its speed breathtaking.

Bullseye!

But the arrow didn’t stop there. It exploded upon impact, the force of the blast shattering the target into a million pieces, the fragments raining down like confetti.

The other Sequence Two vampires stared, speechless, their jaws slack with disbelief.

Silence descended upon the training ground.

Even those who had been mocking and belittling Celeste just moments ago were now rendered speechless.

The teacher, her eyes shining with approval, clapped her hands enthusiastically.

The other students, though reluctant, followed suit, their applause hesitant and uneven.

“If I’m not mistaken,” the teacher said, her voice laced with admiration, “your elemental refinement level has reached level 7, hasn’t it?”

Celeste nodded silently, confirming her suspicions.

Her classmates groaned, a chorus of envious sighs and frustrated whispers.

They were all Sequence Twos, some of them even more arrogant and privileged than Celeste. They had looked down on her, mocked her, dismissed her as a pathetic weakling.

And now, she had proven them all wrong.

Most of them were stuck at level 5, a few having reached level 6. The wind-wielding vampire had only recently reached level 7, and her power, achieved through shortcuts and trickery, was unstable, unreliable.

Celeste, on the other hand… her power was real, her talent undeniable.

The teacher’s next words were like a slap in the face, a harsh reminder of their own mediocrity.

“A true prodigy,” she declared, her voice filled with pride. “You’re leagues ahead of the others.”

“Tell me, what’s your name?”

Celeste blinked, confused. She had simply destroyed a battered old target. What was the big deal?

She didn’t know that the target had been specially designed by the teacher, its durability far beyond the capabilities of a typical first-year Sequence Two vampire. The teacher had allowed them to practice on it, to leave their marks, to give them a false sense of accomplishment.

But shattering the target… that was a whole other level of difficulty.

Celeste’s talent, combined with her hard work and determination, had given her the power to rival even the most gifted Sequence Ones. At least, that’s what the teacher believed.

As long as she didn’t encounter those truly monstrous beings, those outliers who even among Sequence Ones were considered freaks of nature… like Dorothy, or Hermione…

“Celeste,” she said, her voice soft but steady.

“A lovely name. I’m Sheena, your instructor.”

“Thank you… Teacher Sheena.”

“Tell me, how did you manage to shatter the target?”

Sheena, a vampire herself, leaned in close, her curiosity piqued. She caught a whiff of a delicate blood fragrance, and her eyes widened as she noticed the bandage on Celeste’s neck, strategically placed to conceal a bite mark.

*Who could it be?* she wondered. *Who could this proud, talented girl have given herself to so willingly?*

In vampire society, offering your blood to another vampire had a special significance. It was a sign of trust, of submission, of… love.

Celeste hesitated, unsure how to answer the teacher’s question. She couldn’t tell her the truth, could she? That she had been able to summon that level of power because… well, because she had imagined the target as Tang Linlang and Hermione?

………………

Meanwhile, on another training ground, a much less impressive one, Tang Linlang, who was still clinging to Adele’s side, suddenly sneezed.

“Achoo!”

She rubbed her nose, her brow furrowing in confusion. *What was that? Am I getting sick?*

“Linlang?” Adele asked, her voice laced with concern. She offered Linlang a tissue.

Linlang accepted the tissue, her cheeks flushing. Suddenly, even if she was getting sick, it didn’t seem so bad.

“It’s getting colder now, especially with winter approaching. You should wear a jacket, Linlang.”

“Yes, I will. You too, Adele… Take care of yourself.”

“I… I’ll take care of you too.”

For Linlang, who was naturally shy and introverted, even uttering those simple words of concern was a challenge. She stumbled over her words, her cheeks burning with a blush that made her even more adorable, even more irresistible.

Adele smiled, her heart melting. She couldn’t resist nuzzling her cheek against Linlang’s, their bodies brushing against each other.

“Cuddle time~”

“Ahn…!” Linlang froze, her entire body turning pink, as if she were about to explode.

Poor Linlang was putty in Adele’s hands.

“It’s just a way for friends to show their affection~” Adele said, her voice innocent, her explanation blatantly false.

“I-Is that so?” Linlang’s gaze darted around, her cheeks still burning. She nodded slowly, her voice barely a whisper.

“I… I see.”

“Cuddle time with Adele!”

Gathering her courage, she wrapped her arms around Adele, standing on her tiptoes to reach her cheek, nuzzling against her soft skin.

*So soft, so warm…*

Adele, caught off guard by Linlang’s sudden boldness, giggled.

“That tickles!”

*She’s so easy to tease…*

*She’s practically begging me to take advantage of her innocence.*

“What are you two doing?”

A stern voice startled them, and they quickly separated, their cheeks flushing even redder, as if they had been caught making out behind the bleachers.

Thankfully, the teacher, a strict but fair woman, didn’t press the issue. She simply glared at them, making sure they had gotten the message, and then moved on, her gaze sweeping over the other students.

Adele and Linlang exchanged a relieved glance. They had dodged a bullet.

Linlang’s heart was racing. Adele had seemed just as worried about being caught as she was. Did that mean… did that mean that Adele also saw their relationship as something… more than just friendship?

The thought sent a thrill through her, a wave of giddy excitement.

But Adele, oblivious to Linlang’s inner turmoil, was already focused on the upcoming lesson.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Adele might not have been the most magically gifted student, but she was determined to make the most of this class. She followed the teacher’s instructions, focusing on sensing her own magic, manipulating it, shaping it in her mind.

She had heard that human scientists were studying magic, trying to understand its properties, to find a way to control it, even to replicate it. If they succeeded… well, it would be like creating modern-day “hextech.”

But there was also a theory that magic originated from a higher dimension, and that the human mind was the only thing capable of accessing and utilizing it.

Adele shivered, a sudden realization hitting her. If that was true… then where did she come from? Wasn’t her original world that “higher dimension?”

It didn’t make sense. She was a transmigrator, a being from a higher plane of existence. So why… why was she still so weak?

*What’s wrong with me?*

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the figure standing outside the training grounds, her gaze fixed on Adele.

It was a girl with long, silver-blue hair, her features elegant, her demeanor regal. She had stopped walking, her eyes drawn to Adele, her entire world seemingly shrinking until only Adele remained, her image painted in vibrant colors against a backdrop of gray.

Her blue eyes, usually cold and distant, softened slightly, a flicker of warmth melting the ice that had encased them for so long.

She watched, amused, as Adele struggled to control her meager magic, her movements clumsy, her efforts endearing. It was like watching a child playing with sticks, pretending they were a knight’s sword.

But the true knight, the one wielding the real sword, the one with the power to conquer armies… well, she was the one watching from the sidelines.

If it hadn’t been for the unexpected arrival of a certain someone, Hermione might have spent the entire class simply watching Adele, lost in her own little world, her heart filled with a contentment she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

But the sky had darkened, storm clouds gathering, a tempest brewing.

“Hermione?”

“Fancy meeting you here~”

“Ah, I understand now.”

“You’re thirsty… Aren’t you~?”

Dorothy, her pink pigtails bouncing with every step, her smile as sweet as poison, approached Hermione from behind, her voice laced with a playful mockery. She moved with an effortless grace, as if she owned the place, as if this entire academy were her personal playground.

Her tone, however, shifted abruptly, the playful lilt replaced with a seriousness that was unsettling, almost unnatural.

“Seriousness”… it was a word that didn’t quite fit Dorothy, the carefree vampire princess who lived for her games, her whims.

“But I’m afraid I have to decline your request, Hermione,” she said, her voice soft, almost a whisper.

“Lately… I’ve been feeling a bit…”

—“Possessive.”