I Am The Villainess Who Will Tame Every Yandere Heroine!-Chapter 33: Sulking Clara

To the Esteemed Serafine,

Your name has reached our halls, whispered in awe and trepidation. Your deeds have not gone unnoticed. Strength such as yours is rare, and the Academy of Dawn's Edge seeks only the finest. You are more than worthy.

You have been chosen.

The Academy stands as the last bastion against the Stains, a place where power is honed, where the strong thrive, and where those unfit for the battlefield are... discarded. It is not for the weak. It is not for the fearful. It is for those who are willing to embrace the inevitable, to carve their names into history.

You belong with us.

You will find no safer haven. No greater opportunity. No place more suited to someone of your talents. The world outside these walls does not understand your potential. Here, you will be molded into something far greater. Your power will be nurtured. Your future... secured.

The entrance academy will arrive a month later at the very first day.

Do not make the mistake of declining.

Instructions for your arrival will follow. Do not delay.

We are watching.

— A Friend

"Bullshit. Is this an invitation or a threat?"

Serafine squinted at the letter like it had personally insulted her. The audacity. If they really wanted to invite her, they could've at least not made it seem like another assassination attempt. That would've been more convincing.

After everything that had happened, peace returned. Well, sort of.

There was still that lingering something in the air, like the tension before a storm or the feeling you get when you know someone's about to throw hands at a family reunion.

Apparently, a barrier had been broken, and now the knights and guards were crawling all over the place, poking their noses into every corner and questioning the villagers. But, to Serafine's mild amusement and slight disbelief, not a single soul dared to snitch on her. Out of respect.

"Idiots," she muttered fondly.

They were absolute fools for believing in her so much, but at least they were loyal fools. Thanks to their silence, she was able to come right back home without a care in the world.

Well, aside from the fact that something was definitely brewing in the background. But that was Future Serafine's problem. For now, she was just going to enjoy this temporary peace.

She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a long, exaggerated yawn as she rubbed her eyes. The effort of reading such nonsense exhausted her.

"What does the letter say?" Mariella asked, peeking over her shoulder.

Serafine waved the paper lazily. "It says I'm being invited to the Academy of Dawn's Edge." And without a shred of hesitation, she tossed it behind her.

A sudden gust of wind carried it mid-air.

"W–Why would you throw this?!" Clara yelped, barely managing to snatch the crumpled letter before it could flutter into oblivion.

"Why? You interested or something?"

"This is a prestigious institution, you know! Not everyone gets an invitation."

"And not everyone gets creepy letters from ominous, cloaked weirdos in dark alleys, yet here I am," Serafine deadpanned. "What an honor."

Calix hummed, tilting his head in amusement. "It is suspicious. But… it is also the most respected academy against Stains. You're strong, but imagine what you could become if you trained there."

"Ugh. That sounds like work." She paused, then smirked. "But also… kinda fun."

"Must be nice to treat getting into a deadly institution like it's some kind of field trip," Clara muttered.

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The three of them exchanged glances. Something was off. Too off. No whining, no complaints, no exaggerated huffs of exhaustion from Clara? Just... eerie silence and the occasional dazed stare into the void? Now that was unsettling. The designated whiner was sulking instead of whining. Truly, the world was ending.

As the dawn crept in, Serafine returned home, arms full of groceries—which, to be fair, weren't bought so much as bestowed upon her by the ever-loyal masses. And there, in the middle of their humble home, was Clara. Sweeping. Voluntarily.

Serafine narrowed her eyes. "Alright, what's with the ominous silence? You're creeping me out."

"Nothing."

"Lies."

"Whatever..." Clara muttered, stubbornly sweeping harder, as if she could brush her emotions under the floorboards.

"Ohhh, I see. You want to join that badly, huh?"

"T-That's—!"

The girl's face turned an adorable shade of red before she scowled and focused all her attention on the floor as if it had personally wronged her. The broom was now a weapon, and her embarrassment? A battle to be won.

"Cuuute."

"Shut up," Clara grumbled, but her ears were still red, and Serafine had already won.

Two mysteries lingered in the air, and Serafine was not about to let them slip away unnoticed. One was obvious: What in the world was Clara's Ethos? And the other? What about Mariella's? It had always been Calix and Serafine who were the powerhouses, the ones out there leveling up, flexing their Ethos abilities like it was no big deal. So what was the deal with Clara and Mariella?

"So, what's your Ethos anyway?" Serafine asked, leaning in with an exaggerated air of casual curiosity.

"It doesn't matter. I'm weak anyway."

"Oh really? Weak, you say? Sounds like a challenge."

"I said I'm weak, not that I'm challenging you."

"Mm-hmm, but you're really avoiding the question, aren't you?" Serafine teased, clearly enjoying the mental tug-of-war. "Come on, I'm dying to know what kind of power you've got hiding under all that cute, brooding exterior."

"Fine."

Clara stood with a determined scowl, her stance wide and feet planted firmly on the ground. The air around her seemed to hum with a subtle energy, flickering like the faintest of sparks, though it was clear that she was still far from being the warrior she envisioned herself to be. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but her eyes blazed with stubborn resolve.

"Come on, Clara," Serafine teased from the sidelines, her voice light and mocking. "You're supposed to be a daring girl, aren't you? Show me what you've got."

Her fingers twitched at her sides, the faintest hint of energy crackling between her fingertips, barely perceptible to the naked eye. She took a deep breath, focusing, trying to draw out the strength within her.