Chapter 4

The Selbreed Empire, where Aisha had studied abroad, was very different from her homeland, the Asherit Empire.

Women could inherit titles, princesses had rights to the throne, and everyone, regardless of status, had access to education.

A thoroughly meritocratic society.

Selbreed’s pride, the Asherlan Academy, famous across the continent, was also unique. Whether noble or commoner, everyone was equal within the academy’s rules—a policy found nowhere else.

Of course, because of the strict dormitory system, once admitted, students weren’t free for five years until graduation, but inside the academy, they were free from the outside world’s constraints.

Naturally, this led to a culture of free romance.

“Can I borrow your ink for a second?”

“Uh, sure? Wait a minute…”

“Hm? What’s that smell?”

During her academy days, Aisha reached for a classmate’s ink bottle and immediately noticed a strange scent.

Opening the bottle and sniffing, the owner, a girl, looked very flustered.

“It’s coming from here, right? Is this scented ink? That’s fascinating.”

“Well, um… Aisha, you’re really sensitive. Most people can’t smell anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Um, you can’t tell anyone, okay? Actually, this is… Hey, Aisha? Aisha! Are you alright? Wake up!”

Before she could hear the explanation, she collapsed onto the desk. When she woke up, she was lying in the infirmary, and the girl was being scolded by the health committee member.

“Luckily, the doctor was out, or else this wouldn’t have ended well.”

“I’m sorry… Ah, Aisha! Are you awake?”

“Ugh… What happened? What’s going on…?”

“Well…”

Aisha learned from her classmate that the ink was actually a secret aphrodisiac used among noble students, and she was shocked.

Even more surprising was that the health committee member, an older student, wasn’t fazed and simply handed the ink back to her classmate.

“There are rare cases like this. You’re Aisha Lindberg, right?”

“Yes…?”

“Some people carry around even stronger stuff than that. The owner should be careful, but you seem especially sensitive to these things, so watch out. If you have a lover, be sure to warn them.”

“Cough…!”

‘How can someone say something like that so casually…?’

That’s when she realized that the academy’s culture of free romance didn’t stop at holding hands or kissing.

And she discovered, through conversations with her close friend, that she was the only one who hadn’t known.

“You really didn’t know? It’s been over a year since you enrolled.”

“Well, how would I know…”

“Hmm… I guess so.”

“What? Why do you just accept it so quickly?”

“You date books, not people.”

“Are you picking a fight? …Wait, does that mean you too…?”

“Well… yeah.”

Her friend from the academy, Leira—the top student in their year—adjusted her glasses and looked away. Aisha felt as if she’d been struck on the head.

“W-wait… Am I the only one here who’s saving herself for marriage? Is that it?”

“Probably?”

“No way… There are royals here, right? Some have fiancés, so how can everyone be so reckless?”

“Isn’t it more reckless to lock up passionate young people in the middle of nowhere for five years and expect nothing to happen?”

“Wow…”

“Well, it’s not like everyone’s blatantly promiscuous. You know how high the entrance exam cutoff is, right? Everyone’s smart enough to keep things discreet, and everyone turns a blind eye, so it seems quiet on the surface. If it weren’t for this incident, you probably would’ve never found out.”

“…That’s actually scary.”

Still, getting caught with an aphrodisiac was grounds for discipline. Luckily, the health committee member let it slide, so her classmate wasn’t punished.

‘Everyone’s living such intense lives. I thought all they did was study…’

It was an incident that faded away. Though she was startled by the free atmosphere so different from her homeland, it didn’t matter to Aisha, who would eventually leave.

She soon forgot the health committee member’s warning to be careful.

***

And now, back in the present, Aisha regretted it as the memory came back perfectly.

‘D*mn it. If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve asked what to do back then…’

She panted heavily.

Even scratching the wall with her nails didn’t help. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, making her skin feel swollen, and her overheated, loosened clothing revealed flushed skin.

‘I don’t want this…!’

Aisha found it unbearable to even look down at her twisted body.

However, her overheated body urged her toward desire rather than reason. Her fingers, tense enough for the veins to stand out, repeatedly reached for and withdrew from her most private place.

‘I don’t want this, I don’t want it…!’

She had to escape this terrible place filled with the scent of aphrodisiac. But her trembling, limp body refused to listen.

“Haah…”

In the end, the back of her hand, having lost all patience, brushed below her navel, over that secret spot. Even though it only grazed the clothes above, her whole body shuddered.

With a sudden surge, she felt the liquid from below soaking her undergarments, undeniably clear. Aisha had no choice but to admit it.

She desperately craved more stimulation, more pleasure.

“Hah, mm…”

Admitting it made her body feel even hotter. Aisha squeezed her eyes shut.

She gripped her hands tightly, trying somehow to resist going further.

‘Because of that stupid drug…’

She didn’t want to give in. That aphrodisiac belonged to someone who came to the library for secret trysts. If she gave up and started touching herself, she’d be no different from those people she’d always looked down on.

Still, her best option was to desperately maintain her reason alone. To escape and get proper treatment, she needed someone else’s help.

‘Please, someone help me. Anyone.’

But few people ever came to the library.

And from outside, it would look dark and tightly locked—who would come in now? Even if she screamed, her voice might not reach anyone beyond this vast library.

On the other hand, she didn’t want anyone to come in. She didn’t want to be seen in such a shameful state. Just imagining what rumors might spread if she were caught like this was unbearable.

In the end, Aisha could do nothing but cry.

At that moment—

Creak─!

Aisha, biting her lip to suppress her feverish breaths, inhaled sharply. The sound of the large, heavy library door opening reached her ears.

‘Who… Who is it…?!’

Whoever it was, she couldn’t be discovered. She held her breath.

But even after the door opened and some time passed, the hall remained silent.

Her briefly cooled reason started to blur again.

“Haah…”

She groaned, clutching her dizzy head. Maybe the fever was so high she was hearing things…

Tap, tap.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the hall, making Aisha jump.

It wasn’t her imagination. Someone really had entered the library…!

‘I have to hide.’

She couldn’t even think about asking for help. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this at work, in the middle of the night, so disheveled.

Aisha gritted her teeth and reached for the bookshelf, using all her strength to try to stand.

But she should have just stayed still.

“Ah…!”

Her hand, meant to steady herself on the shelf, accidentally pushed a book spine. Books stacked in the rear shelf tumbled out with a loud crash.

The commotion made her mind go blank. She saw her body trembling visibly. The footsteps, now quicker, were definitely getting closer.

‘No, no…!’

They were coming. She was about to be found…!

Aisha stared ahead in terror. In the moonlight, a shadow fell across the candlestick.

Finally, in the moment her eyes met with the intruder’s, her emotions overwhelmed her and her mind went blank. She slowly collapsed to the side, her consciousness fading.

“…Miss Aisha!”

Even as a familiar voice called out, she felt relieved. At least this way, she could escape reality.

But it didn’t take long for her to realize this was only the beginning.