Jill scratched his head, sensing a trap but unable to find the exit. "This is Principal Elias's garden. You sure about this?"

"Principal said it's fine," Yulia lied, patting the soil. "Sun's good. Dirt's perfect for wheat. Dig, and I'll take the heat if we get caught."

Jill hesitated. "It's not the Principal I'm worried about. It's Princess Winnie and her clique. They'll come for you if they see you farming."

Yulia's mind flickered.

Winnie. The next "villainess" in the game's script—the one who replaced Princess Yulia after her sacrifice. A socialite bully who lived for tormenting the heroine.

"Let her come," Yulia said, thrusting the shovel into Jill's hands. "I'll give her a real education."

Jill gave her a thumbs-up, clearly impressed by her nerve.

The digging went fast. Grinding the wheat was the hard part. Jill, being a knight's son, couldn't let a lady work the stone mill alone. He called over a few friends, and they spent the afternoon turning Yulia's high-yield grain into snow-white flour.

"I've never seen flour this white," one of the boys said, running the fine powder through his fingers. It was superior to even the King's palace stock—the result of Yulia's careful selective breeding.

"Taste the final product later," Yulia promised. "I'll make it worth your while."

Jill wiped sweat from his brow. He'd never worked this hard for a high-tier spell, yet the sight of the flour gave him a strange, heavy sense of accomplishment.

"Burgers again for dinner?" he asked, licking his lips.

"Better," Yulia said, eyeing the cafeteria's pork stock with a predator's grin. "I'll show you what real food looks like."

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Five o'clock. Classes ended. Principal Elias was walking past the girls' dormitory when he stopped dead.

Caerus was stepping out of the front doors, looking perfectly at ease.

"Oh, good," Caerus said, as if he hadn't just strolled out of a restricted zone. "Where's the cafeteria?"

Elias stared at him. "...Why were you in there?"

Caerus's brow furrowed. "Do I need to explain myself to you, Elias?"

"Men are banned from that building," Elias whispered, his face a mask of practiced calm.

Caerus let out a short, dry scoff. "In a world I created, there is nowhere I cannot go."

Elias took a slow breath, wondering how Yulia survived such a man. He forced a smile. "What are you doing at the cafeteria?"

"Eating." Caerus looked at him like he was slow.

"Did the Princess cook?" Elias asked. "Can I join you?"

Caerus's eyes narrowed into golden slits. "No."

Elias followed anyway. He knew the dragon didn't really have a say if Yulia was the one holding the ladle.

As they neared the hall, Elias realized something was wrong. The cafeteria was usually a quiet, buffet-style affair with plenty of food.

Now, students were crushed together in a frantic, shouting circle.

"Three gold coins!" someone screamed from the center of the crowd.

"Four gold coins!"

"Four gold and a sapphire ring!"

"Dammit, Sheila! Why do you have to fight me for everything?"

"It's not fighting, honey. It's called being the highest bidder," Sheila snapped, waving her hand at her servants to pull out more coin. "I'm taking the last batch of dumplings. And that sweet drink you're having? I'll add another gold—make me one of those, too."

The wealthy elite of Gaia Academy ignored the rest of the cafeteria menu, swarming around Yulia's table. A mountain of shimmering gold coins grew in front of her, dwarfing the single serving of soup dumplings left on the plate.

Jill stood to the side, his face a mask of existential dread as he numbly counted the loot. He had helped grind the flour, but he never expected a sack of grain and a few pounds of meat to buy a small manor.

Yulia—or "Lillia Bird" to the school—sipped her milk tea, holding a small wooden mallet like an auctioneer. She caught Sheila's eye and offered a practiced, hesitant frown.

"Oh... but these aren't cheap to make..."

Sheila didn't blink. "Money isn't the issue. These are for Princess Winnie; she lives for sweets. If she likes them, the gold won't stop."

Yulia's sapphire eyes brightened. She swept the coins into her lap with a radiant, commercial smile. "Sold! You're far too generous, boss! For everyone else, don't worry—just come back earlier tomorrow!".

She was about to have Jill pour the leftover tea for Sheila when the crowd suddenly parted. A cold, heavy silence swept through the room as Caerus walked toward her, his expression a wall of dark, unreadable stone.

"Where is my tomato pot?"

Yulia froze. She'd been so focused on the dumplings she'd completely forgotten his order. She pivoted instantly, flashing the same shark-like grin she'd given the students.

"Custom orders are a different price, boss."

Caerus didn't say a word. He held his palm out, face down. A golden ring, no larger than a hand, shimmered into existence in the air.

Clatter.

Clatter.

Clatter.

The sound of gold hitting the table drew every eye in the room. No one at the Academy was poor, but this was different. The coins poured from his palm in an endless, rhythmic stream, rapidly piling into a literal mountain that buried Yulia's entire morning's profit.

Yulia read the obsession in his grey-blue eyes. The dragon wanted his pot.

"Can I order now?"

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Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy absolute silence in a crowded cafeteria.

Yulia stared at the mountain of gold. "Ever heard of the phrase 'not flaunting your wealth'?" she whispered, her voice a mix of awe and genuine concern.

Caerus pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, his black robes pooling around his boots. "No."

"Well... you've heard it now."

The students whispered behind their hands, recognizing the silver teacher's emblem on his chest. They remembered the man who had made the entire garden kneel with a single glance.

"Is he a royal? An official from the Inquisition?"

"Who cares? Did you see the gold?"

Caerus scanned the room, his golden slit eyes narrowing as he caught the buzz of their inner voices. "Are you all that idle?" he rasped.

The cold edge in his voice sent a shiver through the crowd. The "mortal ants" scattered, retreating to the far corners of the hall to watch from a safe distance.

Yulia sighed, opening her arms and hugging the pile of coins to her chest. "You're drawing too much attention, Lord Caerus."

"You don't want it?"

"I didn't say that!" Yulia replied, her eyes gleaming with a sudden, protective greed.

"It would be rude not to accept a gift from you. But it's a bit heavy... mind holding onto it for me?"

Caerus didn't call her out on the act. He flicked his sleeve, and the gold vanished into the void.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.